With the countdown to the next mission hovering above him, Alex spends his last day relaxing for a few hours before taking out Menchi, Tereza, Jewel, and Benezia—who, for a change, decided to join them in the real world—for some shopping and ice cream.
As Alex sits with a humorously large Spaghetti Eis in front of him—a German favorite made of vanilla ice cream pressed into thin noodles, covered with strawberry sauce and grated white chocolate—he can't help but stare at Benezia, who is carefully eating her own ice-cream, a huge sundae with many different fruits on top.
As expected, the system had altered her appearance. Her blue scalp crest now gone, replaced by long, dark black hair. Her skin tone was also changed to something more human-like, though it leans toward an unusual grey shade that didn't really resemble any common human complexion.
"You've been staring at me this entire time," Benezia finally says, her tone flat but showing a hint of annoyance. "This is rather uncomfortable."
Shit... she caught me! I thought I was sneaky enough. I need an excuse!
To Alex's relief, Menchi quickly speaks up, "I'm sorry, Benezia, you just look so different. It's incredible! Take it as a compliment, please. I like your style!"
Tereza, too, looks surprised before glancing away, slightly flustered. "I... I also like it!"
Alex then looks back at Benezia, who is staring straight at him.
Why am I the one being singled out?! They even confessed.
Princess Jewel is staring with more eyes than Soulmate, Menchi and Tereza combined.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Finally, Alex enters the Realm again, visiting a Realm-run store to repair his equipment—an expense of 14,500 FC thanks to the steadily increasing quality of his items. He checks his Status one last time.
Nothing much changed... just the [Omnigel-modified] Menchi gave me, the three [Contract (unused)] Benezia forced on me, and, finally, the [Death Duel Voucher]. This thing is scary....
Alex Kerber: Lvl 7
HP: 424/424, MP: 414/414 AURA: 304/304, BP: 123/123
STR: 21 (+18), AGI: 21 (+4), PHY: 21 (+9), SNS: 21 (+2), CHA: 21 (+7), MNA: 21 (+10), INT: 21, SPR: 21 (+7), LUK: 21 (+8), NEN: 21 (+2)
Available Stat Points: 1
Followers: Menchi (Purple) lvl 13 (0%), Benezia (Deep Purple) lvl 19 (0%)
Pets: Jewel (Gold) lvl 7
Innate Skills: Nen Prodigy lvl 5 (Genius Conjurer lvl 5, Basic Nen lvl 5, Advanced Nen lvl 5), Statistical OCD lvl MAX
Arcane Medieval Armory: Annihilation Grenade lvl 5, Sealion's Icewing Embrace lvl 5, Mustrano's Malice Mauler lvl 5 (Claw Proficiency/Poison Resistance) / Toxic Breakthrough lvl 5, Magorian's Rage Arrow lvl 5, Thorian's Domination lvl 5
Free Skill Slots: 0/4, Free Basic Skill Slots: 0/8
Basic Skills: Basic Close Combat Prowess lvl 5, Basic Footwork lvl 5, Basic Endurance lvl 5, Basic Long-Range Combat Prowess lvl 5, Basic Eloquence lvl 5, Basic Concentration lvl 5, Basic Meditation lvl 5, Basic Mana Control lvl 5
Passive Skills: Alexandrian Royal Swordsmanship lvl 5, Imbuement Archery lvl 5
Active Skills: Black Magic (Fire-Blizzard-Thunder-Series) lvl 5, Sword Magic lvl 5, Kunrith's Biotics lvl 5 (Warp, Stasis, Barrier, Throw, Pull), Arts (Tear, Teara, Aqua Bleed, Frost Edge, Hydro Cannon, Crystal Flood)
Fantasy Coins: 40,000 Soul Crystals: Small x20Medium x7 Fantasy Shards: 0
Current Weapons: Magoroth's Legacy R2 (Gold), Enchanted Runeblade (Deep Purple), Executioner's Blade R2 (Light Gold)
Current Equipment: Armor of Pluto (Purple), Visor of Pluto (Purple), Cuisses of Pluto (Purple), Gauntlets of Pluto (Purple), Sabatons of Pluto (Purple), Nimbus Cloak (Light Purple), Sacred Emerald Copper Earring (Purple), Noble Shirt+4 R2 (Light Purple), Drakul's Vitality R2 (Deep Gold), Skitterguard Bracers (Light Purple), Cataclysmic Frost-Fire Ring (Deep Gold), Uzin's Rage (Light Black), Savant M (Gold), Geth Waistguard (Deep Purple), Destiny Watch (Orbment) R2 (Light Gold), Shepard's Promise R2 (Light Gold)
Recovery Items: Superior Dish (Dragon Skewer) x19 (Deep Green), Infused Exceptional Dish (Dragon Skewer) x9 (Blue), Wiggenweld Potion V2 x7 (Deep Green), Superior Dish: (Energizing Shake) x3(Green), Omnigel-modified (White) x20, Contract (Unused) x3
Miscellaneous Items: Jack's Spare Silvery Mask (Light Green), Hunter License (Deep Green), Butchering Knife (Deep Blue), Quintessence of Blood (Purple), Blood Essence x11 (Green), Brawler-Pistol (Light-Purple), Colossus Armor S (Deep Purple), Logic Arrest Tool (Deep Blue), Mobile Skill Station (Purple)
Marked for Trading/Selling/Gifting: —
Special Items: Destiny Supporter Token (Purple), VIP Invitation (Deep Purple), Tsunade's Scroll (Purple), Glimmerwhisk's broken Runic Choker (locked) (Light Green), True Dream Ticket (Light Gold), Superior Supporter Armor-Rank Upgrade (Deep Blue), Superior Supporter Weapon-Rank Upgrade (Deep Blue), Spectre License (Purple), Death Duel Voucher (Deep Gold)
Despite not being in his inventory anymore, he recalls the details of the world item that will probably heavily influence his new mission:
[Baroque Works Invitation]
Quality: Purple
Type: World Item / Quest Item
Effect: Allows the player to automatically select a fresh One Piece world at an early timeline before the Straw Hats encounter the organization. The player's next mission will be locked into this world and cannot be changed.
The player will have the opportunity to join Baroque Works during the Arabasta Saga.
Requirements: Level 5-10
Note: Any Officer Agent is tasked with scouting worthy personnel and has the authority to invite new members into the organization. This item grants the player the position of a Frontier Agent, with the chance to work for Mr. 0 himself.
Note: After clearing the tutorial and unlocking the full functions of the Fantasy Realm, the player can use this item to initiate a mission spanning the entire Arabasta Saga. Other random players of similar level will also be selected to join.
This item cannot be traded or sold. It will disappear from your inventory at level 11.
I hope this doesn't come to haunt me later... well it's too late to worry about it.
Finally, he takes one last look at Jewel, whose stats have skyrocketed, thanks to her new Superiority skill! Her newfound strength is making Alex feel extremely grateful and thankful, but also somehow pissing him off, because of how lucky she was that they discovered this unpopular skill, which most pets can't even learn. She is easily fulfilling the stat requirements and has all her stats raised by an incredible 6.
This skill is incredibly powerful. At least early on. It gets weaker and weaker as time passes because it takes multiple missions to increase the skill by just a single level, only increasing her stats by one more. Anyway, for now, this skill is perfect!
Jewel: Lvl 7
Relationship: Worshipped (Maximum - Can't be lowered or increased)
Rarity: Gold
HP: 380/380, MP: 330/330, AURA 347/347
STR: 19 (+9), AGI: 19 (+9), PHY: 19 (+9), SNS: 19 (+9), CHA: 19 (+9), MNA: 19 (+9), INT: 19 (+9), SPR: 19 (+9), LUK: 19 (+9), NEN: 19 (+9)
Innate Skills: Thornback Conquering Trailblaizer lvl MAX, Nen Prodigy lvl 5 (Limitless Legacy lvl 5, Basic Nen lvl 5, Advanced Nen lvl 5)
Thornback Legacy: Thornback Poison lvl 5, Thornback Poison Spit lvl 5, Thornback Web shoot lvl 5, Thornback Burrow lvl 5, Thornback Bite lvl 5
Free Skill Slots: 1/4
Skills: Arachmagic Eight-Spear Style lvl 5, Superiority lvl 5, Hidden Power (Dark) lvl 5
Special Skill: Telepathic Bond lvl MAX
All stats are at 28... unbelievable!
Unable to believe what he is saying, he grabs Jewel from his head and stares at her suspiciously.
❤️
Menchi laughs, "can't believe it, huh? This little Princess grows more powerful every mission."
Tereza chimes in, "and her arrogance grows proportional to her stats. By now I've grown fond of it, so it doesn't bother me anymore."
Finally, the mission starts.
Everything around Alex, Tereza, Benezia, Menchi, and Jewel goes black.
By now, Alex is used to the feeling and does not panic, but pays close attention to the Mission information that may determine his continued survival.
[Player is now entering Level 7 Mission…]
[Players gathering... Total number of players: 30]
[World selection: One Piece]
[Starting Location: Random location on the first half of Paradise, spanning between Twin Cape and Long Ring Long Land]
[...]
[Because Player has used Baroque Works Invitation, the starting location has been changed.]
[New Starting Location: Whiskey Peak, Cactus Island.]
[Timeline: ???, ???, shortly before the start of the Arabasta Saga.]
That's rather... unspecific. How amateurish...!
[World Scope: Due to the immense size and dangerousness of the Pirate World, players are restricted to Paradise and the East Blue.]
[Setting: Pirate World
Geography:
A single, narrow sea that circumnavigates the globe perpendicular to the Red Line, effectively dividing the world's oceans into four quadrants.
It is divided into two sections by the Red Line continent: the first half is unofficially called "Paradise," and the second half is called the "New World."
Environmental Conditions:
The Grand Line's magnetic fields are chaotic, rendering standard compasses useless.
Navigation is only possible using a Log Pose, a device that records the unique magnetic signature of one island and locks onto the next.
The sea currents, weather, and wind patterns are extremely unpredictable and volatile, changing without warning. Islands on the Grandline are classified according to their climate, which remains relatively constant, with only slight variations.
Borders:
The Grand Line is bordered on the north and south by the Calm Belts.
The Calm Belts are stretches of ocean with no wind or currents, populated by large numbers of Sea Kings, making them extremely dangerous to cross.]
[Certain technology, like items and advanced weaponry involving futuristic technology, will be heavily restricted or outright forbidden.]
[...checking player for any restricted item.]
[Player Alex Kerber does possess multiple restricted items. Colossus Armor S, Brawler-Pistol, and Logic Arrest Tool are outright banned and can't be used, sold, or taken out of the inventory. They can, however, still be traded or appear inside a Bloody Chest, should the player die.]
Hey Via... can I interrupt you for a moment? How about 1,000 FC if you let me use my three new items from Mass Effect?
[Player Alex Kerber's bribing attempt has spectacularly failed. Via would consider his request for 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 FC]
What the... what even is that number?! I can't even count that high.
[Resuming the Explanation...]
[PvP & PvE Setting: Open
This is a partially lawful world; openly engaging in battles with characters in most public towns or committing crimes against civilians or members of various factions will result in major negative consequences, in the form of local governments, factions, groups, pirate crews, or Marines taking action.
Warning: Conflict with the Marines and the World Government will lead to them issuing a bounty, making you a target for most Pirates, significantly increasing the risk of travel.]
[PvP Rewards: When killing other players, players will obtain random amounts of their defeated enemies' possessions, ranging from 1% to 20% of the total value of their belongings, in the form of Bloody chests, allowing Players to obtain up to three random items. These chests can be opened at any time.]
[Main Mission Objectives Stage 1:
Join a faction within 3 days of arriving in Paradise. Almost all Islands where players start will offer multiple opportunities to join various factions.
Factions include: Marines, Baroque works, Pirate crews, Island Kingdoms and governments, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???.
Failing to join a faction will lead to an early expulsion from the mission and a mission rating that can't go past E-.]
Rating Tiers (Level 7):
F (Death): Not available in this missionE (Penalty): Lose 1 to 3 random stat points.D (Neutral): No stat points, 600–1000 FC.C (Average): 1 stat point, 2000–4000 FC.B (Good): 2–3 stat points, 5000–10000 FC.A (Excellent): 4–5 stat points, 15000–25,000 FC.S (Exceptional – Very Rare): 6–8 stat points, 30,000–50,000 FC.
Failure Condition: Death
WARNING: Mentioning the existence of the Fantasy Realm to any character results in immediate soul destruction!
[Supporter Menchi is designated as a non-combat follower. Will be summoned automatically once the Player reaches a settlement. Can be called to a new settlement once every day.]
[Supporter Benezia is designated as a combat follower and will be summoned automatically.]
[Pet Jewel will be summoned automatically.]
As soon as the endless text before his eyes disappears, Alex opens his eyes only to find himself in a tiny room with a single bed and a single window. The curtains are a little ripped, letting in only a flicker of sunlight. The place is dusty, cramped, and barely large enough for one person.
A fresh breeze drifts in through the open frame.
He immediately notices Benezia, Menchi, and of course, Jewel—resting right on top of his head, exactly as she was before they entered.
He quickly checks his outfit and sees that while his usual armor pieces and equipment remain, his clothes now look much simpler, clearly adapted for the warm climate of the Grand Line. A classy, but simple black cotton shirt, and a pair of loose pants that allow as much wind to pass through as possible.
If I ever end up on a winter island, I'm screwed….
"This room is tiny," Alex complains.
"Indeed," Benezia, back to her original Asari appearance, says, her eyes sweeping across the space. "I'm shocked. Is this how non-civilized races live? You humans are sturdier than I imagined."
"Hehe, I wonder what kind of backstory the system cooked up for us this time," Menchi says with a grin.
Alex moves to the single window and pulls aside the damaged curtains. There's no glass. His gaze immediately catches the wide ocean in the distance, and he sees streams of water flowing through the town, splitting into a small river or channel leading to a part of the little town that consists of a few hundred buildings. Far beyond the city, impossibly massive cactus-shaped mountains tower into the sky.
"Whiskey Peak," Alex mutters, almost impressed. "I actually like this island! But… isn't it just me, or did we get royally screwed? Not only did we not get a random location, but we got dumped into the one island completely run by Baroque Works? I mean, the mission item mentioned Frontier Agent, so that means we don't even have a real choice? I am not sure I like aligning with Baroque works. Where's Tereza?! Without her, we're screwed, and our plans are on hold."
[Mission starting now]
[Remaining Duration for Phase 1: 2 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 51 seconds]
You have received Baroque Works provisional Membership
[You have chosen Baroque Works as your faction.]
[You have completed the first phase of the main mission.]
[Main Quest Phase 1 Completed
Mission: Join a faction within 3 days of arriving in Paradise.
Reward: Increased Mission Rating, Limited access to your faction's resources.]
[Main Quest Phase 2 Accepted
Mission: Complete missions for your chosen faction. Disobeying orders or failing missions can lead to expulsion and mission failure. Targeting members of your own faction can lead to immediate expulsion, if discovered.
Reward: ???, ???, ???, Increased Mission Rating
Time Limit: 32 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 37 seconds
Failure: Player is evicted from his faction
Penalties: Forced expulsions from the Mission, Reduced Mission Rating.]
"The fuck just happened?" Alex yells, completely thrown off.