In the celestial realm, where starlight whispered the truths of forgotten ages and time moved with a lazy grace, Umarekwa sat atop his radiant throne. Wreathed in flowing robes of cosmic silk, the god of reincarnation surveyed the mortal realms like a painter admiring a half-finished canvas.
Today, he was in a particularly good mood.
"Perfect," he murmured, fingers tracing the glowing scroll that hovered before him. "An Earth soul. A system. A seamless transfer into One Piece. And into Nami, no less… this is going to be beautiful."
A glowing orb pulsed before him—the essence of a mortal soul from Earth, brimming with curiosity and the desire for adventure. Umarekwa smirked.
"You'll become Nami, navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates. With the system embedded, you'll shake the seas. The Grand Line won't know what hit it."
Threads of divine light reached out, weaving from the orb to Nami's body—presently sailing across the East Blue aboard the Going Merry. Power gathered. Space bent. The transfer began.
And then, something went wrong.
A sharp crack echoed through the divine plane as a bolt of crimson energy tore through the threads.
Umarekwa's eyes widened. "What—!?"
The scroll flashed red. Alarms rang in ancient tongues.
"ERROR: INTEGRATION FAILURE."
"No, no, no!" Umarekwa leapt from his throne, frantically drawing new sigils in the air. "That soul was stable! The vessel was ready!"
But it was too late.
The orb shattered. The Earth soul dissolved into nothingness. And a surge of golden energy—meant for a system host—was now loose, searching, hunting.
It struck.
With a divine snap, the light plummeted to the mortal world, piercing the clouds and slamming into the Going Merry. Nami, below, was engulfed in radiance.
Back in the heavens, Umarekwa stared at the aftermath in disbelief.
The scroll updated.
System Status:
Host: Nami (original)
Integration: 100%
Power-up: Fully functional
He slumped into his throne, groaning. "Brilliant. The original Nami got the system. The Earth soul didn't even make it. I've just given one of the main characters cheat codes."
Aboard the Going Merry, the seas were calm, the sun warm, and the crew buzzing with anticipation for their next stop: Loguetown.
"Nami!" Luffy's voice rang across the deck, cheerful as always. "Are we close?"
"Just a bit longer," she called from the helm, smiling. "We should see it before sundown—"
Suddenly, her smile vanished. Her knees buckled.
"Oi!" Usopp shouted as Nami collapsed, catching herself against the railing before crumpling to the deck.
Zoro was already moving. "She just dropped."
"Nami-swaaaaan!" Sanji dropped his plate mid-flip and darted to her side.
Luffy knelt beside her. "Nami?"
Her eyes fluttered open—gold light flickering faintly in their depths. Her breathing was steady, but her gaze was distant, as if seeing something far away.
What… was that?
A calm, mechanical voice echoed in her mind alone—a presence embedded deep inside her consciousness.
[Welcome, Host. System initialization complete. Power-up integration successful.]
Her breath caught. Wha—who said that?
No one else reacted. Just the lapping of waves and the rustling of sails.
"Nami-san, are you alright?" Sanji asked gently.
She sat up slowly, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I… I don't know. I feel… strange."
"You passed out," Zoro said, watching her closely. "Something hit the ship, and you just dropped."
Before she could speak again, the voice returned—not aloud, but clearly inside her head.
[I am the System. Only you can hear me. You may communicate with me through thought. Your body has been enhanced. Your potential is now optimized.]
Nami stiffened.
Only I can hear it…? What the hell is going on?
She looked down at her hands. They tingled with energy—warm, vibrant, alive. Her thoughts swirled in disbelief.
"You're not real," she whispered under her breath.
"Huh?" Usopp asked. "Who's not real?"
Nami shook her head, trying to stay calm. "I… I just need a moment. Maybe I got heatstroke or something."
"Want some water?" Sanji offered.
Luffy crouched beside her. "You sure you're okay? You looked like you saw a ghost."
System, she thought cautiously. What are you? What do you want?
[My purpose is to assist and guide you. You are now the sole user of the System. No one else can perceive me.]
Why me? she asked.
[Integration was a result of divine error. Host compatibility: 100%. You are the System's rightful wielder.]
She swallowed hard. Her heart thudded in her chest. This wasn't a dream.
This was real.