Two-thirty in the morning.
"Hmm?"
"I'm in One Piece, and I'm Roger's childhood friend."
"Nice name, let's see."
..."No way, you can die from overwork and transmigrate just by watching one episode of anime? Who would believe that!"
"Anyway, I don't believe in it."
..."Hmm? Wasn't I reading a novel? Did I fall asleep??"
Consciousness gradually returned, and Bai Yun opened his eyes. But with that single opening, the dazzling sunlight was almost literally "blinding."
"Holy crap, who threw a flashbang!!!"
"My eyes! My eyes!!"
"Please remain quiet!"
Bai Yun was covering his eyes, "healing" himself by shouting, when a strange voice suddenly appeared.
It was as if it spoke inside his mind. In fact, it truly was.
"Who!?"
Bai Yun immediately asked, without opening his eyes. If that "flashbang" came again, "Damn it!" Are flashbangs free?
As Bai Yun wondered, a voice sounded in his ear, answering his question.
"I am System 000."
"I am the system that manages all systems."
A cold, mechanical voice introduced itself.
Although Bai Yun still didn't quite understand, he caught on to some words, like...
"System?"
"So, I've transmigrated?"
"Where? What world is this??"
Bai Yun hadn't expected that one second he was complaining about transmigration, and the next second he actually transmigrated.
What was this called?? Complaining is risky, speak with caution!??
"This is the world of 'One Piece,' and the protagonist is Monkey D. Luffy."
"Didn't you say you didn't believe in transmigration?"
"Do you believe it now?"
It was still a mechanical voice, but the system's tone carried a hint of, "You dare to question me, you little punk? If I say you transmigrate, you transmigrate."
Bai Yun was bewildered. "So you really just transmigrated me because I complained? So casual???"
The system did not reply.
"Leaving that aside, can I not go back?"
The system didn't answer, so Bai Yun asked.
"Barring any accidents, no."
This time, the system answered straightforwardly.
It was straightforward, but Bai Yun was speechless. He thanked its ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart, though it might not have any... Since that was the case, Bai Yun could only comfort himself with the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." What else could he do?
He was an orphan in his own world, with nothing to miss. So, he might as well relax and accept his fate of transmigration.
He couldn't accept it immediately, but he accepted it after a moment, and after another moment, he was even a little excited, after all, he loved watching One Piece.
"Since you brought me here, are you my golden finger?"
"What did you say you were again, what kind of management system?"
"You're ugly but you dream big."
"I am the system that manages all systems. If I were to become your system, serving only you, wouldn't everything fall into chaos!"
The system's cold voice replied with a hint of sarcasm.
Honestly, Bai Yun really wished he had the ability to slap the "person" on the other side of the screen.
"So what do you mean, you brought me here and you're just going to pack up and leave?"
Bai Yun asked. You bring me here and then just pull up your pants and leave? Have some morals, damn it.
"..."
Silence, a three-second long silence.
It was as if Bai Yun had guessed the system's thoughts.
"You wouldn't actually..."
"Of course not!!"
"I will randomly draw three abilities for you, to allow you to survive in the world of One Piece."
The system immediately retorted, how could I be that kind of person! What needs to be given will be given.
"Three abilities?"
"What kind of abilities?"
"I said it's random, why are you still asking!"
"..."
Bai Yun now strongly agreed that AI should not have emotions; he couldn't argue, absolutely couldn't argue... "Ahem! Alright, now beginning to draw abilities."
The system coughed, officially starting the ability draw. Who knows why a system would cough.
In an instant, golden light overflowed. Who knows how Bai Yun, with his eyes closed, perceived it, it just popped directly into his mind like a dream.
"Three golden lights?"
"Is this a drop? A golden legend?"
Bai Yun muttered to himself. The system ignored him, but the next second, Bai Yun spat out a mouthful of blood, a truly physical mouthful of blood.
"Congratulations on obtaining the ability, 'Frailty' (Initial Incomplete Version)!"
The system's mechanical announcement sounded, and Bai Yun immediately felt as if a large stone had been crushed on his chest. He spat out a mouthful of blood, embracing the sunlight.
Bai Yun was so exhausted he didn't even have the strength to curse the system.
This is what you call golden, this is what you call an ability, why don't you keep this ability for yourself!!!
"Also, what do you mean by 'incomplete version'?? Frailty needs an incomplete version? So the complete version just takes me away directly?"
Bai Yun internally cursed three times, plus his version query, displeasing the system.
"I told you not to ask! You just need to know that the abilities given to you won't harm you!"
"Don't interrupt me again!"
"Congratulations on obtaining the Devil Fruit, Paramecia Type - Replication Fruit."
"This fruit allows you to replicate others' Devil Fruit abilities and techniques."
"This fruit also has its true name, which will be restored upon awakening... restored to its true... true name... as... as... Beep~~"
The second draw was a Devil Fruit, which was an indigenous ability.
But as the system spoke, it became intermittent, like a bad phone signal, and finally ended with a continuous beep.
"What the hell?"
Bai Yun was completely confused. What's going on? Are you infected with a virus?
But the next second, a sense of weightlessness instantly struck, and Bai Yun went into a freefall.
Now his eyes couldn't stay closed.
Bai Yun suddenly opened his eyes.
It turned out Bai Yun had been lying in the air just now. Now, what met his eyes were blue skies and white clouds. The sun played hide-and-seek behind the clouds, and white clouds drifted slowly, like a white sea.
It was beautiful, if Bai Yun wasn't currently in freefall!
"My goodness!!!"
A loud shout expressed Bai Yun's mood, like an ice cream falling to the ground with a splat before he even had a chance to eat it.
...
A/N: The journey continues! If you're eager to read far ahead and support this story, consider joining the Eternal Phoenix community. You can find me on Patreon by searching for "Eternal_Phoenix".
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