Disclaimer
I do not own One Piece... because if I did, I'd probably be swimming in a sea of Berries instead of writing fanfiction. If I did own it, believe me, I would have already solved the mystery of the One Piece and would be enjoying a party in Raftel. But no, here I am, writing about pirates, kings, and fantastical worlds while dreaming of being as rich as Buggy the Clown.
Chapter 1: The Conquistador's Awakening
Sung Lee opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the warm light filtering through an open window. The air smelled of salt and sand, a strange yet familiar aroma that tickled his nose. His mind was a thick fog, fragments of a recent dream dissipating like smoke. He remembered another life, blurry and unattainable memories like fleeting shadows.
The only thing clear was the certainty that he was not in his native world. He had been reborn into a vast and dangerous universe, a world where seas had no end and men fought to conquer them.His face reflected an almost ethereal fragility.
Delicate features, fair hair; one could easily mistake him for a young girl. His initial shyness, his reserved nature, reinforced that impression. But behind that innocent facade, a sharp mind worked tirelessly, observing, analyzing every detail around him.He grew up in a small village on the outskirts of Arabasta.
A peaceful place where days slipped by unhurried. Fishing, local trade... life was simple. They weren't rich, but happiness was enough. That was the only life Sung Lee had known. Until the night peace shattered into a thousand pieces.
Pirates, a brutal and unexpected attack.He remembered the night as if it were seared into his memory. Flames licked the wooden walls, staining the night sky red and black. The acrid smell of burning flesh mingled with the harrowing cries of the villagers, a sound that would forever be etched into his soul.
His father held him tightly, his voice trembling but firm amidst the chaos. "Run, son. Run and don't look back." His father, strong and kind, had faced the invaders to protect him. He had saved him, but at too high a price.
Then King Cobra arrived. Benevolent leader of Arabasta, rumors of the massacre had reached his ears, prompting him to intervene. He found Sung Lee, a tiny child, covered in ashes and tears, and took him to the palace. It wasn't a planned act, not part of an altruistic mission.
Pure chance King Cobra was returning from the Levely, the world summit of leaders where the destinies of the world were decided. During the event, an altercation had arisen between his daughter Vivi and King Wapol. Wapol, in a fit of anger, had insulted the royal family of Arabasta. Cobra had maintained his composure in public, but the incident had affected him.
On his journey back home, he passed near the devastated village and, moved by a momentary impulse of compassion, decided to investigate. There, amidst the smoking ruins, he found Sung Lee. A broken child, but still breathing, and took him with him.King Cobra offered him refuge, but there was never closeness, much less a paternal bond. A busy king, responsible for an entire kingdom, had no time for coddling.
And Sung Lee didn't need direct lessons. He observed the king. Every gesture, every decision, every word. Cobra was a just leader, but firm. He believed in balance, in diplomacy. Through observation, Sung Lee learned the art of strategy, the dance of politics.
Hours lost in the palace libraries, devouring books on history, economics, military tactics. He eavesdropped on the conversations of the royal advisors, analyzing their negotiations, their conflict resolutions. He learned to read between the lines, to anticipate movements, to find the crack in the enemy's armor. Cobra didn't need to teach him.
His mere presence was a constant lesson.
But Sung Lee possessed knowledge hidden from everyone in the palace: the future. He knew that King Cobra, noble and good, would fail to protect Arabasta. Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai, would manipulate the kingdom, unleashing a civil war that would bring it to the brink of collapse.
And Cobra, brave but naive, would be humiliated by the World Government at the next Levely, falsely accused of treason.That knowledge consumed him from within. He saw King Cobra's goodness, his attempt to do what was right in a corrupt world. But he also saw the machinery of the system, designed to crush men like him.
The World Government, the Tenryuubito, the Marines... cogs of an oppressive machine. Sung Lee understood that justice and goodness were not enough. To change the world, he had to challenge the system from the root.
Even if it meant plunging it into chaos.The death of his father, the destruction of his home, deep scars on his soul. Shyness, vulnerability, were now ashes. A relentless ambition grew in their place. Sung Lee understood that to build the world he dreamed of, he had to take control. No one else would do it for him.And now, with the weight of the future on his mind, his determination became even stronger.
The world of One Piece, a hotbed of injustices. The Tenryuubito, parasitic descendants of the founders of the World Government, bathing in luxury while enslaving other human beings. The Marines, supposed guardians of justice, acting for politics, for money, ignoring atrocities, pursuing hollow ideals. Pirates, often demonized, but often victims of that same system, seeking an escape route.The real enemy was not the pirates, nor the Marines, nor even the Tenryuubito. It was the system.
A structure designed to perpetuate inequality, suffering. And if he wanted real change, that system had to be destroyed.He began to train with relentless discipline. Armament Haki, Observation Haki. He knew he would never reach the brute strength of a Yonko, of an Admiral. But his power would reside in leadership. Manipulation, negotiation, surgical planning. Every lesson learned from King Cobra, every book devoured, every conversation overheard, brought him closer to his goal.Physical limitations, yes. But Sung Lee would focus on his strength: strategy. Even the most powerful had weaknesses.
And he would find them. He wove a network of followers. Dissatisfied with the world, seeking change, seeing an opportunity in him.
• • •
One starry night on the palace balcony, Sung Lee murmured to himself. "King Cobra is a good man, but his goodness won't save Arabasta. The system will crush him. As it crushes all who resist. To create a better world, this system must fall. Even if the world burns in the process."Long road ahead. Countless obstacles.
But he was ready. His determination, his greatest strength. His cunning, his most powerful weapon.With that resolution etched in his heart, Sung Lee prepared to set sail into the vast ocean. His ambition, his compass.
His vision of a new world, the beacon that would guide his path.In the following days, while Sung Lee perfected his Observation Haki in the palace gardens, a sweet voice interrupted him.
"What are you doing there so focused?"
Vivi. The princess of Arabasta, a few years younger than him, with her blue hair and eyes full of curiosity. Always with overflowing energy, exploring every corner of the palace, defying the formalities of royalty.
Sung Lee opened his eyes slowly, looking at her with his usual shyness.
"Just... training."
Vivi approached lightly, circling him with an inquisitive gaze.
"King Father says you are very intelligent. Is it true?"
Sung Lee lowered his gaze, slightly uncomfortable with the direct attention.
"I just... read a lot."
Vivi giggled, sitting next to him on the edge of the fountain.
"Boring books! I prefer adventure. Have you ever thought about being a pirate?"
The question, thrown out with childish innocence, resonated in Sung Lee's mind with an unexpected echo. Pirate. In that world, it could mean freedom, power, challenging the system. Or it could mean chaos, destruction, mere selfish ambition.
Sung Lee looked her in the eyes, and for the first time, a slight smile touched his lips. A smile that was not of shyness, but of contained determination.
"Maybe... someday. But first, I need to understand this world."
Vivi seemed intrigued by his answer, her eyes shining with a mixture of curiosity and mischief.
"I can help you with that! I know every corner of the palace, and almost everyone who lives here. And I know where they keep the desserts in the royal kitchen!"
Sung Lee couldn't help but smile a little at her enthusiasm. Perhaps, in the midst of the ambition and darkness that surrounded him, he would find in that rebellious and curious princess, an unexpected guiding light.