------------
If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Phoenizbeelze
-----
...
calendar year 1498.
West Blue.
O'Hara Island, a famous archaeological site.
The warm sea breeze blows over the rippling blue sea, while seagulls looking for food sing and soar across the blue sky.
At this moment, a ship displaying a pirate flag rocks gently along the waves beside the island.
I finally see the island! If I hadn't seen the island, I would have starved to death! It would be too embarrassing for a first-world traveler to die of starvation!"
On the boat, a little boy with sunken cheeks, resembling a mummy from starvation, lay on the side and shed tears of emotion.
The little boy appears to be about seven or eight years old, but in reality, he is a 21st-century young man named Jason, who was a vibrant college student before this strange turn of events.
Jason is not just an otaku who enjoys watching anime; he is also an avid gamer.
After staying up all night, Jason finally achieved the highest rank in his favorite game, the British Bear League! After celebrating his victory for a while, he intended to get some rest.
Suddenly, it struck him that his favorite pirate series might have updates, so he postponed his sleep plans.
After catching up with the latest episode of ONE PIECE, he was about to go to bed when he felt dizzy and stumbled to his feet. Initially dismissing it as weakness from fatigue, he didn't pay much attention until his nose began to bleed and he started coughing violently. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, his vision went dark, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself here.
Confused and disoriented, Jason sat up and rubbed his head.
"Am I not in the dormitory? Where am I?"
Suddenly, a flood of memories washed over him, causing a headache. Fortunately, the images were limited, and he managed to recover after a minute or two.
"..."
He fell silent. Through these new memories, he realized where he was.
"( ๑ŏ _ ŏ๑ ) Did I really travel through time? Am I in the world of ONE PIECE? Is it currently the year 1498?"
"Help! This is ridiculous! Why did I travel through...whatever....just for staying up all night?"
Jason tugged at his hair, feeling mentally fractured as he struggled to accept that he had time-traveled, and that it was into the world of ONE PIECE, no less! Furthermore, he had been turned into a little child!
In his original world, Jason attended a prestigious university and came from a wealthy background; his parents were CEOs of listed companies, and his family boasted billions in assets.
Although he became obsessed with animation and gaming upon entering college, his grades remained excellent due to his high intelligence. In fact, he received a scholarship.
Provided nothing unexpected happened, he would join his family business after graduation, become a domineering CEO, and reach the pinnacle of his life!
However, world or dimensional travel had ruined everything.
As a pirate fan, he was acutely aware of how dangerous this world could be! There were alarmingly many perverts roaming around! His life could be in peril at any moment!
"Gu~"
After a brief bout of despair, his stomach growled, bringing him back to reality. He reluctantly pushed aside his emotional turmoil, recalling that he desperately needed food.
At least he hadn't wound up somewhere like Raccoon City or Silent Hill; besides, he had heard there were many beautiful people in this world.
In the year 1498, there were still two years left before the execution of Roger, which would kick-start the era of great pirates.
The original owner's name was Portgas D. Jason, which was slightly different from Jason's own name. This character had a grandfather who was killed by two pirates and then tied to a ship to be sold.
This was a small pirate ship with only two pirates aboard. Due to an uneven distribution of spoils, they began to fight. Before the brawl escalated, Jason was knocked unconscious.
Unfortunately, the original owner was inadvertently killed amidst the chaos.
When Jason crossed over, the two pirates had already vanished—likely beaten or drowned at sea.
Afterward, Jason began to drift on the ocean, having consumed all available food on the ship. He hadn't spotted the island until now. During that time, he attempted to call upon a system, as was customary for world travelers, but it simply didn't exist.
...
Joy surged within him at the sight of the island. As the boat docked on the shore, Jason summoned his weak strength, drank the last bit of fresh water, and managed to climb out with great effort!
(╥_╥)
"It feels so good to be back on solid ground!"
As tears streamed down his face, Jason stumbled forward toward the forest with a determined hope of finding fruit to eat. Otherwise, he might truly starve to death.
At the same time, in the woods near the coast, the gentle sea breeze brought a cool sensation. Four-year-old Nico Robin sat on a wooden stake, a book beside her, wearing a somewhat shabby red dress. Her pale skin and short black hair fluttered in the wind, and she was crying silently.
Nico Robin's father had passed away when she was very young, and her mother Olvia was a wanted criminal by the World Government, unable to raise her. Consequently, Robin was placed in her uncle's care as a child.
However, her uncle's family was not kind to her. They were extremely harsh, forcing her to handle all household chores and providing only two pieces of black bread for her daily sustenance. They often beat and scolded her.
Moreover, because she possessed the power of a Devil Fruit, local children treated her like a monster, occasionally throwing rocks and branches her way. Despite the unjust fate she endured, Robin never complained.
She loved reading, and books offered her an escape from her troubles.
Only when she missed her mother would she allow herself a few tears.
Jason was trudging toward this very spot when he finally tripped over a small stone and fell beside a tree.
"Plop!"
The sound of his fall attracted Nico Robin's attention, causing her to abruptly stop crying and cautiously look in the direction of the noise.
Could it be that the local children had come to bully her again?
After waiting, she heard nothing else. Summoning her courage, she slowly approached the source of the sound.
Once he got closer, he found a child about his age struggling to lean against a tree. He didn't recognize her; she was not from his village.
At the same time, Jason saw Robin.
There were other people on this island!
And she was a little girl!
Having spent over ten days at sea, Jason felt moved to encounter someone upon disembarking from the boat.
Although the little girl regarded him with suspicion and seemed a bit frightened, he tried to reassure her.
"Don't be nervous. I just drifted in from the ocean. I don't mean any harm! You have no reason to be afraid!
Also, I'm really weak right now, so I can't hurt you!"
His voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper; after several days without food, he was in no condition to be a threat.
Robin observed him closely and assessed that this boy, who was probably just a year or two older than her, seemed to harbor no ill intentions.
In O'Hara, people typically regarded her differently once they learned of her background. Yet, the young man before her seemed different, and although she couldn't determine if this was a temporary impression, she decided to take a step forward.
"What's wrong with you?"
Before Jason could respond, a thunderous growl erupted from his stomach, startling Robin.
This caused a deep blush to creep across Jason's face.
"No...sorry!"
"I've just been drifting at sea and haven't eaten for a long time!"
"Is there a place here where I can buy food? If possible, could you assist me? I can offer payment!"
He had left plenty of treasure aboard the ship, enough for an ordinary person to live for decades. This had been the root of the conflict that led to the pirates' fight. However, Jason didn't have the treasure on him at the moment.
Robin hesitated for a moment, unable to bear the sight of Jason appearing so weak and on the brink of death.
"Just take half. If you go to bed early, you won't be hungry tonight!"
With a reluctant gesture, she fished out a piece of black bread and handed it to Jason.
"Thanks!"
Initially stunned, Jason soon started devouring the black bread, eating it too quickly and nearly choking on it. The coarse texture of the bread had made him save it until the very end on the ship.
He hadn't expected this simple meal to taste so good!
Robin observed Jason as he savored what had once seemed unappealing to him, an envious pang stirring within her; that had been her dinner.
Jason let out a sigh of relief after finishing the bread. Although it wasn't enough to fill him, it was sheer heaven compared to the meager amount of water he had consumed over the last several days!
"Thank you. My name is Jason. What is yours?"
"Nico Robin!"
"What!?"
Jason was stunned. He knew he was in the world of ONE PIECE, but encountering Nico Robin like this felt surreal!
Since this little girl is Robin, does that mean he was indeed on O'Hara Island in West Blue?
"What...what happened?"
Surprised by his reaction, Robin felt a twinge of fear, perhaps thinking he had discovered her secret.
"Oh, it's okay! Don't be nervous!"
"Um!"
Even though Robin found Jason's words somewhat strange, she hardly thought much of it—after all, she was only four years old.
"Thank you for the bread. Do you know where we are? Is there anywhere around here to buy food?"
Jason reached out to tousle Robin's hair, but she dodged him cautiously. Being a die-hard pirate fan, Jason was aware of the hardships Robin faced growing up.
Now that she had shared her black bread with him, he worried she might go hungry that night.
"Uh...there is a place..."
"Really? That's great! Just wait for me!"
Jason returned to the ship where he had drifted. He removed the pirate flag and set it ablaze; he chuckled to himself. After all, he wasn't a pirate, so why should he need such a thing?
After grabbing some beli, he didn't want to use jewels for now, so he got back off the boat, found Robin, and handed her two thousand beli.
But Robin shook her head in refusal.
"What's wrong? Is it too little?"
He thought it wouldn't be safe for a little girl to hold too much money, so he was careful.
Jason was about to offer her more beli, but she still insisted on refusing.
"I can't take it. A single black bread only costs 50 beli!"
Robin didn't ask for money; she was merely trying to help Jason out of kindness.
"Then please lead me to the place where I can buy food. I need to get some!"
"Okay!"
Robin thought for a moment and decided to agree.
...
O'Hara is a large island, renowned as a holy land for archaeology, hosting the world's most prominent scholars and the largest library, known as the Omniscient Tree.
This island attracts not only a multitude of scholars but also various merchants from other lands.
After leaving the coastal area, Jason followed Robin for about half an hour before they finally reached the trading market.
After wandering for a bit, they arrived at a place that sold food.
Jason purchased a hefty amount of meat, rice, and noodles, to the point where he could barely carry everything.
In the end, Robin helped him.
It should be noted that the local customs of O'Hara are genuinely simple; the two children carried a substantial amount of food without encountering any robbers. This really illustrated the peacefulness of O'Hara, a land filled with scholars.
However, a few passersby glanced at Robin with strange expressions.
Once they returned to the beach, Robin placed the items she bought on the boat, preparing to leave; she intended to read a book.
"Wait a minute! Robin!"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"This is for you!"
Jason dug into his pocket and pulled out a small bag filled with bread. It wasn't black bread; it was wheat bread that tasted much better!
Robin initially intended to decline the offer.
"You must be hungry too. You saved my life when I was about to starve and guided me to the market. Regardless of your reasoning, I now consider you a friend!"
"Just treat it as a gift from one friend to another!"
Friends...?
Robin lowered her head, unsure of what to think. She had never had friends before, nor did she understand what making friends felt like.
Yet, this boy before her, who seemed to be just a year or two older than she, was different from the other children on the island.
Did he really think of her as a friend?
When she looked up at Jason, she noticed his smile had grown even brighter, accompanied by a warmth that spread through her. This child didn't appear to have ulterior motives; thus, her lips curled into a gentle smile.
Tentatively, she reached out and accepted the bag of bread, taking a soft and delicious bite.
With tears of joy shimmering in her eyes, Robin couldn't help but feel grateful for this kindness.
"Thank you."
"Hahaha, no need for thanks! You can come to me whenever you want to eat in the future. We are friends!"
"Um!"
Jason smiled, having long since accepted that he had world-traveled. With Robin right in front of him, he might as well deepen their bond.
Robin would grow to become an intellectual goddess, and Jason wanted to ensure they were close friends in their childhood, which could shape their futures.
"I'm full now; let's leave!"
Still lost in thought, Jason was surprised when Robin handed him the leftover bread!
"Huh? What's this for? Didn't I say it was for you?"
"I have chores waiting for me at home, and if I take this back, my aunt will think I've stolen it! So I'll leave it with you for now! I'll return to eat it next time!"
Understanding Robin's situation, Jason realized her background story mirrored what he had learned; her uncle's family treated her terribly.
"Alright. We are friends, so you're welcome to come to my place whenever you want to eat!"
"Um!"
Robin agreed enthusiastically and skipped away, clearly delighted!
Having had few friends in her life, Robin longed for companionship since the other children treated her like a monster. She had even been encouraged to step forward and find friends when she met the giant Saul.
------------
If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Phoenizbeelze
-----