The sky was cloudy, with a light breeze brushing over the shore.
Whenever the drifting clouds thinned, a few pale shafts of sunlight slipped through and scattered across the sea.
Glittering waves rolled up the beach, leaving behind an unconscious man with his eyes shut tight before slowly retreating again.
A seagull flew overhead, and a cloudy white shell landed squarely on the man’s forehead.
“…” His eyelids twitched a few times before his eyes suddenly snapped open.
Whoosh— The tide surged in again, and salty, bitter seawater rushed straight into his nose and mouth.
“Cough, cough, cough…!” After several violent coughs, the man staggered upright, shaking his head as he stared blankly at his surroundings.
“Where… am I?” Perhaps because his body had finally awakened, the original owner’s memories came flooding in all at once.
The Hickman Kingdom in East Blue… A fallen prince… Swordsmanship… “Hickman D.
Gavin?” The sharp, swelling pain in his head faded quickly.
Once he had fully digested the memories, Gavin stared at the sea in stunned silence.
He had transmigrated?
Had he really joined the grand army of transmigrators just because he stayed up late watching anime?
Was this some kind of lucky break?
Still refusing to believe it, Gavin dug through the memories again.
Hickman D.
Gavin, the sole survivor of the defeated Hickman Kingdom.
He had studied swordsmanship since childhood… “Wait!
One Piece?!” The Hickman Kingdom had been defeated by Goa Kingdom of East Blue at the beginning of the Sea Circle Calendar year 1499.
According to the original owner’s memories, the conflict between the two nations seemed to have been caused by the first wave of chaos that swept across the seas after the Pirate King’s execution last year.
“We found him!
The surviving remnant of the Hickman Kingdom!” “Everyone, stay sharp!
The nobles of Goa Kingdom put a three-million-Berry bounty on him!” “Hurry up and send the signal!
Get everyone over here!
We have to bring this brat back alive!” Fireworks burst in the sky, and dozens of men rushed out of the nearby forest, each carrying guns or weapons….
excitement was written all over their faces.
Gavin swallowed.
Just as nerves began to rise in his chest, a notification sounded in his mind.
[Newcomer’s first battle detected.
Bonus reward: Shinigami Lottery Machine delivered.] [Random Zanpakutō draw for the first month… beginning selection… locking result… confirmed Zanpakutō: Nozarashi.
Trial duration: 1/month.] [Nozarashi: The weapon of Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of Squad 11 of the Gotei 13.
Grip it, and become the next generation’s basic-attack monster!] [Shikai command: Drink, Nozarashi!] [Bonus attributes: Strength S, Agility A+, Spiritual Power A+] [Bonus skills: Basic Attack, Shunpo, Battle Frenzy, Kendo Max, Dynamic Vision] [Basic Attack: A basic attack is your ultimate move!
Due to the unique nature of Nozarashi and its original owner, you can only perform basic attacks or increase your spiritual power output to strengthen their range and power.
Once amplified to the limit, the skill “Sword Pressure” will be unlocked.] [Sword Pressure: Release your spiritual pressure, wrap it around your blade, and slash it toward the enemy.] [Battle Frenzy: Whenever you enter battle, you will ignore 80% of pain from any source and convert injury into battle-driven excitement.
The heavier your injuries, the greater the increase to your strength and agility.] The notification left Gavin completely frozen, and a rough, ugly katana suddenly appeared in front of him.
It had a golden hilt wrapped in white bandages, a guard made of golden diamond shapes, and a blade covered in white cloth.
At first glance, there was nothing especially eye-catching about it.
The moment Gavin reached out and gripped the hilt, his mind was pulled into a pitch-black inner world.
…
Footsteps echoed through the darkness.
Kenpachi Zaraki slowly walked toward him with his katana slung over his shoulder, a wild grin spreading across his rugged face.
His captain’s haori was soaked with large patches of blood.
[Yo, human!
First time meeting you.
I’m Kenpachi Zaraki.
No idea why I’m here, but whatever.
I’ll lend you Nozarashi for now, so go enjoy the fight as much as you damn well want!!] …
BOOM—!!!
Golden spiritual pressure shot into the sky.
A massive amount of spiritual power poured into Gavin’s already well-trained body.
As the oppressive force from his soul spread outward, the enemies who had been so excited a moment ago turned into frightened quails, trembling uncontrollably where they stood.
“Hah…” As Gavin tightened his grip on the katana, Kenpachi Zaraki’s combat skills surged into his mind and began rapidly fusing with his body and soul.
[Fight!!!] With Kenpachi Zaraki’s final roar still ringing through his head, Gavin opened his eyes and looked at the enemies approaching him again now that the spiritual pressure had faded.
“I’m still not used to getting this lucky, but…” He rolled his neck and swung the katana.
Gavin’s face was filled with excitement under the influence of Kenpachi’s memories.
“Since it’s already in my hands, I might as well test this blade out.” Boom!
The sand beneath his feet exploded under the force of his step, sending waves of sand several meters high into the air.
Starting with Shunpo, Gavin stepped forward and appeared in front of the first enemy.
When the pirates saw the crazed, bloodthirsty smile on his face, fear crept into their hearts.
“What the hell are you scared of?!
I’m Divine Blade Jax, with a bounty of four and a half million Berries!” In the middle of the crowd, a huge man over three meters tall suddenly shoved his own allies aside and glared at Gavin with bloodshot eyes.
“I’ve killed hundreds of trash like him already!” “Get him!
Kill this bastard!” “The ignorant really are fearless.” The smile vanished from Gavin’s lips as he raised Nozarashi and brought it down in one clean swing.
With a single Basic Attack, the beach exploded again, and the pirate Gavin had chosen as his target split cleanly in two, collapsing to the ground as blood sprayed everywhere.
“You wanted to kill me, right?” Gavin coated his legs with spiritual power and vanished again with Shunpo, cutting down another pirate with another effortless Basic Attack before the man could even react.
Jax roared again and again as if trying to pump himself up, then brought the serrated broadsword in his hands straight down.
“Die, you Hickman remnant!!” “Remnant?” Bang!
Gavin raised his blade and blocked the attack, then glanced past Jax.
More pirates were shouting from the forest as reinforcements rushed over.
With Nozarashi’s attribute boost, he was no longer the weakling he had been in his past life.
More than that, the original owner of this body had already been in the habit of training his body and practicing swordsmanship.
“Then I’ll show you what a remnant can really do.” Gavin could hardly wait to use this Zanpakutō’s Shikai.
“Drink, Nozarashi!” Golden spiritual pressure burst from his body once more, forming into a twisted, eerie golden skull.
Jax swallowed hard and backed away in panic.
“F-Fire!
Hurry up and shoot him dead!” The skull let out a few strange cackles before a golden pillar of light completely swallowed Gavin.
Inside that light, the rough, slender blade in Gavin’s hand grew into something enormous.
Its guard became a thin polygonal shape, while the blade itself turned uneven and brutal.
The white-cloth-wrapped hilt stretched long and narrow in his grip.
Whoosh— With a casual swing, the spiritual pressure blocking everyone’s vision disappeared, and the distant forest was sliced cleanly in half as if it were made of tofu.
A thunderous rumble carried far across the shore.
[Nozarashi, Shikai state: Greatly increases the power and range of the Basic Attack skill while ignoring part of the target’s defense.] Jax reached up to touch the top of his head.
Large clumps of hair peeled away, exposing a scalp covered in cuts.
“What… what the hell is this…?” Gavin exhaled.
“Here i come!” Carrying the massive cleaver-like blade on his shoulder, Gavin disappeared.
When he appeared again, he was already directly above Jax.
“Hey, you said you’re a wanted man with a four-and-a-half-million-Berry bounty, right?
Then I’ll leave your head intact for this one.” Golden spiritual pressure surged out and wrapped around the edge of his blade.
Gavin brought the blade down, and Jax’s body was instantly cut in half!
As the tip of the sword struck the ground, tremendous force spread through the sand, tearing open a huge fissure that kept extending toward the forest behind him.
Dozens of pirates caught in the slash died on the spot.
The lucky few who survived wet themselves, threw down their weapons, and fled like madmen into the distance.
“So a Basic Attack really is an ultimate move…” Looking at the massive scar his slash had carved into the ground, Gavin nodded in satisfaction.
He had just been about to search for the valuable four-and-a-half-million-Berry prize when a cheer suddenly rang out.
“Oooooh!!!
Now that was one hell of a slash!
Hickman D.
Gavin, that’s your name, right?” Gavin turned toward the sea and saw a ship flying a pirate flag anchored not far from the shore.
A young man in a straw hat was rowing a small boat toward him.
“My name’s Shanks!
I’m a free-spirited pirate!” After jumping ashore, Shanks walked right up to Gavin like they were already old friends, grinning as he threw an arm around his shoulders.
“You’ve got nowhere to go, right?” “Then do me a favor and join my pirate crew.
There are benefits for new members!”