A cold, dark dungeon.
White Flame slowly regained consciousness, blinking in confusion at his unfamiliar surroundings.
"Where… where am I?"
His mind was a mess.
Just a moment ago, he had been out drinking and laughing with his coworkers. One shot of strong liquor—Erguotou, he recalled—and the world had started spinning. Then, darkness. When he finally opened his eyes again, he found himself here, in this godforsaken place.
"Did I… transmigrate? No way, it was just a few drinks! That doesn't justify dying and getting tossed into another world!"
He looked around, dazed and bewildered.
"And even if this is transmigration, shouldn't someone at least tell me where I landed?!"
Before he could gather his thoughts, several armored guards approached and unlocked the cell door.
White Flame scrambled to his feet.
"Take him."
Two guards grabbed him by the arms and dragged him into a nearby room, where the walls were stained with blood.
"Hey! What is this place?! What did I even do?!"
He shouted, desperate for answers.
He had no clue what was going on.
"No need to shout. This is all Doffy's decision."
A voice echoed from the shadows—just outside the reach of the dim torchlight. A figure stepped into view. He looked… familiar.
He wore a feathered hat and had two black markings on his face.
"Doffy?"
The name didn't ring a bell.
"And who the hell are you?"
"Since you're about to die, I suppose I'll be generous," the man said with an exaggerated grin. "Listen carefully—my name is Diamante. Remember it well. Dying at the hands of the great Diamante is the greatest honor a fool like you could hope for!"
He let out a theatrical laugh.
"Diamante…?"
The name struck a chord. Then, realization hit like a bolt of lightning. White Flame's pupils shrank.
"Wait… are you talking about Donquixote Doflamingo?!"
That explained why the man seemed so familiar—he was one of the top officers of the Donquixote Family, the leader of the Diamante Army!
As a diehard One Piece fan, White Flame knew the Dressrosa arc inside and out. This guy wasn't just a side character—he was a high-ranking official, a Devil Fruit user with the power of the Ripple-Ripple Fruit, and one of the four founding members who helped Doflamingo rise to power!
"So… I've transmigrated into the world of One Piece?"
He muttered under his breath.
"No, wait—don't most transmigrations come with a system or some kind of cheat skill?"
"Where's my system? Where's my golden finger? Hell, I'd settle for a decent identity! But no—first thing I get here, I'm about to be executed?! What kind of ripoff transmigration is this?!"
White Flame yelled at the ceiling in frustration.
"Enough whining,"Diamante sneered, pulling a flintlock pistol from his coat. "You had the nerve to bump into Doffy in broad daylight. You've got guts—I'll give you that. But Doffy is the king of Dressrosa. You insult the king, you pay with your life."
"You've got to be kidding me!" White Flame protested. "It was just a bump! I didn't even know who he was!"
What kind of messed-up logic was this?
Bumping into someone gets you executed?
"Just a bump?"Diamante's eyes narrowed. "You think you ran into some stray dog on the street? That was Doffy. The king. You dare compare him to filthy animals?"
"Save your breath. Die quietly. And remember this: you can offend anyone—just never offend Doffy."
He pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The shot rang out.
A burst of blood exploded from the back of White Flame's skull. His body crumpled to the floor, eyes wide open—filled with disbelief, rage, and helplessness. Slowly, the light in his eyes faded to black.
In his final moments, only one thought echoed in his mind:
"The world of One Piece… really doesn't play fair."
[ Ding! Congratulations. You have died successfully. The Ajin System has been activated. ]
[ Scanning host's physical condition… complete. Current state allows for 1 IBM to be summoned. ]
[ Initiating resurrection. Please wait… ]
A pleasant female voice echoed in White Flame's mind.
Ajin System?
But… this was the One Piece world. Why was there an Ajin System here?
Then it hit him. Ajin… immortals… deathless beings.
That means… I'm coming back to life?
As the thought settled in, a progress bar appeared in his vision.
[ Resurrection Progress: 18% ]
It was real!
He was really reviving!
And the system said I can summon one IBM?
He remembered now—IBM, short for Invisible Black Matter. In the anime Ajin: Demi-Human, IBMs were powerful humanoid constructs used for combat. Bandaged and twisted in form, they couldn't be seen by normal people unless emotions ran high.
"If I really have an IBM… then once I'm back—"
"I'll start with the bastard who killed me."
"If this world has no rules… then I'll make my own."
Hatred burned in his eyes.
Doflamingo. Diamante.
He wasn't going to let either of them go.
Elsewhere, Diamante stood over White Flame's corpse and let out a scoff, mocking the man's tragic fate. Without another glance, he turned and walked away.
Two guards stepped in. They glanced at the body and sneered.
"Idiot really thought he could bump into Lord Doflamingo and live?"
"Live? If he wasn't already dead, I'd put two more bullets in him. Filthy scum. Toss the body in the forest. Let the beasts deal with it."
Laughing, they lit cigarettes and leaned against the wall, chatting idly.
But none of them noticed—
A strange phenomenon was happening.
From White Flame's body, tiny black particles began to rise. Like dust or ash, they shimmered faintly and danced in the air before flowing back into his wounds, stitching his body back together at incredible speed.
[ Resurrection Progress: 100% ]
White Flame's eyes snapped open—blazing with rage and bloodlust.
"Dump my body in the forest?"
"Let beasts tear me apart?"
A low growl escaped his throat.
"Then I'll start… by tearing you apart."
Shhhk…
At his command, the black particles around him stirred violently, converging into shape. In an instant, a humanoid figure emerged—tall, wrapped in bandages, completely featureless, yet radiating power.
An IBM.
It stood at his side like a silent soldier.
"Awaiting… your orders…" came its raspy voice.
White Flame pointed at the guards.
"Kill them."
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