On the second floor of a bar named Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, there were four people gathered inside. Among them, three were women and one was a man. The man was Silvers Rayleigh, once known as the right hand of Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, who had been executed only a year ago.
After the death of his captain, Rayleigh had chosen a quieter life, spending his days with his wife, Shakuyaku, who herself was no ordinary woman. She had once held the title of empress of the Kuja Tribe, and now, she was awaiting the birth of her first child.
Inside a modest room on that floor, Shakky was in the middle of childbirth. She was crowned with sweat and struggling through labor pains, while Rayleigh remained close by, watching with a rare unease. At her side was another former Kuja empress, Gloriosa, and standing near her was Tritoma, who was overseeing and aiding the delivery.
The three women shared a common expectation: the baby would undoubtedly be a daughter, for every woman of the Kuja Tribe throughout history had only ever given birth to female children.
"Yes, just one more push. I can see her head now, Shakky. You'll be holding your daughter soon," Tritoma said firmly, her words meant to push Shakky's spirit as much as her body. Hearing the encouragement, Shakky gave everything she had, clenching her teeth as she forced the child out.
Minutes later, the baby finally emerged, and for a fleeting moment, the tension broke. The delivery had gone smoothly. Relief washed through the room, and it seemed the celebration of new life would follow immediately.
However, before they could rejoice, both Gloriosa and Tritoma exchanged strange looks as they studied the newborn. Their expressions shifted from relief to unease, subtle yet unmistakable, which immediately caught Rayleigh's attention. His instincts, sharpened by years at sea, told him that something was unusual.
"Is there a problem with our child?" Rayleigh asked quietly as he stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he tried to see for himself. When his gaze fell on the newborn, even he froze, his composure cracking ever so slightly.
That alone was enough to stir fear in Shakky, who knew better than anyone that Rayleigh was not a man easily rattled.
"Ray-san… what is it? What's wrong with our daughter?" Shakky asked, her voice breaking under the weight of her exhaustion and worry.
Rayleigh looked at her, then back at the child. His answer came measured but heavy."There is something wrong, Shakky," he said at last. He carefully took the newborn into his arms, holding the tiny form before handing it gently to her.
"Our daughter… is a son."
Shakky's eyes widened in shock. She stared at the infant, whose small features were already taking form. His hair was a light shade of blond, the unmistakable inheritance of Rayleigh. Yet his eyes, bright blue and piercing even in their newborn haze, were unlike anything either parent possessed.
Most astonishing of all was the fact that he was male—a boy born from a Kuja womb. In all the history they knew, no matter the father, the Kuja Tribe had never once produced a male child.
"What a rare occurrence," Tritoma murmured as she leaned closer, her eyes narrowing in curiosity. The strangeness did not end at the child's gender. Unlike most newborns, he was not crying, yet his breathing was steady and strong, as though he had simply chosen silence.
They also noticed a distinct mark etched into his arm, resembling a burn scar or perhaps a birthmark with an unusual shape.
The three women instinctively turned their eyes toward Rayleigh, who continued staring at his son with an expression that was calm yet tinged with thought. They all knew Rayleigh carried knowledge about the world, knowledge whispered to belong only to the crew who had once reached the final island.
"It looks like the years ahead will not be dull," Rayleigh finally said, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he regarded the boy. Shakky, despite her fatigue, gazed down at her child with quiet awe, holding him closer. Gloriosa and Tritoma, though unsure of what this birth meant, exchanged glances that revealed the same thought—something extraordinary had just begun.
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Meanwhile, the newborn child—the greatest anomaly in the history of the Kuja Tribe—was quietly observing his surroundings. On the surface, his face remained calm, almost unnaturally so for a baby only minutes old.
Yet deep beneath that stillness, behind the quiet blue eyes, there was a tide of excitement and disbelief. His emotions could hardly be contained, though his body betrayed none of them. He was looking at the figures around him with a mixture of awe and anticipation.
'I really ended up in the One Piece world. That stupid wheel wasn't lying after all,' the baby thought to himself. For he was not meant to exist here. In truth, he had once been nothing more than an ordinary man, an enthusiastic fan of the One Piece anime and manga.
His previous life had been marked by the same frustration countless fans had shared: the sudden cancellation of Chapter 1162, the long-awaited continuation that had never come. He remembered how he had gone back to reread the latest released chapters, trying to fill the void of unfinished storylines.
He had admired Rayleigh most of all. The old man's strength and presence had always left him speechless. He recalled the scene where Rayleigh had effortlessly one-shot one of the so-called God's Knights. While their regeneration had made them seem invincible, the simple fact that Rayleigh had bothered to name his attack made the moment feel legendary.
He also remembered when Rayleigh, despite openly admitting that his age had dulled his strength, had confronted one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. Even Blackbeard, notorious for his ambition and arrogance, had been unsettled by Rayleigh's reputation alone.
'I always wondered why Rayleigh and Shakky never had kids,' he mused. 'Imagine the power of their child—Kuja blood with its natural haki affinity, combined with Rayleigh's genes and his monstrous potential. That kind of child would shake the seas.'
As he reflected on this in his previous life, something unusual had happened. His phone screen had lit up with a notification that seemed too strange to ignore.
[Would you like to try your luck for your new life?]
The message was absurd, yet oddly tempting. Curiosity got the better of him, and he tapped the prompt. Instantly, the screen displayed a roulette wheel, its segments marked with names.
At the top, it read: [Character Template Potential]. The meaning was clear: whichever character the roulette landed on, their natural talent and potential would be integrated into his own, adapted to the world of his choice.
Soon after, a text box appeared, asking for his chosen world and background. Without hesitation, he typed in "One Piece World," and for the background, he selected "Son of Silvers Rayleigh and Shakuyaku, born in the same year as Portgas D. Ace." His heart raced as he finalized the choice and pressed the button to spin the roulette.
The wheel spun wildly, flashing names from countless fictional worlds: Guts, Naruto, Ichigo, Kenshin. His eyes darted around as it slowed, the clicking sound echoing in his ears. Finally, it stopped. The pointer landed on a single name.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
The most gifted swordsman in the world of Kimetsu no Yaiba, the very definition of prodigy. A man whose skill and power had reached such an overwhelming level that even the so-called Immortal Demon King had chosen to hide rather than face him in combat.
His twin brother, Kokushibo, despite becoming one of the strongest demons in existence, had barely survived an encounter with Yoriichi when the latter was already an old man. The sheer talent of Yoriichi was unrivaled in his world's history.
'To think that his potential is going to merge with mine…' he thought, stunned. The implications were terrifying. A son born of Rayleigh and Shakky, inheriting both their strengths, combined with the talents of Yoriichi Tsugikuni—his ceiling was now beyond comprehension. He couldn't even begin to calculate how far such potential could carry him in this world.
Still, he dismissed it as nothing more than an amusing fantasy. 'Yeah, right. This is just some joke. Probably a prank app or a weird game,' he thought with a shake of his head. After brushing it off, he carried on with his day as usual. But later that same evening, fate struck in its most cliché form. A bus came barreling forward, and before he could react, everything went dark.
It was the classic isekai death, almost laughably so. Yet when he opened his eyes again, he was no longer the ordinary fan he had once been. He was here, in this room, gazing at his new parents—Silvers Rayleigh and Shakuyaku.
And as impossible as it all seemed, he could not help the thrill that welled inside him. His heart, though tiny and newly formed, beat fast with anticipation. For the first time, he was not merely watching the story. He was now a part of it.