"Did I just transmigrate?"
Looking down at the unfamiliar face reflected in the water, the striking red hair atop his head, the katana at his side, and the straw hat lying casually under a nearby tree, the young man was absolutely certain—he had crossed into another world.
"Red hair? katana?"
He scrutinized his reflection more carefully, and immediately, a vivid image appeared in his mind—red hair, Shanks.
"No way. I've transmigrated into the world of One Piece, and I'm actually Shanks?"
At that moment, he suddenly sensed a strange power stirring within his body. Instinctively, he focused inward, allowing this mysterious energy to expand outward.
Instantly, his perception spread dramatically, clearly sensing all living creatures within a radius of one kilometer.
At that very second, the young man confirmed his identity.
"Observation Haki? I'm really Shanks now?"
As someone who had read plenty of novels, accepting his new identity as Shanks was easy enough. But even so, the current Shanks was still utterly baffled.
Just a second ago, he'd been ranting to his friend about how the later arcs of One Piece were turning into a pile of crap, and the very next second, he found himself becoming Shanks.
It was so sudden—could karma really strike this quickly?
But looking at his face, feeling the strange power just now, and seeing the straw hat lying nearby… Although there were slight differences from his memory, the key elements were all there.
He had truly transmigrated into Shanks.
"Now, I need to figure out the timeline. My Observation Haki seems strong, but there's another power inside me I can't use yet."
"Though Shanks doesn't have a Devil Fruit power, his swordsmanship and Haki are top-tier in the world of pirates."
"But right now, I can't even use Armament Haki or Conqueror's Haki. Also…"
Shanks rubbed his face, noting the absence of any stubble. Clearly, he was still quite young.
Most likely, he'd just recently disembarked from Roger's ship.
He walked over and picked up the straw hat from the ground. This hat held immense meaning, yet its original owner had casually tossed it aside.
Then again, considering it was Shanks, being so casual was pretty normal.
Placing the hat firmly on his head, Shanks gazed around.
Towering trees stretched skyward in every direction, vastly different from any forest he'd seen in his past life—far grander, denser, and more vibrant than even the so-called primeval forests.
So this was the world of One Piece.
Ordinary people would find it incredibly difficult to survive here. Even Shanks, as he was now, would struggle to survive in such a dangerous world.
Pirates, Marines, Sea Kings… Even the strange beasts lurking on islands could easily take his life.
"Although it's dangerous, given my talent, I'll just need a bit of time to become stronger. Once I've fully mastered my Haki, at least I'll have some means to protect myself."
Shanks sighed to himself.
He wasn't the protagonist; Luffy was. Only Luffy could confidently set sail in a tiny boat without a second thought.
"At this point in time, Roger should've just recently died, and the World Government is probably still hunting down his crew. It's best to avoid attracting attention."
With this in mind, Shanks decided to settle down and train quietly for a while.
As a transmigrator, caution was paramount.
After all, he didn't have any cheat-like advantages. Even pirates couldn't rely solely on blind luck.
Thankfully, although he didn't inherit Shanks's memories, the physical foundation was still there.
"I'll settle here temporarily, train until I'm strong enough, and then set sail."
Being able to train was already fortunate. Without any foundation, apart from physical training, he wouldn't even know where to begin.
Since this was the One Piece world, mastering Haki was crucial.
Of course, physical strength training couldn't be neglected either. The upper limits of physical power in this world were absurdly high—if you believed in your muscles, they'd respond in kind.
Thinking this, Shanks looked at a massive tree in front of him.
Instead of drawing his blade, he clenched his fist tightly.
"Haaa!"
In an instant, his body's muscles surged with explosive power, and Shanks unleashed a punch infused with tremendous force.
Boom!!
His fist crashed into the enormous tree trunk, over three meters in diameter. The hard bark instantly cracked, splintered, and caved in where his fist had landed.
Crack!
Immediately afterward, the colossal tree crashed to the ground with a deafening roar.
Seeing this scene, Shanks grinned slightly.
"The physical strength in this world is truly terrifying. Worthy of One Piece characters. But this still isn't enough. Although it's my current limit, my body's potential can still be developed further."
"Now, let's test my swordsmanship."
Shanks picked up the katana at his side. He remembered that Shanks's weapon was supposed to be a Western-style sword, but apparently, at this early point in time, he hadn't obtained it yet.
Holding the katana, Shanks felt not even a hint of familiarity.
"As expected, I know nothing about swordsmanship. I'll have to start completely from scratch."
As Shanks swung down his blade, he couldn't even fully cut through another tree.
"I'd better start training swordsmanship first."
Now fully aware of his weaknesses, Shanks knew exactly where to focus next.
Since he had no foundation, he started from the very basics.
Thrusting, slashing, and chopping—these three basic movements were more than enough for him right now.
Shanks felt helpless. Even these simple moves felt awkward, so he could only patiently build himself up from the ground.
After a full day practicing just these three basic movements, Shanks was completely exhausted.
The good news was that he'd managed to build a simple wooden hut nearby. Although it looked crude, Shanks didn't have high standards—as long as it kept him sheltered, it was good enough.
Still, feeling the progress he'd made in just one day, Shanks couldn't help feeling pleased. At least now he could properly grip a weapon.
"I'm starving. This kind of training is making me progress, even if just a little. But there's still a long, long way to go before becoming strong."
"Though my talent is pretty good, when I think about how Luffy became a Yonko-level powerhouse in just a few years… some people just can't be compared."
Shanks sighed deeply. It had taken him nearly two decades to become one of the Four Emperors, yet look at Luffy.
He himself was certainly talented, but that guy was the protagonist. Comparing oneself to the protagonist was pointless.
"I'll eat first."
Shanks shook off these thoughts. Worrying too much wouldn't help anyway.
Before long, a fire crackled outside the wooden hut, and Shanks began grilling fish.
There was a lake nearby, filled with plenty of fish, so at least he wouldn't starve here.
As for taste? As long as it was edible, Shanks wasn't picky at all.