[Unknown Sea in the Pirate World]
A large wooden plank floated on the vast ocean, appearing to be a fragment from a shipwreck. Atop the plank lay a small child, seemingly no older than four or five, sound asleep.
Where the plank and the child had come from remained a mystery, as did their destination.
Reno slowly opened his eyes, feeling as though his entire body had been run over by a truck. His limbs ached, and his strength seemed utterly drained. "What the hell?! All I did was drink a few lousy bottles water for my birthday. Why does it feel like I got flattened by a truckload of rich cougars?!"
Staring at the dazzlingly colorful sky and feeling the rocking motion beneath him, Reno began to sense that something was wrong. Who wakes up to see the sky? And who sleeps on a hard, moving surface?
Summoning his meager strength, Reno struggled to sit up a task that was ordinarily as easy as breathing but now felt like a Herculean effort. His eyes scanned the endless expanse of ocean surrounding him. Bewildered, he muttered, "My house is tens of thousands of miles away from the sea. How on earth did I end up drifting on it? Am I still dreaming?"
The sound of his own voice made him freeze, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What the…? Why does my voice sound so adorably childlike?!"
"Ahhhh! Ahhh!"
Before Reno could make sense of the situation, a sharp, searing pain tore through his head, as though it was about to explode. He let out a cry of agony before collapsing unconscious on the plank.
Time passed, though he couldn't tell how much. Eventually, the pain in Reno's expression subsided, and he began to wake.
Still groggy, he did not immediately open his eyes but instead focused on the flood of unfamiliar memories now crowding his mind. It turned out that he was no longer on Blue Star (Earth). His soul had transmigrated into the body of a five-year-old boy in the world of One Piece.
The boy's name was Afaku Reno. He had survived a shipwreck while at sea with his parents, clinging to a piece of driftwood. Unfortunately, it seemed his parents and the rest of the crew had perished.
Though Reno had escaped the initial disaster, survival seemed impossible. A five-year-old child, stranded in the vast ocean with no land or ships in sight, would inevitably succumb to hunger and thirst. And that's exactly what happened—Reno had starved to death, paving the way for Reno's soul to take over his body.
As for Reno's own death? He wasn't entirely sure. The last thing he remembered was drinking with friends to celebrate his birthday. He blacked out, only to wake up in this world. Perhaps he'd drunk himself to death.
After digesting Reno's memories, Reno realized how dire his current situation was. He was injured, starving, and adrift in the unforgiving sea. If no island or ship appeared soon, he wouldn't last much longer.
Desperate, Reno recalled countless novels he had read in his previous life. Every transmigrator protagonist seemed to have either a wise mentor or a cheat-like system. Maybe he had a system too?
"System?" he called tentatively.
[Ding! System detected and activated ahead of schedule.]
[Universal Check-In and Lottery System… Initializing...]
[1%... 20%... 50%... 100%]
Hearing the mechanical voice in his head, Reno's face lit up with joy. He had a system! From this moment on, he was a man with a system!
[Ding! System successfully initialized.]
"Alright, system, tell me about your functions!"
[Check-In Function: Hosts can trigger check-in missions by interacting with specific people, locations, or factions. The more challenging the task, the greater the rewards. Each successful check-in also grants an additional lottery chance.]
[Lottery Function: Draws require 1 billion Berries per spin. Prizes include items and abilities from this world as well as countless others.]
[System Store: Currently locked.]
Reno frowned. The lottery was out of the question for now. He had no money, let alone 1 billion Berries.
[Host Status Panel]
[Name: Reno]
[Age: 5]
[Body: 2 (Adult Average: 10)]
[Strength: 2 (Adult Average: 10)]
[Speed: 3 (Adult Average: 10)]
[Mental Power: 10 (Adult Average: 10)]
[Skills: None]
[Weapons: None]
[Abilities: None]
[Evaluation: Severely injured and hopelessly weak.]
Looking at his pitiful stats, Reno nearly cried. A body this frail would struggle to survive on land, let alone the merciless sea.
Still, he refused to give up. Recalling how systems in novels often included a beginner's gift, he decided to test his luck. "Oh, mighty system! Surely someone as wise and powerful as you comes with a beginner's package, right?"
[Ding! Beginner's Package granted.]
[Open Beginner's Package?]
"Open it! Quickly!"
[Opening Beginner's Package...]
[Congratulations! Host has acquired Tatsumaki's Superpower.]
[Congratulations! Host has acquired Infinite Mental Energy.]
"Hell yeah! With these, I can finally escape this damned sea!" Reno exclaimed, ecstatic.
In his excitement, he tried to jump up, only to collapse in pain from his injuries.
[Fuse Superpower and Mental Energy?]
"Yes, do it!" Reno commanded.
With the fusion complete, Reno felt a surge of strength and clarity. His hope for survival ignited anew.