A quiet stillness hung in the air of the dimly lit room. The only sound was the gentle breathing of three people.
The room itself was small, enclosed by four cement walls that seemed to cut it off from everything else. From inside, you couldn't even tell that there was nothing outside except endless white space. It existed separate from reality itself.
Two teenagers sat side by side at the foot of a bed, their eyes fixed intently on the child lying peacefully under a thin, worn-out blanket. One Piece Elric—the more expressive and easygoing of the two—rested his elbows on his knees and tilted his head slightly, his eyes flickering with barely contained curiosity. There was a faint impatience in his posture, in the way his fingers drummed against his leg.
"So..." he began, finally breaking the silence. "What do you think? What world do you reckon this kid came from?"
Marvel Elric leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving the boy's face. His expression was thoughtful, cautious. After a long moment, he shook his head slowly.
"I really can't tell," he admitted honestly. "There's nothing distinctive about his body. No unique characteristics. Nothing that immediately ties him to any specific world or universe." He paused, studying the sleeping child more carefully. "Honestly, I really can't say for certain."
The boy was just a red-haired kid—young, small, peaceful in sleep. But there was one thing that stood out: he was currently wearing some kind of kimono. The style suggested Japanese influence, at least. That narrowed it down somewhat, but not much.
Still, there was a very simple solution to their uncertainty. One touch. Just one. If they touched him, they could synchronize immediately—feel his power, glimpse his memories, understand exactly which world he came from. The answer would reveal itself in an instant.
But neither of them reached out. Neither moved. Because they both knew better. They had both thought of the same possibility, the same risk, the same potential disaster.
In some worlds—certain specific universes—being a powerless nobody was far, far safer than having any kind of ability at all.
"Take a world like A Certain Magical Index," Marvel Elric said slowly, almost as if reading his own thoughts aloud. "The whole planet is basically a battleground for Demon Gods. Beings of incomprehensible power." He paused, letting that sink in. "And if someone like him suddenly gained powers that don't match the established system of that world..."
One Piece Elric finished the sentence with a heavy sigh. "He'd draw attention immediately. And the second he gets noticed by a Demon God or someone higher on the food chain..."
"Death would be a mercy," Marvel Elric said grimly.
In chaotic multiverses like that, power wasn't a blessing—it was a curse. A giant red target painted on your back. That was why they couldn't recklessly give someone their own abilities or knowledge, especially not to a child who had no way of protecting himself. At least, not until they understood the situation better. Not until they were certain it wouldn't get him killed.
Marvel Elric's own case was proof of that caution. In theory, he should have been erased by the TVA the very moment his previous life's memories awakened. The knowledge he now possessed should have triggered a timeline branch immediately—an anomaly, a nexus event. But nothing happened. The TVA never came. No agents appeared, no pruning, no reset charges. He didn't understand why. Not yet.
That uncertainty was part of why he had chosen to live deep in the forest, far away from cities and civilization—a self-imposed exile from society. He avoided unnecessary contact with others, not out of paranoia exactly, but out of patient caution.
As the two Elrics whispered their concerns and theories, the sleeping child stirred. His fingers twitched slightly beneath the thin blanket, and a slow, shallow breath escaped his lips. His eyelids fluttered open—just a sliver—revealing clouded, confused eyes that didn't seem to focus on anything.
Then his body suddenly tensed. A sharp gasp escaped him, his small frame going rigid as he clutched at the sides of his head with both hands, as though something invisible and painful had invaded his skull. His eyes lost focus completely, his face contorting in obvious distress. It looked like someone had forcefully injected too much information into his brain all at once—like memories, distant and alien and ancient, were suddenly being stuffed into his consciousness without warning or preparation.
He hadn't even fully regained consciousness yet, but his body trembled violently under the weight of it all.
Before he could cry out or scream, a voice shattered the thick tension filling the room.
"Hey, kid!" One Piece Elric's casual, lighthearted tone rang out clearly. "Which world did you travel from?"
The question came so suddenly, so casually, that it cut through the boy's confusion like a knife. The boy looked dazed, overwhelmed, his eyes still foggy and unfocused. But something—some subconscious reflex, some automatic response—compelled him to answer.
"...Naruto... world," he mumbled weakly, his voice barely audible.
His eyes were still clouded, and it was completely clear he hadn't fully processed anything yet. The memories flooding into him had only just awakened. He was still adjusting, still reeling.
But that single answer alone made One Piece Elric's face light up.
"Oh? Naruto, huh?" He chuckled, grinning widely. "Well, that's not too bad then. No big deal at all."
Still grinning, he stepped forward casually and clapped the kid gently on the back—a seemingly innocent gesture, friendly and reassuring. At the same moment, Marvel Elric reached out and touched the boy's shoulder.
That single touch triggered everything.
In an instant, both Elrics froze completely in place, like statues carved from stone. Their bodies went rigid, eyes wide and unblinking. The connection had been established. Power, memories, knowledge—everything flowed between them in a rushing torrent of information.
Their expressions shifted rapidly—confusion morphing into shock, shock melting into disbelief.
The room fell silent except for the sound of their breathing.
After a long, tense pause that seemed to stretch forever, the difference between their reactions became crystal clear.
Marvel Elric's face went from stunned surprise into gradual understanding and finally settled into calm realization. His lips slowly curved into a satisfied smile—not loud, not flashy, not exaggerated. Just quiet, pleased acceptance. A nod of deep understanding and contentment. He looked happy. Genuinely happy.
But One Piece Elric's reaction was completely different. Explosive.
At first, his jaw dropped in open, slack-jawed astonishment, his eyes going wider than seemed physically possible. But then an excited grin began to stretch across his face, growing larger, wilder, more manic by the second. It spread until it covered his entire face with pure, unfiltered glee.
And then, he laughed. Not a chuckle, not a giggle—a full-throated, explosive laugh of sheer triumph.
"Fuuuuck!" he shouted, his voice trembling with barely controlled excitement. "We really hit the jackpot this time!!"
His words echoed through the small room. Then came the laughter—wild, unrestrained, echoing like thunder.
"HAHAHAHA! I'm invincible now! From this moment on... everything's gonna change!! HAAAAAAHAHA!!"
His voice rang out like a storm unleashed, shaking the stillness of the white space into absolute chaos. The laughter just kept going, rolling, building, filling every corner of the room.
But one thing was absolutely clear to everyone in that room. Crystal clear. Undeniable.
His arrival had changed everything.
The jackpot. They'd hit the absolute jackpot.