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The world of games—this idea had lingered in Rob's mind for years. From the very first moment he thought about it, he dreamed of finding a way, through the Art Store, to travel to other worlds, like the Pirate World—a stargate or something similar.

But harsh reality slapped him hard. He wasn't lucky enough to be like those protagonists in the novels he read in his past life, who somehow managed to travel between anime worlds or even to those Chinese cultivation worlds of divine power, even when they were incredibly weak. Why was that?

Because their cheats were simply absurd. While his cheat, despite being excellent, wasn't as illogical as those of the protagonists whose stories often ended in oblivion.

All of this was because the absurdity of their cheats caused their self-destruction. The creators of such illogical cheats couldn't sustain their stories, and so their characters ended up disappearing before they even knew what hit them. Regardless of the power level they reached through those cheats, they ultimately fell and ceased to exist. Even if the author attempted to bring them back by brainstorming ways to save their protagonist and allow them to continue living, it was all in vain. By using such an illogical cheat, they had cut off all their true potential in one stroke, sealing their fate to fall no matter how high they climbed.

Rob had understood this. He even once thought, What if I myself am one of those protagonists whose life is being written by someone sitting on their couch…? Even the gods of the Divine Network who sent him here might just be fictional characters like himself. Perhaps even these very thoughts he was entertaining were permitted by that "mysterious author."

This line of thinking was terrifying to him, but it wasn't unthinkable. After all, in his previous life, he was an author of novels himself, and what he wrote bore similarities to what was happening to him now.

'Well, it doesn't matter. If that's the case, so be it. At least the person behind me hasn't sent me into the abyss of oblivion yet. I'm still here, with my family and everything I have. If he exists, I should thank him for everything he's given me…'

Rob drowned these strange thoughts in the depths of his mind as he looked at the large family he had gathered. The smiles on the faces of his children, his wives, his daughter Robin, their adopted daughters, the servants, and his disciples—they all had warm smiles and gazes filled with reverence for the man who had changed everything in this world.

Rob was an immortal legend in their hearts, a god walking among them, interacting with them. Whatever their relationship with him, they took pride in it deep within their hearts.

This was because this man had stopped tragedies, murder, rape, slavery, and the cycle of hatred among races singlehandedly. Not only that, but he transformed all that hatred into love, spreading it throughout the world through his art.

He was able to halt the tyranny of the World Government, which to this day didn't know how to deal with this man—no, this god. Only gods could truly render an entity like the World Government powerless.

Like the Sun God who did the same thing 800 years ago and left them helpless, even after his fall!

Toki thought about this as she smiled softly, watching this enigmatic husband of hers.

No matter how mysterious her own background was, it paled in comparison to his. They weren't even on the same level. His mystery transcended everything that could be considered logical in this world.

'Truly, I am blessed with this family,' Rob thought, looking at the faces of each one of them before finally standing up.

Above him sat Robin, now six years old, relaxed and happy as she played with her father's hair joyfully.

"This world of games will be a new revolution… the beginning of a new era," Rob said. They were currently inside the Art Store.

There were no customers—only Rob's family and his friends.

Among them were Issho, Mihawk, Doffy, Enel, and Rosinante, eager to test the closed beta version of the game. That's why they were there.

"Since this is a new era, you will all be pioneers of the new age."

"Upon entering, you'll be able to create a new character. You'll have a completely new body with new potential, and you'll be able to experience living a unique new life. In the future, when the second, third, fourth, and more game worlds appear, and the gaming worlds evolve into a unique multiverse, you'll be able to travel freely between worlds using the same body you create in the first game world." ʀἁΝȏBΕṥ

"At that point, you will be gods of the multiverse. Your existence won't be limited to this world alone—you'll have the qualifications to pursue eternal life. Since you chose to stand by my side, this will naturally be the reward you deserve."

Hearing this, Doflamingo's body trembled. The smile on his face grew wilder, his breathing became rough, and hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind and disappeared. He was thrilled and unimaginably excited, his anticipation bordering on madness. He wasn't the only one; even Mihawk, usually stoic, displayed excitement. The mere thought of honing his sword skills in other worlds and battling powerful characters he knew from different universes made his blood pump wildly.

The same was true for Issho, Enel, Rosinante, and the others.

"Alright, you are the pioneers here in Ohara, but there are other pioneers in different locations. All of you will enter the closed beta of the One Piece world. Your task is to discover bugs and flaws in the game. When you find them, you must log out immediately and inform me of what you discovered."

"Is that clear?" Rob asked Mihawk and the others with a serious expression.

Seeing this expression on Rob's face, the "pioneers" nodded firmly. Since it was a mission given by their leader, fulfilling it would naturally be their top priority, no matter what.

As for their personal entertainment or how they would play the game, that would have to wait.

"Good… now take out your cards and follow me."

The moment he said that, the Art Store began to glow with a light resembling milky white starlight. A new room formed inside the Art Store—a black, ink-like cube in stark contrast to the starlight.

Above the black door, a white sign read: [Welcome to the Gaming World]

This black room was the gateway to the game worlds. In short, one could only enter the game world—One Piece—through this black room, which was part of the Art Store.

The moment this black room materialized in the Ohara Art Store, similar black rooms appeared simultaneously in all 880 Art Stores around the world.

Since today was exceptional, the Art Store was closed to customers. It was also a special day because it marked the first time something like this had happened—{Closed All Day for Maintenance}—since the Art Store first opened.

This event caused a massive wave of shock on the Global Forum, with conflicting opinions about the true reason for the closure of Art Stores worldwide and what this "maintenance" was. Naturally, many were worried that the closure might persist or become frequent.

After all, the inhabitants of the pirate world couldn't live without the Art Store, which had become an integral part of their lives.

It was like television in the modern era, present in almost every household—or more specifically, like the smartphone, a necessity in individual lives, where it was nearly impossible to find someone without one, regardless of their social status.

That's how the Art Store had become for the inhabitants of the pirate world. Islands with an Art Store had become prosperous, capitals for nearby islands! Nearly everyone from neighboring islands dreamed of owning a home on an island with an Art Store. With the introduction of the gaming world, this desire would multiply hundreds, even thousands of times over!

Fortunately, Rob personally oversaw the Sea Train project and the Global Maritime Transport Company. Travel within this world had been completely facilitated by Rob. When modern elements merge with the gaming world, Rob will undoubtedly introduce air travel into this world and ensure its safety.

Everything good about the gaming world would be invested back into the pirate world, which was its center.

After considering all this, Rob and his companions entered the black room.

Finally, the world of games was here.

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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):

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Chapter 843: The Closed Beta of the Game! (Part 1)

Chapter 844: The Closed Beta of the Game! (Part 2)

Chapter 845: Open-World Game!

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