NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The Choices in My Mind
East Blue.
Loguetown.
Dressed in a navy uniform with a cigarette in his mouth, Vivian leisurely appeared from around the corner of the street, only to hear a sudden commotion ahead.
Looking up, his eyes calmly observed a burly, bald man grabbing the collar of an elderly fruit shop owner, threatening him fiercely:
"Old man, you should be grateful I'm eating your stuff, and you dare charge me? Do you know who my boss is?"
At the same time, four options appeared in Vivian's mind:
Help the shop owner and teach the bald man a lesson. (Reward: One random Navy Six Style technique)
Step forward and verbally warn the bald man, then call colleagues to punish him. (Reward: One random quality sword from the Fifty Skillful Grade Work)
Step forward and ask what happened, then smile and ask the bald man to give him some face. (Reward: 5 million Berries)
Continue standing and smoking, choosing to watch the situation unfold. (Reward: +1 to a random basic attribute)
"Hiss~~ Ha!"
Blowing out a smoke ring, Vivian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
A random Navy Six Style technique? If he got Shave or Moonwalk, it would be a lifesaver.
The second option's quality sword also seemed good, as he had always used the standard military sword issued by the base, which would get notched after a few uses of sword techniques, causing him much frustration.
As for the third option, 5 million Berries would be a huge sum for a Navy Petty Officer like him, whose monthly salary was only 300,000 Berries.
"Hmm, the rewards for the three options all seem pretty good…"
He nodded to himself and then, without hesitation, shouted in his mind: "So I choose four!"
[You have selected option 4 and will be rewarded: Endurance +1]
"Endurance, huh?"
'Recently, even after running 100,000 meters, I don't feel tired anymore.' With this thought, Vivian stood still, smoking a cigarette and watching the commotion.
At the same time, the bald man punched the fruit shop owner in the face.
Bang!
Teeth flew out of the shop owner's mouth as he fell to the ground. The bald man pulled out a dagger from his waist and was about to continue his assault when an angry shout stopped him.
"Stop!"
Turning to look, Vivian saw another navy soldier, with a slender face, blonde hair, and silver-framed glasses, exuding a sense of "Justice."
Vivian recognized him immediately. This was Kuto, A Petty Officer who had been transferred to the Loguetown base just last month and was of the same rank as Vivian.
"Causing trouble in Loguetown? Are you not afraid of the navy?" Kuto drew his sword and pointed it at the bald man.
The bald man sneered and pulled out a flintlock pistol, aiming it at Kuto's head.
"What did you just say? Say it again if you dare!"
Kuto: ???
Meanwhile…
Draw your sword and help your colleague, taking down the bald man. (Reward: One random Zoan-type Devil Fruit)
Go back to the base and call for reinforcements. (Reward: One random basic sword technique from another dimension)
Buy a kilogram of lychees from a street vendor and apologize to the bald man. (Reward: +1 random skill experience)
Seeing the options appear in his mind again, Vivian didn't hesitate. He bought a kilogram of lychees from a nearby stall and handed them to the bald man.
"Hmm?" The bald man instinctively took the lychees and looked at Vivian in surprise. "How did you know I like these?"
He had been angry because the fruit shop didn't have his favorite lychees. Unexpectedly, two navy officers appeared, making him prepare for the worst.
However…
"Really? I'm so glad it suits your taste!"
Vivian bowed to the bald man with a fawning smile. "This guy is new here since last month and doesn't know the rules. Please don't take it personally. On behalf of the Loguetown base, I sincerely apologize to you."
Bald Man: (⊙_⊙)?
The… the Navy of Loguetown, are they always this polite to people?
The bald man's expression became even more surprised.
But after a brief thought, he quickly understood.
'It must be because of my boss, right?'
After all, his boss is a notorious underworld leader in this sea area, with over 150 town territories under his control. Not to mention, even in the entire East Blue, few dare to oppose him. {Bartolomeo}
'He must have recognized me.'
'After all, I often go out with the boss to collect protection fees, and with my particularly handsome appearance, it's hard not to leave a deep impression on people…'
'In this case, it's only natural for this kid to feel intimidated.'
"Kid, you're smart. I won't bother with you today."
With that, the bald man stuffed a lychee into his mouth and walked away proudly.
[You chose option 3 and received a reward: Brewing experience +1]
As the prompt sound fell, Kuto clenched his fists and shouted at Vivian, "Vivian, as a Navy officer, how can you bow down to such a villain? Do you deserve the uniform you're wearing? Do you deserve the justice you uphold? You don't deserve to be in the Navy!"
{This time I am going with Navy more.}
"Ah, yes, yes." Vivian nodded vigorously.
"You're a coward!"
"Ah, yes, yes."
"When Captain Smoker returns, I will definitely tell him about your actions today!"{Since it's captain here, that probably means that Tashigi is probably Master Chief Petty Officer}
"Ah, yes… cough, do as you please." Vivian shrugged, ignored Kuto's ranting, took out a cigarette, and walked away on his own.
Kuto was left behind, watching Vivian's back, gritting his teeth, and his face filled with indignation that wouldn't subside for a long time.
…
More than ten minutes later.
Vivian entered the base, returned to his single dormitory, and threw himself onto the bed. Then he opened the system panel in his mind.
Name: Vivian
Age: 20
Strength (related to physical power and destructiveness): 87
Agility (related to speed and reflexes): 90
Endurance (related to stamina and resilience): 85
Spirit (related to fatigue and specific skill usage): 54
(Note: Except for Spirit, the average value of the three attributes for ordinary adults is 10)
Ability List Overview
Swordsmanship: Intermediate (37/100)
Shooting: Intermediate (16/100)
Cooking: Advanced (120/200)
Forging: Beginner (41/50)
Craftsmanship: Beginner (33/50)
Brewing: Intermediate (1/100)
In addition…
Navigation, Medicine, Painting, Carving, Piano…
A whole bunch of miscellaneous skills filled the skill bar on the panel. Without consciously clicking "Expand," it was impossible to see them all.
Flicking away the cigarette butt, Vivian comfortably placed his hands behind his head and couldn't help but sigh.
"Two years already…"
It had been almost two years since he came to this world.
He still remembered when he first crossed over two years ago, he was still a naive young man, full of fantasies about everything in this world.
He couldn't help but touch the scar on the back of his neck, and his thoughts slowly drifted back to two years ago, that stormy evening…