Chapter 1: A First Appearance, the Boy from Cocoa West Village

As autumn deepened, a heavy rain swept through Cocoa West Village.

“Wow, wow, wow! Why did it suddenly rain so hard?”

“Siano, run!”

At the entrance to the orange orchard at dusk, a black-haired boy burst out, carrying two baskets of oranges on his shoulders, sprinting wildly toward the village.

Suddenly, rustling sounds came from the baskets. Two little figures popped out from the orange piles, one on each side, peeking their heads over Siano’s shoulders.

“Charge, Siano! The intersection is three hundred meters ahead; full left rudder!”

The orange-haired girl on the left raised her right hand, full of spirit.

“Nami, be sensible. Siano is already very tired.”

The blue-haired girl on the right held up an umbrella, frowning slightly, her voice gentle.

“Huh? You’re the sensible one? If you were, you wouldn’t still be sitting in the basket!”

“Nonsense! I’m holding the umbrella to shield Siano from the rain. He’s a head taller than me; if I’m not on top, how can I block the rain properly?”

“Tch, I say it’s because Siano can’t see the road clearly and needs me to guide him—at least I’m more useful than you!”

…

Listening to his two younger sisters’ familiar bickering, Siano was already used to it. He glanced at the umbrella that wasn’t even over his head and quietly quickened his pace.

Clearly, the two little ones together weighed one hundred and thirty kilograms of oranges, all on his shoulders.

Yet the boy still moved briskly, his breathing steady.

After a moment, a familiar house appeared in his view.

The lights were already on.

Through the window glass, a slender figure could be seen busy in the kitchen. Smoke climbed out of the chimney, merging with the rainy mist before quickly dissipating.

Pushing the wooden door gently with his right hand, the orange glow of the fireplace lamp immediately washed over him.

In the warm halo, the sweet scent of oranges and pine wood collided in full force, pushing the cold rain and chill firmly outside the door.

Siano dropped the basket to the floor, closed the door, and lay down on the old sofa, spreading his limbs comfortably as he stretched lazily.

The firelight in the hearth melted the dusk into thick caramel, flowing over his outstretched limbs.

At that moment,

The soreness and fatigue seemed to drift away with the desolate sound of rain.

“Oh, you’re back, Noki, Gao, Nami.”

Footsteps echoed from the kitchen, growing closer. “And Siano, you’ve really worked hard lately.”

Oh no! The two little ones scrambled out in a panic but clumsily knocked over the bamboo basket, both falling to the ground with a “thud,” the golden oranges rolling everywhere like little suns.

“Ah, I knew it!”

The young woman in an apron, her deep red ponytail tied back, stood with hands on hips, scolding the two daughters angrily.

“You say you’re helping your brother, but you’re just causing trouble, aren’t you? Sitting on Siano’s shoulders like that—is your goal to wear him out so you’ll be happy?”

“Belmer, we know we were wrong…” Nami and Noki looked pitiful, lowering their heads and kicking at their toes.

“It’s fine, Belmer,” Siano said softly from the sofa, his voice tired but gentle. “Don’t blame them. The rain was heavy and sudden. I told them to hide in the basket—not only to avoid the rain but also to get some exercise.”

“That’s right, that’s right,” the two little troublemakers quickly chimed in.

“Ah, so annoying! When will you two learn to be as sensible as Siano?”

Belmer lightly tapped their heads with her fists but didn’t hit hard.

“Next time, no more of this. Dry your hair with a towel and come in for dinner!”

Saved! Noki and Nami looked gratefully at their older brother, then cheered and ran toward the kitchen table.

“Belmer, what’s for dinner tonight… is there orange sauce with the duck breast? Yay!”

“And honey-glazed ribs? Wow, let me try!”

“Hey! Did you wash your hands? How dare you just grab food! You two little rascals, at least wait for your brother!”

…

Listening to the chattering from the kitchen, Siano leaned back contentedly, but suddenly felt the warm surface of a ceramic cup pressed against the back of his neck; the warmth of ginger cola mixed with honey slid into his nose like a serpent.

“Drink it while it’s hot.”

Belmer’s exasperated voice sounded. “You always take care of your two little sisters but never look after yourself.”

She then took out a clean set of clothes from the wardrobe, and before Siano could react, she quickly pulled off his shirt and began wiping his upper body with a hot towel.

“Uh, um, Belmer,” Siano tried to pull away but was firmly held in place, his face flushing with embarrassment. “I’m already thirteen, really—I don’t need you to do this. I can do it myself.”

—

“Enough talk!”

Belmer asserted her authority as foster mother, leaving no room for argument. “You’re only two years older than Noki, so stop pretending to be a mature man. Stand still!”

Really no choice.

Siano could only let her fuss over him like a rag doll, wearing a reluctant expression.

In his heart, though, a warmth blossomed.

To live in Cocoa West, to grow up in such a family…

It was truly wonderful.

In his previous life, when had he ever experienced anything like this?

At fifteen, an orphanage kid, he cut his hand changing a light bulb; at twenty-five, he collapsed after working all night and was rushed to the hospital; at twenty-six, on his birthday, the heart rate monitor in the ICU flatlined…

Until one day he suddenly opened his eyes.

He found himself transformed into a five-year-old boy, covered in blood and dirt, lying amid ruins; a female navy officer clad in a white cloak of justice bent down, reaching out her hand to save him.

…

“How many times have I told you!”

Belmer suddenly yanked his ear hard.

“Don’t push yourself! You collected twelve baskets of oranges today and still insist on making a seventh run. Do you know that trying to be a hero like this is how kids catch colds?”

Siano gritted his teeth, trying to snatch back the towel, but was enveloped by the dry clothes scented faintly with citrus.

The coarse knit sweater tickled his neck slightly. Amid the crackling of the fire, there was the rustle of her tidying up the wet clothes.

In his past life, he had a mountain of plaid shirts that never smelled of sunshine. Now, the rough fabric brushing his skin stirred a strange ache in his chest.

Siano glanced at his reflection in the mirror.

Black hair and eyes, the refined features of a thirteen-year-old boy bathed in warm light, eyelashes still damp from the towel.

The lonely figure once standing before a skyscraper’s floor-to-ceiling window had long since been crushed to dust by the ticking of the old grandfather clock in the living room.

“Thank you,” he said softly.

Belmer paused briefly as she bent to collect the clothes, then quickly resumed her usual motions.

“Nonsense, it’s I who should be thanking you.”

“You took on all the hard work in the orange orchard. If you keep this up, you’ll make me, as a mother, look useless. You’re still so little but unbelievably strong.”

“I don’t even know who your biological parents are. I have a feeling they’re someone special—like when you get older, suddenly your blood awakens and you inherit some extraordinary power…”

Blood powers?

He had no blood powers, no sudden awakening. He wasn’t the King of Nika.

Siano was momentarily stunned, partly amused.

For the first few years after reincarnation, he had lived a carefree life, playing and bickering with his sisters, gathering mushrooms one day, fishing the next—just like a real child.

Around age ten, when his brain fully developed, he slowly pieced together memories of his past and present lives.

His biological parents were ordinary people from the Eikott Kingdom who died in a brutal war—nothing special.

If Belmer hadn’t rescued and raised him, he would have become a corpse amid the ruins long ago.

Still.

Belmer’s rambling was understandable.

Because his performance was indeed remarkable, especially in Cocoa West, a small village by the East Sea.

At just thirteen, his strength was incredible.

At the recent Harvest Festival wrestling contest, not a single adult man in town of over a hundred could last more than a few rounds against him.

Ordinary birth, ordinary bloodline.

Growing up in a rural fruit-farming family, never trained by a master.

Such strength could only come from the golden finger he carried with him.

“Deep Sea.”

Siano silently uttered the activation phrase.

The system sprang to life, ripples like shark silk appeared in the air, and a faint blue holographic screen visible only to him floated before his eyes.

This was the “Sacrifice Trade System” he had awakened three years ago.

【Name: Siano】

【Age: 13】

【Height: 159 cm】

【Strength: 1.9】

【Agility: 1.8】

【Endurance: 1.7】

【Spirit: 1.3】

【Remaining Points: 25】

【Skill Talents: Breathing Fist (Intermediate), One-Sword Style (Beginner), Cooking (Beginner), Fruit Tree Cultivation (Intermediate), Fishing (Advanced)】

The average baseline attributes for ordinary adults in the pirate world were one point each.

Though Siano’s base stats were around one point something, under the premise of bare hands, he was confident he could easily repel the combined attack of seven or eight adults.

After all, at the wrestling contest, he had only played casually, never exerting his true power.

Clearly, the calculation of attribute points was not a simple addition or subtraction.

Most likely, it followed some exponential function: even a slight increase in numbers, say a fraction, translated into a huge difference in strength.

The so-called Sacrifice Trade System was, as the name implied, equipped with a trading market offering a few items purchasable with points, refreshed monthly.

Points came from whether the host could provide qualified sacrifices.

After sacrifice, points of equivalent level were awarded based on the value.

When he first awakened the system, Siano wasn’t sure what counted as a sacrifice, so he experimented everywhere in the mountains, even catching passing dogs.

But neither freshly caught fat fish, hunted rabbits in the forest, nor a thousand Beli banknote could be sacrificed.

Until one day, by chance, he tried sacrificing Belmer’s old flintlock pistol when pretending she was the navy.

By luck, it succeeded.

The system even kindly provided an appraisal panel:

【Sacrifice: Belmer’s Old Flintlock Pistol】

【Quality: Fine】

【Value: 50 Points】

【Appraisal: A weapon that accompanied Belmer through her entire youth. The worn gun body witnessed her growth from a rookie soldier to a capable battlefield commander. Even after retirement, she often cleans this gun. It is not only a memory but also her support for this family—immensely significant to her.】

So considerate.

After reading the appraisal, Siano tossed and turned in bed all night, guilt-ridden and sleepless.

Especially the next day, when Belmer discovered the missing pistol and angrily cursed a thief at the door all morning, he wanted to slap himself several times.

I truly deserve to die!

So, as his guilt gradually faded, he chose more inconspicuous targets.

Like Nami’s orange blossom hairpin, Noki’s forehead band.

These were bought by Siano with his own hands for his two sisters when the family was poor years ago, now worn and of little value.

Now that life was getting better, it was about time to replace them.

As a result…

The sacrifices were successful.

But the system’s wording still hurt.

【Sacrifice: Nami’s Orange Blossom Hairpin】

【Quality: Ordinary】

【Value: 300 Points】

【Appraisal: A cheap accessory sold at the general store for one hundred Beli, but young Nami cherishes it dearly, never taking it off, even sleeping with it under her pillow. It carries the growing bond of affection between siblings.】

…

【Sacrifice: Noki’s Old Headband】

【Quality: Ordinary】

【Value: 30 Points】

【Appraisal: A faded cloth stained with citrus juice, hard to clean. As the eldest daughter, Noki conscientiously ties it tightly on her forehead when foster mother and elder brother work in the orange orchard, afraid sweat will drip into her eyes and sting, which would make her beloved brother worry.】

That day, Siano was silent for a moment, then gave himself two slaps.

I really deserve to die!