Kaito stared at the floating system screen, his soaked clothes clinging to his body as the waves rolled beneath him. The Going Merry swayed gently in the distance, the legendary ship carrying Straw Hat Luffy and his crew—but that wasn't what had his heart pounding.
The Summoning System was real.
Golden text continued to pulse before him, waiting. Waiting for him to act.
Kaito swallowed hard. Was he dreaming? Was this a hallucination brought on by drowning? No. Everything was too vivid—the salty taste of seawater, the ache in his muscles, the burning excitement in his veins. This was real, and he needed to move.
Shakily, he raised a hand toward the hovering screen, letting his fingers brush across the interface. The moment his skin made contact, the text shifted.
[Summoning System Activated]
Available Summons: 1
His breath hitched. Only one? Did that mean he could only summon one character right now? That wasn't ideal, but he couldn't afford hesitation.
The screen glowed brighter, another set of words appearing.
Choose Your First Summon
1. Roronoa Zoro (One Piece) – Swordsman Class
2. Hinata Hyuga (Naruto) – Support Class
3. Esdeath (Akame ga Kill) – Ice Warrior Class
Kaito's mind whirled. The choices were insane. He could summon Zoro, the swordsman who sought to be the greatest in the world; Hinata, the gentle yet powerful kunoichi; or Esdeath, the ruthless warrior with devastating ice powers.
His instincts screamed for power. Esdeath would be overwhelming in sheer strength, but she had a terrifying personality—she was loyal, sure, but her definition of loyalty could be… intense.
Hinata would be a solid support, but without immediate offensive capabilities, he'd be vulnerable.
Zoro…
Kaito's gaze flickered to the Going Merry. If this was One Piece, having Zoro as his first summon would be the most strategic choice. A legendary swordsman, someone who could keep him alive until he understood how this world worked—it had to be him.
Taking a deep breath, Kaito focused on the name. The system recognized his choice instantly, the interface flashing a deep crimson.
Summoning Initiated…
The world around him shook.
A swirling vortex cracked open in the air before him, spirals of blue energy distorting reality itself. The water beneath him churned violently, and a sharp, electrifying hum filled the air.
Then, a figure stepped through the void.
A man with moss-green hair, three swords strapped to his waist, and a deathly serious expression. His black coat billowed slightly as he emerged from the rift, eyes scanning his surroundings before locking onto Kaito.
Kaito's breath caught.
Roronoa Zoro.
It was really him.
Zoro looked down at him, arms crossed, his brows furrowing slightly. "...Where the hell am I?"
Kaito swallowed. How the hell was he supposed to explain this?
Zoro, Loyalty, and First Contact
The system screen flashed again.
Summon Loyalty: 100%
Summon Status: Bound to Summoner
Command System Enabled
Kaito barely processed the words before Zoro's sharp gaze returned to him.
"You summoned me, huh?" Zoro muttered, scanning the surroundings once more before sighing. "I don't get it, but I feel some weird connection to you. Like I can't ignore orders."
Kaito's heart pounded. That confirmed it—summons were completely loyal. Zoro wouldn't betray him. He wouldn't abandon him.
"Yeah," Kaito said, his voice steadier than he expected. "You're my first summon. Looks like you're bound to me now."
Zoro raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. Instead, he looked toward the Going Merry, expression unreadable.
"So this world… is my original world?" Zoro mused. "That's a relief. Thought I got sucked into some parallel dimension garbage."
Kaito blinked. Interesting. The summons maintained their original memories, but now saw Kaito as their undisputed leader. That was incredibly powerful.
Zoro cracked his neck. "I don't care about the details. If you summoned me, what's next?"
Kaito exhaled, shaking off his lingering nerves. His first summon was a success. Now came survival.
"Next?" Kaito smirked, a newfound confidence settling into his bones.
"We conquer this world."