From the first moment the Rebirth System acknowledged his existence, it had called him by a single, unfamiliar title:
Hunter.
The word sat uncomfortably with Kael. He hadn't signed any contract—hadn't even agreed to be part of this strange game—and yet the System spoke as though his fate had already been decided.
"What does the title 'Hunter' represent?"
The question barely left his lips before the Rebirth System's voice surged into his mind, cold and absolute.
"Ordinary people, after signing the contract, become Contractors—bound to complete missions for the System, rewarded accordingly.
Hunters are different. They possess special talents—aptitudes designed for combat.
While fulfilling normal missions, Hunters are also tasked with eliminating 'abnormal' Contractors.
Inquiry quota exhausted. The System will answer no further questions. Sign the contract… or await death."
The world went dark. Not the darkness of night, but an absolute void that devoured every trace of light.
From that void, something materialized—a single piece of parchment, ancient and weighty, floating in the air. Strange sigils crawled across its surface like living things. At the very bottom, a blank space waited, patient and ominous.
Yes / No to sign the contract.
Kael's instincts screamed that signing would change everything—irreversibly. But his path was already carved. He had unfinished business, vengeance to claim. Even if the abyss yawned before him, he would leap.
"I… agree."
His right hand rose without conscious thought. A sharp sting bit into his thumb, and a bead of crimson splashed onto the parchment. The runes drank it in, bleeding the entire page into a faint, glistening red that carried the subtle tang of blood.
Contract established. Beginning to heal Hunter's injuries.
A green light wrapped around him, seeping into muscle and bone. In seconds, his wounds were gone—as though they'd never existed. Relief was short-lived.
Injuries repaired. Forcing awakening of Hunter's talent.
Pain erupted without warning. Veins stood out like steel cords, muscles locking under the strain. The agony was deep, raw—like his very soul was being torn and reforged.
Kael dropped to one knee, teeth clenched against the sound that tried to escape. He would not scream.
Then, as abruptly as it began, the pain vanished, leaving behind something alien yet familiar—an awareness, a dormant power now fully awake.
Semi-datafication enabled. Combat auxiliary system active. Warning: damage to vital organs will still result in death. Caution is advised in Derivative Worlds.
Hunter trial commencing. Failure will strip Hunter status. Death in mission equals true death. System Rule: All exchanges are of equal value.
The void swallowed him again.
Transmission beginning…
When his vision returned, he stood in a small, decaying room barely large enough to turn in. Half the roof had collapsed, letting thin beams of sunlight filter through. Cobwebs sagged in the corners, heavy with dust. The door and windows were nothing but empty frames, blocked from the outside by towering piles of rotting refuse.
The stench was suffocating.
Kael moved to leave—but a sudden heat flared along his forearm.
Black ink spread under his skin, etching itself into the shape of a sword.
Blue text flashed into existence—not hovering in the air, but burned into his vision, fixed no matter where he looked.
World Entered: One Piece
World Difficulty: 6 — Purgatory (Hunter's exclusive trial)
World Source: 0%
World Description: Sea, Freedom, Pirates, Marines, World Government
Main Quest: Assassinate the King of Goa Kingdom
Side Quests: None
Warning: Do not speak of the System in this world. Violation will trigger immediate execution.
Hint: Do not leave the Goa Kingdom.
Language Comprehension: Three natural days.
The text dissolved, but the weight of it lingered.
Kael exhaled slowly. The Rebirth System had thrown him into one of the most dangerous worlds imaginable. He knew the name One Piece—a place where titans walked, where a single man could sink an island.
Here, his skills as an assassin meant little. Against monsters, he was still just a man.
And then there was the mission: assassinate the King of Goa Kingdom—in seventy-two hours. No details, no tools, no allies. Just a name.
The reek of garbage stirred his memory. This place was the Gray Terminal—a vast junkyard outside Goa's capital, where the unwanted were discarded. In another life, it would be burned to the ground to impress celestial tyrants. Somewhere beyond the refuse lay Mount Colubo, childhood home of Luffy, Ace, and Sabo.
For now, survival meant caution. The Gray Terminal was dangerous—filled with the desperate, the violent, and the dying. He would need information before he moved.
A thought activated the sword-mark. New text appeared:
1. Personal Information
2. Missions
3. Storage Space
4. Skills
5. Equipment
Only the first two mattered now.
Opening the mission details, Kael read:
Main Quest: Assassinate Philip Herbert, King of Goa Kingdom
Difficulty: 3
Brief: Goa Kingdom rules the surrounding regions, with Foosha Village and Mount Colubo nearby. The King rarely leaves the palace.
Deadline: 72 hours
Reward: Full Hunter activation
No wonder the stench was so strong—he was in the capital's garbage heap.
Kael closed the panel, eyes narrowing. The first step of his new life as a Hunter would be soaked in blood.