Luffy quietly stared at the rainbow-colored fruit on the table.
"I wonder if anyone would fall for it if I claimed it was a powerful Devil Fruit..."
He let out a sigh.
"Ugh… Impulse really is the devil."
With another regretful breath, Luffy put the Rainbow Fruit back into his inventory.
There were more important things to focus on now.
"System, open Nami's status screen."
[Affirmative.]
A character interface appeared before Luffy's eyes.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Character: Nami
Aptitude:SS (+)
Stamina: 4
Strength: 2
Agility: 6
Mental Power: 104
─────────🏴☠️─────────
"System, what does the '+' next to her potential mean?"
[Answer: The plus sign indicates that the character possesses an extremely rare hidden talent. However, it does not increase stat bonuses on its own.]
"A hidden talent, huh? That must be her weather manipulation ability," Luffy muttered, rubbing his chin.
"Still… It's kinda weird that Zoro doesn't have top-tier talent as a swordsman."
[Reply: With Zoro's determination and strength, he could reach the pinnacle of any field he chooses. He became a swordsman not because of talent, but because he chose that path.]
"That's so Zoro," Luffy said, glancing at the unconscious swordsman still sprawled on the floor. "A guy destined to succeed no matter where he goes."
Having someone like that as an ally… Luffy felt he had to work even harder.
"System, draw Nami's exclusive item!"
A large spinning wheel appeared again, filled with all kinds of strange items, most of which Luffy didn't recognize. The only familiar one was Thor's hammer, which had shown up before in the random item draws.
The wheel spun rapidly.
Eventually, the pointer landed on a glowing crystal.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host has obtained the "Sky Dragon Slayer Magic Crystal." Item stored in inventory.]
"Dragon Slayer Magic Crystal?" A sense of unease crept up Luffy's spine.
He quickly opened his inventory.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
[Sky Dragon Slayer Magic Crystal]
Effect: Grants the user Sky Dragon Slayer Magic from the world of Fairy Tail. Converts the user's physique into a dragon-type, enabling them to kill dragons. Can be inherited either through direct teaching from a dragon or by implanting a magic-infused crystal in the body.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
"Sky magic, huh…" Luffy recalled that in Fairy Tail, Sky Dragon Slayers didn't seem to suffer motion sickness like others.
[Note: Wendy from Fairy Tail didn't experience transportation sickness because her magic was still weak. However, the Sky Dragon Slayer Crystal in this system has no such side effects. The user will be granted the magic without adverse effects.]
Luffy's emotions shot up and down like a rollercoaster.
"Thank goodness... it'd be a disaster if my navigator couldn't even set sail."
With everything sorted, it was time to get some rest before the next journey.
Luffy closed the system interface and entered Genzo's bedroom to sleep. A few moments later, he came back out, lifted Zoro from the floor, placed him on the couch, and returned to bed.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Night fell quietly.
The villagers hadn't even had time to process Arlong's arrival before they'd already been saved.
Nami and Nojiko kept watch beside Bell-mère's bed.
"You should rest, Bell-mère," Nami said softly.
Bell-mère kept her gaze fixed on Nami's face, refusing to look away.
"He left the fishmen's pirate ship behind on purpose... I think he plans to set sail very soon." She pulled out a cigarette from her pocket.
"The doctor said no smoking…" Nami began to protest, but Nojiko handed over a match from the other side.
Bell-mère lit the cigarette and took a deep drag.
The soft scent of smoke drifted through the room.
It was going to be a long, sleepless night.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
The next morning.
A gentle breeze swept through the peaceful Cocoyasi Village.
Tucked in a calm sea zone, the village enjoyed clear skies almost every day, and today was no different.
Seagulls dived into the ocean and emerged with plump fish in their beaks, soaring off into the sky.
Luffy woke up early, refreshed and energized. He made his way to the village clinic.
When he opened the door, he saw Bell-mère half-sitting on the bed, resting her hands on the heads of the two sleeping girls beside her.
They had talked late into the night, about childhood memories, dreams for the future, Bell-mère's best dishes, and more, until the girls finally dozed off.
Bell-mère had stayed there, watching over them in silence until dawn.
Nami and Nojiko stirred awake at the sound of the door.
"Ah, " Luffy peeked in, scratching his head awkwardly when he realized they were still waking up. "Sorry... I didn't mean to wake you."
Bell-mère smiled at Luffy's bashful expression.
Maybe… maybe if Nami followed him, she really would have a more exciting life.
Wait... did he get taller?
Nami and Nojiko slowly came to their senses, blinking away in a daze.
"Um… I need to talk to Nami," Luffy said, standing by the door.
Bell-mère's hand trembled slightly, then she gave Nami a gentle pat on the head and said with a faint smile, "Go on."
Nami hesitated, glanced at Bell-mère, then followed Luffy out of the clinic.
They headed toward the shore.
People along the way greeted Nami warmly.
They didn't know who exactly had driven the fishmen away, but they knew it was Nami who had returned their stolen money, house by house.
By the time they reached the beach, the Arlong Pirates' ship was still docked at the shore. Waves rolled in, slapping the hull rhythmically and causing the ship to creak and sway.
"Nami," Luffy stopped and turned around with a grin. "As my second crewmate, I've got a gift for you!"
Nami had been spacing out, daydreaming about life at sea.
Just her and Luffy… Well, maybe also that green-haired guy who was still unconscious. But mostly just her and Luffy.
"Huh? What?!" Luffy's sudden turn startled her out of her thoughts.
Luffy pulled something from his inventory.
In his hand appeared a radiant, sparkling crystal.
When Nami saw it, her eyes instantly turned into twinkling stars, and she nearly drooled.
She hadn't suffered under Arlong this time around, but growing up poor had still left her with an unshakable love for money, and shiny things.
After all, what woman can resist glitter?
Luffy, however, looked a bit awkward.
'System… how do I use this? You don't mean she has to eat it, right?'
He held up the crystal and shivered at the thought.
[To use: Place the crystal on the person's forehead and mentally command "Activate."]
'That simple? Perfect.'
Without warning, Luffy pressed the glowing crystal to Nami's forehead and mentally said:
"Activate."
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a violent gust of wind whipped across the scenic coastline.
Sand and rocks swirled into the air, forming a towering whirlwind.
Even the sea surged into chaos as the pirate ship spun uncontrollably in place.
The gale was so strong that Luffy had to retreat over a hundred meters just to stand his ground.
"System! SYSTEM! What the hell's going on?! This is nuts!! She hasn't even used the magic yet!!"
Luffy shielded his eyes from the debris.
[Reply: Nami is undergoing a magical transformation. To help her fully adapt to Sky Dragon Slayer Magic, she has been temporarily immersed in its energy field.]
[Once the transformation is complete, her magic strength will scale with her personal stats.]
In that moment, Luffy seriously questioned whether he was even the main character of this system.
Zoro had received a Zanpakuto, but would need ten years just to unlock its Shikai. Clearly, it would become insanely powerful.
Now, Nami caused a localized natural disaster just by awakening her magic.
And he? The supposed protagonist? Got growth capsules and tiny stat gains…
Whose system is this, anyway?!
Minutes passed amidst the howling storm.
Eventually, the wind began to die down.
A soft green glow flashed in Nami's eyes as she gently floated back to the ground.
"Luffy?" she called out, still a little dazed.
"How do you feel?" Luffy approached.
Villagers began to arrive, having seen the massive tornado from all over the island.
Nami raised her hands, and the breeze naturally flowed toward her, coiling gently around her fingers.
Luffy pointed to a large boulder that had been blown onto the beach.
"Try it out."
Nami nodded, raised her arms, and focused the swirling wind into her palms.
"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!"
She swept her arms like wings.
The wind exploded outward in two arcs, striking the boulder with immense force.
BOOM!
The boulder shattered instantly.
Coincidentally, Bell-mère and Nojiko arrived just in time to witness it.
They stood frozen, watching in disbelief.
"Was that... one of those legendary Devil Fruits?" Bell-mère murmured.
Nami looked down at her hands, eyes sparkling with excitement.
She looked like she couldn't wait to try again.
Luffy quickly stepped in.
"Not now, we're setting sail soon. I need to get things ready."
"Already? That fast?" Nami's excitement dimmed like a bucket of cold water.
"Yeah. Time waits for no one."
In truth, Luffy had been a little shaken. After all the blood, sweat, and tears he'd shed in the mountains, his own growth still lagged behind.
If he didn't push harder now, he'd be left in the dust.
"I'm gonna go talk to Bell-mère real quick!" Before Luffy could say more, Nami dashed back toward the others.
Bell-mère and Nojiko were still in shock.
"I might be leaving this afternoon," Nami said quietly.
Bell-mère blinked. "So soon?"
Nojiko's eyes were already tearing up.
"Don't cry," Bell-mère said firmly. "Nami's getting stronger. We should be happy for her."
She turned away, not wanting Nami to see her cry, grabbed Nojiko's hand, and headed home to help pack.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Elsewhere.
Luffy wasn't paying attention to their conversation, he was too busy examining Nami's updated stats.
Character: Nami
Aptitude:SS (+)
Stamina: 188
Strength: 108
Agility: 136
Mental Power: 400
─────────🏴☠️─────────
"Yikes..." Luffy whistled.
If another Arlong Pirates showed up now, Nami could probably solo them with magic alone.
Granted, she wasn't that powerful yet, but with her stats boosted by his passive (character level ×5), she'd be a force to reckon with on the seas.
Luffy sighed, then curiously opened his own status screen.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Character: Monkey D. Luffy
Level: 16
EXP: 5640 / 6000
HP: 5220
Stamina: 522
Strength: 304
Agility: 300
Mental Power: 490
─────────🏴☠️─────────
To his surprise, his first awakening had been Conqueror's Haki.
He was now itching to head out, take down some pirates, and make waves.
He daydreamed about unleashing Haki across the battlefield and watching entire armies collapse.
He was so absorbed he didn't even notice Nami walking back toward him, until he heard her footsteps.
He quickly closed the status window and gave her a grin.
But Nami looked a little down.
"When are we leaving?" she asked.
"We?" Luffy blinked, then remembered, "Ah… I probably didn't explain that properly."
"We're officially setting sail in ten years."
"I'll come get you then, and we'll stir up chaos across the world."
Luffy's eyes sparkled at the thought of everything to come.
But Nami's expression turned completely stiff.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
That afternoon, at Bell-mère's home.
Bell-mère was tearfully packing Nami's clothes.
Nojiko stayed quiet in the corner.
Genzo came by with a basket of fruit. The doctor brought some medicine. The bookshop owner brought the book Nami had always wanted to steal.
One by one, the villagers gathered in the little house.
Creak.
The door opened again.
Nami stepped inside, glanced around at the room full of people, and awkwardly scratched her head.
"Luffy already left. Turns out… I'm staying for another ten years."
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Note: "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack" is one of Wendy Marvell's signature moves from Fairy Tail. As a Sky Dragon Slayer, she uses this aerial technique to unleash twin arcs of wind magic from both arms, slicing through enemies with powerful, high-speed gusts.
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