[OPTAM] Chapter : 1 (Patreon)

"What's wrong with me?"

Jack raised his hand with difficulty. His head hurt, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift his arm.

"Hey, young man, you’re quite lucky to be alive." An old man in a white coat approached, holding a clipboard and scribbling on it.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Jack asked with effort.

"This is the headquarters. You made it back alive, which is no small feat. Wars rage every day, and not many soldiers return. You've done well, young man," the old man in the white coat replied.

"I was hit by a car. What war?" Jack was confused. He remembered crossing the street when a car sped by, feeling like he was flying through the air, before hitting the ground and waking up here.

"Hit by a car? With injuries like yours, it was more likely a shell blast. Fortunately, your physical fitness saved you. If not for your resilience, you’d be dead on the battlefield. But congratulations! We won the war, and your unit received commendations from headquarters. You should thank your commanding officer, who sacrificed his commendation to ensure you all survived and got here," the old man explained.

Jack was completely baffled. He thought he had been on his way to work, stuck in the monotony of his daily routine, single at twenty-seven without a girlfriend. He was sure he was hit by a car, and now he was in a hospital. But a war? There were conflicts abroad, but his country was safe, and he was no soldier.

Still confused, Jack's head throbbed, and he drifted off to sleep.

In his sleep, he felt like he was watching a movie. Memories flooded in.

He saw a peaceful village where people lived by farming and fishing. Suddenly, a boat arrived, and armed men disembarked, setting the village ablaze. The scene shifted to a ship with blue-white sails, and those who looted had left. The newcomers began to aid the villagers. A hand reached out from the darkness, and Jack instinctively took it.

The memories continued. Jack, now in a blue and white uniform, is experiencing battle after battle, from ship fights to land ambushes. He saw himself taking a bullet in the abdomen but pushing through to defeat his enemies. In the final battle, while attacking an island, a shell hit nearby. Jack had saved someone by pushing them out of the way.

"The fever has receded."

In a haze, Jack heard voices.

"Water!"

"Doctor, doctor, the patient is awake."

"Water!"

Jack's throat felt parched, and he could barely speak.

At this moment, Jack felt his head being lifted and rested against a soft backrest. A cold touch brushed his lips, prompting him to open his mouth and take small sips of a warm liquid.

After he had drunk enough, Jack felt himself being gently laid back down on the bed.

"Doctor, how is he doing?" a concerned voice asked.

"The high fever has subsided. There's no need to worry. This is normal; injuries often lead to infections, causing fevers as the body's way of fighting off germs. However, a prolonged fever can be dangerous. His survival shows remarkable willpower," the doctor explained.

"That's a relief. Please, take good care of him."

"Of course. I'll do everything I can to ensure his recovery," the doctor reassured.

Jack listened to their conversation in a daze. He felt a sense of relief, thinking, "It seems I survived. Damn, the fever must have fried my brain. Otherwise, how could I have dreamed for so long?"

A week later, Jack found himself standing on a balcony. He had been there for a long time, motionless like a statue, staring out at a familiar square and the arched pier. As an introvert and fan, he recognized the place well. Combined with the conversations he had overheard, Jack looked at the scene before him, still in disbelief.

"Really?" he murmured, trying to make sense of it all.

"You seem to have been standing here for quite a while," a gentle voice said behind him.

"Nurse Marina," Jack turned to see a woman dressed in white, with a small white hat perched on her head. He still felt like he was in a dream.

"Is this your first time at the headquarters?" Marina asked, standing next to him.

Jack, feeling dazed, nodded instinctively.

"Many soldiers have the same reaction when they first arrive at the headquarters. But you can't fully appreciate its grandeur from up here; you need to go down to the square to see it," Marina said with a chuckle.

"Navy headquarters... What year is it now?" Jack asked, trying to piece things together.

"It's 1490." Marina replied.

"1490... Is the current Fleet Admiral Sengoku?" Jack asked.

"Fleet Admiral? No, Mr. Sengoku is an admiral. The current Fleet Admiral is Mr. Kong," Marina corrected him.

Jack was left speechless, trying to process this new information.

In 1490, even some dedicated One Piece fans might struggle to pinpoint the exact timeline of events. Jack, a One Piece fan for over a decade, was familiar with the plot but couldn't recall specific dates. He knew that in 1520, Luffy set sail, meaning there were still thirty years until the main storyline began.

Thirty years before the plot began, the pirate era of Roger was still in full swing, with Roger competing with Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and others. Meanwhile, a major event was occurring within the Navy.

One of the two admirals of the Navy Headquarters, Black Arm Zephyr, was forty-two years old that year. Tragically, Zephyr's family was attacked by pirates, leading to the deaths of his wife and son. That same year, Zephyr retired and became the chief instructor of the Naval Academy, dedicating himself to training naval soldiers at an elite level.

In this role, Zephyr trained many of the navy's admirals and vice admirals who would become prominent later in the story, including powerful figures such as Admiral Akainu, Admiral Kizaru, Admiral Aokiji, Vice Admiral Momonga, Vice Admiral Doberman, Vice Admiral Onigumo, Vice Admiral Strawberry, Vice Admiral Jonathan, Vice Admiral Komil, Captain Smoker, and many others.

Jack was well-acquainted with the Zephyr story, having watched the movie featuring Zephyr multiple times. Zephyr was a deeply righteous naval officer who had dreamed of being a hero since childhood. He earned the title of "non-killing Admiral" for his refusal to kill enemies. However, his mercy was exploited by pirates, resulting in the murder of his family. This tragedy fueled Zephyr's hatred for pirates, but his sense of justice and heroism led him to give up his admiral position to become the chief instructor of the elite camp. His goal was to cultivate true Marines.

Understanding the timeline reassured Jack about his survival in this world. Over the past few days, he confirmed that he had indeed crossed over into this world, inhabiting the body of a naval soldier.

The original owner of the body was also named Jack, an eighteen-year-old from the G8 branch of the Navy. He had joined the Navy ten years ago. The scenes Jack had seen in his dreams were memories of the body’s previous owner.

Jack's village had been attacked by pirates, resulting in the deaths of most of its inhabitants. He was rescued by the Navy and raised in the G8 branch, growing up in the Navarone Fortress. He became a naval recruit at sixteen, experiencing countless battles, and had now reached the rank of ensign.

In a recent battle, Jack was seriously wounded while shielding his comrades from a shell. He was one of the top fighters in the G8 branch, and the decision was made to send some of their wounded soldiers, including him, to the headquarters for treatment.

"Why this world?!"

Jack covered his head in disbelief. He had never imagined that the events of his favorite manga and anime would happen to him. He enjoyed reading and watching anime, but he never thought he'd end up in the chaotic world of One Piece.

Jack spent another half a month in the hospital before receiving new orders.

"Ensign Jack," a sergeant approached, handing him the latest orders.

After receiving the orders, Jack felt the urge to smoke a cigarette on the balcony, hardly believing the situation he was in.

The order was straightforward. Due to Jack’s performance and his background in the Navy, he was not to remain at headquarters or return to the G8 branch. Instead, he was recommended for further training at the Naval Academy.

Given the recent high-profile incident involving Admiral Zephyr, it was clear where he would be studying.

Jack was accepted into the first batch of cadets in the elite battalion due to his outstanding performance.

Reflecting on the familiar faces in the Marines, Jack remembered that among the first class of elite battalion cadets were Akainu (Sakazuki), Kizaru (Borsalino), Vice Admiral Gumir, and others. It was unclear if Aokiji (Kuzan) was in his class or another, but the first class was known as the strongest, a reputation that was well-deserved.

"Naval Academy!" Jack spent the entire day contemplating his orders. The next day, he was discharged from the hospital, as his injuries healed. He donned his marine uniform, now eligible to wear the navy coat, and adjusted to this new reality, proudly carrying the word "justice" on his back.

The day had come for the elite battalion to gather. While the Navy had always had academies and instructors, never before had there been an instructor of such high caliber as Zephyr. His role as the chief instructor of the elite battalion attracted significant attention.

The elite battalion was not located at Marineford. The naval headquarters, Marineford, though a medium-sized island with fortresses and strategic importance, was not suitable for recruit training. The elite battalion's training location was on an island called 'Miraishima' literally meaning 'Future island'. This large island was the site of the naval elite camp.

The Future Island was huge, akin to the size of Alabasta, which boasted multiple cities and a standing army of 600,000. However, Future Island's environment was more extreme, situated on the edge of the Calm Belt. It featured eight diverse and harsh environments: rainforests, deserts, swamps, snow-capped mountains, plateaus, volcanoes, rift valleys, and small, isolated islands scattered around it.