It was the weirdest conference room I had ever seen. Everything was white. The walls, the ceiling, the floor—even the table and chairs looked like they had been dipped in bleach. It was like someone had taken minimalism to an extreme level, or maybe I was trapped in an IKEA purgatory.
And there I was, sitting in one of the overly white chairs, wearing the same clothes I'd had on before my… well, before I died. That part was a little fuzzy. I vaguely remembered pulling an all-nighter trying to complete a Thermofluid Dynamics coursework, mentally complaining about the existence of laws of Fluid mechanics and maybe find Reynold and chop his number off, and then… nothing. Next thing I knew, I was here.
On the opposite side of the table sat a young boy, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in some fancy old-school ninja gear. His long black hair framed his pale, almost delicate face, and his eyes were a soft, unsettlingly calm shade of brown. He looked way too composed for someone sitting in a completely white room after dying.
"Uh… hey," I said, trying to sound casual despite the overwhelming strangeness of it all. "So, uh… are you dead too?"
The boy—who I was 80% sure could take me out with a flick of his finger—nodded silently. Great. So much for a conversation.
Before I could ask anything else, the door (also white, thanks for asking) suddenly opened, and in walked the most casual-looking Kurt Cobain-looking dude I'd ever seen. He wore a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses (indoors I must add), khaki shorts, and flip-flops. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was heading to the beach instead of… wherever we were.
"Yo!" the guy said with an easy grin, plopping down in the chair at the head of the table. "Sorry I'm late, traffic was killer."
I stared. "Traffic? In the... wherever this is. Afterlife maybe?"
"Metaphorically speaking." The man waved a hand. "Anyway, name's ROB. Stands for Random Omnipotent Being, but you can just call me Rob. I'm here to, uh, sort out your situation."
He leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the table like this was the most normal thing in the world. Meanwhile, I was doing my best not to freak out.
"So… we're dead?" I asked slowly.
ROB gave me a finger gun. "Bingo! Your laptop exploded while running COMSOL, kiddo. I mean, using a 2015 Macbook Air for engineering purposes is pretty dumb and brave, if you ask me."
"Hey! That's...", I didn't get to finish before Rob interrupted me.
"And my friend here—" He gestured to the boy sitting across from me, "—is Haku. You might know him from that old ninja world where people do some chakra-woodoo-magic and run on trees and stuff. He got skewered during some fight, classic ninja drama."
I blinked. "Wait, wait, wait… Haku? Like, the Haku from Naruto?"
The boy—Haku, apparently—gave me a small smile and nodded. "I died protecting someone I cared about."
I gulped. This was all kinds of surreal.
"Yup, that Haku," ROB continued, unbothered. "So! Here's the deal. You two were slated for reincarnation, but—" He put up a finger like he was about to drop some wisdom. "—there's been a little mix-up in the paperwork, and now we've got an opportunity to do something fun."
I raised an eyebrow. "Define 'fun'."
ROB leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the table. "You both get to live again! But instead of going back to your old worlds, how about we send you somewhere new? You know, shake things up a bit."
Haku tilted his head slightly, looking intrigued. "Somewhere new? What do you mean?"
ROB's grin widened. "I'm talking about the world of One Piece. Pirates, treasure, crazy powers—sound familiar?"
My heart skipped a beat. One Piece? The world I had spent my entire university life binge-watching when I should've been studying? Was this real?
"Wait, wait, wait," I said, holding up my hands. "You're saying we can go to the One Piece world? Like, with Devil Fruits and Haki and all that?"
"Bingo again!" ROB said, doing another round of finger guns. "Here's the catch, though. I'm gonna merge your souls into one so you can take full advantage of both your abilities. That way, you'll get a fresh start with a bit of an edge. You—" He pointed at Haku, "—get another chance at life and maybe something you've always wanted." He then turned to me. "And you, Mr. Engineering Postgrad, get to have the ultimate adventure."
I leaned back in my chair, trying to process everything. "Merge our souls? Like, I'd be Haku?"
"Kinda," ROB said, leaning back again. "You'll be a mix of both. You'll look like Haku and have his ninja skills, but you'll also be you. Think of it like an upgrade."
I stared at him. "Why us? I mean, no offence, but why not just send us back separately?"
ROB chuckled. "Because that'd be boring! Plus, it's more efficient. Two souls, one body—less paperwork for me. You won't remember all the of canon events, though. Merging two souls isn't as simple as it may sound. You will retain all the information just before the two-year time-skip after Ace's death. Wouldn't want you to reincarnate, only for your head to explode from overloading it. Besides, knowing everything would just spoil the fun. You'll know the basics—like who's who and what Devil Fruits do and etc.—but don't be surprised if you start drawing a blank on some specific knowledge."
Haku's brow furrowed slightly. "And what about my memories? My abilities?"
"Oh, you're keeping all that ninja training," ROB assured him. "You'll still be able to throw needles, move like an A-star acrobat and fight like a pro. However, the One Piece world doesn't have the concept of "chakra", so you won't be able to use your Kekkei Genkai and other jutsus. But fear not! To compensate you both, this time, you'll have a new power—a Devil Fruit power to be exact. You'll get the Snow-Snow Fruit, which is somewhat similar to what you had in your past life, so your experience with using your Kekkei Genkai could translate well with your newfound powers. Besides, there is already a guy out there who has the Ice-Ice fruit abilities, and we don't like to endorse plagiarism around here. At the end of the day, the last thing I want is for your new experience to be what, Haku?" ROB asked, while pointing at the perplexed boy.
"...Boring?"
"Exactly! That's three for three from both of you. We're on a roll, fellas!" ROB exclaimed with a childish grin on his face.
"The Snow-Snow Fruit?" I echoed, my mind racing. That was Monet's power, right? The one from Punk Hazard. Logia-type, turning into snow. Not as flashy as fire or lightning, but still pretty cool. Literally.
ROB winked. "Yup, snowy goodness. Fits Haku's icy vibe, don't you think?"
Haku, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke up. "If I'm going to live again… I want a family. That's all I've ever really wanted."
ROB's expression softened. "A family, huh? Well, kid, let's just say the One Piece world is full of bonds like that. With people out there like the Straw Hats, you'll find more than a family. You'll find a crew that'll have your back no matter what. Your skills will be used this time not just to kill, but to protect. The pirate world is as exciting and interesting as it is cruel. Make sure to remember that and be careful."
I felt a lump in my throat. That was why I'd always loved One Piece—the camaraderie, the adventure, the freedom. It was everything I had ever wanted in my dull, textbook-filled life. Although, the killing side of things sounded daunting, but I'm sure Haku's got my back on that.
"And what about you?" ROB asked, turning to me. "What's your deepest desire?"
I swallowed hard. "I… to be honest, I am not sure. I just want to be free. To have an adventure. Something where I don't have to worry about exams or careers or… or anything. I want to feel alive. Having a family doesn't sound bad. Couldn't really think about that option while studying—the economy is a shit-storm where I'm from."
ROB nodded approvingly. "Ah, the classic adventurer's spirit. You're gonna fit in just fine. So how about it, boys? One life, one chance, one body. You'll get to travel the seas, fight powerful enemies, maybe even find that family you're both looking for."
I exchanged a look with Haku. His calm gaze met mine, and for a moment, there was an understanding between us. We were both getting something we wanted. It wasn't perfect, but it was a new start.
"I'm in," I said finally, my voice steady.
Haku nodded. "I accept."
ROB clapped his hands together, the sound echoing in the white room. "Fantastic! Alright then, let's merge these souls and get you reincarnated! Remember, have fun and raise some hell out there! Also, don't be afraid to take some risks. You have another chance at life, take it in strides!"
He about activate some sort of power to send us of, the pressure from which was soul crushing, until it suddenly halted. ROB turned to us again, scratching the back of his head, pondering, and spoke, "You know what, I like you guys and feel generous. You both get to pick an item to take with you from your past lives. Be it sentimental or not, but don't go choosing some world-defying stuff. Pick within reason."
That got both me and Haku thinking. After a few minutes, Haku was the first to speak up.
"I would like to bring my mask with me. It was the only gift from Zabuza-san I've ever gotten. Although, not much, it's important to be."
I kept a straight face, but internally I was screaming like the nerd I am. I was already contemplating to get a custom mask done when I reincarnated. This choice saved me the effort and getting a genuine piece was just heaven-sent.
ROB just nodded and then gave me a knowing smile. My eyes widened a bit. Can this guy read my mind or something?
"Yes, but not in this case. You're just too easy to read." he replies with a smirk before continuing, "Now your turn, what do you want? I will repeat myself, but don't choose anything that would mess up the world's balance."
It took me a bit longer to decide. I didn't really have anything of sentimental value If i was honest with myself. I was a loner by nature, pretty distant with my family, didn't have any special hobbies besides watching anime, listening to too much music, browsing the internet and dabbling in sports and stuff. My university life was drowned with work due to my choice of degree. There was only one option that came to mind. So with a bit of hesitation, I spoke up.
"I had a pet, a sparrow to be exact. Called her Chibi. You know—stoic face, cute as a button. Anyways, she's the smartest little fellow I've ever had the pleasure of taking care of. Found her with a broken wing during my first year of uni. After bringing her back to health, she never left my dorm room. Treated my head like a mobile-nest, but we've been stuck to each-other like glue ever since. It would mean the world to me if I get to explore the One Piece world with her by my side."
Haku had a slight surprised expression on his face that quickly melted into a warm smile, mirroring that of ROB's. "She sounds like an absolute delight. I wouldn't mind having an early addition to the family."
"Ditto you on that, Haku. Both of your choices are acceptable!"
The room began to glow, a soft light filling the space as ROB stood up. "Now go forth, Haku—or whatever you decide to call yourselves—enjoy the seas, make some friends, and most importantly, have fun!"
Before I could say anything else, the light enveloped me, and the last thing I heard was ROB's cheerful voice calling out.
"See you on the Grand Line, kiddo!"