Chapter -1.
"What should I do? What *can* I do?"
Beads of sweat the size of beans formed on Katie's forehead. The stench in her nostrils was utterly revolting, and the atmosphere around her was oppressively unbearable.
After an hour of observation, Katie finally confirmed her location and situation.
Everything before her was both familiar and alien, because this was Impel Down, the greatest prison in the world of *One Piece*.
As a die-hard *One Piece* fan with over a decade of watching the series, the name Impel Down was more than familiar—Katie knew its structure better than most of the people here.
The problem was, she had never imagined she'd one day find herself *here*, and in such a melodramatic way as transmigration, without the slightest hint of warning.
As Katie racked her brain, a voice suddenly broke through, mentioning a name that caught her attention.
"Hey, have you heard? They caught Fire Fist Ace a few days ago and brought him here."
"No way, really? He's the commander of the 2nd division of the Whitebeard Pirates, and a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. How could he get caught?"
"I heard it too, it's true. He's locked up in this prison, though no one knows which level."
The shocking news left the others stunned. This was one of Whitebeard's men—how could the Navy dare to arrest him?
"My God, what are the Marines planning? Capturing one of Whitebeard's men? That old man is the strongest in the world. Aren't they afraid he'll turn Marineford upside down?"
"Who knows? Whitebeard may be strong, but he's just one man, and he's getting old. The Marines, on the other hand, have three Admirals in their prime, fleet admiral Sengoku, and Hero Garp. If you add the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the outcome's not so certain."
"Hey, whose side are you on, pirate or Marine? Why are you speaking up for the Marines?"
"I'm just stating facts, alright?"
The group bickered back and forth, a way to pass the endless monotony of prison life.
Meanwhile, Katie, who had overheard their conversation, stood frozen in place.
Just moments ago, she had been praying there were still ten or eight years before the Summit War, giving her time to train in prison, escape with Luffy when he came to break Ace out, and maybe even join the Summit War to try saving Ace and Whitebeard.
That way, she could make a name for herself, marry a rich beauty, and live the high life. But now, with Ace already captured, the Summit War was practically around the corner—ten days at most, if she was lucky.
With her current cannon-fodder-level strength, she had no business participating in the upcoming war of the century. Luffy might not even bother taking her along.
"Arrival successful. Initiating binding."
As Katie's mind spiraled, an electronic, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her head.
"Who? Who's speaking?"
The moment she blurted it out, Katie regretted it. To the others in the cell, she was the new kid, already unpopular. She should've kept a low profile, but her outburst ruined that plan.
In an instant, all eyes turned to her, baffled by her outburst.
"Hey, newbie, you trying to die? What's with the yelling?"
Before she could respond, a burly man roared at her, his glare menacing.
"Forget it, Hook. Ignore her. She's just some young punk who probably got caught right after setting sail on the Grand Line. Her brain's probably fried. Don't stoop to her level."
"Ugh, what bad luck to be stuck with this trash. Disgusting!"
From start to finish, Katie kept her head down, silent, appearing timid.
Only when the man turned away did she lift her head, a fleeting glint of killing intent in her eyes.
She didn't act yet for two reasons: first, she wasn't confident she could take him, and second, she was more curious about the voice in her head.
"Binding successful. The Strongest God System is at your service. To ensure the host doesn't die on the first day, the system has prepared a beginner's gift package. Would the host like to open it now?"
Pinching her thigh hard, the sharp pain confirmed Katie wasn't dreaming. From now on, she was someone with a system. The dream of punching Akainu and kicking Kizaru was within reach.
"No rush. First, I want to know what kind of help you can provide and what I need to do."
Faced with this sudden windfall, Katie didn't rush to open the gift. She wanted to understand the system first.
"With my assistance, the host can randomly extract abilities from those around you, with the limitation that each person can only be extracted from once."
"Additionally, the system provides a storage space of one thousand cubic meters, capable of holding anything except living beings."
"Furthermore, to test and encourage the host's growth, you must complete tasks I assign. Each time, I'll provide two different tasks for you to choose from. Completing them will yield generous rewards, including exchange points for use in the system's shop."
"There's no penalty for failing or delaying tasks, but you'll miss out on opportunities to grow stronger."
"In short, the choice is yours. Whether you become a dragon or an insect depends on your will."
The system's voice stopped, but Katie's mind replayed its words over and over.
She didn't know why she had transmigrated here, but since she was here, she wanted to carve out her own path, do what she wanted, and change the course of this world.
"System, open the beginner's gift package. I want to see what you've prepared for me."
"That depends on the host's luck. Even I can't control what appears in the gift package."
At this, Katie's face darkened. Her luck had always been average—not abysmal, but far from extraordinary.
"Congratulations, host, on obtaining the Zanpakutō—Hollow Breaker."
Today, however, was destined to be Katie's lucky day. Though she didn't yet know what special abilities this Zanpakutō would grant, the mere thought of it thrilled her.
A Zanpakutō! If she could master its Shikai or Bankai, it would be like gaining a unique ability. And if she got lucky and obtained a good Devil Fruit, she'd essentially be a dual-ability user. The possibilities were dazzling.
At this moment, Katie had yet to grasp the true power of the system, only later realizing how naïve her current thoughts were.