It had been seven days since Kuina fell from the ladder, and she still hadn't woken up. The other disciples at the dojo were all very worried, but out of fear of disturbing her treatment and recovery, they didn't gather around her room.
"Alas, there's nothing more I can do." Another doctor stood up to take his leave.
"Thank you for your help," Koushirou said as he saw the doctor out.
'That must be the 35th doctor already. We've called every doctor on this island.' Eric was getting anxious. He looked at the shop panel in front of him that others couldn't see. On it was an item:
[Senzu Bean – Notes: Can heal any physical injury, regrow limbs, revive someone even with a sliver of life left, restores full stamina, and prevents hunger for ten days. Cannot treat illnesses. Price: 20 million Berries. Monthly limit: 3 pieces.]
'I need to make money and buy a Senzu Bean to save her!' Fearing something worse might happen to Kuina during this time, Eric said goodbye to Koushirou:
"Master, I want to go to sea!"
Sensing what Eric was planning, Koushirou responded apologetically,
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Eric."
"Right now, the highest bounty in the East Blue is 11 million Berries, belonging to Don Krieg, who commands twenty ships and two thousand men." Eric muttered on the ship as he flipped through bounty posters.
Even though Krieg didn't yet have Gin and Pearl under his command, and his power wasn't at the level it would be ten years later, he still wasn't someone Eric and Akame could deal with right now. Akame had once been an assassin, but sending a girl to infiltrate an enemy ship for an assassination mission was way too dangerous. It was better to summon another companion and try to take them down head-on.
After more than a month of friendly interaction, Akame's bond level with Eric reached Level 3 (Trusted Friend), earning him 2 Bond Points. The summoning system indicated he could summon again — but he lacked the right medium.
'Arlong shouldn't be in East Blue yet. I remember Nami saying he arrived at her village eight years ago — in 1512, since it's now 1520 in the Sea Calendar. Otherwise, just his head alone would be worth it.'
Although East Blue had the lowest average pirate bounties and appeared peaceful, that made it hard for someone trying to make money quickly by hunting bounty targets.
'And the shop's summoning mediums are ridiculously expensive!' Eric had no choice but to carefully consider which type of character he should summon next.
Then he saw a poster that made his eyes light up:
"Captain of the Mustang Pirates – Mustang Jeff. Bounty: 9 million Berries."
Another one with his ability right in his name! It was like Oda ran out of naming ideas and just mashed abilities and names together, even for minor villains. Although, not all of them were nobodies — like the early-appearing Crocodile a.k.a. "Double Time Dodger of the Main Character's Final Blow, the Most Honorable Villain, and Luffy's Combat Experience Pack."
Honestly, who's the most honorable villain in One Piece if not Crocodile? After losing to the main character, he held no grudges, helped Luffy escape Impel Down, tried to save Ace, delayed the enemy during the war, and even attacked Akainu when Luffy and Jinbei were in danger. Who else does that?!
Even if Mustang Jeff was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user — known for high stamina and recovery — Akame's one-hit kill technique, Murasame, could infect and poison the target with a single cut, making her deadly against high-endurance Zoan users. She was the bane of any tanky foe without Haki or high defense.
Eric looked at his panel, which showed he had 10 Achievement Points and 12 Bond Points, and decided to upgrade Akame's stats.
[Name: Akame]
Age: 15
Physique: ★★★
Martial Arts: ★★
Swordsmanship: ★★★★★
Observation Haki: ★★★
Overall Combat Strength: ★★★★½
Her Physique, Swordsmanship, and Observation Haki all increased by one level.
"Akame, how do you feel? Any changes?" Eric asked.
"Hm? Not really," Akame tilted her head.
"Try sending out a flying slash in a safe direction," Eric suggested, worried she might accidentally injure herself or others due to a sudden boost in power.
"Moon Burial!"
Because Eric insisted Akame name her sword techniques instead of shouting "kill" every time, she reluctantly agreed to use "Moon Burial" when unleashing her sword energy.
A black sword wave sliced across the sea, parting the waters, which soon flowed back to cover the trail.
"My power has increased… the sword wave is larger and travels farther," Akame said calmly. She seemed to realize she had grown stronger, and her crimson eyes looked toward Eric, waiting for an explanation.
"Uh, I…" Eric stammered.
"If it's hard to explain, you don't have to," Akame interrupted.
'She's my comrade, someone I share life and death with. I may not be able to tell her about the system, but I can at least tell her I can enhance her stats.' With that thought, Eric said:
"I can increase the attributes of characters I summon, but it requires special conditions. Please don't tell anyone."
"…" Akame was stunned. She hadn't expected Eric to share such a big secret. Touched by his trust, she blushed slightly and smiled as she nodded,
"Okay."
[Ding… You've received a new message.]
[Akame's affection has increased significantly. Bond Level has risen from 3 (Trusted Friend) to 4 (Kindred Spirit). Gained 3 Bond Points.]
Seeing the system notification, Eric was delighted.
"Let's go find the Mustang Pirates. I'll steer the ship — Akame, you should stretch out and get used to your new abilities."
"Got it," Akame replied concisely. As a swordswoman, staying aware of her body's condition was crucial.
"How do you feel?" Eric asked after Akame finished her warm-up.
"My strength has increased by about 10%. Speed is up by about 30%. Sword energy's range and power have nearly doubled." Akame answered directly and precisely. Even though she used vague terms like "about," Eric could tell her numbers were quite accurate.
'Both strength and speed fall under physique. I added the same stat — why the different effects?' Eric wondered.
'Did the increased strength compound during movement, boosting her speed? Or is it because Akame is a speed-type fighter, so physique affects her differently? I also can't test her defense or recovery since she trains alone, and there's no way I'd hit her myself. Observation Haki's boost wasn't tested either. Looks like I'll need to experiment in the future to understand how stat upgrades actually affect performance.'
'The near-double increase in swordsmanship — is that because her swordsmanship hit 5 stars, or did the increase in strength also speed up her swings, amplifying the effect? I should've increased one stat at a time… Oh well, there'll be chances later.'
In the region where the Mustang Pirates were last seen, Eric and Akame searched for two days without finding them. However, they did run into two other bounty targets — a 2.2 million Berry "Killer" Enoch and a 1.7 million Berry "Thief" Bob. Later, while eating at a seaside restaurant, they even caught a 2.8 million Berry mountain bandit named "Chad the Firestarter" who tried to rob the place.
Funny how, in the world of pirates, a mountain bandit in East Blue had a higher bounty than some actual pirates.
[Ding… You've received a new message.]
[Achievement unlocked: "Bounty Hunter Hunting Mountain Bandits in a Pirate World." Achievement Points +1]
'Just gotta catch Mustang Jeff now! Where are you?!'
Somewhere unknown, Jeff suddenly shivered.
[Current Funds: 14.046 million Berries
Achievement Points: 11
Bond Points: 4]
(End of Chapter)