Syrup Village.
In the courtyard before the only luxurious "villa" in the village, a little girl of seven or eight sat quietly on a swing, absorbed in her book.
Beneath her playful, center-parted, shoulder-length light golden hair, her delicate, doll-like face occasionally revealed a soft, innocent smile.
Holding a thick book in both hands, she appeared refined and serene—like a young lady raised in a scholarly household.
However, this exquisitely cute, porcelain doll-like girl didn't seem to be in the best of health.Within her clear, spotless eyes, a faint trace of illness lingered deep within.
"Kaya, it's time to take your medicine."
At that moment, a graceful, elegant woman—exuding nobility with every movement—stepped out of the villa and called to the little girl in the courtyard. "Come, Mother will stay with you."
"Okay, Mom!"
Little Kaya responded obediently, closing her book without hesitation before lightly hopping down from the swing.
Meanwhile—
[System Notification]
Congratulations, Host, for arriving at a new travel destination: Syrup Village. Reward obtained: [Medical Mastery]
?????
Kairo D. Arashi, who had just docked his small boat at Syrup Village's harbor, was instantly filled with confusion when he heard the system's notification.
Medical Mastery?
Was the system worried he might catch a cold during his travels?
Damn it—didn't the system know that doctors can't treat themselves?
Well… as long as it wasn't anything complicated, he should still be able to treat himself!
Although somewhat surprised, Kairo D. Arashi still accepted the ability.
At first, he had thought he would receive something like marksmanship—after all, this village had produced a legendary sniper who could hit an ant's antenna from a hundred feet away without damaging the rest of its body!
After integrating the Medical Mastery ability, the system's voice sounded again.
[System Notification]
New mission activated: Explore Syrup Village and visit a wealthy household as a guest. Duration: three days. Reward: 500 Travel Points!
"Pfft… 500????"
"Are you kidding me? That's all—just 500?!"
Hearing the system's announcement, Kairo D. Arashi almost exploded on the spot.
Was it because of the travel destination?
Or was the reward randomized?
Fine!
Better than nothing.
Letting out a long breath, Kairo D. Arashi shifted his attention to the mission.
Visit a wealthy household?
The richest family in Syrup Village was the owner of the grand mansion—Kaya's family!
Hmm, at this point in time, Kaya should only be seven or eight years old.
Out of everything in Syrup Village, the one who left the deepest impression on Kairo D. Arashi was Kaya—a gentle, tender girl with a kind and delicate nature.
In the original story, although Kaya was born into a wealthy family, her household declined due to the appearance of Kuro of a Hundred Plans, who nearly seized all her family's wealth!
However, although Kuro had disappeared from public view after hypnotizing Morgan, by the time he found Kaya's family in Syrup Village, it was already several years later. So at this moment, everything in Kaya's household remained perfectly normal.
Walking leisurely along the paths of Syrup Village, Kairo D. Arashi took a deep breath of fresh air, thoroughly enjoying the moment.
"This really is a wonderful place."
After entering the village and spotting houses ahead, Kairo D. Arashi climbed to a higher vantage point and looked out over the surroundings.
What came into view was a village that looked like a paradise hidden away from the rest of the world!
Although Syrup Village had appeared in the original anime, that was just animation. Now that he stood here in person, he could truly feel its beauty.
Green hills stretched everywhere, flowers bloomed in abundance, and cottages and wooden houses were scattered across the lush land like toys placed by angels. Forests and meadows spread along gentle slopes, blending seamlessly with the village homes—like an oil painting captured on a postcard.
On the green carpet-like hills, small wooden houses adorned with flowers stood quietly, with occasional wisps of smoke rising—like a dreamland straight out of a fairy tale—breathtakingly beautiful.
Mist lingered over distant hills, while nearby were green grass and wooden homes, surrounded by vibrant vegetation…
It was truly a paradise that could intoxicate the soul.
"This… this is what real travel feels like!"
After taking in the surroundings, Kairo D. Arashi broke into a smile. Although the reward he received for coming to Syrup Village was somewhat underwhelming, he felt no disappointment.
On the contrary—this trip was absolutely worth it!
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Kairo D. Arashi's eyes sharpened slightly.
He turned and looked toward the harbor…
At some unknown moment, a large ship had entered Syrup Village's waters and was now slowly approaching the dock.
Although the ship bore no flag and no figures were visible on deck, Kairo D. Arashi immediately sensed something off.
"Pirates?"
Narrowing his eyes as he watched the ship approach, Kairo D. Arashi muttered.
It'd better not be pirates.
Although in the original One Piece story many of the main characters were pirates, that didn't mean pirates in this world represented justice.
Quite the opposite—here, pirates were synonymous with evil.
Even Roger, who conquered the Grand Line, once destroyed an entire nation in rage after his companion was harmed. As for Luffy, who would set sail ten years later—because of his ideals, neither he nor his crew could truly be called pirates; at most, they were adventurers.
But crews like the Straw Hat Pirates were extremely rare exceptions. Most pirates were utterly wicked.
As for the concepts of justice and evil in this world—Kairo D. Arashi didn't really care.
As long as no one provoked him or ruined his journey, that was enough for him.
Of course, Kairo D. Arashi wasn't naïve enough to believe that simply being a carefree traveler and avoiding all factions would guarantee peace. In a world ruled by strength, where pirates ran rampant, unexpected dangers could arise at any moment.
So, if he wanted to remain a free-spirited traveler, he had to keep getting stronger—stronger, and stronger still.