Travis stared blankly at the glowing green screen in front of him, the cosmic high of divine rebirth now a distant memory. His shoulders slumped as he slowly sank to the ground, limbs sprawled across the sand like a corpse that had just lost its will to reincarnate.
'What the hell is this…?' he thought miserably, eyes flicking across the glowing text.
> [ Saitama Template ]
『 Flight Module : OFF
Growth Potential: Unlimited
Status: Locked to Host - TRAVIS
Current Use of Strength: 0% 』
His eye twitched.
"ZERO percent?!" he shouted to no one. "Bro, I should have stayed dead ."
Slapping his face with both palms, he stared at the horizon in dramatic disbelief. The sun blazed cheerfully, the waves lapped lazily at the shore, and a seagull screeched above like it was laughing at him.
'I have to build my power… just like Saitama,' he thought, dread settling into his stomach like a stone.
Suddenly, a soft ping rang out, and a glowing message bar slid into the corner of his vision like a cheeky email from the universe.
「Travis, I'm sure you're now staring at your Template in defeat. Well, you should thank me later for making your journey more interesting.
This template will give you missions.
Your rewards will make you grow stronger over time—reach the pinnacle of power, yada yada.
But let's be honest, Saitama-level strength isn't even needed in One Piece.
Still, just finish your first mission.
We'll meet again, mate.」
He squinted at the message, his eyebrow twitching with the fury of a thousand unpaid interns.
'Bloody ROB… done robbed me,' he thought, shaking his head. 'Not even mad. I mean, his name is Rob. Should've seen that coming. Let's just see my first mission '
The screen buzzed again.
[ First Mission Unlocked ]
● 100 Push-ups
● 100 Sit-ups
● 100 Squats
● 100 Pull ups
● 10 Kilometer Run
Duration: One Month
Condition: No breaks. Miss a day, start over.
Note: This island is home to some mildly hostile wildlife.
Luffy will leave Foosha Village in 2 months.
You get a 1-month head start.
Good luck—you'll really, and I mean really need it, mate.
Travis stared blankly. The training menu pulsed on the screen with the authority of divine trolling. He slowly tilted his head back until he was lying flat on the rock, arms spread wide like a rejected anime protagonist.
"Fuck," he groaned.
He closed his eyes and sighed long and hard, letting the sound fade into the soft rush of the waves.
'I'm sure this is all a bad dream. I'll sleep now. Maybe I'll wake up back in my bed… after gooning to Derpixon.'
He curled up under a tree, using a pile of leaves as a pillow. A crab scuttled past his face. He didn't even flinch.
"Please let me wake up in my room with…" he whispered.
But the smell of salty air, the burn of sun on his skin, and the faint growl of something watching him from the bushes all told him one thing:
This was no dream.
Travis let out one last exaggerated sigh as he pushed himself off the rock and turned toward the jungle.
"Fuck it," he muttered, brushing the sand off his pants. "I did kinda want an ultra-realistic experience... Might as well commit. Hardcore survival, right? Let's go."
He glanced toward a nearby palm tree. Its wide leaves flapped gently in the sea breeze.
'Those'll do. Nights are bound to be cold as hell. First priority: shelter. Then water, food, and fire… maybe a bath. Or a hug. I'll settle for a hug,' he thought bitterly.
He marched over, snapped off a few wide fronds with more effort than he'd admit, and bundled them under one arm. 'If I die of hypothermia, I'm haunting Rob's realm'
The island ahead was quiet, save for the chirps of birds and the occasional rustle of leaves—far too quiet. Travis grabbed a sturdy stick from the ground, giving it an experimental swing. It was more twig than weapon, but psychologically, it helped.
He stepped into the forest, each crunch of leaves beneath his feet making him flinch. He scanned the tree line warily.
"This is One Piece," he whispered to himself. "There's a literal elephant the size of a mountain walking around in this world. Anything's possible."
His eyes narrowed as he walked deeper, stick at the ready.
'Wait… how does Zunesha even eat? Like, does he just suck up sea kings like noodles?.'
He snorted at the thought, momentarily distracted, before he stumbled into a clearing. His eyes widened.
A broad, crystal-clear river flowed gently through the trees, the sound of water cascading over rocks instantly soothing. He knelt beside it, dipped a finger in, then sniffed it.
No foul odor. He scooped some into his mouth, swishing it like wine.
'Safe. Thank God. Water: check.'
Further upstream, he noticed clusters of familiar-looking fruit trees—mangoes, bananas, maybe something citrusy.
"Yes. YES. I love you, tropical biome," he cheered quietly, grabbing as much as he could carry without dropping the palm leaves.
He walked further along the bank, eventually spotting a large stone outcrop that hollowed into a dark cavern. He froze.
A large cave. Too conveniently placed.
'Hell no. That's not shelter. That's real estate owned by the apex predator of this island.'
The air around the cave was slightly warmer, and claw marks were faintly etched into the rock near the entrance.
'Yeah. I'm not moving in there unless I'm king of the jungle. And right now, I'm not even a jester.'
Instead, he used the leaves and sticks to throw together a rudimentary lean-to by a cluster of thick trees near the river. Temporary, but better than nothing.
As the orange hues of the setting sun began to bleed across the sky, Travis sat down on a smooth stone, chewing on a banana and staring at the gentle river.
' I am not defeating the stereotypes with this. But I mean, Bananas slap. ' he thought.
His thoughts drifted to the mission... and the story.
'Luffy will leave Foosha in three months. That's not a lot of time. I'll train, yeah, but I also need to get a plan together. I'll take his route.'
He grinned slightly at the thought.
'Yeah, I know it's cheating. But what am I supposed to do? Wander around aimlessly? They didn't drop me here five years early or give me some Grand Line map. If I want to change this story, I've gotta get close to the main players.'
He leaned back against a tree trunk, eyes glinting.
'And Luffy? He's going to be delighted to join my crew. How? You'll see.'
A breeze rustled the leaves above, and the forest began to hum with the nocturnal sounds of the wild.
Travis stood up slowly, his body already aching with fatigue. He had shelter, water, and food. That was enough—for tonight.
' Time to start my grueling exercise, heard it's a good thing to do before you sleep' he thought.
TO BE CONTINUED