Chapter 854: 854 One Piece: The Future King of the World, The Cursed Chest, A Chance to Change Destiny, and The Future King of the Pirates.

His voice was low and slow, as if he were recounting something both tragic and world-changing.

[...What was it?]

The Chest swallowed nervously.

"My birth."

[...]

Allen ignored the Chest’s silence and grabbed his chest dramatically.

"I don’t remember if I was eight or nine years old, but one day I realized that I was the most perfect human being alive. Someone like me could only be destined to become the ruler of the world—an absolute being!"

[You’re a freak.]

"Shut up! I don’t want to hear that from a cursed chest!" Allen pointed accusingly at it. "Besides, why the hell are you empty? Alvida had treasure worth several million, or so my good friend Coby told me!"

Allen shed a tear from his right eye.

"He even gave his life so my body wouldn’t be defiled by that walrus Alvida! How dare you make his loyalty and sacrifice for his lord meaningless?!"

[Coby? You mean the boy you tricked into letting you out and then used as a distraction to escape the ship?]

Allen stopped crying and stared at the Chest in silence.

"That’s a lie. That’s not how it happened. That’s not how I remember it."

The Chest was speechless.

Allen was the most shameless human it had ever known.

Well... not that it had known anyone else before.

It had spent two decades existing as a chest, and it was only after Allen gave it blood that it had been able to form a connection with him.

[Forget that! Let’s get back on topic!]

"So even you don’t care about Coby..." Allen said indignantly, offended that he had to justify himself to a chest.

[Anyway, as I was saying, your luck has changed because now you have me. Hehe, aren’t you happy~?]

"Depends. What can you give me?" Allen grabbed his chin while giving the chest a suspicious look.

[Hehe, not so fast, speedster. Like everything in life, there’s a price. If you want something, you have to give me something. But don’t worry, you won’t regret it. Aren’t I amazing?!]

"You just want praise."

Allen rolled his eyes, but after thinking for a moment, he sighed.

"Let me guess—I have to give you part of my lifespan or human hearts, right?"

[Huh?! No! Of course not! Gross!]

"I hope you’re talking about the hearts, because my life should be the most valuable treasure in the world—even more than the One Piece."

[Wow... your ego is enormous -_-]

[But you’re wrong. It’s nothing like human heads or your life. It’s something simpler, and therefore much easier to obtain... money~]

"..."

[Money. That’s all. If you give me gold, jewels, treasure, or Berries, I’ll give you things in return.]

"Are you sure you don’t want human hearts?"

[What is wrong with you?!]

"It’s my money!" Allen grabbed his head dramatically. "Chest, you have no idea what my life has been like in this shitty world! Just when I thought I was finally about to get my first million, it turns out it was empty!... Hm??? Wait."

Allen slowly turned toward the Chest.

This Chest looked elegant.

It had golden reinforcements and a golden lock.

No matter how one looked at it, on Alvida’s ship, it should have been the most extravagant treasure there.

Which was exactly why Allen took it.

"You ate my money!"

Allen grabbed the Chest, lifted it, and was just about to throw it overboard.

[Ahhh! Wait! Don’t act rashly!]

"Shut up, you lying scammer! How dare you steal my money?! My mother always told me never to trust women with pleasant voices—they’re harpies!"

[Wait! It’s not like that! I didn’t steal it—I used it as fuel! It was already your welcome gift!]

Allen froze.

Then he warmly hugged the Chest.

His face shifted from uncontrollable manic fury to the serene and seductive look of a charming prince.

"Haha, I was just joking, darling. I knew you were a good girl."

[>///<]

The Chest felt embarrassed. Though it was also cursing Allen internally for how shameless he was. A moment ago, he had literally been about to throw her into the sea.

*Thunder!*

"...!"

Allen looked at the sky and saw the terrifying storm clouds, now so close that the sea had grown dark and turbulent beneath the gray heavens.

"Well then, hurry up before the future King of the World becomes fish food."

A scroll appeared before Allen and unfurled itself. At the top, it read:

Funds:

Copper Coin: 1

Silver Coins: 0

Gold Coins: 0

Below that was a list:

Strength: 0

Skills: 0

Haki: 0

Weapons: 0

Ship: 0

"Maybe you’re not just some cursed money-eating Chest after all," Allen said, stunned.

[Mmm :( ]

"Wait... only one copper coin?!"

[They aren’t literal coins. Each one gives you one random reward from whichever category below you choose. The more valuable the coin, the better your chances of obtaining something powerful.]

"And exactly how much is each coin worth?"

[Copper: one million Berries or equivalent treasure. Silver: ten million. Gold: one hundred million.]

"Are you kidding me?! That’s insanely expensive!"

Allen grabbed his head.

For someone wandering the world with a single miserable coin, it was hard to imagine ever collecting one hundred million.

[It may seem that way now, but don’t worry. With each opportunity, your world will change, and you’ll grow stronger.]

"Stronger..."

For the first time, Allen fell silent.

There was no narcissism.

No shamelessness.

Only a distant look in his eyes and a faint spark.

[Well, considering your current situation, I recommend Ship. It’s the only predictable category. One copper coin should at least transform this raft into a motorboat.]

*Ding*

The sound of a coin dropping echoed.

The Chest was left speechless.

Allen had not chosen "Ship."

He had chosen "Skills."

[Why?! Are you stupid?! We need to escape the storm!]

Allen said nothing.

He let his hair cover his face.

He was a young man with nothing.

No money.

No power.

No legacy.

No support.

Someone who had spent his entire life with absolutely nothing.

Could he truly become strong? 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Or was his dream nothing more than a delusion?

Consciously—and as a massive "Fuck You" to the world—he chose what his heart desired most.

Even if it was foolish.

The scroll closed and vanished.

Soon, the Chest stopped talking and began trembling. When it opened, Allen was blinded by golden light.

Only a second later, it faded.

Then the scroll reappeared.

— Origin: Devil Fruit Mera Mera

— Type: Logia

— Skill: Hiken (Fire Fist)

Allen gasped.

Not only had he obtained a Devil Fruit ability, but a Logia. Something he had only heard of in rumors and legends.

"Well, as expected... I truly am destined to become King of the World."

Allen’s face became proud and arrogant.

He crossed his arms and laughed.

"Haha!"

[-_- Before you get too excited... It’s only a technique.]

Allen’s laughter abruptly stopped.

Silence.

He grabbed the scroll desperately.

"Don’t lie to me! It clearly says Devil Fruit! It’s the Mera Mera!"

[Yes. It’s a technique from the Mera Mera no Mi. Not the fruit itself.]

"...So I’m not immune to damage?"

[Nope. Just one attack.]

"No fire control?!"

[Well... It’s a fire attack. A fire fist.]

"That’s it?! Just the attack?!"

[...Yes.]

Allen threw the scroll onto the raft floor and stomped on it angrily, causing the raft to wobble dangerously.

"What the actual hell?! You’re worse than Sony selling disc drives separately!"

[Huh?! Use your brain! Did you seriously think one miserable copper coin would make you a full Logia user?! Don’t be naive, McFly!]

Allen and the Chest glared at each other resentfully.

But soon, Allen calmed down.

He knew the Chest was right.

From what he had heard, Logias were the rarest Devil Fruits.

Getting something like that with just a fraction of Alvida’s treasure would have been absurd.

[By the way... what’s Sony? And what’s a disc drive?]

"I don’t know. Sometimes I say things and have no idea why."

[You’re a weird guy.]

"I don’t want to hear that from you," Allen snorted. "By the way, who’s McFly?"

[Of course it’s a reference to... hm?... I don’t know.]

"You’re the same!"

Their argument ended when rain began pouring down on Allen.

He immediately turned pale.

A moment ago, he had acted on impulse—

But in hindsight, he absolutely should have chosen Ship.

"Quick! Paddle!"

Allen grabbed the pathetic old oar he had stolen and began rowing desperately.

He had no navigation skills whatsoever, but even an idiot knew it was better to move away from the storm.

....

After an hour of rowing through violent waves and the threat of horrible death, Allen finally escaped the storm and collapsed.

"How awful... I need to get my first subjects... It’s absurd that the King of the World has to row by himself..."

[Well, if you hadn’t wasted your only opportunity on a Skill, you wouldn’t be in this situation!]

Allen looked toward the sky.

He was exhausted.

Sweating.

Hungrier, thirstier, and even more drained than before.

And yet—

He smiled faintly.

"I don’t regret it..."

[I see.]

The Chest turned toward the horizon.

[Even so, I’d really like to find food and water, or at this rate, you’re genuinely going to die. It would be pathetic if the King of the World became a corpse before his adventure even began.]

"At least I’ll be a handsome corpse..." Allen replied while raising his fist in protest.

[Mmm, so you want birds to eat your face and your bones to sink into the ocean to be devoured by fish?]

Allen immediately sat upright.

"On second thought, no! Let’s find food!"

[I’m glad to see your enthusiasm, but do you actually have a plan?]

Allen placed his hand over his forehead to shield his eyes from the sun and stared toward one horizon... then the other.

"Fifty percent of my absolute-being instincts tell me salvation lies in that direction!"

[And the other fifty percent?]

"That way lies certain death."

[...]

"But actually, I feel that way about all directions, so there’s not much difference."

[Why are you even at sea?! Do you have a death wish?!]

"Shut up! I’m not here by choice! A fat bitch kidnapped me!"

The two began arguing once again—

Until something suddenly struck the raft.

*Toc*

Allen stared with bright, excited eyes at a barrel and quickly tried to pull it onto the raft.

"Haha! I knew it! God wants me to become King of the World! He still hasn’t abandoned me! Even if it isn’t water, it could be food—or if not, maybe rum or sake!"

[Rum and sake? You really know how to keep your priorities straight, don’t you?]

"Captain Jack Sparrow already said it—it’s better to die drunk, right?"

[You seem more like a shameless pirate than a king -_-]

"Though I wouldn’t mind a little of both!" Allen ignored the Chest and opened the barrel, hoping to find treasure—or food, which at this point should have been his treasure—but once again, power and wealth seduced him.

"FREEEEEEEDOM!"

A young man wearing a red vest and a straw hat threw his hands up as he emerged from the barrel.

"..."

[...]

"Ah, I thought I was gonna die! Kishishishi!"

The straw hat boy laughed as if death were some kind of joke.

Allen did not respond.

He grabbed the barrel lid, put it back on, and threw the barrel into the ocean.

"Talking Chest... that didn’t happen."

[Correct. I saw nothing.]

"Hey, bastard! Are you trying to kill me?!"

The straw hat boy burst through the lid and grabbed Allen, leaving him speechless because the boy’s arm had stretched ten meters.

"Let go of me, you degenerate! My body is reserved for beautiful women!"

"Shut up! You tried to kill me!" the boy shouted while pulling Allen.

"Who cares! I’m gonna fall into the sea!"

"I can’t! If I do, you’ll leave me here!"

"And why should I care, Straw Hat?! You were doing just fine in your barrel a minute ago!"

The straw hat boy pressed his lips together as if he did not want to admit something, but eventually gave in.

"...I can’t swim."

Allen burst into mocking laughter.

"What kind of idiot goes out to sea in a barrel without knowing how to swim?!"

[The same kind of idiot who almost died in a storm because he was greedy.]

"Shut up! We’re not talking about you!" Allen shouted at the Chest.

The boy looked at Allen as if he were crazy or just plain stupid.

Allen felt embarrassed.

Being looked down on by an idiot who threw himself into the ocean in a barrel was the worst humiliation possible.

"Listen, Straw Hat. You’re lucky. In all my magnanimity, and because I am a benevolent king, I shall grant you salvation!" Allen declared with dignity.

"King?! You’re a king?!" the boy’s eyes sparkled.

"Well... not yet. But I am Allen Walker, the future King of the World!"

The boy grinned and let go of Allen before jumping out of his barrel and landing on the raft, causing Allen to struggle to keep his balance.

"What are you doing?!"

The boy adjusted his straw hat.

"Kishishishi! I’m Monkey D. Luffy! The future King of the Pirates!"

Allen looked at him suspiciously, as though he had just encountered a lunatic.

Before Allen could respond, time itself began to slow to the point it seemed to stop entirely.

Above the Chest, a clock with hands appeared, labeled:

[Lunch Time]

"What is happening?!"

This strange phenomenon shocked him, but before he could understand it, a door appeared beside him, and Allen was sucked inside.

....

It was a familiar room.

Allen looked around, and all his memories came rushing back at once.

He was in his original livestream room—the small room filled with LED lights that he had not visited in a very long time.

Right now, he was sitting in his chair while endless comments flooded his chat.

Wade – I will be King of the World! Hahaha!

Thor – Allen is like your version but dumber! Haha!

Felicia – Looks like someone woke up with half their intelligence today hahaha~

Allen grabbed his head.

"Lucifer! You bastard!"

Allen was humiliated. He had acted like a complete narcissistic, shameless idiot.

The shameless part he could tolerate, but being an idiot? That was unbearable.

’System, do something!’

[Noooo!]

The System was suffering just as much. She had been the cursed Chest!

As the comments continued flooding in, Allen remembered the final part of his conversation with Lucifer.

— "Wait... you want me to literally live in a world?!" —

— "Exactly. It won’t be like before, where you ’lived’ for years only to regain your memories and make it so that time had never truly passed. This time, you will live your entire life in that world. If you do so, you will become part of that world, meaning I will no longer interfere. It will simply be you in that world, as it should be..." —

— "..." —

— "Are you worried that living a new life will alter your personality? Don’t worry. Once a day, for one minute in that world, time will slow down, and you will recover all your memories—including our bet. This will give you time to speak with your Chat, rest, and of course, process what you’ve done in that world. Don’t worry... it’ll be fun~" —

Allen clenched his teeth.

At the time, he had thought this would protect the world from Lucifer’s influence. No more absurdly powerful beings capable of destroying planets just to mess with him.

Of course, Allen had refused to reset his mind completely. Even if he were born and raised in a new world, he made sure his essence remained intact to prevent himself from becoming some psychotic killer or something equally horrifying.

But—

He had underestimated just how much one’s environment could shape them.

He never imagined that an Allen born in One Piece would turn out so... like that.

"You tricked me..."

Lucifer – No, I genuinely did not expect your IQ to drop to the point that you would become so... charming.

"..."

Rebecca – Just accept it, darling. At least you didn’t become an edgy chunni.

Allen felt chills.

Lucifer – Well, all you can do is accept yourself as you are and hope you perform well in your new life, King of the World.

"Shut up!"

Once Lucifer left, Allen wanted to return to One Piece immediately.

He did not want to deal with his Chat right now. But the System had also suffered severe emotional damage.

Being downgraded from a highly advanced system into a mere magical Chest was a devastating blow to her dignity.

Rias – Haha, Allen... no, Your Majesty, would I have the honor of speaking with you?

Amanda – Would Your Pomposity kindly bless me with a greeting?

MJ – Your Highness, would you be able to bring me back a souvenir from One Piece next time?

Allen trembled.

This was going to be a very long stream.

....

Once it was all over, the clock disappeared, and Allen found himself back on the raft, confused as he looked around.

"What happened?" Luffy asked, once again looking at Allen as if he were insane.

Allen felt offended and snorted.

"Pirate King? What nonsense. Obviously, being King of the World is better!"

"Huh?! You wanna fight?!" Luffy grabbed Allen by the neck. "For your information, being Pirate King is better! You’re the freest person in the world!"

Allen immediately grabbed Luffy by the neck as well.

"Don’t screw with me! How is that freedom?! You should be swearing loyalty to your future king!"

"Not a chance!"

Allen and Luffy fought—

Until both of their stomachs defeated them first, causing them to collapse onto the raft.

"Idiot... you’re lucky I’m exhausted and starving..." Allen muttered, turning pale.

"You’re the lucky one..." Luffy panted with his tongue hanging out.

....

Meanwhile, in the distance, a ship bearing a skull with a heart approached.

If Allen had possessed the strength to move, he would have thrown himself into the sea.

Dying as a beautiful corpse would still be better than becoming Sea King food.

"I found you❤️~" Alvida smiled perversely.

====

A/N: 🗿

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