The soft sunlight poured over the sea, covering the water with a thin golden veil, the waves sparkling and rippling.
The sea waves slapped against the wooden hull, producing rhythmic crashing sounds, urging the boat forward.
On the vast, boundless sea, a small boat like a drifting leaf slowly sailed away under the villagers' blessings, embarking toward a distant and mysterious future.
At the same time, on that small boat barely big enough to fit two or three people and some supplies, a boy wearing a straw hat, a red shirt, and bearing a clear knife scar under his left eye was clapping his hands and laughing exaggeratedly, his eyes brimming with indescribable joy and anticipation.
"Ahahaha~ Red! I knew you'd come to sea with me!"
"I told you long ago, without you, I could never become the Pirate King!"
With hearty laughter, Luffy's arms kept swinging and slapping the teenager across from him.
Pa! Pa! Pa!
The crisp smacking sounds were endless.
Unable to dodge and forced to endure Luffy's slaps head-on was a boy with messy hair, wearing a red and white cap, who looked about the same age as Luffy.
Bang!!!
Finally, pain drove the boy's fist, full of rage, to smash into Luffy's face, burying his features deep into his head.
"Argh! You Idiot!! It hurts like hell!"
"...Mmhmm… sowwy… I won't do it again…"
Luffy mumbled through his caved-in mouth, already well-practiced in apologies.
"Yeah, right!" The boy yanked his fist back, sighing in exasperation as he rubbed his sore shoulder.
He knew better than to believe Luffy's promises—after all, in the two and a half years since he'd transmigrated into this world, he'd heard the same empty words countless times.
That's right.
The boy sharing this tiny boat with Luffy was a genuine transmigrator.
He had originally been an ordinary university student on Earth, whose hobbies were watching anime and novels, playing games, and, well, other recreational activities.
One day, he learned that there was going to be an anime convention near his school. On a whim, he ordered a simple cosplay outfit online—the classic red-and-white outfit of the Pokémon's protagonist, Red
The event had gone smoothly, featuring scenes intense enough to make even the thirstiest fangirls scream for security, much to his delight.
What the boy didn't expect, though…
On his way back to school from the convention, a runaway dump truck, like a rampaging beast, roared straight toward his face.
And then—
His soul crossed over into this body.
May there never be dump trucks in the other world.
Amen.
And so, the boy who had finally become a college student became Red, a 14-year-old orphan in the world of One Piece, sharing the same name as Red from Pokémon.
By coincidence, his "spawn point" was none other than one of the iconic landmarks of the One Piece world, the East Blue, Goa Kingdom, Foosha Village.
…
…
"If I had known I'd be transported into the One Piece world, I wouldn't have dropped the series so early…"
Watching Luffy yank his face back out of his skull in an inhuman fashion, Red once again sighed with a sentiment he had repeated countless times.
Due to the anime's heavy filler, he had stopped watching One Piece after the Marineford War arc—a decision he now deeply regretted.
Fortunately, thanks to YouTubers like Zuo Ye Ben and A Wang, he had at least a basic understanding of major events after Marineford.
For example, his once-favorite "One Punch Man" Garp, who unexpectedly fell from grace at Hive Island and ended up playing hide-and-seek for his lost ID card.
"Speaking of which, ever since I transmigrated, Garp hasn't come back to Windmill Village even once."
"The old man comes home once every few years, and a father who's completely MIA(Missing in Action).
"No wonder Luffy was so influenced by Shanks and wanted to be the Pirate King."
"Hey, Luffy!"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Red looked up to see Luffy sneakily reaching toward their supply box again.
Caught red-handed by Red's sharp gaze, Luffy froze and gave an awkward laugh: "Ah… haha… I was just, uh… checking if the food's gone bad.. haha...!"
"We've only been at sea for a few hours—you really think anything's spoiled already!?"
"Ugh—whatever. I should've expected this."
With an exasperated glare, Akagami stood up—ignoring the boat's wobbling—and yanked Luffy away.
"You're on lookout and sail duty. I'll handle the supplies."
"Food and fresh water are precious resources at sea. Don't you dare mess with them!"
With that, Red plopped himself down next to the food, completely blocking Luffy's greedy gaze.
He had no intention of risking starvation right after setting sail!
But…
Looking at the cramped little boat, Red let out a sigh:
"Sigh~"
"If I had known it would turn out like this, I would've saved up to buy a decent small boat. Then I wouldn't have to squeeze into this little fishing dinghy with Luffy."
His eyes flashed with helplessness.
To be honest, sailing out with Luffy was a spur-of-the-moment decision.
If his "golden finger" hadn't suddenly awakened, giving him that ability, he wouldn't have dared to set out on the dangerous sea while still so weak!
By nature, Red was cautious and never fought battles he wasn't prepared for.
But this time, the voyage had caught him off guard.
Luckily, after two years together, he was able to somewhat rein in Luffy's playful and reckless side, helping them avoid some risks.
Seeing Luffy still eyeing the supplies, Red realized it was time to make him understand the gravity of the situation.
This wasn't playtime anymore.
With a flicker of thought, Red suddenly put on a serious expression.
"Luffy, remember what we agreed on before we set out!?
"Even though you're the captain of this ship, as the vice captain, I have veto power over any decision you make!"
That includes when and how much you eat!
"Being a pirate isn't a game. From the moment you formed this crew, you took on responsibility for everyone's fate!"
"If you're too reckless, we won't get far!"
It was their first voyage, they knew nothing yet, and they weren't even good with charts—they couldn't afford Luffy's usual chaos.
Even though Red had pushed hard to change their sailing date, avoiding the whirlpool that blocked Windmill Village in the original timeline…
The sea was merciless. Who knew what dangers lay ahead?
"Okay~ fine~ I won't eat,"
Faced with Red's serious and firm attitude, Luffy instantly sensed something and obediently lay down on the ship's railing, looking a little pouty.
Though he was the captain, after two years of being together—and after that miraculous adventure the other night—one thing was already clear…
Listening to Red was always the right move!
Seeing this, Red's lips curved into a smile.
Though this approach might make Luffy a little less fun than in the original timeline, compared to regretting his own powerlessness in the face of danger, it was better to make Luffy learn these lessons early.
However, expecting Luffy to stay quiet was like expecting Zoro to go somewhere without getting lost.
Barely five minutes later, a bored Luffy shuffled over to Red, his eyes shining with excitement, and asked:
"Hey, Red, when can we go back to that world again!?"
"You know, the one with those Poke-thingy creatures!"
"That place was amazing~ I didn't get to play enough last time!"
"I really want to catch some of those Poke-things as pets, to adventure with us!"
"They're called Pokémon~!"
Red raised his eyes slightly, still holding the compass as he corrected Luffy's words.
He had explained it at least ten times, but Luffy just couldn't remember the word "Pokémon."
Red grumbled inwardly but still spared a bit of attention to check the handheld Nintendo Switch in his body.
Glancing at the battery display, he answered:
"Just wait a bit~ Once it gets dark, the stored power should be enough for us to go on a full adventure."
"Ehhhh?! That long!!.
Hearing Red's reply, Luffy instantly drooped like a wilted eggplant.
Red, still studying the nautical chart, shot him a glance:
"Come on, it's just a few hours!"
"You think I don't want to go in sooner!?"
"Quiet down, don't distract me from the map!"
"If we get lost, we'll be in big trouble!"
"Okay~ fiiine~"
Under Red's emphasis, Luffy adjusted his straw hat and obediently sat back at the bow.
Still, though he had to wait, the thought of going to another world was just too exciting for Luffy.
"Heh heh~ Red might be a little scary sometimes, but sailing with him as a pirate is the best!"
"I'm definitely becoming Pirate King!!!"
Gazing at the vast ocean, Luffy laughed loudly.
Red's ears twitched, and he couldn't help but smile inwardly:
"Typical Luffy, always so damn energetic."
"Well, since you're technically my first Pokémon…"
"This title of Pirate King…"
"I, as your Trainer, will help you win it!"