The couch dipped under his weight, the worn springs giving a quiet protest as he leaned too far to one side. One leg hung off the edge, his phone hovering just above his face.
Scroll. Read. Scroll again.
The screen was the only real light in the room, casting everything in a dull, washed-out glow. The desk across from him was cluttered again—papers, cables, a mug that had been sitting there long enough to stop registering as something that needed to be cleaned. A thin crack ran along the corner of the ceiling, something he'd noticed weeks ago and done nothing about.
"Yeah… of course."
His thumb stopped mid-scroll.
On the screen—
Rocks D. Xebec.
Finally something concrete.
Finally something real.
And this is what they did with it.
He let his head sink back into the cushion, eyes still fixed on the panel.
"What's even the point then…"
The interest he'd had earlier had already faded. It never lasted. Something good would show up, people would start talking, expectations would rise—and then it would end like this.
Not wrong.
Just wasted.
His jaw tightened slightly as he kept staring.
Possession.Loss of control.Wanting to die.
That's how one of the best characters in One Piece ends?
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
Sure—he saves his family.
But he gets possessed, loses himself… and ends up begging to be killed?
His fingers tightened around the phone for a moment before loosening again.
"Why even introduce someone like that if that's how you're going to end it…"
The words came out flat.
The room stayed the same.
A faint hum. Distant traffic. Nothing else.
He shifted, the couch creaking again beneath him.
"Honestly…"
A small pause.
"…that's just a waste."
Something moved behind him.
He didn't turn.
The impact came fast.
A sharp crack against the back of his head snapped his vision sideways. The phone slipped from his hand as the room tilted, light dragging across his vision in a blur.
For a split second, everything stretched—
Then the pain hit.
"What the—"
His body gave out.
The couch disappeared beneath him.
The floor rushed up—
—and everything went dark.
There was no light.
No sound.
He tried to breathe.
Nothing.
Tried to move.
Nothing answered.
There was no body to respond.
"…what?"
The word slipped out anyway.
Silence.
Ding.
The sound cut cleanly through the emptiness.
A faint glow formed in front of him, resolving into a rectangular screen.
[System Notification]You have died.Status: Confirmed.
He stared at it.
"…what?"
The words didn't change.
"…what the fuck?"
He turned instinctively, but there was nothing to turn toward.
"No, seriously—what the fuck is this?"
The screen remained.
Ding.
A new line appeared.
[System Notification]Integrating subject into new world…Target: God Valley
"…God Valley?"
The name lingered for a second.
Then—
"…wait."
His thoughts caught up all at once.
"God Valley… as in One Piece?"
A short laugh slipped out, dry and uncertain.
"No. No, that's not—"
Ding.
[System Notification]Reincarnation process initiated.
"Wait—hold on."
His voice sharpened.
"Reincarnation? Into One Piece?"
His mind jumped ahead before he could stop it.
Pirates. Marines. Monsters.
God Valley.
"…I'm going to die."
The conclusion came immediately.
A beat passed.
"…no."
His fingers twitched slightly.
"…I'm going to get hunted."
That felt more accurate.
Because if he was just some random person dropped into that place—
He wouldn't last seconds.
"Yeah. Perfect."
He let out a breath.
Ding.
[System Notification]Objective assigned: Liberation
"…liberation?"
His brow furrowed.
"What does that even—"
Ding.
[System Notification]Reward granted.
- Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika (Awakened)- Haki proficiency: Expert
Everything stopped.
"…what?"
He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing.
"…no."
"Wait."
He read it again.
Awakened.
Not the fruit.
Not something to unlock later.
Awakened.
"…Gear 5?"
His thoughts stalled—
then surged.
"That's… that's not—"
He stopped.
Gear 5.
From the start.
His eyes widened slightly, breath catching.
Then—
very slowly—
a grin began to form.
"…that's broken."
A quiet breath escaped him.
"…I'm not getting hunted."
A pause.
The grin widened, something sharper settling in.
"…I'm the problem."
And in a place like God Valley—
that meant something very simple.
A laugh slipped out.
"heh…"
His hand came up to his face, like he could push it back down.
It didn't stop.
"—heh… hah…"
It built faster than expected, rising from somewhere deeper.
"—hah… hahahaha—"
His shoulders shook.
"—no way…"
"HAHA—"
The sound tore out of him.
"HAHAHAHA—"
Louder now.
Uncontrolled.
"THIS IS—"
He tried to speak.
Failed.
"—THIS IS SO FUCKED—"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA—"
The darkness around him cracked.
Thin fractures spread through nothing.
Then widened.
Light forced its way in.
Sound followed.
Distant at first—
then clearer.
Explosions.
Shouting.
War.
His laughter didn't stop.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA—"
The cracks widened further.
The void broke apart—
and something pulled him forward.
His laughter followed.
Carried into the God Valley Incident.
Before anyone saw him—
They would hear it.