Chapter 3: A Cascade of Treasures
Whoosh!
An emerald vortex swirled before Kaizen Reiya's eyes. When the distortion cleared, he found himself standing in a village. A row of white-washed houses with green-trimmed windows stood before him, and in the distance, the tall blades of a windmill turned slowly.
"Yes, Windmill Village. The New One Piece World, I'm here." Kaizen took a deep breath; the air was clean, carrying the scent of fresh grass and sea breeze.
The village was devoid of other "players." Only a few local villagers went about their business with bowed heads. A flicker of pride rose within him.
Kaizen was certain that not only was he the first to arrive in Windmill Village, he was likely the first in the entire new world. This was the benefit of rebirth. While other "players" were still reeling in chaos and panic, he had already seized the Calm Sea Key, bound it with a drop of blood, and used the transport scroll without a second's hesitation.
Other players would need a long time to recover from the apocalyptic shock, then figure out how to use their scrolls. By the time they finally arrived, the opportunity would be long cold.
This was the advantage of experience. The saying was true: a single step ahead meant leading all the way. In his past life, he had been the one who was lost, taken advantage of, and suffered greatly. By the time he arrived in this world, all the best resources and equipment had already been picked clean by others.
His memories of Windmill Village from that previous life were particularly sharp. This village held early advantages that other starter villages lacked.
Hidden within it were countless secrets: techniques, martial arts, equipment, and treasures.
If a "player" could find these secret manuals for skills and martial arts, they could immediately begin training, increase their combat power, grow stronger rapidly, and leave the latecomers in the dust.
Only by boosting one's power immediately could one seize more treasures and resources, and stand out from the crowd of players.
It was no coincidence that this very village had produced three men who would shake the world: Monkey D. Garp, Monkey D. Dragon, and Monkey D. Luffy. For a player traversing worlds, this place was a land of immense fortune.
"Time is short. I need to find a secret manual and start training immediately. In my past life, I missed the Star-Siphoning Art here, and it led to tragedy... Makino, who treated me like a younger brother, cared for me in every way. But because of that, she was captured by the bandit Higuma. The villagers' lives were threatened, and in the end, to protect her innocence... she took her own life. I will never let such a tragedy happen again in this life."
Thinking of Makino, the bar hostess, Kaizen clenched his fists, his expression resolute.
In this life, he would become strong. So strong that no one would dare harm those around him.
He walked swiftly through the village. According to his memory, the manual for the Star-Siphoning Art was hidden in a very secret place within the bar, still undiscovered.
Just then, an old man wearing a striped hat, his face bruised and with panda-like dark circles under his eyes, approached, looking at Kaizen with a sorrowful expression.
"Warrior from out of town, our village is being invaded by bandits. I don't know if you could join us, fight with us, and drive away those wicked, shameless people."
"Mayor Woop Slap? What happened?" Kaizen was shocked. According to his previous life's memory, the bandit Higuma and his gang shouldn't have attacked the village yet. Had the timeline in this world moved faster? This was troublesome.
Mayor Woop Slap gritted his teeth and explained what had happened in the village these past few days.
It turned out that just three days ago, the bandit Higuma and his gang, coveting Makino's beauty, had tried to force her to submit. When she refused, they grew aggressive and attacked the village. The villagers were losing ground when, to make matters worse, a Devil Fruit user suddenly appeared among the bandits. The villagers were no match. They were defeated, and many had died.
After his victory, Higuma had issued an ultimatum: hand over Makino within three days, or he would bathe the village in blood and leave no one alive.
"Three days... only three days left. The time is too short. Mayor, I must go." It seemed the timeline had indeed advanced, progressing faster than in his previous life. A small but critical change.
Kaizen had to race against the clock. He hurried toward the bar—the hiding place of the first technique, the Star-Siphoning Art.
In the aftermath of the bandit attack, the place had grown desolate. The bar was empty, devoid of patrons, and even Makino was nowhere to be seen.
Kaizen searched around frantically, scouring every corner, but couldn't find the manual. Just as frustration was setting in...
Ding. The Calm Sea Key is activated for the first time. Scanning for all treasures and secret manuals within a ten-meter radius.
Ding. Secret manual discovered.
As the low, weathered voice sounded, Kaizen saw a radar-like light screen appear before him. On it, a single point of light blinked persistently.
"It's here!" Following the indicator, Kaizen looked and saw a book, covered in dust and tattered, lying under the counter. No wonder he hadn't been able to find it.
Ding! Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for obtaining the high-grade Mysterious Class technique: Star-Siphoning Art.
Flipping through the practice method and energy circulation routes described in the manual, Kaizen felt a surge of exhilaration.
The first technique he had found was a high-grade Mysterious Class skill. He couldn't help the thrill that ran through him.
Techniques were divided into four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow.
The Yellow tier was the lowest. Among these novice players, even a Mysterious Class skill was a high-end treasure that was nearly impossible to find. For other players to find even a high-grade Yellow Class skill would be difficult. This meant Kaizen's starting point was already higher than everyone else's.
"I have to find a place to practice, fast." Suppressing his excitement, Kaizen knew he had to hurry. Time waited for no one. He had only three days. He had failed in his past life; he would not allow any regrets in this one.
"The bar's backyard is empty. I'll practice there and wait for Makino to return."
He had just reached the backyard.
Ding. Scanning the dry well three meters to the player's left. Treasure detected.
Kaizen immediately walked over, peered into the well, and sure enough, something glimmered at the bottom.
He climbed down, fished the object out of the mud, and washed it with water. It was a pair of boots that glowed with a faint blue light.
Ding. Congratulations to player Kaizen Reiya for obtaining the Black Iron equipment: Boots of Swift Movement. Increases movement speed by 60%.
"Hah! Now we're in business." Kaizen was so excited he almost felt dizzy. This stroke of luck was too sudden.
With these Swift Boots, it was as if he had gained the ability to walk on air. They were a god-sent match for the Star-Siphoning Art.
When first practicing the Star-Siphoning Art, one's body was like hollow bamboo, an empty vessel. As an ordinary person, attempting to siphon the internal energy or combat power from others was incredibly risky. But with ghost-like speed, he could close the distance and drain his opponent's power for his own use before they could react.
And if the opponent was outrageously strong? He could simply vanish without a trace, leaving them staring blankly at empty air.