He opened his eyes, face-down in the dirt, surrounded by withered vines and the sickly scent of overripe pumpkins. Groaning, he pushed himself up and glanced around, disoriented.
"Where the hell am I?" he muttered.
In full-dive games, you usually got to create a character before dropping in. But this time? Nothing. Just picked the world... and boom—he was thrown in. No tutorial. No loading screen. Just cold, hard reality.
Before he could even check his status or figure out where he was, a shadow approached—tall, broad, and holding what looked like a pitchfork.
"Who are you?" the man barked, stepping closer. He looked like a farmer: weathered, scowling, and cautious.
Patch instinctively raised his hands. "Whoa, easy! I'm not armed."
"I said—who are you, and why are you in my field?" The man didn't lower the pitchfork.
"My name is..." He paused. His mind went blank. Should I use my real name? Wait—what even is my name?
Nothing. No birthday. No parents. No life before this.
He looked down at the muddy soil, thoughts swirling. Then it came to him—not a memory, just a word.
"...Patch," he said quietly. "My name's Patch."
The farmer squinted. "Okay, Patch. That still doesn't tell me why you're in my pumpkin patch."
"I don't know," Patch replied honestly. "I just woke up here. I don't know how I got here... or where here even is."
The man lowered the pitchfork slightly, though his eyes stayed wary. "You're on Status Farm. Owned by yours truly—Joren Status."
Joren studied him a moment longer, then sighed. The tension eased. Maybe the amnesia softened him.
They talked a bit more—mostly Joren asking questions Patch couldn't answer. Eventually, convinced he wasn't a pirate or a bandit, Joren led him to a small farmhouse on the edge of the field.
Inside, over tea and thick slices of bread, Joren explained where they were.
"You're in Dawnstead," he said, "the farming town on Katerra Island. We're in the East Blue."
"East Blue?" Patch echoed, frowning.
Joren gave him a long look. "You really don't know anything, do you, kid?"
He leaned back and began explaining, almost like a teacher.
"There are four oceans in the world—East, West, North, and South Blue. In the middle is the Red Line, a giant ring of mountains that splits the oceans in half. The Grand Line runs perpendicular to it, splitting them again. Makes four seas."
Sounds like different starting zones, Patch thought. I wonder if I could've picked which one I spawned in if I hadn't left it up to the game.
Joren went on. "Katerra's a big island by East Blue standards. Dawnstead's where most of the food comes from. Then there's Brimshore—the port town. Trade, supplies, travelers, all come through there. Finally, you've got Lunelith. That's the central town, the intellectual hub. Libraries, schools, most of the population. If you want answers, that's the place to go."
"Thanks," Patch said, rising. "And... thanks for not stabbing me."
Joren snorted. "Take care of yourself, Patch."
Patch gave a half-smile and turned to leave—but froze as something flickered in front of him.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
Status:
Health – Stable
Unlocked Forms – None
Available Mission(s):
▸ Initiate: Turn in a bounty worth ≥ 10,000 Beli.
That's… not a lot of information, Patch thought. Guess the game wasn't kidding about no guidance.
As he walked down the path out of the farm and toward Lunelith, a slow smile spread across his face.
"Well," he said to no one, "let's start grinding."
---
The walk to Lunelith wasn't too bad—about a thirty-minute trek. When he arrived, Patch was stunned.
The town was beautiful. It was bigger than he expected—at least 300 buildings, some larger than others. In the center stood a tall clocktower that loomed over the rooftops. Most of the architecture followed a clean, rustic style: brick walls, sloped roofs, wooden doors, and windows that caught the fading sun just right.
Patch made his way through the town, staying observant. He saw kids laughing and chasing each other, adults running errands, and a few people in navy-colored uniforms with muskets slung across their backs—some form of law enforcement, he guessed.
Eventually, he found the library.
It was massive—about the size of four houses stacked together—and bustling with people. Inside, it was less like a traditional library and more like a quiet community hub. Some read alone, others chatted with friends. A few were even eating or napping in corners.
Patch noticed a large bounty board hanging near the front desk but decided to learn more about the world before diving in.
He wandered through the aisles and gathered books on history, geography, and government. Over the next few hours, he soaked up everything he could—learning about the Marines, pirates, bounty hunters, revolutionaries, and more.
By the time he closed the last book, the sun was beginning to set. Outside the windows, long shadows stretched across Lunelith's streets.
He had a lot to figure out—where he was going to sleep, what he was going to eat, and most importantly, how he was going to collect a bounty worth 10,000 beli.
---
By the time Patch stepped out of the library, the streets were dyed orange by the setting sun. The warmth of the day was fading, and the breeze now carried a chill. He had no food, no money, and no idea where to sleep.
He wandered through town for a while, scanning for anything that might help him survive the night.
Eventually, he spotted an older man hauling crates onto a cart near a small warehouse, grumbling with each lift.
"Need help?" Patch asked.
The man squinted. "You strong enough to lift thirty kilos?"
Patch shrugged. "Guess I'll find out."
Ten minutes later, he was covered in sweat, arms sore, and the job done. The man handed him a few coins.
"Forty beli," he grunted. "Not much, but enough for a bed at the old inn near the clocktower. Ask for Delva."
Patch nodded, pocketing the coins. He made his way across town until he found the inn—a crooked old building with warm lanterns hanging outside. Delva, the innkeeper, barely glanced up before handing him a key and pointing him to the second floor.
The room was small. The mattress was thin. The blanket smelled faintly of soap. But it was a roof, and it was his.
Patch closed the door behind him, sat on the edge of the bed... and hesitated.
"Log out," he said aloud.
Nothing happened.
He frowned. "Exit game. Return to menu."
Still nothing.
He stared at the wall for a moment, waiting for panic to rise. But it didn't. Strangely, it didn't feel like a problem.
I don't even remember what I'd go back to.
He exhaled slowly and laid down, eyes fixed on the wooden ceiling.
"Okay," he whispered. "Guess this is real."
---
~One Day Ago
Miles Carter was a lonely kid. Orphaned at twelve when his parents died in a car crash. After that, he was taken in by his uncle—a man who did the bare minimum. Early on, the man kept him fed, kept him in school. But as the years went on, he all but disappeared.
By sixteen, Miles barely saw him.
Miles had always hated his name—especially since it was his uncle's. After the crash, he spiraled into depression. But gaming saved him—specifically, full-dive VR. He poured himself into those digital worlds. Leveling. Grinding. Unlocking every achievement. There, he was someone. There, life made sense.
Today was supposed to be the best day of his life. His eighteenth birthday. Freedom at last. He could move out, start fresh, leave his name behind.
And the game he'd waited years for had finally launched: New Life.
A fully immersive VR experience. Voice-activated world creation. Procedural generation. A system that tailored the game to your psyche.
No two games the same.
He downloaded it the second it dropped. Slipped on his headset. Logged in.
Initializing Neural Link…
Heart rate: stable. Neural signal: strong.
Welcome, Player. Please customize your immersive world.
STEP 1: Choose Your World Type
Voice Activated – Awaiting Input…
"Something with freedom. Open-world. I want to grind, fight… earn everything. No easy wins.
...Make it somewhere new. Fantasy, but dangerous. Make me weak at the start—so I can climb."
Input registered: World Type – "Fantasy-Pirate Survival."
Note: Permadeath enabled by default.
STEP 2: Import Lore Source?
Available databases: Myth, Cyberpunk, Post-Apocalyptic, Anime – Mixed, Original Sandbox.
"Nah. Just throw me in raw. I don't need context—I'll figure it out."
Selected: Original Sandbox with adaptive lore and system integration.
Hidden Flag Activated: World Source – [ONE PIECE]
(User has no prior knowledge. Seed value randomized.)
STEP 3: Difficulty Setting
Please select your experience difficulty:
- Casual – Prior knowledge, assistance, guidance.
- Challenger – Limited strength, balanced adaptation.
- Iron Will – No scaling, high punishment.
- New Life – Limited memory retention. No guidance. No mercy. You are born again into a hostile world.
Warning: 'New Life' restricts outside assistance. Are you sure?
Miles smirked. "Hardcore or nothing. That's the one."
Confirmed: Difficulty – NEW LIFE
Basic identity, language, and survival instincts retained. All other support removed.
Final warning: Proceed?
"…Send me in."
SYSTEM CALIBRATING…
Initializing Real-World Disconnect Protocol…
Launching full immersion…
Transporting consciousness...
Welcome to your New Life.