Chapter 1 – A Genius Without Purpose
Kaizen Kurogane had always been different. From the moment he could speak, it was clear he wasn't like other children. While kids his age played with toys, he was reading books meant for adults. At five, he could solve complex mathematical problems that baffled even high school students. By ten, he had already surpassed university-level physics and engineering.
His parents, both ordinary working-class people, realized their son was a genius. They sacrificed everything to give him the best education possible—elite private schools, personal tutors, and endless academic competitions.
But to Kaizen, none of it truly mattered.
Everything came too easily.
At twelve, he had mastered four languages. At fifteen, he developed an AI system that outperformed professional programmers. By seventeen, he had created a startup that revolutionized automation in the tech industry, making him a millionaire before he was even legally an adult. By twenty-one, he had a reputation as a genius entrepreneur, a prodigy of modern technology.
But despite all the praise, all the success, he felt nothing.
No excitement. No joy. No sense of accomplishment.
It was as if life had no challenge, no struggle, no meaning.
A life without purpose
Kaizen stared at the glowing city skyline from his penthouse apartment in Tokyo. The neon lights of the metropolis flickered like artificial stars, but to him, they were lifeless. A glass of whiskey rested in his hand, untouched.
The sound of an incoming call snapped him out of his thoughts. He sighed before answering.
"Yeah?"
"You forgot about the meeting, didn't you?"
Ryuji Tanaka, his best friend and business partner, sounded annoyed.
Kaizen leaned back in his chair. "Meeting?"
"The investor pitch, dumbass. The one we've been preparing for weeks?"
"Oh. That was today?"
"You seriously don't care, do you?" Ryuji sighed. "I swear, Kaizen, you're a damn genius, but sometimes you're the most irresponsible person I know."
Kaizen smirked. "Then why do you keep working with me?"
"Because someone has to stop you from throwing away your talent," Ryuji shot back. "Look, man, I get it. You're bored. But not everyone is some goddamn superhuman like you. Some of us actually have to work hard."
Kaizen chuckled. "Maybe that's why I envy you."
"Envy me? Yeah, right," Ryuji scoffed. "You have everything—money, intelligence, freedom. Meanwhile, the rest of us are just trying to keep up."
Kaizen swirled the whiskey in his glass. "And yet, I feel like I have nothing."
There was a long silence before Ryuji spoke again. "…So what now? You gonna disappear again? Go off on some random trip like last time?"
"Maybe," Kaizen muttered.
"You seriously need a hobby, man. Something to make you feel alive."
Kaizen's gaze shifted toward the TV screen, which was playing an episode of One Piece. Luffy's voice echoed through the room.
"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Kaizen smirked. "If only life were that simple."
"Huh?"
"Adventure," Kaizen said, his eyes locked on the screen. "A world where strength determines everything. Where hard work actually matters. Where you can challenge fate and carve your own destiny."
Ryuji scoffed. "You've been watching too much anime."
Kaizen chuckled. "Maybe."
But deep down, he knew the truth.
No matter how much he admired those fictional worlds, he would never experience them.
Because reality was different.
Reality was dull.
Before he became a billionaire, before the fame and success, Kaizen had been just another high school student. But even then, he was different.
"Yo, Kaizen, help me out here!"
Kaizen glanced up from his book to see Kenji, one of his few acquaintances, looking desperate over a math problem.
"You're in advanced calculus," Kaizen noted flatly. "I'm pretty sure you can solve that yourself."
"Yeah, yeah, but I need a shortcut!" Kenji groaned. "Come on, genius, just give me a hint!"
Kaizen sighed, took the pencil, and scribbled a few steps. "There. That should simplify it."
Kenji's eyes widened. "Dude, you're a lifesaver!"
From across the classroom, a girl chuckled. "You know, Kaizen, if you actually tried, you'd probably be the top student."
Kaizen turned to see Ayaka, the class representative.
"I already am," he pointed out.
"Then why don't you ever join competitions? Or, I don't know, do something with your skills?" she asked.
Kaizen leaned back in his chair. "Because it's boring."
Ayaka rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable. Some of us would kill for your talent, and you just waste it."
Kaizen smirked. "If you had my brain, you'd understand."
She sighed. "You're hopeless."
Kaizen shrugged, returning to his book.
Back then, he hadn't realized it.
But those mundane school days were some of the last times he ever felt remotely normal.
Later that night, Kaizen found himself driving aimlessly through the streets of Tokyo. The rain poured heavily, making the roads slick with water.
He wasn't heading anywhere in particular. Just… driving.
(If I died today… would anything change?)
His wealth? Meaningless.
His achievements? Forgotten in time.
His legacy? A mere footnote in history.
He sighed.
Then—
Bright headlights.
A blaring horn.
An oncoming truck.
Crash!!—
His tires screeched against the wet pavement. His car spun violently. The sound of metal crushing, glass shattering—
For the first time in his life—
He felt pain.
Real, agonizing pain.
His body was crushed, blood pooling beneath him. His vision blurred, darkness creeping in.
(So… this is how it ends?)
He should have been afraid.
But he wasn't.
Instead, he felt… relieved.
Then—
Silence.
Kaizen's eyes snapped open.
The first thing he noticed was the heat. Intense, overwhelming heat.
The scent of burning coal and molten metal filled his nose. The rhythmic clang of a hammer striking metal rang in his ears.
He tried to move, but something was wrong. His body felt smaller, weaker. His hands—calloused, rough—weren't his own.
Then—
Pain.
A sharp, unbearable pain exploded in his head.
"Argh…!" He clutched his skull as memories flooded in.
A small forge near the sea. A rugged man hammering metal. A kind woman smiling as she served food. The salty scent of the ocean breeze mixed with the smell of burning iron.
And then—his own name.
He was no longer Kaizen Kurogane.
His new name was Ryden Vulcan.
The son of a blacksmith in Ironwood Town, Vulcan Island.
His father, Dante Vulcan, was a respected yet ordinary blacksmith.
His mother, Elena Vulcan, was a kind-hearted woman who helped run the forge.
The memories blended with his own, forcing him to accept an undeniable truth.
This wasn't a dream.
He had been reborn.
In a world he had only ever read about.
The world of One Piece.
Ryden's breathing was ragged, his body trembling from the aftershock of regaining his past memories. The pain in his head throbbed, but his mind was clearer than ever.
He had died.
And now, he was here.
In a world where strength ruled.
Where legends were forged.
Where the weak were crushed.
A slow smile crept onto his lips.
This world… was exactly what he had longed for.
For the first time in years—
He felt alive.