Petrifying Gaze…
Nao was a little taken aback. Wasn't this basically the male version of Medusa's Eyes? It felt eerily similar to Boa Hancock's Love-Love Fruit ability.
So just 21 points in Charm could reach this level already?
"…Why do I feel like I've turned into some kind of male succubus?"
He leaned toward the mirror, scrutinizing his reflection from left to right. His features hadn't really changed, but his aura somehow felt… deeper, darker, more alluring than before.
Especially his eyes—those pitch-black irises, so dark they seemed like pools of ink. Even staring at himself for too long made him feel as if he'd be dragged into their depths, suffocating in a trance.
Fortunately, there were no signs of him turning to stone.
"Not limited by gender… not limited by race…"
He repeated the description of the skill. Slowly, as if struck by an idea, he turned his head toward the phone snail on his desk.
"Buru buru?"
The little green snail tilted its head, eyes wide, looking absolutely adorable and confused.
…
One minute later.
Nao looked at the stone snail on his desk from left to right. He gently tapped it with his knuckles from time to time. It was hard as a rock and felt cold to the touch, just like a stone.
"What a terrifying skill…"
Nao clicked his tongue in wonder and sat back down on the sofa chair. He couldn't bear to torment the little guy any longer, so he used a knife to make a shallow cut on his finger and dripped two drops of blood on the snail's shell.
Soon, in less than ten seconds.
As the blood seeped in, the petrified state was quickly lifted. The little Transponder Snail regained consciousness and tilted its head in confusion, clearly not knowing what had just happened.
Meanwhile, the shallow cut on Nao's finger had already healed over.
"Confirmed—it really can petrify any race."
He chuckled, gently rubbing the snail's little head while thinking, And judging from its reaction, those affected by the Petrifying Gaze lose all consciousness. They don't even perceive time passing while they're turned to stone…
A powerful control skill indeed.
And since the petrification triggered instantly, silently, without warning… in situations where outright killing wasn't an option, this could be incredibly handy.
Satisfied, Nao's gaze drifted back to the last reward sitting in his inventory.
"S-Rank Gift Box…"
This was the true highlight of today's unboxing session.
Thinking back, the A-Rank boxes he'd opened over the years were a mixed bag. Some prizes had been downright useless, still gathering dust in his storage.
But the S-Rank boxes? Their quality had never once let him down—always solid, always reliable.
With a flicker of anticipation, Nao tapped the icon. A blue die shot out, spinning rapidly across the panel.
[Opening S-Rank Gift Box. Please wait…]
[Rolling…]
[Roll Complete.]
[Reward Type: Defensive Item]
[You have obtained a new item: Guardian Angel.]
…
"Eh?"
Nao was stunned. Before he could think it through, a golden light flashed, and a silver broadsword with two pairs of white angel wings floated in front of him.
[Guardian Angel]
Type: Defensive Item
Description: When you receive a fatal blow and enter a near-death state, this item will be destroyed in your place. Upon revival, you immediately restore 50% of your stamina.
Note: Life only comes once. You can't remake it—but perhaps you can be granted an extra chance.
"Believe in Brother Chun, and you'll live forever."
…
"What kind of ancient meme is that…"
Nao couldn't be bothered to complain about the note. He had always been very confident in his luck, but at this moment, as he watched this new item automatically get added to his equipment bar, his eyes were still filled with a pleasant surprise.
Guardian Angel—commonly known as the Revive Armor.
This was a divine artifact that allowed him to be revived on the spot once and instantly recover half of his health! It completely exceeded his original expectations. As expected, an S-Tier box never disappoints.
"If this thing showed up in the shop, it'd be worth at least a few million points, easy."
There was nothing like the rush of getting something this valuable for free. Grinning like a fool, he basked in the thrill for a while before finally calming down. Glancing at the 1.75 million points he had left, he thought for a moment, then spent one million to raise his Strength by one point.
The rest, as usual, he left in reserve—an emergency fund for when he might need it most.
A familiar surge of heat coursed through his body. Nao clenched his fists, feeling the raw power humming through his muscles. His physical strength had clearly taken another leap forward.
If he were to clash head-on with big mom again, he'd still be far from her equal. But at least when it came to brute-force collisions, he would hold up far better than last time.
And so, his current stats now looked like this:
[Name: Natsuya Nao]
[Age: 21]
[Strength: 34 (Current cost: 1,000,000 points per stat)]
[Agility: 31 (+3) (Current cost: 500,000 points per stat)]
[Stamina: 36 (Current cost: 2,000,000 points per stat)]
[Intelligence: 12 (Current cost: 500,000 points per stat)]
[Charm: 21 (Current cost: 5,000,000 points per stat)]
[Points Remaining: 750,000]
「Standard Skills: Two-Sword Style Swordsmanship (Advanced), Rokushiki (Advanced), Firearms Proficiency (Advanced), Close-Quarters Combat (Advanced), Self-Discipline (Master), Armament Haki (Advanced), Observation Haki (Advanced), Painting (Advanced), Fishing (Master), Swimming (Master), Sweet-Talker (Advanced)」
「Innate Skills: Conqueror's Haki, Adamantine Body, Voice of All Things, Petrifying Gaze, Radiant Smile, Craftsman's Spirit, Wind Barrier (Advanced), Thick Skin (Advanced), Iron Head (Advanced), Limb Regeneration, Amphibious Breathing」
「Currently Equipped: Guardian Angel, Boots of Lightness, Thornmail Armor」
…
"Charm aside… even stamina points are costing two million now, huh…"
His progress was remarkable, but the massive price tag for every stat upgrade made him click his tongue.
If he relied solely on point investments to keep powering up at this pace, it clearly wasn't sustainable.
After all, with his rising charm and growing reputation, charming ordinary girls barely netted him any points anymore.
And the temporary side quests were also starting to feel like scraps—not nearly enough to cover the costs.
Then again…
That was something he could've predicted long ago, back when he was still stuck in the starter village.
The stronger one became, the harder it was to keep climbing.
Although the combat power system in the world of One Piece was not very strict or reliable, there was no doubt.
—There was a difference in strength among the Yonko and Admirals. And between this level of top-tier powerhouse and the so-called "First Mates" and "Vice Admirals", there was a considerable chasm.
At present, Nao's strength already placed him at the very peak of the "First Mate" level. But if he wanted to shatter that wall and step into the ranks of the true apex of the seas…
That path was still long.
It would demand endless training, tempered willpower, and the accumulation of years.
Still—he was only twenty-one. Youth was his greatest capital, and the future stretched vast before him.
He had never been one to rely entirely on the system. Since childhood, his iron-willed nature and unbroken regimen of hellish training had carved out the foundation that carried him to this point.
"Kaido… Big Mom…"
Gazing out toward the bustling harbor, his eyes sharpened, voice dropping to a whisper.
Just you wait, old monsters.
Sooner or later, my combat power will also rise to the top-tier level. I won't need Sengoku's protection or Akainu's assistance. I'll be able to fight you head-on in a one-on-one duel and completely wash away my shame to win the fight!
Hmm…
Wait a minute.
Although up until now, it doesn't seem like I have any shame. The ones who should feel ashamed and angry should be these two Yonko…
...
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.
The New World had grown turbulent, its tides shifting day by day. The aftershocks of the grand war at the start of the year were now revealing themselves in full force.
On Big Mom's side, her revenge raid on Nao had ended in complete failure. Unlike Shiki, she didn't have the courage—or the madness—to storm Marineford alone.
Her fury and frustration had nowhere to go. She stayed cooped up on Whole Cake Island, drowning herself in gluttonous binges. Rumor had it her body was so bloated now, her weight had nearly doubled.
In that same period, she "married" six new husbands in one go, ranging from humans to Longarms, Snakenecks, even Fishmen.
At this rate, poor Katakuri would be saddled with a new batch of brainless little siblings before the year's end.
Kaido's situation was far worse.
The Beasts Pirates had been gutted—half their forces wiped out, one Calamity slain, another gravely wounded and reduced to a cripple.
Their expansion collapsed overnight. Even defending their current territory had become a struggle.
Rumors swirled that Kaido, in his wrath, transformed into his azure dragon form and rampaged above Onigashima for days, burning his own palace complex down to smoldering ruins.
When the storm finally broke, he left alone under a torrential rain, scouring the seas in search of new, worthy subordinates to bear the weight of his empire.
Years of accumulated power—wiped away in a single night.
No better phrase described it.
No one knew when fate would guide him to the two men destined to be his wings, King and Queen.
The Marine, of course, seized this golden chance. While the Emperors reeled, the G1 and G5 branches joined forces, reclaiming islands once lost to pirates.
What had been a crumbling foothold in the New World was reforged into a bastion, expanded severalfold.
The destroyed G7 Branch base was rebuilt and moved back from the first half of the Grand Line, now standing tall once more. With G1 and G5, the three branches formed a triangle of steel—each capable of supporting the others at a moment's notice.
And amidst this stormy upheaval—
The man who had sparked it all, Natsuya Nao, spent the month in Marineford, enjoying rare days of leisure.
No missions. No deployments.
His routine consisted only of the daily work reports, after which he dedicated himself entirely to planning his wedding with his three beloved wives-to-be.
For this was the foremost milestone of his life. None of them wanted to treat it carelessly. And for him, marrying three at once meant only one thing—everything had to be perfect. Not the slightest regret would be allowed.
Finally—
The wedding date was set—two months later, on May 5th.
Nao didn't pay attention at first, but one night after he and Shia finished their workout, he suddenly realized that this date was the birthday of the chosen one of the One Piece world, wasn't it?
Judging by the timeline, it seems like Luffy was born this year, too, right?
What a coincidence that it's on the same day as my wedding. I just wonder who Luffy's mother is.
His curiosity piqued, Nao tried to fish for answers from Garp.
Unfortunately, the old man knew even less than him. Every question was met with blank confusion. It seemed Garp hadn't spoken to Dragon in ages and didn't even know when his son had stopped being single.
"Sigh. Guess I'll have to ask Dragon directly if I ever cross paths with him."
It was a shame. After all, this was one of the great mysteries of the manga in his previous life—never revealed even after he'd died and reincarnated here.
Speculation back then was wild. The most ridiculous rumor claimed that Luffy's mother was none other than Imu. There had even been detailed "analysis" posts, with pictures and arguments laid out as if it were gospel.
Nao had scoffed at all of it then, and still did now.
With the date set, the wedding preparations proceeded smoothly under Yukika's capable management. At the same time, Nao never neglected his training.
He had already finished reading through the Sword Notes of Elder Suma. Now came the harder part—digesting, pondering, and weaving its insights seamlessly into his own style.
As for Conqueror's Haki, he had made time to consult Sengoku.
The old man had long since regarded him as the successor of the next generation of the Marines. Naturally, he told him everything without holding back, which benefited Nao greatly in many basic application techniques.
This day.
Nao finished his training in the training ground as usual. He was drenched in sweat and was about to go home to take a shower and rest when he suddenly heard a soft notification from the system.
"At this time…"
He seemed to remember something. He immediately opened the notification tab and, as expected, saw a new message:
[Devil Fruit incubation complete]
[Skill: Blade of Azakana cooldown ended]
[Paramecia · Float-Float Fruit has been placed in inventory. Please check.]
…
Three months of waiting. Finally, it was ready!
Excitement surged through him. His gaze shot to the bottom of his inventory, where a golden, spiral-patterned oval banana sat quietly in a slot.
The Float-Float Fruit. Shiki's fruit.
Flight, levitation, the power to lift mountains and part seas, to make even clouds and mist his playthings—
Recalling the dazzling abilities the Golden Lion had displayed with this fruit, Nao's blood roared with anticipation.
But then—
Finding a secluded corner, he materialized the fruit and turned it over in his hands, studying its shimmering golden swirls.
A dilemma crept into his mind.
Should I really eat this Devil Fruit…?