The scent of miso ramen and fresh dango filled the air, a stark contrast to the life Han Yama had imagined for himself.
At eighteen, he was no longer a child, and yet here he was, scrubbing tables and taking orders, a cog in the Konoha Village's bustling but entirely mundane service industry.
He wasn't a hero, a prodigy, or even a promising shinobi.
He was just Han, a waiter.
He was a transmigrator, a soul from another world dropped into this one, but his new life felt like a cruel joke.
In the stories he knew, transmigration came with a package deal: a powerful system, a cheat ability, a bloodline power, or at the very least, foreknowledge of the future.
Han had none of it. He was just himself, with his own memories, and a new body in a world where super-powered ninjas existed.
This lack of power was his greatest torment.
His chakra, the very lifeblood of a shinobi, was laughably weak—just a faint, sputtering flame where others had roaring infernos.
He could barely muster a single, weak burst of chakra, let alone perform even the most basic E-rank Jutsu.
This wasn't a matter of training; it was a fundamental, biological limitation.
To make matters worse, his age was in prison.
He had missed his chance.
The Ninja Academy was the gateway to a shinobi life, a place for children to hone their skills from a young age.
At eighteen, he was years past the cutoff.
The doors were closed, locked.
He couldn't go back, and there was no other path to becoming a ninja.
He was stuck.
Han was a transmigrator who knew of the legendary power of this world, yet he was utterly powerless to claim a piece of it.
He was a spectator in a world of fighters, a civilian in a village of warriors, forever on the outside looking in, haunted by the knowledge of what could have been.
Han sighed, wiping down a table with a worn cloth.
The scent of spilled soy sauce and fried rice hung heavy in the air, a mundane backdrop to his internal panic.
"What is the point? Why did you isekai me but give me nothing! Truck-kun!"
He muttered under his breath, the name a bitter curse for the infamous vehicle that had ended his previous life.
He continued his work, trying to drown out the noise of his spiraling thoughts with the clatter of dishes.
Then, a ripple of excitement from a nearby table caught his attention.
Two customers, a pair of older men, were animatedly discussing the day's events.
"Can you believe it? The Chunin is starting today. The rookies are going to get a real challenge this time,"
One said with a hearty laugh.
Han's hand froze.
The rag slipped from his grasp, splattering a bit of water onto the floor.
The Chunin.
A sudden, cold dread washed over him.
He was a transmigrator, but without a powerful system or cheat, he was practically blind.
He had no idea what part of the timeline he'd landed in, and for the first time, he realized just how dangerous that was.
"Wait a minute. Doesn't that mean I am in grave danger…?"
His mind raced, piecing together fragments of memory from the anime he'd watched in his past life.
The Chunin... the Konoha Crush... the invasion. It all clicked into place with a horrifying certainty.
He was weak, pitifully weak.
His low-level chakra and complete lack of combat skills made him a sitting duck.
The anime had focused on the main characters and their battles, glossing over the collateral damage.
But Han knew better.
He wasn't a main character; he was a background extra, a faceless civilian who could be caught in the crossfire.
In an invasion of this scale, casualties would be high, and he would most certainly be one of them.
"What should I do… I don't want to die again…"
The thought was a desperate, panicked plea.
He had just started to get used to this new, simple life, only to find it was teetering on the edge of a cataclysm.
There was no escaping to a different village; the borders would be locked down.
He had nowhere to run and no one to protect him.
His existence, a cosmic prank to begin with, was now a timer counting down to his inevitable, second death.
…
After the last customer had left, Han finished cleaning the dishes and started his walk home.
In his hand, he held the day's earnings, a few wrinkled bills that, when combined with his savings, amounted to roughly four thousand ryo.
It was a meager sum, a grim reality check that it was nowhere near enough to fund an escape from the village.
The thought of running, of simply disappearing into the vast world outside Konoha's walls, was a fantasy.
"And I don't even know if I will survive outside the village,"
He muttered to himself, the paranoia setting in.
"Ninjas might not care about civilians, but bandits do."
He reached the front door of his small apartment, the key cold in his hand.
A sudden chill, colder than the evening air, ran down his spine.
It was a primal instinct, a silent alarm that made every hair on his body stand on end.
"Someone is here..."
He whispered, his body freezing. He stopped in his tracks, his hand hovering over the doorknob, and a wave of dread washed over him.
He wanted to turn and flee, to run back into the crowded streets where he might find safety, but a voice sliced through the silence before he could.
"You have a good sense. Unfortunately, you are to die here."
The voice was cold and emotionless, a flat declaration of his fate.
Han didn't even have time to react.
A blur of motion, a glint of steel, and a searing pain in his neck was all he felt before his world went dark.
His consciousness, for a brief, horrifying moment, lingered.
He saw his own body crumpled on the ground, his head severed and rolling away.
The sight was a grotesque mirror of his previous death, a grim repetition he had desperately tried to avoid.
As his vision faded to black, a single, horrifying thought formed in his mind, providing the final, terrible piece of the puzzle.
"So... this is how they infiltrate the village."
They weren't just slipping past the guards; they were taking the faces of the dead, silencing the very people who might raise an alarm.
His death wasn't a random act of violence; it was a silent, strategic move in the coming war.
He wasn't just a casualty; he was a stepping stone for the enemy, and his identity would soon be worn by a shinobi.
…
Death wasn't the end for Han. It was merely a doorway.
He slowly, agonizingly, became aware of himself again, not as a physical body, but as a point of consciousness.
As his senses returned, he found himself standing on something solid yet fluid.
He looked down and saw his feet resting on a surface of crystal-clear water, so transparent that he could see the vibrant, glowing runes etched into the ground beneath.
The water itself seemed to be the source of a soft, ethereal light that bathed everything in a gentle blue glow.
"The hell is this place..."
He whispered, his voice echoing in the vast, silent space.
The air was cool and still, and the horizon stretched endlessly in every direction, a perfect line where the water met a sky of deep, inky blackness speckled with distant, swirling galaxies.
It was beautiful, but a profound unease settled in his gut.
This was not normal water; it felt like a substance that held the very essence of existence, and he was an outsider treading upon it.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a ripple spread from his feet, carrying with it a shimmering script of light that coalesced into a message floating on the water's surface before him.
[You have died.]
[Rating = F]
[Reward = Basic Leaf Chakra Control Exercise]
[Next Rebirth Status]
[Physical = Low Civilian]
[Soul = Low Plus]
[Chakra = Low Genin]
[Next Rebirth Information]
[Name = Han D Yama]
[Path = Normal Civilian]
[Location = East Blue]
[Please have a meaningful death]
"So, this is my cheat! I have to die a second time to activate it!"
Han's mind reeled with the revelation.
He wasn't sure whether to be overjoyed or furious.
He had just gone through the sheer terror of being murdered, only to find out that his suffering was the key to his progression.
His "cheat" wasn't a powerful system from the start, but a grotesque reincarnation loop that required him to die to earn rewards.
He looked at the statistics for his next life.
The "F" rating for his last death was a gut punch.
It was a meaningless end, a civilian collateral kill with no heroic struggle.
He looked at the reward,
"Basic Leaf Chakra Control Exercise,"
And a flicker of hope ignited. It was a single, tiny step forward, but it was something.
His next rebirth would have a chakra level of "Low Genin," a monumental improvement over his previous near-nonexistent chakra.
Then his eyes fell on the final piece of information. [Next Rebirth Information.]
"Next Rebirth must be in the world of One Piece. I will be a normal civilian in East Blue. Again... at the very least I have Genin-level Chakra..."
The realization hit him with the force of a tidal wave.
He was being dropped into another dangerous world, but this time, he had a fighting chance.
The "D" in his name was another clue, a subtle nod to the most powerful and mysterious bloodline in that world.
He would be a civilian again, but with enough power to potentially defend himself, a luxury he never had in Konoha.
The ominous final line, [Please have a meaningful death,] was a chilling reminder of the game he was now a part of.
He would have to die again, and next time, he had to make it count.
…
The East Blue, a tranquil expanse of sea, holds a special place in the epic tale of One Piece.
It was a sea of beginnings, where the vast, perilous adventure of Monkey D. Luffy first unfurled its sails.
Often deemed the weakest of the four seas, it was in this seemingly unassuming region that the seeds of a legendary crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, were sown.
It was on these cerulean waters that Luffy, a boy with an unbreakable spirit and a stretchy body, began his quest.
He didn't just sail; he gathered a family.
First came Roronoa Zoro, the future greatest swordsman, whose unwavering loyalty was forged in a moment of life-or-death defiance.
Then, Nami, a brilliant navigator with a troubled past, whose dreams of mapping the world became intertwined with their journey.
Next was Usopp, a masterful marksman and a storyteller whose lies often foreshadowed a deeper truth, and Sanji, a chivalrous chef whose powerful kicks were surpassed only by his dreams of a legendary sea.
The East Blue was more than a geographic location; it is the genesis of an unbreakable bond.
It's the backdrop for their earliest battles and triumphs, where they learned to trust, to fight, and to dream together.
From confronting the pompous Buggy the Clown to liberating a village from the tyranny of the fish-man Arlong, these initial adventures solidified their resolve and set them on a course toward the Grand Line, a far more dangerous and mysterious ocean.
In essence, the East Blue was the quiet before the storm, the foundation upon which a colossal legend was built.
It was the cherished home of dreams, where a small boat named the Going Merry first embarked on an impossible journey, destined to change the world.
However, those were not related to this fan fiction's protagonist at all.
Han looked at a pet shop and sighed heavily. He knew what was going to happen.
"So I start at Orange Town."
Han recalled of what was going to happen here.
Orange Town was a quiet and humble port on the vast East Blue, and was more than just a cluster of colorful buildings.
It was a stage where fate first brought together a pirate with an impossible dream and a thief with a hidden heart of gold.
This town, with its sun-drenched streets and vibrant, orange-hued architecture, became the backdrop for one of the earliest and most poignant displays of loyalty and justice.
It was here that Monkey D. Luffy, a newly-minted pirate captain, found himself face-to-face with the sinister and bombastic Buggy the Clown.
But the true beauty of Orange Town lies not in its aesthetics, but in the small, powerful moments that define its story.
It was the sight of a tiny, loyal dog named Chouchou, standing guard over his deceased owner's pet food store—a testament to a bond that transcends life itself.
It was the meeting of Luffy and Nami, a cunning navigator with a deceptive exterior who was deeply wounded by her past, but who begins to see the genuine good in a boy with a straw hat.
Orange Town was a testament to the idea that even in a world filled with pirates and danger, the smallest acts of courage and compassion can shine the brightest.
It was the birthplace of a new companionship, a place where a dog's devotion and a town's struggle inspired a pirate to fight for what is right, and in doing so, to take his first true steps toward a legendary destiny.
And the pet shop he was going to work at happened to be the same shop that was going to be destroyed by Buggy's first mate, Mohji the Beast Tamer, and his pet lion, Richie.
They did it because Chouchou refused to be tamed and wouldn't move away from the shop he was loyally guarding.
This act of cruelty enraged Luffy, who then defeated Mohji and Richie, and ultimately gave the last of the pet food to the brave dog.
"Well, the owner isn't dead yet and there was no sign of Buggy. I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing."
Han greeted the old man who was feeding Chouchou and he greet him back.
The old man was very kind. And actually took him in even though he was a complete stranger.
No wonder Chouchou loved him very much.
"Let work and do something meaningful. Hope it counts something."
At least he didn't want to just die and received little reward.
During the time he spent with the owner of the pet food shop.
He waited for major events to happen.
Han also dedicated himself to the leaf exercise, a fundamental training method for chakra control.
This exercise, which was well-known in the shinobi world, involves focusing a small amount of chakra and molding it to stick a leaf to his forehead.
Initially, he struggled.
The leaf would flutter to the ground or his concentration would break. Over time, however, his focus sharpened.
He learned to precisely regulate the flow of chakra, using just enough to hold the leaf in place without it falling off or being crushed.
This seemingly simple practice had profound effects.
It developed his ability to meticulously control his chakra, a skill essential for more advanced techniques.
Furthermore, the constant act of molding and maintaining his chakra flow gradually increased his overall reserves.
Every day, the leaf would stay attached a little longer, a silent testament to his improving control and growing power.
After three months of quiet growth, the inevitable shadow of change fell upon Han and the old man.
The peace they had found was shattered when the old man, a pillar of kindness, became gravely ill.
Han felt helplessness.
Despite his mastery of chakra, he was not a medical ninja.
He could feel he had become a lot stronger but that was not near enough.
It might be enough to last a few seconds with the seasoned Genin who had killed him.
But that was all to it.
He was just a civilian after all.
The old man, with a plea in his eyes, entrusted his most precious companion to Han.
"Please take care of Chouchou for me…."
Han could do nothing to save him, but he could offer a solemn promise that was both a burden and a solace.
"I will take care of him. I promise."
It was a simple vow, but it held the weight of a life, a promise to protect the loyal little dog and honor the gentle spirit of the man who had shown him such unconditional kindness.
…
The old man's death plunged Chouchou into a deep depression, but thankfully, Han's presence softened the blow.
While Chouchou was still grieving, he wasn't as despondent as he was in the anime, thanks to Han's constant support.
"You need to eat more. You're going to need all the energy you can get,"
Han urged, concerned for his friend's well-being.
As he watched over Chouchou, Han's senses were on high alert.
He began noticing new faces in the town, people he had never seen before.
A knot of unease tightened in his stomach as he realized who they must be: the notorious crew of the Buggy Pirates.
"He's finally here..."
Han muttered to himself, a mix of apprehension and determination in his voice.
He felt a pang of nervousness, despite nearly a year of rigorous training in leaf chakra control since the old man's passing.
He still couldn't freely manifest his chakra for complex techniques.
At best, he could only use it to physically enhance himself, making him three times stronger than an average man.
But he knew it still wasn't enough to face down an entire crew of these pirates, who seemed even more menacing and formidable than their animated counterparts.
As Han looked at Chouchou, a thought flashed through his mind.
"Should I try to escape with him?"
He wondered. But he immediately shook his head.
"No, he'd never abandon the shop."
Han knew from experience that trying to convince Chouchou to leave his home would be a futile effort.
While lost in thought, trying to figure out how to protect his friend from the impending danger, Han heard a voice behind him.
It was a menacing-looking man, a true pirate.
"Hey! Hand over all the beri you've got,"
The man snarled, his eyes glinting with malice.
"Or you'll have a big problem with my crew!"
Han's heart pounded.
It was daylight robbery, a blatant act of piracy.
He could tell this man and his crew were capable of doing far worse than just stealing money.
He had to be careful.
"I'll give you all the money,"
Han said, his voice trembling slightly to sell the act.
He had long ago stashed most of his money in a secret, well-hidden location, leaving only a small amount in a more obvious spot.
The pirate sneered as he took the few coins Han offered.
"Hmph, is this all you've got? I know you have more. Where's your real savings?!"
The goon growled, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
Of course the pirate would suspect something; this world was full of them, after all.
This was all part of Han's plan. He led the pirate to one of his less-important hiding spots, where he kept a small, but not insignificant, amount of cash.
"Th-this is really everything I have..."
Han stammered, his body language conveying a mix of fear and desperation.
The pirate, satisfied with the haul and Han's seemingly genuine terror, fell for the ruse.
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood,"
The goon warned, pointing a finger at him.
"Otherwise, I would've killed you and your mutt. Don't try anything funny next time!"
With that, the pirate swaggered off, leaving Han to let out a long sigh of relief.
"I just have to hold on until Luffy and Zoro get here,"
He whispered to himself, his resolve hardening.
Han wasn't in a hurry to die even if it meant he got more reward from the meaningful death.
He was still afraid to die like a normal human being.
…
Han had foolishly believed he was safe after handing over the money, but his relief was short-lived.
The goon returned, this time with a small group of pirates, intent on burning down the shop for no reason other than their own cruel amusement.
Chouchou, enraged, lunged at the goon, a desperate yelp escaping his lips.
Han's blood ran cold as he saw the pirate raise his sword, ready to deliver a killing blow to his friend.
Han had no choice. He had to fight.
"I can't let him die,"
Han muttered to himself, a fierce resolve hardening his gaze.
He had grown deeply attached to Chouchou over the past months, and he couldn't bring himself to abandon the little dog.
He thought of his own mortality, his heart pounding with fear.
"Dying is scary, but... screw it!"
Han lunged forward, using his chakra-enhanced strength to tackle the goon just as the pirate's sword was about to strike Chouchou.
The force of the impact sent them both sprawling to the ground.
The other pirates, surprised, turned their attention to Han.
"Kill him!"
Their leader barked.
Han dodged a clumsy swing from one pirate, twisting his body to avoid the blade.
He countered with a powerful kick, the chakra amplifying the blow and sending the pirate flying into a nearby wall.
Another pirate charged, but Han met him head-on, their fists and blades clashing.
Han's enhanced strength gave him an advantage, but he was outnumbered and outmatched in skill.
He took a painful slash across his arm, but he didn't falter. He had to protect Chouchou.
He gritted his teeth, his mind replaying all his training.
He focused his chakra, channeling it into his legs, and leaped high into the air, landing behind the goon who had first attacked him.
Han delivered a devastating blow to the back of the pirate's head.
The man crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Just then, Han felt a sharp, searing pain in his back.
The leader of the pirates had used the distraction to strike.
Han staggered, his knees buckling, but he refused to fall.
With his last bit of strength, he turned and faced the remaining pirates, a bloody smile on his face.
"You won't touch him,"
He gasped, his vision blurring.
He saw the leader raise his sword for a final, fatal blow.
Han closed his eyes, his last thought a simple one: Chouchou is safe.
A moment later, the sound of a powerful thud echoed through the alley.
When Han opened his eyes, he saw not the pirate's sword, but the straw hat of Monkey D. Luffy, who had just landed with a thunderous kick.
Han collapsed, a smile on his face as he saw the pirates finally flee in terror.
He knew his sacrifice hadn't been in vain.
However, he didn't realize that even with Luffy's arrival, he couldn't escape his fate of dying a third time.