Michael was just an ordinary 16-year-old—well, as ordinary as someone who had just graduated from the highest level of university could be. Today was supposed to be a simple day. He had finished his studies, and now, he was heading to McDonald's for a well-deserved meal. A hamburger and some French fries—that was all he wanted.
As he walked down the street, suddenly, without warning, a blinding white light appeared in front of him. His instincts screamed at him that something was off. There were no cars, no vehicles anywhere in sight. Yet, the intense light forced his body to freeze, his muscles locking in sheer shock.
Then, he heard it.
The unmistakable roar of an engine.
His eyes widened in horror as he realized— it was a truck. A massive vehicle was barreling toward him out of nowhere, as if materializing from thin air.
Michael barely snapped out of his daze in time, throwing himself to the side. The truck just missed him, rushing past like a force of nature. He collapsed onto the pavement, his breath coming in rapid gasps.
"Oh my god…" he wheezed. "I escaped from Truck-san."
Just as relief washed over him—
A second truck fell from the sky.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
Michael's survival instincts flared, and he dove to the left, narrowly avoiding the airborne truck as it crashed down exactly where he had just stood.
His heart pounded in his chest. What the hell was going on? Why were trucks trying to kill him? He wasn't some protagonist in an isekai story— wait.
"…Nah, that's impossible," he muttered.
Shaking his head, he dusted himself off and casually walked to McDonald's. If fate was going to throw killer trucks at him, he was going to at least have a good meal before dealing with any more nonsense.
After ordering a hamburger and French fries, he started heading home.
Then, the universe decided to screw him over one last time.
Beneath his feet, a black void suddenly opened—a swirling abyss of nothingness.
"What the hell—?!"
The ground vanished beneath him.
Gravity yanked him down, and he fell into the abyss.
Michael fell.
Fell.
And fell.
Darkness swallowed him whole, stretching endlessly in every direction. It was like floating in a void—silent, empty, timeless. It felt like an eternity, yet somehow only seconds passed.
With nothing else to do, he closed his eyes and decided to meditate.
If I'm dead, I might as well get some enlightenment before my next life…
Then, after what felt like ages, a bright light appeared before him.
Opening his eyes, he saw a man standing there.
The stranger had jet-black onyx eyes, slicked-back hair, and wore a business suit—which seemed oddly out of place in this void. His presence was overwhelming, as if the entire space itself bent around his existence.
"Welcome," the man spoke, his voice smooth yet carrying an unnatural weight. "My name is Rob."
Michael narrowed his eyes. "…And who exactly are you?"
Rob smiled. "You were supposed to die by that first truck. However, you managed to escape twice." His eyes gleamed with amusement. "I must say, that's impressive. So, I was forced to drop a black hole under you just to make sure you died."
Michael stared. "Wait… what?! YOU dropped a black hole on me?!"
"Yes," Rob confirmed, shrugging. "Anyway, as a reward for surviving that long, I've decided to reincarnate you with three wishes."
Michael took a deep breath, processing everything. Alright. I've been murdered by the universe itself, but now I get cheats? Not bad.
"Can I choose the world and my appearance?" Michael asked.
Rob nodded. "Yes."
Michael grinned. "Then I want to be reincarnated into the One Piece world."
"Granted."
"For my lineage, I want to be the son of Rocks D. Xebec and a Lunarian princess, with genetic enhancements."
Rob raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Possible."
Michael took a deep breath. "Alright. For my first wish, I want to have Lunarian abilities combined with Germa Kingdom's genetic enhancements."
Rob whistled. "That's technically two things, but since they're fused together, I'll allow it."
"For my second wish, I want Six Eyes from Jujutsu Kaisen—without any negative side effects like brain damage."
"Granted."
Michael smirked. "For my third wish, I want a combination of Saiyan and Hanma abilities, allowing me to grow stronger through battle and training."
Rob chuckled. "Damn. You're really min-maxing this, huh? Alright, granted."
Then, Michael quickly added, "Wait! I forgot to choose my appearance. I want to look like Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen."
Rob smirked. "Got it. Off you go, then."
As everything faded to white, Michael heard Rob's voice one last time.
"This is gonna be interesting… after all, he's a piece of my soul."
Michael—now Rocks D Azrael —opened his eyes to darkness.
It didn't take him long to realize—
I'm in my mother's womb.
A rush of thoughts flooded his mind. Alright. I've got time before I'm born. What can I do?
The answer was obvious. Train.
Since physical training wasn't an option yet, he focused on developing Observation Haki. Closing his eyes, he tried to feel the world outside.
At first, he failed.
Then, on the second try, he succeeded.
Got it!
He could sense 10 meters around him. It wasn't much, but it was a start. For the next several months, he pushed his limits, resting only when necessary.
Soon, he could sense an entire lab surrounding his mother. There were people speaking.
"I would like to do the genetic enhancement for me and my son, Azrael," his mother said.
A man responded, "That will cost 5 billion belly."
She paid without hesitation.
Azrael barely had time to react before eight needles suddenly injected into him.
A burning pain tore through his tiny body.
But he refused to scream.
He was a warrior. He would endure.
For the next seven months, he meditated, developing his Haki and adjusting to his Six Eyes.
When the time came—
He felt a pull.
It's time to be born.
Azrael entered the world to chaos.
His mother, a Lunarian with black wings, held him close.
"Azrael… your father, Rocks D. Xebec, has been betrayed. They will try to kill you too."
Her golden eyes softened. "I am giving you to Monkey D. Garp, your godfather. He will keep you safe."
Azrael nodded.
His mother's eyes widened in shock. "So smart already…" she murmured. "You even have your father's fire."
A tall man, battle-worn and imposing, stepped forward. Monkey D. Garp.
"So, this is my godson, huh?" he said, lifting Azrael effortlessly. "Well then, kid. Time to go."
And so, Rocks D Azrael, son of the strongest pirate, was taken away—destined for greatness.
The world had no idea what was coming.