Chapter 1 - Humble Freedom

"As long as one hasn't eaten the Nika Fruit, no matter how extraordinary you are—be it like Gol D. Roger, or even if you've gathered all the Poneglyphs and reached Laugh Tale—you still aren't worthy of bearing the fate of the entire world, are you?"

Muttering to himself, Gawain tossed his phone aside while on vacation at home.

After lying down for a moment, dissatisfaction got the better of him, and he picked the phone back up, resuming his scroll through the latest One Piece spoilers on the forum. After much thought, he began typing:

"What I've always wanted to see is the story of a loud-mouthed brat, self-proclaimed to become the Pirate King, constantly challenging his fate, and eventually truly becoming the Pirate King.

What I never wanted was a story where only that one brat is qualified to become the Pirate King.

'I'm the man who will become the Pirate King!'

...has now turned into...

'I ate the Sun God Nika Fruit, so only I have the right to become the Pirate King!'

Heh...

The sea is vast.

Each admiral has their own will and conviction.

The so-called Emperors of the Sea all have their ideals and ambitions.

But if, from the very beginning, only the one who possesses the Nika Fruit is entitled to have it all—

Then does that mean everyone else's struggles and efforts have all been nothing but a joke?

If that's the case, does it mean that if a dog ate the Nika Fruit and awakened its Nika form after countless beatings, even a dog could bear the world's fate?

Pfft! Even dogs wouldn't eat the Flare-Flare Fruit!

What about the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon form? After all that Kaido-sensei struggled for in his life, it was just the wrong fruit?

Or the Quake-Quake Fruit—was Whitebeard, the world's strongest man, simply lucky he never opposed someone awakened with the Nika Fruit?

And Garp, the Navy hero—if your grandson had been born forty years earlier, he'd either be the Pirate King as a pirate, or the 'Marine King' as a marine! There'd be no room for you to show off as a Navy hero.

Every hero, every person, should have had a chance to shape the future.

But now, none of them are worthy—only the one who eats the Nika Fruit is!

It's truly disappointing."

With a sigh, Gawain hit the post button. But the moment he did, the world went black, and he disappeared from the couch.

Beside him, his younger brother Gao Wu, who was absorbed in Elden Ring, felt the couch shift slightly. He turned his head in a daze, then opened his mouth wide.

"Wait… Where's my brother?!"

Meanwhile...

Gawain opened his eyes, seeing stars dancing in his vision, and his head throbbed so intensely that he couldn't help but shiver.

"Ah, damn…" he hissed, baring his teeth as the cold made his gums tingle. He exhaled heavily and growled, "Who?!"

He squinted and turned his head, assuming that the decorative wall hanging above the couch had fallen on him. There were only two possible culprits: the 14-pound fat cat or his idiot brother Gao Wu. Damn Elden Ring—probably threw the controller again.

But to his surprise, the sight that greeted him wasn't what he expected.

Instead, he saw a beautiful, delicate face, filled with panic, innocence, and youth. His eyes instinctively trailed downward.

Soft, pale skin, barely covered by small bluish-purple shells, a slender waist… and—wait, a yellowish… fish tail?!

"A mermaid? A fish-man?!"

Startled by Gawain's bewildered gaze, the beautiful mermaid, who had been trying to stand, instantly flattened herself against the ground. She didn't dare meet his eyes and stammered in fear.

"Ah… I failed to escape… I… I didn't mean to…"

Bang!

Before she could finish her sentence, a gunshot rang out!

Gawain's eyes narrowed, his pupils contracting sharply.

In his vision, the bullet struck the mermaid's back, which was covered by her golden hair, pierced through her left chest, and left a small spray of blood splattered across the floor.

Blood trickled across the ground, drawing a scarlet path.

As it reached Gawain's feet, the mermaid's quivering tail—once radiant and beautiful—grew dull and brushed lightly against his coat.

Looking down at her fading tail, Gawain noticed that he was no longer wearing his lounging robe.

Instead of his usual loungewear, Gawain now wore an immaculate white robe, the hem trailing all the way to the ground.

The fish's beautiful tail left wet stains on the pristine fabric, and the spreading blood slowly soaked into the hem, dyeing part of it with a red that seemed to embody defiance.

This sight jolted Gawain awake, and the throbbing pain in his head vanished instantly. He wanted to say something, but his mouth felt stiff, making it difficult to form words.

Just then, a mocking voice rang out from the direction of the gunshot.

"Hah! This was the fish-man slave I just bought! Damn it, I was planning to make her my ninth wife, and she tried to escape, running into someone in the process!

Let's see who she ran into... Oh? A fellow Celestial Dragon, is it? Gawain?!

Gawain, huh? Even though she's just a female mermaid, she knocked you off your feet! You really are weak, hahaha!"

Around them, countless slaves knelt on the ground, their eyes shut tightly in pain.

That was the nature of the Celestial Dragons—the so-called descendants of gods, who cared nothing for the lives of others.

Gawain took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He slowly turned toward the source of the voice.

First, he saw a cloud of smoke. As it dissipated, an ugly, abstract face emerged, causing Gawain to swallow hard.

Even though the person had transformed from the two-dimensional world of Gawain's memories into the three-dimensional reality before him, Gawain instantly recognized him.

One glance at the dead mermaid, the soldiers guarding the area, and the slaves bound in chains made it all clear.

Whether this was a dream or something else, Gawain knew without a doubt—he was now in the world of One Piece. And the man who fired the gun was a Celestial Dragon.

As for Gawain's own identity?

He, too, was a Celestial Dragon—a being who could do as he pleased in the world of One Piece, virtually immune to harm, and safe from any real danger to his life.

After realizing who he was, Gawain exhaled deeply. As a diehard fan of One Piece, he knew exactly what it meant to be a Celestial Dragon.

Facing the terrified gazes of the slaves and guards, and the grotesque Celestial Dragon's laughter, Gawain composed himself.

He recalled a particular expression his senior had taught him during work, and with that cold, trained gaze, he surveyed the surroundings with quiet authority.

It's worth mentioning that Gawain's previous job had been as a diplomat. Though he had only been working for just over two years after graduation, he had undergone extensive training in body language and eye contact.

That well-honed, indifferent look immediately wiped the smile off the ugly Celestial Dragon's face. Charlos faltered, nervously lowering his gun.

"Come on, Gawain, no need to take it so seriously. I didn't hurt you, did I?

Besides, I've already killed her. Do you know how much I paid for that slave? Two whole Devil Fruits!"

"And so what?"

Gawain's expression remained stoic as he shook his head.

He stepped over the blood and approached the trembling mermaid. Ignoring Charlos's increasingly displeased frown, Gawain knelt before her.

The mermaid, almost entirely still now, gave a small shudder as Gawain's gaze fell upon her. Her pupils, which had been dilating, twitched slightly.

"I… I'm sorry..." she whispered, her voice barely audible as she struggled to apologize.

"I must have hurt you… I'm so sorry. Even though I was trying to escape, I… I should have been more careful…"

Her voice faded, and her pupils finally lost all focus. The last thing she gave Gawain was a faint, apologetic smile.

Why apologize?

Because she had hurt an innocent person.

But why smile?

Because even in death, she had found more happiness than she ever could in the hands of a Celestial Dragon.

After all, death is the greatest freedom for the oppressed.