The first night after crossing over arrived silently, bringing with it a sense of confusion.
After leaving her aunt's house, Robin took Hayden to a secluded coast—an isolated spot she often visited alone.
Through their earlier conversation, Robin had learned that Hayden wasn't from this island and had no family. Letting him stay at her aunt's house was out of the question, and bothering the doctor or anyone else was equally impossible.
Unable to think of a better solution, she decided to let Hayden spend the night here and figure things out the next day.
They shared a large piece of bread between them. After warning Hayden to be careful—lest her aunt scold her again—Robin left for home.
Thus, Hayden was left alone. A boy about the same height as Robin at this time, sitting by himself under the moonlight.
He walked over to the river. Under the bright moonlight, his reflection was crystal clear in the water.
Thin arms, short legs—his face was the same one from his childhood. Still handsome, but unmistakably that of a child. In short: nothing special.
"Wait, wait, wait… where the hell is my white hair?!" Hayden suddenly realized something was wrong. His hair, which he'd carefully dyed white, had reverted back to black.
He had finally worked up the nerve to bleach it—only to lose it after crossing worlds?
Staring at the river in disbelief, Hayden nearly fell in face-first. He felt a little hopeless.
But it was what it was. Since he had to start over, maybe he could find someone like Franky or Iceburg who knew how to dye hair in this world…
More pressing, though, was this child's body.
They say kids want to grow up quickly, and adults want to return to childhood.
But he hadn't even had time to enjoy adulthood! Why was he suddenly a kid again?
Just as he was about to splash water on his face, something strange caught his attention.
When he closed his eyes, a strange image appeared in his mind.
It was no longer the pitch-black darkness that usually came with closed eyes. Now, it was like a high-resolution 1080p image playing in his mind.
In an endless white void, a black circular platform floated midair. On it, a white rod-like object hovered and slowly spun.
Hayden didn't hesitate. In his mind, he silently said: "Take out."
In the next moment, he felt a weight in his hands. Opening his eyes, he found himself holding the white rod.
The moment he grasped it, a message etched itself into his consciousness:
[Asauchi] – Initial Form
So this was… an Asauchi?
The very foundation of every Zanpakutō in Bleach—the starting point of every Shinigami's power?
Hayden's previously anxious heart finally calmed somewhat.
He had transmigrated—became a kid—into the world of One Piece, and his starting point was O'Hara.
Judging from Robin's current age, the Ohara incident was approaching fast. Once the Buster Call arrived, how could a child like him possibly survive?
Fear, confusion, and anxiety swirled in Hayden's mind.
In this moment, he was deeply grateful that his cheat ability had activated the first night. Without it, he might have mentally collapsed within days.
Back in his old life, at least he had a room, games, and fizzy drinks to keep him happy.
It was easy to daydream about being transmigrated into a fantasy world and reaching the pinnacle of power.
But if you cross over without a cheat?
That's a nightmare.
Hayden shivered at the thought. Thank god the cheat had come through…
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but lick the Asauchi in his hand.
Well, they always say "licking will get you everything"...
Besides, in the Bleach manga, didn't they say that in order to awaken a Zanpakutō, you had to "connect" with it?
Maybe if he licked it enough, it would tell him its name…
Wait a second…
Why did this Asauchi look different from the one in the manga?
Wasn't it supposed to be a sword?
Why did his look more like a staff or a stick?
How was he supposed to train with this? Was it even a Zanpakutō?
Still confused, Hayden closed his eyes again and tried to observe his subconscious space.
To his surprise, the endless white void had changed.
On the floating black platform where the Asauchi had been, a large tree now stood tall—so wide it would take three people to wrap their arms around it.
The tree was divided into three sections, carved clearly into the bark:
[Shinigami]
[Quincy]
[Hollow]
The Quincy and Hollow branches of the skill tree remained locked, while the Shinigami branch was already available.
Within the Shinigami path, the tree was split into five core disciplines: [Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō], and a unique branch dedicated solely to [Zanpakutō]. As of now, only [Asauchi] under the Zanpakutō path had been activated.
Each new skill required a certain number of points to unlock—points earned by defeating enemies. According to the system's information, defeating enemies worth a combined bounty of 10 million berries would yield 100 points.
But when Hayden browsed through the tree and saw the cost of each skill, he was left speechless. These prices weren't something a small child like him could manage easily.
Fortunately, he noticed that he had been granted 100 starting points.
According to the system's notification, this was a beginner's benefit—enough to unlock a basic ability from among [Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō].
By now, Hayden had reached the coast. Not sure which path to pick, he found a large rock, sat down against it, and prepared to think through his situation carefully. For tonight, this would be his shelter.
There was a lot to consider.
The Buster Call on Ohara was approaching. He needed to find a way off the island as soon as possible—and bring Robin with him.
Based on what he remembered from the manga, the incident happened when Robin was around this age. But he didn't know the exact date.
"I have to find a mask tomorrow," Hayden muttered. "If the Buster Call begins, I can't let the Marines or anyone from the World Government see my face."
Still, even if he managed to escape the slaughter, the open sea offered no promise of safety. In this small, child-sized body of his, a single large wave could mean the end.
Feeling the headache of too many unknowns pressing down on him, Hayden turned his attention back to the dense skill tree.
The [Zanjutsu] branch split into [Cutting Techniques] and [Swordsmanship], both loaded with techniques.
The [Hakuda] branch offered abilities like Instant Rush, One Bone, Two Bones—presumably high-speed physical strikes.
The [Hohō] branch featured skills such as Shunpo, Utsusemi, and Hana-Bi—high-speed movement and evasion.
And [Kidō] was overflowing with options, including Hadō, Bakudō, and Kaidō—offensive spells, binding techniques, and healing arts.
Hayden pinched his chin thoughtfully, frowning.
Which one would give him the best edge right now?
With only 100 points, the decision wasn't easy. It was getting too late to make a proper choice tonight. Better to rest and decide in the morning with a clear head.
…
The sea breeze was unusually brisk that night, carrying with it the scent of salt and freedom.
Leaning against the stone, Hayden silently stared out at the vast expanse of ocean. The stars shimmered in the ink-black sky above.
He had crossed over into this world of pirates, friendship, and dreams.
How could he not experience the full grandeur of it all—the thrill of sailing across the sea and battling powerful foes?
Pride surged within his small chest. As the ocean waves pounded the shore, Hayden stood up with his hands on his hips, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Hahahaha…!"
And just then, the wind—free and wild—blew straight past him, lifting the little skirt he was wearing.
"—Eh?! Damn it!"
Startled, Hayden yelped and dropped back down, yanking the hem down with both hands in panic.