In a small village called Windmill Village, located on the outskirts of Dawn Island, where the Goa Kingdom lies in the East Blue...
Fruits were scattered across the ground.
Standing in front of young Luffy was a large, black gorilla.
The gorilla's face was already swollen, the result of taking a beating from Luffy.
"Oy, weren't you acting all high and mighty just a couple of days ago? How come you're done already?"
Luffy slowly peeled a banana, looking at the gorilla with a haughty expression.
"If this is all you've got, I'm not giving you any of these fruits. C'mon, c'mon, show me some real skill!"
Chomping down on the banana, he taunted the gorilla in front of him.
Humiliated by the provocation, the gorilla, with its thick, hairy hands, swung at Luffy. But Luffy, anticipating it, dodged effortlessly.
"What a useless little animal, huh?"
The gorilla, unable to bear the shame of the boy's insults, teared up slightly before turning to leave.
"Oh, alright then. I guess I can share some of these fruits with you," Luffy said, pretending to be sympathetic after having his fun with the gorilla.
Sure enough, the gorilla perked up and eagerly turned back to grab the fruits near Luffy.
The two of them, human and beast, began happily eating together.
"This world is truly something else—an animal that understands human speech," Luffy mused, munching on an orange as he gave the gorilla a friendly slap on the shoulder.
Just as they were nearly done, a wild boar appeared behind Luffy, snorting as it pawed the ground, seemingly announcing its presence.
This boar was a true knight, never launching a sneak attack from behind.
The gorilla, seeing the boar, snorted in response and scampered up a tree, vanishing from sight.
"Alright then, let me show you the power of human martial arts!"
Luffy clapped his hands, getting up from the ground to face the boar head-on.
The ground shook as the boar lowered its head, tusks bared, charging forward.
Luffy coolly struck a pose:
"Tekkai!"
And just like that, he was sent flying, launched five or six meters through the air, straight off the cliff toward the vast blue sea.
In midair, Luffy didn't even try to resist, letting himself plunge with a splash into the depths.
A split second later, a large hand scooped him up.
A bear-like old man, his body strong and sturdy, had appeared with flash-like speed to pull Luffy from the water.
"Still can't swim, huh? You'll never become a great Marine at this rate."
"I don't wanna be a Marine." Luffy shook off the seawater and opened his eyes, speaking defiantly.
"No, you must become the finest Marine there is." The man, dressed in beach shorts and a loose shirt, insisted as he gently set Luffy down on a rock.
"No, I want to live freely in this world!" Luffy replied.
The old man gritted his teeth at this rebellious statement, finally raising his fist to give Luffy a bonk on the head, knocking him down before turning to leave.
"Ow! Armament Haki is just so overpowered…"
Luffy, nursing the hit from his grandfather, climbed back up from the cliff and draped himself over a tree branch, grumbling.
This was Luffy—but a Luffy who had been reincarnated.
And that old man who had walked away was none other than Garp, his grandfather.
At this point, Garp was still young, with only a bit of gray at his temples. He hadn't met Shanks yet.
Otherwise, he'd probably have said he'd become the Pirate King, just to annoy his grandfather.
Looking out over the sea, Luffy's eyes suddenly lit up:
On the horizon, two flags were flying, each emblazoned with a skull marked by a red scar, fluttering in the wind.
It was an unassuming wooden sailing ship, modest in size, but the flags it flew told of its identity.
Pirates! Pirates were here!
But the village wasn't gripped with fear.
They were already accustomed to this unusual pirate ship.
That red-scarred pirate flag didn't herald looting or destruction; its crew merely drank and made merry, staying only for a short while.
Then, they'd leave without disturbing the village's peace.
The villagers harbored no ill will toward these pirates.
In fact, their visits had even brought a bit of economic growth.
"Shanks is here!"
Luffy tried hard to remember how the original Luffy in One Piece had struck up a conversation with Shanks.
Unable to recall, he decided it didn't matter. All he had to do was act like a kid, and Shanks, being an adult pirate, wouldn't hold it against him.
After all, his grandpa was the island's sheriff!
And so, at only seven years old, Luffy ran joyfully toward the shore.
Pirates of all shapes and sizes disembarked, bringing with them the salty smell of the sea.
"So these are pirates?"
Luffy gazed at the pirates of various heights and builds. These Red-Haired pirates, of course, ignored a little kid like him, passing by as if he were air.
"Yeah, got a problem with that?"
A young voice piped up beside him. A girl with hair split into red and white sections looked at the soaking wet Luffy with an air of superiority.
In stark contrast to him, the girl was decked out in jewels and pearls, looking more like a little princess than a pirate.
"And you are…" Luffy looked at her, stunned.
A diva!
Had he ended up in the wrong version of One Piece? How was there a songstress?
"I'm Uta, the Red-Haired Pirates' singer!"
Excited to see someone her age, Uta cheerfully introduced herself to the country bumpkin before her.
Luffy wasn't interested in Uta, considering her two-toned hair and tsundere personality pretty strange.
Instead, his gaze shifted to the man who was the last to step off the ship.
A man with red hair, three scars on his face, and a longsword hanging at his waist, descended the ship lazily.
There was an inexplicable air about him, a charisma that made people want to follow him.
Red-Haired Shanks, you're the diva's dad!
Deciding to ignore the bizarre addition of a diva, Luffy focused his attention on Shanks.
"Hey, you're the captain of this pirate crew, right?"
"Let's duel! I'm the one who's gonna protect this world!"
Luffy shouted boldly.
With his fist raised, he charged forward, aiming at one of the Pirate King's crew!
Only to have Shanks casually catch him by the scruff of his neck.
"Darn it! That's cheating!"
Suspended in midair, Luffy swung his fists and kicked at Shanks, but his short limbs couldn't land a single hit.
"A duel, huh? How about you come back when you're a bit older?"
Shanks chuckled, setting Luffy down gently.
"Hahahaha…"
The surrounding crew laughed at the sight of Luffy's quick defeat.
I fo
ught Shanks to a standstill! Luffy ignored their laughter. Taking advantage of Shanks lowering him, he threw a tiny punch at Shanks's chest.
Mission accomplished!