Onepiece: I'm Vice Captain Of Strawhat Pirates

The young man muttered to himself, "Why haven't you come yet? If you don't show up soon, Zoro's gonna starve to death. Is this guy even human? Still alive after a week without food…"

A knife hung at his waist, short black hair tousled by the breeze, and a grass stem lazily chewed between his teeth. The young man, looking as if he had all the time in the world, murmured to himself with a sigh.

"My life is so cursed."

I — Lock — sighed helplessly.

"What's up with getting reincarnated into One Piece..."

In this Great Pirate Era, the seas churned with chaos, and legends were forged in blood and ambition. Powerhouses emerged from every corner of the world, vying for dominance.

After a car crash, I thought I'd woken up in ancient times. My first thought? "Let's ride this out comfortably." Maybe I could make a name for myself, climb the ranks, and live the easy life.

Then I saw the newspaper.

"Red-Haired Shanks, Whitebeard Edward Newgate, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido — the Four Emperors of the New World."

My worldview shattered like cheap glass. I cycled through disbelief, excitement, despair, and reluctant acceptance all in under a minute.

This world is insane. The seas are crawling with monsters, and the navy? Half the time, they're just glorified set pieces. The law can't save you — hell, it probably won't even notice you.

Still, I had one stroke of luck. When I reincarnated, I somehow inherited a cheat: Sun Breathing, from Demon Slayer.

Don't ask me how it works. I have no idea why my sword catches fire. But after countless nights of training, I managed to master it.

…Or at least a budget version of it.

I can't cut through clouds or alter the weather like Yoriichi. My Observation Haki barely works, my Armament Haki fizzles out halfway up my arm, and as for Conqueror's Haki? Yeah, no. Not even a glimmer.

So, what do I do? I scrape by catching small-time pirates with bounties under a million berries. It's not glamorous, but it pays the bills.

When I heard Zoro got captured, I decided to camp out and wait for Luffy. If I can stick with the future Pirate King, maybe — just maybe — I won't die a pointless death.

Probably.

But I might've arrived too early. The small fry pirates have mysteriously vanished lately, leaving me broke and cigarette-deprived. Hence the grass stem.

Life is suffering.

"Hey, kid. Hand over your money, and maybe we'll let you go."

A gruff voice cut through my thoughts. I didn't even bother turning around.

"Are you deaf? We're the great One-Eyed Bandit Crew! Our boss, Leah, has a bounty of 800,000 berries!"

I finally turned my head and eyed the group — a dozen scruffy guys with guns. Their leader, Leah, stood in the center, looking about as impressive as a wilted cabbage.

800,000 berries... My eyes gleamed.

Money.

"If you guys fork over a million berries, I'll let you go," I said, grinning.

The bandits froze. Then they burst into laughter. Leah wiped tears from his eyes. "This kid's brain is broken. Kill him."

Bang.

A bullet whizzed toward my head. I tilted slightly, letting it fly past my ear.

"It seems you don't know me," I said, suppressing a yawn. "I'm Lock. A bounty hunter."

Leah squinted. His lackey whispered in his ear, voice trembling.

"Boss, t-that's Lock... Fire Blade. The guy who's been tearing through the East Blue lately…"

Leah snorted. "Another wannabe. Blackmailing bandits? Where's the justice in that? Kill him!"

Bang bang bang!

More bullets. I sighed, stepped forward, and slashed.

Two bullets fell, split in half. I was already behind Leah, my burning blade pressed against his neck. The poor guy stared at his reflection in my sword, face drained of color.

"This is annoying," I muttered. "Hand over a million berries, or I'll take your head instead."

Leah's voice wobbled.

"B-Brother... robbing bandits is immoral…"

I didn't answer, just inched the blade closer.

"I-I have money! Please, don't stain your clean sword with my blood! It's in my shirt. Let me grab it, okay?"

He pulled out a stack of cash. Looked like about 1.2 million berries. I snatched it, sheathed my sword, and casually strolled toward town.

Leah rubbed his neck, shaking like a leaf. Then he shouted after me:

"Big Brother! You said one million! Leave me some!"

I picked up my pace.

Bandits sure like to talk.

I sat on a rooftop, lighting a cigarette with a flick of flame from my finger. Smoke curled into the air as I watched the naval base below.

Helmeppo, with his greasy hair and punchable face, strutted around like he owned the place. The guy took food without paying and still had the nerve to call it disgusting.

I watched the townspeople clean up the mess in silence, their faces numb. No one even cursed anymore.

"Babysitting someone like that?" I muttered. "No thanks. My body would reject it."

I stretched out, gazing at the sky.

"I finally get a second chance at life. I'm gonna stick to Luffy and ride this wild era to the bitter end. Chase freedom, sail the seas, and maybe — just maybe — survive."

I closed my eyes.

And then I heard it.

"Coby~ I'm hungry~"

My eyes snapped open. I peeked over the edge and spotted them — the boy in the straw hat and the pink-haired kid.

It's finally starting.

I grabbed the food I bought with yesterday's stolen cash, jumped down, and landed in front of Monkey D. Luffy.

I handed him the package.

"Luffy, let me join you on your pirate adventure."

Luffy's eyes sparkled like he'd just seen heaven. He grabbed the food and beamed.

"Okay~!"

Just like that.

I guess I'm a pirate now.

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(A/N: Don't Forget To Add In Your Collection And Support via Powerstone)