The first thing he felt… was cold.
Not the kind of cold that bites at your skin during winter, nor the chill of rain-soaked clothes clinging to your body. This cold seeped deeper—into bone, into soul, into something he didn't even know existed.
Then came the sound.
Wind.
Gentle. Rustling through leaves.
"…still breathing…"
A faint voice.
His consciousness flickered like a dying candle before finally stabilizing. Slowly, painfully, his eyes opened.
The world was… different.
Blue sky. Too blue.
The kind of sky you only saw in anime.
Wait.
Anime?
His thoughts froze.
Something's wrong.
He tried to sit up—but his body didn't respond the way he expected. Instead of strength, there was weakness. Instead of coordination, there was clumsiness.
"Hey, hey! Don't move too much!"
A woman's voice, gentle but firm.
His vision shifted, and he saw her—long dark hair, kind eyes, wearing simple village clothes.
"Good… you're awake," she said with a relieved smile.
He stared at her.
Then at his hands.
Small.
Too small.
Child-sized.
"…what?"
His voice came out soft. High-pitched. Definitely not his own.
His heart skipped.
No… way.
Memories crashed into him all at once.
A world of concrete buildings. Smartphones. Late-night reading sessions. And most importantly—
One Piece.
His breathing became uneven.
"Easy, easy…" the woman said, placing a hand on his forehead. "You had a fever for days."
Fever?
No… this wasn't just a fever.
This was—
"I… who am I?" he asked instinctively.
The woman blinked, then laughed lightly. "Still confused, huh? You're Ren. Ren of Shimotsuki Village."
Ren.
The name felt unfamiliar.
Yet… it also felt like it belonged to him now.
Shimotsuki Village.
His eyes widened slightly.
East Blue.
Zoro's hometown.
His mind raced.
Twenty years before Luffy… that means… Kuina is still alive.
His heartbeat quickened—not from fear this time, but from realization.
He had been reborn.
Reincarnated into the world of One Piece.
A Fragile Beginning
Ren spent the next few days recovering.
Or rather—adjusting.
His new body was weak, barely six years old. Walking felt like learning it all over again. His balance was off, his strength nonexistent.
But his mind…
His mind was sharp.
Too sharp.
Because he knew this world.
He knew its dangers.
Pirates. Marines. Devil Fruits. War.
Death.
"Ren! Don't wander too far!"
The woman—his "mother," apparently—called out as he stepped outside.
The village was peaceful.
Wooden houses. Dirt roads. Children playing. The distant sound of swords clashing echoed from somewhere nearby.
Ren turned his head toward the sound.
A dojo.
His lips curved slightly.
Shimotsuki Dojo.
Zoro's training ground.
Without thinking, his feet moved.
The Dojo
The sound of wooden swords clashing grew louder as he approached.
Clack! Clack!
Voices. Shouting. Determination.
He reached the entrance and peeked inside.
Children were sparring.
Sweat, effort, focus.
And at the center—
A girl.
Short dark hair. Sharp eyes. A wooden sword in her hand.
She moved differently.
Faster.
Sharper.
Stronger.
Kuina.
Ren recognized her instantly.
She struck her opponent's sword aside and placed her blade at his throat in one smooth motion.
"Again," she said coldly.
The boy gulped.
Ren watched, silent.
So this is her…
The girl who would one day die too early.
The girl who shaped Roronoa Zoro's path.
A strange feeling stirred in his chest.
She's real.
Not a character.
Not fiction.
A living person.
Kuina seemed to notice him and turned her gaze toward the entrance.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment—just a second—Ren felt something strange.
A chill.
As if something unseen brushed past him.
Kuina frowned slightly.
"…who are you?"
Her voice was calm, but sharp.
Ren stepped inside.
"I'm Ren."
"That doesn't answer why you're here."
He scratched his head awkwardly. "Just… watching."
She stared at him for a moment, then turned away.
"Hmph. If you're going to watch, don't get in the way."
Ren smiled faintly.
She's exactly as I imagined.
Something Within
That night, Ren couldn't sleep.
He lay on the thin mattress, staring at the ceiling.
Reincarnated… into One Piece…
It sounded like a dream.
But the soreness in his body, the roughness of the wooden floor, the distant sound of waves—
It was real.
Then there was something else.
Something… inside him.
He closed his eyes.
Focused.
At first—nothing.
Then—
A flicker.
Darkness.
Not normal darkness.
This was deeper. Heavier.
Like a shadow with weight.
His breath caught.
What is this…?
The darkness moved.
Slow.
Silent.
Watching.
Then—
A whisper.
Not a voice.
Not exactly.
But a presence.
Cold.
Ancient.
Hungry.
Ren's eyes snapped open, his heart pounding.
"…what the hell…"
His hands trembled.
That wasn't normal.
Even in One Piece.
Then it hit him.
Devil Fruit.
His gaze dropped to his hands.
Human-Human Fruit… Model: Death Reaper.
He swallowed.
Unlike normal Zoan fruits, mythical ones were… different.
They weren't just powers.
They were… something more.
Alive?
He clenched his fist.
No system. No cheat codes.
Just this… unknown power.
A slow breath escaped his lips.
"…this is going to be dangerous."
A Decision
The next morning, Ren stood outside the dojo again.
This time—he didn't just watch.
He stepped inside.
Kuina glanced at him briefly.
"You again."
Ren nodded.
"I want to train."
Silence.
Then laughter—from the other kids.
"You?" one boy snorted. "You can barely stand!"
Ren ignored them.
His eyes stayed on Kuina.
She studied him carefully.
"…why?"
Simple question.
But the answer wasn't.
Because he knew the future?
Because he didn't want to die weak?
Because he wanted to stand at the top of this world?
Because of the girls he wanted to protect… and maybe love?
All of that.
But what he said was—
"I don't want to be weak."
Kuina's expression didn't change.
But something in her eyes shifted.
"…fine."
She tossed him a wooden sword.
"If you can hold that properly, you can stay."
Ren caught it—barely.
It felt heavy.
Too heavy.
His arms trembled.
But he didn't drop it.
Kuina watched him for a moment, then turned away.
"Then start with basic stance."
Ren adjusted his grip.
His posture was terrible.
His balance worse.
But his eyes—
His eyes burned with determination.
This is the beginning.
Twenty years before the era of pirates explodes.
Before Luffy.
Before the Great Age truly ignites.
He tightened his grip on the sword.
I'm not a hero.
Not a chosen one.
No system to carry me.
Just a boy.
In a dangerous world.
With a terrifying power.
And a future he intends to change.