A groggy sensation clouded Yami's mind as consciousness returned to him. His body lay sprawled on the rooftop of an old building, the coarse texture of stone pressing against his back. The dull ache in his limbs and the chilly morning breeze brushing his skin did little to ease the confusion in his spinning head.
'W-where... am I?'
He sat up abruptly, eyes darting around in disorientation. The last thing he remembered was that grinning man—SKM—snapping his fingers and a swirling portal of light sucking him in.
His breath hitched.
Pinch.
"Agh!" he winced, pain shooting through his arm. "T-this is real..." he whispered, horror creeping into his voice. "I'm actually in the One Piece world..."
He glanced around. The rooftop was cracked and neglected, as though no one had been up here in years. But what immediately grabbed his attention was the treasure chest placed beside a bulky backpack, its golden latches glinting faintly in the light.
His heart raced.
'That must be the Devil Fruit SKM talked about!'
Without wasting another second, he scrambled toward the chest, hands slightly shaking as he flicked the latch open.
Inside lay a fruit unlike anything he'd ever seen. It glowed a vibrant orange-red, swirling with tail-like patterns across its surface. Six ethereal energy tails circled the fruit lazily, while three more, thicker tails sprouted from the stem. A small flame-like leaf at the top bore the shape of a fox's head, flickering as though alive.
(Image here)
Yami's jaw went slack.
'A real Devil Fruit… and it's mine...'
He took a deep breath, hands trembling as he lifted it gently from the chest. It felt warm, pulsing with power in his grasp.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered, raising it to his lips. The moment his teeth sank into it—
"BLEUURGH!!" he gagged.
He doubled over, coughing and sputtering. The taste was a nightmare—a mix of rotten fish, curdled milk, burnt pepper, and sand. His entire tongue recoiled in protest.
"What the hell was that?!" he coughed. "How can something so magical taste so disgusting?!"
He forced himself to swallow. The instant the chunk slid down his throat, the fruit ignited in golden flames and vanished along with the chest, leaving behind only the backpack.
Still catching his breath, Yami stumbled over and opened the bag. Inside, he found bundles of crisp paper money—Berries, his mind identified—neatly stacked and tied. Underneath them were two rolled-up scrolls, each labeled clearly: Grand Line and New World.
'Nice. These are gonna come in handy.'
Then, nestled at the bottom was a neatly folded letter. Curiously, he opened it and read:
**"Hi pal, it's me, SKM. Hope you arrived safely. The bag I have given you is your starter kit, with important supplies like a map, some food, and 1 million Berries as starting money for you. Don't waste it!
Anyways, I wrote this letter to inform you of something else—the timeline you are in is one year before Luffy starts his journey.
So, this is goodbye. Hope you do your best in your new life. I will meet you when you die again to have a chat before letting you rest.
P.S. Looking forward to the stories you have to tell me over some drinks."**
Yami blinked, then reread the last part.
'Who the hell casually talks about looking forward to someone's death?!'
He folded the letter with a grimace and placed it back in the bag—only to watch it vanish in a small spark of light.
"Figures..." he muttered.
He stood and walked to the edge of the rooftop. The moment his eyes met the scene below, his breath hitched.
A massive town stretched before him. Cobblestone streets crisscrossed between aged buildings. Vendors shouted about their goods, sailors passed through with crates on their backs, and Marines patrolled with rifles and sabers. But most iconic of all—the towering execution platform in the heart of the city.
"Loguetown…" Yami whispered in awe. "The place where it all began... and ended..."
A rush of excitement pulsed through him, but he quickly calmed himself.
'Focus. This world is dangerous. Smoker's here… a Logia user. I can't afford to be reckless. If the World Government finds out I can extract Devil Fruits… they'll dissect me like a frog.'
His eyes narrowed in thought.
'But this town also holds opportunity. Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri—two solid swords—are here somewhere in a shop.'
He clenched his fists.
'First, I need to understand my new power. Then, train my body and Haki. There's no skipping the grind.'
He caught sight of a cracked hand mirror sticking out of the bag. Pulling it out, he examined himself.
His reflection blinked back at him: a tall man, around 7 feet, with long, messy black hair cut unevenly on both sides. A cowlick jutted up on the right side. He had a youthful face, large blue eyes, sharp canines, and lightly pierced ears—one simple stud on the right and a golden hourglass-shaped earring on the left.
He wore a sleek, loose black suit that fit snugly over his powerful frame.
"I… look like Vanitas from that anime I watched," he muttered, brushing back his hair. "Guess that's the body I got."
(Image here)
After climbing down from the rooftop, Yami merged into the flow of townspeople. The sights, sounds, and smells overwhelmed his senses—like a vivid dream turned real.
When he passed by a group of patrolling Marines, he tensed. One of them narrowed his eyes, scanning Yami's face, then checked a bounty poster.
"Eh, not on the list," he shrugged, walking off.
Yami exhaled.
'Too close. Gotta stay low.'
He spotted a kindly old vendor at a fruit stand and approached casually.
"Hey, old man," Yami asked politely. "Know any quiet, abandoned places around here? Somewhere I can practice some street tricks—smoke bombs, sleight of hand, that sort of stuff."
The vendor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… there's an old warehouse near the docks. Was run by some shady fellas a while back, but Captain Smoker cleared 'em out. Place should be empty now."
"Thanks. Appreciate it."
"Good luck, son. We're lucky to have Smoker around. Keeps pirates away from this town."
Yami nodded and walked off, smirking slightly.
'That works out for me. The safer everyone feels, the less attention I'll draw while training.'
He made his way through alleyways and cobbled streets until he found the warehouse. Rusted metal doors groaned as he pushed them open. Inside was a dusty, decaying interior filled with scattered barrels and broken crates.
"Perfect."
He wiped down a table and sat, pulling out some fruit to snack on as he laid out a plan in his head.
'Step one: train the body. Endurance, strength, stamina. Step two: master the basics of the Kyu Kyu no Mi. Step three: Haki. I'll focus on Observation and Armament first. Conqueror's can wait…'
Finishing his food, he cleared the center of the warehouse and stood tall.
He took a deep breath and focused.
A soft glow began to surround him. His hair straightened slightly, flowing behind him. His nails elongated, a feral edge to them. A red aura shimmered around his frame before entering into his body. His eyes shifted from blue to crimson red, the pupils slitting like a fox's. His canines grew sharper, and a wild pressure leaked from his body.
"Holy hell…" he muttered, flexing his fingers. "This power… it's insane."
He took a step forward—and immediately slammed into the far wall with a loud crack.
"OW—what the?!"
Yami groaned, peeling himself off the wall. He'd moved faster than expected—too fast.
'Alright… let's slow down. One step at a time.'
For the next half-hour, he did small drills—lifting barrels without crushing them, walking in a straight line without breaking the floor, breathing exercises to stabilize the form. Gradually, he grew more comfortable, though he felt his stamina draining faster with every passing minute.
After a while, he collapsed onto a crate, panting.
"So that's the trade-off… stamina drain. This fruit eats away at my energy like crazy."
He closed his eyes and let the form fade. The red aura disappeared, his hair returned to normal, and his nails shortened.
"I'll have to build my endurance up until I can use it freely," he muttered, leaning back to take a nap.