Chapter 13: One Piece! Pirate King! Forum

The sunlight is warm, seagulls soar and circle, and the boundless azure sea ripples.

After leaving the island of Cirian, Adrian steers the small boat, drifting on the sea for more than two days. If everything goes well, he should reach the target island tomorrow morning..

That place is the world's most famous holy land for archaeologists, known for gathering the largest number of scholars worldwide and possessing the world's largest library—the Tree of Knowledge.

Arriving in the West Sea, Adrian had every reason to visit the legendary scholars' haven—Ohara.

Especially the [Tree of Knowledge] which has the world's biggest collection of books, is more appealing to Adrian than a certain five-year-old flower-like loli this year!

Don't forget, Adrian can gain secondary professions and skills by reading books!

Whenever Adrian thinks about the vast sea of books in the Tree of Knowledge, he can't help but want to drool.

Reading books = acquiring skills or obtaining secondary occupations = gaining attribute points = improving strength!

The perfect equation!

Oh oh!

Just as Adrian was lost in thought, a unique chirping sound brought him back to reality.

"Huh? News Coo?" Adrian looked up at the sky, somewhat surprised to see a large flock of News Coo. He couldn't help but be astonished, "Such a large scale, it seems unheard of. Has something happened?"

Adrian was about to wave towards the sky to see what was going on when, several newspapers floated down from the mid-air.

"The money-loving News Coo is actually providing free services this time? Is it to let residents all over the world know about this 'big news'? Or could it be..."

Adrian couldn't wait any longer and burst into action, using his Moon Walk to fly into the sky. He casually grabbed a newspaper and returned to the small boat.

Opening the newspaper, he saw the headline featuring a middle-aged man dressed in traditional pirate attire. The man had a thick black beard growing out from his nostrils. It was about One Piece and the legendary pirate Gol D. Roger, who completed the final voyage of the Grand Line.

One Piece!!

The news, spreading in the year 1497 of the Sea Circle Calendar, was shaking the entire maritime world. Discussions about it were heard everywhere, from the Four Blues to the Grand Line, the New World, the Red Line, Enies Lobby, Impel Down, and Marineford.

There is no place in the world where discussions about this are not heard.

People are singing the legend of the great pirate, Gol D. Roger, who completely finished the final voyage of the "Grand Line." After reaching the last island recorded on the map, "Raftel", he successfully arrived at the true "Final Island" and named it "Laugh Tale"!

It is widely acknowledged that Gol D. Roger and his pirate crew conquered the seas, accomplishing a great journey that no one had achieved since ancient times!

Roger's reputation quickly spread across the seas, from the weakest East Blue to the Grand Line, earning him the title of "Pirate King" from both Marines and fellow pirates.

"Truly amazing, Roger!"

A surge of extreme excitement suddenly appeared in Adrian's eyes.

Before he could express his emotions, the sound of the panel's prompt suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Huh? Will Roger becoming the Pirate King have an impact on the system too?"

Adrian, expecting an announcement similar to the newspaper, was stunned to find a different message. The in-game beta test, triggered by Roger's crowning, would officially begin in five days.

[Detecting the crowning of Pirate King Gol D. Roger... The in-game beta test will officially begin in five days; currently acquiring relevant data... 3%, 17%, 39%... Data acquisition complete, and the beta test will last for 15 days.]

"Beta test?!"

Adrian's expression instantly became filled with doubt and astonishment.

Before he could gather his thoughts, two notification messages appeared on the system panel.

[Player approaching detected, NPC template function unlocked!]

[Player forum is now accessible.]

Adrian waited a long time without getting any follow-up information. A solitary panel prompt appeared, indicating that he had to explore everything on his own.

There are still five days until the beta test, so no need to rush. Stick to the original plan and head to Ohara. Next is the NPC template function. Interacting with players is likely a requirement. This could include tasks, selling items, teaching skills, and more. Lastly, there's the player forum!

I can't figure out why the player forum is unlocked for me as an NPC, but being able to access it is good news. With this, I can check dynamics posted by players, observe player movements, and incidentally gather information.

The entrance to the forum is in the corner of the panel. After clicking, a forum interface with a navigation era style appears. Since players haven't arrived yet, the forum is empty, with not a single post.

Adrian curiously clicked on the [Register] button, and an unexpected prompt appeared.

[Welcome to the "One Piece Forum" for communication and discussion. The "One Piece Forum" is a public forum dedicated to maintaining online public order and social stability. Please consciously abide by the following terms...]

Damn!

Adrian directly scrolled through the lengthy terms and conditions. He never bothers to read this stuff, you know?

[Enter username [ChatterboxSea]]

[Enter verification code [1024]]

[Enter forum password [********]]

[ChatterboxSea, congratulations! Registration successful!]

Can it really be true?

Adrian feels a bit annoyed for no reason. It doesn't even have the basic waterproof function. Could this be a third-rate little game?

Also, am I a player with an NPC template, or did I cross over as an NPC with a player's identity?