"Shanks, I have a question," X said, sitting at the bar.
"Yeah, go ahead. What's your question?"
"A Devil Fruit… if for some reason I find one, would you recommend that I eat it or not?"
Shanks leaned his back against the counter and glanced sideways at X, who was still waiting for an answer to his question.
"If you find one… it depends. You're already quite strong. You're special, you have unique abilities without needing a Devil Fruit. If what you want is to gain more power, then yes, I'd recommend eating it. It could help you achieve your goals. But you must keep in mind that by doing so, you'll lose the ability to swim."
X fell silent for a few seconds, analyzing Shanks' words. He squinted for a moment, then said calmly:
"Thank you very much, you've cleared my doubts."
"Don't mention it. I just hope you don't end up eating a really bad Fruit… hahahaha."
Shanks let out a loud, almost contagious laugh. His face had a faint reddish hue; it was obvious the sake had gotten to him a little, but he still kept that firm, confident look — the look of someone who, despite being tipsy, was fully aware of what he was saying.
"On the other hand, you could follow a path like mine… I don't have any Devil Fruit, it's all pure skill," he said, moving his sake mug in front of X, as if trying to tempt him to drink.
"Shanks, I'm not going to drink," X replied, a bead of sweat sliding down his temple.
The redhead let out another rough laugh and placed the mug on the bar with a soft thud.
"Hahahahaha… well, it's your decision. Do what you think is right. If you feel that's your path, walk it with all the conviction and determination possible. That way, no matter the result, you'll have no reason to regret it."
Shanks' laughter slowly faded, like the echo of a wave breaking in the distance.
When he came back to his senses, the fruit was still in his hands, shining under the dim bluish light.
"So… this is what I have to decide now," he murmured, tightening his grip on it.
What X didn't know at that moment was that this wasn't an ordinary Devil Fruit—no, this one was different.
The moment he held it in his hands, the fruit seemed to react. A blue flicker ran across its surface, as if it were alive, vibrating with an energy that made his skin crawl.
"What the hell…?"
At that instant, the fruit began to disintegrate—not melting, but as if it were being erased from the world. Its body fragmented into thousands of celestial particles that floated in the air, spinning slowly before being absorbed into his chest.
X stood still, not knowing whether to be scared or impressed.
"Did it just… fuse with me?" he thought, staring at his own hands, which were still glowing with blue sparks.
The night breeze blew softly, carrying away the last trace of those particles, while he remained there, motionless, unable to process what had just happened.
"It can't be… this Devil Fruit didn't even give me time to choose an option."
X was bewildered. He jumped down from the tree in a single motion and began to walk slowly, trying to process what had just happened, paying attention to every sensation in his body.
"Luffy, the instant he ate one of these fruits, awakened his rubber abilities… I wonder what mine will be."
He finally accepted that the fruit had chosen him. There was no turning back. He knew that, from that moment on, the sea would be his enemy.
With a snap of his fingers, he appeared over the sand of the port. The salty breeze hit his face as he approached, step by step, the water, as if he wanted to confirm with his own eyes what he had lost.
"Let's see..."
He whispered, and with another snap, changed his outfit into a swimmer's suit before diving into the sea. Water splashed around him with a small splash. He was ready to react at any moment, ready to snap his fingers if he felt himself weakening.
But the strange thing was that… nothing happened. He was still floating as if everything were normal.
"Of course… why didn't I think of that before? I've never heard of a Devil Fruit that materialized and merged with someone. Normally you have to eat it. I guess, since it's different, its effects will be too. Or, in the best case… it won't have side effects."
X thought as he floated on the water, swimming calmly, moving his arms and legs in rhythm. The sensation of the sea was strangely familiar… and for the first time, he didn't feel fear, but curiosity.
Suddenly, a rectangular, floating screen—transparent and glowing a bright white—appeared before him. Around it, smoke of the same color slowly dispersed, while letters began to materialize.
[1% Synchronizing…]
"Synchronizing…? A floating screen? This looks like one of those video games companies release to promote their heroes… like an RPG."
[25% Synchronizing…]
Noticing the progress bar moving, he snapped his fingers and, in an instant, appeared in his room, wearing his pajamas. He sat on the edge of the bed, observing the screen more closely.
"Mmh… a loading screen."
[60% Synchronizing…]
"I'm not upset that my new ability works like a system. The only similar thing I've seen was in some comics…"
[99% Synchronizing…]
Suddenly, the screen shone intensely, lighting up the entire room. It flickered for a few seconds and then finally changed.
[Synchronization complete]
The screen blinked a couple of times before disappearing, being replaced by another.
[Welcome to the Gacha System]
"Gacha System?" he murmured, frowning.
[You have one roll. Please insert the coin.]
In front of him, a machine appeared out of nowhere. It had a large glass sphere at the top, held up by a red pillar that emitted a strange, almost hypnotic aura.
He stood up from the bed and walked toward it cautiously. Inside the glass, he could see several small spheres, each shining with a different color, spinning slowly as if waiting to be chosen.
He blinked, and at that very moment, a floating coin materialized in front of him. It hovered gently into his hands. He took it, spinning it between his fingers as a smile escaped him.
"This will be interesting… letting luck decide your fate, huh? Let's see what I get this time."
He stopped playing with the coin and inserted it into a slot on the pillar. As it fell, its metallic sound echoed throughout the room.
Inside the sphere, the small balls began to spin at full speed, leaving behind trails of light of every color.
[3 seconds.]
[2 seconds.]
[1 second.]
[Congratulations, user. You have obtained…]
The machine emitted a soft click, and from its base, a small metal platform emerged. In the center, a circular slot opened, from which a bright red sphere began to slide out.
X reacted instantly, extending his hand to catch it before it hit the floor.
As soon as his fingers touched it, the sphere vibrated slightly and began to dissolve into luminous red dust. The particles rose slowly, surrounding him, until they merged with his body.
"Again…?" he thought, watching in surprise as the glow disappeared into his chest, just like what had happened with the Devil Fruit.
In a matter of seconds, there was no trace of the sphere left. Only a faint warmth running through his arm.