Gentle sunlight spilled across the surface of the sea, draping the waters in a thin veil of gold. The waves shimmered as they rolled, white foam rising and falling with a steady rhythm.
The sound of the surf slapping against the wooden hull echoed repeatedly, urging the small ship onward.
Upon the vast, boundless ocean, a boat as tiny as a fallen leaf slowly departed amid the villagers' blessings, setting sail toward a distant and mysterious future.
At the same time, on that boat—barely large enough for two or three people yet crammed with supplies—a young man wearing a straw hat, a red vest, and a visible scar beneath his left eye was clapping his hands exaggeratedly as he burst into laughter. His eyes brimmed with indescribable joy and anticipation.
"Ahahahaha~ Red! I knew you'd come out to sea with me!"
"I told you already—without you, there's no way I could become the Pirate King!"
As his laughter rang out, Luffy's arms kept swinging, repeatedly slapping the boy sitting across from him.
Slap! Slap! Slap!!!
The crisp sounds rang out without end.
Unable to dodge and forced to take Luffy's palms head-on was a boy with messy bangs, a red baseball cap, and an age remarkably close to Luffy's.
Bang!!!
Finally, the pain triggered an explosion of anger. The boy's clenched fist smashed squarely into Luffy's face, smashing his features straight into his head.
"Tss—!!! You bastard!!! That hurt like hell, hitting me over and over!"
The boy shouted as he drove his fist even deeper into Luffy's face.
"…Mmgh… sorry, I know I was wrong…"
With his mouth caved in, Luffy apologized with practiced ease.
"You'd better actually mean it!"
Pulling his arm back, the boy sighed. He knew full well that Luffy would never truly learn his lesson. Holding his slightly reddened shoulder, he wore an expression of complete disbelief.
After all, in the two and a half years since he'd transmigrated here, he'd heard that exact line more times than he could count.
That's right.
The boy sharing a boat with Luffy at this very moment was a genuine transmigrator.
Back on Earth, he had been nothing more than an ordinary college student. His hobbies were watching anime and novels, playing games, and flying planes in simulators.
By chance, he learned that an exhibition hall near his school was hosting a convention. Acting on a whim, he ordered a simple cosplay outfit online—the classic red-and-white set worn by Red from Pokémon.
The convention itself went extremely smoothly, with sights bold enough to make people shout "Security!" and leave him thoroughly satisfied.
What he hadn't expected was…
On his way back to school after the convention, a runaway dump truck—like a ravenous beast—came roaring straight at his face.
And then—
His soul transmigrated into this body.
May the isekai have no dump trucks.
Amen~
Just like that, the boy who had finally become a college student turned into a fourteen-year-old orphan in the world of pirates, sharing his name with Red himself.
And by sheer coincidence, his "spawn point" was none other than a legendary hotspot in the pirate world—
East Blue · Goa Kingdom · Windmill Village.
…
…
"If I'd known I was going to end up in the One Piece world, I wouldn't have dropped the series so early."
Watching Luffy yank his face back out of his skull in a thoroughly inhuman manner, Red sighed for what felt like the hundredth time.
Due to excessive padding in the anime, he'd barely watched One Piece after the Marineford War ended. Without question, that was his biggest regret right now.
Thankfully, videos from content creators had helped him stay aware of the major post-Marineford plot developments.
For instance, the once-glorified hero Garp—whom Red had endlessly praised—unexpectedly fell from grace on Hachinosu, earning the dubious honor of "searching for ID cards and photocopies in a deck of cards"…
"Come to think of it, ever since I transmigrated, Garp hasn't returned to Windmill Village even once."
"He only comes back every few years as a grandpa—and as a father, he doesn't show up at all…"
"No wonder Luffy was influenced by Red-Haired Shanks and ended up wanting to be the Pirate King."
"Hey, Luffy!"
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Red looked up just in time to see Luffy sneakily reaching toward their supply crate yet again.
Caught in the act, Luffy jolted, then scratched his head awkwardly beneath Red's scrutinizing gaze.
"Ah… haha… n-nothing."
"I was just checking if the food had gone bad… hahaha…"
"We've only been sailing for a few hours! What do you think could go wrong with it?!"
"…Forget it. I should've expected this."
Red shot Luffy a withering glance, then stood up despite the rocking boat and dragged him away without ceremony.
"From now on, you're in charge of lookout duty and handling the sails. I'll manage and distribute the supplies."
"Food and fresh water are precious resources at sea. Don't you dare mess around!"
With that, Red plopped himself down next to the provisions, completely blocking Luffy's greedy line of sight.
He had no intention of starving just after setting out!
Still…
Looking at the cramped, crowded boat, Red couldn't help but sigh.
"Honestly… if I'd known it'd be like this, I should've saved up to buy a proper little boat. Then we wouldn't have to squeeze into this fishing skiff."
A helpless glint flickered in Red's eyes.
Truth be told, going to sea together with Luffy had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
If not for his cheat suddenly awakening—along with that ridiculous ability—he'd never have ventured onto the dangerous ocean while still this weak.
By nature, Red was cautious. He never fought battles he wasn't prepared for.
Yet this voyage had completely caught him off guard.
Thankfully, he and Luffy had gotten along well over the past two years. It was enough for him to rein in some of Luffy's recklessness and adventurous impulses, helping them avoid unnecessary danger.
Seeing Luffy still staring longingly at the food behind him, Red knew it was time to make him understand how serious things were.
This wasn't playing house anymore.
His expression hardened.
"Luffy, do you remember what we agreed on before we left?"
"Even though you're the captain of this ship, as the vice-captain, I always have veto power over your decisions!"
"That means every decision our pirate crew makes needs my approval—including when you eat, and how much!"
"Being a pirate isn't a game. From the moment you formed this crew, you took responsibility for everyone's lives!"
"If you're too reckless, we won't get far!"
On their very first voyage—unable to read charts properly and lacking experience—they absolutely couldn't afford to let Luffy run wild.
Even though, at Red's insistence, they'd changed their departure date and avoided the whirlpool that originally blocked Windmill Village in the original timeline…
The sea was merciless. Who knew what dangers lay ahead?
"…Oh~ okay~ I won't eat."
Faced with Red's rare seriousness and firm attitude, Luffy finally realized the gravity of the situation. He obediently slumped against the railing, looking pitiful.
Though he was the captain, two years of living together—and that mysterious adventure the other night—had proven one thing beyond doubt:
Listening to Red was never wrong.
Seeing this, a trace of relief flashed through Red's eyes.
His approach might make Luffy less carefree than in the original timeline, but compared to regretting helplessness after disaster struck, some lessons were better learned early.
That said, expecting Luffy to stay quiet was about as realistic as expecting Zoro to accidentally find Laugh Tale.
In less than five minutes, bored out of his mind, Luffy scooted back over with sparkling eyes.
"Hey, Red! When can we go back to that world again?!"
"The one with all those treasure-something creatures!"
"It was so much fun~ I didn't get enough last time!"
"I really want to catch some of those treasure-somethings and make them our pets, so they can adventure with us!"
"They're called Pokémon~!"
Red corrected him while holding a compass steady, clearly not trusting Luffy.
He'd said it at least ten times already, and Luffy still couldn't remember the word Pokémon.
Sighing inwardly, Red diverted a sliver of attention toward the Nintendo Switch within his body.
After checking the battery level, he replied, "Let's wait a bit. Once it gets dark, the stored power should be enough for a full adventure."
"Huh?! We have to wait until night?!"
Luffy instantly wilted like a deflated eggplant.
Red glanced at him from the chart.
"It's only a few hours! You think I don't want to go in earlier?!"
"Quiet down and don't distract me while I read the map!"
"If we get lost, neither of us will enjoy the outcome!"
"Oh~ okay~"
At Red's insistence, Luffy straightened his straw hat and obediently returned to the bow.
Even so, the idea of traveling to another world was far too exciting for him.
"Hehe~ even if he's a bit scary, being pirates with Red is awesome!"
"I'm definitely going to become the Pirate King!!!"
Luffy laughed loudly at the endless sea.
Red's ears twitched, and he couldn't help but smile wryly inside.
"Truly Luffy… always this full of energy."
"Fine then. For the sake of my very first Pokémon…"
"This title of Pirate King—"
"This trainer will help you claim it!"
(End of Chapter)