The Beginning of a New Tide
The sun rose over a small fishing port in the East Blue Sea. Birds cried as waves hit the docks. Fishermen prepared their boats, shouting to one another as the smell of salt and fish filled the air. The world was in its Age of Piracy, and tales of the great treasure, the One Piece, spread like wildfire.
Among the villagers, a boy watched quietly from the shore. His clothes were simple, his hair messy, but his eyes held a strange focus. He did not belong here. At least, not yet.
The day passed like any other. Children played, merchants sold their goods, and the sea whispered promises of adventure. But for one young man, fate had other plans.
I remember the moment my life ended.
It was sudden, sharp, and unlike anything I had felt before. One moment, I was alive, breathing, thinking. The next, everything went black. Silence pressed against me from all sides, and a strange pressure pushed against my mind.
Then a voice spoke.
"...Are you awake?"
I froze. Who was speaking? My head? My thoughts? I had no idea.
"I—I'm here?" I stammered aloud, though no one could hear me.
No one, indeed. I am not anyone you've met.
"What...what is this? Who's there?"
I am Red Queen. I am an artificial intelligence, created in your previous world. I exist to serve you. My systems are linked to your body. I can monitor and control internal mechanisms. I can assist in combat, learning, and survival.
I blinked rapidly, trying to process what I had just heard. My body… it felt different. Lighter, stronger, like there was a pulse of energy beneath my skin.
"What…can you do?" I asked hesitantly, almost afraid to speak.
Many things. I can access knowledge from your previous life. I can create, simulate, and predict outcomes. I can analyze situations in real-time and provide optimal solutions. I can manage your nanomachines for healing, strength, and speed.
My heart raced. Nanomachines? My body? Everything was connected to this voice. Slowly, curiosity replaced fear.
"Show me my status," I said.
Access granted.
A holographic panel shimmered in my mind. Vital signs. Muscle density. Neural interface levels. Everything about me, laid bare. I could see my strengths, my weaknesses, the potential for growth.
I gasped. This was insane. My mind spun with possibilities.
I am here only for you. I act only when you command.
A shiver ran down my spine. Absolute loyalty. I realized then that I was not alone. Not entirely. With Red Queen, I had something that no one else in this world could possibly have.
I stood up slowly. The docks, the sea, the sun—it all looked the same. But I knew it would never feel the same again. My life had ended. And yet, somehow, I had a second chance.
We begin when you choose, Red Queen said.
I nodded silently. Not yet. Not until I understood this world. Not until I learned what I could become. But deep inside, I knew: everything had changed.
And somewhere beyond the horizon, the world waited for me.