"Alex Carter, wake up already! Didn't you say you'd go out fishing with us today? Don't tell me you're trying to slack off again?"
A chubby man banged loudly on Alex's door, his heavy fists making a thumping sound that echoed across the room.
"You damn fatty! Quit banging already—you're about to break the door!"
Alex threw off the blanket, jumped out of bed swiftly, and sighed. It had been over six months since he arrived in this world.
What started as confusion and resistance had turned into reluctant acceptance. As for his future—he had no idea. He felt completely lost.
He still remembered overhearing some kids in the village talking about the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and at first, he thought he was dreaming. Or maybe these people were just obsessed fans?
But when he saw the look in those children's eyes—the pure admiration, the obsession, and even a hint of fanaticism—it made his skin crawl. It was like watching devoted cult members.
From the fishermen who had rescued him, Alex learned he'd been found unconscious, drifting alone in the middle of the ocean. If it hadn't been for them passing by at just the right time, he would've become fish food.
Since then, he had taken up fishing to survive. Day after day, he trained hard. Six months later, he had become one of the most skilled fishermen in the village.
Before setting sail, many villagers would specifically invite Alex to join them—his presence meant a bigger haul.
At first, Alex had thought about settling down, planting vegetables, and living the peaceful life of a farmer. But the soil in the village was so barren that not even grass could grow. Fishing was the only livelihood here.
In these six months, Alex had eaten fish for nearly every meal. Surprisingly, he didn't mind it. The local waters teemed with diverse fish species—every meal brought new flavors. Each fish was different in taste and texture, making dining a small daily adventure.
Back on Earth, there were plenty of fish species, sure—but here, in the One Piece world, he'd eaten kinds of fish that didn't even exist there.
Take the "Snowflake Fish" he ate two days ago. Even when fully steamed, it stayed cold—like biting into an ice pop. Its meat was boneless, silky smooth, and absolutely delicious. Eating that during a blazing summer day was like heaven.
"What terrible luck," Alex muttered to himself. "Why is it that all those other Isekai main characters get superpowers, but I'm still just a normal guy?"
Grumbling internally, he followed the chubby man toward the beach.
Along the way, many villagers greeted Alex warmly. Kids could be seen playing a game of "Marines vs. Pirates."
"Today I'm Whitebeard, the strongest pirate in the world! You be the Marine lieutenant and try to catch me!"
"You dummy, a little lieutenant can't take down Whitebeard. He's the world's strongest man! You'd need at least an admiral!"
Hearing the kids argue, the chubby man beside Alex let out a sigh. "Youth really is a gift. I used to dream like them too, becoming a world-famous pirate, finding the legendary One Piece, and becoming the Pirate King… But I gave up."
Seeing the downcast look on his face, Alex thought to himself: Pirate King? Please, with your skills, you'd get wrecked by someone like Buggy the Clown before you even made it to the Grand Line.
"Do you know why I gave up?" the man asked.
"Why?" Alex replied.
The chubby man's expression turned somber. "I set sail once, full of dreams and ambition. But I didn't get far before a giant Sea King capsized my boat. I would've died if I hadn't been rescued."
Hearing that, Alex felt a little awkward. He had forgotten just how dangerous the seas in this world were. Giant Sea Kings were everywhere. With this guy's level, he didn't need to meet other pirates to die—just one Sea King would do the job.
"Who saved you? No one in our village can handle a Sea King."
"I don't really know. Some strange old man. He said he happened to be swimming nearby and just rescued me by chance. I thought he was full of crap—who swims from one island to another? But he was crazy strong. He threw a pebble and knocked the Sea King out cold."
Alex was stunned. Could it be… could that old man have been Silvers Rayleigh?
"Did the guy have a scar over his right eye?" he asked urgently.
"Yeah! How'd you know?!" The chubby man looked at him, eyes wide in surprise.
"Just a lucky guess."
Alex's thoughts were swirling. Why would Rayleigh come to East Blue? According to the guy, the rescue happened a year ago. That would mean Rayleigh was in East Blue before Luffy even set sail.
From what the villagers had told him, it had been 22 years since Gol D. Roger's death. That would mean Luffy had already set off by now. So what was Rayleigh doing in the weakest sea a year ago?
Was this a hidden plotline from Oda? Alex wondered. Some kind of unspoken foreshadowing?
"Hey! Stop zoning out! Time to fish!"
The chubby man had already climbed onto the boat and was waving at Alex, who was still lost in thought.
Snapping out of his daze, Alex quickly boarded the boat.
And with that, another busy day of fishing began.