Chapter Text
I'm Rio, I died, not quite sure how, everything's a bit fuzzy there.
Well, everything's a bit fuzzy everywhere. I can only really think, at least so long as it isn't about my death or my surroundings. I felt things, but nothing I could recognise, and I couldn't see anything I could name or really register outside of vague outlines I forgot seconds later.
I think I was moving through some sort of space but I couldn't be too sure. I was quite weightless at the moment, it was quite nice actually.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." A voice rumbled from somewhere to my side. I try to turn to face the origin and come face to face with a glitching, fuzzy outline that was vaguely human-like, like Truth from Fullmetal Alchemist but the incomprehensible cosmic horror part turned up to somewhere between 11 and 26. Thankfully the incomprehensible part led to me just not really registering them fully instead of turning mad immediately. "I am thankful for that as well."
"Oh, you can read my thoughts." I say, and I'm honestly not that surprised or worried about it. I did mention everything felt a bit fuzzy, that seemed to include emotions since I think I'd normally be freaking out, maybe? "Do you need something?"
The thing shifts and I get the impression of a smile even through I can't see it's face and probably don't want to. "I come with an offer."
"Okay, cool, no red flags there." I reply, unbothered as my form, whatever it may be at the moment, rotates sideways so I'm upside down for a moment before going the right way up again. "I'll hear you out if the offer doesn't include you eating me or eternal damnation."
"Lucky you. Those were the choices I gave to the last human that came through." I honestly cannot tell if that was a joke or not. "My offer is this. I can reincarnate you into a fictional world from your world with three boons within reason of your choice."
I wait for a few moments for them to continue before I speak when they don't. "Wait, that's it? I get reincarnated and that's just it? How do you benefit? What's the catch? What world?"
"So many questions." Why did it sound smug? "The world will be the world of One Piece. And there is no catch, and I to feed on the energy of the changes you make. And it'll make good entertainment."
"So, you want me to go in there, change whatever I want with three things you'll give me?" I ask, when the being nods I continue. "In One Piece. The manga I'd only read until the end of East Blue before I died? The one I'm less than a tenth of the way through?"
"...Yes."
Did I make a god-like entity sheepish? Score.
"Okay, so three things. Okay... um..." Wow, self inserts made it seems to easy to decide what to choose. Probably because they knew what was in store for them.
Okay, what do I know about One Piece, well, it's mostly stuff from spoilers before and while I was reading. There were Devil Fruits, some overpowered and some not, there was something called Haki which could be advanced or awakened or something, Sea kings and seastone were a thing, um some people were just insanely strong basically naturally like Luffy, Zoro and Sanji, and... oh yeah, fishmen were a thing. Luffy also had something to do with gears, which was weird because I thought his Devil Fruit was rubber powers, and apparently fifth gear was a big deal.
Shit, what would help the most.
"I want to be and get strong like Luffy, Zoro and Sanji."
"Natural strength and increased growth in combat? I can do that." The being agrees easily.
"Then..." Dammit, what next? Maybe a Devil Fruit? But with what powers? They seemed varied enough. Luffy's, Buggy's, smoke guy's, and the one that made that fat lady beautiful. "Can I get Uro's Sky Manipulation from Jujutsu Kaisen as a Devil Fruit?"
Why that instead of Infinity or Sukuna's Shrine? First off, I can fly with it. Second, Infinity and Shrine seem super complicated in comparison. Third, it looked really fun and the aesthetic was peak. Fourth, if I lose my clothes somehow I can just cover myself with the sky, no need to let Sanji or anyone perv on me if something like that happens. Fifth, I can fly and that's fucking cool.
"Of course." I couldn't tell if they were teasingly agreeing with my thoughts or granting my request. Based off the tone it could have been either or both.
Okay, then last one. Got to make it count.
"Make me hot like Uro." Dammit.
The being tilts its head consideringly. It stays silent for a few moments. "I can do that without using one of your boons. You wish for the appearance of Takako Uro, correct?"
"Well, um, yeah, thanks. I'm guessing it'll be One Piece-ified?"
"Yes." I shiver as it 'smiles' based on its aura. "Shall I give you the last boon as an... how do you humans say it... an IOU?"
"...Wait really? You aren't going to take it away or just give me a random thing?" I ask, surprised. As I'm about to smile, it falls from my face as the being begins to 'smile'.
"A random boon? Now that does sound interesting. Let us go with that."
"Wait, no I-!" My words are cut of as the being pokes my centre mass, making everything go dark as I get the sensation of falling.
As I blink awake the sensation of falling doesn't disappear.
If anything it gets worse.
My eyes flutter open as my hair whips around through the air. My soft groan is snatched away by the wind as I take in my current situation.
Why am I falling?
I then remember the conversation I had with the being and as the ground rapidly approaches I panic, throwing my arms out, catching on the air.
"urgh..." I groan again, this time audible to myself as the awful lurching feeling of stopping too quickly overcomes me while I come to a stop mid-air.
"Okay, either get used to that, or never do it again." I mumble to myself, pushing my hair out of my face and making myself begin slowly spinning through the air backwards, even more of my hair in my face now.
Holding my arms out I come to a stop upside down. "Okay, so stopping is easy, neat. Now need to figure out how to move with purpose and not just vibes." I look down at the sky, then up at the ground. "At least my hair isn't in my face anymore."
Wiggling doesn't get me anywhere except slowly rotating at various different angles. I try grabbing the air, which sort of works, but does a better job of turning the sky into a fabric, which slay, sky dress. As soon as I figure out how to make it stick to me like Uro did. Oh, seems like my emotions were coming back. Thankfully after the point where I would have panicked about falling.
"Okay, let's go upright." I say and try to lean forwards, which somehow rotates me perfectly until I'm upright. "Okay, easy. Let's try moving." I say as I turn and look downwards to try and find somewhere to land, only to find a cannon aimed at me from a rooftop filled with people in stereotypical pirate clothing. Oh, I must be in Orange Town then.
On instinct I grab some of the sky and pull it in front of me as the cannon fires, redirecting the cannonball to hit something behind me. I turn around and spot a massive bird flying away and someone falling to the ground towards three people chasing a fourth person.
"Oh, there's the plot." I say, pushing off against the air and falling/floating quickly down towards the group as the falling guy, who must be Luffy, beat up the three who were chasing Nami. I'll need to think of better ways to describe moving through the air, won't I? Oh hey, my hair's doing the cool floaty thing, nice.
"-gether we could make a fortune!" Nami declares, sitting on a balcony and looking down towards Luffy, not noticing my descent. I come to a stop about level with her but slightly to the side.
"You think someone as simple looking as him cares about anything but meat?" I can't help but ask, because wow does Luffy look like he doesn't have a thought behind his eyes.
"Well, no, but that just me- Wait who are you?!" Nami jumps, falling into the balcony before standing back up to point at me. Huh, her teeth do actually get sharp, weird. "And how are you doing that?!"
"So cool!" Luffy declares, his eye sparkling with interest. Probably the most interest he's shown any woman until this point, even if it wasn't romantic or sexual interest. "How're you flying? And your hair! Your eyes are really cool also!"
I can't help but smirk and flick some of my hair, making it swirl and flair out impressively. My back straightens slightly from the admiring 'Ooooo' I get from Luffy. I cross my arms and legs, creating a platform of thin air for me to sit on, god she's had these powers for only a few minutes and they were already THE SHIT. "You can call me Rio, and as for the flying I ate a Devil Fruit."
"Like me!" Luffy calls out, waving one hand and pointing at his massive grin with the other. He grabs his cheek and pulls on it to make it stretch. "Lookh shee!"
"Are you made of rubber or something?" I ask, floating down and gently putting my feet on the ground before cancelling my powers, letting my hair fall down my back and my legs take my full weight. Oof, up close Luffy was getting close to uncanny valley vibes with his rubber skin, thankfully it looked just enough like actual skin for me to look at him with only a small bit of discomfort. I'd probably get used to it.
"Yes, exactly! How'd you guess?" Luffy says, letting go of his cheek and letting it snap back.
"We had rubber statues of famous people back home, you look similar." Okay that might not be totally true, Luffy looked a lot better made, and I didn't even know if the statues were made of rubber or something else.
"Had? What happened to them?" Nami asks, coming back into the conversation as she jumps off the balcony. 10/10 landing, her knees barely bent and there wasn't a hint of a stumble.
"Oh, the island got destroyed." I say nonchalantly, ignoring the shocked, apologetic and sympathetic expressions Nami was now cycling through, Luffy didn't quite seem to get it was he really that dumb? Eh, no big deal. "Anyway, anyone got any idea why someone attacked me with a cannonball?"
Nami gives me a slightly concerned look before sighing, gesturing for Luffy and I to follow her.