The midday sun shone brilliantly, its light scattering across the calm sea in shimmering golden ripples.
Along the shore, fishermen hauled up dark gray nets from the water.
Glittering fish and shrimp struggled within the mesh before being picked out one by one and tossed into waiting buckets.
Taking a brief break from his work, one of the fishermen straightened his back and noticed a handsome silver-haired young man standing aboard a small boat, gazing out at the endless sea.
“Norton, heading out today?” the fisherman called with a smile.
The silver-haired youth nodded.
“That’s right, Uncle Sam.
Today’s the day I set sail.”
“So the day has finally come…” the fisherman sighed.
“Thanks to you, our town has been safe from pirates all these years.
You’re our hero.”
In the fisherman’s memory, ever since Norton first appeared in this little harbor town five years ago, not a single pirate had attacked it.
In fact, pirates had practically disappeared from the surrounding waters altogether.
People could now travel much farther from the island without fear.
About two years ago, the fisherman had even witnessed Norton fighting pirates.
It took only one punch.
A pirate ship over ten meters long had been blasted straight to the bottom of the sea.
“I’m just a guy who’s a hero for fun,” Norton replied with a grin.
“Besides, I’d rather become a King than a hero.”
He raised the sail and untied the mooring rope.
Soon, the wind and ocean currents carried his small vessel toward the open sea.
Today marked Norton’s departure.
It was also the seventeenth year since he had transmigrated into this world.
This…
…was the world of One Piece.
The Celestial Dragons ruled from atop the Red Line.
Commoners struggled merely to survive.
Pirates ravaged the seas.
The Marines upheld the authority of the World Government.
Dreams.
Inherited wills.
Treasures.
Adventure.
These were the ideals people chased throughout their lives.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The Marine Admirals.
The Four Emperors.
The strongest figures in the world possessed power capable of reshaping the weather and even altering the landscape itself.
Meanwhile, the true ruler of the world remained hidden in the shadows, unchallenged for eight hundred years.
Even Rocks D.
Xebec had ultimately fallen beneath that unseen dominion.
This was the worst of times.
But to Norton…
It was also the best.
Norton had a dream.
Ever since he was a child, he believed he was destined to become a great king.
Cities he conquered would bear his name.
Merchant fleets from across the world would sail into the harbors of his kingdom beneath towering lighthouses he had built.
He would stand atop a royal chariot like a god while cheering crowds lined the streets, endless spoils of war displayed behind him.
Naturally…
Luxury was equally important.
Every morning he would wake on beds as soft as clouds.
Banquets would last from dawn until midnight.
He would sample every delicacy imaginable and admire beauties from every corner of the world.
To put it simply—
He wanted the entire world.
In his previous life, living in modern society, there had never been any opportunity to pursue such an outrageous ambition.
Instead, people had dismissed him as nothing more than someone suffering from an extreme case of “chuunibyou.”
But now…
He was living in this chaotic world.
Unlike Monkey D.
Luffy, Norton hadn’t been born into a legendary family.
But he possessed something even rarer.
His cheat ability.
The same power as Saitama from One-Punch Man—
The power to break one’s Limiter.
Every living creature possesses natural limits determined by its species and innate talent.
No matter how hard one trains, there exists a ceiling that cannot normally be surpassed.
That ceiling exists to ensure creatures continue growing within the bounds of their biology and sanity.
This invisible boundary is known as the Limiter.
Those born with greater talent simply possess larger Limiters, allowing them to become stronger than ordinary people.
Even so…
They still have limits.
Norton, however, had spent years pushing himself through relentless training.
Just like Saitama…
He had broken his own Limiter.
In theory…
His growth was now limitless.
It was a power far more terrifying than any Devil Fruit.
Given enough time, becoming the One-Punch Man of the One Piece world would be inevitable.
Although this body’s natural talent had been nothing extraordinary, Norton had begun training at the age of seven.
Ten years had passed.
Even Norton himself no longer knew how strong he had become.
For the past two years…
He hadn’t encountered a single thing capable of surviving one of his punches.
Sea Kings.
Mountain bandits.
Pirates.
None of them could.
That was precisely why he had decided to leave the East Blue.
The average pirate bounty there barely reached 3 million Berries.
There simply weren’t any worthy opponents.
Nor could his dream ever be realized in the East Blue.
Across the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line, the Marines and the World Government maintained overwhelming control.
Only the New World remained truly lawless.
If Norton wished to establish a nation of his own…
The New World was the ideal place.
Before that, however…
He needed companions who shared his ambitions.
And…
A ship sturdy enough to carry them.
As his boat ventured deeper into the sea, the island behind him gradually disappeared over the horizon.
Just as Norton was envisioning his future kingdom…
The bright sky suddenly darkened.
Ahead of him, the ocean rose into the air like a mountain.
“A tsunami?”
He looked upward as salty mist rushed toward his face.
“…Great.
Forgot to check the weather forecast before leaving.”
Then again…
There wasn’t such a thing in this world.
The weather at sea was notoriously unpredictable.
His tiny boat was moments away from being swallowed whole by the towering wave.
Norton merely smiled.
His fingers curled into a fist.
Then—
He threw a punch.
Against the colossal tsunami, his figure looked as insignificant as an ant challenging a tree.
Yet…
The instant his fist shot forward—
BOOM!
The air exploded.
An invisible shockwave blasted ahead like a siege cannon.
It punched a massive hole more than ten meters across straight through the center of the tsunami.
The surging seawater was completely torn apart by the force of his punch.
Norton’s boat sailed cleanly through the opening.
The tsunami passed harmlessly behind him.
He raised his fist toward the sky.
“O mighty sea…”
“Bear witness to the departure of your future King!!”
meanwhile
Cocoyasi Village.
Arlong Park.
“Yo, Nami!
Off to steal more treasure?” several fish-men teased the orange-haired girl.
“Mind your own business!” Nami shot back stubbornly.
“Sooner or later I’ll save enough money!
Then I’ll buy my village back from Arlong!”
“Hahaha!
Good luck with that, Nami!”
The fish-men burst into laughter.
But Nami ignored them.
She left Arlong Park and sailed out as she always did.
The sea was unusually calm today.
She had heard that the Grand Line’s weather changed without warning, unlike the relatively stable East Blue, where violent storms were far less common.
For sailors…
The greatest enemy was the sea itself.
Ever since childhood, Nami had loved everything about navigation.
Her dream was to become the world’s greatest navigator.
Once she saved 100 million Berries and freed Cocoyasi Village from Arlong…
She would finally chase that dream.
Fortunately…
That goal was no longer impossibly far away.
She simply needed to steal…
More.
Berries.
More Berries.
Even More Berries.
Encouraging herself internally, Nami let the sea breeze brush against her face as she wandered between nearby islands.
A few weeks ago she’d successfully robbed an incredibly wealthy merchant.
The haul had been enormous.
Hopefully today’s luck would be just as good.
Based on experience, she decided to check nearby noble ships first.
If a noble family happened to be holding a banquet…
It would be the perfect hunting ground.
Rich targets everywhere.
“Just wait…”
“Bellemere…”
“Nojiko…”
“Genzo…”
“Everyone…”
“I’ll definitely take our village back from Arlong!”
Three days after setting sail…
Norton realized he was lost.
The ocean stretched endlessly in every direction.
Surrounded by nothing but blue, he couldn’t even tell which way he was facing.
Even with a sea chart and compass…
He had no idea where he was.
He couldn’t even confirm whether he was still following the correct route.
The frustration of possessing overwhelming strength while being utterly helpless against navigation convinced him of one thing.
The first companion he recruited…
Absolutely had to be a navigator.
To make matters worse…
He had eaten all of his supplies on the very first day.
If he couldn’t find food today…
He’d be going hungry again.
Just then—
A large sailing ship appeared on the distant horizon.
His eyes lit up.
He immediately rowed toward it.
About fifteen minutes later, his small boat reached the side of the massive vessel.
The deck was crowded with people.
“Hey!
Look!”
“There’s a silver-haired guy climbing up from below!”
“He’s so handsome!”
That came from one of the noblewomen.
“Could he be a pirate?”
“Probably not.
What pirate sails completely alone?”
The crowd parted.
Norton climbed onto the deck amid their discussions.
He glanced around and noticed an orange-haired girl quietly slipping toward the back of the crowd.
Before he could think more about it…
His attention was stolen by something else.
“Oh!”
“Cake!”
This was clearly a luxury cruise carrying nobles.
The deck was lavishly decorated.
Chefs dressed in white hurried about carrying desserts and drinks.
The sweet aroma reached Norton’s nose.
Without paying the slightest attention to the nobles questioning him…
He dove straight toward the dessert table.
“Delicious!”
“So good!”
“Amazing!”
The nobles gathered around him, pointing and whispering.
“Hey!
Silver-haired brat!”
A fat noble marched over and tried to pin Norton down.
He pushed with all his strength.
Nothing happened.
Norton didn’t move an inch.
The noble’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The surrounding ladies looked at him in confusion.
His face turned bright red with embarrassment.
Veins bulged across his forehead.
Sweat poured down his face.
He pushed with every ounce of strength he possessed.
Meanwhile…
Norton calmly continued eating cake.
“So tasty.”
Completely exhausted, the noble collapsed onto the deck, panting like a dog.
The stares around him only made things worse.
“What are you all staring at?!” he roared.
“Help me!
Throw this rude fool into the sea!”
The noblewomen hesitated.
“Isn’t that a bit much?”
“He looks like a poor castaway.”
“He’s just hungry.”
The noblemen couldn’t take it anymore.
“You women only care because he’s handsome!”
“W-What nonsense!” the ladies protested.
“Do we really look that shallow?”
The noblemen silently rolled their eyes.
Not one of them believed it.
Finally…
The highest-ranking noble aboard—a Duke—spoke.
“Guards.”
“Throw him overboard.”
Several guards immediately advanced.
But before they could reach Norton—
BOOM!!
The sea erupted.
A gigantic column of water exploded upward.
The entire ship lurched violently.
Nobles screamed.
Ladies fell to the deck.
Even the guards were thrown off balance.
“Pirates!!”
“Pirates are attacking!!”
In this era…
Pirates were synonymous with terror.
Whether commoners or wealthy nobles…
No one wished to encounter them.
Though many claimed to pursue dreams and freedom…
Most pirates were little more than monsters wearing human skin.
They had no morality.
No principles.
No bottom line.
If they wanted something…
They took it.
That was what pirates represented in the eyes of most people.
And being trapped at sea with nowhere to run…
Was the worst possible scenario.
“Into the cabins!”
“Guards!
Stop them!”
Too late.
The pirate ship closed the distance at incredible speed.
“Board them!”
At the command of the pirate captain known as Redbeard, boarding planks slammed into the cruise ship.
Pirates flooded onto the deck.
“Capture every one of these fat sheep!” Redbeard ordered with a cruel grin.
Several burly pirates charged the guards with sabers drawn.
The rest rushed into the cabins with sinister laughter.
Standing proudly on the bow of his ship, Redbeard admired the chaos unfolding before him.
Then…
His gaze stopped.
Amid the panic…
One silver-haired young man sat calmly at the banquet table.
Still eating cake.
“…Who’s that brat?”
Redbeard frowned.
His authority had been ignored.
Everyone should fear him.
After all…
He was Redbeard, the pirate with an 8 million Berry bounty.
“Sanosuke.”
“Bring me that silver-haired kid.”
“At once, Captain.”
A pirate dressed in dark ninja attire answered.
He wore a silver forehead protector, his face hidden behind a black mask that revealed only his eyes.
(Clearly a ridiculous “ninja” cosplay rather than an actual shinobi.)
Redbeard folded his arms confidently.
Sanosuke was his strongest subordinate.
This would be entertaining.
Without making a sound, Sanosuke slipped behind Norton.
Seeing Norton continue eating as though completely unaware of his presence, he relaxed.
“Another weakling who can’t even sense me…”
“Pathetic.”
Remaining calm in danger meant nothing.
A weakling was still a weakling.
And weaklings…
Could only be controlled.
With that thought, he drove a kunai toward Norton’s lower back.
Clang!
The razor-sharp kunai struck Norton’s body…
And produced the unmistakable sound of metal colliding with metal.
Sanosuke’s pupils contracted violently.
He instantly flipped backward, creating distance.
Cold sweat drenched his body.
Danger.