When Kaito opened his eyes, the weight of the wooden sword in his hand was the first thing he felt. The second was the searing pain in his forearms as the wooden blades clashed again and again.
The dojo resounded with the sharp crack of wooden swords striking each other.
"Again!" the voice in front of him shouted, stern but youthful.
His opponent moved with speed and precision, black hair tied tightly behind her head, sweat glistening on her brow. She was fast—too fast for Kaito to keep up with in his clumsy stance.
Another sharp impact rattled his grip, and the wooden blade slipped from his hand, skidding across the wooden floor.
"You're getting better, Kaito," Kuina said, lowering her sword, breathing hard. "But you still hesitate too much."
Kaito bent to retrieve his sword, his chest rising and falling. "That's because… you're a monster, Kuina."
Kuina snorted, leaning on her sword. "Excuses."
He grinned despite himself. "No, seriously. I could swear you're the main character in someone else's story."
Kuina raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about now?"
Kaito paused. His mind still struggled to reconcile the memories he woke up with this morning—fragments from a different life, a different world. A world where Kuina was a minor character in a story that wasn't hers.
But now, Kaito was here, in her story.
Or was it his story now?
When he had first opened his eyes in this body, the system had greeted him immediately.
[System Binding Complete: Pirate Rival System Initialized.]
[Mission: Build a unique pirate crew. Rival the Straw Hat Pirates. Sail your own legend.]
The system provided him with nothing but vague instructions and the knowledge that he had been reincarnated into the world of One Piece.
But more importantly, he had been reincarnated into the dojo where Kuina lived.
His new life began not as a powerful swordsman, not as a Marine, not as a pirate—just as a boy, one of Kuina's childhood training partners.
And somehow… that felt right.
For now.
The sun began to set, painting the dojo in warm amber light.
Kuina dropped onto the wooden porch outside, stretching her arms behind her head.
"Are you really going to keep training here forever?" she asked, her voice softer now.
Kaito sat beside her. "Why not? It's peaceful here. And we're improving."
Kuina's gaze drifted toward the distant sea, the waves barely visible from their high village perch.
"But isn't it boring? Staying in this small village. Training every day. Never going anywhere."
Her words lingered in the air.
In the original story, Kuina would die soon. She would never set foot on the sea.
But Kaito wasn't here to watch history repeat itself.
No.
He was here to change it.
"You want to leave?" Kaito asked, carefully.
Kuina hesitated, then nodded. "I want to see the world. I want to test my sword where the sky is endless."
She gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "I know girls aren't supposed to become the world's strongest swordsmen, but—"
"You can," Kaito said firmly, cutting her off.
Kuina blinked at him in surprise.
"You can," he repeated, leaning forward. "You're the strongest person I know. If you want to sail, I'll go with you."
She studied him, as if searching for the truth in his words. Slowly, she smiled. "You're serious."
"I'm very serious," Kaito said. "But if we go… I want to make a crew. A real one. And I want to set a goal."
"Like what?" Kuina asked.
Kaito's heart pounded. In his old life, Luffy's goal was clear: to become Pirate King. But Kaito didn't care about that. He didn't need a crown. He wanted something else.
"To rival the Straw Hats," Kaito said. "To build a crew that can grow with them, challenge them, and sail freely without chasing their path."
Kuina tilted her head, genuinely curious. "The Straw Hats? Who are they?"
Kaito's grin widened. "You'll see. They're setting sail soon. Same year as us."
His system had confirmed it.
[System Update: Rivalry Set – Straw Hat Pirates.]
[Note: Both crews will grow side-by-side. Progress will influence each other's strength and adventures.]
He didn't want to stop Luffy's story. He wanted to live alongside it.
"I'll train with you," Kuina said, offering her hand. "We'll sail together."
Kaito took her hand, the deal sealed.
They would train. They would sail. And they would write their own story.
The system chimed in his mind.
[New Mission Unlocked: Prepare to sail within one year.]
[Reward: Access to Queen's Grace – Starter Ship.]
[Bonus: Private Training Ground (Time Acceleration: 5x)]
The journey had begun.
But first, they would need to become strong enough to survive the sea.