Chapter 1: Dreams Drowned in Crimson Hell

Someone shouted, "He's not dead yet!"

Luo Ning felt a jolt of pain and his blurry vision began to clear. He was in agony, his body a mess of throbbing aches. Thick shackles were clamped on his wrists and he was dressed in a black prison uniform.

Luo Ning, the time traveler, landed in One Piece world 3 years ago.

He settled on the island he arrived at. Though a time traveler, he had no special powers. Stuck with his own body, he was pretty weak in this world.

Luo Ning had been waiting for his powers to awaken, but there was nothing.

So he focused on getting stronger by exercising.

He could clearly feel his body improve with constant training.

This went on for three years, but the good times ended abruptly.

The Marines in their area got a new crew, and they started demanding protection money.

Luo Ning was an outsider. He'd been living there, but after years of just training, he couldn't make much money. He couldn't save any after buying things he needed.

He had no money, and the Marines wouldn't leave him alone. They bullied him and forced him into hard labor. During this time, Luo Ning thought about leaving, but with no money and surrounded by sea, escape seemed impossible.

In the end, Luo Ning couldn't take it anymore. He fought back, setting a trap that killed some Marines. However, things didn't go well. He got caught and thrown straight into a deep-sea prison, Impel Down.

Although it was just the first floor, Crimson Hell, the harsh conditions there almost killed him upon arrival.

His years of training after arriving in this world had significantly improved his physical fitness, making him stronger than most. That's why he survived the initial hardship; otherwise, it would have been fatal.

Right now, he could barely move. The intense pain throughout his body was a constant torment. This was the second time he'd woken up after fainting.

He didn't know how long he could hold on. Every fiber of his being screamed that this world was messed up.

"You're weak. Newbies usually don't last half a month, but you're lucky. You're stuck with us. At least here, you only lose half your food!"

The same voice spoke again. Luo Ning was in a crowded cell on the first floor Crimson Hell.

This deep-sea prison wasn't all Marines like him, framed or not. Most were pirates, scum of the sea.

Luo Ning got lucky. He wasn't with the real bad guys.

He ended up in a slightly better cell, but they still took half his food. The daily rations were barely enough, and now, with half gone, he wouldn't starve, but he wouldn't be comfortable either.

"I know. If I'm in another cell, I'm probably gonna starve to death in a few days"

Lying on the cold ground, Luo Ning felt a pit of despair. Time travel wasn't the glamorous adventure he'd imagined.

Thrown into this chaotic world of pirates and a corrupt Marine force, fueled by Roger's age of exploration, Luo Ning found himself imprisoned.

This was the year 1517, Ace's year to set sail, with Luffy three years from following suit.

Becoming a pirate was never part of the plan. He'd seen the near-death experiences Luffy and his crew had faced, even with their main character luck. He wasn't sure he had that kind of luck, so joining those ranks was a definite no.

His goal? Survive and steadily improve his strength. At the very least, he needed basic self-defense.

But fate, or rather this messed-up world, threw him a rotten apple: a scummy Marine.

These weren't uncommon at sea. Their warped sense of absolute justice blinded them to any gray areas. Anyone who defied them was instantly labeled an enemy. Who knew how many were forced into piracy because of them?

Knowing they could get away with anything, these Marines became ruthless. Sure, the higher-ups were probably decent, but they didn't seem to care about the bottom rung. Like Smoker, the leader of East Blue.

The whole region was a mess, yet Smoker seemed oblivious. Why was Nami so scared of him? Because she'd seen too many East Blue Marines just like Colonel Mouse.

For Nami, Smoker wasn't a good Marine. If such a vast area like East Blue could make her lose faith in them, that spoke volumes about how rotten the Marines truly were. It was a system corrupted from the inside out.