The second method to earn progress points was through battle, specifically, fighting the strong.
But the pirate with a bounty of 300 million berries hadn't even been a challenge. Ayr crushed him outright and the fight ended too quickly, the system barely rewarded him.
Still, 20 points wasn't bad.
Especially since the progress on his Sage Body had already reached 970. Just 30 more to go, and once he crossed the 1,000-point mark, Sage Body would evolve to the intermediate level, and when that happened, Ayr's strength would take another leap. Not to mention, he'd earn a special prize draw, something he'd been looking forward to.
After dealing with the pirates, Ayr boarded their ship to retrieve what he truly came for: the Devil Fruit Arnos had told him about. In the basement of the cabin, tucked inside a lavish chest, he found it.
Crack!
The box opened, and inside lay a swirl-patterned fruit.
"Finally found it," Ayr smiled, lifting the Devil Fruit with both hands.
He'd wandered the sea for a full year, survived endless battles, and now, here it was. His heart pounded and his hands trembled with excitement.
Then, the system chimed.
[Ding. Devil Fruit detected. Would you like to use it to unlock Kurama?]
Ayr's lips curled into a grin. "Sure."
[Congratulations. Kurama has been unlocked.]
[Reminder: the Devil Fruit sacrificed by the Host will not vanish forever. It will eventually reappear somewhere on the sea.]
"Oh?" Ayr's eyes narrowed. "So it doesn't disappear for good… That's fine by me."
Devil Fruits were one of the rarest treasures in this world. Knowing the sacrificed fruit would reappear someday meant he still had a chance to reclaim it later.
Just then, the system panel opened on its own:
⸻
Host: Ayr
Abilities:
• Armament Haki (900/1000)
• Observation Haki (900/1000)
• Conqueror's Haki (700/1000)
Special Ability:
• Sage Body (970/1000) — Primary
(Gain progress through training or combat. Upon reaching full progress, the Sage Body upgrades, dramatically increasing physical prowess, skills, and regeneration. Also grants a special prize draw.)
Unlocked Special Ability:
• Sage Eye: Locked
Tailed Beast:
• Progress (1/9)
• Tailed Beast Bomb (Unlocked)
• Kurama Chakra Mode (Unlocked)
• Kurama Mode (Unlocked)
(Note: Sacrificing Devil Fruits unlocks more of Kurama's power.)
⸻
Although he had only sacrificed a single Devil Fruit, Ayr had successfully unlocked Kurama, and with it, access to one of the most terrifying powers from the Shinobi world, a Tailed Beast Bomb.
In the original Naruto work, the Tailed Beast Bomb was an S-rank jutsu. Only Jinchūriki or Tailed Beasts could use it. It could level mountains, and obliterate entire towns. It was by all means a weapon of mass destruction.
That meant, most users needed at least partial transformation to channel its power, and that meant unlocking four or more tails from the Tailed Beast.
But the system gave it to him with just one tail's worth of power from Kurama.
Incredible.
The system was god-tier, in its own rights.
Just unlocking the power of one tail had already boosted his combat ability to the extreme. And now, with a literal nuke at his fingertips, Ayr had taken another giant step toward becoming unstoppable.
Closing the panel, he turned back toward the basement—and the treasure piled inside.
Once, he had no interest in gold or jewels, after all, he wandered the seas for strength, not wealth. But now… he paused.
If he had enough treasure, couldn't he just buy Devil Fruits at one of the special New World auctions?
Instead of drifting across the sea hoping to stumble upon one… he could go to the source.
With that thought in mind, Ayr began moving the treasure from the pirate ship to his own vessel. But just as his hand brushed a glowing gem—
[Would the Host like to store these items in Kurama's spiritual space?]
"…There's a spiritual space?" Ayr blinked. "Kurama has that?"
"Yes."
And with that, a thought entered his mind. A special connection.
The moment he focused on it, Ayr's consciousness slipped into a different realm.
It was dark, boundless and empty
Except for one thing.
Before him stood a colossal beast. Nine tails swayed behind it, each one radiating a different shade of fury. Its fur was thick and mellow , and its eyes burned with an ancient fire.
The strongest of the Nine Tailed Beasts.
Now, that same beast, overflowing with fury and power, stood before Ayr.
And he had just become its master.