Tenroujima, Ishgar Continent
A profound silence had fallen over the ancient forest of Tenroujima, broken only by the chirping of unseen birds and the rustle of leaves. Then, without warning, the earth itself groaned. A violent tremor shook the trees, sending animals scattering in a panic. From the heavens, something fell like a meteor, striking the ground with a force that carved a deep, craterous impression into the soil—a shape oddly reminiscent of a giant, rounded paw.
The dust settled. A deep pit now lay where towering trees once stood, and at its center sat a small, unassuming treasure chest. The forest's creatures, guided by primal instinct, gave the site a wide berth, their senses screaming of an unnatural presence. A human, however, would likely have been overcome by greed, rushing forward without a second thought.
With a soft click, the chest's latch gave way, not forced from the outside, but opened from within. A small hand pushed the lid open, and out clambered a child, who looked no more than three or four years old.
"Finally," the child muttered, dusting himself off with tiny hands. "Took long enough to land. I was flying through the air for an entire day. This body nearly starved to death."
This was no ordinary child. He was a soul from the 21st century, reborn—or rather, abruptly deposited—into this new world.
"I used to daydream about this kind of thing when I was a kid, devouring light novels and manga," he mused, looking around at the bizarre, vibrant forest. "But you stop believing in those fantasies when you hit twenty-five and are stuck in a 9-to-5 grind. My life was… normal. No grand tragedies, a decent family. Those stories were just an escape from the monotony. I don't even remember how I got here. One moment, I was… nowhere, and the next, I was soaring through the sky, somehow suspended for over a day. I counted about 90,000 seconds before I finally fell. It was terrifying at first, but you get used to anything, even defying gravity."
His stomach growled, a sharp reminder of his immediate needs. "Right. Priorities. I need to find food. Something edible in this weird place, hopefully not poisonous."
As the thought crossed his mind, a shimmering, rectangular screen materialized in front of his eyes, its text stark and impersonal.
[System granted (D-Tier)]
[Random three gift lottery tickets for the weakling.]
(Reminder: There will not be any other freebies in the future!)
He blinked. "Well, I'll be. The infamous 'system'? Like something out of those web novels?"
Curiosity piqued, he focused on the first ticket. Its description unfolded in his mind: 'Random Devil Fruit from the World of One Piece.'
"A gamble," he whispered, a faint, familiar thrill running through him. "Haven't felt that in a while. How do I use this?"
As if awaiting the command, the ticket tore itself apart. The shreds floated upwards, coalescing and expanding into a massive, spectral wheel that hovered in the air. It was segmented into countless slots, each bearing the name and image of a legendary fruit: the Bara Bara no Mi, the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu, the Noro Noro no Mi, the dazzling Goro Goro no Mi...
"Anything," he breathed, his heart beginning to pound against his small ribs. "Just please, don't be a complete dud like the basic human model. Spin the wheel."
The wheel began to turn, a blur of colors and names. For thirty long seconds, it spun, his hopes rising and falling as it swept past glowing Logias and majestic Mythical Zoans. It began to slow, the clicking sound growing more pronounced as it drifted through the Paramecia section—past the Jake Jake no Mi, the Fuku Fuku no Mi—until, with a final, decisive click, it settled on one.
Paw Paw no Mi.
"The Paw Paw fruit?" he wondered aloud. "I fell behind on the series years ago… that doesn't ring a bell. Sounds… underwhelming." He sighed, a pragmatic resignation settling in. "But it's this or nothing. It has to be better than being a defenseless child in a monster-infested forest."
The spectral wheel dissolved into motes of light, and in its place, a bizarre, orange-patterned fruit dropped softly into the grass. It looked as strange as he'd always imagined. Driven more by hunger than courage, he picked it up, took a deep breath, and devoured it, gagging at the famously revolting taste.
One second passed. Then two. On the third, a strange sensation bloomed on the palms of his hands. He looked down. Emerging from the center of each palm was a small, pink, fleshy pad—a paw.
"What in the—?"
Before he could finish his thought, another screen appeared, its text glowing with a different, more significant light.
[Appraising Devil Fruit: Nikyu Nikyu no Mi.]
[Ability: The user can push anything they touch, or anything that touches their paws, at the speed of light. Repel physical matter, pain, fatigue, and even the air itself.]
[Rating: S+ Tier. Previous User: Bartholomew Kuma. Potential Post-Awakening: SS+ Tier.]
(For comparison: Standard Logia-type fruits such as the Yuki Yuki no Mi and the Kami Kami no Mi are typically rated S Tier.)
The child stared at the text, then down at the peculiar pads on his hands. A slow, wide grin spread across his face, all prior disappointment vanishing.
"I… would like to formally retract my earlier comments."
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Chapter 1 End.