John Wayne always thought he'd die old, maybe after a long, boring career as an engineer, with a mortgage and a couple of kids who ignored him on weekends.
Not on the I-10.Not in traffic.Not wearing his cap and gown.
One minute he was on the phone with his mom, reassuring her he wouldn't be late. The next—an explosion of metal and light. A semi had run a red. The last thing John saw was the front grille of a truck hurtling toward him like a final punctuation mark.
Then...
Nothing.
No pain. No sound.
Just... void.
"You are surprisingly calm."
The voice came from nowhere, yet everywhere.
John opened his eyes — or what he thought were his eyes. There was no body here. No shape. Just consciousness floating in a starless sky.
"Am I dead?" he asked, voice echoing like ripples in still water.
"Technically, yes. But also... no."
"Thanks for clearing that up," John said flatly. "Let me guess. God?"
"One of them. You could say I'm in charge of soul traffic. And, well..." The voice hesitated, sounding oddly sheepish. "There was a clerical error. You weren't supposed to die."
John blinked. Or thought he did. "You're telling me I got isekai'd... by accident?"
"...Yes. Congratulations, you're a cosmic mistake."
There was a long pause. Then John sighed. "At least let me pick where I end up."
"Of course. And because this was our error, you'll get a compensation package."
A glowing, celestial roulette wheel formed in the void, shimmering with countless names: fantasy worlds, sci-fi settings, anime universes, and more.
"Spin it."
John reached out — again, more instinct than movement — and touched the wheel. It spun violently, faster than sound, until—
CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.It slowed...
FAST & FURIOUS UNIVERSE
John stared. "...Are you serious?"
"Vin Diesel's world. Family. Explosions. Cars defying physics. You're welcome."
Before John could protest, a second roulette popped into existence, this one marked 1 through 10.
"This will determine how many 'wishes' you get. Spin again."
He spun. Heart pounding. The wheel clacked slowly before landing on...
5.
"Five?" John whispered. "Alright. I can work with that."
"Then, choose wisely."
Wish 1:
"I want the Great Sage skill. From Rimuru Tempest."
"Ah. Instant analysis, prediction, and support. Smart. Granted."
John felt something settle inside his mind, like a quiet second brain booting up in the background — calm, fast, efficient.
Wish 2:
"I want Degenerate, the skill Shizue had. So I can evolve other skills and combine or separate them."
"Interesting. Synthesis and separation. Also granted."
Another weight joined the first — silent, unseen, but potent.
Wish 3:
"I want the Demon Lord Seed — inactive, but waiting."
"Risky. You'll need to awaken it naturally in that world... but done."
A pulse thudded in the core of his being — dark, coiled, full of potential.
Wish 4:
"I want the ability to grant names to beings or companions I choose."
"As in... creating your own family, your own evolution path. Clever. Approved."
A warmth touched his spirit — a kind of responsibility, a crown not yet worn.
Wish 5:
"For my final wish... I want Observation Haki. Like in One Piece."
"Now that's just cheating," the voice muttered. "But you spun five. Granted."
Something in John's perception expanded — like his soul had grown eyes.
"All set?"
"Not quite." John smirked. "I want to change my appearance."
"Naturally. What are you thinking?"
John thought carefully. "Keep my body lean, athletic. Taller — 6'2. Golden brown skin. Sharp jawline. Charcoal black hair. Intense silver-gray eyes. I want to look like someone who doesn't flinch."
"Done. Anything else?"
John hesitated. Then said quietly: "Let me keep my heart. I want to care. I want to protect people. Even in a world like that."
"You've got it."
The void began to crackle with energy.
"Your soul will be inserted shortly after the timeline begins. Dom and the crew are still building their reputation. You'll arrive with no identity — you'll have to make one."
"I will."
"Then burn bright, John Wayne. Because in that world..."
"It's all about family."
And just like that—
He fell.
End of Chapter 1