Chapter 1: Don’t Make Random Birthday Wishes

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me…"

In a cramped, shabby rental apartment on the edge of the city, a young man dressed in pajamas sang a self-modified version of the "Happy Birthday" song as he opened the delivery package containing a small cake. Beside him, a phone was playing the latest translated episode of One Piece.

"Poor Kuma. He had such a powerful Devil Fruit ability, not to mention great physical talents, yet he's had such an unfortunate life. Sigh… Oh well, I guess I should make a wish before eating the cake!"

"Please give me a Devil Fruit. I'm not greedy—just a Mythical Zoan type, heh."

"I want to be the freest person in the world!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a deafening clap of thunder boomed outside. The energy-saving light flickered a few times and then went out with a click.

"Uh… the light's out? My phone's dead too? Why did all the sounds around me stop?"

"So quiet…"

…

Time passed, though how long was unclear. It might have been a moment, or several years, or perhaps even longer. Slowly, the young man opened his eyes. He struggled to sit up, and before him was an endless expanse of ocean. He realized he was lying on the beach, with a lush forest behind him.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed. Something felt off. He had become a young boy, named Bardock, eight years old, standing about 1.5 meters tall, from the West Blue. He had been traveling with his family on the Grand Line for business and a bit of tourism. But they'd encountered a violent storm. The ship was capsized by the waves, and he remembered nothing after that.

The storms on the Grand Line were truly insane—massive waves tens of meters high that could sink a steel ship, let alone a wooden one.

"Did I… transmigrate? Bardock? What a rip-off! If I were in Dragon Ball, I'd start as a Saiyan! This is such a loss."

"Well, whatever. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Bardock it is. Starting off in an orphan situation on a deserted island—this is going to be tough."

Bardock walked along the coastline, hoping to find other survivors. It would be too much for an eight-year-old to survive on a deserted island—unless he was born with the destructive power of someone like Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin. But Bardock was pretty sure he wasn't some monster like that.

The coastline wasn't very long. Soon, he hadn't found any survivors, but he did gather some supplies: a large barrel, half-full of liquor, which could provide hydration before he found a freshwater source; several large wooden planks from what was likely the remains of the ship, good enough to build a shelter; a small boat sail, some ropes, and a knife sharp enough to pierce through the sail.

"If only I had a lighter," Bardock thought greedily.

Bardock noticed something else: it was the year 1506 of the Sea Circle Calendar, and he was eight years old. But his strength far exceeded what he had in his previous life as an adult. Not only was he strong, but his stamina was extraordinary. Moving all the supplies together didn't tire him much—he caught his breath with just a few quick gasps.

"Sea Circle Calendar 1506… Luffy sets sail on his 17th birthday in 1520, which means there are about 14 years before the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates begin. Fourteen years… Can I rise to the top of the sea by then? Will I be able to enjoy absolute freedom?"

Bardock recalled that Coby, who had been just an errand boy at 16, became a top-tier combatant of the seas within two short years, smashing the enormous hand of Pizarro, the corrupt king, with one punch.

"Although Coby's personality was too soft, and his '100 times the effort' was over-the-top, at least his growth in strength was inspirational."

"Don't ask about the future, just charge forward!"

As evening fell, Bardock drank a few sips of the liquor and found a sheltered spot near the forest along the coast. Using the large planks and rope, he built a simple hut and used the boat sail as a blanket.

Before it got completely dark, he quickly gathered five wild fruits from the edge of the forest. They resembled peaches, but each was the size of two fists. The fruits grew on trees near the shore, and some had marks from animals nibbling them, which suggested they weren't poisonous.

As night fully descended, Bardock didn't dare try to start a fire, unsure if the forest harbored any dangerous beasts. While fire could ward off animals, it might also attract them—especially in the world of One Piece, where humans could become as strong as monsters, and the animals were real monsters. On Luffy's home island, it wasn't unusual to see beasts the size of houses.

Curled up in his makeshift shelter, Bardock cautiously took a small bite of one of the wild fruits and kept it in his mouth for a while. Surprisingly, it tasted great—sweet and fragrant. After about half an hour, realizing he felt fine, he swallowed it. After another half hour passed without incident, he ate the rest of the fruits.

Perhaps it was hunger, but even after eating so many fruits, Bardock only felt about 70% full. However, venturing into the forest at night was too risky. For now, he would have to endure the hunger.

Gripping the small knife, Bardock eventually drifted off to sleep, constantly feeling as if there were animals wandering around in the forest.

The sky over the sea brightened early, but Bardock woke up even earlier, driven by hunger. Throughout the night, he had heard the roars of wild beasts, and with his stomach growling, he had hardly slept at all.

As soon as the sky lightened, he took his knife and cautiously ventured out, carefully checking for danger. Once he was sure it was safe, he gathered ten more fruits from the same trees as the day before, carrying them back using his clothes.

After eating nine fruits in one go, Bardock finally felt full, a sense of satisfaction spreading through him. In the world of One Piece, having a large appetite was a sign of talent. Whether it was Garp, Luffy, or any other strong fighter, they were all huge eaters, digesting food quickly and efficiently.

Having eaten, Bardock made plans for the day. He decided to patrol the coastline three times—morning, noon, and night—to see if any other survivors had washed ashore.

After a thorough search of the coastline, he returned empty-handed and in a foul mood. Only one fruit remained, which he planned to eat before venturing into the forest. After all, surviving on fruit alone wouldn't make him stronger. He needed meat, fresh water, and firewood to start a fire.

"There's so much to do. I need to hurry up and get things sorted so I can stabilize and start training."

"No way… this…"

Bardock was stunned. The last fruit from the morning had changed. It still resembled a peach but was now covered in intricate spiral patterns, with a shimmering, glowing effect.

"A Devil Fruit? A Devil Fruit has appeared right in front of me. What kind of fruit is this—Logia, Paramecia, or Zoan? Could it be the one I wished for?"

"So… the question is, should I eat it?"