One Piece: I Loaded the Game Panel

Ahem!

According to the system's records, the world of Pirate King had all sorts of strange professions: samurai, ninja, mountain bandits, gangsters, ordinary office workers...

Professions might not have been ranked, but some really were unsuitable as a main profession.

Without a doubt, the main profession Adrian wanted most was [Marine].

Was there a more comfortable profession in this world than [Marine]?

Steady pay, legal pirate-killing, a clear path to promotion—and best of all, freedom of conviction!

"Lazy justice," "uncertain justice"—just listen to that. Was that the sort of justice a proper Marine should have?

Did being a Marine Admiral make you so special?!

Damn it. The more he thought about it, the more jealous he got!

But obtaining [Main Profession: Marine] required [Enlisting in the Military], just as obtaining [Main Profession: Pirate] required [Setting Sail].

Honestly, neither main profession could have had a simpler entry requirement in this world. For Adrian right now, though, either one was a nightmare.

He was due to join CP9's internal training in three days. As someone under the World Government, he had almost no chance of successfully joining the Marines before then.

As for setting sail beside a heavily guarded Agent training island and announcing that he was going to become a pirate...

He might as well consider other ways to get himself killed.

And with formal training starting in three days, Adrian had no choice but to level up.

If he joined the training with his current level and attributes, he figured he would die on the training ground.

He had to level up!

But how was he supposed to gain experience?

Fighting monsters was clearly out. Even if the island had plenty for Adrian to choose from, a level-one novice with no combat experience would only be serving himself up.

His chances of triggering a quest were slim, too. Kumadori Yamamba had already told him that all he needed to do now was recover, then take part in training.

He would only get a chance at a quest after completing all the training.

What a pain. What am I supposed to do?

Adrian rubbed the back of his head. Another wave of phantom pain seemed to pulse through it.

Profession and experience should have been the simplest things in the world, yet he had no idea how to get either.

Why couldn't I have started on an easier map?

Adrian's head throbbed.

Early the next morning.

Pale dawn light spread across the horizon, and the morning air was cool and pleasant.

After a simple breakfast, Adrian, whose condition had improved considerably, wandered around the training base to familiarize himself with the surroundings.

CP, short for Cipher Pol, was a secret intelligence agency directly under the World Government. It handled everything from security and defense to military attacks and political operations. Most of its members were orphans taken in as children from the Four Blues and the Grand Line.

As Adrian walked, he drew quite a few curious glances.

Before the incident, he had been practically invisible at the training base. He had no close friends, and without what had happened, hardly anyone would have known who he was.

Now he merely had a reputation as a "survivor," which made him a little more interesting than before. He was sure things would settle down soon enough.

After wandering for a while, Adrian reached the training base's library. He wanted to try his luck and see whether his hunch was right.

Illustrated Guide to West Blue Marine Life, Basic Navigation Theory, A History of the Maritime World, Principles of Meteorology...

The library held more books on navigation than anything else. Books about the endless strange species found at sea came next.

Adrian pulled Basic Navigation Theory from a shelf. It covered the fundamentals of navigation and was the perfect introduction for a novice Navigator who had never been out to sea.

He patiently read the first chapter in full.

Just then, a notification appeared on the system panel.

[Through reading, you completed one session of basic navigation study. Basic Navigation learning progress: 3%.]

"It works!"

Apprentice Swordsman

Adrian's eyes lit up. His hunch had been right!

With the system panel, he could undoubtedly acquire skills by reading!

And Basic Navigation was a prerequisite skill for the Navigator profession!

If he could learn navigation by reading, there was no reason he could not learn other skills the same way.

Adrian returned Basic Navigation Theory to the shelf, then hurried to the section on Swordplay. He picked out an introductory book at random and began reading carefully.

Time passed quietly. The only sound in the library was the rustle of turning pages.

[Through reading, you completed one session of basic Swordplay self-study. Given your Intelligence, Basic Swordsmanship learning progress: 7%.]

[Basic Swordsmanship learning progress: 14%... 28%... 49%...]

Suddenly, the panel chimed with a new notification.

[Basic Swordsmanship progress: 100%. You have mastered fundamental Swordsman knowledge. Swordsman profession unlocked!]

[You have obtained a new profession: Apprentice Swordsman. Stamina unlocked! Stamina increased by a certain amount. Strength +1, Agility +1. You have gained 2 Free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point!]

[You have learned new skills: Basic Swordsmanship Training and Basic Swordsmanship Affinity!]

A flood of knowledge filled his mind as warmth sprang up from nowhere and spread through his body. Perhaps it was his imagination, but even the injury to Adrian's head felt a little better.

With the Apprentice Swordsman profession, 2 Free Attribute Points, and 1 Skill Point—which he could use to raise a skill's level or learn one faster—Adrian was in high spirits.

Since it was still early, Adrian fetched Basic Navigation Theory again, learned the new skill Basic Navigation, and unlocked the new Secondary Profession, Navigator.

[You have obtained a new profession: Navigator. Stamina increased by a certain amount. Intelligence +1, Charisma +1. You have gained 2 Free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point!]

His personal panel changed accordingly.

--

Name: Adrian (Ed)

Race: Human

Template: NPC (Version 1.0 public beta begins in: three years)

Level: 1

Experience: 0

Main Profession: Apprentice Swordsman LV1 (0/200)

Secondary Profession: Commoner LV1 (0/50)

Navigator LV1 (0/100)

Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 8, Endurance 4, Intelligence 7, Charisma 6, Luck 1

(Note: The standard attribute score for an adult male in the world of Pirate King is 5, except for Luck, which is 1.)

Free Attribute Points: 4

Skill Points: 2

Health: 60% (head injury)

Physical Stamina: 100%

Stamina: 100%

Specialty: None

Skills: Basic Swordsmanship Training LV1 (0/400) — Practice basic drills independently to increase Swordplay proficiency.

Basic Swordsmanship Affinity LV1 (0/1000) — Increase understanding of Swordplay and slightly improve its power.

Basic Navigation LV1 (0/50) — Increase familiarity with the sea and improve mobility at sea.

Renown: 0

Equipment: None

--

After leaving the library, Adrian picked up a wooden practice sword from the training ground and returned to his room alone.

Basic Swordsmanship Training had given Adrian a wealth of knowledge about practicing Swordplay. Though he had never swung a sword before and had no teacher, he could train on his own.

Standing in the middle of his room, Adrian gripped the wooden sword with both hands and gently closed his eyes. What he had learned about Swordplay practice flowed through his mind, and the Basic Swordsmanship Training icon on his skill panel glowed faintly.

There were many ways to gain experience. Besides fighting monsters and completing quests, as he had considered earlier, practicing alone and sparring with others were important sources too. That was especially true for his main profession, Apprentice Swordsman. Only by training day after day could he grow.

He pushed aside his stray thoughts, raised his arms, and swung.

The wooden blade cut through the air with a soft swish.

[You completed one Swordplay practice session (basic). Completion: 56%. Experience gained: 28.]

He adjusted the angle slightly, raised his arms, and swung again.

[You completed one Swordplay practice session (basic). Completion: 67%. Experience gained: 33.]

[You completed one Swordplay practice session (basic). Completion: 80%. Experience gained: 40.]

Before long, Adrian finished his final swing and brought his accumulated experience to 200.

"Put the experience into Apprentice Swordsman!"

A familiar warmth spread through him, and a delightful chime sounded in his mind.

[Apprentice Swordsman has reached LV2. Stamina increased by a certain amount. Strength +1, Agility +1. You have gained 2 Free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point!]

This was the power of a cheat!

Adrian laughed so loudly it nearly burst through the door.

Three days later, early in the morning.

Having prepared in advance, Adrian took his wooden practice sword to an enclosed training ground in the northeast corner of the base.

When he entered, he saw a few children whose faces looked vaguely familiar. Kumadori Yamamba stood at the front of the group, quietly waiting for everyone to arrive.

Hearing someone approach, Kumadori Yamamba glanced toward the sound and spotted Adrian.

"Hm? That boy?"

His steps were steady and his eyes bright. There was no trace of the weakness and confusion he had shown three nights earlier. He was also a far cry from the dull, taciturn boy she remembered from before.

What happened to him over the past few days? Or was it that painful brush with death?

The questions flashed through Kumadori Yamamba's mind.

Adrian noticed her gaze, looked over, and gave a slight nod. "Good morning, ma'am."

He had already prepared himself to spend a long time developing his abilities at this training base. Building a good relationship with his direct superior was clearly the right move.

Besides, as long as she did not open her mouth, Kumadori Yamamba was quite attractive.

A fleeting sense of regret crossed Adrian's mind.

Just then, Kumadori Yamamba flashed in front of Adrian. She glanced down at the wooden sword in his hand, then asked, "Kid, did something good happen to you these past couple of days?"

I couldn't even see her move! She's so fast! Was that one of the Six Powers—Soru?

Adrian was startled, but his expression did not change. "No, Instructor Kumadori."

She seems to have noticed some changes in me, too!

Over three days, Adrian had practiced more than a thousand swings each day and accumulated nearly 150,000 experience. He had not immediately spent it all on leveling up. That would have been far too obvious and might have exposed him.

Even so, unlocking two professions and leveling up had already boosted Adrian's attributes considerably. His main attribute, Strength, had nearly doubled!

I have to be more careful! Until I can at least protect myself, I can't let anyone discover what's happening to me!

Adrian repeated the warning silently to himself.