The next morning brought with it something unusual.
Ryan had grown used to the stench of stale air and damp wood, to the routine beatings and being yanked out to swab the deck like a dog. But this time, the pirates were buzzing with excitement.
He heard them talking before they even unchained him.
"Whole island's crawling with rare beasts, they say. Noble freaks in Tequila Wolf pay good coin for 'em."
"That big lizard thing? We bag that monster, we're golden."
"Just make sure the brat doesn't run."
A moment later, the hatch creaked open and sunlight poured into the dark hold. Ryan squinted against it as two pirates descended.
"Up, rat," one of them barked. "Island stop. Captain says you clean deck today. And don't get clever. You know the rules."
They unlocked his chains, wrists stiff from how long he'd hung. Ryan winced, but nodded. He knew the dance. Play obedient. Bide time.
He stepped out onto the deck and took a breath. Fresh, salty air. Bright sky. And ahead of them, an island loomed—untamed, green, and empty of any manmade structure. Uninhabited.
Perfect.
As the pirates lowered rowboats and prepared to hunt whatever exotic animal they'd heard about, Ryan noticed something critical: most of the crew were going ashore. Including the captain.
Only two men stayed behind—drunk, laughing, and more interested in rum than guard duty.
Ryan scrubbed with a rag and bucket like he always did, but his eyes never stopped moving.
There. Captain's cabin. Door unlocked. Barely guarded. A single opportunity.
He moved with careful steps, pretending to swab his way down the upper deck. One of the guards glanced over, grunted, then looked away.
He reached the cabin door. Heart thudding. Slowly, he pushed it open and slipped inside.
The interior was what you'd expect of a third-rate pirate captain: messy, opulent in all the wrong ways. A gaudy chair. Rum bottles. A filthy map pinned with knives. But more importantly—chests.
Three of them.
He rushed to the first. Empty but for clothes. The second? A stash of berries—maybe twenty thousand at best. He shoved it into his ragged shirt.
The third was locked.
Ryan scanned the room and spotted a rusted iron key on a hook by the desk. He snatched it, shoved it into the lock, and twisted.
Click.
Inside lay velvet-lined compartments. Gold coins. Bundles of berries. Papers stamped with marine insignias. And resting in the center—
A fruit.
Purple and swirled like a nautilus shell, with a sickly sheen. A Devil Fruit.
His breath caught. Not just one. Two wins.
Ryan dropped to his knees, counting the bundles quickly. One million. Another. His hands moved faster, heart racing. Five million… six million.
Six million berries. More than what he needed.
He stuffed it all into a nearby satchel he found under the desk, strapping it tightly across his chest. The Devil Fruit he wrapped in a spare cloth, careful not to draw attention with its unnatural shine.
He looked up—and froze.
A mirror hung on the wall behind the captain's desk. Not polished, not pristine, but clear enough.
It was the first time he'd seen himself since arriving in this world.
Seventeen. That's what this body looked like. Black hair that fell just past his ears. Pale skin, roughened by sun and salt. And eyes—
Grey.
Not brown like before. Not the same eyes that watched his mother bleed out on a street back home, murdered by pirates who laughed as they looted the dead.
Grey. Cold. Determined.
"Ryan," he whispered. "That's me now."
This wasn't Earth. This wasn't his old life. That boy had died. But this world gave him something new.
And now, he had everything he needed.
He wiped the mirror with his sleeve, held his stare a moment longer, then turned.
Footsteps. Voices.
He bolted for the door, then casually strolled out, mop in hand.
"Back to work, brat!" a pirate yelled.
Ryan bowed his head and nodded. "Yes, sir."
He went back to scrubbing, hands steady now. Inside his shirt, the satchel pressed heavy against him. The Devil Fruit nestled in silence.
Then, a familiar pulse.
The system chimed.
[Devil Fruit acquired — 1/1 requirement met]
Current Berries: 6,000,000 / 5,000,000
Summon Progress: 100%Initiating Random Summon…
Warning: Summon cost increases 5× with each use.
Next required Berries: 25,000,000 | Next required Devil Fruits: 5
Do you wish to summon now? [Yes/No]
Ryan's breath hitched. He glanced around—the pirates were too distracted. He bolted for the shadows near the cage he used to be chained in, where no one would see him.
"Yes," he whispered with urgency.
The deck and pirates seemed to fade around him, colors warping at the edges of his vision. A faint circle of blue light appeared on the planks before him, carved in strange, shifting script.
From the center of that glow, energy rippled—and then, a silhouette.
It was starting.
And soon, he'd have an ally. Someone loyal. Someone powerful.
His first step toward tearing down the filth that ruled the seas.