Transmigration. Brain archive, no system. More thrilling than Boruto!
Carrying a heavy bundle of keys, Ryoichi walked down the neighborhood street. Today was rent collection day, and he noted with satisfaction that a stack of small payments would soon hit his account.
Of course, not everyone paid on time. There were always one or two girls who tried to live rent-free, but Ryoichi secretly wished there were more of them. After all, he had little interest in money; his family's properties alone were worth several small fortunes. Besides, with his face blindness, not much excited him.
Humming a little tune as he headed to talk rent with one of the girls, a young man with bloodshot eyes suddenly burst from the side and stabbed Ryoichi in the kidney several times. The man was shouting curses, but Ryoichi couldn't make them out—he was already dying.
He vaguely caught something about sleeping with his girlfriend… As darkness closed in, Ryoichi regretted it deeply. If Heaven gave him another chance, he would still negotiate rent with the girls—but he absolutely would not smugly post about it on his Moments.
A wave of vertigo hit, and the world began to spin. When he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a strange, multicolored passage. Dazzling light in seven hues wove together, overwhelming the eyes.
A strange excitement surged in his chest. Was he about to join the great transmigration army? Was this the legendary space-time tunnel?
He advanced cautiously, gaze drawn to the constantly flashing images above the passage. The scenes switched like a film reel, each showing a different world. Some were ancient battlefields with fierce warriors; others were immortal realms where sages drifted through mist; others still were bustling metropolises filled with restless crowds. Ryoichi didn't lose himself in the spectacle; he continued forward, observing.
"One Piece!" Ryoichi blurted. What man hasn't had an anime dream? Who hasn't imagined becoming the Pirate King?
The image shifted to a white-bearded old man holding a fruit shaped like a dragon fruit. Lifting it, he seemed ready to take a bite.
Ryoichi didn't know why, but he suddenly reached out—and the fruit was yanked into his hand. The man in the image froze, utterly bewildered—his Mera Mera no Mi was gone.
Ryoichi was stunned. He could pull things out of the screen? A pang struck his chest. He felt like he had just missed out on a fortune—there had been xianxia worlds earlier; why hadn't he tried grabbing something from those?
The image flickered and vanished. Next, he saw an old man leaning on a cane, gazing down on the world with disdain. In front of him stood people in captain haori, lined up in order. The old man appeared to be holding a meeting.
"Shinigami?" Ryoichi's eyes lit up. It was the Soul Reaper world. Could he enter that world too? He had yearned for it as well.
In the image, the old man snorted and slammed his cane down. It transformed into a tachi in an instant. He planted the blade and clasped his hands behind his back, speaking to the captains.
Ryoichi blinked, reached out on reflex, and yanked the sword free.
All the captains being reprimanded stared wide-eyed, because a hand had reached from the void and taken the Captain-Commander's Ryūjin Jakka.
Ryoichi stared at the blade in his grasp. He had actually taken Ryūjin Jakka?
Just as he was about to see how the Soul Reaper world reacted, the passage trembled violently, and he was flung out.
As he tumbled, Ryoichi clutched the Mera Mera no Mi and Ryūjin Jakka for dear life. After a bout of dizziness, he opened his eyes to a dense forest.
Towering trees surrounded him. He didn't know where he was. He looked down—both the fruit and the sword were still in his hands.
He let out a breath of relief. With these two items, he at least had a way to survive, no matter the world.
Then he froze. His hand looked smaller. Heart pounding, he checked himself. He was in a child's body.
"You've got to be kidding—possession?" he yelped. As for the unlucky kid he had taken over, he had no memories at all.
"Whatever. Fruit first," Ryoichi said, and bit into the Mera Mera no Mi without hesitation.
Instantly, a taste like raw sewage shot up into his skull, and he almost vomited last night's dinner. He knew Devil Fruits tasted terrible, but not this terrible.
Forcing down the nausea, he ate the entire fruit. He'd heard one bite was enough, but prioritizing survival, he finished it all.
His face went green. Anyone would feel sick after swallowing a lump of raw sewage.
After resting against a tree, the discomfort eased. He clenched his fist, and a tiny flame flickered on his knuckles. He stared, dumbfounded. Seriously? Even if others didn't instantly achieve elementalization, it shouldn't be just a tiny spark.
What was this good for—lighting a cigarette?
Boom. A muffled blast echoed in the distance, and a powerful gust of air sent him sprawling.
He scrambled up. In the distance, a cloud of smoke rose—a sign of serious destructive power.
"What is this place?" he muttered, breaking into a run. Too dangerous—the stray shockwaves alone could swat him like a fly.
He had barely taken two steps when someone grabbed him and tucked him under an arm. The figure moved in a blur through the trees, as if running along walls and rooftops. The motion looked familiar.
He glanced up. A white-haired man with long hair, three red lines at his chin and eye corners, and a forehead protector with a circular emblem—the Konoha symbol.
The identity was obvious: the Second Hokage of Konohagakure, Senju Tobirama.
Warmth splashed across Ryoichi's face. He looked again and froze. A bloody hole gaped in Senju Tobirama's chest, and blood was spraying directly onto Ryoichi's cheeks.