(Some readers like Marine stories, some like pirate stories, some like struggles for supremacy, some like following a crew, and some like slice of life. You can't please everyone, so go easy on me.)
Grrr~
With a rumble from his stomach, the boy opened his eyes and looked at the wooden ceiling.
"Hungry again."
He sat up, threw back the covers, and walked over to the table to eat the roast meat left over from last night.
"Soon. Very soon, I'll set out to find that man!"
The boy's name was Her Kazi, a name his mother, Her Navia, had given him. Since he came from a single-parent family, he had taken his mother's surname.
He had originally been a low-level employee at a company on Blue Star, but after working excessive overtime, he had suddenly died one night.
By the time he regained consciousness, he was already inside Navia's womb.
He was born into this world not long afterward, and through what he learned in daily life, he discovered that he had come to the world of One Piece.
An orphan in his previous life, Kazu had been named Meng Yuan by the orphanage director. After graduating from middle school, he had gone out into society to work for money, toiling late into the night every day just so he could buy a home, then save up some money to find a wife.
After struggling for over a decade, he had finally paid for a home in full, only to die suddenly and leave that world behind. If there was anything he still missed about that world, it was probably that home.
After coming to this world, he experienced the warmth of a family for the first time, losing himself in his mother's love.
Ever since arriving in the world of One Piece, Kazu had lived with his mother deep in the mountains, with nothing but a wooden cabin.
They fetched drinking water from the river, and for food, they could go to a nearby town to trade for rice and flour.
They made their living by hunting in the mountains together. Animal pelts were worth quite a bit.
Kazu had been healthy and immensely strong since childhood. Now eighteen, he was already over three meters tall.
His mother had trained Kazu from childhood, always going on about how, as that man's son, he was destined to become strong.
Navia began training Kazu after he turned eight. The first two years were all right, with only some simple physical conditioning, but then she added the Six Powers.
But when Kazu saw his mother's hands turn pitch-black at age ten, he could hardly believe his eyes.
He had loved watching One Piece in his previous life, so of course he recognized Armament Haki.
Kazu had been quite enjoying this carefree life, but then came a loving mother's Armament Haki, chopping down on her son. Kazu howled, and every blow was a critical hit.
At eleven, Kazu successfully awakened two types of Haki, making Navia marvel once again at the gap between people.
Then came a deep sense of pride. As expected of her son, he really was a one-in-ten-thousand genius.
After all, Haki required stamina to sustain it. That was one thing for an adult, but Kazu had only been ten at the time. Had his body not been so strong, Navia would never have taught him Haki so early.
Happy times were short-lived. When Kazu was seventeen, Navia fell terminally ill and passed away.
He had sought out every doctor in town, but each one could only shake their head after examining her, powerless to help. It left Kazu in agony.
Before she died, Navia lay in bed and held Kazu's hand.
Her illness tormented her, but looking at the son she was so proud of, she still smiled with contentment.
"Kazu, after I die, go out to sea."
"Your father is a pirate named Edward Newgate. I used to be a Marine captain. It was because I was pregnant with you that I resigned of my own accord and came to live in seclusion deep in the mountains."
"He doesn't know I gave birth to you. Back then, I followed Admiral Sengoku to hunt down the Whitebeard Pirates, but because I rushed ahead recklessly, I had the misfortune of being captured alive by Newgate."
"They didn't mistreat me. Instead, they brought me along to several banquets. After spending a few months together, I gradually fell in love with that idiot who valued his family so much. But I never expected that when I asked to join his pirate crew, that bastard would actually turn me down and tell me to go back to being a Marine."
"Not long after leaving the Whitebeard Pirates, I discovered I was pregnant, so I simply left the New World and came to live in seclusion here in the East Blue."
"I know he wanted me to return to the Marines to protect me. After all, pirates make their living on a knife's edge. But I just couldn't get over it."
"So, Kazu, promise me that once you're stronger than him, you'll give that bastard a beating for me."
"Promise..."
With that, Navia slowly closed her eyes, a smile still on her lips. It was clear that even in her final moments, she was content.
"Ah!!!"
His mother's death dealt Kazu a devastating blow. Having lived two lives, he had finally experienced a mother's love, only for heaven to snatch away his happiness again after barely over a decade.
Along with Kazu's roar, a terrifying aura erupted from his body.
The animals deep in the mountains were utterly terrified, and the next second, they all fell asleep.
Kazu buried his mother's body not far from the cabin. He had no intention of setting sail right away. He wanted to spend a year keeping vigil for the mother who had loved him so deeply, fulfilling his duty as her son.
Besides, he had just awakened Conqueror's Haki, and this year would also be a golden opportunity to train it.
He also had no boat. He would have to cut some timber in the mountains, buy tools in town, and build a small boat himself.
It didn't need to be very big. As long as it didn't sink, that was enough. Once he was out at sea, he could just seize someone else's ship.
Having awakened all three types of Haki and possessing an exceptionally gifted physique, he would find it all too easy to run roughshod over the East Blue.
Now, only two days remained until the year was up, and Kazu's heart had already drifted out to sea.
It was the year 1510 of the Sea Circle Calendar, and that dad of his wasn't getting any younger. It looked like he would have to hurry.
"Out of food again. Looks like I'll have to go hunting in the mountains."
After breakfast, Kazu planned to deal with his food supply first. He had spent all his savings from these past years on canned food: canned vegetables, canned fruit, and canned meat. These were essential for sailing.
He had made ten large wooden barrels himself, filled them with fresh water, and put them aboard the boat. As soon as the year was up, he would set sail.
Kazu made his way into the mountains with practiced ease. He had been here more times than he could count; it was no different from his own backyard.
There was just one thing: the animals weren't stupid either. This place had become a forbidden zone for them.
They knew a monster that walked upright on two legs was constantly hunting them, so they kept heading deeper into the mountains, and Kazu ventured farther and farther in as well.
"Haven't been this way in ages. Last time was a year ago. Let's see if there are any tasty little cuties."
Kazu plunged off to the left. After walking a few dozen meters, he spotted a wild boar wandering aimlessly in the distance.
"You're the one, Peppa!"