The beginning was abrupt

The recognition that I was reborn was abrupt. There was no dramatic trigger; it happened suddenly while I was having breakfast as usual on a typical morning, and I remembered my past life in an instant.

I felt a little confused, but it wasn't like I had a high fever or anything, as depicted in internet novels from my previous life. The memories of my past life seamlessly integrated into my current consciousness.

It was a strange sensation. It felt like my mind had matured with the experiences of my previous life all at once, causing confusion, yet my mind remained calm, processing the necessary information and accurately recognizing my current situation.

And after sorting out some information, to be honest, I felt like pulling my hair out.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I had been reincarnated. Reincarnation can come in various patterns: being reborn into the world one originally inhabited, being reborn into a different world, or being reborn into the world of a fictional creation. In my case, it seems I fall into the category of "reborn into a world of a fictional creation."

Furthermore, within that world of fiction, I have apparently been "reborn as an original character." It's quite a development typical of fan fiction.

The world I was born into is the hugely popular manga world of "One Piece." My name is "Spandam"... In the original work, I held the position of Chief of Cipher Pol No. 9 (CP9), which was an intelligence agency attached to the World Government, and I could be considered the leader of the enemy organization during the Enies Lobby arc.

Well, in reality, I was just a figurehead, and the actual boss during the Enies Lobby arc was Rob Lucci. Spandam was nothing more than an inept petty criminal throughout.

My combat abilities were practically non-existent; in the original work, my Doriki power level was rated 9, which is slightly stronger than an average soldier with a rating of 10. So, I was stronger than ordinary people but weaker than trained marines, to put it that way.

I did possess the Elephant Sword Funkfreed, a sword with the power of the Zou Zou no Mi (Zoan-type Devil Fruit), which made me stronger than the average marine due to the weapon, but I was still just a small fry.

My personality was vile... I mercilessly inflicted violence on the defenseless Nico Robin, abused my authority, and was despised by my subordinates, who had no trust in me. Even Lucci ridiculed me as a fool.

If I had to force any sort of positive evaluation, I guess I had a crafty mind, and I used underhanded tactics to sentence Tom to death. And I seemed to have a reasonable amount of knowledge in history and other fields.

Well, to sum it up, I was nothing more than a weak, inept, and vile petty criminal... How despicable. In the subsequent "New World" arc, I literally became Lucci's lackey, showcasing my pitiful existence.

After confirming my fate in the original work, let's focus on the present situation. I am currently seven years old, and although I don't recall the exact age of Spandam in the original work, it seems he was around 40 years old. So, there is still a considerable amount of time until the events of the original work.

Having gained the memories of my past life at a young age is significant. At this age, avoiding the events of the original work should be relatively easy.

To think deeper about my situation, I finish breakfast and return to my room. For a single child's room, it's quite spacious, and the house itself can be considered a mansion by general standards.

My father, Spandine, is Spandam's father and, while seeming somewhat inept, he was the Chief of CP9 22 years ago during the Ohara incident in the original work. So, it can be assumed that he still holds a reasonably high position even in the current time, which is around 30 years ago.

As expected of a high-ranking official within the World Government's organization, he is probably well-paid. However, looking back, I rarely had the chance to meet him; Spandine seems to be quite lenient or maybe just not interested in seeing his family.

In the original work, both father and son were characterized by ambition for promotion and power, as well as self-preservation. Regarding me, his son, he probably only saw me as a tool for his own advancement and self-preservation.

Once I reach a certain age, he would likely use his connections to secure a position for me, and after he retires, I would be responsible for funding a luxurious life for him... Well, in the "New World" arc of the original work, it is said that he fell ill.

Anyway, it's fortunate that our relationship as father and son is distant; it should make it easier for me to maneuver in the future.

Now, the question is, what do I do from now on? First and foremost, I can't avoid being a part of Cipher Pol.

Since my father is a high-ranking official in the World Government's intelligence agency, he must have many opportunities to handle confidential matters. If his family doesn't belong to Cipher Pol, they won't overlook it.

Regardless of how inept he may be, my father, who only cares about self-preservation, won't make such a mistake as to discuss classified information at home.

But whether I actually possess classified information or not is irrelevant. The World Government is not an organization that will let "individuals who might know something" roam free. If they were an organization that presumed innocence, Ohara wouldn't have been destroyed in the original work.

That leaves me with two major choices: join the World Government or become a pirate. Well, becoming a pirate is out of the question. Despite how the main characters are portrayed in the original work, pirates are essentially criminals.

The Straw Hat Pirates are a rare exception, but I can't imagine surviving solely through treasure hunting without engaging in any crimes or looting.

However, if I don't want to become a criminal, the only viable option is to join Cipher Pol. Even if I were to join another organization, in the end, I would still end up working for Cipher Pol.

Well, at least being directly affiliated with the colossal organization of the World Government promises a certain level of prestige due to my father's position, and my life would be stable.

The remaining concern is to avoid the events of the original work as much as possible... Well, there's no point thinking about events that are still about 30 years away. I should focus on more immediate concerns.

...Strength is necessary. In this world of One Piece, strength is crucial for survival. Above all, I don't want to "die twice."

It's only natural to train my body, but in addition, as a member of Cipher Pol, I should also learn the Rokushiki techniques. As for instruction... I guess I have to rely on my father, even if I have no choice. With his position, he should be able to arrange for an instructor in Rokushiki, and the more competent I become as his son, the higher his own standing in the government will rise, so he wouldn't refuse.

I do realize that Rokushiki is somewhat classified, but... well, since it's practically a given that I'll be part of Cipher Pol in the future, I hope they'll be lenient about it.

If they don't accept it, I'll have to work hard at self-study... Sigh, the future is quite uncertain, but for now, I need to find my way through this successfully.