[Plane coordinates confirmation in progress... confirmed.]
[Host status confirmation in progress... confirmed.]
[Intelligent system activating... activation complete.]
[Spatial fluctuations stabilized. Initiating wake-up procedure...]
As the series of prompts echoed in his ears, Du Hang slowly opened his eyes.
In front of him was a vast, open sea. The water was crystal clear, like an endless expanse of flowing blue gemstones. Du Hang could swear he'd never seen such a beautiful ocean before—compared to this, even places like the Maldives paled in comparison.
However, in stark contrast to the stunning scenery was Du Hang's gloomy expression.
"I just pressed the wrong key while playing a game, and I actually got isekai'd? Is getting transported to another world really that cheap these days...?"
As a professional shut-in who also moonlighted as a web novelist, Du Hang had often fantasized about what he'd do if he ever got transported to another world. Sometimes he'd daydream about it for days on end, making highly detailed plans. He even imagined how he'd survive a zombie outbreak in his city.
For someone with this level of chūnibyō, it was only natural that he'd be more accepting of a world-hopping situation than the average person.
Rubbing his temples, Du Hang took a look at his surroundings.
Not far from the shore stood a cluster of small white buildings, with large characters across them reading: Navy Loguetown Branch. Beside it stretched a long stone pier where two ships were docked.
"Navy... Loguetown Branch..." Du Hang's eye twitched.
Even if he were just an ordinary shut-in, he would definitely recognize this place. This was an island straight out of One Piece—the location where Luffy and his crew stopped before entering the Grand Line, and also the hometown of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger...
He had actually been transported into the One Piece world. What a tragedy. Why couldn't it have been a world with a weaker power system or one a bit more peaceful?
Even if it wasn't peaceful, couldn't it at least have a higher level of modernization? In a world like One Piece, where the technology is practically nonexistent, you can't even play online games. How lame.
While brooding over all this nonsense, Du Hang tried contacting the voice from earlier.
"Um... that intelligent system or whatever... can you hear me?"
[Affirmative.]
It could respond. Not bad. Even if it wasn't some ultimate cheat, at the very least it could work as a chatbot.
"What can you do? Can you make me stronger?"
[The intelligence system possesses powerful analytical capabilities. As you encounter more things, it will gather increasingly extensive information, thereby helping you become stronger.]
Du Hang's eyes lit up with joy.
This system's functionality didn't sound flashy—no immediate devil fruit gifts or divine artifacts—but if you looked closely, this was truly a god-tier ability!
You can only eat one fruit. You can only learn so many fighting techniques. But if you have a system that's countless times smarter than the human brain and can help you enhance yourself? That's not just one or two dozen powers we're talking about—once you gather enough information, you could literally become omnipotent!
...Wait a second. Doesn't this sound like a classic death-flag?
[Based on current data, this system has prepared two activatable programs for you.
First: A program that enables you to maximize your muscular output. Once downloaded, you'll be able to unleash your full muscle strength during combat, far beyond what you can normally access. However, overuse may lead to bodily damage, so use with caution.]
Du Hang grinned. Just as he'd said—bam, and he gets such an overpowered ability.
[Second: The program is called "No-Self" (Mu-Wo). Once activated, it significantly enhances your combat instincts and synchronizes your fighting rhythm, allowing your combat power to surge exponentially! Due to current physical and mental limitations, it can be sustained for a maximum of four seconds and will enter a long cooldown period afterward. Use with discretion.]
[To unlock more powerful programs, interact frequently with this world and gather more information for the intelligence system.]
After downloading the two programs, Du Hang felt as though two software icons had just been installed in his brain.
He thought about activating the first program—and in the next second, a flood of information rushed into his mind. Within a few seconds, he had fully digested it. The so-called "muscle usage" was actually easy to understand—most people had some vague idea about it.
Human muscles have a theoretical maximum strength. Some say we normally only use 30%, others say 60%. But in life-or-death situations—like a mother lifting a car to save her child—humans can exceed even their theoretical limits. This is due to the brain's natural limiters, meant to protect the body from self-harm.
What the intelligence system gave Du Hang was a program that forcibly bypasses those limiters, unlocking strength beyond the body's natural boundaries. It's risky, but with careful use and physical training, this power was nothing short of divine.
As for "No-Self," it was even easier to understand. After downloading it, Du Hang instinctively gained a mysterious and profound experience. To put it in simpler terms, it was like Tsuna's Hyper Dying Will Mode in Reborn!, or Zheng Zha's first-stage gene unlock in Terror Infinity. For those four seconds, Du Hang could transform from an ordinary modern youth into a terrifying combat weapon.
Just as Du Hang was secretly thrilled about his new powers, he suddenly noticed a commotion near the navy dock. From afar, it looked like the marines were chasing someone.
"System, do you know what's going on over there?"
[Response: Someone has stolen an important item the navy had just transported. They are currently fleeing in this direction. Based on marine communications, the stolen item is likely one of this world's key artifacts: Seastone Essence. Acquisition of this item is recommended.]
"Seastone Essence?" Du Hang narrowed his eyes and looked toward the marines in the distance.
Throughout the One Piece storyline, Seastone is a recurring item. For the world's many Devil Fruit users, Seastone is their natural enemy—it represents the power of the sea. Seastone Essence, on the other hand, is like the motherlode of Seastone—rarer, stronger, and more potent in suppressing Devil Fruit powers.
While Du Hang was still conversing with the system, the thief carrying the Seastone Essence had already reached the area. He was fast, and despite being shot several times by the marines, he showed no signs of slowing down. It was clear this guy was a pro.
Du Hang didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt about ambushing a thief. As he casually adjusted his clothes, he stepped forward—right into the thief's path.
"Move! You wanna die?!" the man shouted when he saw someone blocking his way.
Du Hang smiled faintly, said nothing, and clenched his right fist.
In the next second, his eyes went completely void of emotion.
No-Self, activated!