"Ugh… I'm exhausted."
Shinji Kido slumped back in his chair, stretching as he stared at his computer screen. He yawned and absentmindedly clicked his mouse, refreshing the page again and again.
Times had changed. Technology had advanced, industries had shifted—and somewhere along the way, Shinji had lost his job. Long ago, he had handed over his responsibilities to someone else and faded quietly into the background.
Now, he was just an unemployed man scraping by as an online content creator, editing and uploading videos day after day.
His view count wasn't terrible—but it wasn't great either. The income barely covered his daily expenses. Whatever little was left, he saved carefully, just in case the future got worse.
He opened the creator dashboard of a familiar pink-themed platform and let out a long sigh as he looked at the depressing analytics.
"So few viewers again…" he muttered. "At this rate, I'll really have to get a side job."
He leaned back and scoffed.
"I swore I'd never work part-time in my life."
Reality, however, didn't care about vows. If his numbers dropped any further, he'd be skipping meals next month.
There were simply too many creators now. Editing styles were sharper, thumbnails flashier, content more extreme. Compared to them, Shinji's videos were painfully ordinary—and slowly being buried by the algorithm.
At least… he had finally finished uploading his latest video.
Ding! The All-World Combat System is activating…
The sudden voice echoed directly inside his head.
Shinji froze.
"…What?"
All-World Combat System? That was the kind of thing that only existed in novels. Why would something like that—
System activation: 99%… 99.9%… 99.99%…
Shinji swallowed and waited, heart pounding. Roughly two minutes later, a familiar startup chime rang out—like an old operating system booting up.
"Congratulations, Host. You have successfully bonded with the All-World Combat System."
The voice was cold, calm, and unmistakably feminine—eerily similar to the narration voice Shinji often used in his own videos.
"This system can summon fighters from across multiple universes to engage in battle. The Host may livestream these battles or edit them into recorded content.
"Rewards will be distributed based on viewer engagement, popularity, and donations.
"The more shocked, excited, and entertained the audience becomes, the more Combat Points the Host will earn.
"After each event, Combat Points may be exchanged for items in the System Shop."
Shinji's breathing grew rapid.
Multiple worlds. Legendary fighters. Livestreams. Editing.
Everything he loved—rolled into one.
"H-Hey, System," he asked quickly, trying to stay calm. "There's… uh… a beginner reward, right?"
Ding! Beginner Gift Pack detected.
Delivering now…
Delivery complete. Open gift pack?
A red gift box appeared out of thin air on his desk, neatly wrapped with a ribbon. It looked almost unreal.
Shinji stared at it, throat dry.
"…Open."
The ribbon untied itself. Shinji lifted the lid slowly—and his eyes widened.
"This is… my deck?"
No—something was off.
At first glance, it looked identical to his old transformation deck. But this one was jet-black, radiating an oppressive presence.
It wasn't his.
It was Ryuga's.
In raw combat ability, Ryuga had always been stronger. If Shinji hadn't grown rapidly through constant battles—and relied on terrain and positioning—the outcome of their final fight could have gone either way.
Without hesitation, Shinji grabbed the deck.
"Transform."
Dark armor enveloped him in an instant.
His reflection appeared on the screen—black armor, sharp lines, powerful and intimidating. Unlike his previous form, this one was cleaner, colder… and undeniably more imposing.
"…Yeah," Shinji muttered. "I look way better like this."
Another World — The Age of Pirates
Ace had ignored every warning.
Chasing Blackbeard alone had cost him everything.
Now captured by the Marines, he awaited execution.
The entire world was watching.
In Marine headquarters, the highest-ranking officers were deep in discussion when a cold female voice suddenly echoed through the chamber.
Ding! This world has been selected to participate in the All-World Combat Tournament.
The room went silent.
"Who said that?" Akainu snapped, rising to his feet and scanning the room.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku narrowed his eyes. "You heard it too?"
"Creepy," Kizaru drawled lazily. "A voice with no source."
Garp suddenly frowned and pointed out the window.
Everyone turned.
A massive rectangular screen hovered in the sky.
On it was a man in black armor, sitting at a computer.
"Ah—damn it," the man muttered on screen. "Why did the camera turn on?"
The image abruptly cut to black.
Floating text appeared:
UPLOADER — OFFLINE
Ninja World
Naruto stared up at the massive screen in the sky.
"Was that guy the cause of this?" he muttered.
No matter how fast the ninjas chased it, the screen always stayed just out of reach—yet perfectly visible.
Kakashi lowered his book, frowning. "Even the greatest shinobi couldn't pull something like this…"
Ding! This world has been selected to participate in the All-World Combat Tournament.
"One-on-one battles," the voice continued. "Victory grants the winner a single wish."
A Distant Realm
Goku paused mid-training, eyes lighting up.
"Combat rankings?" he grinned. "Now that sounds interesting."
Eating, training, fighting—those were his three favorite things.
Even if his world hadn't been chosen yet…
He'd be watching every single battle.