Kira died in the middle of traffic.
One second, she was crossing the street after grabbing takeout. The next, headlights. A loud horn. A flash of pain.
Then darkness.
And silence.
When she opened her eyes, she wasn't in a hospital. She wasn't in pain. She wasn't even in a body.
Just white space. Cold. Still.
Then the words appeared.
You are dead.
You may choose one world.
One time. One location. No cheats. No powers.
Just a second chance.
No voice. No explanation. Just text floating in front of her like a cheap game menu.
It felt like a joke. But she didn't laugh.
Because deep down, a part of her believed it.
She was dead.
And now something—whatever it was—was giving her a choice.
She clenched her teeth.
If she got only one shot, she knew exactly what world to pick.
"One Piece.
Skypiea.
Six and a half years before the main story begins."
She thought it clearly, carefully. Not just for nostalgia. Not to meet Luffy.
She picked that time and place for one reason.
The Goro Goro no Mi.
Enel, the self-proclaimed god, would find it six years before the anime began.
That gave her six months to get to it first.
When she woke again, it was like falling into her own skin.
Air hit her lungs hard. Her chest jerked up. Cold wind bit at her face.
She coughed. Gasped. Sat up on trembling arms.
The ground beneath her wasn't dirt. It was soft, white, and springy. Not wet. Not warm.
Cloud.
Above her was nothing but open sky. Blue and wide.
In the distance, she saw strange buildings — curved domes made of white shell. Rope bridges. Walkways suspended between towers.
And people.
With wings.
Small, white wings on their backs. Light and useless.
She stared.
Skypieans.
This was real.
She looked down at herself. Her body was small, maybe twelve or thirteen. Her skin was light brown. Her black hair was short and messy, brushing just below her jaw.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
She was here.
In the One Piece world.
She walked slowly toward the city — Angel Island.
Everything was just like she remembered from the manga. The floating paths of cloud. The tall bell tower. The open-air market stalls.
Skyfish sizzled over fires. Dials hung from ropes. People shouted and laughed. No one noticed her.
Perfect.
She slipped into the crowd, watching quietly.
She wasn't here to make friends.
She was here to find the Goro Goro no Mi.
At a small stall, she handed over a polished silver shell she'd found near where she woke up. In return, she got two strips of dried fish and a half-loaf of puffbread.
The vendor frowned at her.
"You alone, kid?"
She didn't blink. "Yeah."
"No parents?"
She stared at him flatly. "Dead."
He shrugged. "Tough luck."
She walked away without another word.
She found a quiet ledge near the edge of the island and sat down to eat.
Below her was nothing but sea cloud. The sun burned gold above the horizon.
In the far distance, barely visible, was the shadow of the Upper Yard.
Dense forest. Forbidden ruins. Sacred ground.
That's where the fruit had to be. She didn't know the exact spot, but it didn't matter.
She had six months.
That was all.
Enel would come soon. She had no illusions about that.
If she failed, if she took too long, she'd be too late.
He'd find the fruit.
And once he did, no one would be able to stop him.
Unless she got there first.
She wasn't a hero. She didn't want to save the world.
But if someone got in her way, they'd die.
Simple as that.
That night, she found an old abandoned tower on the outskirts of the city. It looked like it had been unused for years.
She climbed inside, lit a weak heat dial, and wrapped herself in a sheet of scrap fabric.
She stared at the ceiling as wind howled through the cracks.
Six months.
No allies. No power. No help.
Only knowledge.
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