Chapter 1 - I Really Am in One Piece
"It's been almost two days, why hasn't he woken up?"
Said a green-haired young lady. Looking at the boy lying on a wooden bed, her eyes couldn't help but turn misty.
The boy had dark hair, a round face, a button nose, and dried lips. His forehead was covered by a bandage, and on his tanned skin, red spots could be seen.
Underneath the bedsheets covering him, bandages were wrapped around the boy's body. Lots of bruises were visible on his skin.
"Makino?"
A hoarse voice called from behind the door, coming from outside the house. With a clicking sound, the door slowly opened.
"Mayor..." Makino greeted in a dejected tone.
From the doorway, the Mayor walked towards Makino. He tapped her shoulder, trying to ease her worries.
"Don't worry too much, Makino, or you'll get sick yourself if you keep worrying like this," he said gently in his hoarse voice.
He stood in front of the boy and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Although he didn't show it to Makino, he was just as worried as she was.
The boy's eyelid twitched, and it was noticed by both Makino and the Mayor.
Makino immediately stood up. "Mayor, did you see that! He's waking up!" she happily said.
"Hmm... Hmm." The Mayor nodded, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
His eyelids fully opened, and he stared at the wooden ceiling as if he was processing something.
Both Makino and the Mayor found it odd. Her excited expression died down and immediately turned into worry.
"M-m-mayor, is he okay?!" Makino asked, stuttering.
Before the Mayor could say anything, the boy mumbled something.
"I'm in One Piece..." the boy said in a barely audible voice.
"Mayor, he said something!" Makino said worriedly.
The Mayor stared deeply at the boy. From his perspective, he guessed that the boy was experiencing some kind of trauma.
Sigh. He didn't know how many times he had sighed in these past two days. He looked at Makino.
"Let's give him some time, Makino." He tapped her shoulder.
"Go make some food for this boy. Something with soup would be best."
Understanding what the Mayor was trying to say, she could only look back at the boy while walking away to make some food.
The Mayor also went out to get some herbs for the boy.
The boy, who had been staring at the ceiling, slowly turned his gaze toward Makino and the Mayor's backs.
"Makino..."
This green-haired young lady was of average height. Just like her green hair, her eyes were also green. On top of her hair was a yellow kerchief.
She wore an orange blouse with black sleeves, a long light-blue skirt, and orange sneakers.
"Mayor Woop Slap..."
As for this old man, just like in the manga and anime, he was a short, wiry, bespectacled man with something of a cleft chin. He wore lightweight "tropical" clothing, along with one of his striped hats.
The boy weakly muttered their names. He turned to the side. On the table was a glass of water. Staring at the water, the boy saw his own reflection.
"Ling..."
With his bandaged hand, he lightly touched his face.
In his tired eyes, a barely visible light appeared. The corners of his mouth slowly turned upward.
"I really am in One Piece!" he said in a full voice, overwhelmed with excitement.
Ling was an ordinary boy living an ordinary life.
Right now, he was on a plane heading towards Japan. He wanted to take a break from his ordinary life and finally travel somewhere.
Traveling around the world had always been one of his dreams. He wanted to visit different places, try different foods, and experience different cultures.
Sitting on his seat, Ling was reading his favorite manga, One Piece.
He had already read it many times, but he never got tired of reading it.
While he was reading, the plane suddenly started shaking.
Ling stopped reading and looked around.
"What's going on?"
He grabbed the armrest beside him as the shaking became stronger.
Soon, the pilot's voice came from the speaker.
"We're currently experiencing turbulence. Everyone, please remain calm."
Hearing the pilot, Ling tried to calm himself down.
However, he felt that something was wrong.
Ling turned his head towards the window.
His eyes widened.
One of the plane's wings was on fire.
"Oh my God..."
Fear immediately appeared on his face.
Looking at the burning wing, Ling already knew what was going to happen.
He closed his eyes and leaned back against his seat.
His body was trembling.
"I guess this is it..."
Ling smiled bitterly.
"Better tha—"
Boom!
Before he could finish his sentence, a loud explosion sounded.
The screams of the passengers filled his ears, but they slowly became quieter as Ling started losing consciousness.
Eventually, he couldn't hear anything anymore.
Before completely losing consciousness, one last thought appeared in his mind.
'What a shitty life...'
Seconds passed, minutes passed, an hour passed, a day passed, a week passed, a month passed, a year passed.
Hundreds of years passed.
Seemingly as if thousands of years had passed, a voice echoed through the void.
'I can't see anything...'
'I feel weightless...'
'Where am I?...'
'What happened?...'
'Who am I?...'
An eternity later, or at least that's what he thought.
'Wait... I remember...'
'I was on a plane on the way to Japan... but then the wing caught on fire and the plane exploded...'
'Exploded?... But I don't hurt anywhere...'
'Is this what sudden death feels like?...'
An unknown amount of time passed.
He was slowly getting used to this indescribable sensation. It felt like he was suspended in water, drifting aimlessly.
'This feeling... it's so soothing that I don't want it to end...'
His body felt relaxed, and his mind was peaceful.
There was no noise, no pressure. Just stillness.
But even in this peaceful state, something was bothering him.
'I feel empty...'
'Why am I feeling this?'
He wondered, but couldn't find an answer.
But one thing was certain. He wanted to stay here, drifting away and leaving behind all those shitty memories from his past.
'Yes... it feels... good.'
His thoughts slowly faded as he continued drifting through the empty void.
And slowly, he finally started to feel sleepy. His entire being was slowly sinking into an eternal slumber.
Chapter 2 - Experiencing Life of Another
"WAAW!!.. WAAW!!.. WAAW!!"
Ling heard the sound of a crying baby, waking him up from his eternal slumber.
Slowly opening his eyes, he felt disoriented, and his vision was blurry.
He wanted to speak, but discovered that whenever he tried to speak, an infant's crying rang in his ears.
'This crying sound... seems to be coming from me?'
Now he was completely confused.
'Just a moment ago, I couldn't see or speak. All I had was the sensation of floating endlessly, and finally, I felt like sleeping.'
He pondered, trying to figure out the current situation he was in.
And so, time passed by...
5 years later.
He finally understood the situation he was in. At first, he thought that he had reincarnated as a newborn child.
But then, whenever he wanted to move, his body wouldn't respond. It became clear to him that he had no control over this body.
He could only watch from a first-person perspective.
Strangely, he also felt like time passed incredibly fast. Days, months, and even years seemed to pass by without him noticing.
And surprisingly, he didn't actually feel bored all this time.
When he was born, his mother, Tessa, died from childbirth. But before that happened, she named him Ling.
Ling found it strange that the newborn child had the same name as him, especially a name that didn't seem to belong in One Piece.
Well, when comparing it to the names of the characters in One Piece he had watched or read about, it did seem a little strange. But since the story only showed Luffy and other important characters, and not every single person in the world, he figured it made sense.
Anyways, after Ling was born and his mother died from childbirth, his father, Rufus, became devastated.
After leaving Ling in the care of his closest friend, Alfred, he left.
This Alfred guy was a merchant in the Cozia Kingdom. He had a wife named Susi and a 5-year-old daughter named Selene.
Yes, Cozia Kingdom. You read that right. In the next 10 years, the Cozia Kingdom in East Blue will cease to exist.
Germa 66 will raid this island. Although the reason for the attack was unknown, the point is, Ling and his adopted parents live here.
Anyhow, back to the present.
This merchant family was really great. They accepted Ling as one of their own and treated him with great care and love.
A year later, Ling finally turned 1, and during this year, he heard his parents discussing something they had read in the newspaper.
They talked about the scholars in Ohara and how evil they were, that they were trying to destroy the world.
Luckily, they were dealt with before they could destroy the world.
Ling, listening to them, couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
'The World Government is really good at making propaganda.'
Ling couldn't blame his adopted parents for believing it. They were just ordinary people who only knew what the newspapers told them.
There was nothing he could do about it. Even if he corrected them, they would question how he knew any of this.
But then again, he was still a baby. He couldn't even talk even if he wanted to.
A few months later, he heard from his parents about Shiki becoming the first person to escape from Impel Down.
Weeks went by, and once again, he heard his adopted parents talking about a newly established Revolutionary Army led by an unknown man.
They guessed that it was Shiki who had created the army.
Ling, hearing this, couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
'The perspective of ordinary people.'
Well, if he didn't know what really happened in One Piece, he would've probably thought the same as his adopted parents.
'This is also the year when Ace and Sabo were born.' Ling thought.
'So I'm a year older than them.'
Another year passed.
Ling was finally 2 years old. Although nothing noteworthy happened in the world, for him, there was.
He could finally stand and walk, although he would flop down after about 2 minutes of walking and standing, which made his family very proud.
Also, he could finally say "Dada," "Omma," and "Ter," which made them tear up.
3 years old.
Although it wasn't mentioned in the newspaper, Ling knew that this year was the Hour of Legends—Oden's death.
Toki's prophecy, and Momonosuke, Kin'emon, and the others traveling through time and arriving 20 years later.
And...
Ling could now read and fully speak after being taught by his sister, Selene. When he later revealed this to his adopted parents, they celebrated.
4 years old.
This year, Ling was finally allowed to go outside, but only with his sister.
In the Cozia Kingdom, Ling lived in one of its large cities. From what he learned, the country specialized in palm trees.
They used palm trees for a lot of things, such as food production, rural housing, woven leaves for roofing, ropes, and much more.
That's why his parents sold a lot of coconut products, like coconut oil, pies, wine, and many other things.
And behind the city was a massive mountain range.
Under a palm tree right in front of their house, Ling was eating coconut ice cream with his sister.
'Oh, this is the year Luffy is born.' He thought.
He looked up.
'How come this palm tree never bore fruit?' He thought.
5 years old.
Ling finally went to school.
When someone bullied him, his sister beat the shit out of them.
6 years old.
Ling was finally in his first year of elementary school.
During this year, Ling could only think of Ace and Sabo because this was the year the two boys would meet and become friends.
7 years old.
While Ling was having dinner with his adopted parents and sister, he heard Alfred and Susi talking about the upcoming Reverie.
Well, the Reverie is a quadrennial council held by the World Government, which assembles fifty world leaders to discuss matters of international importance.
Hearing about the Reverie, Ling's thoughts wandered. He couldn't help but feel sad for the Fish-Men, especially their Queen Otohime, who tried her best to join the Reverie but ultimately lacked enough signatures from the Fish-Man people due to their hatred toward humans.
A month later, after the Reverie ended, he read in the newspaper about the White Town of Flevance.
The Amber Lead Crisis.
The poisonous effects of Amber Lead had finally begun affecting the people of the White Town of Flevance, resulting in a medical crisis.
Though the effects weren't contagious, false rumors about Amber Lead spread. The countries neighboring Flevance became terrified of its citizens, ultimately leading to the downfall of the country as the royal family abandoned it to its fate.
A young Trafalgar D. Water Law was caught in the Amber Lead Crisis and lost his parents, his sister Lami, and all his friends.
Law managed to escape the border by hiding among the dead, but the event left a deep scar on his mental state.
'It's still one of the saddest backstories in One Piece.' Ling thought.
8 years old.
Ling sat with his sister beside him as they ate pie together.
Although it wasn't in the newspaper, Ling knew that this year, someone would raid Mary Geoise.
Fisher Tiger would scale the Red Line and raid Mary Geoise, freeing thousands of slaves from the clutches of the Celestial Dragons. Boa Hancock, Marigold, and Sandersonia would also be able to escape thanks to his efforts.
A month later, Fisher Tiger would form the Sun Pirates with his friends and former slaves. Jinbe would leave the royal guard to join the crew.
With this, Ling knew that only 2 years remained until Germa 66 raided the Cozia Kingdom.
Ling couldn't help but feel worried.
No, he truly was worried.
For the past 8 years, he had watched this family raise Ling. He watched Alfred and Susi treat him like their own son, and Selene treat him like her real little brother.
Yet, he could do nothing but watch.
'If only I could somehow tell Ling about the raid and tell him to leave the island with his family.'
Chapter 3 - Destruction of Cozia Kingdom
Sea Calendar, Year 1511
The year Germa 66 attacks the Cozia Kingdom.
Ling is now 10 years old.
The past year, nothing noteworthy happened in the world besides the breakthrough of the Puffing Tom, creating the first Sea Train in the world.
'Oh yeah, Ginny was kidnapped by the Celestial Dragons too.'
Just thinking about that made him clench his fist. It was the beginning of Kuma's suffering, after all.
If Law's backstory was bad, Kuma's was way worse.
Well, in my opinion.
Anyways...
Although Ling didn't know the exact time, date, or month Germa 66 would attack the Cozia Kingdom, he knew it was near.
The feeling of helplessness enveloped him.
No matter what he did to try and warn Ling about the situation—trying to speak inside his mind, trying to somehow make him hear his voice—nothing worked.
He even tried taking control of Ling's body.
But he couldn't.
He already knew that.
Throughout the ten years he'd spent watching Ling's life, he'd tried taking control of his body countless times.
Especially whenever other kids tried to bully Ling or extort his allowance from him.
Luckily, his sister always handled those people.
The Day Germa 66 Attacked
A few days ago, his adoptive parents managed to learn about the impending raid on their kingdom through their connections in the underworld.
Albert's friend, Kojak, worked as a broker in the Cozia Kingdom, so naturally, he had access to some information.
However, because he was only a low-ranking broker, he received the information late—only a few days before the attack was supposed to happen.
With only a few days left, Albert only managed to get his hands on a small boat.
Most of the larger ones had already been bought by nobles, large organizations, and wealthy merchants who had also learned about the incoming attack.
The small boat was only big enough for four people and a little luggage.
They could only bring food, water, some clothes, and a few gold coins.
Although they were merchants, Albert wasn't like most merchants.
His business wasn't particularly large. He mainly sold products made from palm trees.
And whenever he could, he gave money and food to poor people and those who had nothing to eat.
Because of that, they weren't particularly wealthy.
Buying the boat had reduced their savings significantly.
What remained was only enough for the family to live on for a few months.
But right now, money wasn't important.
Surviving was.
As Ling and his family were about to leave their home, something strange caught his attention.
The palm tree growing in front of their house had finally borne fruit.
But instead of a normal coconut hanging from its leaves...
There was a strange fruit.
Ling immediately knew what it was.
He had heard about Devil Fruits from his parents before, but since he had never seen the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, he had no idea what kind of Devil Fruit it was.
Ling immediately told his parents about it.
"If we sell this, wouldn't it be worth more than everything we've earned as merchants?"
Albert naturally knew the value of a Devil Fruit when sold.
His friend Kojak often mentioned ways to get rich quickly, and one of them was finding and selling a Devil Fruit.
Kojak had once revealed to Albert that on the black market, even an unknown Devil Fruit could be sold for around 100,000,000 Berries.
That was enough money for a normal family to live comfortably for generations.
Albert and Susi looked at Ling with gratitude.
Despite knowing that the strange fruit was incredibly valuable, Ling hadn't even thought about hiding it from them.
Instead, the moment he realized what it was, he told them.
They both knew how smart Ling really was.
And since they had told him about Devil Fruits before, neither of them thought twice about how he recognized one.
To Ling, it was simple.
The fruit belonged to the family.
And right now, when they were about to abandon almost everything they owned, it couldn't have appeared at a better time.
Ling, who was watching everything from a first-person view, could only bite his nonexistent lips in frustration.
"No... no! Don't sell it!"
He knew exactly what Devil Fruit it was.
"Fuck!! If only I could tell him to eat it!!"
He could do nothing but watch.
"That Devil Fruit isn't worth just a hundred million Berries!! That fruit has the power of time!"
But no matter how much he shouted, no one could hear him.
He could only watch helplessly as Albert carefully placed the Devil Fruit inside a wooden box before securing it with the rest of their belongings.
Not long after, the family boarded their small boat and departed from the Cozia Kingdom.
A few hours later...
The kingdom was attacked.
From a great distance away, smoke could be seen rising into the sky.
Albert stopped what he was doing and stared toward the distant island.
Susi did the same, holding the children close to her.
Seeing the smoke from where their home once stood, the merchant family couldn't help but sigh in relief.
They had escaped just in time.
Back in the Cozia Kingdom.
Dark clouds covered the sky.
The fresh air that once came from the countless palm trees was gone, replaced by the thick smell of smoke and gunpowder.
The city was now in ruins.
Palm trees had been knocked down, buildings had collapsed, and the castle standing in front of the mountains had been reduced to rubble.
On the shore, hidden behind a large boulder, were two children.
A little boy with yellow hair and a little girl with pink hair.
The boy was sobbing, tears continuously flowing down his face.
The girl beside him was desperately holding back her own tears as she pointed toward a ship docked on the shore.
"Get on board that ship!"
She looked down at her little brother, who was still crying.
"Sanji!" she called again.
"Stop crying! You're a boy!"
The pink-haired girl grabbed both of her brother's shoulders. Her teary eyes looked directly into his crying face.
"Listen! Don't ever come back here!"
She couldn't hold back her tears anymore.
Sanji could only nod.
"The sea is broad! You'll..."
Her tears finally began falling like a waterfall.
"You'll definitely meet kind people someday!!"
Sanji couldn't quietly sob anymore.
He cried out loud.
Seeing this, his sister immediately pulled him into a hug, gently hushing him and trying to calm him down before their father or brothers heard them.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
But they couldn't stay there.
Seeing that her little brother still wouldn't leave, the pink-haired girl finally stood up and pushed Sanji away from her.
"Run!!" she shouted.
Sanji stumbled forward.
He knew what would happen if their father discovered that his sister had helped him escape.
She would suffer because of him.
So Sanji could only listen.
He turned around and ran toward the ship.
"Don't look back!" she continued encouraging him.
Sanji kept running.
"Run! Sanji!"
His small legs carried him as fast as they could toward the ship.
He couldn't stop his tears anymore.
"WAAAH!!"
Sanji cried loudly as he ran, never once looking back.
Behind the boulder, his sister remained where she was, tears streaming down her face as she watched her little brother disappear into the distance.