For some reason, despite this being a regular gacha machine with no guarantee of good rewards, it thoughtfully came equipped with a convenie
For some reason, despite this being a regular gacha machine with no guarantee of good rewards, it thoughtfully came equipped with a convenient "Ten Pull" button.
Even after mutating into this strange new system, it seemed to have retained some of the original game's sneaky, pay-to-win elements.
Driven by curiosity about how the system worked, Kael gritted his teeth and pressed the "Ten Pull" button on the regular gacha machine.
In an instant, a long stream of system notifications flooded his vision.
Congratulations! You received an E-rank item: Saeko Busujima's School Uniform!
Congratulations! You received an E-rank item: Mai Sakurajima's Bunny Girl Outfit!
Congratulations! You received an E-rank item: Shinpachi Shimura's Glasses!
Congratulations! You received an E-rank item: Sekai Saionji's Machete!
…
…
Kael's mouth twitched at the sight of the long string of E-rank items.
Even though he'd mentally prepared himself for disappointment, seeing 10 million Berries go up in smoke for a pile of useless junk still stung.
"As expected... whether it's before or after I crossed over, gacha machines are still cursed rip-offs."
Just like that, one-fifth of his starting funds had gone down the drain.
For a moment, Kael even began to wonder if things had been going too smoothly since he set out to sea, and whether that success had made him overconfident.
But just as regret began to well up inside him...
The final notification from the ten-pull flashed quickly before his eyes.
Congratulations! You received an A-rank item: Character Card — Rukia Kuchiki!
"Huh?!"
Kael froze in disbelief, eyes widening with shock.
He quickly raised his head, trying to get a better look at the rapidly fading message.
"What the hell!? An A-rank from a regular gacha pull?! And it's a character card, no less!?"
Without hesitation, he opened his inventory system, sifting through a clutter of miscellaneous items—until he found a new icon shaped like a card.
At the top of the card was an image of a short-haired girl dressed in a black shihakushō.
The girl wore a determined expression, holding her sword at the ready as if facing down an unseen enemy.
"A character card… it's actually a real character card…"
"Did I really just get this lucky!?"
The edges of the card glowed red, and Kael's eyes lit up to match, glowing with an almost mechanical gleam.
Sure, Rukia was a bit small to match his personal taste…
But regardless, she was a bona fide anime beauty.
Not to mention, after unlocking her Bankai, her combat power would rival that of a Marine Admiral!
Whether from a fan-service perspective or raw practicality, Rukia was a top-tier addition to Kael's growing arsenal.
Without another thought, Kael focused his will and mentally tapped the card.
He expected the card to work like in the game—summoning Rukia into the world like a digital genie.
But instead, a pop-up warning message suddenly exploded onto his screen:
[Warning] No compatible crew member detected. The load failed.
Kael: "…Huh??"
"What now?"
It was like a spark of joy had just been doused in ice water—Kael blinked in confusion.
A second window appeared, similar to the earlier tutorial pop-ups.
Character Card: Can be equipped to a crew member, applying the corresponding character's attribute template. The loaded crew member will become fully loyal to the captain. Requirements: Compatibility ≥ 60%.
"…Wait."
As Kael read the explanation carefully, his expression gradually twisted into confusion.
"So you're telling me… character cards don't summon characters from other worlds into the One Piece world—they apply a character template to someone else?"
"So that dream of raising a ship full of anime waifus… is over before it began?"
"Tch. What a waste."
Kael sighed internally and pouted slightly.
Still, even though it added an extra step, the trade-off was worth it: any crew member who received a character card template would become unshakably loyal.
If anything, this was a powerful mechanic to help him stabilize his crew and recruit freely without fear of betrayal.
"Well… rules are rules. I might as well make the most of it."
"Now if only I knew how this compatibility thing actually worked…"
This time, the system didn't give him any additional explanation windows. Clearly, he'd have to figure it out on his own.
According to the system:
To load a character card, two requirements had to be met:
The target must be a member of the Dusk Pirate Crew.
Their compatibility with the character must be at least 60%.
That 60% number didn't seem too high, but Kael had no idea how compatibility was calculated.
If it was based on Rukia's power system, then... good luck finding someone in the One Piece world who wields a Zanpakutō or swings around a soul blade.
"Okay, okay, let's not overthink this."
"Maybe compatibility isn't as strict as I'm imagining."
"Maybe all I need is a flat-chested female swordsman to satisfy the system's criteria."
"But now the real question is—where the hell am I supposed to find a flat-chested swordswoman willing to join a pirate crew!?"
As he gazed off into the distance, where the silhouette of Yakushi Island slowly disappeared on the horizon, a memory surfaced in his mind—
Bathed in golden light.
Two childhood friends stood together in a grassy field.
The girl gently patted her chest, while a green-haired kid blushed furiously.
When it came to female swordsmen in One Piece, the first person Kael thought of was the tragically doomed prodigy—Kuina.
Of course…
Kuina was long dead, so recruiting her was out of the question.
But in the East Blue, there was a near-perfect alternative: the lookalike Marine Corporal stationed at Loguetown—Tashigi.
The best part? Since she was already part of the Navy, getting to her might actually be easier with help from his Second Uncle or even Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
"Looks like I'll have to call in a favor…"
"But never mind that for now."
"Since I can't use the character card right away, I might as well test out the rest of the system."
Kyle hesitated briefly, then decided not to tempt fate with another round on the regular gacha.
Whether the Rukia card had been a lucky first-time bonus or a genuine stroke of luck, he couldn't afford to gamble away all his funds.
Shifting his attention to the Premium Gacha Machine, Kael hovered for a moment—then pressed down with his will.
Unlike the regular machine, the premium one didn't allow multiple pulls. It was single-draw only, a test of pure luck.
Maybe it was his transmigrated status, or maybe new players really did have some kind of hidden protection…
Either way, another miracle occurred.
The gacha machine rattled and spun, and another notification window popped up:
Congratulations! You received an A-rank Weapon: Zanpakutō!
"Holy crap! Another A-rank?!"
A glowing red icon appeared and then zipped straight into his inventory like a shooting star.
Kyle could hardly believe his eyes.
Back in the old pay-to-win mobile games, he had never been this lucky.
But then again… when he remembered he'd just spent 20 million Berries—enough to buy a luxury estate in some small countries—the excitement kind of wore off.
After calming down a bit, Kael opened his inventory to examine the weapon info:
Zanpakutō
Type: Weapon
Rank: A
Description: A special weapon forged from spiritual energy in the world of the Soul Reapers. Usable only by certain characters.
"…Huh?"
Wait, now we've got limited-use gear!?
Kyle immediately realized another difference between this system and traditional mobile games.
In those games, equipment usually just boosted stats and could be equipped by anyone.
Technically speaking, even the bunny girl costume and machete he'd pulled earlier were considered equipment.
But clearly, this post-transmigration system had ditched numerical stats altogether—and added strict usage limitations.
"Good thing I pulled Rukia earlier… Looks like this Zanpakutō was designed specifically for her."
All things considered, even if he'd spent 20 million Berries, the outcome was absolutely worth it.
Not only had he learned more about how the system worked, but he also gained a new long-term goal.
As a bonus, spending all those Berries had triggered an update to his Captain Interface:
Captain: Kyle
Level: 1
EXP: 10 / 50
Total Combat Power: 0
Skill: To be drawn
Spending the 20 million had finally bumped him from Level 0 to Level 1.
Unfortunately, it seemed to experience a reset with each level up.
So even if he blew the remaining 50 million, it probably wouldn't be enough to reach Level 2.
Looking at the "To be drawn" label in the skill slot, Kael didn't hesitate and tapped it immediately.
Boom!
A massive prize wheel appeared in front of him.
Its surface was covered in so many tiny, multicolored labels that it was impossible to read any of them.
Before Kyle could even get a good look, the wheel started spinning rapidly.
Eventually, the pointer slowed… and landed squarely on a line of glowing red text—
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