"A new beginning... It's really exciting."
With a stern temperament, black hair, and dark eyes, Bai Ye stood at the edge of Nine Snake Island, gazing at the vast sea before him. A faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
Today marked the year 1527 in the Sea Circle Calendar. Seven years had passed since the fall of Mariejois and the collapse of the 'Great Pirate Alliance.'
In the first year, Bai Ye had nearly accomplished everything he set out to do.
First, he established a new order.
Then, he brought an end to the chaotic era of piracy.
In the years that followed, Bai Ye traveled across nearly every part of the One Piece world. Despite once being a young figure when he first arrived, very few could recognize him now—except for those who had witnessed the destruction of the 'One Piece Alliance.'
Thanks to this, his journey remained mostly unimpeded.
During these years, Bai Ye lived an ordinary life, watching the pirate world evolve. He even left behind descendants who inherited the potential power of the 'Shinigami.'
Now, with nearly everything completed and round-trip travel permission in his grasp, Bai Ye was ready to move on to a new world.
"System, initiate travel."
Although he originally had a three-year stay remaining, his overwhelming power had accelerated his timeline. Within the first year, Bai Ye had eliminated nearly the entire New World pirate force. This immense accumulation pushed his template unlock progress from 95% to 100%, reducing the estimated time.
Thus, without hesitation, Bai Ye decided to leave.
At his command, a radiant white portal appeared before him.
"So, the other side leads to the new world?" Bai Ye mused as he felt an entirely different aura emanating from the portal.
Without further delay, he stepped through.
Darkness enveloped him momentarily.
Then, as Bai Ye emerged from the light, the system's voice echoed:
[Host has arrived in a new world...]
[Round-trip authority unlocked: One Piece World (30-day cooldown)]
[Host can absorb the world's origin energy to reduce the cooldown period.]
[System update in progress: First template fully unlocked.]
"So, this is the new world?" Bai Ye muttered, scanning his unfamiliar surroundings.
He flexed his fingers and raised a hand. A nearby tree snapped in half under his sheer strength.
His physical abilities, Reiatsu, and even the Ryūjin Jakka at his waist remained unaffected.
Although uncertain which world he had arrived in, Bai Ye knew he could determine it easily—by reading the memories of someone nearby.
With this in mind, he spotted a nearby street and walked forward.
Just as he turned a corner, a teenage girl with a high ponytail and a dark green kimono bumped into him headfirst.
The impact knocked her to the ground. She looked up, momentarily stunned by the sight of the handsome, black-haired young man before her.
'Impossible,' she thought. 'He feels as solid as a mountain. How did I fall just from bumping into him?'
Before she could process it, several angry male voices echoed from the street.
A group of debt-collecting ninjas appeared, their eyes scanning the area.
The scarred man leading them turned to Bai Ye and asked, "Hey, did you see a woman? Big breasts, blonde hair?"
"That damn woman owes us money and dared to run off without paying!" growled another ninja in a blue outfit, clenching his fists.
Then, noticing the teenage girl beside Bai Ye, he asked, "Hey, little sister, have you seen her?"
The girl peeked out from behind Bai Ye, pretending to be confused. "Uncles, who are you? I just got back from outside with my big brother. What's going on?"
"We're looking for this woman." The brown-haired ninja pulled out a wanted poster. "Have you seen her? She has big—uh, she's the one in the picture."
"Oh, this beautiful sister?" The girl pretended to realize something.
The men nodded. "Yes! That's her!"
"She just went that way. If you hurry, you might still catch her," the girl said with a smile.
Hearing this, the three debt collectors immediately ran in the direction she pointed.
The girl sighed in relief.
But then, the lead ninja suddenly stopped and turned back.
Her heart skipped a beat.
However, this time, his attention wasn't on her—it was on Bai Ye.
The ninja's gaze drifted to Bai Ye's finely crafted clothes and the sword at his waist. Greed flickered in his eyes.
"Judging by your appearance, you must be from a wealthy family," the man sneered.
Bai Ye remained silent, his expression calm.
The debt collector grinned. "It's simple. Lend us some money."
He gestured to the streets around them. "This is an illegal district. A rich young master walking around alone? If you die here, no one will care."
The other ninjas chuckled. "Yeah, you should be honored to pay off part of that woman's debt."
"I see." Bai Ye's eyes turned cold. "No matter which world it is, there's always garbage."
If absorbing the world's origin energy required killing, then he would start with scum like them.
Suddenly, the teenage girl behind him interjected, "You're robbing him?! Aren't you afraid of the security force?"
The debt collectors laughed. "Security force? We're legal ninjas! Even Konoha's Hokage, Tsunade, owes our casino a fortune. Who's going to stop us?"
The girl clenched her fists in frustration, hesitating to reveal her identity.
But before she could respond, Bai Ye raised his left hand.
Just one finger.
"What are you—?" the lead ninja started.
In the next instant, an invisible force crushed his chest, sending him flying into the distance. His body landed with a sickening crash—lifeless.
Silence.
The remaining two ninjas stood frozen, their pupils dilated in terror.
Their minds screamed a single thought: Monster!
They turned to run.
Even fools could tell—they had just kicked an iron wall.
Who was this man?
One thing was certain: he was no ordinary warrior.
He was a monster.