Chapter 1. Rewrite

The hum of his computer was the only sound filling the small apartment. Kai stared at the screen, scrolling through Reddit half-heartedly. He had just finished another 12-hour shift at work, his body aching from hours spent hunched over, his mind numb from the monotony of his job. This was his life now: work, eat, sleep, repeat.

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. The walls of his apartment were plain, bare except for a few posters of One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen that he had hung up long ago. They were a reminder of a time when he had felt excitement—when he had something to look forward to. But now, even his favorite stories couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that clung to him.

He clicked over to the latest One Piece chapter, his eyes scanning the familiar images of Luffy and the crew setting off on yet another wild adventure. A faint smile tugged at his lips. There was something comforting about the crew's endless pursuit of freedom, something that had always resonated with him.

But as he read, the familiar spark that used to ignite inside him when reading manga… wasn't there. Instead, all he felt was the dull ache of disappointment. He wanted more from life—something real, something meaningful. But all he had were these stories.

"Must be nice," Kai muttered under his breath as he shut his laptop. "To have that kind of life… no responsibilities, no bosses, no deadlines. Just freedom."

He stood up, stretching his sore muscles. The clock on the wall ticked loudly, reminding him that soon he'd have to do it all over again. Another long day of work, another paycheck that barely seemed worth it.

Kai walked over to the window, staring out at the city lights below. It was quiet tonight, the streets mostly empty. He rested his head against the glass, his breath fogging up the window as he thought about how his life had become a routine he couldn't escape. He was just surviving, not living. The excitement he used to feel about the future had faded into a grey blur.

He let out a long breath, his voice barely a whisper. "I wish I could live a life worth living… something like Luffy's. A real adventure, with no limits."

The words hung in the air, a quiet plea to the universe. Kai stood there for a moment, staring out at the stars, half-expecting something to happen. But nothing changed. The city remained quiet, the night still.

With a sigh, he pulled away from the window and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. He closed his eyes, trying to shake off the gnawing emptiness in his chest. But even as sleep tugged at him, the feeling lingered.

As he drifted off, the hum of the city faded, replaced by something else. Something distant, yet familiar. The sound of waves. It started softly at first, barely noticeable, but it grew louder, more insistent, as if it was calling to him.

Kai's brow furrowed in his sleep. The sound of the ocean… why could he hear it so clearly? He wasn't anywhere near the coast.

The waves grew louder, crashing against rocks, pulling him deeper into sleep. The sensation was strange—like he was being carried away, lifted from his bed and pulled into the depths of his dreams. The sound of the waves enveloped him, and then… everything went dark.

Kai's eyes fluttered open to the harsh brightness of the sun overhead. For a moment, he lay there, blinking, disoriented. His body felt strange, as if it wasn't his own. There was no familiar hum of the city, no soft glow of his laptop.

He sat up slowly, squinting against the light. The ground beneath him wasn't the smooth surface of his apartment floor—it was soft, warm… sand.

"What the hell?" Kai muttered, his voice hoarse.

He looked around, his heart pounding in his chest as confusion set in. He wasn't in his apartment anymore. He wasn't anywhere he recognized. Instead, he was surrounded by an unfamiliar landscape—an endless stretch of sandy beach, the sound of waves crashing against the shore nearby. Beyond the beach, there was a dense jungle, its thick greenery towering over him.

Panic gripped him as he scrambled to his feet, his mind racing. "Where am I?"

The air was warm and salty, a gentle breeze brushing against his skin. He could feel the sun beating down on him, the sand sticking to his bare feet. But none of this made sense. How had he gone to sleep in his bed and woken up here?

Kai stumbled forward, his legs shaky, still trying to process what had happened. His heart pounded in his chest as he walked toward the shoreline, the sound of the waves louder now. The ocean stretched out before him, vast and unending, with no sign of civilization in sight.

He turned around, scanning the horizon, hoping to see some sign of familiarity, but there was nothing. Just the jungle behind him, the ocean in front of him, and the endless sky above.

"This can't be real," Kai muttered, running a hand through his hair. "This has to be a dream… right?"

He crouched down, grabbing a handful of sand and letting it slip through his fingers. It felt too real—too vivid. The heat from the sun, the salty breeze, the weight of the sand. None of it felt like a dream.

His mind raced, trying to piece together how he could've ended up here. Was this some kind of hallucination? Had he been kidnapped? Was he dead?

Before he could spiral further into panic, his eyes caught something shimmering in the distance, just beyond the treeline of the jungle. Instinctively, he moved toward it, his body still sluggish and disoriented from the sudden shift in reality. As he approached the edge of the jungle, he could make out the glint of something metallic half-buried in the sand.

A small, ornate chest sat nestled against a nearby rock, its lid slightly ajar. Something about it felt out of place—as if it didn't belong here, like it was meant to be found. Cautiously, Kai knelt down, pulling the chest open.

Inside, resting on a soft cloth, was a strange-looking fruit. Its shape was familiar yet odd, its surface swirling with intricate patterns. Kai's eyes widened in recognition.

"No way…" he breathed, his voice barely audible.

He reached out, hesitating for a moment. It looked just like the Devil Fruits from One Piece—the strange, mystical fruits that granted people unimaginable powers at the cost of their ability to swim. But that was just a story. This couldn't be happening… right?

And yet, as he stared at the fruit, a strange feeling tugged at him. Like it was calling to him, meant for him.

He glanced around nervously, his heart pounding. The thought of eating the fruit terrified him, but something inside him—some instinct—told him that he needed it. That it was his only chance to survive.

Kai swallowed hard, his mind racing with doubt. "If this is real… then what happens if I eat this thing?"

Before he could talk himself out of it, he grabbed the fruit and bit into it. The taste was awful—bitter, sour, and almost impossible to swallow. But he forced it down, grimacing as he finished the bite.

For a moment, nothing happened. Kai stood there, holding the half-eaten fruit, his heart pounding in his chest. But then, a strange sensation washed over him—a surge of energy, powerful and overwhelming, coursing through his veins. It was like his entire body was vibrating with raw power, his senses heightened, his mind sharp and focused.

The world around him seemed to slow, the sounds of the jungle fading into the background as his body adjusted to the newfound power. He could feel it—the energy within him, waiting to be controlled.

But before he could fully process the change, a low growl echoed from the jungle behind him.

Kai's head snapped toward the sound, his instincts screaming at him to run. But he didn't have time to react.

A massive tiger burst out of the jungle, its eyes locked on Kai, its muscles rippling as it prepared to pounce.

Panic surged through Kai's veins. He wasn't ready for this. He didn't know how to use the fruit's power—if it even worked.

The tiger lunged, its jaws wide open, its claws ready to tear him apart.

Without thinking, Kai threw his hands up in a desperate attempt to defend himself. And then, something incredible happened.

A shimmering, invisible barrier formed in front of him, stopping the tiger mid-leap. The beast snarled in frustration, its claws scraping against the barrier as it tried to reach him.

Kai's heart raced as he stared at the barrier in shock. "What… what just happened?"

The tiger, furious and confused, backed up for a moment before charging again. But this time, Kai felt something inside him shift. His hands moved instinctively, and suddenly, a powerful force rippled out from him, sending the tiger flying backward into the jungle.

It landed with a thud, dazed but not defeated. The beast growled, shaking its head before standing back up, ready to attack again.

But Kai wasn't the same as he had been moments ago. The fear that had gripped him was replaced by something else—something new. Confidence. He had power now, and he wasn't going to let this island—or anything else—defeat him.

As the tiger lunged again, Kai summoned the power inside him, his hands moving with purpose. The barrier formed once more, stronger this time, and with a flick of his wrist, he sent another wave of force crashing into the tiger.

The beast let out a final roar before collapsing onto the ground, unconscious.

Kai stood there, panting, his heart racing. He had done it. Somehow, he had used the fruit's power to defend himself.

But as the adrenaline faded, the weight of what had just happened hit him. He wasn't in his apartment anymore. He wasn't in his world anymore.

This was real.

Kai looked down at his hands, still trembling from the surge of power. He didn't know what kind of fruit he had eaten, but it had saved his life. And now, he had to figure out what came next.

As the sun began to set on the horizon, casting long shadows across the beach, Kai took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He was alone on an unfamiliar island, with powers he didn't fully understand. But one thing was clear.

His life had just changed forever.be real," Kai muttered, running a hand through his hair. "This has to be a dream… right?"