There are moments in life that slap you so hard, they rewrite your soul.
For Ryujiro, that moment wasn't a truck. It wasn't some divine sacrifice or tragic betrayal. It was ramen.
Cup ramen.
Specifically, the moment the steam hit his face while he watched Luffy climb into a barrel on his cracked laptop screen for the hundredth time.
He blinked.
He slurped.
And when he opened his eyes again…
The sea was real.
The wind was loud.
The sky? Bluer than any anime could ever paint.
The ocean stretched out like a living canvas, and beneath his boots, grass tickled his toes from a seaside cliff that didn't exist on Earth.
"...Yo," he whispered, voice shaky, heart already pounding.
Then he grinned.
"Oh. OH. HELL YES."
[Neural sync complete. Host vitals stable. Isekai transition successful. Welcome to East Blue.]
The voice rang in his skull — smooth, low, clear. Not a god. Not some old man in a white robe.
Nope.
It was an AI.
And it sounded annoyingly smug.
[Codename: Jarvy online.]
[Loading full One Piece timeline… complete. Canon preservation mode engaged.]
"Wait, wait, wait…" Ryujiro blinked, hands gripping his coat as he spun around, eyes wide. "You're telling me I got isekai'd into One Piece with a built-in cheat AI?!"
[Affirmative. You may now flex dramatically.]
And he did.
He spread his arms wide and screamed into the ocean, voice loud and wild.
"LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
That was three days ago.
Now? He was known as Rex.
Silver-haired. Blue-eyed. Rocking a black longcoat with glowing blue trim and boots too clean for any village. He looked like trouble. He acted like ego with legs. He didn't blend in — and he didn't want to.
He stood tall on a grassy cliff above Foosha Village, staring down at the waves as something bobbed in the water.
A barrel.
His grin was slow. Sinister. Delighted.
"Showtime."
[Incoming protagonist. Monkey D. Luffy. Status: unconscious. Entry method: sea barrel.]
Rex stretched, cracking his knuckles. "Let the main character intro roll."
[Would you like to make a humble entrance?]
"Humble is for background characters," Rex said, flipping his coat back like he was on stage. "I was born for the spotlight."
The barrel hit the beach with a thud.
Fishermen stumbled over, curious. One poked it with a stick. Another muttered about sea curses.
Then—
BANG!
The top flew off and up popped a boy with wild black hair, big eyes, and a smile like sunshine decided to try cocaine.
"WHOA! THAT WAS A GOOD NAP!" Luffy shouted.
The fishermen screamed. One ran into the water. The other fainted.
From behind a crate on the dock, Rex watched it unfold and grinned like a maniac.
"Yup," he whispered. "That's my captain."
He stepped into the open, loud boots clacking on wood.
Luffy turned at the sound.
"Whoa! Who are you?"
Rex struck a pose. Chin up. One hand in his pocket. Coat blowing in the sea breeze like a movie climax.
"Your rival."
"HUH?!"
"Or your crewmate," Rex added with a wink. "We'll figure it out."
[Luffy is experiencing high curiosity. Emotional bond potential: 87%.]
[Danger of becoming best friends in 0.03 days: HIGH.]
Rex didn't respond. He was too busy throwing a peach from his pocket to Luffy, who caught it like a dog catching snacks.
Luffy ate it in one bite, beamed, and yelled, "YOU'RE COOL!"
Rex winked. "I know."
Luffy jumped to his feet. "You wanna be part of my crew?! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Rex walked right past him and stared at the ocean.
"Sure," he said, casually. "For now."
Luffy tilted his head. "For now?"
"I'll ride with you until you're strong enough," Rex said with a smile that dripped arrogance. "Then we'll see who the real captain is."
Luffy… stared.
Then he laughed. Loud, free, warm.
"I LIKE YOU!"
Rex smirked, then turned his back dramatically.
"Of course you do."
To Be Continued...