Fantasy Realm [One Piece] [Harry Potter] [Naruto] - [Progression] [LitRPG]

Chapter 8: Getting Started

After the four women leave to explore the village, the other three men wander off on their own, leaving Alex alone with Thato. As they chat, Alex is surprised to learn that Thato actually knows about One Piece. He mentions that he'd seen a few episodes with his younger brothers a decade ago but can't remember many details. He only recalls wishing back then that he could leave everything behind and embark on an adventure like Luffy.

Hearing this, Alex has a realization: maybe every player in the Fantasy Realm is looking for an escape. A fresh start to their old lives. A way out of the bullshit they have to deal with. Sure, Alex's problems are nothing compared to someone like Thato, who has spent his life working in dangerous conditions, but their emotions are probably not all that different. They all want to escape.

Over the next half hour, Alex shares what he knows about the Fantasy Realm, stats, and, most importantly, the One Piece world. Alex, being the type of person who's spent most of his life in front of a computer, knows a lot about One Piece. He gives Thato a quick rundown, focusing on Baroque Works:

"Baroque Works was a criminal syndicate created by the Warlord Crocodile to destabilize and conquer the Arabasta Kingdom—and to acquire the ancient superweapon Pluton. To achieve this, they carry out countless acts of espionage, sabotage, and murder over the years, eventually manipulating Arabasta into civil war. But that won't happen until the Straw Hats reach Arabasta. For now, Baroque Works is still gathering resources and personnel.

They mostly employ bounty hunters and mercenaries under the half-truth that they're building a new, 'ideal' nation. Their ranks are made up of the lower-tier Millions—around 1,800 of them—and the Billions, who are higher-ranking and candidates to become agents. In Arabasta, there are around 200 Billions."

Alex explains that while Baroque Works has powerful Officer Agents with devil fruit powers, they won't encounter them in this mission. "No use worrying about that. We're just normal humans, man. People like Mr. 1 could kill thousands of fighters like us. He tanked every one of Zoro's attacks with the Supa Supa no Mi until Zoro finally cut through iron and defeated him. Even then, it was more about Mr. 1's arrogance. So, don't bother thinking about those types of enemies. At worst, we might run into a Frontier Agent. Probably only one, not a team."

Alex recalls that Zoro had killed Mr. 7 before canon even begins, so the Frontier Agents aren't nearly as dangerous. "They're mostly weak, and none of them have devil fruit powers. They rely on numbers or equipment to get the job done. With the help of the villagers, and if we hold a solid defensive position, we might be able to beat Baroque Works if their numbers are small. This island seems unimportant, so I doubt they'll throw too many fighters at it."

Thato, grateful for Alex's detailed knowledge, begins to trust him. Though he can't understand why Alex knows so much about a "childish anime," he appreciates the honesty. Thato has worked hard his entire life to provide for his family, and while he doesn't judge Alex, he finds the contrast between their lives somewhat amusing. Still, he likes Alex's straightforwardness and is glad they've met. They seem like a good team for this mission.

They spend some time discussing their stats, and Alex shares his as well.

Thato Khumalo: Lvl 0
HP: 70/70, MP: 30/30
STR: 7, AGI: 9, PHY: 7, SNS: 5, CHA: 6, MNA: 3, INT: 4 SPR: 6, LUK: 1
Available Stat Points: 0
Innate Skills: Dream Runner lvl 0,
Free Skill Slots: 5/5

Innate Skill: Dream Runner
Type: Boon
Level: 0 (Base level, can be leveled up)
Effect at Level 0:
Running Speed: +10%
Stamina Efficiency: Running consumes 20% less stamina.
Regeneration Boost: HP and MP regeneration are increased by 20% while running.