Year 1484 of the Sea Circle Calendar — Valley of the Gods.
A group of people dressed in white short-sleeved shirts, each with a "target" printed on the back, were desperately running through the dense forest. Terror filled their faces—like they were being hunted by monsters.
"Run! They're catching up!"
"Get out of my way! I don't wanna die!"
Bang!
"AHHH!"
Gunfire erupted from behind. People screamed. One by one, they dropped to the ground, and the fleeing crowd dissolved into chaos.
In the middle of it all, four figures huddled close. No matter how panicked the crowd grew, the four never left each other's side.
Three boys and one girl. One of the boys was massive, towering over the others. But despite his size, his face was still youthful—just another child like the rest.
He ran at the back of the group, shielding the others with his large body. An arrow was buried deep in the target mark on his back, blood soaking through the fabric—but he said nothing, clenching his teeth against the pain.
The only girl in the group glanced back, eyes wide in horror. Tears streamed down her face.
"Kuma! You're too big—don't run behind us! You'll get hurt!"
The boy they called Bear forced a smile and shook his head.
"Ginny… don't worry about me. I'm fine. As long as you're okay."
But his pale face and weak voice told a different story.
He was still a child… even if he was over two meters tall.
The two other boys turned at the sound of Ginny's voice. One had a thick afro and a scowl. He glanced at the arrow in Bear's back, clenched his fists, and muttered darkly to the boy beside him.
"Riven, we need to find a place to hide—Kuma's hurt bad. Damn those bastards…"
The boy named Riven wasn't wearing a shirt like the others. Instead, he had on a long-sleeved white coat—clean, high-quality. He had messy black hair, a sharp, handsome face, and dark, intense eyes. Though he was just a kid, his calm expression carried a maturity far beyond his years.
"We can't stop. Nowhere's safe," Riven said coldly. "Just hold on. Once the sun sets, they'll head back."
"But—"
"Run! Or we die here!"
Kuma spoke up next, panting.
"Ivankov, Riven's right. If I can't keep up… don't wait for me. Just run!"
Only nine years old—and already ready to die.
Ginny broke down even more.
"No! I won't leave you behind, Bear!"
Riven's voice was firm, but his pace had already slowed.
A risky move… but thankfully, the attackers behind them seemed to be tiring too.
Less than an hour later, the gunfire faded and finally stopped.
To be safe, the kids kept moving until they reached a small forest pond. Only then did they collapse.
Thud. Thud.
Ivankov and the others dropped like sacks of flour. Kuma, his back bleeding, fell flat on the ground in a giant starfish shape.
Riven scanned the area, alert. Once he confirmed they were alone, he walked to the pond and sat down, staring at his reflection in silence.
It had been a week since the escape began.
A week since Riven had been thrown into the world of One Piece.
Originally, Riven was just an orphan on Earth. He'd scraped his way through college, juggling part-time jobs to survive.
And of course… orphans always time-traveled.
On the night of his graduation, he got drunk with his dorm mates, stumbling around the halls like an idiot. The last thing he remembered was heading to the bathroom and then—bam—his legs gave out. He fell. Everything went dark.
When he woke up, he was a child again. On a remote island. Alone.
The only thing he remembered about his past life… was that his name had also been Riven, and he was eight years old.
He'd lost everything else.
He only realized he was in the One Piece world after stumbling across three other kids fleeing through the jungle: Kuma, Ginny, and Ivankov.
Anyone who'd read the manga would recognize them instantly.
Ginny—the brave, big-hearted girl.
Ivankov—the loud, dramatic one with the afro.
And Bartholome Kuma—already a two-meter-tall kid, solemn and quiet.
They were legendary figures in the One Piece world, and seeing them in the flesh left Riven stunned. When they spotted him—lost, dirty, and alone—they welcomed him without hesitation.
From that day on, the trio became a quartet.
By piecing together their ages and situation, Riven quickly realized where they were.
The Valley of the Gods.
The Celestial Dragons' private hunting ground. A place where human lives were sport.
And the moment Riven realized that, his whole body went cold.
He knew what was coming.
Soon, some of the strongest forces in the world would clash here: the Rocks Pirates, the Marines, and the Celestial Dragons' secret weapon—the Holy Knights.
It was a death zone.
And him? Just a powerless child. If some bored Celestial Dragon pointed a gun at him, it'd be over in an instant.
What the hell is this?!
Where's my beginner town? I just spawned and there are already max-level bosses everywhere!?
Sure, he remembered that in the original story, Bear would eventually eat the Paw-Paw Fruit and use it to escape with everyone.
But that was from a reader's point of view.
Now, he was in the story. And he was just another target.
What if they never find the Paw-Paw Fruit this time?
What if they only found it by accident in the original timeline, and now I've messed that up just by being here?
In those early days, Riven still hoped that since he time-traveled, he'd get some kind of cheat. A system. A panel. A voice in his head going:
"Ding! Special Condition Met. System Activated."
But no.
All he got was blood, sweat, screams, and the constant stench of death.
No system. No help. Just fear.
And now… he was tired of running.
Riven clenched his fists and slammed them into the water. His voice shook with rage.
"Celestial Dragons… if I make it out of this alive, I swear—none of you will ever sleep easy again!"