“I never thought I’d one day become a legendary Devil Fruit user!”
Nami hugged the strange fruit tightly, her eyes shining.
For a moment, she imagined herself standing against the sea itself no longer trembling before Arlong, no longer stealing in the shadows.
The corners of her lips unconsciously lifted.
Xia Wen glanced at the shattered jar on the ground and lightly snapped his fingers.
“Snap!”
The fragments twitched unnaturally, dissolving as if swallowed by the shop itself, merging seamlessly into the floor.
Nami froze, eyes widening.
What kind of ability was that?
Did the shop… absorb the jars?
A strange chill crept up her spine.
This mysterious Shop Owner
Just what exactly was he?
Her earlier suspicion was completely gone.
Someone who could casually sell a Devil Fruit for 100,000 berries… could not be ordinary.
“Logia-type… the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.”
Xia Wen spoke calmly.
“Its abilities depend on how you develop it.”
“But at the very least, you will gain elemental transformation, the power to generate lightning, high-speed movement, and destructive thunder attacks.”
He looked at Nami, whose mouth had unknowingly fallen open.
“Now… eat it.
This is your Miracle of Fate.”
There was something he didn’t mention.
Devil Fruits tasted absolutely terrible.
And only one bite was needed to gain the power.
But… this was part of the experience.
If one didn’t go through it, it wouldn’t feel real.
“Miracle… of Fate…”
Nami murmured, recalling the shop sign.
If she ate this…
She could fight Arlong.
Maybe even win.
This was power.
Power to save the village.
She took a deep breath and bit down.
“Ugh!!”
Instantly, her face twisted.
Tears sprang to her eyes, her body trembling as nausea surged violently.
Disgusting!
It was unbelievably disgusting!
Was this really a legendary Devil Fruit!?
But this was her miracle.
Her hope.
Her weapon.
Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to swallow.
Then, as if afraid she might hesitate, she devoured the rest in quick bites.
She went all in.
“BOOM!!!”
At that exact moment
Though the sky above Cocoyasi Village was clear, a bolt of lightning tore across it.
Thunder roared.
“Haa… haa…”
Nami gasped, her body trembling.
Power.
An overwhelming, foreign power surged through her veins.
It tingled… pulsed… crackled.
Almost instinctively, she raised her hand and pointed at the floor.
“Zzt!”
A streak of blue lightning shot from her fingertip and struck the ground.
Nami froze.
She stared at her hand
At the flickering arcs of electricity dancing across her fingers.
Slowly, stiffly, she looked up at Xia Wen.
He stood there calmly, a faint smile on his lips.
In that instant all doubt vanished.
What replaced it was pure shock… and overwhelming joy.
She had done it.
She had really obtained power.
For 100,000 berries
She had gained a Devil Fruit.
Tears streamed down her face.
But this time they weren’t tears of despair.
They were tears of hope.
The village… could be saved.
Everyone… could be freed.
“It seems you’re satisfied with your purchase.”
Xia Wen spoke at just the right moment.
“You may be the luckiest customer I’ve had.”
“So… would you like to open a few more jars?”
If he could sell all ten today, he would leave the beginner phase.
Nami froze.
More… jars?
Her expression turned conflicted.
Even with this new power, she didn’t lose her rationality.
She wasn’t foolish enough to rush straight at Arlong.
She needed time.
Time to understand this power.
Time to plan.
Time to make sure she could end everything in one move.
Opening more jars… could help.
But—
Money…
Her heart ached.
“I only have tens of thousands of berries left…”
She hesitated, then said:
“Shop Owner, can you hold the jars for me?
I’ll come back with money.
I want to buy the remaining nine!”
Then, a thought crossed her mind.
Maybe…
She could also buy one for Nojiko.
If her sister had power too…
She could finally stop worrying.
“That’s your choice.”
Xia Wen smiled faintly.
“But I don’t reserve goods.
If another customer comes, I’ll still sell them.”
Nami’s expression changed immediately.
If the Arlong Pirates discovered this place
If Arlong himself gained power from the jars
That would be a disaster!
“Shop Owner… can Marines or… the Arlong Pirates buy these?”
Her voice tightened.
“They’re tyrants!
They oppress this village!”
Xia Wen’s tone remained indifferent.
“I only sell jars.”
“Who the customer is… what they’ve done… has nothing to do with me.”
He added:
“And not everyone has your luck.
These are only ordinary jars.”
“Each person can only buy ten of the same type per week.”
This rule came from the System itself.
To prevent monopolization.
“Same type…?”
Nami’s eyes lit up.
There were higher-grade jars!?
“Then how much do better jars cost?”
“You don’t have access to them yet.”
Xia Wen shook his head.
In truth, he hadn’t unlocked them either.
The System required at least ten “notable figures” to purchase jars.
People who had left their mark on this era.
Nami… already counted as one.
Additionally, selling one hundred jars would unlock a second shop.
As the Shop Owner, he could move freely between them.
That meant he wouldn’t be stuck in the East Blue forever.
Compared to the Grand Line…
This place was far too quiet.
Nami exhaled slowly.
At least Arlong couldn’t instantly monopolize the jars.
That gave her time.
One week.
She had one week to gain enough strength.
Without another word, she turned and left to gather money.
The shop fell silent.
Xia Wen stretched slightly.
Then …”Zzt Crack Boom!”
Lightning exploded within the shop as he began testing his new ability.
The indestructible space allowed him to experiment freely.
After some time he dismissed his lightning form.
“It seems I still need to develop this power…”
Even so, there was good news.
Once the second shop unlocked
He would gain exclusive jars.
Better ones.
With higher chances of rare items.
Outside a Marine officer walked past, a cigarette hanging from his lips.
He frowned slightly, glancing at the sky.
“No thunder… so what was that sound?”
Then his gaze shifted.
To the shop.
A place he didn’t remember seeing before.
His eyes narrowed.
“When did that appear…?”