Locke

East Blue, Chrisby Island, Fresh Peach Town.

On the distant horizon, a red sun slowly rose above the sea, staining the entire town crimson.

At that moment, the island was awakened by the rising sun. After a good night's rest, people began another busy day.

It was a small town, with only around a hundred households in total.

Chrisby Island was low around its edges, but a fairly tall mountain stood at its center. Dense forest covered the mountain, and amid the trees, an exquisitely decorated house could be glimpsed now and then.

Behind the house was a spacious training ground, with several wooden practice posts set up on it.

The sun had fully cleared the horizon, and daylight was bright. A bare-chested youth gripped a wooden sword and continuously slashed at the post before him, sweat streaming down his face and dripping onto the ground.

Judging from his condition, the boy had been practicing like this for quite some time.

"Locke!"

As the youth sweated profusely, a pleasant female voice came from behind him, interrupting his training.

Hearing his name, the youth slowly lowered his sword. He picked up a towel from the side and wiped away the sweat on his body, then put on a light shirt and looked toward the source of the voice.

A red-haired girl around thirteen years old was walking over.

"Carmen, what is it?"

Looking at the girl who was nearly in front of him, Locke spoke.

"What do you mean, what is it? Look at the time. It's time to get breakfast ready!" Carmen said as she pulled a basket out from behind her.

When she opened the basket, it revealed an exquisitely prepared boxed meal.

Locke looked at the food without giving it much thought, then took it out and began eating.

Seeing Locke start to eat, Carmen eagerly asked, "Well? Is it good?"

Locke did not answer immediately. He finished all the remaining food first, then said, "Mm! Not bad. Much better than yesterday's. But remember not to add so much salt next time!"

"What do you mean, too much salt?"

Upon hearing that, Carmen, who had been standing there with an expectant look, quickly snatched the basket away, intending to try the food and see whether it was really as Locke said.

But when she took the basket back, she found that all the food inside was gone. Not even a crumb remained.

"You said there was too much salt, and you still ate so much?"

Carmen said with an annoyed expression.

"Hungry," Locke replied calmly.

"Hmph! Then starve to death!" Carmen said as she carried the basket away, leaving Locke with the sight of her lovely retreating figure.

It wasn't like I said it was inedible!

Locke watched Carmen leave until she disappeared into the house ahead. Only then did he rise from the ground, pat the dust from his clothes, pick up the wooden sword he had set aside while eating, and head toward the forest behind the training ground.

Before long, Locke arrived at a stream in the middle of the forest. The scenery on both banks was beautiful, and the stream burbled gently along, adding a touch of vitality to the tranquil woods.

After arriving at the stream, Locke looked around to make sure no one was nearby. Then he took off his clothes and walked into the water, preparing to take a bath and ease the fatigue brought on by his early-morning training.

Looking at the reflection of a handsome young man in the water, Locke let out a sigh for no apparent reason.

He had already been in this world for five years. His soul had come from Earth, far away in another time and space, from a man with the same name.

It was all rather inexplicable. In his previous life, Locke had merely been a young man in his early twenties. He had just ended his carefree college days and was facing the trials of finding work in society.

When life had beaten him down so hard he could barely breathe, he had turned on his computer at home and pulled up the passionate anime One Piece, which he had watched long ago, hoping to relieve some recent stress. Unexpectedly, the moment he turned on the computer, the power in his house went out. Locke could only leave his seat in frustration and head toward the fuse box.

If that had been the end of it, it would have been fine. What Locke had not expected was that the moment he reached the fuse box and flipped the breaker back on, he felt an electric current spread from his hand through his entire body.

At that instant, his body perished in that world, while his soul, through some absurd stroke of luck, caught up with the transmigration trend popular in web novels and came to this world. He had transmigrated into the body of this child with the same name, who had only been seven years old at the time.

The previous owner's memories appeared completely in Locke's mind the moment he awakened. Certain details immediately made him realize that he had arrived in the world of One Piece. His identity was that of the son of a wealthy merchant in Fresh Peach Town on Chrisby Island in the East Blue.

That merchant had left the seven-year-old boy a year before Locke transmigrated, setting out to sea for trade and never returning. According to rumors in town, he seemed to have encountered a storm at sea and died there.

Fortunately, when the merchant left, he had given Locke the most magnificent house on the island and two shops on it. That gave Locke at least some security after transmigrating, ensuring that he would not starve.

What the hell is this?

Locke had been obsessed with One Piece in his previous life and had been moved by many of the passionate anime's stories, but he also knew just how dangerous this world was. All sorts of strange powers and powerful fighters emerged one after another. For an ordinary person, it offered far too little sense of security. Who knew when he might inexplicably die in the aftermath of some unknown attack?

Not to mention that his identity after transmigrating was that of someone with no one to rely on, yet holding a huge inheritance left by his cheap father. Wasn't he basically a sucker with "Come rob me" written across his forehead?

Once Locke understood his circumstances, he began training himself according to the exercise methods he had learned at the gym in his previous life.

Perhaps because this world was different, after training for some time, Locke clearly felt that his physical strength had increased significantly.

Later, Locke realized that being physically fit alone was not enough. He also needed some means of attack. So he began following a method he had once read about in a martial arts novel, swinging his sword ten thousand times at the sea every day. At the same time, he had people keep an eye out for a place called Shimotsuki Village.

Although he trained, he had never received professional instruction, so his improvement was limited. Shimotsuki Village, however, had a master-level swordsman.