Chapter 40 – The Grandpa-in-a-Ring
[July 1, 1516 – You're adrift on an endless, boundless sea, completely unable to tell the exact date or your location. All you have to cling to is a single piece of driftwood. Worse still, you have absolutely nothing on you—no food, no water—only a ring on your finger. Fortunately, your swimming skills are still top-notch, moving through the water like a fish.]
[July 2, 1516 – After drifting for a day, you notice that the ocean currents here are unusually sluggish, yet the marine life is surprisingly abundant. Biologically speaking, this doesn't make any sense—but hey, at least you won't be starving. Oddly, though, your stored food mysteriously shrinks overnight.]
[July 4, 1516 – It rained a bit today. You managed to collect some fresh water and food, but once again, your supplies inexplicably dwindled come nightfall.]
[July 10, 1516 – You've been drifting at sea for ten days. Your fresh water has run out. You're utterly exhausted, sleepy, and your lips are cracking from dehydration. You're pushing on with sheer willpower alone—but you're still hanging in there.
You've acquired the trait: Intermediate Endurance.]
[July 12, 1516 – After twelve grueling days adrift, you're finally rescued by a passing merchant ship. Unfortunately, you can't understand a word of the language they speak. Judging by their skin tones and vague impressions, you guess it might be an Indo-European language. You resort to body language to communicate. The beautiful female captain, Tracy, tells you they're headed to a distant island to sell goods. You offer to serve temporarily as the ship's doctor. They were skeptical at first, but once you showcased your excellent medical skills, no one questioned you again.]
[July 14, 1516 – After three full days of rest, you finally recover. But today something shocking happens. After your food stores decrease again, your ring suddenly starts talking. Is this your golden finger? Could this be the legendary "grandpa in your pocket"? But after trying to communicate, you're dismayed to find you can't understand a word he's saying.
Your very own golden finger—the grandpa in your pocket—speaks a foreign language. What the hell?!]
[July 22, 1516 – After ten days at sea, you toss the ring into a drawer—because you have no intention of playing "Mr. 91 Weeks." Instead, you begin language lessons with Captain Tracy. You still can't understand each other very well, but sometimes love doesn't need logic. After all, body language often trumps words.
(Happiness +1)]
[July 25, 1516 – Tracy's language tutoring proves quite effective. After three days of lessons, you've begun to pick up bits of the local language. While most of the syllables still escape you, basic communication is now manageable. After managing to communicate with your ring-bound grandpa, you learn his name is Roger—an amnesiac death row convict. You're baffled—why does everyone else get some overpowered sage, while your "grandpa" is a freaking criminal?!
You've acquired the skill: World Language Proficiency (Beginner).]
[July 26, 1516 – Disaster strikes. A gang of pirates attacks the merchant ship. They latch on with grappling hooks and boarding planks, storming the deck. For the first time, you witness combat in this world: swordplay, scimitars, and hand-to-hand martial arts dominate the fight. The merchant crew is quickly overwhelmed—until Roger steps in. Following his instructions, you grab a longsword and, in just a few swift moves, take down the pirate leader. The pirates scatter in panic. Tracy thanks you and severs the pirate captain's head, telling you that once they reach the next island, you can turn it in for a five million bounty.]
[July 28, 1516 – After the events of the past few days, your relationship with Roger improves. He tells you he used to be incredibly powerful—but he's forgotten all the details. From him, you learn a basic sword technique and a martial arts training method. According to Roger, it's supposed to be quite useful—but he's also forgotten how exactly. Is he an idiot or what?]
[July 29, 1516 – The ship finally docks at a large island called Loguetown. After one last language lesson with Tracy, you prepare to turn in the pirate captain's head for the five million bounty and settle down in Loguetown for the time being. But when you see the Marine seagull flag—and a white-haired beast of a man chomping on three cigars—you're completely stunned.]
At this point, Zhou Ning is just as stunned. What "Across the Seas"? This is obviously One Piece! Which means the "grandpa in your pocket" inside the ring is almost certainly the Pirate King, Roger. A death row convict? It checks out.
Resume simulation!
[July 30, 1516 – Despite your suspicions, you exchange the pirate captain's head for a bounty of five million Berries and decide to settle temporarily in Loguetown. The purchasing power of five million wasn't quite what you imagined, but it's roughly equivalent to ¥260,000—enough to open your own clinic.
(Wealth +1)]
[August 1, 1516 – Your clinic opens quietly.]
[August 5, 1516 – Business is slow. You start to feel like a hero with nowhere to shine.]
[August 1516 – June 1517 – Business remains lukewarm. Still, you're not in a rush. Thanks to your solid medical skills, your reputation slowly grows. You also keep working on your martial arts training, but your talent seems… pretty average.]
[June 8, 1517 – Today you finally land a major job. The Loguetown Marines had just wiped out the Black Cat Pirates nearby and suffered heavy casualties. Their hospital couldn't handle the injured, so over a dozen critically wounded soldiers were sent to your clinic. Despite their doubts, you gave it your all—and managed to save every last one of them.]
[June 12, 1517 – Your performance stunned the whole of Loguetown. People start calling you the "Hogback of the East Blue." Your fame as a miracle doctor begins to spread, even to nearby islands.]
[July 15, 1517 – Business is booming now, but Roger isn't a fan of this lifestyle. He keeps pushing you: "A real man belongs on the sea!" But you've got no money, no ship—what are you supposed to set sail with? Your bare ass?]
[March 4, 1518 – Tracy returns from a long voyage. The two of you resume your language lessons. Meanwhile, Roger's constant nagging actually starts to work—you begin to feel a real urge to head out to sea.]
[September 21, 1518 – After more than two years of training, you finally master the martial art Roger taught you. Turns out, he wasn't lying—it's really useful.
You've acquired the skill: Armament Haki (Beginner).]
[1518 – 1520 – Your fame as a doctor has spread far and wide across the East Blue. With a comfortable income, you start offering free treatment to the poor. Meanwhile, your command of the world language has become completely fluent. You now speak no differently from a native.
You've acquired the skill: World Language Proficiency (Expert).]
[March 9, 1520 – You learn that Tracy's merchant ship will be joining a Lost Merchant Association fleet heading for the Iron Kingdom in the Grand Line. You sign on as the ship's doctor.]
[April 9, 1520 – After a month of preparation, the fleet is ready to enter the Grand Line. Destination: Reverse Mountain.]
[May 5, 1520 – You stand on the deck, watching the ocean current surge upward to the peak of Reverse Mountain. It's a breathtaking sight few ever witness in their lifetime. As the ship rides the wild current to the top, you feel it was all worth it.
(Happiness +2)]
[May 6, 1520 – You successfully reach the Grand Line. When the moonlight shines on the Twin Capes' lighthouse, the entire ship bursts into cheers.]
[July 3, 1520 – The journey has been smooth… until just before reaching the Iron Kingdom. Your fleet is attacked by a large pirate crew. Even with Roger's help, you're killed during the assault. In your final moments, all you see is a head of blond hair and a flamboyant pink flamingo coat.
You've earned the achievement: "The Pink Flamingo."]
[You are dead.]
Summary:
A fairly decent life. You saved people, earned their gratitude, and saw through the truths of this world. You did well. But in this world, weakness is a crime. You died in the crossfire of two clashing powers.
Evaluation: D-
World Exploration Rate: 21.8%
Since your exploration rate exceeded 20%, you've earned 6 Traversal Coins. Keep it up.
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