Sea Circle Calendar 1510, March.
East Blue.
A mountain path.
"Boss Sig, they're here!"
Clang!
"Men, get ready! Kill them all, leave no survivors."
Sig drew his sword.
He was about thirty years old, wearing a loose orange jacket tied with a black sash, his hair in a ponytail.
"Yeah!"
The mountain bandits excitedly drew their weapons, looking towards the end of the mountain road.
Three horse-drawn carriages loaded with goods slowly came into view.
"Laino, don't get yourself killed!"
"If you die, I'll have to find a new cook."
Laino forced a smile that was uglier than a crying face.
His expression diluted the tense pre-battle atmosphere among the bandits.
Sig grinned, "Laino, for the sake of your good cooking, I'll allow you to charge in last."
"Men, kill them!"
Raising his sword, he took the lead and charged towards the merchant caravan.
"Kill!"
Forty to fifty mountain bandits shouted in unison, following closely behind Sig.
Laino carried a worn-out sword, deliberately falling to the back. He chewed on a blade of grass, its slightly bitter juice mirroring his mood.
He was a transmigrator.
He had accidentally fallen from a building and, for some unknown reason, ended up in the world of One Piece. He fainted on the roadside and was found by a young man named Laino.
Before he could learn more, Sig's mountain bandit group raided the village that very night, plundering its wealth.
The original Laino tried to resist.
He was cut down by Sig.
The transmigrator immediately acted cowardly. After some acting and relying on his cooking skills, he joined the bandit group under the identity of "Laino."
The reason he didn't use his original name was that it was too unique. If the bandits were to question it, how would he answer?
When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
"Mountain bandits!"
"Don't panic, fight back!"
The caravan's guards drew their swords, surrounding the cargo to fend off the bandits.
The two groups clashed, and screams immediately followed.
A guard's head was split open by Sig. Blood splattered, a particularly gory sight.
As expected of a bandit leader with a six million bounty, his strength was two levels above these guards.
With their boss leading the charge, the bandits' morale soared, and they broke the guards' formation.
Then they scattered, ganging up on the guards in groups of two or three.
Laino, who had been hanging back, kept his eyes peeled. He spotted three bandits cornering an injured guard.
"Let me!"
Laino yelled and charged at the guard with his worn-out sword.
Unfortunately, the three bandits didn't give him a chance to steal the kill and decisively stabbed the guard to death.
Laino was speechless.
He glanced at his status panel.
[Host Name: Laino](Changed)
[Actual Age: 17]
[Existing Talents: Glib Tongue]
[Power Evaluation: Newbie. Guaranteed to die if you go to sea. Not even qualified to be cannon fodder.]
As a transmigrator, he naturally had benefits. First, his age was ten years younger than before his transmigration.
He was now only seventeen, and his physical condition had also improved, reaching the level of an ordinary person in the One Piece world.
He could easily lift two hundred jin!
Second, he had obtained a [Talent Copy System].
The system's description was as follows.
One: The condition for copying a talent is that the host must fight with the person possessing the talent for no less than ten seconds.
Not everyone has a talent.
Two: A talent from a single person can only be copied once. If they have multiple talents, a loss results in a random selection, while a win allows for a choice.
Three: If the host acquires the same or similar talents, their effects can stack and merge into a higher-level talent.
Four: Talent levels are: SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E.
In addition to the detailed explanation, the system thoughtfully provided a starter pack: the Common Language of the One Piece World.
Thanks to this gift, he wasn't stabbed to death by the bandits for not being able to communicate.
He had the [Glib Tongue] talent.
It was from a village swindler.
It allowed Laino to successfully persuade the bandits not to kill him.
[Glib Tongue (D): Allows you to freely control your speech speed and produce a convincing voice.]
This talent was actually quite useful, making his talk-no-jutsu invincible.
But it couldn't increase his direct combat power.
In the world of One Piece, it's the survival of the fittest, where the strong are respected.
How could he survive without direct combat power?
Laino pondered how to gain some benefits from this battle.
Suddenly, a sense of danger arose. He caught a figure rushing toward him in his peripheral vision.
It was a tall, burly middle-aged man wielding a two-handed sword, his eyes wide and seemingly spitting fire with rage.
"Bandit, go to hell!"
Just as Laino was about to retreat, he noticed the other bandits were just watching the show.
These guys!
Laino knew that to survive in the bandit group, he had to show his worth, even as a cook.
Weakness would only lead to being bullied.
He gritted his teeth and decided to go for it.
Before transmigrating, he had practiced Sanda for three years. Combined with the chaotic battles of the past two days, a certain resolve had already formed in his heart.
He remained calm in the face of danger; the opponent was not invincible.
He calmly watched the two-handed sword slash down, stirring up a bone-chilling wind.
At the critical moment, Laino clumsily dodged, avoiding the long sword.
Seizing the moment when the opponent's move had lost its momentum and struck the ground, he closed the distance, saw his chance, and kicked upwards.
The kick was cunning, vicious, and powerful.
Thud!
It sounded like something had shattered.
The tall middle-aged man was completely unprepared for such a move. His face instantly turned red and contorted, his eyes looking like they would pop out.
He was in too much pain to make a sound. He dropped his sword, clutched himself with both hands, and doubled over.
The onlooking bandits all subconsciously covered their groins and sucked in a cold breath.
Laino became ruthless. He darted forward and, without hesitation, plunged his shiny tetanus blade into his opponent's heart.
The scream was ear-piercing.
"Hah... hah..."
Laino pulled out the sword, letting the warm blood splash onto his face.
The burly man fell to the ground, unwilling to die.
"Aargh!"
Laino didn't feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, he felt an incomparable thrill. He let out a blood-pumping roar, venting the anxiety of the past two days.
This scene made the surrounding bandits look at him differently. There was less contempt and more recognition in their eyes.
Even Sig the Mountain Bandit King gave him a second glance.
Status had to be earned.
[Ding! Defeated opponent. Scanning for talent: Gluttony (C-Rank)]
[Talent successfully copied.]
[Talent Description: You will possess an appetite, digestive ability, and nutrient absorption capacity far exceeding that of an ordinary person.]
A new talent appeared on his panel.
Laino was frustrated.
Another non-combat talent.
No.
He quickly discovered the benefits this talent brought.
The nutrients provided by his large appetite significantly improved his basic attributes like stamina recovery and wound healing.
This talent was practical.
His young body began to develop and grow once more.
His height, weight, strength, agility, and other aspects were all improving.