Chapter 1+2 - Preview of One Piece: Reincarnated as Rimuru Tempest

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Chapter 1: Binding with the Multiverse Character, Rimuru!

East Sea, 1520.

The East Blue, considered the weakest of the four seas, enjoyed relative peace thanks to the occasional patrols of the Marine hero, Garp. "Relative" being the key word.

The Grand Line was vast, and even a powerhouse like Garp couldn't chase down every small-time pirate. While the East Blue lacked pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million berries, those in the million-berry range were plentiful.

Out on the waves, a pirate ship flying two Jolly Rogers rammed a passenger vessel, nearly capsizing it.

Only the helmsman's quick thinking prevented disaster, but it didn't spare them from the pirates' clutches.

Grappling hooks secured the ships, and pirates swarmed aboard, weapons drawn. They had stalked this vessel for a while, its treasures and passengers already claimed in their minds.

But the passenger ship wasn't defenseless. In this age of piracy ushered in by Gol D. Roger, many merchant companies trained their own security. Guards took up defensive positions, and gunfire erupted, filling the air with the stench of gunpowder and blood.

However, the pirates, greater in number and hardened by a life of violence, were steadily gaining control.

Meanwhile, in an unoccupied cabin, a faint, grey magic circle shimmered into existence. A moment later, a blob of blue, jelly-like substance materialized within it. The gelatinous being looked around, a blue question mark forming above its head. "Great Sage, have I arrived in the One Piece world?"

Answer: Current coordinates: One Piece world, East Blue, 1520. Precise location...

East Blue? Rimuru's form quivered in what might have been surprise. 1520? Wasn't that the year Monkey D. Luffy set sail?

Rimuru had been on Earth just moments ago, an ordinary office worker, bound to this new form after awakening a system.

His life mirrored his past self, Satoru Mikami, down to the mundane job and 37 years of singlehood. The only difference was the lack of a dramatic computer destruction preceding his transmigration.

Multiverse Character Binding System

Bound Character: Rimuru

Character Potential: SSR+ (Highest Tier)

Species: Slime

Unique Talents:

• Great Sage: Thought Acceleration, Analysis and Appraisal, Parallel Processing, Chant Annulment, All of Creation

• Predator: Predation, Analysis, Stomach, Mimicry, Isolation

• Devouring Empire (System-Added Unique Talent): Three Thousand Beauties, Power Over All, Imperial Majesty

Innate Skills: Pain Nullity, Magic Sense, Dissolve, Absorb, Self-Regeneration

...

"These otherworldly ingredients look interesting. Saves me the trouble of finding them later. Keep."

"Is this... gunpowder? Might be useful. Keep."

"Money isn't everything, but everything needs money. Gold, silver, jewels, and these Berries... keep!"

"A nautical chart? And books? These might come in handy. Keep!"

Closing his status screen, Rimuru used Magic Sense to navigate the ship's vents, his Stomach's infinite space swallowing anything that piqued his interest.

He swept through the ship like a wolf among sheep, leaving not a single Berry behind. The pirates arriving later to plunder the spoils found nothing but useless trinkets, not even a drop of rum.

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Chapter 2: The Little Thief Cat, Nami

"Damn it! There's nothing here!" a pirate cursed, tossing aside useless clutter. "Not even a single barrel of booze!" another pirate exclaimed, scratching his head. "If there weren't other pirate ships around, I'd swear we'd been double-crossed!"

They weren't alone. Every pirate on the ship encountered the same baffling emptiness. It was as if they'd plundered a ghost ship.

Meanwhile, the blue slime responsible for this predicament continued his scavenging, eventually reaching the captain's cabin. Slipping through a vent, Rimuru was surprised to find someone already there.

An orange-haired girl, no older than 18, expertly manipulated a safe. Her practiced movements suggested this wasn't her first time. Rimuru initially thought she was another thief, but upon seeing her face, he recognized her: Nami, the Navigator.

[Alert: World Plot Beauty Nami detected. Recommendation: Incorporate Nami into the Imperial Harem.]

The Great Sage's voice echoed in Rimuru's mind. Of the three unique talents, Great Sage acted as a coordinator, managing Predator and Devouring Empire. Rimuru couldn't help but think, As expected of my wife, Ciel. Even among these powerful abilities, she reigns supreme.

This Nami was younger than the one he knew, still a slender girl, not yet fully grown.

"So that's why there wasn't a single Berry," Nami muttered. "Someone really did beat us to it."

Suddenly, the cabin door burst open, and rough voices filled the room. Pirates crowded the entrance, along with the trembling figure of the ship's captain.

[Alert: Triggering Novice Mission: First Battle! Eliminate all pirates on the passenger ship. Rewards: Novice Gift Pack x1, Nami's Trust.]

"Huh? A kid?" The pirates paused, momentarily stunned, then scanned the room. Seeing only Rimuru, one of them sneered. "A thief, eh? We thought it was another crew."

"Stealing from the spoils of the Rizaho Pirates? You've got guts, kid. Tell us where your crew is and hand over the treasure!" the leader roared, greed flashing in his eyes. "You're pretty young, but you seem developed enough. If you don't talk, don't blame us for getting rough."

"C-Crew?" Nami hadn't expected them to reach the captain's cabin so quickly. Had they already ransacked the entire ship?

"I don't know anything! I was just hiding! See? I don't have anything!" Nami quickly concealed the safe with a cloth, holding out her empty hands.

Instinctively, she exposed the Arlong Pirates' mark on her arm. "I'm... I'm an officer of the Arlong Pirates! This is all a misunderstanding!"

Though she loathed the tattoo, she couldn't deny its usefulness. The Arlong Pirates' reputation had saved her several times before, but this time felt different. These pirates seemed far more ruthless.

"Arlong Pirates? Those fish-men?" A pirate scoffed. "The Arlong Pirates are known for hating humans. They rarely leave survivors. You think they'd take a kid like you as a crew member? Trying to scare us with Arlong's name?"

"Besides," he continued, his voice laced with menace, "even if you were with Arlong, out here on the open sea, who's to know if we kill you and take everything?"

The pirates laughed cruelly, their gazes lingering on Nami. The ship's captain cowered on the floor.

This is it... Nami thought, despair washing over her. They weren't afraid of Arlong. She had no leverage left. Images of Cocoyasi Village and her sister flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes, resigned to her fate.

"Want to live?" a voice echoed in her mind. "Join or die. Choose."

Nami's eyes snapped open. She hadn't saved enough to buy back her village. She was barely an adult; there was so much she hadn't seen or done. Nojiko was waiting for her.

"I don't want to die!" she blurted out.

Thump!

A heavy thud echoed through the cabin.

[Predation!]

A blue, jelly-like creature dropped from the ceiling, engulfing the nearest pirate. In a blink, the man was gone, dissolved.

Panic erupted.

"What the—?! What is that thing?!"

"Akai! He's been eaten!"

"A monster! It's a monster!"

"Damn it! I ain't afraid of no slime! Come on, men! Let's get it!"

Some pirates fled, but most, hardened by a life of violence, rallied and charged towards the blue blob – Rimuru. He hadn't figured out how to approach Nami, but these pirates had presented him with the perfect opportunity.

[Consumed one common pirate unit. Analyzing... Obtained human racial data. Magicule value +5.]

The Great Sage's voice reported. These pirates were weak, barely worth any magicules, and their skills were nonexistent.

The first pirate reached Rimuru, swinging his cutlass. His eyes widened in surprise. How is it so fast? he thought.

But to Rimuru, with Thought Acceleration enhancing his perception a thousandfold, the pirate's movements were glacial. He bounced off the ceiling, dodging the attack, then slammed into the pirate with enough force to crack the floor.

[Predation!]

Two other pirates fired their pistols. The bullets struck Rimuru, then vanished without a trace.