Chapter 1

"Teacher Kaido, may you die a thousand deaths!"

In the Paradise phase, on the north side of a small island, on the streets of an ancient town shrouded in dark clouds.

Accompanied by a heartfelt "blessing," the old, blood-stained maul whistled through the air, its sharp, blood-soaked head striking the forehead of a ferocious zombie with precision.

Thud!

The sound of metal and bone colliding echoed, and the zombie fell to the ground.

The living corpse became a dead one.

Wearing the [F-Rank Item: Anti-Toxin Mask], Cui Ze shook the maul to remove the putrid blood and milky brain matter, then casually made an imperfect "reverse cross" on his chest, as a way to mourn Kaido's seventh day.

At the same time, three lines of ethereal text flashed in the corner of Cui Ze's vision.

[You have killed a zombie with a comprehensive rating of F!]

[The passive effect of the EX-Rank skill [Fishing] has been activated!]

[You have obtained an F-Rank "Victory Bait." Using this bait, you can fish from the Dimensional Sea for F-Rank or lower talents, abilities, information, or other miscellaneous items.]

Cui Ze didn't have time to pay attention to these peculiar lines of text, as a thunderous dragon roar suddenly echoed in his ears.

"Roar—"

The majestic dragon roar, like a golden bell and jade chime, reverberated through the sky, stirring the heavy dark clouds above the town to disperse.

"Damn Goddess of Fortune!"

Cui Ze, radiating annoyance, dug his ears and looked up at the dark, roiling clouds in the distance, raising his right hand with the indomitable "Great Vastness Imprisoning Heaven Finger" between his fingers.

In the rolling dark clouds, a segment of a fierce, coiling blue dragon's body was faintly visible. The hard, fine, diamond-shaped dragon scales reflected a suffocating chill in the faint light of the orange-red flame clouds and the white lightning that collided and burst.

Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon Form!

What a tragic experience to encounter Kaido right after crossing over into the world of One Piece.

But that wasn't the most unbearable part.

Suddenly, a massive, unknown force from the sky struck the mythical azure dragon.

With Cui Ze's keen eyesight, he could only faintly see a small, dark shadow flashing in the sky.

This terrifying force sent the azure dragon, which had been soaring freely in the sky, plummeting. The blue dragon's body, which had been hidden in the clouds, was now mostly exposed, revealing two intersecting, giant scars on its bright yellow belly.

Enraged by the powerful blow, the azure dragon opened its massive mouth, and a scorching, boiling dragon breath erupted from its sharp, interlocking teeth. The deep, dark clouds, torn apart by the crimson flame stream that pierced the sky, became sparse and tattered.

However, the scorching dragon breath, which could melt gold and stone, did not have its intended effect. Instead, it was shattered by a punch from the source of the massive force. The dragon breath, like a wave crashing against a thousand-year-old reef, exploded suddenly.

A brilliant "Super Ultra Spectacular Explosion Firework" created by Kaido, the Beast King, lit up the sky!

The scorching flame stream scattered like a meteor shower, instantly turning the dark sky a fiery red.

A battle of sky-splitting proportions!

A battle of the Pirate Emperors!

What could be more terrifying than encountering a Pirate Emperor right after crossing over?

Encountering two Pirate Emperors!

And they were in a fierce battle!

"Damn it! (Probably a censored curse word)"

Cui Ze spat, his chest swelling as a large amount of air, filtered by the [Anti-Toxin Mask], rushed into his nostrils, trachea, and lungs. Oxygen was quickly separated and transported by blood cells to various parts of his body, filling him with explosive strength, especially in his legs.

"Beast Breathing Style, Eighth Form: Wild Boar Charge!"

Two thin streams of white mist suddenly shot out from the filter of the [Anti-Toxin Mask], clearly condensed breaths.

Cui Ze, leaning forward slightly, sprinted like a wild beast, desperately trying to return to his "den."

On the way, this "little beast" had to constantly adjust its position to avoid the "meteor fire rain" falling from the sky.

"Kaido, an unknown top-tier powerhouse, a ruined island full of zombies...

"Damn Goddess of Fortune! What the hell is going on here!

"I must have crossed over into a world where everything has fallen apart—damn it!"

Boom—

Just as Cui Ze stepped into a street, his steps suddenly halted. He watched as the secluded "doghouse" he had barely built over the past three days was instantly reduced to ashes by a falling "fire meteor."

The building turned into a massive, blazing torch, and the intense shockwave from the explosion nearly knocked Cui Ze off his feet.

"Teacher Kaido, may you die a thousand deaths!"

Cui Ze, gritting his teeth, immediately turned around. Fortunately, he still had a backup den—if the backup den was also damaged by a fire meteor, he had a "backup of the backup"—specifically prepared for situations like today.

Accidentally entering the battlefield of the Four Emperors required being mentally prepared for potential losses!

About five minutes later.

Cui Ze, expressionless, watched as his "backup den" was also engulfed in flames.

Now, he could only run to his "backup of the backup."

The third hideout was actually a hidden cellar in the backyard of a wealthy family in the town.

This was the safest and most concealed "den" Cui Ze had prepared in three days.

Quickly pulling open the cellar door and passing through the thick layers of earth, the exhausted Cui Ze collapsed onto the cellar floor without turning on the lights.

The overuse of [Beast Breathing] caused a tearing pain in his lungs and legs, but he remained silent.

It wasn't that Cui Ze was a tough guy; it was just that similar situations had happened too many times in the past three days, and he was already numb to the pain.

Time passed imperceptibly in the darkness.

After an unknown amount of time.

Cui Ze, the survivor, struggled to get up from the floor. He fumbled in the dark to turn on the cellar lights, then casually removed the [Anti-Toxin Mask], revealing a handsome but exhausted face.

He walked to a soft leather sofa in the corner of the cellar, plopped down, and opened a bottle of red wine from the wealthy family's cellar. The deep red wine spilled from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his jawline and soaking his shirt.

"Phew—"

After downing half a bottle of red wine, Cui Ze felt like he had come back to life.

The initial hearty drinking soon turned into a more refined sipping.

Cui Ze took a small sip, then summoned his golden finger, the source of the peculiar text that had flashed during the battle—a surreal, pale white virtual screen!

The screen displayed Cui Ze's personal attribute information.

—

Name: Cui Ze Feite (Trace Felte)

Strength: F (Determines the intensity of physical strength, mainly affecting close combat attack power)

Endurance: F (Determines the strength of physical defense, mainly affecting how much damage one can withstand, and also increases vitality and stamina)

Agility: F (Determines the speed of physical movement, mainly affecting agility, attack or evasion frequency, and can also slightly affect ranged attack power)

Leadership: D (Determines the size of the team one can command, mainly influenced by personal charisma and influence)

Haki: Unactivated (Determines the amount of Haki one can control, to be activated)

Luck: F (Enhanced to D) (Determines personal luck, which is not constant and fluctuates constantly)

Talent: [Visitor from the Other World] (Red Talent)

Ability: [Fishing] (EX-Rank Skill), [Beast Breathing] (F-Rank Skill, Upgradable)

Information: Blank

Overall Rating: F

—

This screen was the golden finger Cui Ze brought with him when he crossed over.

The six attributes [Strength], [Endurance], [Agility], [Leadership], [Haki], and [Luck], each with corresponding explanations, need not be elaborated on.

The most important part of the screen was the last three items, which were the true "cheat abilities" Cui Ze possessed.

Talent: Represents innate talents.

Ability: Represents acquired skills and techniques.

Information: Represents personal identity and information.