He came out of sleep slowly, like surfacing from a nightmare that bled into reality.
Cold wood pressed into his cheek. Iron chains clamped his wrists high above his head, hooked into the side of a wall that reeked of salt, mold, and old blood. The air was heavy. Lanternlight swayed above, the flickering glow barely enough to reveal the cramped hold that served as his prison.
He groaned. His shoulders ached, his back screamed, and his head pulsed with dull pain. But he was alive.
Barely.
"...Where the hell am I?" The words came out of someone else's throat. Younger. Scratchier.
His eyes shot open.
Hands—thin, calloused. Not his. His heart began to race.
Then the memories hit.
A small coastal village. His mother's laughter by the fire. Lysa. Always humming when she cooked. He could see the waves out the window, feel the breeze.
Then black sails. Screams. Fire. A burning home. The grip of soot-stained fingers slipping from his own.
She had died because of pirates.
He remembered clutching her as she stopped breathing.
He remembered the scarred pirate who laughed as he walked away.
Her name was Lysa.
His name is Ryan.
But... something else was there too. Another set of memories. Another life.
Anime. Exams. A desk cluttered with manga volumes and empty ramen cups. The name "Kaito". A kid who knew One Piece like the back of his hand.
Both sets of memories. Both lives. One body.
He wasn't Kaito anymore. Not really.
He was Ryan. In a world far crueler than fiction.
"I've been isekai'd... into One Piece," he whispered, disbelief coloring his voice. "And not even as someone cool. I'm... a slave."
Of course. No overpowered sword. No fruit powers. Just chains and bruises.
He gave a short, bitter laugh. The sound echoed in the hold, quiet and ugly.
Then—chime.
Like a crystal note dropped into water.
In front of him, a translucent blue screen shimmered into existence.
[SYSTEM ONLINE]
Host: Ryan (soul merged)
System: Healer's Summon — Version 1.0
● You may summon 1 random female healer from any anime universe.
● Summoned individual will be permanently bound to this world and loyal to you.
● Upon summon, you may choose 1 skill/ability from that character for yourself.
● Cost per summon:
→ 5,000,000 Berries
→ 1 Devil Fruit (any type, must be in your possession)
● Each new summon increases cost by 5×.
(Next summon: 25 million + 5 Devil Fruits)
Current Status:
Berries: 0
Devil Fruits: 0
Summons: Locked
"No way," Ryan breathed. "Is this real?"
He stared at the glowing text. He had read enough system novels to know the drill, but it still hit different when it was your life.
Summon a random female healer? Permanently loyal? And he got to choose one of their skills too?
It was overpowered. Dangerous. Unpredictable.
He could end up with someone legendary. Or... a total unknown.
And the price. Five million berries and a Devil Fruit.
Hard. Nearly impossible, especially for a chained-up kid at the bottom of a no-name pirate ship. But not forever impossible.
And the price going up five times with every summon? That was... rough. Even cruel. The kind of mechanic a gacha dev would laugh about.
Still.
He had something. A goal.
Hope.
Ryan let his head fall back against the wall and exhaled slowly.
"Guess the universe isn't done screwing with me yet. But at least this time... I've got a shot."
A door creaked open above. Heavy boots. Muffled voices.
"Check the hold. Make sure the brat's still breathing."
"Why? He ain't worth much."
"Captain wants him alive for Tequila Wolf. They pay better for warm bodies."
The steps creaked closer. Ryan quickly slumped forward, letting his chin drop to his chest.
A shadow fell over him. Someone spat.
"Still alive. Waste of space."
Boots retreated. The door slammed.
Silence returned.
Ryan didn't move.
Not yet.
His chains rattled softly as he shifted his shoulders.
This world had rules. It had monsters and injustice. But it also had opportunities. Wild ones.
And Ryan had one thing most people in this world didn't:
A second chance.
He would survive.
He would gather the money.
He would get a Devil Fruit.
And when the time came, he would summon help.
Not just for power. Not just to escape.
But to hunt down them, who burned Lysa alive and laughed.
One day, he'd make them remember the name of the boy they sold in chains.
Ryan.