In the world of One Piece, there were islands no one bothered to name—forgotten lands too small to attract attention or too poor to spark desire. There, the wind passed without stopping, and the waves came only to die in indifference.
Crystal Island was one of them.
Located in East Blue, the calmest of the four seas—at least on the surface—it remained far from the great maritime routes and the legendary figures who sailed them.
This was where Elian had grown up.
A place where time seemed to flow more slowly, shaped by fishing, trade, and the stories of passing travelers. A simple life, almost motionless… yet one he had never truly been able to accept.
His gaze had always drifted toward the horizon.
That day, however, it wasn't the sea that caught his attention, but the land.
An opening in the rock, carved into the side of a cliff, drew his eyes. He was certain he had never seen it before. The entrance was narrow, almost hidden, as if it had always been there while refusing to be found. After a few seconds of observation, he decided to approach it and eventually stepped inside, driven by a curiosity stronger than any sense of caution.
Inside, the air was cooler, heavy with an ancient scent, and the sound of his footsteps echoed softly against the damp walls, giving the cave a strange, almost unreal atmosphere. The deeper he went, the heavier the silence became, as if this place was completely cut off from the rest of the world.
That was when he saw it.
At the back of the cave, a strange light emanated directly from the stone, pulsing faintly like a silent heart. Contrary to what he might have expected, it wasn't simple curiosity that crossed his mind, but a genuine hesitation.
A chill ran down his spine as his eyes remained fixed on that unnatural light, and for a brief moment, the idea of turning back imposed itself with unexpected clarity. Yet, as always, that hesitation didn't last long. His curiosity quickly took over.
So he moved forward again, slowly, never taking his eyes off the light, with the strange impression that it was reacting to his presence, as if it had been waiting for him for a long time. His heart began to beat faster as he extended his hand, a brief hesitation crossing his mind before his fingers finally made contact with the glowing surface.
At that exact moment, everything shifted.
The ground seemed to vanish beneath his feet, and every sound disappeared, replaced by absolute emptiness, while an invisible, crushing pressure fell upon him, as if he had come into contact with something infinitely greater than himself. Instinctively, he tried to pull back, but his body refused to respond, frozen by a force he could not comprehend, while his mind was overwhelmed by a chaotic flood of sensations, images, and impressions impossible to grasp.
Everything rushed past at a dizzying speed, without logic or structure, as if an infinite amount of information was forcing itself into him all at once, far beyond his ability to understand.
Then, suddenly, everything stopped.
Silence returned, this time heavy with a presence impossible to ignore, as if something invisible and conscious had just made contact with him and was now observing him directly.
Words appeared in his mind with brutal clarity.
[System initialized]
They were not heard, yet instantly understood, as if they had always been there, engraved deep within him. Elian inhaled sharply and stepped back slightly as he finally regained control of his body.
"…What was that…?"
Little by little, the information began to organize itself in his mind.
[Connection established]
[Source: Shinobi Universe]
This time, it was no longer chaotic.
The concepts took shape—clear, structured—accompanied by precise information that imposed itself naturally, like an interface he understood without needing to learn it.
The first notion was chakra.
He quickly understood that it was an energy present in all living beings of this universe, a combination of physical and spiritual energy. It wasn't an abstract idea, but something real, measurable… essential.
Without chakra, nothing was possible.
Techniques, abilities… even summons depended on it.
Then came hereditary powers.
The understanding took a little longer to settle this time, but it eventually did. Some individuals were born with unique abilities passed down through their lineage—aptitudes impossible to reproduce naturally.
It wasn't just an advantage.
It was a difference in level.
However, the system did not stop there.
Other forms of power existed, even stranger and harder to grasp. Some seemed to go beyond simple hereditary abilities and touched something deeper, like the tailed beasts.
His gaze drifted for a moment, but this time, it wasn't confusion.
It was realization.
Elian ran a hand through his hair, clearly overwhelmed by everything he had just discovered, but instead of stepping back, a smile slowly appeared on his lips.
"…Wait."
He lifted his head slightly, his eyes shining with growing interest.
"If you're giving me all this information, it means I'm supposed to have access to it."
Elian spoke without thinking too much this time. He still struggled to believe any of this, but part of him had already accepted that it wasn't an illusion. His gaze shifted slightly, as if still searching for an inconsistency… something that would prove none of this made sense.
Nothing changed.
[Yes. With the shop, all powers from the shinobi universe are accessible.]
He blinked once, then let out a small breath, somewhere between surprise and disbelief.
All powers.
"…Wait. Everything?"
He ran a hand through his hair, a bit lost this time, but not panicking. Just overwhelmed… and strangely interested.
"The shop… what is it?"
Elian asked, intrigued.
[The shop is the center of your possibilities.]
The voice shifted slightly, clearer, more structured.
[Everything you have perceived so far is part of it. Chakra, hereditary powers, summons, equipment… every element is accessible.]
As the words appeared, something took shape in his mind. It wasn't an image or a real space, but a clear, instinctive structure. Categories formed on their own, and the moment he focused on them, the information followed instantly.
The first lines appeared almost timidly.
[Shuriken: 15,000]
[Kunai: 30,000]
[Explosive Tag: 120,000]
Elian observed without reacting much. These items were understandable, almost normal… almost reassuring, even. So he continued, letting his attention drift further without really thinking.
Without realizing it, he moved on to other elements.
[Katon Affinity: 40 million]
[Sharingan (1 tomoe): 90 million]
His brows furrowed slightly. This time, it wasn't the same. The gap was obvious, brutal… almost absurd.
Time passed without him noticing. The information kept flowing, becoming heavier, harder to follow, and the prices slowly lost all sense, as if they simply weren't meant for him.
Then, at some point, he stopped.
A small breath escaped him, slightly tense.
"…Yeah. No."
He shook his head, stepping back slightly, as if that simple movement could create distance between him and all of this. He eventually gave up on continuing, the prices simply too high, far beyond anything he could even imagine reaching.
Yet his gaze drifted one last time, almost against his will, catching a category he hadn't really explored yet.
[Summons]
He narrowed his eyes slightly. This was different. Not objects, not really abilities either… something else.
He hesitated for a second, then, despite himself, focused on it.
The moment he did, the information shifted.
[Summons: living entities permanently linked to you after acquisition.]
Elian remained still for a moment, eyes slightly narrowed. That single sentence already made a clear difference. This wasn't about weapons or abstract abilities anymore, but actual beings.
The rest followed naturally.
[Each summon possesses its own consciousness, experience, and power. They can act autonomously or respond to your commands. Their loyalty is guaranteed by the system.]
He took a slow breath, trying to grasp what that truly meant. This wasn't just a combat advantage. It was… someone. A real presence, capable of thinking and acting on its own.
His gaze then shifted to the first options.
[Standard Summon: 50 million
Genin: 40%
Chunin: 20%
Jōnin: 8%
Kage: 3%
Quasi Divine: 0.9%
Divine: 0.1%]
[Advanced Summon: 200 million
Genin: 25%
Chunin: 22%
Jōnin: 18%
Kage: 10%
Quasi Divine: 4.5%
Divine: 0.5%]
This time, he actually took the time to read. The probabilities were far from reassuring, but at least they existed. It gave a foundation… something concrete.
He continued anyway.
A slight shift of thought, and more lines appeared.
[Elite Summon: 1 billion]
[Legendary Summon: 5 billion]
[Mythical Summon: 20 billion]
His gaze stayed fixed on them for a moment.
The prices were absurd. Completely out of reach.
But that wasn't what caught his attention the most.
A new line had appeared.
[Access conditions not met.]
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
[Unlock: perform a sufficient number of standard and advanced summons.]
This time, he understood.
It wasn't just about money.
He had to progress. Go through the first steps.
He stayed silent for a few seconds, processing the information, before letting out a quiet breath.
"…So even if I had the money, I couldn't access them right away."
[Correct.]
He ran a hand through his hair, a faint, tired smile appearing on his face.
"…Yeah. We're definitely starting slow."
Yet his gaze returned to the lines he had just read, this time lingering on a detail he had overlooked until now. The terms seemed clear on the surface… but their meaning still escaped him.
He frowned slightly.
"Genin… Chunin… what does that mean?"
A brief moment passed, then the answer appeared—more detailed than before, as if the system was adapting to his confusion.
[Genin: initial level. Trainees with basic combat skills and chakra control.]
Elian blinked lightly, absorbing the information without difficulty.
[Chunin: intermediate level. Individuals capable of operating independently, with greater experience and control.]
The terms were simple, but precise. Nothing was left vague.
[Jōnin: advanced level. Elite combatants capable of handling complex situations and facing multiple opponents.]
He let out a quiet breath. The gap between each level was starting to take clear shape in his mind.
Then the next lines appeared, heavier.
[Kage: high-level. Represents the absolute elite. Power and mastery far beyond standard limits.]
This time, he didn't react immediately. Even without references, he understood. That level… was already something else entirely.
But the system continued.
[Quasi Divine: exceptional level. Capabilities far exceeding human limits.]
[Divine: ultimate level. Power beyond measure, difficult to quantify.]
A brief silence settled.
Elian remained still, staring at the final lines. He had no point of comparison, nothing concrete to measure it against… and yet, he understood.
The higher it went…
The further it drifted from anything he had ever known.
A brief silence settled.
Then, without warning, a new line appeared.
[Beginner Reward Available.]