Chapter 2: Awakening Titan Strength on a Savage Island

Karl struggled to contain his excitement as he asked, “Can you tell me what templates I can choose from?”

“Of course. There are lots of templates—characters like Yuan Tiangang from Painting Rivers and Lakes, Gai Nie from Legend of Qin, Wang Quan Fugui from Fox Spirit Matchmaker, and many more. Each template comes with unique skills and talents. Once you draw the right template, you’ll be able to unleash incredible power in the One Piece world.”

“Templates give you the abilities of anime characters, but you’ll still have to train hard to master their skills. You don’t inherit their full peak strength right away.”

Karl’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Even if he had to work for it, this was so much better than having nothing at all.

“System, how many templates can I use at the same time?”

If he could only use one template, he really needed to make the perfect choice. He didn’t want to waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“You can apply several templates at once. There’s no limit or drawback.”

Now that was impressive. He could stack multiple anime powers together.

“By the way, System, do you have any newbie gift packs?”

Karl hesitated, a puzzled look crossing his face. Without some kind of starter pack, he was just an ordinary guy trying to survive on a deserted island—a nearly impossible task.

“Yes. Although crossing over to this world drained a lot of energy, the system specially prepared a starter gift pack so you can quickly get your footing in the One Piece world.”

“Then System, open the newbie gift pack.”

Karl blurted out impatiently.

Night gradually fell. Cold winds howled through the trees, turning Karl’s lips purple. Hugging the trunk for warmth, he shivered uncontrollably, desperately searching for just a hint of heat.

Roars from wild beasts echoed across the island, filling him with dread as he scanned the woods with anxious eyes.

Karl knew if he didn’t gain some life-saving power fast, this night might be his very last.

“Congratulations! You’ve opened the newbie gift pack: one Talent Draw, one Skill Draw, one Unlimited Draw.”

“System, draw them all! I can’t afford to hesitate now.”

Karl spoke with urgency. He could hear what sounded like a beast charging through the woods straight toward him.

This lottery just might be his only chance to survive.

Suddenly, a massive golden roulette wheel materialized before his eyes, glowing brilliantly. Each segment on the wheel clearly displayed a different reward. Karl stared intently, focusing on the talent draw.

Labeled across the wheel were various talents—Iron Balloon, Titan Strength, Frail and Weak—ranging from the incredible to the downright useless.

Karl prayed in silence, begging not to end up with something useless like Frail and Weak.

“Congratulations! You’ve drawn Titan Strength!”

When he heard the system’s announcement, Karl finally breathed easy. It felt like a boulder had lifted from his heart.

Thank goodness he hadn’t landed on Frail and Weak.

The name Titan Strength rang a bell, but he couldn’t quite recall the details.

“System, show me the details for Titan Strength.”

He couldn’t wait to learn what kind of power he’d just drawn for himself.

Just hearing the name made it sound ridiculously powerful—he could hardly imagine its exact effects.

“Titan Strength originates from a domestic fantasy anime world. An adult titan there can grow as tall as ten thousand meters. In the One Piece world, it’s weakened by the world’s rules, but you’ll still be as strong as an army. With Titan Strength, as long as your feet are on the ground, you’ll have limitless stamina and can rapidly heal any wound using the power of the earth.”

The system’s explanation left Karl stunned, though he still had some doubts. Wasn’t Titan Strength a little overpowered?

“System, just how strong is this ability in the One Piece world?”

It was as if the system had read Karl’s mind.

“Stay calm. The only reason you drew Titan Strength was because of the newbie bonus. This was an unlimited draw in the talent pool.”

“Ah…oh, haha, is that so!”

“Oh my god! So if I fuse with this talent, I’ll have endless stamina and insane healing!”

“Not quite. Since Titan Strength is so powerful, you’ll fuse with it in stages. You can monitor your progress on the system panel.”

“Uh… okay, I guess.”

Karl felt a bit awkward—he hadn’t expected the system to pour so much cold water on his excitement.

But on the other hand, just having Titan Strength left him thrilled and full of anticipation. He couldn’t help but imagine showing off all that power in the One Piece world.

“System, start fusing the talent!”

Karl was already getting impatient. He wanted to experience it right away.

The beastly roars on the island kept getting closer. Karl feared that if one of them found him before he got stronger, he’d end up monster food before he even had a chance.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Guoman System kicked off the talent fusion process.

In a split second, agony tore through Karl’s entire body.

The Titan Strength talent scrambled and restructured his flesh and bones all at once. It only lasted a minute, but to Karl, it felt like an entire year had passed.

He could clearly feel his blood boiling and bones popping, as if he were being remade from the ground up.

“System, why does it hurt so much? Can’t you block the pain for me?”

Karl grit his teeth, wracked by pain.

“Pain-blocking function not available at this time.”

He wished it would all end right now. This searing agony was almost beyond what he could bear.

But since there was no way to turn off the pain, the only thing he could do was grit his teeth and hold on with sheer willpower.

He could feel dark, stagnant blood being forced out of his body, fresh blood dripping down the bark, the metallic scent filling the air.

That scent drew even more wild beasts from the forest. They closed in, circling Karl as the smell of blood pulled them closer.

Sweat drenched Karl’s forehead, but he never wavered. He endured the torment because he knew he needed this power.

For that long minute, he kept telling himself to hold out—to not give up.

He understood he had to survive this if he wanted to make it in this brutal world.

Finally, the minute ended. The tearing pain faded, and a new, terrifying power surged through his body.

Warmth flooded Karl, filling every fiber with strength. Even his teeth fell out and regrew—forty new ones, like a sage from the legends back on Blue Star.

His body shot up from about six feet to well over eight. From a distance, he looked like a small giant.

For a moment, Karl felt as if he could punch a hole in the sky or stomp the earth to dust—but he knew that was just the rush of newfound power, not his true limits.

Karl could feel the energy coursing through him, his muscles swelling, confidence building with every heartbeat.

“Crash! Crash! Crash!”

Just then, a massive white tiger—easily ten meters long—stepped out from the trees. It crouched in a hunting stance, stalking ever closer.

Clearly, it had been lured by the blood.

Karl’s gaze locked onto the striped beast below. He braced himself on the trunk, muscles tensing, ready for the fight of his life.

The giant tiger’s body shimmered white under the moon, radiating an aura of wild majesty.

Its eyes glinted with cruelty and a murderous intent, like it wanted to tear Karl to shreds.

Karl took a deep breath. Every muscle wound tight. Power surged through his legs.

The tree beneath him started to shake, leaves spinning down as if in response to his will.

With Titan Strength supporting him, Karl felt like he was anchored to the earth itself—unmovable, unafraid.

The tiger crept closer, every stride radiating a pressure that made it clear it was the king here, determined to claim its prize.

Karl clenched his fists and kept his gaze fixed on the enormous cat. He knew if he didn’t win this fight, he’d be dinner for sure. But when his knuckles tightened, he realized—hunter and prey had swapped roles.

“Crack!”

Suddenly, the tiger snapped a branch underfoot—a loud, sharp crack.

…