3 The World of One Piece

"So, what world will you be sending me too?" I asked after we sat there chatting about the nature of gods and the way the universe really works. Crossing my ethereal fingers as I floated over Pontus' palm in the depths of the sea I couldn't help but laugh to myself about the oddity of it all.

Not even 10 minutes ago, I was lamenting the loss of my life, now here I am staring at the prospect of reincarnation. Before I was nearly lost in thought once again Pontus spoke with a fond smile. His deep green eyes peering down at me with kindness and warmth in his gaze from beneath his thick, coral eyebrows.

"I will be sending you to the world where the story you know as One Piece takes place. I believe you are familiar with that world. But if you are not, on this planet, that is more than 10 times the size of earth, there is only one true continent. With the majority of its landmass being islands, this is a world ruled by the sea In every sense of the word. A place where even commonly sailed waters are harsh and untamed. It's a world as dangerous as it is unpredictable, as beautiful as it is terrifying, with wonders to satiate desires both subtle and gross, but its not for the timid."

Pontus seemed to be getting more and more excited as he spoke, but his baritone voice dropped even lower as he spoke those last few words, highlighting the danger this world poses to an ordinary soul like me.

My excitement momentarily drowned out any fear I had as all the suppressed thoughts I pushed aside earlier burst to the surface. I was awash with endless gratitude towards the deity granting me this opportunity. My mind ran through a dozen simulations of how my new life could go. That's when my facade began to crack and panic started to seep in. It wasn't long before reality arrived to crash the party and rain on my parade.

It's not that I don't love this series. It's just… the One Piece world is filled with unimaginable horrors and individuals easily capable of toppling islands all because they ate the right kind of fruit. And thats not even the half of it.

As much as I love One Piece it's an irrefutably, unmistakably dangerous place to live, even for the strongest of individuals. Just as Pontus said, this world is definitely not a world for the faint of heart. If this isn't some psychedelic fever dream and I'm really being sent to such a world, then I need to calm down and focus.

While it's true that I never got to catch up to the most recent chapters of the manga, I have seen every episode of the anime and watched every movie, special and OVA that's been released. I've even played some of the games and checked out one of the plays while I was in Japan with my mom. I even speak Japanese, though I'm not fluent I know enough not to make a fool of myself.

I should be able to avoid certain people and events as long as I'm careful. Which 'should' allow me to live relatively comfortably if I'm lucky… I would have to lay low and keep my head out of trouble. But if I'm being completely honest… where's the fun in that? The smile slowly returned to my face as I looked up at the primordial entity floating before me.

There was so much I never got to see in my lifetime. The world was simply too big to fully explore and 25 years just wasn't enough time. Even after travelling my whole life I've barely seen 1/10th of it. And earth is no where near the size of the One piece world.

I can't even image all there is to do and see in such a place. The greater the danger the greater the intrigue. As the saying goes; curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. Practically everything in my world has been discovered and mapped out extensively. But the same can't be said for the One Piece world.

We're talking about a world brimming with unexplored regions and unique lifeforms completely foreign to Earth. Advanced technology, giant beasts and sea monsters that can swallow ships. Not to mention the seven habitable moons orbiting the planet and the different sentient species living on their surface.

What kind of adventure junkie could possibly pass this up? To top off this majestically layered super cake, it's a chance to get my legs back! I refuse to believe a god would go through the trouble of reincarnating me only to put me back into a wheel chair. That would be a sick joke even Loki wouldn't pull.

After psyching myself up, I once more had to calm myself down. It was when I started thinking about my situation logically that Pontus added fuel to the preverbal fire. His soothing voice both relaxing me and making me all the more excited at the same time. Creating quite the contrast.

"I am aware of the difficulties you may face in this new world. Of course there will be differences from what your familiar with, but it is still a dangerous place to be sure. Therefore, to aid you in your journey; you may ask of me three requests, within reason, and I shall grant them. Ask of me anything you desire. Is it wealth? Or perhaps fame? Or maybe your more attracted to power? Regardless of what you choose to ask, I suggest you take your time to ponder what it is you truly want." Pontus stated in an almost fatherly tone.