Sometimes, life doesn't give you a second chance.
But death… it gave me one.
My name used to be Rai, seventeen years old. Just another ordinary student in a boring world. Wake up, school, home, repeat. Days blurred together, meaningless. No dreams. No courage. Just one escape: anime—worlds larger than life, full of battles, purpose, and real emotions.
My favorite? Demon Slayer.
Every night, I rewatched Tanjiro's journey. The boy who danced with fire, who wielded his sword not just with strength, but with heart. Not because of how powerful he was—but because of his resilience. No matter what he lost, he kept going.
Until one rainy night...
The sky was dark, the rain pouring hard. I stood at the roadside, my cheap hoodie soaked through. Streetlights flickered above me, and my mind felt numb.
A truck sped around the corner, tires screeching.
Light. A crash. Then... silence.
But that wasn't the end.
> ["Re:Blade" System Detected…]
[Requirements Met: A soul with pure will, yet no path.]
[Importing Initial Template: Kamado Tanjiro – Sun Breathing / Hinokami Kagura.]
[Initial Sync: 0.1%]
[Transferring consciousness to new world…]
---
I gasped awake.
The sound of waves.
Salty air.
A sky I didn't recognize.
I was lying on a straw bed, inside a small wooden room. A young woman stepped in. Her voice was warm, her smile gentle.
"You're awake, Kaien!"
Kaien?
---
That's my name now—Kaien. Or so the people in this village call me.
Makino, the kind woman who took care of me, said I washed up on the shores of Foosha Village three years ago, unconscious, no memory, no family. Just a frail little boy barely breathing.
But now, my memories have returned. I'm not truly Kaien. I'm Rai—at least, I used to be.
And more than that… I know this world.
This is the world of One Piece. A world of pirates. Of monsters and freedom.
And Luffy—he's just a kid now, living here too.
But me? I'm part of this world now.
---
> [Re:Blade System Activated.]
[Inheritance System: Swordsmanship Templates from Alternate Realms.]
[Active Template: Kamado Tanjiro.]
[Synchronization: 0.3%]
[Skills Available: None. Training Required to Unlock Techniques.]
[Warning: Sun Breathing requires advanced posture and breath control.]
I didn't eat a Devil Fruit.
I don't know how to use Haki.
But I have something else—this system. A legacy of swordsmanship from the Demon Slayer world.
And I won't waste it.
---
Life in Foosha Village is peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Makino is kind, never asking too many questions. But I know I'm different. While other kids play in the dirt, I train. Deep in the forest, near the cliffs, I move my body every day.
Step by step.
Deep breath.
Imaginary blade, flowing motion.
I mimic the breathing forms I saw in Hinokami Kagura. My body is small, weak. But slowly, things begin to make sense. My lungs feel stronger. My balance sharper.
> [Synchronization: 1.1%]
[Progress Registered: Basic Movement – "Dance" Form Detected.]
---
"Hey! You're that quiet kid, right?"
A rough voice made me turn.
Ace. That scarred kid with a sharp gaze and too much energy. Behind him stood two more boys: Sabo, more refined in appearance, and Luffy, wide-eyed and full of excitement.
"You always sneak off to the cliffs. What are you training for?" Sabo asked, arms crossed.
"Are you learning to fight?" Luffy asked, practically bouncing.
I kept my answer short. "Something like that."
Ace grinned. "If you wanna get strong, come with us. We fight for real."
I looked at them. They didn't yet know the legends they would become. But their spirit... it was already real.
And when I nodded, it felt like something had begun.
---
In the forest, they played rough—swinging sticks like swords, tumbling, yelling. I joined in, but my movements were different. Smoother. Lighter. Like a dance.
When I deflected Ace's strike with a circular step and made him stumble, they stopped and stared.
"You move weird," Sabo muttered.
"That was awesome! Teach me!" Luffy shouted, eyes sparkling.
I just gave a faint smile.
> [Synchronization: 2.7%]
[Progress Gained: Practical Application – Technique Adaptation In Progress.]
[Basic Skill Unlocks at 5%.]
---
That night, I sat alone on the roof of Makino's bar, gazing at the moon. The sea was calm. The world felt vast... and full of possibilities.
I'm not Luffy. I'm not Ace. I'm not anyone important in this world.
But I'll carve my own path.
With sun-breathing fire as my sword.
And the endless sea as my battlefield.