William returned to his cabin to rest. With many pirates left behind, the room that originally housed five now contained only him and Vallon. The latter had already fallen asleep, snoring loudly. Exhausted from the day's ordeals, both physically and mentally, William collapsed onto his hammock and quickly drifted into deep slumber.
He didn't know how long he had been asleep when his hazy consciousness began to stir. Opening his eyes, he found himself surrounded by impenetrable darkness, with only a single source of light visible ahead.
As he approached, he realized the light illuminated a crossroads that resembled an ordinary rural path. The most peculiar aspect was that in this pitch-black environment, there were no lamps or torches—the light seemed to emanate from nowhere, yet clearly illuminated the intersection.
Directly opposite from William's approach stood three wooden signboards, each marking a path that extended in different directions. The paths did not intersect.
William wasn't particularly surprised. This strange place had first appeared in his dreams on the initial night after the Danton Pirates were pursued by the Marines. At first, he dismissed it as merely reflecting his anxieties—his fear of the Marines' pursuit and his unease about being a transmigrator—manifesting in dreams.
But when he found himself in the exact same place the following night, he finally recognized this wasn't an ordinary dream. There was no reason to dream of the identical place two consecutive nights with such vivid clarity, especially when he could remember every detail perfectly upon waking.
William was not an overly optimistic person. On the contrary, he was highly cautious. He immediately recognized this dream-like crossroads as a secret he must guard as vigilantly as his identity as a transmigrator. With meticulous wariness, he began examining this mysterious place, trying to determine its purpose.
This eerie phenomenon was as inexplicable as his sudden transmigration. There was no guide, no tutorial, nothing to explain its function. If user reviews existed for such experiences, he would have given it the lowest rating possible and filed a complaint. Unfortunately, reality offered no such option. He had no choice but to rely on his own observations since arriving in this world, combined with clues from the signboards, to piece together the nature of this place.
William approached the first signboard on the left. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the path behind it was obscured by a thin mist, barely visible from a distance. He had tried before and knew that although the mist looked as if it could be dispersed with a single breath, it was impenetrable unless the conditions on the signboard were met. No amount of force could break through it.
The wooden signboard, still rough with splinters as if freshly made, bore words etched into its surface:
[Desperate Counterattack]: A true warrior fears nothing. You choose to consolidate the Danton Pirates, become the new captain, and lead the remnants to defeat the pursuing Marines, embarking on the path of a rising pirate power.
Requirements: 30 Fragile Threads of Fate, 20 Tenacious Threads of Fate, 1 Unique Thread of Fate.
Rewards: Robust, Heroic Aura.
William had read the contents of this signboard many times. His eyes briefly skimmed over words like "path" and "rewards," which seemed laden with deeper meaning, before focusing intently on the "requirements."
These requirements were clearly the key to passing through the mist. Having experimented several times, William now instinctively raised his right hand and placed it on the signboard. Six fine threads emerged from the void—one end connected to the back of his hand, the other extending into the darkness.
Three of the threads were silver and extremely fragile. When William merely flexed his wrist, they snapped, only to slowly reconnect under some unseen force. These were evidently the "Fragile Threads of Fate" mentioned on the signboard.
The remaining three threads—one golden and two silver—were much sturdier. When William plucked them lightly with his left index finger, they emitted sounds like musical strings. The golden thread in particular glowed faintly, making it especially eye-catching. These were the "Tenacious Threads of Fate" and the "Unique Thread of Fate."
Each thread likely represented a person's fate. As these individuals grew closer to William, their destinies became intertwined with his, the strength of connection depending on their closeness and recognition of him.
The three exceptionally sturdy threads clearly represented Agin, Aramis, and Vallon. They had formed a tight-knit group with William aboard the ship, their fates bound together—they would rise or fall as one.
The three fragile threads likely symbolized people on the ship who were somewhat close to William and had some respect for his abilities. However, these connections were tenuous and could disappear at any moment.
William sighed, noting that during his last visit, he had observed five fragile threads. Whether because two people had been left behind at the docks or for some other reason, two of those threads had vanished.
As William removed his hand from the signboard, the Threads of Fate gradually disappeared. He moved to the second signboard:
[Enduring Hardship for Revenge]: Life is never smooth sailing. You choose to abandon futile resistance and surrender to the Marines. Perhaps in prison, you'll encounter unexpected opportunities and embark on an unpredictable path.
Requirements: Find and kill a person with a Unique Thread of Fate.
Rewards: Supporting Character's Halo.
The content of this signboard provided key evidence supporting William's theory about the Threads of Fate being tied to individuals.
Although in his previous life William had only watched a few scattered episodes of One Piece on television—most details and storylines now faded from memory—the ubiquitous nature of information in the digital age, combined with his fragmented memories and the constant bombardment of mobile game advertisements, had left him familiar with certain iconic elements of this fantasy world. After a period of observation since his arrival, he had finally determined where he was.
One Piece—a fantasy world resembling the Age of Exploration.
A person with a Unique Thread of Fate likely represented a character with significant narrative importance in the original story. This seemed to refer to Agin, whom William vaguely remembered seeing in the anime with matching physical characteristics and the same name. The glowing golden thread connected to William undoubtedly belonged to him.
Finally, William turned to the third signboard:
[Escape from the Tiger's Mouth]: A wise person acts with caution. You choose to leave the pirate crew, escaping both the Danton Pirates and the Marines' pursuit to chart your own path.
Requirements: 1 Tenacious Thread of Fate, 1 Unique Thread of Fate.
Rewards: Lightning Reflexes.
William stood before the third signboard for a long time. This was a new addition, confirming his earlier suspicion that these so-called "paths" manifested according to the thoughts and ideas forming in his mind—they were more tangible versions of "multiple-choice questions."
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