001 Beginning!

Chapter 1 001. Beginning!

[Another stranger.]

In the dark, cramped space, a small figure stretched its body.

[Sigh, I can only use this Perception ability, whatever it is, to see the outside world every day. When will this end?]

[It's been almost twenty months since my consciousness cleared. It seems the world I'm in is extraordinary. Could I be from some great family?]

Could it be some high-martial world?

No, no, how could it be.

[Aah~ When will this end? And the guy next to me, stop squeezing me!]

Inside the house.

A silent figure.

In the dim light, a gentle woman could be seen leaning against the headboard.

Her life force was like a candle in the wind, yet as tenacious as a weed.

More than twenty months...

Thinking of this, the man felt his throat dry and couldn't help swallowing: "You are--Portgas D. Rouge?"

Rouge blinked her dry eyes, looking at the famous man who had finally arrived, a household name in this era, as if she could finally breathe a sigh of relief:

"Good day, Mr. Garp, I am."

Hearing the weak voice, Garp felt very helpless.

Cough!

His throat was a little dry as he said:

"Now that I'm here, you can rest assured and give birth to them. Leave everything else to me."

"Thank you. Thank you."

Rouge said gratefully.

[Merit Points +1]

[Huh? What is this? There's a suction force, am I going to...]

Wah~ Wah~ Wah.

[It's so dark, is it evening? Oh my gosh, I'm finally born.]

The "weak" cries of an infant echoed in the spacious room. A few minutes later, an even louder cry rang out.

[So noisy, what's there to shout about? Unlike me, quiet and peaceful is so much better.]

"Great, mother and child are safe! Doctor, I'll go get the gentleman."

The nurse hurried out.

A moment later, the stranger he had sensed earlier also entered the room.

Seeing the person arrive,

[Huh? This person looks a little familiar.]

Rouge, leaning against the headboard, gently cradled the two infants in their swaddling clothes, softly nuzzling them with her bloodless face.

Looking at the infants in her arms, her tone was gentle and full of infinite reluctance:

"The one with freckles is the Younger brother, named Gol D. Ace, the one who is a little weak is the Older brother, named Gol D. Mercer."

As soon as she finished speaking, Rouge's arm slipped from the swaddling clothes, her life coming to an end.

[Gol D? Could it be...]

Mercer's thoughts paused when he heard his name, and then he sensed Rouge's aura dissipate.

An uncontrollable sorrow welled up in his heart, "Wah."

At the same time, the other infant next to him began to wail as if infected.

The doctor on the side looked at the two infants with pity in his eyes, and then said with regret: "Sir, please accept our condolences. Mrs. Rouge's body was too weak, and we were unable to do anything."

"Mm." Garp was stunned for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat silent: "I understand."

Soon, after taking care of Rouge's funeral and completing all the "matters," Garp left with the two infants in his arms.

"The surname Gol is too conspicuous. You two will inherit the surname Portgas from now on, inheriting your mother Rouge's surname. You will be called Portgas D. Mercer & Portgas D. Ace."

Walking towards the coast where the Warship was docked, Garp glanced at the "well-behaved" Mercer in his arms, his eyes somewhat gloomy.

Thinking of what the doctor had said earlier and the magical seahorse that could steal memories that he had found in his pocket before coming here.

[Sir, I'm sorry, the infant named Mercer seems to be congenitally weak, showing signs of premature death, but I can't find the specific cause. I don't know how long he can live. I'm sorry.]

[Perhaps you can take him to the medical superpower of Drum Island in the Grand Line, or perhaps to a genius doctor who has recently emerged in West Blue. Those places may have a way to find out his specific condition.]

[Hmm, I understand. This is a magical seahorse with the ability to steal memories. I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to have the memories of Rouge and the children. I apologize.]

[Hmm, okay, I understand. Even if Lady Rouge is from our main family, it's best if as few people as possible know such secrets.]

Holding Mercer and Ace in his arms, Garp sensed Mercer's heartbeat, which should have been healthy, but the aura around him was unbelievably weak.

"It's a strange feeling, both strong and weak. What's going on?"

Garp gnashed his teeth in agitation, but he made a decision in his heart.

"Since I promised your parents, I will keep my word. From now on, you two are my grandsons. Mercer, Ace."

At this moment, noticing a gaze, Garp looked around and finally looked at the little one in his arms who wasn't asleep yet.

In the next moment, two pairs of black eyes, one large and one small, met.

Garp's eyes froze as he looked at Mercer's wide-open, jet-black eyes. A small, wrinkled, tender hand reached out towards his mustache, and he heard the infant's babbling cries.

The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up. He lowered his head towards Mercer, and in the next second, he felt a rubbing sensation on his mustache. At the same time, he saw Mercer only touch his mustache briefly before pulling away.

Garp grinned, "Little Mercer, do you like your grandpa?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Mercer's eyelids start to droop, and after retracting his chubby arm, he closed his eyes.

Garp laughed heartily once again.

With his eyes closed, Mercer was thinking about what the doctor had said earlier, feeling very speechless: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

However, as for the man holding him, Mercer stealthily used his Perception to sense him.

Terrifying height, a muscular, inhuman physique, and terrifying Strength hidden within.

And although restrained, there was an inhuman aura hidden deep within him.

As soon as they jumped onto the Warship, Garp's body stiffened. He felt as if he had been stripped naked, as a wave of Perception unscrupulously scanned him.

At this moment, looking at his adjutant Bogard walking towards him, scanning the baby in his arms, Garp's eyes twitched, and he said in an unfriendly tone:

"Bogard, why are you using Observation Haki to probe me?"

The man was wearing a neat brown suit, topped with a matching top hat, and holding a female baboon with its limbs hanging down naturally and a large bump on its head.

Bogard's body stiffened, and he looked blankly at his "unreliable" superior holding a pair of babies in his arms, his mouth slightly open:

"Me? No. Oh, right, I brought the recently birthed female monkey you wanted, and it was buy-one-get-one-free. Uh, cleaned up."

Seeing that Bogard didn't seem to be lying, and then feeling "violated" again, Garp was now certain of the direction and looked at his arms in disbelief.

Observation Haki "collision."

Looking at Mercer in his arms, who seemed to be "asleep," Garp's eyes twitched, "Observation Haki? Innate, unconsciously released, really?"

Thinking this, he gently used his right thumb and forefinger to open Mercer's left eyelid, looking at the pupils that seemed somewhat empty upon closer inspection, Garp's heart twitched.

"Could this child be blind from birth? No, no. He was looking at me just now."

Thinking of this, Garp was a little unsure again. Maybe the eye contact just now was just due to Observation Haki.

He said immediately.

"Bogard, set sail immediately, go to sea, to the Grand Line, Drum Island. Hurry."

Bogard snapped to attention and immediately turned to leave, but in the next second, he heard Garp say: "Leave the baboon."

Bogard turned back and put down the baboon.

A dozen minutes later.

Garp's room in the cabin.

"I see."

Eating baboon milk, Mercer "looked" at the indescribable color of the amorphous Light Orb he had discovered earlier, nestled in the very center of his consciousness.

It emitted a hazy glow.

Like a round, large "egg."

Filled with an indescribable atmosphere.

He came into contact with it as soon as the [Merit Points] appeared.

As soon as he made contact, streams of mixed information appeared in his consciousness like flowing water, and then they were naturally received and understood.

He was reborn.

He transmigrated.

He also had a "system."

However, his system was even more special. Not only was it perfectly symbiotic with him, complementing each other, but it was also constructed from his subconscious imagination.

He blinked, and a crystal-blue, ultra-futuristic light screen appeared in his mind and projected onto his retina.

Looking at the status bar:

[True Name], [Attributes], [Gifted Abilities], [Overall Evaluation], [Merit Points], [Soul Crystal], [Legend Status].

He clicked on them one by one.

True Name: Portgas D. Mercer

Attributes:

[Physique]: Strength: F- Stamina: F- Agility: F-

[Soul]: Willpower: F- Perception: F- Spirit: F-

[Special.Mysterious(Energy)]: F- (Observation Haki growth bonus in progress.)

[Special.Charm]: C- (Devil's Descendant ability permanently buffing.)

[Special.Luck]: C- (Devil's Descendant ability permanently buffing.)

Gifted Abilities:

[A-Rank Gift: Devil's Descendant], [B-Rank Gift: Countless Grudges], [C-Rank Gift: Observation Haki].

Overall Evaluation: [F- (Not your average ordinary person?)]

Merit Points: [1]

Soul Crystal: [0]

Legend Status: [Unknown (Merit Points +0/day)]

Closing the [Attributes] panel, Mercer mentally commanded the [Gifted Abilities] panel to open, looking at the three abilities that had appeared on the Gifted Abilities panel when he discovered the giant "egg."

[A-Rank Gift: Devil's Descendant] (Cannot freely grow)

[Gift Effect: Being able to survive is already a blessing. A legend that lives in obscurity yet is widely circulated. Grants a permanent +3 to Luck/Charm Attributes of A-Rank quality or lower. Gain one Merit Point per day.]

[Gift Evaluation: Luck or misfortune, you can't decide the beginning, but you can decide the end!]

[B-Rank Gift: Countless Grudges] (Cannot freely grow)

[Gift Effect: The Merit accumulated from the countless infant murders in the South Blue, yearning to be born, yet ignored. Pure prayer, pure hatred. Gain a blessing of strengthened protection, gain a curse of weakened protection.]

[Gift Evaluation: Although you appear sickly on the outside, beneath that sickliness, you are incredibly healthy. One plus one minus equals zero?]

[C-Rank Gift: Observation Haki] (Can freely grow)

[Gift Effect: An innate sensory ability, the power to "hear," the power to intensely sense the surrounding aura. Grants a moderate permanent acceleration to the growth of Perception/Agility/Mysterious Attributes of C-Rank quality or lower.]

[Gift Evaluation: Among the three treasures of "essence, qi, and spirit," it belongs to the "spirit" aspect of perception -- Perception is going wild!!]

These three, it could be said, were Gifted Abilities extracted from his life experiences and history. Perhaps this was his:

"Starting capital in life?"

As for whether it was, the "Light Orb"'s transmitted information did have an introduction.

A moment later.

Noticing that the two human cubs were full, the baboon mother looked at Garp in an ingratiating manner, pointing her claws at her own little cubs, looking at this brutal two-legged human.

Garp: "…"

Ten days later.

Under the high-speed navigation of the Warship.

A snow-white island appeared, with several towering pillars like chimneys on it. At the same time, the surrounding temperature dropped sharply.

Glancing at Bogard beside him, Garp said with a grin: "Ace is up to you. Keep an eye on the female baboon. These creatures aren't kind, especially to other creatures' cubs."

The Warship sailed into the island's internal waterway and approached a docking shore. Garp jumped off the Warship with the well-wrapped Mercer in his arms and disappeared from Bogard's sight in a short while.

Looking into the distance, Bogard sighed and murmured:

"Why bother."

PS:

[Merit Points]: Condensed and extracted from faith and legends.

*Merit Points acquisition and function:

1. Faith. Legend plunder: Merit Points can be plundered from items with legendary characteristics.

2. Gifted Ability extraction: Extract abilities from life experiences and history (can be independently manifested/can consume one Merit Point to extract), activate them through Merit Points (activate the specific quality of the extracted ability, based on the amount of Merit Points consumed) / independently manifest them. (The quality of independently manifested Gifted Abilities depends on the degree of mastery.)

3. Lottery: Use Merit Points to draw treasures from the myriad worlds of dimensions, which may include but are not limited to Gifted Abilities, items, characters, etc. (Each quality lottery range fluctuates up and down depending on the amount of Merit Points consumed.)

Newbie, new book, please give it a try.

Please collect! Please recommend! Please follow! Please invest!

Some settings will be expanded upon in the author's notes in the future.

Thanks!!!

[Universal Gifted Ability quality permanent bonus range (cannot freely grow/can freely grow)]:

1. F, E grades, Quality +1/Slight increase.

2. D, C grades, Quality +2/Medium increase.

3. B, A grades, Quality +3/Large increase.

4. EX grade, Quality +5/Extreme increase.

PS: Quality determines the specific effect of Gifted Abilities.

--

[Gifted Abilities can be divided into two types]:

1. Can be freely grown through acquired training.

2. Cannot be grown through acquired training.

PS: But both can be improved in quality by consuming Soul Crystals of the corresponding quality.

--

[Quality and Merit Points range]:

F: (100)

E: (500)

D: (1000)

C: (5000)

B: (10000)

A: (50000)

EX (Super A/Concept/Demigod): (100000~∞)