Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Escape From the Valley of the Gods**

*Sea Circle Calendar 1484, Canyon of the Gods*

A group of people wearing white short-sleeved shirts with target symbols printed on their backs were running desperately through the dense forest. Fear and helplessness were etched onto their faces as if they were being pursued by monsters.

*"Run! They're catching up!"*

*"Don't get in the way! I want to live!"*

**BOOM!**

*"AHHH!"*

Gunshots rang out behind them. One by one, people collapsed onto the ground, and the running crowd became even more chaotic.

In the midst of this chaos, four figures stayed close together. No matter how frenzied the surrounding crowd became, they never separated.

Among them were three boys and one girl. Though one of them was notably larger than the others, his youthful face made it clear—he was still a child, just like the others.

His size gave him an obvious advantage in strength, but instead of running ahead, he stayed at the back, using his body as a shield.

A deep, bloody wound marked his back where an arrow had pierced the target symbol. Yet, despite his injury, he gritted his teeth and remained silent.

When the only girl among them turned and saw his state, she burst into tears.

"Kuma! Get in front of us! You're too big! You'll get hit again!"

Kuma forced a smile, shook his head, and said, "Ginny, don't worry about me, I'm fine. As long as you guys aren't hurt, I can handle it."

His words were firm, but his weak tone and pale complexion betrayed his condition. He was still a child—just one who happened to be over two meters tall.

The remaining two boys turned at Ginny's panicked voice. One of them, a dark-skinned boy with an afro, clenched his fists upon seeing the arrow lodged in Kuma's back. He turned to the other boy beside him and spoke in a grave tone.

"Carl, we need to find a safe place to hide. Kuma's seriously hurt! Damn those bastards!"

The boy called Carl stood out from the others. Unlike the white short-sleeved shirts with targets, he wore a high-quality white long-sleeved coat. His messy black hair and delicate features gave him an air of innocence, but his dark eyes held a calmness far beyond his years.

At this moment, his expression remained composed as he replied,

"There's nowhere safe right now. We can't stop. We just need to hold on. Once the sun sets, they'll retreat."

"But—"

*"Run! If you stop, you'll die!"*

Kuma groaned but agreed, "Ivankov, Carl is right. We have to keep going. If I can't keep up, leave me behind."

At only nine years old, Kuma was already prepared to die. Ginny sobbed harder.

"I'll never abandon you!"

Carl's words were harsh, but his steps subtly slowed, matching Kuma's weakened pace. It was a dangerous move, but as night approached, their pursuers also began to slow down.

Less than an hour later, the gunfire behind them faded into silence.

To be safe, Carl led them further into the forest until they reached a small pool.

**Plop! Plop!**

The moment they stopped, Ivankov and Ginny collapsed like deflated balloons. Kuma, his body weakened by blood loss, fell flat on his back.

Carl remained standing, scanning their surroundings. Only after confirming they were safe did he approach the water's edge, staring at his own reflection in the pool.

A week had passed since he had arrived in this world. A world he knew all too well—

*One Piece.*

Carl had traveled through time.

He was originally an orphan on Earth, struggling to make it through college with part-time jobs. Orphans, as fate would have it, were prime candidates for time travel.

The last thing he remembered before waking up here was drinking with his dormmates after graduation. He had been so drunk that, on his way to the bathroom, his legs gave out, and he tumbled down the corridor. Then—darkness.

When he awoke, he was a child. An eight-year-old child.

His memory of his predecessor was fragmented—he knew his name was Carl, just like in his previous life, but beyond that, everything was a blur.

As he wandered the isolated island he had woken up on, he encountered Kuma, who was fleeing. That was when reality set in.

Not only was he in the world of *One Piece*, but he had met *Kuma* and *Ivankov.* Two names that instantly rang bells in his mind.

With Ivankov's unmistakable afro and flamboyant mannerisms, and Kuma's towering childlike figure, there was no mistaking them.

Carl had read the manga too many times to not recognize them.

Seeing him alone, miserable, and confused, the trio had taken him in without question. From that day on, they became a group of four.

Through them, Carl pieced together the horror of their situation.

They were in **God Valley.** The **Celestial Dragons'** hunting grounds.

The moment Carl realized this, his body went cold.

He knew what was coming. Soon, the most powerful figures in the world would converge on this island for a battle unlike any other.

*Rocks Pirates.*

*The Marines.*

*The Celestial Dragons' personal force—The Knights of God.*

A battlefield of legends.

The mere thought sent shivers down his spine. He was nothing but a child. A mere human, weaker than the weakest marine recruit. If even a low-ranking Celestial Dragon aimed a gun at him, he would die instantly.

*What kind of hellish start is this?*

Time travel was supposed to come with advantages, wasn't it? A system? Some kind of cheat?

Carl had waited.

Waited for that one moment when an electronic voice would ring in his mind.

*"Ding! You have met the requirements for..."*

Yet, day after day, as gunshots and screams filled the air, no such voice ever came.

Carl clenched his fists, his breath ragged.

This was real. There was no safety net.

He had thought knowing the future would give him an edge. But what if his presence altered things?

What if Kuma *never* found the Paw-Paw Fruit?

What if they *didn't* escape?

His thoughts spiraled until, unable to contain his rage, Carl slammed his fist into the water, his voice low and filled with venom.

*"Celestial Dragons..."*

*"If I get out of here alive—"*

*"None of you will be able to live in peace!"*