**Chapter 1: The Dream That Wasn't**
The room was dark, save for the flickering glow of the television screen. The boy sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes wide and unblinking, glued to the epic battle unfolding before him. Luffy, the rubber man, had just awakened his Devil Fruit powers, and the clash with Kaido was nothing short of breathtaking. The boy's heart raced, his fists clenched tightly as he leaned forward, completely absorbed in the spectacle. The sheer intensity of the fight sent shivers down his spine. Every punch, every roar, every moment of Luffy's determination felt like it was happening right in front of him.
And then, just as the episode reached its climax, the screen flashed with the dreaded words: **"To Be Continued."**
The boy groaned, falling backward onto the floor. "How am I supposed to wait another week for this?!" he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He stared at the ceiling, his mind still buzzing with excitement. Luffy's transformation, the way his white hair shimmered under the moonlight—it was perfect. "White really suits him," he said to himself with a smile.
Reluctantly, he turned off the TV and dragged himself to bed. As he lay there, his thoughts swirled with images of the battle. What would happen next? How would Luffy defeat Kaido? His mind raced, but exhaustion soon took over. His eyelids grew heavy, and as he closed his eyes, he could almost hear the sound of waves crashing in the distance. "How strange," he mumbled, half-asleep. "I don't live near the ocean…"
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When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in his room. The soft, warm sand beneath him and the salty breeze on his face told him he was on a beach. He blinked, disoriented, and sat up slowly. His eyes darted left and right, taking in the scene around him. People were laughing, playing, and enjoying the sunny day. Children built sandcastles, couples strolled along the shore, and the sound of waves filled the air.
His gaze landed on a massive sign in the distance. It read: **"Welcome to Okinawa."**
"Okinawa?!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling. "Is this… a dream?"
Before he could process what was happening, a holographic screen materialized in front of him, glowing with a futuristic blue light. It displayed a message:
"Player Logged In. Quirk Activated: Rubber Rubber."
The boy stared at the screen, his heart pounding. His black hair fell into his eyes as he leaned closer, reading the words again and again. **"Welcome to the World of Bounty Academy, Player."**
He stood up slowly, his legs feeling unsteady beneath him. "This… this can't be real," he whispered, looking down at his hands. They looked the same as always, but something felt different. He took a step forward, then another, until he was standing at the edge of the water. The waves lapped at his feet, cool and refreshing.
"If this is a dream," he said to himself, "then I should be able to do anything, right?" Without hesitation, he jumped into the water and began to swim. The sensation was so real—the cold water, the weightlessness, the way his body moved through the waves. "Just as I thought," he said, treading water. "I can swim. If I really had Luffy's rubber powers, I wouldn't be able to. This has to be a hallucination or a dream."
But just as he was about to swim back to shore, a scream pierced the air. His head snapped toward the sound. A little girl was being pulled under by the current, her small arms flailing as she struggled to stay afloat. The lifeguards were too far away, and even the strongest swimmers on the beach were struggling to reach her in time.
The boy's chest tightened. "This is bad," he muttered. "They're not going to make it."
He watched in horror as the girl swallowed water, her tiny body being dragged further out to sea. His fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth. "If this is some stupid dream," he said through gritted teeth, "then at least let me do something good in it!"
Without thinking, he raised his arm and shouted, "Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"
To his astonishment, his arm stretched forward, shooting through the air like a rubber band. It flew past the lifeguards, past the other swimmers, and wrapped around the girl's waist. The boy's eyes widened in disbelief as he felt the weight of her body in his grip. He pulled her back with all his strength, his arm retracting as quickly as it had extended.
The girl landed safely on the shore, coughing and gasping for air. The crowd erupted into cheers, and her family rushed to her side, tears streaming down their faces. They turned to the boy, thanking him profusely, but he barely heard them. He was too busy staring at his hand, his mind reeling.
"This… can't be real," he whispered. He pinched his cheek, and to his shock, it stretched like rubber. The holographic screen appeared again, displaying a new message:
**"New Basic Skill Unlocked: Gomu Gomu no Pistol."**
The boy's breath hitched. His black hair fell into his eyes as he looked around, the reality of the situation sinking in. The sand beneath his feet, the warmth of the sun, the sound of the waves—it was all too vivid, too real to be a dream.
"This… isn't a dream," he said, his voice trembling. "This is… real."
And with that, the adventure began.