Ch. 1Three Hearts at the Start, Leaving Mom Linlin Dumbfounded
Chapter Summary
Key Plot Points and Events
- Rektol awakens as a newborn aboard a violently rocking pirate ship, surrounded by blood, seawater, and the smell of burnt meat.
- He realizes he has been reborn in the world of One Piece, during the era of the Rocks Pirates, as one of Charlotte Linlin’s children. The infant beside him is Perospero.
- Linlin shows little maternal affection, treating the newborns as insignificant and casually kicking their cradle while eating a giant sea-beast leg.
- Rektol’s body suddenly undergoes a terrifying transformation: two additional hearts develop beside his original heart, giving him three synchronized heartbeats.
- His “Godly Mutant Physique” activates, rapidly strengthening his fragile infant body. The force of his vitality cracks the cradle, shatters nearby wind chimes, extinguishes the lamp, and blasts Perospero into the corner.
- Linlin is initially startled but quickly becomes delighted. She lifts Rektol upside down by one leg and declares him a genuine monster and her greatest “masterpiece.”
- Before Linlin can announce Rektol’s existence to the ship, Rocks D. Xebec violently enters the cabin. He immediately focuses on Rektol with a predatory, emotionless interest.
Character Developments
- Rektol: Quickly adapts to his new identity and recognizes the danger of being born weak in the brutal Rocks era. His three-heart mutation grants him immense vitality, physical strength, and an intimidating presence despite his infant body. He remains calm and observant rather than crying or panicking.
- Charlotte Linlin: Her indifferent attitude toward her newborns changes instantly when she witnesses Rektol’s abnormal power. She views him not as a child needing care, but as a powerful weapon and proof of her own greatness.
- Perospero: Introduced as Rektol’s newborn sibling, he cries helplessly and is physically displaced by Rektol’s transformation, emphasizing the dramatic contrast between the two infants.
- Rocks D. Xebec: Appears at the end of the chapter as a dangerous, dominant figure. His attention toward Rektol suggests he recognizes the infant’s potential and may see him as something valuable—or exploitable.
Significant Themes
- Power as survival: The chapter establishes that, in the violent era of the Rocks Pirates, strength determines whether someone is valued or discarded.
- Monstrous potential: Rektol’s supernatural body blurs the line between human and monster, while Linlin celebrates that abnormality because it represents power.
- The absence of parental tenderness: Linlin’s relationship with her newborns is defined by appetite, indifference, and utility rather than affection.
- Rebirth and destiny: Rektol’s reincarnation places him at the beginning of a potentially extraordinary life, with his unique physiology immediately marking him as someone capable of affecting the world around him.
- Predatory ambition: Both Linlin and Rocks respond to Rektol through the lens of strength and usefulness, foreshadowing that his future will be shaped by powerful and dangerous figures.
Character Interactions
- Linlin treats the infants carelessly, kicking their cradle and continuing to eat while they struggle.
- Rektol silently observes Linlin and the harsh environment, revealing his unusual composure.
- Rektol’s transformation physically affects both Linlin and Perospero: Perospero is blown aside, while Linlin becomes fascinated and excited.
- Linlin handles Rektol roughly, lifting him by the leg and displaying him as a “monster” and masterpiece.
- Rocks interrupts Linlin’s celebration and immediately locks onto Rektol, creating a tense encounter between the two powerful figures at the chapter’s conclusion.