Chapter Text
I woke up this morning with the face of a gorilla.
I realized it the moment I crawled out of my futon and tried to wash my face. Actually, it wasn't just my face—my entire body had shrunk. I was supposed to be sleeping in my own room, yet I’d woken up in a place I didn't recognize at all.
Staring at my reflection in a water bucket, I fell into deep thought.
"Hmm... This feels strangely familiar."
I looked to be barely ten years old. I had wild, unkempt light-purple hair and a "gorilla face"—meaning my features were coarse and my lips were thick. It was the kind of face that screamed "future thug." It was a villainous face; there wasn't a hint of "handsome protagonist" anywhere to be found.
My last memory was finishing work, heading home, and crawling into bed. I was supposed to be a typical Japanese man, born and raised in Japan with black hair and black eyes. I definitely didn't have hair that defied all known genetics, nor did I have a face this intimidating.
"Hey, old man, what’s your take on this?"
"Huh?! What are you babbling about? If you’re awake, get your ass out there and start earning!"
I tried asking the middle-aged man nearby, but he just screamed and threw a bag at me. Well, I’ve never been a fan of being yelled at, so I quickly threw the bag over my shoulder and headed out the door. As soon as I closed it, a piece of the wall crumbled.
Calling it a "house" was a stretch—it was a shack. The scenery outside was chaotic. Combined with the dry, clear weather, it looked exactly like what I imagined a slum would be, despite never having been to one. There were plenty of shady-looking characters loitering about.
The scent of brine suggested we were near the sea, but it definitely wasn't Japan. Furthermore, given that everyone here had hair colors like a box of crayons, I could rule out Earth entirely.
"The classic 'reincarnated in another world' trope. Or maybe a possession?"
As I walked, I sifted through my new memories. My "job" seemed to be "scavenging"—if you can call taking things without permission scavenging. It seemed the old man from earlier let me stay at his place in exchange for whatever I "found," though he was almost certainly skimming the lion's share of the profit.
Lost in thought, I eventually reached the coast—or rather, the harbor. I saw several sailing ships lined up. Having never seen one in person before, I stood there with my mouth hanging open, staring blankly until one particular ship caught my eye.
The sun reflected brilliantly off its sails, which proudly bore a seagull mark and a single word: MARINE.
"Oh, shit. I'm in the One Piece world."
+++
A Marine battleship was docked right there. I recalled this being a pretty harsh world, though my memory of the specifics was a bit hazy. For now, I figured I had three options:
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Continue my current life while getting smacked around by that old man.
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Join the Marines and get smacked around by a superior officer (my own bias).
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Set out to sea and make a name for myself.
I hate physical pain, so I wanted to pick the third option. However, heading out to sea with no skills or power would only lead to a miserable end.
"And that’s why I’d like to work on this ship!"
"I don't know what you mean by 'and that’s why,' kid. Are you lost?"
I decided on a compromise: I’d join the Marines, acquire the necessary skills, and then desert to head out to sea later. I called out to a sailor who looked like he had some free time.
"...My parents are gone. Someone gives me a place to sleep, but he forces me to steal and hits me when he’s drunk. I can't take it anymore..."
I looked down, covering my eyes and feigning a sob to emphasize how miserable my life was and how I had no strings attached.
"I see... Hang on. I'll go talk to my superior."
The Marine placed a hand on my head. "It must have been hard losing your parents. You've done well to survive this long."
He headed toward the ship. Oh wow, what a gentleman, I thought, suppressing my guilty conscience as I waited. Soon, the kind-hearted Marine returned.
"I'm going to introduce you to my boss... but first, a bath. And we’re cutting that messy hair of yours."
Before I knew it, I was tossed into a tub, had my hair trimmed, and was fitted into a Marine uniform. When I finally looked in a full-length mirror—
"I'm Don Krieg!"
A miniature Don Krieg in a Marine uniform stared back at me.
+++
Are you familiar with Don Krieg?
He was the Admiral of the Pirate Armada, leading a massive fleet of 50 ships and 5,000 men—an army equivalent to a small nation. He was known by titles like "The Foul Play Krieg" and "Admiral of the Pirate Armada."
His bounty was 17 million Berries.
His crew was full of elites: Gin the Man-Demon, a cold-blooded combat commander loyal to a fault, and Pearl the Iron Wall, the Second Branch Commander whose defenses could repel cannonballs and who claimed to have never bled in battle. Krieg himself believed that "might makes right," utilizing an arsenal of weapons and armor to crush his enemies with meticulous tactics.
In the original story, he used his overwhelming weaponry to pressure the protagonist, but he was eventually defeated when his "might"—his armor and conviction—was shattered. He fell into a frantic rage and was eventually knocked out and taken into retreat by Gin.
In short, he was supposed to be strong, but he just had a bad matchup (subjectively speaking). I recalled that he was originally a Marine (actually, he was a prisoner who disguised himself as a Marine to hijack a ship) and rose to power through various deceptions.
Even without his weapons and armor, his raw strength was legendary; he possessed the monstrous power to effortlessly swing the Great Battle Spear, a weapon weighing an entire ton.
But the most important thing was...
"I think he was around forty? (Actually 42 at the start of the series). If I’m ten now, then it’s thirty years before the story begins... Did anything even happen back then?"
"Hey, rookie! Hurry up and finish scrubbing the deck!"
I was snapped out of my brooding by a shout. For now, I got back to work, scrubbing the floor with a brush.
Let’s see... Franky and Robin were in their early thirties (Franky 34, Robin 28), so they’ll be born in a few years. And Roger was executed about twenty years ago (22 years ago), right?
I didn't remember the source material perfectly, so I wanted to stay low until the main story started. I’d love to save Kuina, though. Maybe help Shanks keep his arm, too.
"Well, no use overthinking it."
"If you're done there, move to the next task! Weapons maintenance. Follow me!"
"Right, right. This apprentice will follow quietly," I thought as I began polishing the rifle they handed me.
I needed a plan. Since I clearly had the potential for the monstrous strength required to swing a ton of steel, I should focus on physical training. I also definitely wanted to master the Six Powers.
I should probably learn Haki too. I think I’ll skip the Devil Fruits; the powers are tempting, but they're a gamble and the drawbacks are too steep. Though, I wouldn’t mind the Kachi Kachi no Mi.
Alright. My first priority is self-preservation. I’ll keep a low profile until the story starts and only intervene when I can actually help. I’ll still form my own pirate crew eventually, but I’ve got to do something about Sanji’s situation... that could get ugly.