One Piece: Torment

~3 years before Luffy sets sail, 3 months before Ace sets sail, a small island in East Blue

The sun hung high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the bustling town below. It was a beautiful day, the kind where the air felt just right and the breeze carried a faint scent of salt from the sea. For a moment, it felt like everything was perfectly normal, but reality hit me hard when I remembered: I've been in this world for 10 years now. Ten years since I transmigrated into the body of a kid who'd died the moment he set foot on an island in East Blue.

The boy's life wasn't anything to celebrate—he was an escaped slave who ran for his life all the way from the Grand Line, a place teeming with monsters, pirates, and dangerous power struggles. He had finally made it to East Blue, only to collapse on the shore and die. His journey had ended, but mine began the moment I took his place. Kinda sucks, right? But hey, that's the reality of this world. You don't get to choose your start, only what you do with it.

It's not all bad, though. I got lucky. Lucky because I inherited a system—an absurdly convenient one, to be honest. A template system, where I could pick abilities from characters and grow stronger. It wasn't a perfect system—hell, it was far from it—but it gave me an edge in a world where strength meant survival. And you know what? I wasn't about to let that go to waste.

The moment I got the chance, I picked the template of my favorite character. You probably don't know him, but his name is Benn Beckman. The guy's an enigma—quiet, calculating, and with abilities that most people still don't fully understand. He's always been my favorite in the series. The way he moves, his demeanor, the fact that he's the right-hand man of a Yonko—yeah, that's the kind of power I wanted.

The system wasn't generous, though. If I thought I was going to coast through life with overpowered abilities, I was wrong. The system required work, effort. Every year, I had to do the same simple but tedious routine: 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, and a 10-kilometer run every day. In exchange, I gained 3% progress toward my template's completion. It didn't sound like much, but when you think about it, that's 3% per year—every year. It added up.

Then there were the quests. Oh yeah, the quests. They were the wildcard—unpredictable and often more trouble than they were worth. But they also provided a bonus 2% to the template's progress. The quests weren't always easy, either. Some were as simple as fetching a rare herb from the forest, while others were more… complicated. But that's the nature of the system, right? Nothing comes free, especially power.

So, for the past 10 years, that's been my life. Training, completing quests, and slowly but surely unlocking the abilities I've always dreamed of. It hasn't been easy. In fact, it's been exhausting at times. My body aches, I get frustrated, and sometimes I feel like giving up. But there's no going back. I'm not the kid who ran from the Grand Line. I'm not some powerless, nameless nobody anymore. I have a future to build.

And the way I see it, the template system is my ticket out of mediocrity. I might not be at the top of the food chain yet, but I'm getting there, little by little. Benn Beckman's abilities aren't fully unlocked yet, but I'm close. Once I finish this template, I'll be a force to reckon with—one that no pirate, marine, or warlord can ignore.

I muttered the word "Status" under my breath, and the familiar blue screen materialized before me. It always made me smile—kind of cheesy, but I loved it. There was something oddly satisfying about this whole Isekai setup. It didn't matter how many times I saw it; the novelty never wore off.

Name: Plumber D. Mario

Age: 17

Devil Fruit: None

Template Chosen: Benn Beckman (38%)

Quests Pending: 2

Shop: Available

I glanced over the screen. "Plumber D. Mario," huh? What a name. I'd come up with it mostly for the chaos and fun of it. If the world's going to think I'm some random nobody with a ridiculous name, then so be it. The funny part was that I actually felt kinda cool seeing that D in my name. It wasn't a major thing, but it made me wonder just how deep this "Will of D." thing went.

I wasn't sure if I was destined for greatness like the others, but the name was a hell of a statement. Whether it was a joke or not, it was mine. And trust me, that's enough to make anyone feel a little more powerful.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts, and focused back on the screen. Benn Beckman (38%)… I was almost halfway there. I'd spent years working at it—training, completing the monotonous but necessary tasks, and ticking off quests here and there. The process was slow, but I had to admit, I could feel myself getting stronger, more focused.

I took a quick glance at the pending quests—there were always a couple hanging around, though some were more difficult than others. Who knew what they might ask for this time? Hopefully, nothing that involved too much running. My body had already had enough of that for today.

Then there was the Shop option. I'd used it a couple of times before, mostly for small upgrades—things like better training equipment or some rare herbs to help with recovery. Nothing too crazy, but I couldn't deny the appeal of the possibility that one day I might find something that would really push me over the edge. Maybe a rare artifact, or something that could help speed up my progress. A guy could dream, right?

I hovered over the Shop icon, wondering if there was anything new today, but then I remembered the two quests pending. I should probably get those out of the way before I started daydreaming about power-ups.

"Alright," I muttered to myself, taking a deep breath. "Time to see what kind of trouble I'm about to get into."

I flexed my fingers, ready to move on. The grind was real, but I had a feeling that things were about to get more interesting. There was a lot of chaos in the world—pirates, marines, Devil Fruits, and who knew what else. And with the powers I was unlocking, I was starting to feel like I might just be ready to stir up some of that chaos myself.

I was in the middle of my daily exercise routine, which I'd designed to be a mix of practical and grueling. Of course, I did the usual One Punch Man workout—100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, 10 kilometers, you know the drill. But I also threw in some extras.

First up, punching the keel of a ship over and over. Yeah, sounds a bit insane, but it worked. The ship's keel was sturdy, so it gave me a good challenge. Plus, the impact really got my fists toughened up over time.

Then there was the Goku-inspired training. I built two 1-ton weights (because, hey, why not?) and strapped them to my ankles. To top it off, I did a duck walk across a 100-meter track. It was exhausting and painful, but I figured if it was good enough for Goku, it'd be good enough for me. My legs felt like they were about to fall off by the end, but I kept going. It was all part of the grind.

While I was in the middle of this, trying to push through the discomfort, a notification popped up in front of me. I glanced at it between breaths.

Quest Alert:

The Island Will Be Attacked by Krieg Pirates

Objective: Defend the Island and survive the attack.

Reward: 4% Progress toward Benn Beckman Template.

Time Limit: 12 Hours

Krieg Pirates, huh? I'd heard of them. They weren't exactly the most subtle bunch, and their reputation for causing trouble in East Blue was well-known. The reward was a decent one, though—4% progress toward my Benn Beckman template. That would push me to 42%, and I was already feeling the effects of the 38% I'd unlocked. A little extra progress might make a big difference.

The clock was ticking, and there wasn't any time to waste. I took a deep breath, wiped the sweat off my forehead, and got to my feet. My body was sore, but this was the perfect chance to put some of my training to the test. I could handle the Krieg Pirates, right? They weren't exactly world-shakers, and this could be a good opportunity to prove it.

With that thought in mind, I started heading toward the coast. The island wouldn't defend itself, and I wasn't about to let the pirates take it without a fight. This might not be the most exciting thing I'd ever do, but it was a solid start. Plus, if I pulled it off, the reward was worth it. Time to see how much of a difference this training really made.