Chapter 1 : New Life
Chapter 1: A New Life in a Familiar World
The sun beat down upon them, casting the hills of Foosha Village in a warm glow. A soft breeze swayed the grass as two boys ran across the field, their laughter mixing with the ring of wooden swords.
The older of the two boys, around ten years old, glided with a fluid ease, his dark hair whipping as he wielded his practice sword with skill. His brother, a fiery ten-year-old with a tangled shock of black hair and piercing, resolute eyes, struggled to keep up, holding his own wooden sword in both hands.
At mid-swing, the younger boy was stunned, his sword suspended above his shoulder as his breath was caught in his throat. A deluge of memories burst into his mind, drenching him like a tidal wave that had come to crash against the shoreline.
His name was not only Monkey D. Tyson, the second son of the great Marine hero Monkey D. Garp. He was Jack Fok, a 30-year-old Indian American from the 21st century, a die-hard fan of *One Piece* for thirteen years.
In his previous life, Jack had been slumped over his laptop, staring at the new chapter of *One Piece*.
The plot had hit a gripping climax in Elbaf, where the Holy Knights had staged a merciless attack. Yonko Straw Hat Luffy, being the unorthodox wildcard that he was, had just released the pesky Prince Loki, and Jack's heart had been racing at the ensuing pandemonium. He'd been sitting on the edge of his seat, enjoying each and every panel—until it all went black. His eyes clouded over, his head reeled, and the next thing he was aware of was that he was here, standing in the sunlit fields of a world he'd only ever imagined: the *One Piece* world.
Tyson blinked hard, his wooden sword shaking in his hand as he struggled to ground himself in this dreamscape reality. He turned his gaze to the boy before him, searching his face with increasing recognition. The ten-year-old's piercing eyes, the defiant set of his jaw—it was unmistakable. This was Monkey D. Dragon, his older brother in this life, fated to be the mysterious leader of the Revolutionary Army and the world's most wanted criminal.
A sarcastic smile pulled at Tyson's mouth as a fanmade quote ran in his head: *"Dragon will only appear after World Government is already dead, just to criticize."* It was one he'd heard many times before online and laughed at, and now here he was, exchanging blows with the man himself.
"Oi, Tyson! What do you do just standing there?" Dragon's voice broke into his daydream, cold and irritated.
He dropped his wooden sword, scowling at his younger brother.
"Dad's gonna thrash us if we don't practice hard. You know how he is!"
Tyson came out of his trance, shaking his head to clear the haze of thoughts.
"Sorry, nii-san," he grunted, forcing a smile.
"I just. got stuck in my head for a sec."
Dragon cocked his head, his eyes softening a little.
"Got stuck in your head? On training? You're lucky Dad didn't witness that. Let's get going, come on. I'm not carrying you if you lag behind."
"Right, right," said Tyson, clutching his sword even tighter.
"Wouldn't dream of carrying you. You'd probably let me drop on purpose just to give you the opportunity to preach at me later."
Dragon sneered, readjusting the blade at him. "I know you so well. Defend yourself!"
The two continued sparring, the wood swords striking loudly in rhythmic succession as they moved about across the field. Tyson deflected a lightning-fast strike by Dragon,
his head still reeling from the meaning of his predicament. He was in *One Piece*—pirates, Marines, Devil Fruits, and unimaginable horrors. More wonderfully, he was a Monkey D., and Garp his father and Dragon his brother. The burden of that heritage excited him as much as it appalled him.
As he dodged under one of Dragon's swings, Tyson decided to test the waters. "Hey, Dragon," he hollered out between gasps, "what do you make of Dad's training? Pretty intense, right?"
Dragon parried Tyson's counterattack, gritting his teeth with effort. "Intense? That's a bit of an understatement. He's attempting to turn us into miniature copies of himself. All muscle and no sense."
Tyson laughed, sidestepping a thrust. "Yeah, but you're already pretty good at this. Me? I'm still figuring out how to not trip over my own feet."
"You're not that bad,"
Dragon said, a hint of a smile breaking through his serious demeanor.
"You've got spirit. Just need to focus. Dad says that's half the battle."
"Spirit, eh? Well, I'll take that one," Tyson answered, swinging his sword with newfound energy.
"But honestly, don't you ever get tired of all of this? Laps, swords, dodging Dad's fists?"
Dragon dropped his sword half-way through motion.
"Sometimes. But we don't have a choice. Dad says the world's cruel, and we've got to be crueler. You never think about stopping, do you?
Nah,"
Tyson replied hastily, his head shaking.
"I just want to know what's outside this village, you know? What lies outside? All those tales Dad says about pirates and the Grand Line—I want to see it for myself one day."
Dragon's eyes flickered with something unreadable—curiosity, maybe, or the first spark of the revolutionary fire that would one day define him
. "Yeah,"
he said softly.
"Me too. But for now, we've got to survive Dad's training. So, come on—hit me harder this time!"
Tyson smiled, throwing himself back into sparring with gusto. As he sprinted along beside Dragon, keeping up with his brother's speed, a tingling feeling brushed at the periphery of his awareness. It vanished before he could grasp it, a glowing, blue-shaded screen flashing before his eyes, only he could see it.
[System Awakening: Welcome, Host. You have been given the Emotional Points (EP) System.]
Tyson almost tripped, his heart jumping into his throat. A system? Such as those in the web novels and manga he had read back on Earth? This was more than anything he had ever dreamed of!
[Novice Gift Pack: 1000 EP and 1 Character Creation Card have been rewarded.]
[Character Creation Card: Use to create or edit a character's appearance. User can add talents and skills by spending EP.]
His thoughts ran wild with possibilities. With 1000 Emotional Points and a Character Creation Card, he had some leverage in this unreliable world—a means of becoming stronger, of determining his fate. But before he could learn more, a booming voice interrupted his focus.
"TYSON! DRAGON! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?"
Tyson whipped around to see Monkey D. Garp storming toward them, his massive frame radiating authority and irritation. Even at a distance, Garp's presence was overwhelming—broad shoulders, white hair cropped short, and a scowl that could make seasoned pirates weep. To Tyson, he was both a father and a force of nature, his stern gaze pinning them in place.
Dragon straightened up instantly, snapping into a salute.
"We're training, Dad!"
Garp's eyes narrowed when they fell upon Tyson, who was motionless, still holding his wooden sword. The handsome face of the boy—defined by dark hair and accentuated by Garp-like eyes, pointed and sharp—gave away his preoccupation.
"Tyson,"
Garp grunted,
"why'd you stop? You think training is a game? You think the world's gonna wait for you to daydream?"
"N-no, sir!"
Tyson stammered, mimicking Dragon's salute as best he could.
"I was just… uh, planning my next move!"
Garp snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Planning, huh? Well, plan while you're running. Fifty laps around the village, both of you—now!"
Dragon grunted but was in the air without pause, his feet thudding against the ground. Tyson's hesitation lasted but a moment, still trapped in shock at the system's arrival, before he took off in pursuit of his brother. Behind him, he gave Garp a quick glance back as the older man stood regarding them disapprovingly.
After the notification:
[System Message: Emotional Points Acquired! +100 EP from Monkey D. Garp. Feeling uprising: Irritation.]
Tyson's lips curled into a grin. So, he could gain EP from other people's feelings? Garp's hot head could be a treasure trove.
Breathing hard, catching up to Dragon, Tyson asked, "Hey, think we'll ever get a break from Dad's drills?"
Dragon gave him a sidelong look, his breathing even with the speed.
"Not likely. You heard him—the world's tough. He's not wrong, you know.
"Yeah, but still,"
Tyson said, wiping sweat from his forehead,
"a little rest wouldn't hurt us. Maybe we could slip off to the beach later, fish or something."
Dragon laughed, a sound she didn't often make. "You'd have to get by Dad first. Good luck with that."
"I'll come up with something,"
Tyson said, grinning.
"I'm resourceful."
They kept going around their laps, their footsteps falling into rhythm as they made their rounds of the village. Tyson's brain was abuzz with anticipation. With the system and his new family, he felt a rush of possibilities. To try it out, he muttered to himself,
"System, display my status."
A screen lighted Up:
[Host: Monkey D. Tyson]
[Age: 9]
[EP: 1100]
[Talents: None]
[Skills: None]
[Items: Character Creation Card]
A good beginning. The 1000 EP from the present pack and the 100 from Garp gave him 1100 points to play with. He had to plan how to use them.
The brothers collapsed on the lawn after their torturous fifty laps, chests pumping. Garp stood over them, his face slightly less stern.
"Not bad," he grunted. "But you've got a long way to go. Rest up—we're training again tomorrow."
"Yes, Dad,"
Dragon said, sitting up.
"Yes, sir,"
Tyson echoed, still sprawled out.
Garp ruffled their hair with a gruff hand before walking away. As he left, Tyson gazed up at the sky, a blend of fatigue and euphoria sweeping over him. This was his life now—a universe of adventure, risk, and possibility. With the system, he could become extraordinary.
[System Notification: Emotional Points Gained! +10 EP from Monkey D. Dragon. Emotion: Admiration.]
Tyson looked over at Dragon, who was smiling at him weakly. Small exchanges could earn points as well—good to remember.
Later that night, after a filling dinner of fish stew provided by their mother, Tyson went to his humble room. A plain bed, a wooden desk, and a window with a view of the village welcomed him. Sitting down on the mattress, he turned inward.
"System, tell me about the Character Creation Card."
[Character Creation Card: Allows the user to create or change their appearance. Talents and skills can be purchased using EP. Choices based on EP spent.]
Tempting. He could change his appearance—perhaps add some panache—but true value was in talents and skills.
"What can I have for 1110 EP?" he queried.
[Available Talents/Skills for 1110 EP:]
- Basic Swordsmanship – 500 EP
- Enhanced Strength – 800 EP
- Observation Haki (Latent) – 1000 EP
- Devil Fruit Affinity – 1000 EP
- Cultivation Technique: Iron Body – 1000 EP
Observation Devil Fruit Affinity and Haki struck his interest, but he did not act on them. A Devil Fruit was a significant investment, and Haki could potentially require more practice to fully access. Iron Body, however, offered instant resilience—a necessity in this world.
And that was that. He wasn't going to chance it on just the card until he had some more EP and knowledge. In the meantime, he investigated the system store.
"Show me the store."
[System Store:]
- Weapons:
- Rusty Cutlass – 100 EP
- Standard Marine Sword – 500 EP
- Skills:
- Basic Navigation – 300 EP
- Cooking Mastery – 200 EP
- Cultivation Techniques:
- Iron Body – 1000 EP
- Swift Step – 800 EP
- Miscellaneous:
- Emergency Meat Snack – 10 EP
- Lucky Coin – 50 EP
The Emergency Meat Snack was funny—totally Luffy-like. Iron Body, though, was out of the question. With 1110 EP, he could spare it and increase his defensive capabilities.
"Buy Cultivation Technique: Iron Body," he ordered.
[Purchase Confirmed. 1000 EP paid. Cultivation Technique: Iron Body purchased.]
A heat energy coursed through him, his muscles solidifying, his flesh thickening. He slapped his arm lightly, sensing only a dull thump. "Sweet," he said to himself. This would count.
With 110 EP remaining, he settled back, content. Tomorrow, he'd tackle Garp's training with fresh toughness—and perhaps cultivate more points.
The Next Morning
Tyson woke to Garp's booming voice.
"Rise and shine, boys! Training in five!"
Grunting, he hauled himself out of bed, still not acclimated to this grueling existence. After a brief breakfast of eggs and bread, he and Dragon stood in the field, standing before Garp.
"Endurance today,"
Garp declared, gesturing to two massive logs. "Haul these up and down the hill until I tell you to stop."
Dragon sighed but nodded. Tyson, on the other hand, saw an opportunity.
"Dad, how about this? If I carry both logs at the same time, can I have the afternoon off?"
Garp's eyebrow rose.
"Both? You've got more guts than I thought, kid. Alright—if you get through without dropping them, you're free."
[System Notification: Emotional Points Gained! +50 EP from Monkey D. Garp. Emotion: Amusement.]
Smirking, Tyson lifted the first log onto his shoulder, then the second. The load was burdensome, but Iron Body held firm. Step by painful step, he ascended the hill, perspiration dripping down his face. Dragon's encouragement—"Come on, Tyson!"—urged him onward.
Upon reaching the summit, he lowered the logs with a victorious shout, collapsing beside them.
[System Notification: Emotional Points Awarded! +100 EP from Monkey D. Garp. Feeling: Pride.]
[System Notification: Emotional Points Gained! +20 EP from Monkey D. Dragon. Emotion: Admiration.]
Garp approached, grinning.
"Well done, Tyson. Take the afternoon."
"Thanks, Dad," Tyson panted.
"But I'll stick around—help Dragon out."
Garp's grin widened.
"Good lad."
The brothers spent the morning practicing, their relationship growing stronger. Afterwards, sitting under a tree, Tyson used his 280 EP (110 + 50 + 100 + 20) to purchase Cooking Mastery for 200 EP, dreaming of delicious meals for upcoming adventures.
As Dragon came with lunch, Tyson grinned. With family, the system, and a world to conquer, he was ready for anything.
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