OP: Sovereign of Blood and Seas

The crash of waves was unrelenting, pulling Eric from unconsciousness like a reluctant tide. He stirred, groaning as the coarse sand beneath him grated against his skin. His muscles screamed in protest when he tried to move, but he forced himself upright, clutching his head.

Where…am I?

The air tasted of salt and iron. The sky stretched wide and blue above him, but the sight did little to soothe the knot in his chest. He wasn't home. Hell, he wasn't even sure he was alive. Fragments of memory teased the edges of his mind—a truck, a flash of light, pain—and then nothing.

He glanced down at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. They were pale, unnaturally so, and his nails were longer and sharper than he remembered. The strange hue of his skin almost seemed to glow in the sunlight, making his unease deepen. He took a deep breath, trying to collect himself, but the taste of the air hit him wrong. The salty tang wasn't unfamiliar, but there was something else—something coppery and raw. It set his teeth on edge.

"Am I dead?" he muttered, his voice rasping.

"Incorrect," a dispassionate voice replied.

Eric froze. The voice wasn't his own, nor was it coming from the world around him. It was inside his head, cold and clinical.

"Who's there?" he barked, his voice sharper now.

"System initializing. Welcome, Host."

The words echoed, reverberating in his mind. He jerked his head around, searching for any sign of the source, but the beach was empty save for a few crabs skittering about. Then he saw it—a screen hovering in front of him, translucent and faintly glowing. It was impossible, surreal, but there it was.

Name: Unknown Level: 1 Abilities: [Bloodline Manipulation] (Sealed) Active Quests: [Survive for 24 hours – Reward: Starter Pack]

Warning: Vitality Low. Immediate action recommended.

Eric stared, his breath caught in his throat. It was straight out of a video game—a floating interface that defied everything he knew about reality. His mind raced.

"This… isn't real. It can't be real."

But the evidence was undeniable. His fingers waved in front of the screen, and it didn't waver. His steps across the sand did nothing to disrupt its presence. He wasn't imagining it.

"Okay," he said, forcing himself to think rationally. "Let's say I believe this. What am I supposed to do?"

The screen shifted in response, displaying a new prompt:

Quest: Survive for 24 hours

Objective: Gather resources, avoid danger, and sustain vitality.

Reward: Starter Pack (Health Potion, Map, Basic Weapon).

The word "danger" leapt out at him, sending a chill down his spine. His eyes swept the treeline a few yards ahead, where shadows stretched long under the glaring sun. Something moved—a flash of fur, a glint of eyes.

A guttural growl broke the stillness.

Eric's chest tightened as he turned to face the source of the sound. A mangy wolf-like creature, twice the size of any dog he'd ever seen, prowled out of the trees. Its yellow eyes gleamed with hunger, its teeth bared in a snarl.

"Shit," he hissed, instinct kicking in.

The wolf lunged. Eric threw himself backward with a desperate yell, narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws. He scrambled to his feet, panic coursing through him. He had no weapons, no plan, just adrenaline.

The system chimed. "Combat Engaged. Bloodline Adaptations Unlocked: Enhanced Reflexes."

The change was instantaneous. Time seemed to slow as the wolf lunged again, its movements almost telegraphed to his heightened senses. Eric sidestepped with unnatural grace, his body reacting faster than his thoughts. His hand shot out, gripping a piece of driftwood.

The beast skidded to a halt, turning to face him again, and Eric swung. The improvised weapon struck its head with a sickening crack. The wolf yelped, staggering, but it didn't fall. His arms shook from the impact, and his breath came in ragged gasps, but he held his ground.

That was when he felt it—a hunger, primal and undeniable, stirring deep in his chest. His vision blurred, the world fading to shades of red.

"Bloodline Unlocked: Chi Chi no Mi – Basic Abilities Activated."

He barely registered the words. The hunger drove him forward, instinct overriding reason. He lunged at the wolf, his hand gripping its neck with an ironclad hold. To his horror—and exhilaration—the beast's blood surged toward him, seeping into his skin.

The wolf's struggles weakened until it collapsed, lifeless. Eric stumbled back, his heart pounding in his ears. He stared at his hands, trembling as strength flooded his limbs. Cuts and bruises from the fight vanished, leaving his skin pristine and pale once more.

"What… was that?" he whispered.

"Ability: Blood Absorption. Consuming the blood of others replenishes vitality and strengthens the host."

"Blood?" His voice cracked with disbelief. "What the hell am I?"

The answer came not from the system, but from his own mind. A memory surfaced—faint, fragmented—a grotesque fruit, blood-red and pulsing like a heartbeat. The taste lingered on his tongue even now.

Chi Chi no Mi. Vampire Vampire Fruit.

The corpse of the wolf dissolved into a flurry of light, leaving behind a small satchel. The system chimed again:

Quest Complete: Starter Pack Obtained.

Shaking off the shock, Eric approached the satchel, his stomach still twisted in knots. He opened it carefully, finding a vial of crimson liquid, a crude dagger, and a rolled map. The latter caught his attention. He unfurled it, scanning the scrawled names until one leapt out at him:

"East Blue," he read aloud. The words hit him like a freight train. He wasn't just in another world. He was in the One Piece world—a world of pirates, monsters, and power unimaginable.

He sank to his knees, the map trembling in his hands. It didn't make sense. None of this did. How had he gotten here? Why? What was the purpose of this… system, this fruit, this new life?

The sound of the waves brought him back to the present. He clenched the dagger, its weight grounding him. He didn't have answers, but one thing was clear: survival wasn't just an option—it was a mandate.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the island in shadow, Eric stared out at the endless sea. The hunger within him stirred again, a reminder of what he'd become.

"I'll survive," he said, his voice steady. "And then…I'll take it all."