Yuta stood by the shore for a long moment, staring at the endless ocean.
The waves moved steadily, the wind brushing against his face, grounding him in reality. Yet his thoughts were far from calm.
"…One Piece…"
He muttered the words again, as if saying them enough times would make them feel more real.
Pirates. Marines. Devil Fruits.
A world he had only ever seen through a screen.
And now—
He was standing inside it.
"…This is insane…"
He let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady himself.
For a brief moment, his mind wandered.
Adventure. Freedom. Power.
All the things he had once watched from afar now felt… within reach.
But just as quickly, reality pulled him back.
"…Wait."
His expression shifted.
A thought surfaced.
Something important.
Something very familiar.
"…Don't people like me usually have something?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
In all those stories he had watched and read—people who were suddenly thrown into another world—
They always had something.
A cheat.
A system.
A guide.
Something that made them different.
Stronger.
Special.
Yuta straightened up a little.
"…Right…"
That had to be it.
There was no way he would just be thrown into this kind of world with nothing.
He looked around, as if expecting something to appear out of thin air.
"…System?"
He called out.
Silence.
Only the sound of waves answered him.
"…Status?"
Nothing.
"…Inventory?"
Still nothing.
Yuta frowned.
"…Come on…"
He cleared his throat slightly, then tried again—this time more seriously.
"…System, activate."
Silence.
"…Open interface."
Nothing.
"…Summon system."
Still nothing.
A faint crease formed on his forehead.
"…Don't tell me…"
He tried again.
And again.
And again.
"System."
"System."
"System."
His voice echoed slightly along the empty shore, but no matter how many times he called—
Nothing responded.
No screen.
No voice.
No sudden power.
Just him.
"…You've got to be kidding me…"
His shoulders slumped slightly.
He even tried changing his tone, thinking maybe there was some kind of "activation phrase."
"…Please?"
"…Hello?"
"…Anyone there?"
Nothing.
At some point, he even started making random gestures, half-remembered from things he had seen.
A hand raised dramatically.
"…Activate!"
Silence.
He paused.
Then tried something else.
"…Login?"
Nothing.
"…Initialize?"
Still nothing.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Yuta kept trying, his voice gradually losing confidence.
"…This is stupid…"
He muttered under his breath.
Still—
He didn't give up immediately.
Because if there was a system—
Then it could change everything.
"…Come on…"
One last time.
"…System."
Silence.
Completely silent.
And then—
Grrrrrr…
His stomach growled loudly.
"…Ah."
Yuta froze.
The sound echoed far louder than it should have in the quiet surroundings.
"…Right…"
He slowly lowered his hand.
Reality hit him again.
No system.
No guide.
No help.
Just hunger.
"…I guess that's more important…"
He let out a tired sigh, placing a hand on his stomach.
Whatever this world was—
Whatever situation he was in—
He still needed to eat.
Otherwise, he wouldn't last long enough to figure anything else out.
"…Food first…"
He glanced back toward the small island behind him.
Trees.
Bushes.
Possibly fruit.
"…Hopefully…"
Without wasting more time, Yuta turned and began walking toward the forest.
The moment he stepped off the sandy shore, the ground changed beneath his feet.
From soft sand to firmer soil.
The air grew slightly cooler under the shade of trees, and the sound of waves gradually faded behind him.
"…Feels different…"
He muttered quietly, looking around.
The forest wasn't dense, but it wasn't completely open either.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves above, creating scattered patches of light on the ground.
There were bushes.
Vines.
Tall trees with unfamiliar shapes.
"…I really don't know anything about this place…"
Yuta scratched his cheek lightly.
In his previous life, survival skills weren't exactly something he had needed.
Now—
They mattered.
A lot.
"…Let's just look for something obvious…"
He began walking slowly, keeping his eyes open.
Fruits.
That was the goal.
Something simple.
Something edible.
"…Hopefully not poisonous…"
He added quietly.
Time passed as he moved deeper into the forest.
He checked a few bushes—nothing.
Looked at some trees—either too tall or no visible fruit.
"…This might take a while…"
His stomach growled again, reminding him of the urgency.
"…Yeah, yeah…"
He muttered.
Then—
He stopped.
"…Hm?"
Something caught his eye.
Not far from where he stood, partially hidden near the base of a tree, was a fruit.
"…There…"
He walked closer.
The fruit looked… strange.
Very strange.
It wasn't like any fruit he had seen before.
The shape was uneven, almost unnatural.
Its surface had a swirling pattern, as if it had been carved rather than grown.
The color was also unusual—not completely vibrant, but not dull either.
"…What is this…"
Yuta crouched down, picking it up carefully.
It felt solid.
Real.
But the moment his fingers traced the surface—
He paused.
"…This pattern…"
His eyes narrowed.
Swirls.
Distinct.
Recognizable.
His heartbeat quickened slightly.
"…No way…"
He turned the fruit slightly, examining it more closely.
The shape.
The texture.
The design.
All of it matched something he had seen before.
Something very specific.
"…This is…"
He swallowed.
"…a Devil Fruit?"
The words came out slowly, uncertain—but filled with realization.
There was no mistaking it.
Even if the exact type wasn't clear—
The appearance alone was enough.
"…You've got to be kidding me…"
He stared at it in disbelief.
Of all things—
He had found this?
Right after arriving?
"…Is this…"
His grip tightened slightly around the fruit.
"…my cheat?"
The thought surfaced naturally.
No system.
No guide.
But instead—
A Devil Fruit.
Power.
In this world, Devil Fruits were everything.
Strength.
Ability.
A way to survive.
A way to stand above others.
But—
Another thought followed immediately.
"…Or is this just luck…?"
His expression grew more complicated.
Because finding a Devil Fruit—
Wasn't something that just happened.
It was rare.
Extremely rare.
And yet—
It was right here.
In his hands.
"…What are the chances…"
He muttered.
Was this fate?
Or coincidence?
Yuta stared at the strange fruit for a long moment.
The forest was quiet around him.
The wind moved softly through the trees.
And in his hands—
Was a choice.
A possibility.
He didn't move.
Didn't act.
Just stood there—
Thinking.
His new life had only just begun.
And already—
It was offering him something… dangerous.
And unknown.