One Piece: Mangaka of Legends

 "Damn, this scene is so realistic. My heart hurts—"

And just like that, I died. No truck, no assassins, no mysterious god summoning me to another world. Just instant karma for pulling an all-nighter, drawing an unnecessarily brutal heart-ripping scene in my horror manga.

For a moment, I thought it was just my usual chest pains from consuming ungodly amounts of instant noodles and energy drinks. But when my head hit the desk, my last conscious thought was something along the lines of:

"This… is the dumbest way to die."

And then, nothing.

"Oi. Oi. Wake up already!"

A rough, female voice snapped me out of the abyss. My entire body ached like I had been tossed into a washing machine set to "obliterate." I forced my eyes open, my vision swimming until I saw—

Wooden planks? A dark, muggy room? A thick smell of salt and sweat?

I wasn't in my dimly lit apartment anymore. I was in some nasty, pirate-looking storage room. Ropes, barrels, a few rusty swords. Oh, and a bunch of dirty, ugly guys glaring at me like I was a cockroach in their soup.

That was when my sluggish brain finally registered something important.

I wasn't alone.

"This one's awake," one of the men grunted, scratching his hairy stomach.

Another scoffed. "Shoulda knocked 'im out harder."

I blinked at them.

And then it clicked.

I know this place.

The cheap, filthy pirate ship. The disgusting, beer-bellied crew. The woman's voice yelling from above deck. I've seen this before.

I'm on Alvida's ship.

...What the actual hell?!

System Awakening

[Welcome to the One Piece World.]

[Congratulations, you have been chosen by the Mangaka System.]

System? What?

[Joining the Straw Hat Crew as an official member will activate the system fully.]

[First-time crew member reward: Beginner Template - Sukuna (10%)]

Wait. WAIT. Hold on.

ONE PIECE? STRAW HATS? SUKUNA TEMPLATE?!

I had no time to process all this because the pirates were grabbing me by the collar and dragging me up to the main deck. My brain screamed at me to wake up properly as the blinding sun hit my face.

"Oi, Captain! The brat's awake!" one of them called.

There she was. Alvida in all her ugly, pre-Smooth-Smooth Fruit glory, standing there with her oversized spiked club, glaring down at me like I owed her money.

"Took you long enough," she sneered. "Who are you, and why were you floating in the sea? A spy?"

Floating in the sea?

So that's how I got here. Probably got isekai'd straight into the ocean and fished out by these pirates.

I had to act fast.

If I played my cards wrong, I'd get a free trip to the afterlife—again.

"I... I don't know," I said, trying to look confused. "I woke up, and I was here."

"Tch. Worthless," Alvida scoffed. "Throw him with the other weaklings."

I barely got shoved aside before I heard another voice.

A familiar, iconic voice.

"Who the hell are you guys?"

I turned my head and there he was—Monkey D. Luffy, standing on the ship, grinning like an idiot.

Shit was about to go down.

First Fight & System Activation

The next few minutes were a chaotic blur. Luffy went full rubber destruction mode, tearing through Alvida's men like they were paper dolls. The pirates panicked, but I wasn't about to sit still like some NPC side character.

[Combat Detected.] [Activating Template: Sukuna (10%)]

A strange, powerful energy flooded my body. It was like something ancient and terrifying had been sealed inside me, now stirring awake. My senses sharpened, my muscles felt stronger, and something inside me just knew how to fight.

One of the pirates charged at me with a rusty cutlass.

My body moved on its own.

I twisted, dodging effortlessly. My fingers flicked out.

SLASH!

A deep gash appeared across his chest, even though I hadn't touched a weapon.

Holy— Dismantle.

I just used Sukuna's signature attack.

The pirate screamed, collapsing. The others looked at me like I was some kind of demon. Honestly? Fair reaction.

I turned to another pirate, one who had a dagger raised and was trembling. He lunged, but I sidestepped easily, catching his wrist and twisting it with almost inhuman strength. The dagger clattered to the deck, and I grabbed his collar, slamming my forehead into his face.

CRACK!

His nose exploded in a spray of blood as he crumpled.

I exhaled, feeling the rush of battle, the thrill of using real power.

Luffy was watching me now. Grinning, of course.

"Whoa! That was awesome!" he laughed. "You should join my crew!"

[Straw Hat Crew Invitation Received.]

[Accepting will fully activate the Mangaka System.]

…Was this even a question?!

"Alright," I exhaled, grinning back. "I'm in."

[System Activated.]

[Welcome, Mangaka of the One Piece World.]

As Luffy cheered and Alvida roared in rage, I couldn't help but smirk.

I'd died like an idiot, but now?

Now, I was about to live like a legend.