In a high school classroom in Donghai City, Ye Yu lay on his desk, seemingly asleep but actually digesting the information in his mind.
A month ago, he had crossed over to this world, initially thinking it was identical to his previous one. However, he soon discovered that the anime "One Piece" didn't exist here; only he knew about it.
On the third day after arriving in this world, an anomaly occurred. The world turned pitch black, and it seemed as though the world itself was undergoing a transformation. After 2.5 seconds of darkness, daylight returned.
Everyone was horrified to find that the world map had changed. Many cities on the continent were no longer clustered together but were now scattered across the sea.
Ye Yu quickly realized that the world had become similar to the world of "One Piece."
Then, a message flooded everyone's minds.
"The Era of Devil Fruits has arrived. All powerful firearms and high-tech transportation tools have disappeared. In thirty days, the anomaly will officially begin. Everyone can choose to obtain a Devil Fruit and become a powerful Ability User, but with one weakness: fear of water and the inability to swim."
"Aside from choosing a Devil Fruit, you can also contract as a Non-Ability User, but you can only choose one."
"Based on your innate talent, the higher your talent, the higher your success rate."
"In sixty days, various Sea Beasts, powerful wild beasts, and Ferocious Beasts will appear. Killing them will grant you Experience Points, allowing you to level up, with the maximum level being 100. Leveling up will continuously develop your Devil Fruit abilities. At level 100, your Devil Fruit abilities will reach the same level of mastery as the users in 'One Piece.'"
"Additionally, many islands will have Mystic Realms, which contain even more powerful Ferocious Beasts and treasures. By obtaining treasures and throwing them into the Treasure Pool in designated areas, you can receive Experience Points based on the quantity and value of the treasures."
"One final warning! In three years, the Marines and the World Government from 'One Piece' will descend upon this world, becoming enemies of the Pirates. So, whether or not to become a Pirate is a decision to be made carefully. If you don't contract, you will remain an ordinary person, and the Marines will not see civilians as enemies."
...
Then, the message ended.
At that moment, everyone was stunned and panicked.
Some were excited because the world had changed. It was no longer a world where money ruled supreme but one where they could cultivate and grow stronger, a world of adventure.
Those who were excited and happy were mostly people who lived in poverty, had no money, and were under great pressure. The wealthy, on the other hand, were worried. They had been living comfortably, but now the world had changed, and it was a world where strength reigned supreme.
Most people were happy and expectant.
Soon after, talent testing monuments appeared in every city. By placing a hand on them, one could measure their innate talent.
Everyone was anxious and hopeful, wanting to obtain high talent, as low talent would prevent them from acquiring powerful Devil Fruits.
After some time, everyone gradually accepted the new reality. Testing was conducted, and in every city, a few geniuses emerged, though they were rare.
Ye Yu's talent test result was Level 10, the highest possible talent.
This meant that Ye Yu's level directly reached Level 10, and Level 10 talents were extremely rare in the entire Dragon Country.
After that, many people wanted to get on good terms with Ye Yu, currying favor in various ways. After all, having the highest talent meant that even if he chose the most powerful Devil Fruit, he would succeed.
After the world's transformation, everyone realized that powerful firearms had indeed disappeared, leaving only pistols, low-powered grenades, and artillery shells.
High-tech transportation, such as cars, trains, high-speed rail, and airplanes, had also vanished, and these could no longer be reproduced.
Everyone understood that from now on, the most advanced means of transportation would likely be ships.
As a result, numerous shipyards had emerged during this period, as it was clear that the age of great voyages was upon them, and ships were essential. Moreover, Devil Fruit Ability Users feared seawater and couldn't swim, and the seas were no longer home to ordinary fish and shrimp but also Sea Beasts, making ships even more necessary.
For Ye Yu, this was already clear. After all, in his previous life, he had watched the anime "One Piece" and was well aware of the world of pirates.
Ye Yu sighed to himself, "In such a world, for those with good talent and who make the right choices, life could indeed be better than before. Without this transformation, even if I had transmigrated to this world, I would still be struggling for money. Since I have the highest level of talent, it's only natural that I choose to become a pirate."
"Although the Navy will arrive eventually, that's still three years away. And in the world of 'One Piece,' the strength of pirates is not inferior to that of the Navy."
Just then, a soft and pleasant voice interrupted Ye Yu's thoughts.
"Brother Yu, I've made up my mind. I won't join any other pirate crew; I'll create my own. Let's call it the Chosen One Pirate Crew, okay? Of course, you'll be the Captain, Brother Yu, since you have the highest level of talent, one level above me. I'll be the Vice-Captain. And our crew will only recruit the chosen ones; geniuses will just be the minimum requirement to board the ship."
Other classmates were envious and eager to join but knew it was impossible. In a single class, having two chosen ones was already extremely rare, as many other cities struggled to produce even one.
At the same time, some boys envied Ye Yu for having the highest level of talent, especially since the school beauty, Lin Muxue, was usually very aloof.
Her stunning beauty and figure, combined with her icy demeanor, made many men want to conquer her, but they knew it was impossible.
With her ninth-level talent and such excellent external conditions, Lin Muxue had every right to be aloof. But with Ye Yu, it was a completely different story, leading some to suspect she had a dual personality.
When facing Ye Yu, her speech was no longer cold but rather sweet and endearing. Her demeanor and actions were no longer aloof; she became like an eager admirer, instantly switching from a cold expression to a warm smile the moment Ye Yu appeared.
They were both envious and helpless. After all, Ye Yu had the highest level of talent, and everyone wanted to befriend him, to become his companion, especially since powerful Ferocious Beasts and dangerous Mystic Realms would appear in just a month.
Lin Muxue sat beside Ye Yu, leaning in with a smile as she asked, "Brother Yu, what do you think?"
Ye Yu nodded, "Sure, no problem. Navigating and adventuring alone would indeed be difficult, and when the Navy arrives in three years, they'll likely target pirates without a crew first. So forming a pirate crew is indeed necessary."
"Exactly," Lin Muxue agreed with a nod, then patted her ample chest as if making a promise.
"Recruiting crew members will be my responsibility. I'll do my best to bring in capable individuals. Even though we haven't formed contracts yet, we can start selecting candidates. I've already picked a few."
It wasn't wrong to recruit in advance. Once the contracts were finalized, they could join immediately. However, Ye Yu reminded her of one thing.
"Don't recruit those with poor character. After all, they'll become true companions, not just superficial friends. So, avoid the truly bad ones."
"Alright."
Although Lin Muxue agreed, she felt it was a bit too strict and thought they should be slightly more lenient.
Ye Yu stood up and said, "Alright, it's about to begin. Let's head out."
At the same time, everyone in the entire Dragon Nation stepped outside.
This was because numerous Contract Vortex Streams would appear in every city, and each person could enter them one by one to make their choice.
Ye Yu arrived at the sports field, where there were already ten Contract
Vortex Streams alone.
The previous information resurfaced in everyone's minds.
"The contract selection begins! Choose carefully!"
(End of Chapter)