Don Momotaro's eyes fluttered open, greeted by the blinding glow of a sun hanging high in the sky. His body ached slightly from the impact of whatever strange force had thrown him here, but otherwise, he was unharmed. As his vision adjusted, he took in his surroundings.
He lay in the middle of a vast, green field, the land stretching out far in every direction. The grass was a patchy mix of green and yellow, dotted with occasional rocks and small wildflowers swaying in the breeze. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, and the air smelled oddly... clean. Almost too perfect.
As he got up, his golden eyes flicked around, scanning his new surroundings. A green, patchy field stretched in every direction, the landscape bathed in warm sunlight. Trees dotted the hills, swaying lazily in the breeze. The sky was a vibrant blue, the clouds looking almost too round, too soft.
Something about this place was unnatural—but not in a bad way. If anything, it was too perfect.
Don Momotaro exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "A different world, huh?" He smirked. "Interesting."
With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed his transformation.
A familiar red glow surrounded his armored body as he transformed back into Taro Momoi. His suit vanished, replaced by his casual attire—
Wait.
His ears twitched.
Taro froze.
His tail flicked behind him.
Slowly, he lifted his hands—except they weren't his hands. They were paws.
Taro furrowed his brows and finally looked down at himself.
Instead of his usual human form, he now had orange fur, sharp feline features, and claws instead of fingers. His outfit had changed, too—he now wore a red jacket with a pink peach emblem on the back.
Taro let out a long, slow, hum.
"So that's how it is."
The realization clicked into place. The Hitotsuki that attacked him were obsessed over cartoons. This world—is a cartoon, a cartoon staring animals, not humans.
And if this world was dominated by anthropomorphic animals… then his appearance had changed to fit the natural order.
Taro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So I've become… a cat." He flexed his new fingers—no, claws—before rolling his shoulders. "I suppose there are worse things."
He quickly reached for his Avataro Gears, flipping through them. If he had any chance of returning home, he would need to use the powers of past Sentai teams.
But when he checked the gears…
They were all blank.
Taro's eye narrowed slightly. Only one gear remained untouched—the Don Momotaro Gear.
Despite the situation, he smirked.
This world clearly had rules, just like his own. If he had been sent here, there must be a reason and he can't leave until he completes whatever his purpose here is.
"Hm." His golden eyes flickered with interest. "So, I can't use the others. That makes things more complicated." He tucked the gears away, adjusting his jacket. "Well, no use standing around."
With that, he set off toward the horizon.
Taro eventually found himself in a small, bustling town nestled within the valley. The buildings had curved, exaggerated edges, and the streets were filled with anthropomorphic animals and tiny, round creatures with stubby limbs—the Sweetypies.
He passed by two of them engaged in a rather heated argument.
"Benny, you can't eat all the honey buns!"
"I wasn't gonna eat all of 'em," Benny huffed. "Just… most of 'em."
Taro ignored them and kept walking.
His ears twitched at the sound of rattling dishes, and he caught the scent of something fresh and savory. His gaze landed on a small sushi stall tucked between two buildings.
His stomach growled.
Taro stepped up to the counter, taking a seat. A burly, fish-like chef grinned at him.
"What'll it be, stranger?"
Taro scanned the menu before casually ordering a few rolls. As the chef got to work, Taro leaned back slightly. "What kind of place is this?"
The chef chuckled. "New around here, huh? This is Pure Heart Valley! Pretty peaceful, long as you don't mind the occasional… y'know. Trouble."
Taro hummed in response.
A few minutes later, a wooden tray was placed in front of him. He picked up a piece of sushi, about to take his first bite—
BOOM.
The ground shook.
Taro's ears flicked as the sky lit up with smoke. People screamed, running in all directions.
Taro exhaled sharply, setting his sushi down and getting off his seat. "Of course."
Before he could move, someone slammed into him.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, pal!"
Taro turned to see a short, pink rhinoceros called Pinky, scowling at him.
He remained unfazed. "What's happening?"
Pinky gave him a look. "Are you serious? The Sky Pirates are here! Where have you been, living under a rock?"
Without waiting for an answer, he bolted away.
Taro smirked, this must be what he's here for, to be a hero for another world. He figured once he defeats these "Sky Pirates" he could go back to his home world.
"Sky Pirates, huh?" He cracked his knuckles. "Guess I'll introduce myself."
And with that, he strode toward the danger.
To Be Continued…