"You're dead? Is that a ghost I'm seeing? Everyone, stay alert!"
Bonnie had already decided that the strange man who suddenly appeared in the woods was a total lunatic. She waved him off, scowling. "Forget it. I'm not wasting my time talking to a crazy person. It'll rub off on me."
Kuroda Hayate still couldn't calm himself. He stood up quickly, convinced he had truly died. Yet here he was, alive again, in an unfamiliar forest, facing a peculiar girl in an outlandish outfit, speaking in strange slang—pirates, Devil Fruits... One Piece?
Could it be? Had he somehow been reborn into the world of One Piece?
His mind reeled. It felt impossible. Just as he was about to ask this playful girl named Bonnie what exactly was going on, he noticed something horrifying. A ten-year-old child—barely alive—behind Bonnie had reached for a pistol lying nearby. The black barrel was aimed straight at Bonnie's head.
"Watch out!" Hayate shouted.
Bonnie spun around just in time to see that the commander of the local Navy branch, though barely clinging to life, was attempting a last act of vengeance. His trembling hands gripped the pistol, finger tightening on the trigger. Then—crack—his head burst open. A bullet had struck him square between the eyes. He slumped over, dead.
Startled, Bonnie turned her head back toward the strange man leaning casually against a tree. One hand was tucked into his black coat. Though she hadn't heard a gunshot, it was clear he had fired.
"Did you… kill him?" she asked, stunned.
Kuroda Hayate looked at her with mild disgust and said flatly, "Was there a third person here? You made me break one of my rules—never kill a child."
Bonnie was still trying to process what had just happened when she saw him stagger away from the woods. She chased after him, calling, "Hey! You! Join the Bonnie Pirates! You must be a sharpshooter—perfect for a sniper role!"
"Join a pirate crew? No thanks. Appreciate the offer," Hayate said, not even pausing. He was more focused on figuring out where the hell he was. Though frustrated that he had already broken one of his personal rules, he was at least relieved that his weapons had come with him into this bizarre new world.
But Bonnie wouldn't let up, bombarding him with strange questions. "Are you a Devil Fruit user? Which pirate crew do you belong to? Are you with the Navy? Or maybe the Revolutionary Army?"
Hayate ignored her entirely.
Eventually, he made his way to a nearby village. There were no towering buildings, just rows of humble houses. It felt like a quiet countryside town. Street vendors lined the roads, selling what looked like tasty snacks. The atmosphere was festive, clearly a relatively prosperous place.
But the second the villagers caught sight of Bonnie following behind Hayate, everything changed. Merchants abandoned their stalls, slamming doors and shuttering windows. From the cracks, terrified eyes peeked out. It was as if they were seeing a ghost.
Hayate looked over at Bonnie with confusion. "What the hell? Why are they looking at you like that?"
"Oh? You're finally speaking to me now? I thought you were too cool to talk to someone like me," Bonnie teased.
She casually snatched food off one of the stalls, stuffing it into her mouth without even chewing properly. Then, with a mouthful of food, she added, "I am a pirate. Of course they're scared of me. But I don't rob money—just food. That's all I care about."
Hayate shook his head. "Pirates really are just lawless scum."
He sighed, disappointed. He hadn't expected this girl—who looked so stunning—to be a pirate. What a waste.
Still, there was something weirdly charming about the way Bonnie devoured her food with total abandon, ignoring the fearful stares of the villagers. In Hayate's eyes, she was oddly endearing—brash, genuine, a true "tomboy."
But Hayate knew better than to let himself get close. He had always worked alone. Trusting others—especially women—was dangerous. In his former world, women were often the most lethal assassins, hiding cold, calculating hearts behind innocent smiles. They seduced, lured, and killed without mercy.
Now, even though he was in an unfamiliar world, Hayate decided to keep his distance. He quietly slipped away from Bonnie's sight, determined to learn more about this "pirate world." His first order of business: making money. A new life meant a new beginning—and he intended to enjoy it.
Bonnie, still absorbed in her meal, only realized too late that the strange man had vanished. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Hey! You bastard! I know you're still nearby! If you need anything, come find me at the restaurant at the end of the village! We will meet again! Kuroda Hayate!"
After she said it, she frowned. Why had she shouted his name like that? Why did she want to see that weirdo again? Maybe… maybe he was just intriguing.
Hayate heard her voice echoing behind him as he walked away. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. How did she know his name? He pulled a golden Desert Eagle from inside his coat. The grip bore the initials "K.H." Had she guessed? Smart girl.
Still smiling, he turned back to his goal: earning money. In his past life as a hitman, nothing came before money. Without it, you couldn't survive. But now? He needed to stay alive long enough to earn it. Life came first. Wealth second.
He wandered for two full days, eventually confirming what he had begun to suspect: he had been transported into the world of One Piece. The currency here was called Berries. Kuroda Hayate wanted nothing more than a normal life, and was making plans—until he overheard some pirates drunkenly complaining in a bar.
They were furious about the newly appointed naval base commander nearby.
The killer instincts kicked in. He saw an opportunity.
Hayate offered to eliminate the new commander in exchange for a reward. It would be his first big payday in this world, giving him the capital to open a small, legitimate business and settle down quietly in the village.
But what happened next spiraled far beyond his expectations.
He didn't just kill a corrupt officer.
He provoked the Kidd Pirates—one of the most brutal pirate crews in the South Blue.
And now, trouble was coming.