"Teacher Kaido, may you die a horrible death!"
In the Paradise segment of the Grand Line, under a darkened sky, thunderclouds loomed over the cobbled streets of a decrepit, medieval-style town on a small island.
With that heartfelt "blessing," an old bloodstained war hammer whistled through the air, its rusty, foul-smelling spikes smashing clean into the forehead of a lunging zombie.
Thunk!
Metal cracked against bone with a dull echo.
The undead fell instantly—
Dead. Again.
Wearing an [F-rank Item: Gas Mask], Trace flicked off the rotting blood and congealed brain matter stuck to the hammer. He clumsily made a reverse cross over his chest—his own twisted version of a memorial prayer—for the dearly departed "Teacher Kaido."
At the same moment, three lines of translucent text flickered at the edge of his vision:
[You have slain an F-rank zombie!]
[Passive skill [Fishing (EX Rank)] activated!]
[You have obtained an F-rank "Bait of Victory"! This bait can be used to fish from the Dimensional Sea—possible catches include F-rank or lower talents, skills, information traits, or miscellaneous items.]
But Trace had no time to bother with strange prompts in his periphery.
Because—
ROOAAAR!!!
A thunderous, dragonic cry cracked across the heavens, shaking the clouds and splitting the sky.
"Damn that treacherous Lady Luck!"
Clearly agitated, Trace jabbed a pinky into his ear, then looked up toward the dark clouds boiling over the horizon. He proudly extended a single defiant finger—his "Great Celestial Prison Finger"—straight at the sky!
In the swirling storm overhead, a massive serpentine figure began to take shape.
A gleaming blue-green dragon, covered in jagged diamond-shaped scales, writhed through the clouds. Orange firelight and pale lightning shimmered across its body, reflecting an icy chill.
Fish-Fish Fruit: Mythical Zoan Type — Azure Dragon Form!
He'd crossed into the world of One Piece...
And on day one, ran into Kaido.
It couldn't get worse—
Right?
Oh, but it could.
Out of nowhere, an unseen force—immense and unstoppable—slammed directly into the flying dragon.
With his enhanced vision, Trace could barely make out a small black blur darting through the clouds.
The enormous Azure Dragon buckled under the strike, crashing downward. Its form burst through the clouds, revealing two massive, cross-shaped scars on its yellow underbelly.
Enraged, Kaido roared, baring his serrated fangs.
With a thunderous blast, the beast spewed a river of red-hot flame—dragon's breath—so intense it scorched the sky itself. The black clouds began tearing apart like old curtains.
And then—
BOOM!
A single punch from the unknown enemy detonated the breath attack.
The flame burst like a wave shattering against an ancient reef, blooming into a blinding firework display—a "Super Ultra Deluxe Boom-Tastic Light Show", courtesy of Kaido himself.
Flaming fragments rained down like a meteor shower, dyeing the gloomy skies a violent crimson.
A battle of titans.
A clash between Emperors of the Sea!
What's worse than crossing paths with one Yonko?
Running into two of them—
Mid-battle!
"Fuck this shit!"
Trace spat.
His chest expanded with force as air filtered through his gas mask, oxygen flooding his bloodstream, fueling every fiber of his body—especially his legs.
"Beast Breathing, Eighth Fang: Boar Rush!"
Two jets of white mist hissed from his gas mask—concentrated breaths expelled like twin streams.
With a slight forward lean, Trace bolted—like a panicked beast fleeing a predator—desperately sprinting back toward the safety of his hideout.
All the while, the "little beast" zigzagged to dodge the raining fireballs from the ruined sky above.
"Kaido, unknown top-tier monster, zombies everywhere...
"Lady Luck, you damn traitor! What kind of nightmare world have I landed in?!
"Did I transmigrate to a post-apocalyptic version of One Piece or something?!"
BOOM!!
Just as he turned onto a side street, Trace's face twisted in horror.
His carefully assembled shelter—his "doghouse" refuge of the past three days—was obliterated by a flaming meteor. Reduced to flaming rubble.
The whole building burned like a torch, the explosion sending a shockwave so powerful it nearly flipped him on the spot.
"KAIDO, YOU REALLY DESERVE TO DIE TWICE!!"
Grinding his teeth, Trace spun on his heel.
Good thing he had a backup lair.
And a backup of the backup... just for this kind of day.
When you stumble into a fight between Yonko, contingency planning is essential.
---
Five minutes later.
Trace stood with a blank face as he watched his backup lair also consumed by fire.
Well... time for Plan C.
His third base was secretly stashed beneath the rear courtyard of a rich local family—a concealed cellar.
He yanked open the hatch, descended through layers of dirt, and collapsed onto the floor. No lights. Just pure exhaustion.
Overusing Beast Breathing had left his lungs and legs screaming in agony, but Trace didn't make a sound.
Not because he was stoic.
He was just numb from pain—it'd happened too many times in the past three days.
Time passed.
Darkness lingered.
Eventually, Trace groaned and rolled upright, flicked on the lights, and peeled off the [Gas Mask], revealing a battered but undeniably handsome face.
He slumped onto a leather sofa in the corner, uncorked a bottle of vintage red wine he'd stolen, and downed a gulp straight from the neck.
Wine dribbled from his lips, tracing a line down his jaw and soaking into his chest.
"Phew—"
Half a bottle in one go. That hit the spot.
From bold gulps to slow sips, he eased into a gentler rhythm.
Then—he summoned his true cheat ability:
A translucent pale screen appeared in the air.
The strange text from earlier now fully materialized:
---
Name: Trace
Strength: F (affects melee attack power)
Endurance: F (affects HP and resistance to damage)
Agility: F (affects movement, attack, and dodge speed)
Influence: D (influences team size, charisma, influence)
Haki: Locked (to be unlocked later)
Luck: F (boosted to D) (constantly fluctuates)
Talent Trait: [Visitor from the Beyond] (Red-tier Trait)
Skill Traits:
[Fishing (EX-rank Trait)]
[Beast Breathing (F-rank Trait – Upgradable)]
Info Traits: [None]
Overall Rating: F
---
This floating panel was Trace's divine cheat—his otherworldly cheat menu.
Stats like Strength, Endurance, Agility, Command, Haki, and Luck were self-explanatory.
But the real deal—the core of his power—lay in the final three sections:
[Talent Trait] — innate gifts granted at birth or through transmigration.
[Skill Traits] — acquired skills that can be trained or upgraded.
[Info Traits] — background or identity descriptors (currently empty).
Trace gazed at the interface.
The battlefield above still raged.
And below, in this tiny, scorched corner of the Grand Line—
A new Emperor was just beginning his rise.