The salt-soaked air of the tavern, combined with the heavy scent of spilled ale and strong tobacco, hit him first. Then came the pain.
It was a blinding, visceral throbbing just beneath his left eye, sharp enough to make his vision swim. But far worse than the immediate wound was the chaotic, overwhelming influx of foreign knowledge. Childhood memories of a carefree pirate crew, the taste of stale meat, the terrifying, rubbery weight of his own limbs—all slammed against the distinct, adult consciousness of the man who had, moments ago, been sitting in a quiet room on Earth.
I'm Luffy. The horrifying realization settled like a block of ice in his gut. I'm seven, I just ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi, and… I stabbed myself.
The world was not a screen; it was loud, real, and filled with massive, laughing men who were currently celebrating his idiocy. He recognized them instantly: Shanks, Ben Beckman, Lucky Roo—the Red-Haired Pirates. He had transmigrated at the absolute start of the timeline, right after the catalyzing events that formed Monkey D. Luffy.
He stumbled backwards, his small body hitting a wooden table with a soft, rubbery thwack. His internal panic was stifling. He was trapped. He was going to spend two decades sailing the Grand Line, fighting monsters, and inevitably getting massacred by an Admiral.
"Woah, easy there, Luffy!" Shanks' deep voice rumbled, heavy with amusement. "You're tough, but you're still a little clumsy."
The man-who-was-Luffy struggled to breathe, trying to reconcile his modern intellect with the primal fear and the boy's simple urges. He had to think. He had to survive.
A sharp, high-pitched [DING!] cut through the chaos, audible only inside his skull.
A translucent blue interface, crisp and slightly glowing, sprang into existence right in front of his eyes. It was the visual language of video games, impossible to miss, yet completely invisible to the pirates surrounding him.
[Welcome, New Host]ADVENTURE SYSTEM Activated!Host: Monkey D. LuffyCurrent Currency: 0 Adventure Coins (AC)Tiers: E (Rookie)
**STATUS
Immediate Action Required: Assess Host Capabilities.
Relief, potent and intoxicating, flooded his system, momentarily eclipsing the panic. A System! The common trope, the necessary cheat code for any transmigrator. This wasn't a death sentence; it was an opportunity.
He needed to confirm his initial strength. Instinctually, he focused his thoughts on the STATUS tab. The screen instantly reorganized itself.
Tier:E (Rookie)
Bounty:0 Berries
Devil Fruit:Gomu Gomu no Mi (Awakening Potential: 0%)
Haki:DormantSTATS (Base 100 Scale):
STR (Physical Strength):5
DEX (Agility & Speed):8
END (Stamina & Resilience):7
WILL (Haki Potential):12 (High Potential)
INT (Tactical Mind):4
LUCK (Fortune):10
LIFEF (Overall health pool, Recovery rate, Resistance to sickness)
LONGEV (Lifespan modifier based on current health and enhancements)
The low numbers were disheartening, but the WILL score stood out. 12 is probably massive for a seven-year-old, he mused. It fits Luffy's inherent tenacity. And 'Tier E,' that confirms I'm utterly useless right now.
He quickly scanned the description for the currency. Adventure Coins are gained from reaching new islands, recruiting, and training. This validated his future goals, transforming them from vague ambitions into quantifiable targets.
The sheer excitement of the potential forced him to check the STORE tab, despite the chaos around him. The STORE screen loaded instantly, and a notification flashed: [Weekly Refresh in 6 Days, 23 Hours].
1.Skill BookCommon Swordsmanship Manual
10 AC
Grants foundational knowledge and muscle memory for a basic level of sword skill (Tier E proficiency).
2.TechnologyMarine-Grade Cannon Blueprint
50 AC
Schematic to build a reliable, standard-issue cannon (Requires resources and skilled crew member).
3.BloodlineEnhanced Senses Infusion
30 AC
Grants a permanent, slight boost to sight, smell, and hearing. Minor increase to DEX and LUCK.
4.Unique AbilityPassive Observation Haki Primer
75 AC
Instantly unlocks the most rudimentary ability to sense emotional states and intent. Dormant Haki progression begins.
5.ConsumableBasic Stamina Potion
3 AC
Temporarily restores a minor amount of physical END and hastens minor wound healing.
He quickly checked the STORE tab, finding the item he needed most: the Passive Observation Haki Primer (75 AC). He had to get that Haki.
He slammed his mental connection shut, making the blue screen vanish. He forced a childish, toothy grin that felt utterly alien on his face, mimicking the expression he had seen a thousand times in the anime.
"Shanks," he announced, trying to sound exactly like the boy he had replaced, "I'm gonna go wash this blood off. And… I think I'll be needing a lot more meat later!"
Shanks grinned back, oblivious to the existential crisis that had just occurred in front of him. "That's the spirit, Luffy!"
He slipped out, finding Makino, the tavern bartender, waiting for him with a concerned look and a roll of antiseptic gauze.
"Luffy, you idiot! Look at what you've done," she scolded gently, quickly ushering him toward a small, private infirmary room behind the tavern. "We need to clean and stitch this properly, or it'll get infected."
The next few minutes were agonizing. Makino's hands were soft but firm as she swabbed the wound and prepared the suture needle. Luffy held perfectly still, using the searing pain as a distraction to reopen his STATUS tab and review the stats. The pain was causing his LIFEF to spike briefly, displaying a current recovery rate. A minor wound for a kid with a high LIFEF stat heals fast, even without a potion. Good to know.
"There," Makino said, tying off the final stitch. "Be more careful, okay? You're giving me grey hairs."
Luffy forced a weak but convincing nod, maintaining his facade. "Thanks, Makino! You're the best!"
Once he was released, he bypassed the main road and darted towards the quiet, dense forest that bordered the village. He needed total privacy. The moment the trees blocked sight of the tavern, he reopened the System screen and brought up the QUESTS tab, then the AC Reward Guidelines.
Reward system check:
New Island: Unavailable (Too young to sail).
Recruit Crew: Unavailable (Needs ship, no eligible candidates yet).
Training Progression: Available. Gain minor AC rewards upon hitting significant milestones in a low-level stat.
He had zero coins, and the cheapest item, the Basic Stamina Potion, was 3 AC. He couldn't even afford the minor comforts.
Luffy's earlier panic solidified into cold, determined focus. He was stuck as a rubber boy with a massive target on his back and four on his INT stat. He had to raise that number, but more importantly, he needed AC.
He focused on the trees, the dense underbrush, and the vast, unknown jungle stretching away from the safety of the village. The new life was terrifying, but the potential—the ability to buy strength, influence the world, and build a destiny better than the original—was irresistible.
He took a deep breath of the wood-scented air. He was Monkey D. Luffy, a pirate, and now, a System user. He would play the part of the reckless idiot until he was strong enough to drop the mask.
I have to start training immediately, he resolved. And I need to figure out what kind of 'aptitude' I can claim Adventure Coins for.
The true journey—the secret, strategic adventure—had begun.
SO THAT IS IT FOR THIS CHAPTER GUYS , HOPE YOU LIKED IT , I HAVE PREPARED LIKE 40 CHAPTERS IN ADVANCED SO THAT I DON'T GET BORED WHILE WRITING AND WISH TO QUIT LIKE MY PREVIOUS 2 WORKS , I AM PLANNING ON UPDATING THEM BUT AFTER I FINISH THIS ONE , I WOULD ALSO SAY MY WRITING SKILLS IMPROVED A TAD BIT SO THIS STORY MIGHT HAVE BETTER NARRATION THAN THE PREVIOUS 2. ANYWAYS , ENOUGH YAP , MASS POSTING 5 CHAPTERS BY THE END OF THE DAY ,AND PLEASE READ THESE RANTS I AM WRITING SINCE IT HELPS YOU GET UPDATES AND IDEAS ABOUT MY STORY