Chapter 2: The Belated System
Walking into a deserted alley, Eric calmed himself to carefully study the system that had arrived 12 years late.
[Player has successfully survived 12 years in the world of One Piece and reached adulthood. System activated.]
[2D System: Want to bring your beloved waifu home? Want to team up with the strongest in your heart? Then this is the game for you!]
[Resist harmful games. Reject pirated games. Be mindful of self-protection. Avoid being deceived. Moderate gaming is good for the brain; addiction is harmful to the body. Manage your time reasonably and enjoy a healthy life.]
'...' Seeing the exact same anti-addiction disclaimer from his previous life, Eric almost felt like he was really just playing a game.
[Status Panel: Activated]
[Shop: Activated]
[Inventory: Activated]
[Loading complete. Good luck surviving (redacted). Enjoy the game.]
"Open status panel," Eric muttered quietly.
[.] That silence was more insulting than words. It made his blood boil.
Eric cursed out loud, "Damn it!"
Then he tried using his mind to click the status panel, and the semi-transparent template smoothly opened.
[Character: Darren Eric ]
[Age: 17]
[Constitution: Two Stars]
[Hand-to-Hand Combat: One and a Half Stars]
[Swordsmanship: One Star]
[Firearms: One Star]
[Armament Haki: Zero]
[Observation Haki: Zero]
[Conqueror's Haki: Not awakened]
[Devil Fruit: None]
[Skills: Six Powers (Shave)]
[Overall Combat Power: One and a Half Stars]
[Achievement Points: 0]
[Money: 235,000 Berries]
[Evaluation: What have you even done in the past 12 years?]
'...' Eric ignored the final remark.
He then mentally opened the [Shop].
A promotional line popped up: [Everything from the 2D world can be found here. Come and shop!]
At the top of the shop page was an item:
[Item: Surprise Box (You might get something great! Or absolute junk.)]
"As someone who always pulls the lowest-tier rewards in gachas and always gets the wrong SSR card from the wrong pool… this thing's just a money sink!" Eric grumbled, cursing his gacha luck.
On the left side of the shop were over a dozen categories:
[Category: Weapons]
[Category: Summoning Mediums]
[Category: Devil Fruits]
'Holy crap, you can really buy these? That means I could instantly blast off!' But the moment he looked at the prices, he shut down emotionally. Even the most basic Zoan-type Devil Fruit cost over 150 million Berries. The Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit) was priced at a staggering 3 billion.
'What about the Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit)? If I buy it, can I snatch Blackbeard's destiny from him?'
[System denies request. The Yami Yami no Mi is a key trigger for the Summit War and cannot be sold in the shop or acquired through other means. For other fruits like the Goro Goro no Mi, once Enel consumes it, it will be removed from the shop. Note: If a Devil Fruit user is killed, the fruit will respawn and become available in the shop again. If the player buys a Devil Fruit from the shop, it will disappear from all other places (including from others' hands).]
'Hmm. That actually does match the rule that only one person can have each Devil Fruit at a time.'
After seriously browsing and swallowing nervously, Eric realized that aside from the lottery boxes, he couldn't afford anything. Just like his nightly habit of window-shopping on e-commerce sites, he quietly closed the shop tab.
Eric spent another minute examining the translucent main panel and noticed a small [Rules] tab in the bottom right corner. This kind of sneaky placement was a dead giveaway—definitely some hidden player-trap rules.
[Tch]
Not sure if it was his imagination, but it sounded like someone clicked their tongue.
He opened the [Rules].
{1. Player injuries or death have nothing to do with the game. Handle your own injuries; there is no obligation to revive the dead.}
{2. Each summoning of a 2D character requires a medium. The better the medium, the stronger the companion.}
{3. To summon another character, the bond level with the current one must reach level 3 (Trusted Friend).}
{5. Monthly quests will be issued. Successful completion yields major rewards. Failure has no penalties (we recommend doing them).}
"Wait a second, what happened to rule four?!" Eric couldn't help but complain.
[Tch]
Eric vaguely heard the tongue-clicking again.
{4. Each summoned character will be automatically loaded with basic knowledge of the One Piece world, which may cause some confusion. Their relationship with the player starts as neutral friends. Do not take advantage of them or reduce favorability, or they may become hostile. Once bond level reaches 3, summoned characters will never betray you.}
'This system is scary! Why was such important information hidden from me?!' Eric felt relieved he hadn't walked straight into a trap.
[Rules – Page 2]
{6. Player's star attributes can be increased through training or by using achievement points.}
{7. Summoned companions' stars can be increased through their own training or through bond points.}
{8. Bounty criminals defeated by the player can be claimed for Berries directly in the shop—no need to exchange with the Marines. Even pirates can collect bounties.}
{9. Achievement points are earned through events, hidden achievements, monthly quests, and temporary missions.}
[Ding! You have five new messages.]
[Achievement Unlocked: "Witnessed the Dawn of the Great Age of Exploration" – 3 points]
[Achievement Unlocked: "First Hunt" – 1 point]
[Achievement Unlocked: "First Kill of a Million-Berry Criminal" – 1 point]
[Achievement Unlocked: "Ten Criminals Defeated" – 1 point]
[Achievement Unlocked: "Protagonist Reaches Adulthood" – 1 point]
{10}
{998. Out of respect for player rights, players are free to choose whether or not to complete events and missions.}
{999. All consequences of completed events are the sole responsibility of the player.}
{1000. Final interpretation rights belong to the system.}
Dozens of pages later, Eric had spent almost an hour reading everything. After carefully reviewing the rules, he finally got a general understanding of the system: summon 2D characters as companions, build a team, grow stronger, and become the new master of the world!
[Ding! You have one new message.]
[Monthly Quest 1: Summon a Companion]
[Details: Starting September 3, Year 1510, summon your first companion within 30 days. Reward: 1,000,000 Berries, 5 Bond Points, and a single-mast sailboat]
"As long as I complete the summoning quest, I won't even have to buy a boat."
In Loguetown, even a small wooden sailboat would cost millions of Berries.
Eric glanced around. The secluded alley was still empty. He decided to proceed immediately: "I'll summon my first companion right here!"
He bit his finger and used the blood to draw a summoning circle. Because the wound was too small, he had to bite himself several times. He placed his newly bought knife in the center of the circle, stood up straight, and stretched his hand toward the summoning array:
"I summon you—my companion!"
Within seconds, a faint light flashed... and nothing appeared. A gentle breeze blew past, lifting a lock of hair from his forehead. With wild grass swaying between the cracks in the pavement, all that remained was an awkward silence.
[Summoning failed. Summoning item too low in quality.]
Eric silently covered his face. That cool pose was wasted. He picked up the knife, replaced it with his more expensive flintlock pistol, and tried again:
"I summon you—my companion!"
[Summoning failed. Summoning item too low in quality.]
"Ugh, what a damn scam of a summoning system..."
(END CHAPTER)
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