Chapter 262: Reality and Dream: Takumi's Past

When Takumi was three years old, both of his parents died in a car accident.

Afterward, due to a government mandate, even though Takumi's mother had a strained relationship with her sister, his aunt, Gu Yu, was forced to take him in and raise him until he became an adult.

As a result, from as early as he could remember, Takumi had always lived at his Aunt Gu Yu's house.

Because of the bad relationship between his mother and Gu Yu, Takumi was treated like a servant by the family. Other than the time he almost blew up the kitchen while cooking, Gu Yu never let him near the kitchen again. But aside from that, every household chore fell on Takumi's shoulders.

As a child, he didn't understand much. He simply did what he was told. But when he entered his rebellious phase in middle school, he tried to fight back. He failed.

People around him, those who knew nothing about his situation, mocked and criticized him. Standing on their moral high ground, they condemned him. No matter what he said, no one believed a twelve-year-old boy.

At one point, he even thought about destroying everything in revenge against this cruel society that constantly mistreated him. But he failed at that, too. He was too weak. The flame of resentment in his heart had barely ignited before it was snuffed out.

Over time, he grew numb. His personality became increasingly withdrawn.

Every night, he struggled to sleep. His uncle ran a liquor factory, and nearly every day after school, Takumi was forced to work there for free. On his way home, he would steal a few bottles of liquor. Drinking alcohol became his method to fall asleep.

Eventually, his tolerance for alcohol grew. At first, half a bottle or one bottle would be enough to knock him out. But over time, even after drinking three or five bottles, he felt nothing. His alcohol dependence grew worse, and when he was caught stealing liquor, his uncle gave him a severe beating until he passed out. When he woke up, he found himself in the world of One Piece.

Remembering this, Takumi couldn't help but let out a self-mocking laugh. "That was one incredibly realistic dream."

He opened the small, one-meter-high wooden door and crawled out from under the stairs.

As soon as he stood up, a middle-aged woman dressed in an elegant qipao descended the staircase. The moment she saw Takumi, her voice dripped with disdain. "I'm heading out later to play mahjong. Once you've cleaned the house, go to your uncle's factory and help out. I don't keep freeloaders here. Got that?"

Takumi stared at her coldly.

This conversation... It was all too familiar and grating to his ears.

In his memory, it was on this very day, after returning from the factory with stolen liquor, that he was beaten unconscious.

Hah. So it's happening all over again?

How interesting...

"Hey! Are you deaf?" Gu Yu frowned, clearly irritated by Takumi's lack of response. "You've really grown bold, haven't you? Don't forget who's feeding and housing you. Hmph, once you turn eighteen, get out of my house!"

As she spoke, Gu Yu raised her hand and slapped Takumi across the face.

In his memory, Takumi had taken that slap without resisting.

But now, he had no intention of enduring it again. As soon as Gu Yu swung her hand toward him, Takumi took a step back, avoiding the slap.

Her hand hit nothing but air, and just as Gu Yu was about to scold him, her daughter's voice called out from the living room. "Mom, I'm going shopping with my friends. Can you give me some money?"

"Sure, sure. How about two thousand yuan?" After glaring at Takumi one last time, Gu Yu hurried off to the living room.

Takumi watched her leave coldly. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his arm, as if someone had pinched him viciously.

His balance wavered, and he staggered backward, bumping into the wooden wall of the space under the stairs.

Hearing the noise, Gu Yu turned around, glaring at him with disgust. "Stop acting like that. You're nothing! If you want clothes, go dig through the trash! If it weren't for the government subsidies and the fact that I'm required to send you to school, you'd already be living on the streets as a beggar. Your parents died, and instead of taking you with them, they left you behind to be a burden on me. What bad luck."

Her words made Takumi's usually calm heart explode in fury.

"Say that again!" Takumi's voice dripped with hostility.

Gu Yu sneered. "What? You've got a temper now? So what if I say it again? You should've died with your deadbeat parents—AH! What are you doing?!"

Before Gu Yu could finish her sentence, Takumi grabbed a metal broom that was leaning against the stairs. Ignoring the sudden sharp pain that spread across his face, he moved toward her with a murderous aura.

"You've gone mad!" Gu Yu's expression changed dramatically as she instinctively backed away. "You ungrateful wretch! I've raised you all these years!"

"Raised me? Ha! How much does it cost to hire a maid? How much work have I done at that crappy factory? I've been your unpaid servant for over ten years. I've worked for free, taken your abuse, eaten your leftovers, and worn hand-me-downs. You really have the nerve to say you've raised me? Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to feel superior?" Takumi's anger intensified with every word, and without hesitation, he swung the metal end of the broom down on Gu Yu's head, knocking her to the ground in a pool of blood.

Hearing the noise, Gu Qianqian ran into the room. When she saw her mother lying in a pool of blood, she froze in shock.

Terror filled her face as she looked at Takumi, his clothes splattered with blood. Trembling, she took a few steps back before screaming.

Takumi stared at her coldly, tightening his grip on the bloody broom as he walked toward her.

With tears streaming down her face, Gu Qianqian cried out in fear, "Lin Mo, please don't come any closer! I'm scared!"

"Scared?" Takumi scoffed. "You weren't scared when you treated me like a slave, were you? When you beat and mocked me, where was your fear?"

"I-I'm sorry! I apologize! Please don't kill me! I don't want to die!" Gu Qianqian sobbed uncontrollably. "Please, Lin Mo! Don't come any closer!"

But no matter how much she begged, Takumi didn't stop. His face remained expressionless as he continued to walk toward her.

In her panic, Gu Qianqian tripped and fell to the floor. When she looked up again, Takumi was standing right in front of her, raising the metal broom for another strike.

"Goodbye, cousin," Takumi said with a terrifying, bloodthirsty smile. Just as he was about to bring the broom down, all the strength in his body suddenly vanished. He collapsed to the floor, unable to understand what had happened. In a matter of moments, everything went black as he lost consciousness.

When Takumi regained consciousness, he was greeted by a clear blue sky and the worried faces of Enel and Kaku.

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