Chapter 1
In the year 1483 of the Sea Circle Calendar, the Battle of the Valley of Gods is just one year away.
In the East Sea, a 17-year-old boy is weeping uncontrollably, relentlessly striking his fists against the rocks before him. His hands are bloodied and bruised, yet he shows no intention of stopping.
"Celestial Dragons, loathsome Celestial Dragons! Filth, beasts, the scum of this world—I will one day wipe you from existence!"
"One day!"
This boy's name is Rono, a transmigrator.
Over a decade ago, Rono entered the world of One Piece when he was just a toddler.
In this realm, where strength is as common as dirt and pirates roam freely, young Rono was fortunate enough to be taken in by a compassionate couple who adopted him.
For the next ten years, their care allowed Rono to grow up in happiness, and he came to see them as his true parents.
But just two days ago, disaster struck.
Rono's adoptive parents fell prey to the cruel whims of the Celestial Dragons.
The reasoning behind this tragedy was absurd; on a whim, the Celestial Dragons recklessly fired at civilians with hunting rifles!
Such atrocities were as ordinary for the Celestial Dragons as eating and drinking.
To these elites of society, civilians are viewable as mere livestock, unworthy of sharing the same air with them.
Since they are considered beneath them, commoners can be tortured and killed at will.
Rono's mother was tragically caught by a stray bullet and died instantly.
Consumed by rage at the sight of his wife's murder, Rono's father seized an axe and charged at the assailants for vengeance.
The outcome was inevitable; Rono's father was mercilessly gunned down by the guards of the Celestial Dragons and the Navy, meeting a horrific end.
Witnessing this horror caused Rono to falter for a moment!
He was overwhelmed with suffering, his heart wracked with anguish.
Rono felt as though a void had been carved out of his heart and lungs.
He was filled with a burning need for revenge! He swore he would make the Celestial Dragons pay!
Rono's fists clenched as he resolved to confront the Celestial Dragons!
"Rono, you need to be strong! They are Celestial Dragons; confronting them now will only lead to your own demise! Don't act rashly!"
At this fragile moment, a kind neighbor stepped in to restrain Rono, refusing to let him leap into danger.
The Celestial Dragons are not to be trifled with by commoners.
"Is it really so dull for commoners to die this way? I expected them to put up more of a struggle."
With disdain, a Celestial Dragon spat on the two lifeless bodies before leaving alongside his entourage.
Young Rono found himself powerless as a few adults restrained him, forced to watch helplessly as his parents' murderers walked away.
"Damn it! Why? Why did this happen?"
"My parents never wronged them; why unleash such brutality upon them?"
"Is it just because they're descendants of gods?"
After the Celestial Dragons departed, Rono fell to his knees before his parents' remains, screaming to the heavens!
There was no reasoning; the Celestial Dragons fired into the crowd as if possessed.
His parents, kind-hearted souls, were taken without justification. Why did they have to endure such injustice?
Is it merely because they belong to the lineage of gods?
Do they feel entitled to annihilate the innocent without consequence?
While Rono had previously held disdain for the Celestial Dragons in his past life, it was only mild.
Now, as he experienced their lawless brutality firsthand in this pirate-infested world, his anger reached a boiling point!
These wretches are not fit to govern this world!
The Celestial Dragons must be made to suffer!
A significant price must be paid!
He must eradicate these fiends and seek vengeance for his parents!
This determination echoed persistently in Rono's mind.
At the same time, he recognized that in order to avenge his parents, he needed formidable strength.
As the world's nobles, the Celestial Dragons are cloaked in protection from powerful bodyguards, and merely provoking them would provoke the Navy!
To eliminate these Celestial Dragons, one must possess terrifying strength capable of contesting the world government and the Navy headquarters!
"Kill! Wipe them out!"
"Avenging my father, avenging my mother—this I must do!"
Rono suddenly exploded with powerful emotions!
In the next instant…
[Ding~ Detecting the host's emotional fluctuations, successfully acquired Conqueror's Haki, God-level Pickup System activated!]
The voice resonated in Rono's mind, causing him to pause briefly before leaping to attention!
As a transmigrator, Rono was aware of the potential of such a system.
With the system, he could rapidly grow stronger!
After all, strength is the currency of this world.
Now was not the moment for sorrow; awakening the system, Rono wiped away his tears, returned home, and began to explore its features.
By morning, Rono had gained a clear understanding.
The God-level Pickup System, true to its name, can absorb all abilities.
This encompasses the three types of Haki, the Navy Six Styles, various physical techniques, swordsmanship, physical fitness, and more!
Additionally, it can absorb Devil Fruits to quickly amplify a specific power.
This indicated that his potential could be truly staggering!
Whether it's the three Haki types, Devil Fruit powers, swordsmanship, physical techniques, or innate physical talent, he could elevate these to the level of the world's strongest!
Rono aspired to be the most fearsome being in this world, to storm the Holy Land and exterminate all manner of despicable Celestial Dragons, granting peace to his parents' souls!
Rono tightened his fists and made a solemn oath.
"Open the system interface."
Moments later, Rono examined the system interface to assess his shortcomings.
[Host: Rono]
[Age: 17]
[Strength: 13 (Average person 10)]
[Speed: 9 (Average person 10)]
[Stamina: 19 (Average person 10)]
[Haki: Conqueror's Haki (Intermediate).]
[Other abilities: None]
[Devil Fruit abilities: None]
As he surveyed his attributes, Rono gained a rough understanding of his current power level.
Other than having awakened Conqueror's Haki, he was just an entirely normal individual.
However, his confidence for the future soared; he no longer felt as helpless as before.
Moreover, Rono noticed that potentially due to awakening Conqueror's Haki, his overall aura had significantly changed.
The once harmless boy now carried an air of subtle authority.
The following day, Rono resolved to test the system's pickup abilities.
He set off toward the most crowded area on the island.
"Such a poor child."
As he walked along the street, the nearby villagers, aware of his plight, cast sympathetic and kind glances his way.
Lost in his thoughts, Rono remained oblivious to the friendly greetings of the villagers.
He noticed items resembling cards consistently falling from the pockets of passersby, much like loot dropping from defeated monsters in a game.
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, you have picked up 5 points of strength!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, you have picked up 3 points of strength!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, you have picked up 4 points of speed!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, you have picked up 8 points of stamina!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, you have picked up 3 points of stamina!]
These attributes related to basic stats like speed, strength, and stamina; the villagers were ordinary people devoid of any Devil Fruit users or Haki practitioners. If those were present, Rono would have encountered far greater rewards.
Nevertheless, building on these fundamental attributes would still provide Rono with significant enhancements.
In this world, physical techniques represent a crucial aspect of strength, and some exceptional fighters have reached the highest levels solely through refining their physical skills without relying on Devil Fruits.
The triad of speed, strength, and stamina dictates the destructive potential of an individual's physical techniques.
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, you have picked up 3 points of strength!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, you have picked up 2 points of stamina!]
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, you have picked up 6 points of speed!]
As he witnessed his basic attributes expanding quickly, Rono felt his physical stature improving at an astonishing pace!
After spending an entire day exploring the island, Rono returned home to assess his progress.
Upon re-opening the system panel, he was thrilled to discover that his strength had undergone a remarkable transformation!