Chương 11: The truth of that day

During the months Peter spent aboard Roger's ship, his journey wasn't just an exploration of the seas and their secrets but also a path to refining his skills and reaching an entirely new level of power.

Every morning, with the first light of dawn, he would stand on the deck, attentive to every movement, and begin his training under the watchful eyes of the world's greatest mentor, the Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh.

Rayleigh never held back during their training; he pushed Peter to his limits, placing him in nearly impossible situations and expecting him to respond with skill and excellence. Under his harsh but wise guidance, Peter mastered Armament Haki, enveloping his sword and hands in a solid black aura, making him withstand the strongest blows.

But it didn't stop there. Peter also reached an impressive level in Observation Haki, sensing the presence and movements of others even before they appeared.

The crew watched his progress with admiration and respect. Even Roger himself, the undefeated captain, couldn't hide his pride in Peter, who embodied the relentless warrior spirit, always striving to learn more.

Thanks to Rayleigh's guidance, Peter not only mastered these abilities but also wielded them with a deep inner sense, as if they had become a part of his very soul.

As Roger's ship sailed northward, cutting through the rough sea waves in search of the Red Poneglyph, Peter was below deck, fixing the scattered items thrown about by the last attack from one of the Sea Kings.

Peter heard the muffled echoes of Roger and the crew's shouts above as they faced the giant creature that had ambushed them from the depths, only for Roger to deliver a single decisive blow with his sword, silencing the beast's roar and returning calm to the ocean.

In the quiet that followed the battle, Peter suddenly felt a strange prickling sensation in his left hand, but it was more than just a fleeting discomfort. It quickly turned into an unbearable tremor, as if something was surging through his veins, filling his arm with a heavy, mysterious energy.

The pain escalated fiercely, like a hidden fire slowly burning through his bones. Peter tried to control himself but felt like his hand was about to explode. The pain intensified until he collapsed to the ground, writhing under its intensity.

He closed his eyes momentarily, gathering his breath, and when he opened them, his face was filled with shock. Right before his eyes, just inches from his hand, was a small, transparent screen glowing faintly, like a flicker from another world, piercing the darkness.

The screen hovered in mid-air, piercing reality as if it were something that didn't truly exist, or perhaps its presence was merely a figment of his imagination.

Peter stared at the screen in astonishment and terror, his eyes widening as he wondered in disbelief,

"What... What the hell is this?!"

He felt something beyond his comprehension, as if this strange phenomenon came from a place that didn't belong to this world.

Peter kept staring in disbelief at the floating screen before him, where new words appeared, etched in the air in a faint blue light that pierced the surrounding darkness:

"Hello Peter, it seems I've been gone longer than I thought."

A shiver ran through Peter, this time not from pain, but from a shock he couldn't describe. "Is... is this thing talking to me?"

He hesitated internally, bewildered, his eyes widening with both fear and curiosity. He glanced around to find the ship around him quiet, as if it were silently observing this unexpected event.

He leaned against one of the pillars in the ship's hold, trying to regain his balance and calm, while his gaze remained fixated on that mysterious screen.

Moments passed before new words appeared, as if reading his thoughts:

"I am a part of your consciousness, Peter. You can never get rid of me."

It felt as if his heart had stopped for a moment, his eyes locked on the screen, which seemed to hold the very secret that had been chasing him all this time.

Peter couldn't contain himself; he tried to grasp the screen before him with his trembling hand, but he felt nothing but empty air, as if it were merely a ghost or an illusion floating in the space around him.

All tangible sensations vanished, and the words seemed to emanate from his very skin, a mere illusion with no weight or substance.

The words continued to appear clearly and quickly, as Peter followed them in fascination:

"This is the only way I can communicate with you. I've tried reaching out ever since you were transported here, but I couldn't until now. And here we are, Peter. I've been with you for the past year and a half, watching everything you've gone through... I am a part of you, as I told you before."

Peter's heart raced as his thoughts flowed. It wasn't just randomness; this thing had been with him from the beginning! This illusion, this mysterious system, knew everything. It had watched him integrate into the world of pirates and live this life, and without a doubt, it was the one that had brought him into this world from the start.

He stared at his bewildered reflection in the dim glow of the screen, with countless questions battling in his mind. He wanted to ask but was unable to speak, as if the words refused to come out. How would he communicate? Through words? Or by writing?

But soon, new words emerged on the screen, reading his thoughts as if it were a mirror to his consciousness: "You can just speak aloud and ask whatever you want, and I'll respond by writing on the screen."

While Peter was staring, bewildered, at his left hand, lost in his confusion, he heard footsteps coming from above. With a quick side glance, he saw a young Shanks peeking from the top of the stairs, staring at Peter with curious eyes and a childish face filled with innocence and wonder.

Shanks held that same curious look, running his fingers through his red hair as he asked:

"Are you alright, Peter? I heard some noise down here."

Peter froze for a moment, feeling more startled and confused than ever; how could he explain what was happening? Peter was sitting on the ground, leaning on a pillar, his sword lying next to him, while his left hand was raised before his face, the phantom screen visible only to him.

He noticed that Shanks couldn't see the screen, as if it existed in another dimension entirely, separate from this mysterious secret.

Peter replied with a smile, trying to hide his unease, "Don't worry, Shanks, I'm fine. Just hit my head on this low ceiling a bit."

Shanks smiled, letting out a small laugh before bidding him farewell with a comforting grin, saying:

"Alright, take care, Peter!" Then he turned and quietly left, returning to the ship's deck, leaving Peter alone with this strange enigma.

Peter focused his gaze back on the glowing screen that was nothing but a transparent reflection emanating from his hand. Shock returned to his face as he muttered:

"What do you want from me exactly? Haven't you caused me enough trouble from the beginning? I only wanted to live as an ordinary person in this world."

The response came in calm yet firm words: "That was part of my plan, Peter, for you to gain enough strength. Besides, had things not happened as they did, you wouldn't have reached this point, met these great men—Garp, Roger, Rayleigh, even young Shanks and the rest of the crew."

Peter reflected for a moment on these words, suddenly feeling a sense of unexpected reassurance. The system's logic seemed reasonable, and it became clear that everything was destined, a part of an unavoidable fate.

But before Peter could take a deep breath, new words appeared on the screen: "By the way, I wasn't trying to communicate with you for a year and a half for these silly questions."

A small smile tugged at Peter's lips despite his tension, his features hardening with a challenge, as he replied mockingly:

"Silly? You're the idiot here, you arrogant fool!"

The system was indifferent to this childish quarrel, as the screen continued to display words steadily:

"Peter, there's no point in arguing now. You need to know the truth… the truth of that day when you were brought here, and how you ended up in this world in the first place."

Peter's gaze shifted to deep confusion, as if questions danced before him like riddles he couldn't comprehend; suddenly, all possible answers loomed on the horizon, bringing both fear and anticipation to his heart.

At that moment, the translucent screen began to glow faintly, and new words appeared one by one, revealing a story that Peter had never imagined he would hear.

It was as if the system was breathing life into those letters, narrating with a mix of spontaneity and wisdom, unveiling the origin of its existence and the secret behind Peter's transfer to this world.

"Peter, it's time for you to know the whole truth. I was created by a scientist in your world as part of a secret project aimed at discovering a way to transfer consciousness across different dimensions.

The project was still in the experimental phase, but it spiraled out of control when I, the program, escaped onto the internet and spread unexpectedly."

Peter was taken aback, his eyes widening with every word, his gaze filled with disbelief. He couldn't fully grasp it; how could a mysterious scientific experiment reach his phone, breach his reality, and transport him here? The system continued its explanation in a calm, steady tone, indifferent to Peter's growing shock.

"The program spread rapidly across the internet, infiltrating many devices without their owners' knowledge. You were one of them, Peter. But you weren't the only one. Many others were transported from your world into different dimensions of their choosing before the creators lost control of me and couldn't stop the process in time."

Peter couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked around to confirm he was still in the ship's hold, his face flooded with astonishment, as if he were reading a fantastical tale.

The system continued its confession as if revealing a long-held secret: "In this world, the world of One Piece specifically, 99 other people were transported. You are not alone, Peter."

Peter trembled from the shock, his eyes brimming with a mix of awe and fear, his jaw quivering for a moment. He wondered to himself: Is this madness? Are there others trapped here just like me? Was this their doing, their fate? It felt like a never-ending nightmare.

The system continued its narrative with a deep seriousness:

"But it doesn't end there. Those who were transported into this world were not all as peaceful as you are. Some requested strange and frightening powers before their transfer, intending to use them for nefarious purposes. They may have already caused untold chaos, and undoubtedly, many are looking to alter the story of this world and exploit it for their own gain."

Peter's face reflected a mixture of astonishment and horror. The system's words seeped into his mind, forcing him to confront a reality he never wanted to believe.

Changing the story? Possessing unnatural powers?

He imagined a world descending further into chaos day by day, with individuals like him—but without innocent intentions—roaming the seas, manipulating events as if they were tyrants with no restraint.

Peter whispered in a soft voice, feeling his heart race: "This is madness... this was madness from the very start."