Ling had heard of these stories—fantastical tales where people were whisked away to other worlds, caught in absurd circumstances. Sometimes they gained powers, sometimes they faced incredible challenges. Yet never once did Ling imagine that his own life would turn into one of these stories.
It started on a perfectly ordinary day. Ling had just finished a long day at work and was walking back home, his mind wandering to the latest episode of One Piece he'd been watching. As he crossed the street, headphones in his ears, he didn't even hear the sound of the approaching truck.
Before he could react, the infamous Truck-kun came out of nowhere.
BAM!
The world went black in an instant.
When Ling opened his eyes, he was no longer lying on the pavement. Instead, he was in an endless void, surrounded by nothing but a pale, white light that stretched on for eternity. It was unsettling, like being stuck in a dream, but too vivid to be a hallucination.
Before he could even comprehend his situation, a voice called out to him, startling him.
"Ah, you're awake."
Ling whirled around and saw a tall figure standing before him. The figure was dressed in flowing robes, and his eyes seemed to shimmer with cosmic energy, ancient and powerful. This was no ordinary person; Ling could feel it in his bones.
"Who are you?" Ling asked, his heart still racing. "What... where am I?"
The figure smiled in amusement, as if this scenario played out far too often. "I am a god—or at least, that's what you humans would call me. As for where you are, let's just say you're in the space between worlds."
Ling's breath caught in his throat. "Truck-kun…" he muttered, piecing it together.
The god raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so you're familiar with the concept. Yes, it was my unfortunate truck that ended your previous life. It was an accident—one that shouldn't have happened, but these things occasionally slip through the cracks."
Ling was taken aback. The sheer absurdity of the situation was starting to sink in. This wasn't a joke. He had actually died and was now standing in front of the god responsible for his death.
"So, what happens now?" Ling asked warily. "Am I just dead? That's it?"
The god smiled again, this time with a bit more kindness. "Not quite. You see, when a mortal dies prematurely due to an error on our part, we offer them a compensation: one wish. You can choose to be reborn in another world, and I'll grant you any one thing you desire."
Ling's mind raced. A wish? A new world? Could this actually be happening?
The world of One Piece immediately popped into his head. As a long-time fan of the series, he had always daydreamed about what it would be like to explore that vast world of pirates, treasure, and adventure. But at the same time, he knew how dangerous it was. The seas were filled with monstrous enemies, and the power structures were immense. It was no place for a weakling like him.
"If I'm going to survive there…" Ling muttered to himself, then looked up at the god. "Can I be reincarnated into the One Piece world? Two years before the main events of the story?"
The god nodded, as if that were a simple request.
"And I get one wish, right?"
"Indeed. Ask for anything, and it shall be granted."
Ling paused, thinking carefully. He could ask for incredible strength, or the knowledge of Haki, or even a powerful Devil Fruit that would allow him to conquer the Grand Line. But his thoughts kept returning to one particular power—a power that terrified him. The Toki Toki no Mi, the Time-Time Fruit. A Devil Fruit with the ability to send someone or even an entire group into the future. It wasn't a flashy or offensive power like the Gomu Gomu no Mi or the Magu Magu no Mi, but in the wrong hands, it could alter the course of history.
The mere thought of someone else wielding that kind of control over time sent a shiver down Ling's spine.
He didn't want that power for himself, but he also couldn't stand the idea of someone else using it. In the chaotic world of One Piece, with its constant wars and power struggles, someone could use the Toki Toki no Mi to wreak unimaginable havoc.
"I have my wish," Ling finally said. "I want the Toki Toki no Mi, but not to eat it. I want it so that no one else can ever have it. I want to keep it safe, to gatekeep it."
The god tilted his head, surprised by the request. "You don't want the power for yourself?"
Ling shook his head. "No. Someone wielding that power could disrupt the balance of the world. I want to ensure that no one else ever uses it. The ability to send people into the future is too dangerous."
The god smiled, clearly intrigued by Ling's thoughtfulness. "Very well. Your wish is granted. You will be reincarnated in a 15-year-old body, two years before Luffy's adventure begins, and you will possess the Toki Toki no Mi. But remember, that world is dangerous. You'll need more than a Devil Fruit to survive."
Ling nodded, taking a deep breath. "I understand."
The world around him began to shimmer, and a bright light enveloped his vision. As the god's form dissolved, Ling's consciousness was pulled into a new reality.
Ling awoke with the sound of crashing waves and the calls of seagulls echoing in his ears. Blinking against the harsh sunlight, he slowly sat up, feeling the gritty texture of sand beneath his palms. The salty scent of the ocean filled his nostrils.
He was on a beach.
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Ling's eyes scanned the horizon. Dense forest surrounded the shoreline, with no signs of civilization in sight. This must be some remote island. He wasn't sure where he was yet, but one thing was certain: he was in the world of One Piece.
Ling looked down at his hands, his new, younger body. As promised, he had been reincarnated as a 15-year-old. His limbs felt strong, his senses sharper than they had been in his previous life. He would need to grow stronger still if he wanted to survive in this world.
But first, there was something more important.
"The Toki Toki no Mi..." Ling whispered.
He patted his pockets, his heart racing as he searched for the Devil Fruit. After a moment, he found it—a peculiar fruit, the shape of which seemed almost like a clock's spiral, with mysterious swirling patterns etched into its surface.
Ling held it up, marveling at its design. This was it. The power of time itself, resting in his hands. A power he had sworn to protect, not for his own gain, but to prevent anyone else from wielding it.
He didn't intend to eat it. In fact, the idea of consuming it made him uneasy. The ability to send people forward in time, while not inherently destructive, was terrifying when he considered the implications. What if a pirate, a warlord, or worse—a member of the World Government—got their hands on this fruit? What chaos would they bring to the timeline?
"No," Ling muttered to himself. "I can't let anyone have this."
He carefully wrapped the fruit in a piece of cloth and tucked it away into a pouch he found washed up nearby. As long as he had the Toki Toki no Mi, he had a responsibility to protect it.
But simply possessing the fruit wasn't enough. Ling knew that in this world, information was everything. He had an advantage—his knowledge of future events from the anime and manga. But even that knowledge would only take him so far. He needed to grow stronger, gather resources, and forge alliances if he was going to survive the two years leading up to Luffy's journey.
His mind began racing with plans. He could travel to specific islands and key locations, intercepting events and players before they became dangerous. He could use his knowledge of the world's power dynamics to avoid dangerous encounters and secure safe passage through hostile territories. The seas were dangerous, and with the Toki Toki no Mi in his possession, he couldn't afford to stay in one place for too long.
But before all of that, he needed a way off this island.
Ling stood up, dusting off his pants, and began surveying his surroundings. The island was lush and wild, filled with thick trees and undergrowth. If he was lucky, there might be a village or port nearby where he could find a ship to hitch a ride. If not, he'd have to figure out how to build a raft or signal for help.
As he ventured into the forest, his mind raced with thoughts of the future. His survival here wasn't just about living—he had to prevent a disaster. And while the world's great powers were focused on their own ambitions, Ling's goal was clear: protect the Toki Toki no Mi at all costs.
The survival guide to One Piece had begun, and Ling was ready to face the challenges ahead.
The heat of the midday sun beat down on Ling's back as he trudged through the forest, sweat rolling down his forehead. He had ventured deep into the jungle, hoping to find something that would give him more information about where exactly he had landed. But the island remained frustratingly quiet, its only inhabitants the small animals that scurried away at the sound of his footsteps.
After walking for what felt like hours, his legs began to tire, and his stomach growled, reminding him of a more pressing concern: hunger. The few fruits he had eaten earlier had only whetted his appetite, and he knew he needed something more substantial if he wanted to keep his strength up.
Frustrated, Ling turned back the way he had come, retracing his steps to the beach. The rhythmic sound of the waves grew louder as the trees began to thin, and soon, he was standing on the shoreline once more. The ocean stretched out before him, as vast and endless as it had been earlier, but now it felt more daunting.
Ling scanned the beach for anything useful. A few pieces of driftwood, tangled nets, and old debris were scattered along the shore, remnants of ships that had been battered by storms or wrecked on the island. In his previous life, he would have ignored such things as useless trash, but now, everything had a purpose.
He approached the larger pieces of wood, inspecting them for potential. After a few moments, he found a sturdy length of driftwood, thick enough to serve as a makeshift fishing rod if he could fashion some kind of line. Near the tree line, he spotted the remnants of an old fishing net, tangled in the branches. It was frayed and worn, but with a little effort, he managed to pull free some usable strands of rope.
With his makeshift line and driftwood rod in hand, Ling set about crafting a simple hook out of a sharp stone. It wasn't perfect—far from it—but it would do for now. He also fashioned a spear from another piece of wood, sharpening the tip with the same stone. The idea of spearfishing sounded cool in his head, but he knew it required skill and precision—skills he wasn't sure he had yet.
He glanced at the shore, eyes scanning for movement in the shallows. Finding a worm wiggling under a damp rock near the treeline, he baited his hook, sat back on the beach, and cast his line into the waves. The rod was crude, but it would have to work for now. As he sat there waiting for a bite, his mind began to drift.
The hunger gnawing at his insides was more than just physical; it was also a reminder of the uncertainty of his situation. He had been reincarnated in this world—One Piece, the world he had admired from the safety of his previous life. But the thrill of adventure was quickly giving way to the harsh reality of survival.
"So, where the hell am I, anyway?" Ling muttered to himself, glancing around the shoreline again. "Is this the Grand Line? The New World? Or one of the Blues?"
That was the real problem—he had no idea. Without knowing his exact location, he couldn't properly plan his next move. If he was in the Grand Line or the New World, it meant danger was lurking just beyond the horizon. But if he was lucky and landed in one of the Blues—East, West, North, or South—then he might have a little more time to prepare before facing any real threats.
"I need a strategy," he said aloud, trying to think clearly. "First, I have to survive long enough on this island to either get picked up by a passing ship or figure out a way to build a raft. Then, I'll need to figure out where to go from here. Without knowing where I am, it's risky to venture toward any major islands. I should avoid places crawling with pirates or marines until I'm sure of where I stand."
His fishing rod bobbed lightly in the water, but there was no immediate sign of a catch. Ling leaned back on his hands, staring out over the ocean. "I could aim for one of the smaller, less important islands," he mused, his voice soft in the solitude. "Someplace where I can lay low, gather information, and figure out my next steps. I don't want to draw any attention to myself right now."
His stomach growled again, louder this time, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the rod—still no movement. The wait was frustrating, but at least it gave him time to think.
The sea breeze rustled his hair, and his thoughts returned to the Devil Fruit he had hidden away, the Toki Toki no Mi. The weight of it, even just in his mind, pressed on him heavily. He couldn't risk using its power—not now, and not ever. The ability to send people into the future was too dangerous, too unpredictable. In the wrong hands, it could wreak unimaginable havoc. And in this world, with all its wars, ambitions, and power struggles, there was no shortage of people who would gladly take that fruit to further their own goals.
"I'll keep it hidden. No one can know I have it," he whispered to himself, his resolve strengthening. "That's the key to staying alive right now."
Before Ling could dive deeper into his thoughts, the ground beneath him suddenly began to tremble. At first, it was a faint vibration, one that could easily be mistaken for the aftereffects of a distant earthquake. But within seconds, the tremors grew stronger, shaking the beach with increasing intensity.
Ling shot to his feet, his heart racing as he glanced toward the ocean. The waves, which had been calm moments ago, were now churning violently, as if something enormous was stirring beneath the surface.
"What the...?"
Before he could finish the thought, the sea exploded. A massive creature burst from the depths, sending water and foam cascading into the air. Ling's eyes widened in shock as the creature's enormous body—easily the size of a small mountain—rose from the sea. Its serpentine form was covered in thick, glistening scales that shimmered in the sunlight, and its head, crowned with jagged horns, turned toward the shore.
A sea beast.
The creature let out a deafening roar, the force of its voice shaking the very ground beneath Ling's feet. The sound was enough to make his blood run cold, every instinct in his body screaming for him to run, to hide, to escape. But he stood frozen in place, transfixed by the sheer size and power of the beast.
The sea beast thrashed in the water, sending waves crashing toward the shore. Ling barely had time to react as the force of the waves knocked him off his feet, sending him sprawling back into the sand. He scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest as he stumbled away from the shoreline.
"Okay, okay—stay calm, stay calm!" he muttered to himself, his mind racing. "It's just a sea beast... a massive, terrifying sea beast that could crush me in one bite... Oh god, I'm going to die."
His instincts screamed at him to flee, but he forced himself to think logically. Running into the forest might buy him time, but if the beast followed him inland, there was no telling how much damage it could cause. His only hope was that it wouldn't venture too far from the water.
The creature let out another roar, its massive body undulating as it continued thrashing about in the ocean. Ling took the opportunity to back away, keeping his eyes locked on the sea beast. He could feel his pulse pounding in his ears, his entire body trembling with adrenaline.
Despite the overwhelming fear surging through him, there was a part of Ling—a small, irrational part—that couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. This was it. This was the One Piece world, the world of adventure, danger, and the unknown. And as terrifying as it was, it was also... exhilarating.
He had come too far to let fear control him. He needed to be smart, to survive. But more than that, he needed to grow stronger. This world wasn't going to wait for him, and the dangers wouldn't stop coming.
"I'll be ready next time," he whispered, clenching his fists. "I'll figure this out. I have to."
Just as Ling began to regain his composure, a distant voice cut through the air—a voice so powerful that it seemed to resonate through his very bones.
"Fire Fist!"
Ling's eyes snapped toward the horizon. In the distance, above the churning sea, he saw a blazing figure—a man with flames erupting from his fists, soaring through the air toward the sea beast. The man moved with incredible speed, his entire body radiating heat as he launched himself directly at the massive creature.
The sea beast let out one final roar before the fiery figure collided with it, sending an explosion of fire and steam across the sky.
Ling stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest as the battle unfolded before him. He knew exactly who that was. There was no mistaking it.
"Portgas D. Ace..."
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