"Whoa… now that's what I call a jackpot."
Liam Ross whistled under his breath, staring in awe at the glowing system panel before him. The weekly reward package had dropped, and its contents were leagues above the usual daily sign-ins.
A premium flintlock pistol, experience cards, and most importantly the legendary powers of Haki and a Devil Fruit.
Those two were the very foundations of power in this world. Anyone who walked the path of the strong especially in the second half of the Grand Line needed at least one of them. Every pirate with a bounty over a hundred million possessed Haki of some kind, and most had eaten a Devil Fruit that set them apart from the ordinary.
And now, both were his for the taking.
Liam's excitement spiked as his gaze locked onto the Armament Haki Fusion Card. Forget the flintlock, forget the experience cards this was what he'd been dreaming of.
"System, I want to fuse Armament Haki!"
The card shimmered and dissolved into a flurry of golden motes that sank into his skin.
A surge of heat rushed through his body.
"Congratulations, Host. Armament Haki successfully integrated."
At once, Liam felt something awaken deep within. He lifted his hands; the moment he willed it, a metallic black sheen spread over his arms, as if molten iron had solidified over his skin.
Sunlight spilled through the window, gleaming against his obsidian-coated forearms. He could feel the weight and density of the power pulsing within him, compact and unyielding.
A grin tugged at his lips. "Now this… this is power. No wonder they say Armament Haki is the most direct form of offense."
With a thought, the coating faded, and his arms returned to normal.
Next, his attention drifted to a shimmering object on his table a multi-colored Devil Fruit blind box.
"System," he asked curiously, "is it possible to get any type of Devil Fruit from this? Logia, Paramecia, Zoan?"
"Of course!" replied the system confidently.
That made things interesting. If he could wish for one ability above all, it would be a Logia-type fruit the rarest and most destructive class of them all. Every Admiral worth their title had eaten one.
"Alright then…" Liam clasped his hands together dramatically. "Heaven above, please bless me with a Logia fruit. Let it be something extraordinary!"
The system chimed.
"Would the Host like to open the blind box now?"
"Open it!"
The box burst into radiant light.
"Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the Logia-Type: Earth-Earth Fruit."
Liam froze. "...What?"
Floating before him was a dull brown Devil Fruit etched with swirling patterns. He blinked. He'd never seen or heard of this one in the manga or anime.
"So this is… a new fruit? One that's never been recorded?"
The name itself said it all Earth-Earth Fruit. Its power had to be connected to the ground.
He hesitated. Should he eat it?
Sure, it was Logia, but Devil Fruits came with a major drawback: you could never swim again.
He sighed. "Guess I'll just have to live as a landlubber."
Curiosity finally won out. Liam lifted the fruit and took a bite.
Instant regret.
"Ugh holy crap!"
His face contorted in disgust as the vile taste assaulted his tongue. He gagged, forcing down the piece before tossing the rest aside.
"Why do these things always taste like death?" he groaned. "How did Luffy eat a whole one?"
Within seconds, the power took hold. A flood of new sensations filled his body. He placed his palms against the floor and gasped.
His hands began merging with the ground.
The solid surface rippled like liquid beneath him, rising and falling like ocean waves. He had become one with the earth.
"Unbelievable…"
He quickly realized what this meant: as long as there was soil or stone beneath him, he could manipulate it freely. And since most of Marineford was built with brick and earth, he could literally reshape half the island if he wanted to.
If he didn't get crushed by Sengoku and Garp first.
Liam couldn't stop grinning. With both Armament Haki and a Logia Fruit under his belt, his power had skyrocketed.
He summoned his status panel.
Host: Liam Ross
Age: 18
Bloodline: None
Skills: Six Forms (Proficient), Swordsmanship (Great Swordsman), Armament Haki (Mastered), Earth-Earth Fruit (Mastered)
Items: Good Guy Card, 2 Intermediate Experience Cards, Premium Flintlock (100 bullets), Candy (10), Instant Noodles (2)
Overall Power Evaluation: Mid Second-Tier equivalent to a Supernova or the weakest of the Seven Warlords.
Not bad at all.
Each sign-in rewarded him with experience cards, steadily strengthening his techniques and Haki. He wasn't at Admiral level yet, but the pace of growth was terrifying.
After upgrading both Armament Haki and the Earth-Earth Fruit with his two new experience cards, he heard the distant toll of Marineford's morning bell.
Time for work.
Liam slipped on his sailor uniform, grabbed his mop, and reported for duty. Just as he was about to begin his morning sign-in, his superior called out.
"Liam! Head to Admiral Sengoku's office. Clean it before he arrives. Got it?"
His heart skipped a beat. Admiral Sengoku's office? That meant a special location bonus.
Suppressing his excitement, he hurried to the top floor of the Marine Headquarters the restricted zone where the Admirals and the Fleet Admiral worked. He handed over his work order to a staff officer, who escorted him into Sengoku's office.
"Be careful," the officer warned. "Don't touch anything. Understand?"
"Right, right…" Liam forced a smile. How am I supposed to clean if I can't touch anything?
Once the officer left, he whispered, "System, perform morning sign-in."
"Detecting special location: Admiral Sengoku's Office. Bonus reward +10%."
"Congratulations, Host. You have obtained: Sengoku's Strategic Mind."
Liam blinked. "The wisdom of Sengoku?"
Instantly, his thoughts sharpened. Ideas connected effortlessly, every detail and outcome within his grasp. His mind felt like a finely tuned engine.
He chuckled. "Now that's a useful ability."
In no time, he finished cleaning the office. Just as he was about to leave, the system chimed again.
"Mission Triggered: Target Admiral Sengoku. Touch his shoulder to complete the task."
"Reward: Mysterious Treasure Chest."
Liam froze, mop still in hand.
"…System, are you trying to get me killed?"