[Notice, World Information Updated. System Restart Complete.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Defeat Young Marine Admiral Aokiji, Marco, Buggy, Shanks]
[Survival Mission: One Year and Three Months Completed]
[Issuing Achievement Points: 310 points. Current Achievement Point Balance: 350]
Sakura, who is blocked by a massive stone door deep within the ruins, suddenly heard a cold notification tone in her ear.
'System? You've been silent so long I thought you'd uninstalled yourself.'
While Gaban beside her was engrossed studying the special characters on the door, Sakura quietly teased the system.
[Notice: The system will be uninstalled upon the host's death. Initiate uninstall procedure: yes/no]
'Oh, you system! Since I, Haruno Sakura, crossed over, I've toiled day and night, fearing to fail the mission entrusted to me, lest it harm both our lives. Thus, I have devoted my heart and strength, throwing myself in with these pirates.'
'Now that I have boarded the pirate ship and have begun to master Haki, you, hoary-headed system, give no thought to acquiring achievements above or dispensing points below.'
'How dare you bark about uninstalling before your host! I, Haruno Sakura, today will...'
'No!'
[Heh]
Completely ignoring what the system said, Sakura pretended nothing happened and began earnestly observing the text on the stone door.
But the system didn't seem to disappear. Instead, it continued displaying a line of text in her vision.
[Notice, Ancient Giant's script detected. Acquire?]
'Oh! You have this function too!'
Sakura's eyes lit up. She chose to acquire without hesitation.
[Notice, 150 achievement points deducted. Ancient Giant's script acquisition complete.]
'Tch, it costs points.'
Sakura secretly clicked her tongue.
However, after taking the points, the system's efficiency was extremely high.
It took less than a second to transmit the meanings corresponding to various characters into Sakura's mind.
Suddenly understanding the text, the girl couldn't help but read aloud the content written on the stone door.
"We got too close to the sun. We're sorry, children of the future!"
Hearing the girl's voice, Gaban's eyes widened, and he turned around in surprise.
"You can read the text above?"
"Yeah, it seems to be Ancient Giant script."
Sakura didn't hide it, directly telling Gaban the type of script.
Hearing Sakura's answer, Gaban rubbed his chin and paced back and forth in front of the girl.
Only after making her bristle did he speak: "You can read Ancient Giant script, and you have this unnatural strength... You couldn't actually be a child of Elbaf lost abroad, could you?"
"Have you ever seen a Giant child my size?"
Sakura rolled her eyes at Gaban, raising her hand and waving it over her own 1.19-meter-tall head.
"Oh, that's true too..."
Gaban scratched his head with a puzzled expression.
But there was no time for Gaban to ponder further. After Sakura read the text aloud, the stone door before them began to vibrate.
A dark blue energy flowed through the intricate network of pipes on the door's surface, emitting a low hum.
Accompanied by the sound of mechanisms engaging and hydraulic systems releasing pressure, the stone door rapidly rose.
"It's open!"
Gaban, on full alert, reached out to pull Sakura behind him, but his hand closed on empty air.
Sakura, who had been beside him, had already stepped through the door ahead of him.
"Hey, don't do that! It's dangerous!"
Gaban drew his twin axes and stepped through the mist wafting from inside the door, chasing after her.
Entering the stone door, under the orderly lighting that flickered on, the two had the illusion of being in a dream.
The surroundings were neat, smooth walls. Small autonomous robots were meticulously cleaning the interior.
Even though their creators had left centuries ago, the entire laboratory was maintained spotlessly new.
But what made Sakura and Gaban dazed wasn't these autonomous robots…
It was the enormous humanoid skeletons contained within the giant incubation pods… long dead.
"This is... Giants..."
Gaban lost his voice, his sunglasses slipping to reveal his trembling pupils.
Sakura stepped forward slowly, gently placing her hand on the surface of an incubation pod.
It was as if a sorrow transcending time was calling to her, urging her to go deeper.
So the girl didn't hesitate. She broke into a run.
"Hey, Sakura-chan!"
Gaban sighed helplessly and quickly followed.
The sound of footsteps on the metal floor echoed through the empty laboratory.
Sakura ran all the way to the innermost part of the lab. A magnificent blend of deep blue and crimson red hues unfolded before them.
Bathed in this light was a mysterious plant, rooted in the crevice where ice and fire met.
Half of its leaves resembled burning flames, the other half were like ice crystals.
At the top of the plant grew a fruit covered in strange patterns.
"A Devil Fruit! The Devil Fruit from the murals outside!!!"
Gaban held his breath, afraid that his heavy breathing might affect this treasure.
Sakura stepped forward, reaching out towards the fruit on the plant.
And as if attracted, the Devil Fruit fell into Sakura's hand.
"Devil Fruit. Power cursed by the sea."
Sakura's soft voice sounded particularly clear in the silent laboratory.
"Looks like this fruit chose you."
Having accompanied Roger into God Valley and faced the God's Knights, Gaban knew many secrets about Devil Fruits, one of which was their will.
Many Devil Fruits on the seas housed a will. The fruit's will would spontaneously choose a suitable master and guide them to eat it.
Rumors said this characteristic was particularly evident in Zoan-types.
"Well, since you found it, it's your treasure now."
"You decide whether to..."
Before Gaban could finish his sentence, the girl's voice interrupted him.
Crunch!!!
"It tastes terrible, really terrible!"
The girl retched while swallowing large mouthfuls of the fruit. An indelible horrible taste bloomed on her taste buds.
It was like eating boiled durian mixed with fermented herring. A fishy smell and a physiologically unbearable weird taste mixed in her mouth.
"Gaban, blergh~"
Sakura looked pitifully at the burly man beside her.
"At least let people finish their sentences!"
The angry Gaban bared his shark-like teeth, clenched his fist, and knocked it on Sakura's head.
The blue cold air climbed up his arm, instantly freezing half his body solid.
"Oh~ so this is your ability?"
Gaban's mouth split into a wide, unrestrained grin.
"Brat, let your uncle teach you today. Only Haki can reign supreme above all else!"
Armament Haki surged, shattering the ice on his hand.
Gaban's hearty laughter collided with the scorching light gathering in Sakura's hand.
Boom!!!!
The entire island trembled. The Roger group, Rayleigh group, Oden group, and others exploring different parts of the ruins all looked up towards the source of the erupting Haki.
...
When the sun set behind the mountains-
The scattered members of the Roger Pirates gathered on the Oro Jackson.
Roger happily hugged the copy of Poneglyph, deciphering them with Oden in a corner of the deck.
As vice-captain, Rayleigh stood with his arms crossed, looking at Gaban and Sakura.
"So, how did you two end up like this?"
The injured Gaban had the upper half of his clothes burned off, half his eyebrows singed, and his hair covered in ice shards.
Standing beside him, Sakura was also covered in dust on her body and clothes, with several large bumps on her head.
"Sorry, I got a bit carried away after getting the Devil Fruit's Ability."
Since she had started the fight, Sakura stepped forward to take responsibility.
"Hah-!"
Sakura's words instantly attracted the attention of the other idle crew members. The crowd surrounded them in layers.
Sunbell the Fish-Man, who often bickered with Sakura, spoke for all the Roger Pirates, asking the question on everyone's mind.
"So, what ability is it exactly?"