From the very beginning, the mysterious Reincarnation Paradise had addressed Su Xiao as a "Hunter."
This title puzzled him—he had never signed any so-called contract.
"What does being a 'Hunter' entail?"
His question triggered a significant reaction from the Paradise.
[Ordinary individuals who sign the contract become Contractors, executing missions for the 'Paradise' in exchange for rewards.]
[Hunters are a special class of Contractors with combat-oriented talents.]
[While performing standard missions, Hunters will also receive assassination tasks—eliminating 'abnormal' Contractors.]
[Query limit reached. The Paradise will no longer answer further questions. Sign the contract or await death.]
All light faded, plunging the space into darkness.
An ancient-looking parchment scroll materialized midair, hanging suspended.
Su Xiao struggled to his feet and approached it.
The parchment was covered in strange symbols, with a large blank space at the bottom.
[Sign Contract: Yes/No?]
A premonition struck him—signing this contract would irrevocably alter his life.
But he had too much unfinished business. Even if this path led to hell, he would leap without hesitation.
"I… agree."
The moment the words left his lips, his hand moved against his will, thumb pressing into the blank space.
A sharp sting pierced his fingertip as crimson blood seeped into the parchment, dyeing it a faint red and releasing a metallic tang.
[Contract established! Commencing Hunter's injury repair.]
Emerald light enveloped Su Xiao's body. Within seconds, his wounds vanished without a trace.
[Injuries healed. Forcibly awakening Hunter talent.]
Before he could even exhale in relief, excruciating pain erupted throughout his body.
Veins bulged grotesquely beneath his skin. Yet Su Xiao—his pain tolerance far surpassing ordinary limits—only let out a stifled grunt before dropping to one knee.
The agony vanished as abruptly as it came. Something deep within him had been unlocked.
It didn't feel foreign—more like rediscovering a buried part of himself.
[To quantify the Hunter's combat capabilities, semi-digitalization initiated.]
[Warning: 'Semi-digitalization' is an auxiliary combat feature. Severe damage to vital organs (heart, brain, etc.) will still result in death. Exercise caution in derivative worlds.]
[Hunter trial begins. Failure will result in demotion to standard Contractor status. Death during the trial equals permanent termination.]
[Paradise Doctrine: All exchanges must be of equal value.]
The words faded as darkness swallowed Su Xiao's vision.
[Transmission commencing…]
——
When consciousness returned, Su Xiao found himself in a crumbling shack.
The single-room structure—barely 15 square meters—had a partially collapsed roof, allowing sunlight to stream in.
Dust-choked spiderwebs clung to the corners. The door and windows were gone, replaced by mountains of garbage pressing against every opening.
This derelict shelter had been buried alive under a landfill, leaving only the broken ceiling as an exit.
A putrid stench assaulted his nostrils. Just as Su Xiao moved to leave, a searing pain flared on his forearm.
A black sword-shaped tattoo materialized on his skin.
The familiar blue text reappeared—but this time, it overlaid his vision, remaining fixed regardless of where he looked, as if etched onto his retinas.
World: One Piece
Difficulty: LV.6 – Nightmare (Hunter-exclusive trial difficulty)
World Source: 0% (Increases through exploration/interaction. Affects final mission rating.)
World Briefing: Ocean. Freedom. Pirates. Marines. World Government.
Main Mission: Assassinate the King of the Goa Kingdom.
Side Missions: None
WARNING: Do not disclose any information about the 'Paradise.' Violations will result in immediate execution.
NOTE: This is a high-level derivative world. Do not leave the Goa Kingdom area, or world difficulty will increase drastically.
NOTE: Language proficiency granted for first-world adaptation. (Duration: 3 days)
World, begin!
As the text vanished, Su Xiao processed the revelations.
He'd been brought to the Reincarnation Paradise—an entity with inscrutable motives. His own goal was clear: gain power to exact vengeance.
He now stood in the One Piece world—a realm of superhuman monsters capable of sinking islands and slaughtering nations. Despite his lethal skills, he was utterly ordinary here.
The mission's "Nightmare" rating spoke volumes.
The objective—kill the Goa Kingdom's king—came with no guidance, no intel, just a 72-hour deadline.
A pulse from his tattoo drew his attention. The sword emblem—his Hunter's Brand—could be activated mentally.
It served as his lifeline, with multiple functions:
Personal Information
Missions
Inventory (Locked - Tier too low)
Skills (Locked)
Equipment (Locked)
Only the first two options were accessible.
Opening the Missions tab revealed grim details:
[Main Mission: Assassinate the King of Goa]
Difficulty: LV.3
Details: The Goa Kingdom rules over eastern islands including Fooshia Village and Mt. Colubo. Eliminate King Philip Herbert by any means. (Target remains heavily guarded within the palace.)
Time Limit: 72 hours
Reward: Full activation of Hunter status
——
The pieces clicked.
The mountains of trash surrounding him? This had to be the Terminal—the infamous garbage dump later burned alive during a Celestial Dragon visit.
The Goa Kingdom's capital stood adjacent to Mt. Colubo, home to the story's protagonists in their youth.
Key questions:
Was this before Luffy, Ace, and Sabo set sail?
Were they even born yet?
But survival came first. The Terminal teemed with desperate outcasts. Charging out blindly meant suicide.
He needed intel. Weapons. A plan.