"Hiss—!"
My head was splitting. The last thing I remembered was dropping dead after working thirty days straight, twelve-plus hours a day like a disposable cog in the machine. I'm only twenty-three! My life can't just end before it even starts—right?!
As I was still cursing my heartless boss in my mind, voices drifted in from nearby and jolted me awake.
"It's been three days… why hasn't he woken up yet? Didn't the doctor say he'd be fine? Uu-uu… Karl, my poor Karl, please open your eyes and look at Mom, okay? Uu-uu-uu!"
"Don't worry, dear. He'll be fine. Didn't Dr. Daniel say it was just a fall? His arm's only scraped, maybe a mild concussion. He'll wake up in a couple of days. It'll be okay."
"But it's already been three days and Karl still hasn't stirred. Uu-uu-uu—"
…What? Didn't I die at work? How am I hearing people?
Another stab of pain. "Hiss—! My head!"
A flood of memories crashed into me. I shot upright, clutching my skull and swatting at it with my hands. "Hurts… hiss!"
"Karl! You're finally awake! Uu-uu—my child!"
The woman beside me scooped me into a shaking hug, tears pouring down her face. The man standing behind her had wet eyes too—of course they did. They had already lost a child once.
"Good, good—thank goodness you're awake. You must never go near the back mountain again, you hear me? Your mother's been worried sick these past few days."
At the same time, the memories in this body kept slotting into place. The original owner's name was Karl—Portgas D. Karl.
Portgas D…? Isn't that a surname that only appears in One Piece? Did I transmigrate? Into the One Piece world? Oh my god.
The One Piece world is insanely dangerous. If you're a noble, maybe you scrape by—but as a commoner? You can barely survive. That's even worse than my last life's thirty-days-a-month grind. No—wait—nobles aren't safe either! Devil Fruit users exist here. When they fight, it's terrifying. Pirates won't spare nobles just because they're nobles—if anything that makes you a walking moneybag! What do I do?!
"Karl, what's wrong? Don't scare Mama," the woman sniffled, startled by the dazed look on my face.
"I'm okay, Mom. My head just hurt for a moment. It's much better now."
Right then, my stomach rumbled loudly.
She couldn't help a watery laugh. "Hungry, huh? I'll go get you something to eat. You've been lying there for three days—you must be starving." Wiping her tears, she hurried out.
The man—my father—exhaled. "Since you're fine, don't go to the back mountain anymore, you hear? Your mother has been out of her mind with worry."
"I know, Dad. I only went up because I saw a lot of animals running toward the peak. I was curious and followed them. There were so many—huge ones!"
"They were heading to the Holy Mountain to pay respects. Every year, on that day, the animals go to the Holy Mountain. It's like a ritual."
Mom's voice floated in from the doorway. "That's enough scolding for now. He hasn't eaten in three days. Let Karl eat first." She came in carrying a tray, beaming. "Karl, come—Mama made your favorite: apple pie!"
"Thanks, Mom! I'm digging in!"
The food in anime always looks good—but this… this actually tastes amazing. I inhaled one pie in a couple of bites, reached for another, and stuffed it into my mouth.
"Slow down, slow down. I made plenty. There's more than enough for you." She ruffled my hair.
Dad stretched, already half turned toward the door. "Since Karl's fine, I've got to get back to work. I've been off three days—Darcy's going to blow his top."
He was halfway outside when Mom called after him, "Remember to buy ingredients for cake on the way home. Tomorrow is Karl's eighth birthday. I'm making him a big apple-and-cream cake!"
"Got it!" he shouted back from the yard.
"Mom, I'm full. Can I take a bath first? I feel sticky."
"Go on—wash up. I'll start prepping dinner." She kissed my forehead and bustled out.
I headed for the washroom, slid into the tub, turned on the water, and let my thoughts drift back to what happened a few days ago.
So that's why I fell from the mountain and only passed out. That day, I tailed the animals up to the Holy Mountain and saw a whole herd lying prostrate before a statue. I crept closer, trying to see what was so worthy of worship.
There's a local legend in town: from June 25th to 28th, no hunting in the forest. Those days are the animals' pilgrimage. If you disrupt it, bad things will happen.
I circled to the statue's side. It was a massive tiger-like effigy—over eighty meters long and more than fifty meters tall. It looked like a tiger, but with a pair of horns, like the ancient mythical beast Bì'àn—majestic and fearsome. I took one careless step, slipped, and tumbled into a cavern opening at the statue's flank.
Inside was like a great hall. On a large chair in the center sat a box. Curiosity got the better of me. I opened it.
Inside was a giant banana.
Except… it wasn't a banana. Strange swirls mottled its skin.
I picked it up, turning it over, and right then my stomach growled. I hadn't eaten all day. I hesitated—then thought, it should be edible, right?—and took a bite.
Heaven help me. I'd always thought Uncle Darren's cooking was the worst thing on earth, but this was worse. Way worse. I forced down a few mouthfuls and could not take another.
Then my body started to swell. My form warped into a horned, tiger-shaped monster. My emotions snapped; rage boiled over. I leapt up, shattered the hall roof, and burst out onto the mountainside.
A thunderous tiger's roar ripped from my throat, echoing for miles. Before I could enjoy the feeling, my body snapped back to human—and I plummeted, blacking out.
In the forest below, animals scattered in panic. The ground rumbled with the stampede.
The town heard that roar, too. People feared the beasts would spill from the woods to the streets. If that happened, the town would be finished. Everyone fled toward the coast to shelter. Hours passed. The chaos ebbed. No beasts emerged.
Only then did folks dare to head back. Still, that sound… it felt like it pierced the clouds, crushing any will to resist.
My parents rushed home and found the house empty. Panic set in.
"Karl! Where are you? Karl!" Mom ran next door. "Darren! Have you seen Karl?"
"No—Karl's missing?" Darren's face drained. Karl had practically grown up playing at his place.
"Karl's gone! We've looked everywhere at home," Dad said, voice tight.
"Don't panic. We'll search together."
They scoured the town until nightfall. No sign.
Mom broke down, sobbing. "Uu-uu—my Karl, where are you? Karl—uu-uu—"
"Karl must've gone into the forest. I'm checking the woods." Darren grabbed his longsword and headed for the trees.
"Wait, Darren! We'll go with you," Dad said.
"No, it's too dangerous!" the town chief barked. "The beasts only just calmed down. If just the two of you go and something happens—what then? Ed, Ian—you two go as well!"
Ed and Ian, both towering over two meters and part of the town's crew, stepped forward. "Yes, Chief!"
Darren, Berg (my dad), and a few men from the crew plunged into the forest with torches, calling my name in hushed voices, too afraid to shout.
After a long trek, they reached the foot of the Holy Mountain—and finally found me, unconscious.
"Karl! Karl! Are you okay?!" Dad cried.
"Berg, hold it together. Let's get him home first—this place is too dangerous," Darren said.
Dad scooped me up, and they made a quick retreat toward town. Only when they reached the edge of the settlement did everyone finally breathe again. The scale of today's upheaval had shaken them to the core.
"Karl, what happened? Karl!" Mom—Emma—rushed over, on the verge of hysteria.
"Emma, he's passed out. Let's get him home and have Dr. Daniel take a look," Dad said.
Back at the house, they called for Dr. Daniel. He examined me carefully and finally gave his verdict.
"A mild concussion. He should wake in a few days. Everything else is normal. He'll be fine."
"Thank you, Dr. Daniel—thank you!" Mom said, bowing over and over.
"No thanks needed. I'm the town doctor. This is my duty." He packed up his bag. "Since he's out of danger, I'll take my leave."
"Sorry to trouble you, Doctor," Dad said.
Darren stretched, yawning. "I'm dead on my feet. This brat dared run into the forest—he's got guts, I'll give him that." He waved and left.
And so, Mom and Dad nursed me at home for three days… until I woke up.
Except the one who woke wasn't the original Karl anymore.
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