[Notification: Achievement [I'm Only Talking About Haki Because My Abilities Are Strong Enough] unlocked. Achievement points acquired: 1000]
[Current achievement point balance: 2190]
The system notification sounded, startling the figure at the helm of the Wood Release pirate ship for a moment.
Kaido-sensei's retreat had brought Sakura another thousand achievement points, replenishing her little treasury.
'That's a full twenty minutes of Demon Form. Just thinking about it is wonderful.'
The girl rubbed her chin, looking pleased with herself.
[Notification: Achievement points have reached the required amount. Integrate Otsutsuki Blood and Demon Blood to unlock a new exchangeable form?]
'Huh? What's that?'
[Explanation: Based on existing Giant Royalty Blood and Demon Blood states, upon activation, you may enter Otsutsuki Mode and utilize the powerful divine techniques of the Otsutsuki Clan.]
'Got it. So basically just turning into an Otsutsuki.' She was very familiar with this kind of giant transformation.
'But... judging by the system merchant's hype, this integration would probably cost me a lot of achievement points!'
'How much?'
Sakura's green eyes showed a hint of reluctance.
[Estimated achievement point cost: 1500. Initiate integration?]
'Go ahead, integrate. You crook!'
[Please do not slander this system. The initial ability, Life Return - Kama, was a free gift!]
This line made Sakura fall silent.
'Do you even hear what you're saying?'
'The state that took nearly eight hundred achievement points to finally stabilize while recovering in Sunagakure, and you tell me it was free?'
'That's eight hundred achievement points! The amount I could barely save up by overthrowing one and a half Goa Kingdoms!'
'Damn thing. I'd get this debt back from it eventually.'
[Notification: Integration of Demon Blood and Otsutsuki Blood complete. Please name this state: ______]
'Tch, being both Otsutsuki and a demon, I'm really mixing things up now.' After a moment of thought, Sakura decided in her mind. 'I'll call this state True Blood from now on.'
[True Blood state recorded. Cost per minute after activation: 200 achievement points.]
[1,500 achievement points deducted during integration. Current achievement point balance: 690.]
"Sigh!"
Sakura, still steering the ship, let out a sigh.
Sato Sakura beside her didn't understand, but she sensed her mother's low mood.
Her massive head leaned over, quietly moving closer to Sakura.
After sailing a bit further, the wooden ship crashed onto the island's coast with a loud bang.
The figure who had been cooped up on the ship for a full five days took the lead, charging into the island at great speed.
"Wow, this is sand!"
On the sandy beach at the island's edge, Yamato's excited cries never stopped.
Having grown up in the rocky environment of Onigashima, she had never seen such a beautiful landscape.
So she kicked off her wooden clogs, hiked up her skirt, and ran off to play on the shore.
"Hey hey, Sato Sakura, come play!" The oni girl waved at the giant girl on the ship as she ran.
Sato Sakura gazed at her mother beside her with longing eyes, and after receiving permission, she too charged forward.
"No matter how many times I see it, Zoans really do pick ability users that suit their tastes."
Sakura watched the two Inu Inu no Mi's users running on the beach and couldn't help but sigh.
"What's wrong, Sakura-nee? Jealous of their abilities?"
Ace, battered and bruised, carrying his famous blade, walked out from the ship.
"Tch, my ability is pretty great too, you know!"
Sakura raised her fist at Ace and shook it. "And you, brat. When we get back, add three more Haki attack and defense lessons to your schedule!"
"Ah? No—!"
Ignoring Ace's wails behind her, Sakura vaulted over the gunwale and jumped off the ship.
Her Observation Haki spread out and detected the pirate flag flying over the island, as well as the dragon-headed pirate ship that had hurriedly arrived after receiving the news.
Sakura looked surprised and spoke: "Well well, this should be interesting."
…
On the other side of the island, the massive Red Force approached their private port.
A figure draped in a black cloak leaped from the ship and ran quickly toward the center of the island.
"Hey, Captain, where are you going?"
Lucky Roux, one hand clutching greasy roasted meat, the other reaching toward the figure, shouted.
"Idiot!" Yasopp, hanging in the crow's nest, chuckled. "Who else could make him this anxious?"
The newly joined captains of the Red Hair Pirates on board craned their necks, eagerly awaiting Yasopp's answer.
But instead, he made a face at the newcomers. "Heh heh, not telling you!"
Thud!
Many of the pirates collapsed onto the ground, twitching on their backs with their limbs in the air.
"Stop teasing the newbies. Let's go after him."
Benn Beckman extinguished his cigarette. "If we let that fool act on his own, he'll humiliate us all."
With that, he and the other fighters of the crew charged off the pirate ship, chasing after the figure.
They weaved through the dense forest, passed the residential area at the center, and headed straight for the other side of the island.
When the bearded, red-haired man draped in the black cloak saw the girl standing on the sandy beach-
He showed a bright smile. With his one arm, he drew his famous blade, Gryphon, from his waist.
Crimson lightning surged over it as he slashed down toward Sakura.
"Oh, a welcoming gift?"
Sakura was momentarily stunned, then understood.
She took her cloud rope from behind her back. Her greatsword, also coated in two types of Haki, swung horizontally, colliding with Shanks's sword in mid-air.
Clang!
Wills clashed, tearing the sky apart.
Beckman, who had arrived with the others, saw the lightning bursting from the tips of their swords and quickly turned his head back.
But behind him, the new recruits who had followed had already lost consciousness one by one, lying sprawled on the ground.
"Sigh, too late?"
He sighed softly and turned his gaze to the ship doctor, Hongo.
His companion nodded at him and turned back to tend to the new recruits.
"Again?"
Yamato, returning from playing, felt two imposing wills colliding and looked up at the sky anxiously.
But the cloudless sky showed no sign of tearing, only the warm morning sun shining down on her.
At the center of the battlefield, the two crossed swords, using the recoil to create distance.
"Long time no see, Sakura. Your Haki has grown stronger."
Shanks held his famous blade casually, crimson lightning crackling around him from time to time.
"You bastard, your use of Conqueror's Haki has already reached that level?!"
Sakura spun her cloud rope and hoisted it onto her shoulder.
Just for a moment, she had definitely felt something similar to Garp's fist on Shanks's sword.
'No wonder this one-armed man, without any abilities, had managed to carve out his territory in the vast New' World. It seemed he had devoted all his energy to honing his Haki all these years?'
"Haha, hahahaha!" Shanks laughed heartily.
He was no longer the powerless young apprentice from back then, but an Emperor standing at the peak of these seas.
Times had changed!
"You've certainly worked hard, bastard. But... it won't be that easy to beat me!"
Her Haki boiling, Sakura gripped her sword with both hands, her body thrumming with immense power.
Shanks gripped his sword tightly in return, his Conqueror's Haki once again carrying his will, filling every inch of space.
The two smiled at each other and spoke at the same time.
"Leave your treasure behind!" x2