The True King In One Piece

Michael adjusted the strap of his backpack as he walked down the familiar streets leading from his parents' house to his college dorm. The cool evening breeze brushed against his face, the city lights twinkling like distant stars. He had taken this route countless times before, yet today, a strange feeling gnawed at the back of his mind.

A sigh escaped his lips.

Seventeen years old. A freshman in college. Good grades, a stable family, and even a growing business on the side that focused on helping the homeless. People often told him he was lucky—privileged, even. He had parents who adored him, both of them respected doctors working for prestigious institutions. Thanks to them, he had never worried about money. Private schools, tutors, all the resources he could ever need were handed to him. He worked hard, of course, but there was always the nagging thought at the back of his mind: Would I have succeeded without these advantages?

Michael never voiced these thoughts aloud. He wasn't ungrateful—he knew he had a life many would kill for. His business was thriving, his reputation in the city was solid, and to top it all off, he had a child on the way. A beautiful girlfriend, a stable future. Everything should have felt perfect.

And yet, deep down, he felt... unfulfilled.

Life is too easy.

He often found himself wondering—if he had been born in different circumstances, without wealth or family backing, would he have been able to build himself up from nothing? Or was he just another product of his environment, someone who got a head start and never truly struggled? He liked to believe he had the ability to thrive regardless, but he had never been tested. Never had to fight for his survival.

Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice the notification popping up on his phone. His eyes flicked down, and his heart leapt.

NEW EPISODE OF ONE PIECE RELEASING AT MIDNIGHT!

A grin stretched across his face. Finally!

Despite everything, One Piece was one of the few things that still excited him. A world of adventure, danger, and limitless potential. He had always admired characters who clawed their way up from nothing—Luffy, Zoro, even the villains had that relentless ambition he envied. If only I was born in a world like that...

Shaking his head, he quickened his pace. His dorm wasn't too far, and he needed to get there before midnight. The last thing he wanted was to miss the release of the latest episode. The streets were mostly empty at this hour, just the occasional pedestrian or distant sound of traffic.

Then, without warning, the world around him erupted into chaos.

A deafening roar split the night, followed by a monstrous shadow blotting out the city lights. Michael barely had time to register what was happening before a massive force slammed into him from above. Pain—blinding, overwhelming pain—shot through his body as everything went dark.

Darkness. Silence.

Michael groaned, his head pounding as he tried to move. He couldn't feel his body. Couldn't even tell if he was breathing. He was floating—no, suspended—in a void of nothingness.

Where... am I?

A chuckle echoed through the emptiness. Deep, ancient, filled with amusement. Michael's instincts screamed at him, but he had no idea where to look.

"So, you've finally noticed me," a voice spoke, slow and deliberate.

Michael's nonexistent body tensed. His mind was racing. The last thing he remembered was... a dragon? No, that couldn't be right. Dragons weren't real. He had been walking, then the One Piece notification—

Then pain. And then... this.

He tried to speak, but no words came out. It was as if his voice had been stolen.

"Relax," the voice said, almost amused. "You're not dead. Not yet, at least."

Michael felt his breathing quicken—or at least, the sensation of it. Panic clawed at his thoughts. Not dead? That meant there was still a chance. He could wake up in a hospital, right? His parents were doctors. They could—

"You're not going back," the voice interrupted his spiraling thoughts. "That life is over."

Michael's mind reeled. His body—or what was left of it—felt like it was trembling. Fear twisted in his gut.

"Who... who are you?" he finally managed to whisper, his voice hoarse and uncertain.

The darkness around him shifted, and suddenly, an old man materialized before him. He had a long, flowing beard, eyes that seemed to pierce through reality itself, and an aura of undeniable power. He looked like a deity, or perhaps something even older.

"I've been watching you for a long time, Michael," the old man mused. "You always wondered if life was too easy, if you could rise to greatness without the privileges you were given." His gaze sharpened. "How fitting that you're about to find out."

Michael's breath hitched. This was insane. This had to be some twisted dream, right? Some coma-induced hallucination. But the weight of the old man's words pressed down on him like an undeniable truth.

"What... does that mean?" he asked cautiously, his voice laced with hesitation.

The old man smiled. "It means you're getting what you wished for. A new life. A new world."

Michael swallowed hard. His heart pounded against his ribs—or at least, that's what it felt like. He had dreamed about adventure, about struggle, about proving himself without the safety net of wealth and family. But now, faced with the reality of it, doubt clawed at him. Could he actually do this?

The old man leaned in slightly, his expression unreadable. "Tell me, Michael. If I give you this chance... will you take it?"

Michael hesitated for only a moment. A world beyond this one? A life where he could carve his own path from nothing?

He took a shaky breath and clenched his fists.

"Yes."

The old man's smile widened. "Good."

The darkness surged forward, swallowing Michael whole.

And then, there was nothing.