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Author's Note:Sorry guys, everyone for not being able to upload chapters these past two weeks. I was away for my little sister's marriage and didn't even have my laptop with me. I had asked a friend to upload in my place, but he totally forgot. Thanks a lot for waiting—I hope I didn't make you wait too much!
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[Note:
" * " : Indicates abilities that can be upgraded with practice, experience, or unique opportunities.]
> System inner voice ["speaking"] <
> Ash inner speech "speaking" <
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NAMI'S TRAIL: (continue....)
Hearing the screech the remaining creatures froze mid-attack.
Nami saw it—the panic, the fear—clearly written in their face and eyes.
The creatures began screeching in fear.
Panicked, they scrambled away from her. Some tried fled on foot, while others, in desperation, tried to take to the skies—even forgetting their wings had been torn and crippled by Nami's earlier assault.
She watched them, confused and incredulous, but still alert. "What's going on…?"
"WHOOSH!"
Then, without warning one of the creatures vanished before her very eyes. Before she could even react, another followed. It was like the wind itself had devoured them.
Only one remained, trembling as it crawled along the ground, trying to escape.
BOOM!
A figure came crashing down on it from above, the impact sent a violent shockwave through the ground. Dust exploded outward, cloaking everything in a swirling haze.
As the dust settled, Nami finally got a clear look at the figure.
It was a large creature—easily twice the size of the ones she had been fighting. Its body looked like a mix of a powerful beast and a bird.
Strong limbs supported its frame, with sharp claws gripping the ground. Its wings, broad and feathered, folded behind it as it stood tall.
The head was birdlike, with piercing eyes and a curved beak-stained red. Feathers ran down its neck and parts of its back, blending into a lean, muscular body covered in a mix of hide and plumage.
It had just torn apart the last of the creatures.
Nami could feel it—this creature was definitely stronger than the bird-like ones she fought earlier. And fast. Very fast.
She tried to quietly slip away, but her foot hit a loose stone.
Clack.
The beast immediately raised its head from its prey and locked eyes with her.
Nami muttered, "Oh shit…"
With a sharp screech, it charged. Nami bolted, using Soru to flee at full speed.
But the beast took flight—and was instantly above her.
Even with Soru at full throttle, it kept pace, its speed frighteningly close to hers. Twin claws slashed down, trying to catch her.
Nami zigzagged through the air, shifting direction mid-step, evading the talons with the help of her Haki. But one managed to clip her back.
The impact sent her tumbling to the ground, pain shooting through her. She hit the floor hard, rolling.
The beast descended immediately to finish her with another screech—but before it could strike, two similar creatures swooped in, trying to claim the kill for themselves. A fight broke out between them, wings and claws colliding mid-air in a violent blur.
Clutching her bleeding shoulder, Nami seized the chance and escaped with another burst of Soru, vanishing from the scene.
The cut was too deep. Blood ran freely; the pain sharp. These beasts' claws were far worse than those of the bird-like creatures before.
She ducked into a safer corner of the maze, letting her Observation Haki guide her away from danger.
Once sure nothing was nearby, she quickly downed an advanced healing potion from her inventory bag, biting back a grunt as her muscles knitted painfully beneath her skin.
Then she popped a healing pill and slid down the wall, catching her breath, body trembling slightly. As her stamina started to return, she muttered under her breath.
"I need a plan. That thing's as fast as me even when I use Soru at full strength. And those claws… its body… Even if I coat my staff with Armament, it won't be enough if I can't hold the coating properly. What do I do...?"
She gripped her staff tighter, frowning.
As if to answer her thoughts, thunder rumbled overhead. A flash of lightning tore through the sky.
The lightning zone was closer now.
Her eyes widened. The idea struck her like a bolt.
"If I can lure it there… I can use the lightning to finish them. There's no way they're tough enough to survive a direct strike. Even the rest of the fleet avoids that area…"
She knew what she had to do.
Avoiding them wasn't an option. The sky was their domain—they could track her from above anytime.
The only way forward was to face them head-on.
Steeling herself, she stood and began to move again, her Haki guiding her through the winding maze. Carefully, she crept forward—until she reached the same clearing, she had fled from earlier.
There, she saw them. One of the beasts was already down.
The remaining two were locked in a brutal clash—and just as she arrived, one of them overpowered the other, slamming it down.
Out of three, only one stood victorious now—looming over the fallen.
As Nami steeled herself to confront the beast, the ground began to rumble which made her eyes go wide recognizing the tremors.
She let out a long, defeated sigh as her Observation Haki confirmed what she already feared.
"Of course," she muttered, turning toward the new/old threat.
Just like last time—they came out of a path. The cow-like beast she had faced before… but now, there were three of them.
"Cooommmee onnn…" she groaned, throwing her arms up in frustration. "You overgrown cows, give me a break! Why can't you just leave me alone?!"
Her irritated shout echoed through the maze.
The eagle-like beast also turned at her voice and noticing her, and with huge screech and wings snapping wide. It launched itself at her, talons poised.
At the same time, the three monstrous cow-beasts also charged at her from the opposite direction, pounding the ground beneath their hooves with clubs held high.
Neither side could see the other—only Nami, standing in between, caught their attention.
As they closed in from both ends, Nami reacted instantly. She kicked off with Geppo, launching herself upward, then used Soru mid-air to vanish out of reach.
The two forces collided beneath her.
CRASH!
The eagle beast was slammed hard and got splattered on the maze wall like a tomato by the combined force of the three charging cow monsters.
Nami reappeared at a safer distance, landing lightly and turning to watch.
"Ouch…Well… at least that takes care of one problem," she muttered, exhaling. "Now… about the new one."
Then she heard it. A chorus of screeches filled the air.
She looked up—and saw them.
The commotion had caught the attention of the rest. A dozen or so eagle beasts now circled overhead, wings spread wide, eyes locked on to their position.
Nami twirled her staff, readying herself. Most of the eagle-like beasts veered toward the cow monsters, but a couple turned toward her. To make matters worse, one of the three cow beasts also broke off and charged her.
"Why me?!" she screamed out loud. "You idiots have bigger targets—why are you guys still coming after me?!"
The first eagle beast dove in, followed by the second. She narrowly avoided their claws, using swift sidesteps and bursts of Soru.
Just as she landed, the ground trembled again—the cow beast's club-like limb slammed down where she had been moments before. She leapt back in time, barely avoiding it.
One of the eagle beasts turned in fury, attacking the cow monster that had interrupted its prey. The cow beast swatted back in rage, and the two began fighting viciously—leaving Nami with the remaining eagle beast still locked onto her.
Nami didn't waste the opportunity. She tried to extend her Haki to her staff again—it still flickered, unstable—but she forced herself to maintain it, even if only for moments at a time.
As the eagle beast lunged, she met it head-on.
She blocked its talons with her staff. The sheer force of the impact pushed her back, her feet skidding across the stone floor.
Deciding to use the same trick same as before. She willed her staff to separate into twin batons, causing the beast's grip to slip. In that same breath, she spun and smashed the side of its face.
Sparks flew as her haki coated staff met beak—the impact jarring through her arms, revealing how hard its head and beak truly was.
Not giving chance to the beast, she kept attacking it head in rapid succession.
She leapt onto the beast's back, striking its wings near the shoulders repeatedly, trying to break them. The wings were absurdly strong.
So, she switched tactics, using her hands and legs in close-quarters strikes, knowing her Armament coating wasn't stable enough to reinforce her staff for a clean break.
The beast thrashed violently, trying to throw her off balance.
Then it took to the skies, wings flapping in rage. It began spinning in midair, trying to hurl her loose.
Nami tightened her grip, grabbing a thick section of its mane-like feathers.
Then an idea struck.
She willed her twin batons to stay split—this time connecting them with a chain. In one swift motion, she wrapped the chained batons around the beast's wings, binding them mid-flap and disrupting its balance.
The beast let out a wild screech as it lost control.
Together, they began plummeting.
In the air, Nami used Geppo and a rapid Soru combo to steer their descent—directing their fall right toward another eagle beast that was already mid-fight with one of the monstrous cow creatures.
At the last second, Nami leapt off the crashing beast's back, willed her chained batons to re-form into her staff midair, and vanished with Soru to a safe distance.
The falling eagle beast smashed straight into the other, its hardened beak driving deep into its kin's side. The impact hurled both of them into the ground with a bone-crunching CRACK, the force snapping its necks in the process on impact.
Both lay still—taken out in a single brutal collision.
The moment the eagle beast was out of the way, the cow beast turned its attention to Nami. Its red eyes glowed with pure rage—clearly agitated from the earlier scuffle.
It charged—faster than before. Nami dodged the first strike immediately, but the beast twisted mid-charge, swinging its massive club in a wild arc.
Her Haki flared in warning, immediately she extended her Armament into her staff. She braced just in time—raising her staff to block as the blow crashed down. Sparks flew from the impact.
Immediately, she willed her staff to split—three batons, linked by reinforced chains. Her Haki surged along the links, reinforcing them. Her hands moved in a blur.
With one baton, she wrapped and locked one of the beast's arms. With the second, she bound the other.
Then, in a wide arc, she vanished behind the creature using Soru—the third baton in her grip.
She yanked hard, the chains tightened like a snare. The beast's arms jerked inward, unable to resist the pull.
Its own massive club was dragged sideways—straight into its face.
CRACK!
The club smashed into its head. Nami didn't stop—she kept pulling. Again, and again. Each yank slammed the weapon back into its bloodied snout.
THUD! BANG!
Teeth scattered. Blood sprayed. The beast groaned, eyes rolling back, completely under her control.
She gritted her teeth and gave one last savage pull.
WHAM!
The beast's legs buckled, and it dropped like a stone—its head a mangled pulp, unconscious.
Panting, Nami flicked her wrist willing the chains retract, and the three batons followed snapped cleanly back into staff form with a click.
Nami now shifted her focus to the remaining two cow beasts, still locked in a brutal clash with remaining surviving eagle beasts. Now only a handful of them were left now.
Nami released her Conqueror's Haki in a full blast. The air crackled as the force of her will surged out like an invisible wave. It wasn't strong enough to knock the beasts out—but it made them stop. Their attention snapped to her.
It was as if she were say she is not prey but also a predator like them.
The two cow beasts and the last four eagle beasts abandoned their skirmishes. Growling and screeching, they all locked onto her.
They charged at her—two on the ground, their hooves pounding thunderously, and four from the sky, diving with shrill cries.
Nami turned on her heel and bolted, using Soru at full strength, faster than she usually ever pushed it. She raced toward the lightning zone.
But the eagle beasts were faster. They caught up first, claws raking down. Nami ducked and twisted, even sprinting along maze walls to avoid their slashes. One claw tore her shoulder.
Another scraped her thigh. Once, she had to block a near-fatal blow with her staff mid-run—its claw nearly gouging her eyes.
Pain shot through her as one dug deep. Blood ran freely—but she never slowed down.
Behind her, the earth trembled. The cow beasts were gaining fast. A club slammed down behind her, missing by a second. Another swipe she barely ducked, wind and grit blasting her face.
One club struck her in the side while she ran along the wall, catching her off guard as she blocked an eagle's talon.
She gasped—but pushed forward.
She could have avoided more of it. But her focus wasn't on the beasts.
She watched the flashes of lightning above the sky, noting their patterns. She felt the static building and wind shifting. And it came to her naturally.
As she reached the lightning zone the air changed thicker.
Behind her, she heard screeches falter. The beasts slowed. Even in their fury, they hesitated like they want to flee. Lightning cracked above, bright and close, illuminating their silhouettes in white.
Nami skidded to a halt. Blood trailed from her arms. Her eyes burned with sharp focus as she turned to face them.
Gritting her teeth, she growled, "Oh, you're not leaving so easily."
Nami unleashed her Conqueror's Haki in a focused burst to gain their attention. The beasts roared and screeched in response, momentarily forgetting their instinct to flee.
Before they could act, she vanished.
Using Soru at full force—much faster than her usual speed—she blitzed forward, charging directly at them. While moving, she willed her staff to shift, splitting into three batons linked by long, retractable chains.
She reached the cow beasts first.
With a deft leap and twist, she spun around them—snapping the chains low. The links wrapped tightly around their legs and arms, binding them mid-charge.
They thrashed and tried to attack, but Nami dodged every wild swing and stomp, finally locking their limbs down and rendering them unable to move.
Just as she secured the second cow beast, she spotted the eagle beasts flaring their wings, preparing to escape the lightning zone.
Immediately, launching into the air with Geppo, she soared after them. Using a fluid combination of Geppo and Soru, she shot through the air like a blur, catching three of the eagle beasts mid-flight.
The chains coiled around their wings and claws, snapping tight. They screeched and thrashed, helpless in midair.
The last one darted away, fleeing in a panic.
Nami launched forward again, using Geppo and Soru combo. After an intense aerial clash, she jammed one baton into the eagle beast's beak and yanked—wresting control trying to steering the beast forcing it back toward the storm's heart.
Below her, the two cow beasts were being dragged helplessly across the ground, roaring in fury. The chained eagle beasts dangled midair, unable to break free.
As Nami neared the center of the lightning zone, a tingling sensation crawled up her spine. Her hair lifted as the static filled thick in the air.
Nami snapped, "How about a taste of lightning, you brainless beasts?!"
Saying that she kicked off the eagle beast and flipping backward into freefall—just as a blinding bolt tore from the heavens, slamming into the very creature she'd leapt from.
The chain binding all the beasts lit up in a brilliant white.
The current surged through every link—down through the three chained eagle beasts in the sky and across the extended chains to the cow beasts below.
Nami heard soul-wrenching, rope-tearing screams as the lightning carved through them.
She hit the ground hard, rolling once, knees digging into the dirt.
The air around her was still charged. Lightning still flickered in the sky. And the beasts finally became silent.
The cow beasts collapsed on the ground, barely twitching. The eagle beasts dropped from the air one by one, their scorched wings trailing smoke. Nami could smell the burning flesh.
She sprinted toward the downed cow beasts, grabbing the baton. With a mental command, she willed the chains to retract unlinking themselves from the beast, drawing them back into staff form.
She could feel lingering sparks buzzing across the surface. Her weapon was still holding the electricity inside—storing the lightning's fury.
A small, tired smirk formed on her lips. "That'll be useful for whatever's next." She also noticed the staff was cracked slightly; the surface scorched. But it was already repairing itself.
She then activated Observation Haki. Sensing no immediate threats, she dashed forward using Soru, weaving through the lightning-filled maze.
Strikes of lightning fell around her, but she maneuvered between them with help of her observation.
Finally—she passed the edge of the storm zone, emerging from the lightning's reach.
As Nami navigated through the maze, with her Observation Haki guided her path. She didn't encounter any beasts or traps, but she began to feel a pull—it was subtle at first, then steadily growing stronger with each minute.
Eventually, she came to a stop, skidding to a halt before a large golden door. The pull was at its peak here, clearly coming from the other side.
The door bore the same carvings she had seen at the maze's entrance. On the left, a pair of wings were etched in fine detail. On the right, a slender staff coiled with twin serpents, tiny wings near its top.
She stepped forward, sensing whatever awaited her, it lay beyond this door.
Suddenly, the air shifted. Wind began to swirl, and grains of sand rose with it, spiraling in front of the doorway. Nami halted at once and dropped into a stance, her staff raised and ready.
The sand thickened, gathering shape until a figure began to form.
It had the body of a lion—broad, and grounded in strength. Massive wings rested at its sides, folded. Its face, however, was human. Its eyes met hers without hostility, but with quiet scrutiny.
Nami didn't recognize the creature, but something about it felt different and strong.
She understood the trial wasn't finished yet and she was ready for whatever came next.
The beastlike figure rumbled as Nami set her stance, staff in hand.
"Be at ease, challenger. This is no trial of fists, but of wit. Answer my riddle, and you may pass. Fail—and the path remains closed."
Nami narrowed her eyes, then eased her grip. "So… I just need to answer one riddle? That's it?"
A single nod was all she got. She exhaled through her nose. "Alright. Let's hear it."
The creature intoned:
"I am not a thing, yet I can be wasted.I cannot be seen, but I can be measured.I move without legs, fly without wings, and run without a heart.You can spend me, but never store me.What am I?"
Nami paced, murmuring fragments under her breath. After a moment, she sank cross-legged, staff across her lap, and glanced up with bright, guileless eyes.
"That's… actually clever," she said softly. "Elegant wording. Honestly, one of the hardest riddles I've ever heard."
The beast's chest swelled. "As it should be. For so I crafted it myself."
Nami's hand rose to her mouth in a little gasp. "You? I knew it. It has weight. Artistry. Only a sharp mind could weave something like this."
The beast straightened, pride gleaming. "Few have praised it so."
Her smirk crept in. "Though… for something so 'refined,' it's a little muddled. 'Move without legs, run without a heart'? Sounds like wind. Or shadow. Or maybe sound."
The beast's eyes narrowed. "It is not wind, nor shadow, nor sound. Every word of my riddle is precise."
She shrugged, casual. "Precise? Please. That's exactly the kind of slurry half-drunk sailors ramble after cheap rum. You sure you didn't scrape this off a ruin wall?"
A growl rolled out of its chest. "Silence, mortal. Do not liken my craft to babble. Only fools mistake it for wind or shadow or sound. Only time—!"
It stopped dead silent.
Nami's eyes lit. "—Only time, huh?"
A beat of stunned silence.
She rose, dusting off her legs. "Appreciate the hint. My answer is time."
The beast recoiled, bristling. "No! That does not count. You did not solve it—you goaded me. The trial demands your answer, not mine. I will pose another."
Nami clicked her tongue and wagged a finger. "Uh-uh. Your terms were clear: 'Answer my riddle, and you may pass.' That is your actual words. I even asked you if it is only one to which you agreed. And you never said how I had to find it. Beside according to you this is a trial of wit and wisdom, remember?"
She leaned in, with a sharp grin. "And if your pride hands me the solution, that's not my problem. That's your own mistake letting your pride take over and leaking the answer."
The beast held her gaze, anger cooling into reluctant respect.
A long breath. Then, lower: "…In all my years, no one has made me answer my own riddle." Its head dipped. "Your wit.....wisdom… your cunning… You are worthy, trickster."
It stepped aside with a solemn bow. "The path is yours. Go forth, challenger."
Nami slung her staff across her shoulders and flashed a cheeky two-finger salute. "Pride makes people careless."
The golden door groaned open, light spilling through as she strolled into the passageway. As the door closed behind her, Nami found herself in a vast, white chamber.
The floor gleamed like polished marble, and towering pillars stretched so high into the ceiling they seemed to vanish into mist. The space was eerily silent, untouched by time or dust.
At the very center stood a single pedestal. Something rested on top of it, though she couldn't yet make it out.
Nami approached it cautiously, her Observation Haki still active—but it picked up no threats, or any kind of movement or presence other than the thing on the pedestal.
Also, the strange pull she had felt earlier grew stronger now, drawing her straight toward the pedestal laid ahead.
As she came closer, the object atop the pedestal finally came into view.
It was a fruit more precisely a devil fruit.
It was round and golden, looking like an apple shape, with raised swirl patterns curling across its surface like stylized wings all around.
The texture was uneven, the ridges of the swirls forming elegant bumps. From the top rose a slender, twisting stem that coiled like a tiny serpent, ending in two sharp, green leaves shaped like narrow blades.
Nami slowly reached out, her fingers trembling slightly as the strange pull from the fruit intensified. As she took hold of the Devil Fruit, the room around her began to tremble violently.
Cracks spread through the floor, walls, and towering pillars—like the very air itself was fracturing. The entire chamber began to shatter like fragile glass, splinters spidering outward with a thunderous crack.
From within the fractures, blinding light poured out from the cracks overwhelming her.
The brightness intensified, forcing Nami to shield her eyes as the light consumed every inch of the chamber even swallowing her in it.
And then, in a single instant, her figure was gone—swallowed by the blinding glow.
Silence fell as the chamber stood still once more.
To be continued...
Hey everyone! I'm always looking for ways to make this story even better, and I'd love to hear your ideas. What powers do you think should be available in Ash's store? Maybe you have some cool concepts for abilities, weapons, or items that could make the adventure even more exciting!
Feel free to drop your suggestions in the comments, and if there's anything specific, you'd love to see in future chapters, let me know! I might even integrate your ideas into the story.
Also, don't forget to give some Power Stones if you're enjoying the journey! Your support means the world. 😊