NoviceAuthor
patreon
[TIOP] Chapter : 2
🕑 Added 2025-02-02 20:45:53 +0000 UTCJack stared at the shattered remains of his wooden door, his brows furrowing deeply as his gaze shifted toward the entrance.
“Well, well, kid. Didn’t think you’d still be alive. Since you’ve managed to cheat death, it’s time for this month’s protection fee!” A pirate swaggered in, a menacing grin on his face and a large knife slung casually over his shoulder. The pirate was about 6 feet and a bit on the round side with a scruffy beard and a bandana covering his hair.
Jack’s eyes narrowed as recognition set in. "It’s you," he said coldly. This was the same man—the so-called “little boss”—who had beaten the original owner of this body to death for failing to pay the protection fee.
And yet, this intruder wasn’t even the leader of the pirates. He was just a lackey, a minor enforcer sent to collect the villagers’ hard-earned money. The real boss never stooped to handling such petty tasks.
The reason this man was dubbed the “little boss” was simple: during his last visit, he’d brought two followers along to intimidate the villagers. This time, however, he was alone, which only added to Jack’s growing disdain.
“What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you’re broke again,” the pirate sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “You won’t be as lucky as last time, I can promise you that!” He chuckled, his taunting laughter filling the small cabin.
Jack quickly assessed the likelihood of a fight with the pirate and decided to take a more cautious approach. Putting on a timid expression, he offered an apologetic smile. “Sir, didn’t I pay the protection fee last time? It hasn’t even been a full month yet, has it?”
The pirate snorted, his disdain evident. “Hmph! Don’t think I’ve forgotten. You were 100 berries short the last time. And don’t try to play coy—I know you’ve been selling fish lately. You must have a nice stash of cash by now. If I hadn’t spotted you on my way through today, you might’ve tricked me!” He slammed his knife onto the ground, the blade biting into the wooden floor as he sneered.
Jack narrowed his eyes but forced a smile. “You’re as sharp as ever, sir. It’s true, I’ve been selling some fish recently. I was planning to give you the payment next month, but I didn’t expect you’d grace me with your presence today!”
The pirate laughed, a crude and mocking sound. “Haha! Smart kid. But who said this is next month’s payment? This is what you still owe me from last time! Don’t think you’re off the hook—you’ll be paying next month’s fee too. Got it?” His tone turned harsh, his glare sharp.
Jack’s smile stiffened as realization dawned. The man wasn’t here on official “business.” He’d likely stumbled upon Jack’s fish-selling venture and decided to pocket a little extra for himself. That also explained why his usual entourage wasn’t with him this time—this was an unplanned, personal shakedown.
“Don’t worry, sir! Consider this a small token of appreciation. It won’t be counted toward the protection fee,” Jack said with a flattering smile, turning away to feign retrieving a stack of berries from under the bed.
In truth, his money was securely stored within the system. His little act was merely a precaution to avoid arousing suspicion.
“Haha, now that’s what I like to see! Smart kid! When our pirate crew starts recruiting, I’ll make sure to recommend you!” The little boss laughed heartily, snatching the money from Jack’s hand without a second thought.
As he reveled in his imagined victory, the pirate failed to notice Jack’s calculating gaze. Beneath his subservient demeanor, Jack’s mind raced, considering how to eliminate the man. His palms, damp with nervous sweat, brushed against his trousers as he continued his act, placing a seemingly casual hand on the pirate’s shoulder while muttering more words of flattery.
'Equip weapon' Jack commanded silently in his mind. In an instant, the kendo stick materialized from the system into his grip.
With a swift motion, Jack swung the weapon down at the unsuspecting pirate.
Crack!
To Jack’s horror, the sword shattered upon impact. The broken pieces clattered to the floor, leaving him frozen in disbelief.
Both Jack and the pirate froze in mutual shock, staring at the shattered remnants of the sword.
“Damn it! The quality is terrible!” Jack cursed under his breath, though he had no time to dwell on his frustration.
Without hesitation, Jack’s hand shot out, seizing the large sword the pirate had carelessly placed on the table. In one fluid motion, he swung it with all his might at the man’s neck.
“You little punk, you’ve got some nerve—” the pirate began, his voice laced with fury. But his words were abruptly cut short. A flash of cold steel was the last thing he saw before darkness claimed him.
The blade sliced cleanly, and with a sickening sound, the little boss's body crumpled to the ground, his head severed. Blood pooled across the wooden floor, vivid and unsettling.
“Hahh... Hahh...Hahh…”
Jack collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving as he stared at the gruesome scene before him. It was his first kill—a brutal, visceral act that left his stomach churning violently.
“Congratulations to the host.”
The system’s voice chimed, calm and detached amidst the chaos.
But Jack barely registered the words. He scrambled to his feet, his legs shaky, and stumbled out of the wooden house. The cool night air did little to settle his nausea as he bent over and retched, expelling the turmoil within him.
After what felt like an eternity, Jack finally managed to steady himself. Even so, a lingering hesitation kept him from re-entering the wooden house. The gruesome scene still loomed vividly in his mind. However, the thought of what would happen if the pirates discovered the incident forced him to summon his courage. Gritting his teeth, he stepped back inside and began the grim task of cleaning up.
The first order of business was to dispose of the body. Jack dragged the lifeless remains of the little boss to the sea under the cover of darkness and cast it into the waves. Returning to the cabin, he fetched bucket after bucket of water to scrub away the bloodstains until the place looked as if nothing had happened. Only after the cabin was restored to its prior state did Jack allow himself a moment to breathe and open the system to review the earlier notifications.
“Congratulations to the host for killing a pirate and gaining 10 Exp.”
“Side Mission Activated: Expel the invading pirates.
(Reward: 100 diamonds, 100 EXP, 1,000 berries, and a random white-grade weapon.)”
Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he read through the messages. Gaining ten EXP for eliminating a pirate was significant progress. It was far more rewarding than the meager points he’d earned from killing fish, which had become almost useless now that he’d leveled up.
The unexpected side mission intrigued him even more. Completing it promised substantial rewards—not just Exp and berries, but also precious diamonds. As for the so-called 'white-grade weapon' Jack found himself unimpressed. Given his luck with the sword earlier, he wasn’t holding out much hope for anything extraordinary.
Weapons of this world in the shop are categorized into seven tiers by color: rainbow, gold, purple, blue, green, and white. Among them, white weapons represent the lowest tier, offering only a marginal improvement over something as crude as a wooden sword.
Reflecting on his recent encounter, Jack couldn't help but feel a chill. That flimsy wooden sword that the system issued him might have been his demise if not for the basic training and attribute improvements he had acquired through relentless training.
The pirate’s reaction had been quick, and without the advantage of his improved stats, survival would have been a slim hope.
Even so, Jack realized that raw attributes alone weren’t enough to guarantee victory. The pirate’s combat experience had been evident—if not for Jack’s surprise attack, the outcome of their clash could have gone either way. Strength and speed were useful, but combat instinct was something earned through experience, not numbers.
A few days later, the pirate group in the village began to notice the absence of one of their own. Despite conducting an aggressive search and attempting to intimidate the villagers into revealing information, their efforts were fruitless. Jack took solace in this development. It was becoming increasingly clear that this was nothing more than a small, insignificant band of pirates.
—
“Jack, I’ll leave these fish with you!” a middle-aged man called out as he jumped off a weathered fishing boat, his voice warm and cheerful. He handed off a bundle of freshly caught fish to Jack, who was still busy on the deck.
Realizing his limitations, Jack decided to bide his time. He reluctantly handed over the berries to the pirate leader, paying the second month’s protection fee, and then joined the village’s fishing crew.
Fishing alone had proven inefficient, so when Jack learned of a fishing boat that regularly ventured out to sea, he wasted no time getting involved. Through some negotiation and willingness to handle the messy task of processing the catches, Jack gained authority over the sea fish haul.
To put it plainly, no one on the boat wanted the unpleasant job of gutting and cleaning the fish. When Jack volunteered, the rest of the crew happily handed over the responsibility.
After a month of diligent effort, Jack’s progress was tangible. His Exp had climbed to 96% of level 4, and his Basic Strength Training skill proficiency had exceeded 2,000 points.
Regarding skill points, Jack now had one point left. Initially, he had two but had spent one on upgrading Basic Strength Training. Instead of triggering an instant level-up as before, the system awarded him 1,000 proficiency points. As a result, the skill still remained at level 2, slightly above 2,000 points.
In terms of attributes, each level-up had granted him five free attribute points. With three levels behind him, Jack now had a total of fifteen unused attribute points waiting to be allocated.
Through consistent exercise, Jack noticed gradual improvements in his skill proficiency and character attributes, though the progress was relatively slow. To accelerate his growth, he allocated seven attribute points to life, significantly boosting his physical endurance and vitality.
Next, he distributed two points each to strength and speed, enhancing his combat capabilities. The remaining four points were used for experimentation. Curious, Jack decided to invest in the energy attribute. However, apart from a faint warmth in his stomach, there were no discernible changes. Frustrated, he concluded that he likely hadn’t unlocked the method to fully utilize energy yet.
After a long day of killing fish, Jack returned to his cabin, his body aching from exhaustion. His experience bar was tantalizingly close to full, sitting at 99%, just shy of leveling up. Determined to bridge the gap, he took a quick bath and secured the cabin before heading out toward the village bar.
The bar, notorious as a gathering place for pirates, was the perfect spot for Jack's plan. He intended to find a lone pirate and finish his upgrade there. Unlike before, Jack now carried a quiet confidence, knowing that his strength and abilities had improved significantly.
When he transmigrated first, he had a skinny body with minimal strength. His height was an impressive six feet for an 18-year-old. But now, even though his height hadn't increased much, his body had filled up, sporting impressive shoulders, chest, and biceps. His body now looked like a Greek god's without the six-pack abs.
After every level-up, Jack made it a habit to test his physical capabilities. In the world of One Piece, his progress might not seem extraordinary, but compared to Earth, he was nothing short of a superhuman. After all, he couldn’t recall anyone back on Earth being capable of breaking a tree with a single punch. Now, Jack was confident he could do exactly that.
When he arrived at the village bar, as expected, he found several pirates gathered in groups, laughing and drinking.
“Hey, Jack! You’re here! What’s up? Are you treating us to drinks today?” One of the pirates called out, his face flushed from too much rum.
“Of course! What else would you like? It’s on me!” Jack replied with a warm smile.
The pirates’ familiarity with Jack wasn’t surprising. Over time, he had spent a significant portion of his earnings treating them to drinks. While it drained his pockets, it served a purpose—Jack used these occasions to gather valuable information about the pirate crew and their operations.
Contrary to Jack’s initial assumption, these weren’t nameless pirates but former members of the notorious Krieg Pirates of the East Blue. However, they were nothing more than castaways—defeated and discarded by the Krieg Pirates.
This ragtag group of about thirty deserters banded together and took control of this small village, using it as their hideout to assert dominance and live off the locals.
The bar owner soon arrived with the drinks Jack had ordered. Without hesitation, the pirates helped themselves, guzzling the liquor with reckless abandon. Jack watched them with a pleasant smile, raising his own mug of beer for a hearty gulp.
As the night wore on and the pirates neared their fill, they began staggering out of the bar, leaning on one another for support. Their base camp was their decrepit pirate ship anchored nearby, and when exhaustion caught up with them, they typically retreated there to rest.
