Prologue..

A magnificent ship was sailing through the sea, its ebony hull gleaming under the sun, adorned with billowing sails that catch the wind's embrace. Its masts stand tall and proud, a symbol of seafaring prowess, while its sleek silhouette cuts through the waves with effortless grace.

The ship was so beautiful that even the Pirate King, who possessed a magnificent ship himself, would desire it.

The Black Pearl was a three-masted ship, with the appearance of an hybrid between a galleon and an East Indiaman, and on its deck was a young man, looking at his compass with a small smile.

As he gazed the small uninhabited island, he urged his ship to hasten its pace, his mind linked to both vessel and compass.

Though if he had to speculate on the reason for this connection, it was likely a perk for reincarnating into this unfamiliar world with a singular mission: to seek out and uncover the One Piece.

Fixing his three-cornered hat, he walked to the front of his ship and looked at the much bigger island now that he was close. The ship was going so fast that he reached the land in just five minutes.

He parked the ship and hopped down from its deck to the ground. It was evident that this wasn't some deserted island, judging by the scent in the air. Scrunching his nose, he ventured into the forest, with his right hand on the handle of his cutlass, which hung on his left hip.

He possessed rudimentary sword fighting skills, based on the memories that flooded into his mind shortly after arriving in this world. His swordsmanship and marksmanship were decent, at best, for now.

His body was quite strong, enabling him to hold his own against rear admirals at present. This knowledge also came from the memories flooding into him upon arrival. He reckoned he was sturdy enough to navigate the East Blue Sea without encountering too many issues...

His caution flew out the window when he spotted a stunningly beautiful woman wearing nothing but a massive shirt wrapped around her body like a blanket.

Though he sensed her strength, he made a conscious effort to be extra careful, resisting the urge to simply praise her beauty before shaking off the impulse. "Oh, and who are you?" Her voice dripped with arrogance as she asked, noticing him.

"Well, shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking for a name?" he said with a slight grin, maintaining a cautious distance from the lady.

"Oh, I guess you're right. Name's Alvida, the most beautiful woman in the world," she declared, the strength she was emitting was quite enough to pique his interest. Her claim about her beauty seemed somewhat true, prompting him to ask what his mind urged him to: "Say, wanna join my crew?"

"Hah!?" Her face scrunched up in response to what she perceived as mockery from him. She leaped toward him, recovering an iron club from behind her and swinging it at him with surprising ease, despite its size being twice that of hers.

With quick reflexes, he leaned back to evade the club, then drew his cutlass and swung it at her. She made no attempt to block it, allowing the blade to slide off her body, throwing him off balance.

As she prepared to swing the club once more, a click sounded, and a flintlock was pressed directly to her forehead. Uncertain if a bullet would simply slide off her skin at point-blank range, she dropped her club and raised her hands in surrender.

"Now that's a good girl," he remarked with a hint of sassiness in his voice. Despite feeling the urge to disregard the gun pressed against her head and overpower him, she held back and remained patient, an uncharacteristic act of restraint for her.

"You are somewhat a great fighter too, I'll ask you once again, join my crew," He asked in a serious tone as his eyes sharpened.

"I'm already a pirate, with a bounty on my head too, 5 million Beri," she replied with a sigh. Despite her initial inclination to reject the offer once more, she didn't want to face isolation again. Recalling how Monkey D. Luffy sent her flying without her crew coming to her aid, she decided to join this man. Seeing his ship, she assumed he must be a powerful pirate with significant influence, although she was mistaken.

"Still, join me," his voice broke through her monologue. She sighed once again. "Alright, captain," she said with a smile as he withdrew the gun he had pointed at her face.

"Come on, let's go. Also, don't you have any clothes?" he asked as they made their way towards the Black Pearl.

"Ah, no... it's kinda complicated," she said with a wry smile on her face.

"No problem, we'll shop at the next market we find," he replied with a smile as he holstered the gun. Reaching the ship, he propelled himself off the ground with a powerful jump and landed on the ship's rail, his first mate doing the same.

"So, where's the rest of your crew?" she asked with mild curiosity, noticing the lack of activity on the deck.

'There's no way this guy can steer this massive ship alone, right?' she wondered to herself, unaware that this was exactly the case.

"Oh, you're the first one to join my crew. Basically, you're my first mate," he explained as he walked to the sails of the ship, unfurling them one by one. Even though the ship could sail on its own, it still required some assistance from him, such as unfurling and refurling the sails, before it could sail smoothly on its own.

The next shock came when she felt the ship move, despite neither of them doing anything at all. She looked towards the helm and found it spinning on its own.

"What the hell?! How can a ship do that? Don't tell me you're a Devil Fruit user too?" she asked in a hurry, her gaze fixed on the helm with an incredulous look.

"Oh no, it's just that the ship is alive and connected to me. Basically, whatever I wish for the ship to do, it does. See?" he explained, pointing at a rock in the distance. A cannon shot from the ship, hitting the rock with pinpoint accuracy.

The first mate was even more shocked. 'A ship that's alive? That's only in fairy tales. But Devil Fruits exist in this world, so I guess this shouldn't be much of a surprise,' she thought to herself as she accepted her fate... as the first mate and the vice captain of the Sparrow Pirates.

He glanced at his compass, satisfaction evident in his smile. With a capable crewmate by his side and reasonable strength in the East Blue, his quest to claim the One Piece began today... as the captain of the Sparrow Pirates. "Onward!" he exclaimed with a smile.

The Pearl, mirroring his enthusiasm, surged forward, increasing her speed.