Night fell.
Everything had finally settled down.
Genzo and Bell-mère were taken to the doctor for treatment.
Nami and Nojiko returned all the collected money to the villagers, down to the last beli.
Meanwhile, Luffy made his way into the forest and dragged Zoro, who had been hidden beneath a pile of leaves, back to Genzo's house.
He had already arranged it with Genzo: Luffy would stay at the house for the night, while Genzo recovered at the clinic.
Strangely, even though Zoro hadn't eaten or drunk anything in a long time, his body showed no signs of deterioration. In fact, it even looked like he had grown taller, and his stats were steadily increasing each day.
Even after being dragged across the ground, not much dust clung to him. And what little there was seemed to slowly shed away on its own.
"How's Zoro doing now? Is this... normal?" Now that things had calmed down, Luffy couldn't help but ask the system.
[Replying to Host: Zoro is currently undergoing a transformation, shifting from a human to a Mental Power being. He is simultaneously influenced by both the physical and Mental Power particle realms.
Zoro can now sustain himself by absorbing Mental Power particles from the air and no longer requires material nutrition.]
"I see..." Luffy tossed his dirty clothes from earlier and changed into the new outfit Nami had bought for him in town.
"Well then, System, give me a rundown of the Shop System!"
[Certainly.]
[With the Shop System now activated, the "Gold Coin Subsystem" has also been unlocked.
Host may now earn gold coins by defeating or killing individuals with a certain level of fame or rank. The higher the opponent's status, the more coins awarded.
Additionally, once the Host accumulates enough fame, a monthly allowance of coins will be granted.
The shop is divided into two main categories: "Equipment" and "Items."
Each month, three random special items will be refreshed. Please explore them at your own pace.]
As the system explained, Luffy rummaged around Genzo's house, eventually finding a good bag of tea leaves and brewing himself a cup.
Why was something this good hidden so deep in storage? he wondered.
By the time the system finished its explanation, Luffy had settled into a chair, sipping his tea.
"So, when's Zoro going to wake up? We can't just keep dragging him around forever."
[Zoro is currently undergoing a highly unique trial. Estimated duration: 8 to 10 years.]
"PFFFTTT!"
Luffy spat out his tea in a full-force spray.
"Ten?! Ten years?! Are you kidding me?! All this for a Shikai?!"
[Further details are unavailable. Host is advised to be patient.]
Luffy slumped in his chair, one hand cradling his head, the other rhythmically tapping the table.
Time passed slowly.
"Well, whatever... It's unexpected, but it doesn't really affect my current plans."
With a deep sigh, Luffy shook off the surprise.
"Let's focus on this new feature for now."
He pulled up the system interface and saw that the Shop icon had changed from gray to full color.
He tapped it.
A large inventory window opened before him. At the bottom of the screen, a line of small text read:
Gold: 3,000
"…This must be the reward for killing Arlong. Let's hope the price for the Growth Capsule isn't outrageous."
Luffy shifted his attention to the available items.
He opened the "Equipment" tab first.
His brow furrowed.
"System, why are there only six pieces of equipment here?"
[Answer: The equipment listed in the shop are "Partner Equipment" and can only be used by partners.]
"What kind of ripoff system is this?! And what about my gear? I thought buying equipment was supposed to unlock the equipment system for me?!"
[Host's own gear will appear in the "Random Items" section. Please browse there.]
The system's explanations had been getting vaguer ever since Luffy left the beginner stage. Whether that was on purpose or not, he wasn't sure.
Back in the shop menu, he noticed a new glowing icon next to "Equipment" and "Items", a rotating wheel.
He tapped it.
A large prize wheel appeared… and immediately started spinning on its own.
Whirl, Whirl, Whirl!
In three swift spins, the wheel vanished and was replaced by three new icons.
Luffy clicked the first one:
─────────🏴☠️─────────
[Mjölnir – Hammer of the Thunder God]
Origin: Marvel Universe
Effect:
Melee: Deals (Strength ×2) physical damage.
Ranged: Deals (Stamina + Willpower) ×3 lightning-element damage.
Only the Host can wield it. No one else can lift the hammer.
Price: 300,000 coins
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Luffy stared at it, dumbfounded.
This feels like a completely different genre…
And that price?! Was it even possible to afford that without killing Akainu and selling his corpse for scrap?
Already sensing this system was full of traps, Luffy lowered his expectations and tapped the second icon.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
[Zanpakuto: Hyorinmaru]
Origin: Bleach
Effect: Grants access to "Sword Meditation."
Initial stage: Deals (Willpower ×2) ice-element damage.
Power scales indefinitely with mastery.
Price: 500,000 coins
"Yeah! Super strong! Totally unaffordable! Next!"
[Rainbow Fruit]
Origin: Toriko
Effect: One drop turns 25 cubic meters of water into rich, flavorful juice.
Price: 1,000 coins
─────────🏴☠️─────────
"…Finally, something I can actually afford. Not that it's useful or anything."
Luffy sighed and closed the random item menu, then opened the "Items" tab.
Inside were all kinds of health potions, EXP pills, and strange gemstones. He didn't check them all, he was focused on the one thing he wanted most:
The Growth Capsule.
At three years old, Luffy still wasn't even as tall as an adult's knee. Just looking up at people was starting to give him chronic neck pain.
Luckily, there weren't many items in the store, and he quickly spotted it:
─────────🏴☠️─────────
[Rapid Growth Capsule]
Effect: Sacrifice one year of lifespan to gain all possible attribute growth for that year.
Price: 2,000 coins
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Luffy let out a relieved sigh at the price.
"Not bad. Totally worth it."
"System, purchase one Rapid Growth Capsule."
[Ding! Purchase successfully. Item has been added to your inventory.]
Without hesitation, Luffy pulled the red-and-white capsule from his bag and swallowed it whole.
Nothing happened.
No veins bulging. No muscle explosion. No shredded clothes.
He simply felt… taller.
He compared himself to Genzo's table and estimated that he'd grown about ten centimeters.
Still a kid, but progress was progress.
"YEAH! It works! I'm finally getting taller!"
He hated being short with a burning passion.
"If one capsule costs 2,000 gold, and Arlong's bounty was 20 million… though his actual strength was much higher… then the system giving me 3,000 coins makes sense."
"That means, if I take down someone with a bounty around 20 million, I can afford one more capsule."
"With my current power, I still can't handle pirates over 100 million… but under 100 million? I can wipe the floor with 'em."
"No problem! The future looks bright!"
Feeling hyped and full of confidence, Luffy waved his hand dramatically.
"System! Give me a Rainbow Fruit!"
[Ding! Purchase successfully. Item has been added to your inventory.]
"I was kidding!!!"
==========
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