Misfortune from Excessive Joy

Ohara.

More than a dozen barefoot children were playing on the beach. The golden shore was filled with a joyful atmosphere. The azure sky was as clean as if washed, white clouds drifted, the air was fresh, and a gentle sea breeze blew past, causing a soft ripple to stir across the sea surface.

White seagulls flew wantonly by the shore, and the children bounded and chased each other on the beach, their tender faces overflowing with vibrant vitality.

In the distant woods, a timid girl suddenly appeared. She looked about seven or eight years old, with a pair of dark, bright eyes that were deep and charming like a pool of secluded water, seeming to possess a magic power and flashing with a gemstone-like luster.

The girl had fair, tender skin and an exquisite, charming face. Her long, black hair fluttered in the wind like smooth, glossy silk.

The girl was very quiet. Watching the children happily playing on the beach, a wave of envy welled up in her heart. After hesitating for a long time, she finally edged closer. It was clear that the girl was somewhat reserved and a bit uneasy.

"Fatty, Robin is here."

Lansi picked up a leather ball, pointed at the approaching Robin, and shouted to a chubby boy.

"Hmph, what bad luck. Ignore her, let's keep going!"

The dozen or so children continued chasing and playing. Robin stood aside with a yearning look, and not a single person paid attention to her. Even a few naughty children intentionally kicked the leather ball at her.

Robin stood pitifully on the edge like a stranger. Not only was she ignored by everyone, but she was also treated as an object of mockery, until the sky grew dark and not a single person had spoken even a single word to her.

"Aww, let's go, time to eat."

The setting sun sank in the west, and the sky gradually darkened. The children were all dripping with sweat from exhaustion. Following a shout from Fatty, they all turned and ran off.

Glancing back, the rims of Robin's eyes turned slightly red. Gritting her teeth, the stubborn Robin ultimately did not let her tears fall.

Sitting on the beach, Robin hugged her knees and gazed at the distant sea, staring in a daze all by herself. In those deep eyes, a trace of expectation unintentionally revealed itself.

Although the children on the island all treated her like a monster and no one was willing to play with her, eight-year-old Robin held no complaints. Every day, she would carve out time to come and sit by the sea for a while, hoping only to catch another glimpse of her mother, whose appearance she could scarcely remember anymore.

Through a twist of fate, Robin had eaten a Devil Fruit when she was very young and had always been treated as an outcast on the island. Children of her own age all ostracized and mocked her; she did not have a single friend.

Her mother had gone out to sea when she was two years old—a full six years ago. Her mother's features had long since grown blurry. Her father was also gone by the time Robin was very small. From childhood to now, the only thing that could accompany Robin's growth was books!

Hmm? What is that?

After a while, just as Robin was about to head back, something suddenly drifted over from the distant sea. Robin summoned her courage and walked forward a few steps, seeing that it was a boy who had drifted here from goodness knows where.

"Hey..." Robin shouted. There was no response. Gathering her courage, she stepped closer and reached out to touch the boy's nasal tip. Robin's mouth instantly broke into a smile, and, kind-hearted as she was, she hurriedly dragged the boy onto the beach.

The mere distance of a few steps left Robin's face flushed and sweat beading on her forehead. Moonlight spilled across the beach, and as Robin took a closer look, her brows immediately furrowed. Such a strange person! Where on earth did he come from, and why is he even wearing a braid?!

It was not known how much time had passed before Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes. His entire body ached all over, feeling uncomfortably wretched to the extreme. The moment Ye Chen opened his mouth, a volley of fierce curses burst forth: "Damned King of Hell, I refuse to accept this! I'm only eighteen years old and just got married, yet you've made me kick the bucket. This is clearly jealousy!"

Slap...

Robin, who was holding a cup of water in her hand, jumped in fright, and the cup instantly crashed to the ground. Robin's eyes widened as she stared in absolute shock at Ye Chen lying on the bed.

Hmm? Where is this? Is this the Underworld?

Hearing the sound, Ye Chen looked around and his brows instantly furrowed. No matter how he looked at it, this didn't look anything like the Underworld; yet, Ye Chen clearly remembered that he had already died.

"The Underworld? What nonsense are you talking about? This is my home."

Robin stared at Ye Chen as if looking at a monster. Although Ye Chen had just cursed profanely, for Robin, who had always been very well-mannered, this was extremely difficult to accept.

However, this boy had delicate features, a straight nose bridge, and a chiseled face like fine jade that was indescribably handsome. Moreover, those eyes were like stars in the night sky—bright and bewitching, faintly revealing a hint of wicked, seductive charm.

Yet even so, Robin wasn't afraid. Although she was only eight years old, Robin's mentality was exceptionally mature. Having suffered cold indifference and rolling eyes since she was small, she was very strong despite being a girl. Furthermore, it had been far too long since any child had spoken to her; even though Ye Chen let loose a string of foul language, she didn't find him annoying at all, and even felt a trace of intimacy.

"Your home? Who are you?"

Struggling, Ye Chen wanted to sit up when he suddenly dumbfounded himself all over again. For he discovered that his arms had changed! Ye Chen hurriedly yanked the quilt off his body and looked down. What the hell is going on here?!

"Heehee..." Ye Chen's startled and erratic reaction made Robin find him immensely amusing, and she couldn't help breaking into giggles. Her laughter was crisp and as pleasant to the ear as an oriole.

After a moment, Ye Chen got up from the bed, swaying while pulling at the black braid on his head. With a face full of misery and an extremely ugly expression, Ye Chen felt aggrieved enough to cry.

Right now, he was utterly bewildered himself. He had originally lived in the Great Qing Dynasty, possessing a well-to-do family background and wives and concubines in swarms. Furthermore, because he had loved practicing martial arts since childhood, the emperor had even personally appointed him as a martial arts champion. At the tender age of eighteen, blessings came in pairs—only to unexpectedly find himself marrying seven beautiful wives all at once.

As a result, his misfortune stemmed from excessive joy. He had flatly died beneath the peony flowers, turning into a romantic ghost. Yet now, he discovered that he hadn't actually died at all, and what's more, his body had changed, looking to be about five or six years old.

The notion of time-travel was something people of the twenty-first century could probably accept, but for Ye Chen, it was simply unimaginable. Regrettably, the facts lay right before his eyes, and he had no choice but to accept them. Ye Chen had no idea what was going on; his state of mind still lingered precisely at that final moment of his death, but his body had somehow regressed into that of a six-year-old child.

The only explanation was that his body had been altered during the process of crossing over.

"What are you doing?!"

Seeing Ye Chen grit his teeth as if accepting the reality before him with extreme reluctance, he actually reached out and pulled his pants down right in front of Robin.

For a man, certain things were indispensable.

And for the immensely renowned Third Young Master Ye of the Great Qing Dynasty, that was even more so the bedrock faith by which he lived.

Ever since he was small, Ye Chen had harbored one great and lofty ambition: to be a carefree, romantic man who roamed freely among flowers as happy as an immortal!

To slumber drunkenly on a beauty's lap, to hold the world's power while awake!

This was the pursuit a man ought to have. Of course, for a prodigal son rolling in wealth like him, if he didn't eat, drink, make merry, and play around, what else was there to do?!

ps: This is Xiaoyao's second One Piece book. Friends who like it can go check out One Piece: Asura Zoro, which has already reached nearly 10,000 words!