Chapter 1: The Man in the Barrel
Darkness.
Loud, indistinct noises echoed from somewhere outside, a dull roar in the background.
He opened his eyes to pitch black. The space was tight, confining, and smelled of stale seawater and cheap liquor. A cold, pragmatic thought surfaced first, unburdened by panic.
Some kind of barrel.
He felt a flicker of annoyance.
So they finally caught me.
He pressed a hand against the lid above him. Wood. Solid. He pushed, and his muscles—feeling strangely coiled and elastic—strained against the confinement. With a low grunt, he threw his back into it.
CRACK!
A sliver of blinding sunlight pierced the darkness. Shouts of alarm echoed from outside.
"Wh-What was that? The barrel's cracking from the inside!"
"Is it some kind of sea monster?"
Ignoring the commotion, he gave one final, explosive shove. The barrel shattered into splinters, and he was launched into the air. His flight was short, ending abruptly as his body slammed into something surprisingly soft.
BAM!
The satisfying crunch of fist meeting chin echoed in the small storeroom. A large pirate with a checkered bandana went down without a sound, his eyes rolling back in his head.
He landed on his feet, his balance perfect. He glanced down at himself—small hands, a simple red vest, worn blue shorts.
This isn't my body.
Then, the memories struck him like a physical blow. Not his own, but another's.
A red-haired man's grin beneath a straw hat, the smell of sea salt and tavern ale.
The foul, chemical taste of a bizarre purple fruit, followed by the sheer, simple joy of a body that could stretch like taffy.
A promise screamed towards the endless sea. And a dream—a burning, all-encompassing desire to be the King of the Pirates.
The life of a boy named Monkey D. Luffy crashed into his own.
He staggered, his hand flying to his head as two lifetimes—a hardened gangster and an impossibly naive rubber boy—battled for dominance in his mind. In the midst of this mental vortex, a golden, silent light bloomed in his vision. No voice spoke, but a complete, undeniable understanding was pressed into his consciousness.
A mistake. The soul of Monkey D. Luffy has passed on. You are its replacement. This world is not yours, but you will remain. Play the part. For your silence, a fraction of my power is granted to you. A tool.
A translucent screen of light appeared in his mind's eye.
[System Initialized: The Deity's Contract]
[You now possess the power to forge unbreakable bonds. Once a contract is signed, its terms are absolute until both parties consent to its dissolution.]
[Initial Contracts available: 10]
The man—the new Luffy—processed the information with chilling speed. A grin stretched his lips. It wasn't the wide, innocent smile of the original owner. This grin was an evil smirk.
"Shishishi," the laugh felt strange, but he'd get used to it. "Fine. I'll play your game."
"You brat!" one of the remaining pirates snarled, shaking off his shock. "You took out Kose!"
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" the other demanded, brandishing a rusty cutlass.
Luffy met their charge with an unnerving calm. He stretched his right arm upwards, his hand snapping around a thick wooden ceiling beam. The pirates skidded to a halt, their jaws hitting the dusty floorboards. One man's eyes bulged so far they nearly left his skull.
"H-His... arm... it's STRETCHING!"
Using the beam as an anchor, he retracted his arm, launching his body into the air. He sailed over their heads, and as the first one turned, Luffy's leg stretched out, sweeping the man's feet from under him. He hit the deck hard. The second pirate stared in horror, which was his final mistake.
Luffy's fist drew back.
"GOMU GOMU NO..."
The pirate's eyes widened in terror.
"PISTOL!"
The punch connected with a solid THWACK!, slamming squarely into the man's temple. He crumpled instantly.
From behind a stack of crates, a small boy with pink hair and thick glasses watched, trembling uncontrollably. Luffy's shadow fell over him.
"You," Luffy's voice was quiet. "You're not one of them, are you?"
The boy shook his head frantically. "N-no, my name is Coby. I was just fishing one day and accidentally boarded their ship."
"Good," Luffy said, his tone shifting to one of sheer command. "Then you're going to tell me everything. This ship. The loud woman I hear screaming on deck. Start talking."
Coby flinched, but the command in Luffy's eyes left no room for refusal. "Th-this is a passenger ship under attack by the Alvida Pirates. The... the loud woman is 'Iron Mace' Alvida. She's the captain. She's cruel and vain and... and she's terrifying!"
"Alvida," Luffy repeated the name, tasting it. "I see. Stay here. Don't get in the way."
He strode out onto the sun-drenched deck.
"Look! A kid came out of the storeroom."
"He must be a stowaway. Get him, boys!"
A wave of grimy pirates charged. Luffy stretched his arm, gripping the ship's railing and slingshotting himself into their midst. He landed, and the first pirate swung a sword at his head.
"GOMU GOMU NO BULLET!"
His fist shot out in a short, sharp jab, not at the pirate, but at the hilt of his sword. The weapon was knocked from the man's grasp, spinning through the air. Luffy planted his feet, twisting his body and stretching his leg far out to the side.
"GOMU GOMU NO... WHIP!"
His leg snapped forward in a devastating horizontal arc. It connected with the chests of five pirates at once, sending them flying across the deck like bowling pins. Within moments, the deck was a mess of groaning bodies. Only one figure remained standing: a massive woman with a fearsome iron mace.
"You worthless little worm!" Alvida shrieked, her voice grating. "Do you have ANY idea who I am?"
"Iron Mace Alvida," Luffy replied calmly, cracking his knuckles. "I've been told."
"That's right! And I'm the most beautiful woman on all the seas!" she screeched, striking a pose. She then hefted her mace. "And I'm going to smash you into a red paste!"
She charged, bringing the massive weapon down in an overhead arc meant to pulverize him. The mace whistled through the air. Luffy simply bent backward, his spine curving at an impossible, rubbery angle as the weapon passed inches from his nose and shattered the deck with a deafening KRRR-ASH!
While Alvida was off-balance, he snapped back upright. His fist shot forward, slamming into the mace and sending a shockwave up her arms that forced her to let go. The weapon clattered to the deck.
Before she could react, he was on her.
An open-palmed strike to her throat. A brutal kick to the back of her knee. As she dropped to her knees, gasping, she managed to hiss, "You... can't do this... to the most beautiful woman on the seas!"
He ignored her, delivering a final, concussive elbow to the base of her skull. Her vision swam, and she slumped forward, half-conscious.
She felt the cold, round mouth of a pistol press firmly to her temple. He had taken her own weapon.
"Listen to me, 'Iron Mace' Alvida," his voice was a low murmur, dangerously calm. "You have strength. But you're a big fish in a tiny, filthy puddle. I'm going to the Grand Line. I'm going to the top of the world."
He leaned in closer. "A woman like you has a choice. You can be the queen of this garbage scow... or you can JOIN THE CREW of the future Pirate King. Your choice. But make it now."
Luffy's thoughts were cold and simple. Ugly and loud. But she has a ship, and she knows these waters.
A scroll made of shimmering golden light materialized before Alvida's blurry eyes.
"This is a contract," Luffy explained. "Sign this and join my crew... or DIE."
Fear was evident on Alvida's face, mixed with a flicker of hidden anger. But right now, her only goal was to get out of this situation alive.
With a trembling finger, she reached out and touched the golden scroll. It flared and vanished.
Luffy lowered the pistol. "Welcome aboard."
As he stood, a notification pinged in his mind.
[Contracts Remaining: 9]
A flash of cold anger went through him. Only nine left? This resource is too precious to waste.
His frustration was immediately answered by a new window of light.
CURRENT TASKS
Recruit the Pirate Hunter: Find and recruit Roronoa Zoro to your crew.
Reward: 5 Contracts
A Marine's Dream: Ensure Coby successfully joins the Marines.
Reward: 2 Contracts
Topple a Tyrant: Defeat the corrupt Marine Captain, "Axe-Hand" Morgan.
Reward: 1 Contract
Recruit the Navigator: Find and recruit the cat-burglar, Nami.
Reward: 5 Contracts
A smirk touched Luffy's lips. A list of objectives. A clear path to power.
He looked out at the endless blue horizon, the Straw Hat—his hat—casting a shadow over his eyes.
Rest in peace, kid. Your dream... I'll fulfill it.
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