Raphael: <>
System: []
******
Back on the Going Merry, after finishing lunch, the crew scattered across the ship, each tending to their own tasks. Meanwhile, Luffy, having already completed his duties for the morning, retreated to the captain's cabin.
Once inside, he plopped down onto his bed and grinned in anticipation as he decided to check the haul he had received after the whole ordeal with Don Krieg. "Alright, let's see what we got this time!" he said excitedly as he opened his system interface. To his surprise, two new titles and two achievements appeared in his notifications. Without wasting a second, he focused on the titles first.
[Certified Slayer: This title is evolved from 'Certified Killer' and is given to the individual who has taken 500 or more than 500 lives.
Reward: Randomizer Roll x 2]
Luffy let out a sigh as he read the first title. It was yet another reminder of a side of himself he had reluctantly accepted. He had come to terms with it, but at times, he couldn't help but wonder—were the laws of this world affecting his mental state? Was that why it felt easier to process all the lives he had taken so far? After all, he wasn't reincarnated into this world like some other isekai protagonists with his own will—he had been a transmigrator into this world, born inside the body of one of its inhabitants, merging his soul with them, making him more susceptible to the influence of the laws of this world.
"Huh... That actually makes a lot of sense," Luffy mused, rubbing the back of his head, before shaking his head and shifting his focus. Another interesting detail had caught his eye. "Looks like achievements can evolve too... Maybe they'll gain additional effects in the future. Yeah, that'd be nice," he muttered before moving on to the next title.
[A Fledgling Captain: This title is given to an individual who has successfully managed to recruit 5 people in their crew.
Reward: Randomizer Roll x 2]
Luffy frowned, staring at the title. "Is the system calling me a baby bird...? That's just rude," he muttered, crossing his arms. Sure, he was still new to this whole captain thing... and rarely gave out orders like a real captain, but did they really have to phrase it like that?
Shaking his head, he moved on and opened the Achievements tab.
[Tyrannical Takedown: This achievement is given to an individual who has defeated a cruel and oppressive pirate Don Krieg.
Reward: Randomizer Roll x 1]
[Princess Aboard: This achievement is given to an individual who has successfully manged to recruit a princess of a nation to their crew.
Reward: Randomizer Roll x 1]
Luffy absentmindedly picked up a pencil from the desk, chewing on the end as he skimmed through the descriptions. "The achievement for taking down Krieg was expected, I guess," he mused, twirling the pencil between his fingers. "But getting an achievement just for recruiting Reiju? Now that's a sweet bonus."
Without wasting any time, Luffy moved on to claiming his rewards. He rolled all six times, watching as the system processed his spins.
When the results came in, he let out a sigh.
Three of the items were completely useless—three sets of ordinary playing cards, a set of generic shuriken from Naruto, and Hawks' sunglasses from My Hero Academia.
"Really? Who even decides these rewards?" he muttered, picking up one of the playing cards and flipping it between his fingers. "At least give me something fun, like Gambit's magic cards or something..."
Still, his disappointment was short-lived. The other three rolls turned out to be far more interesting.
[Congratulations! Rachel Roth, aka Raven's Cloak, has been received!]
Luffy's eyes widened in excitement. "No way!" he grinned as he immediately retrieved the item.
A dark purple cloak materialized in his hands, its fabric soft yet incredibly durable. A large, crimson jewel clasp held it together, reminiscent of a brooch. But what stood out the most was the aura surrounding it—a faint, eerie energy that felt... heavy, almost suppressive.
As he ran his fingers over the smooth fabric, he turned to Raphael. "Hey, can you analyze this for any extra effects?"
A moment later, information appeared in his head, displaying the results.
[Raven's Cloak: The Raven's Cloak is an artifact from the world of DC Comics, belonging to the individual named Rachel Roth, aka Raven.
Effects:
Unbreaking ⅠⅠⅠ: Greatly enhances durability, preventing damage even under extreme conditions.
Detection-Warding: When worn, this cloak makes the user significantly harder to detect or notice, should they wish to remain unseen. In normal circumstances, once activated, others will completely overlook the user, no matter how much they might stand out. However, the effectiveness may vary depending on the perception or detection skills of those nearby.]
Luffy whistled, thoroughly impressed. "A detection-warding cloak, huh? That could be real useful... I know exactly who on the crew could make the most out of this," he mused, admiring the garment one last time before storing it in his inventory.
Still riding the high of his luck, he eagerly moved on to check the next item.
[Congratulations! Symbiote Suit (Non-Battle Variant), has been received!]
Luffy's eyes widened, and a huge grin spread across his face. "Symbiote Suit!!!" he exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement as he hurriedly retrieved the item from his inventory.
A sleek silver bracelet materialized in his palm, its surface cool to the touch. Inside, a viscous, inky-black liquid swirled restlessly, shifting and pulsating as if alive.
Despite his enthusiasm, Luffy wasn't reckless enough to just slap it on without knowing exactly what it could do. "Raphael, analyze it and tell me—is it safe to wear?"
[Symbiote Suit (Non-Battle Variant): This silver bracelet contains an egoless, consciousness-free symbiote. Once bonded with a host, it acts as an extension of the user's mind, transforming into any attire the wearer desires. This symbiote does not share the usual weaknesses of its species. However, in exchange, it has lost all combat and adaptive abilities, making it purely a form of clothing that provides decent protection to its host.]
A small pause, then Raphael's voice echoed in his mind.
Luffy exhaled in relief. "That's good to know." He had no interest in suddenly turning into a rampaging, mind-controlled monster. But then, a thought struck him. His grin returned, this time filled with curiosity.
"Wait a minute, Raphael—could you integrate this symbiote into my body? Like, restructure me so I can function like the symbiote itself?"
A brief silence.
Luffy blinked. "...Yeah, let's not do that." When Raphael warned him about something, he knew better than to argue. Some ideas just weren't worth the risk.
Shaking off the thought, he turned his attention back to the bracelet, eager to test it out. "Alright, let's see what this Symbiote Suit can really do."
Slipping the silver band onto his wrist, he felt a strange sensation as the black, gooey liquid oozed out and rapidly spread across his body. It moved unnaturally fast, coating him from head to toe in mere seconds.
For a brief moment, he was completely encased in the symbiote. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it retracted back into the bracelet, leaving him in his original clothes.
Luffy stared at the bracelet, then flexed his fingers. "...Well, that was an experience," he muttered before deciding to take things a step further.
Closing his eyes, he pictured an outfit in his mind. Almost instantly, his usual red vest and blue shorts vanished, replaced by a crisp white dress shirt, a fitted black vest, and neatly pressed black pants. His messy hair was suddenly styled into a more refined look, completing the elegant transformation.
His eyes widened in delight. "Whoa! This is amazing! This is gonna save me so much time and money!"
What followed was an embarrassingly long session of Luffy experimenting with different outfits. Some were stylish, others were absolutely ridiculous—a full samurai armor set, a pirate captain's coat twice his size, a superhero spandex suit, and even a giant mascot costume shaped like a banana.
Eventually, after laughing at his own nonsense for far too long, he settled on something both practical and fitting to his taste: a deep red leather jacket, worn and slightly weathered, layered over a faded gray t-shirt. His dark brown cargo pants were tucked into tall, black military-style boots with heavy, metallic soles, giving the whole ensemble a rugged, battle-ready feel.
He admired his reflection in the cabin's small mirror, turning slightly to get a better look. "Yeah... this is perfect."
With his new outfit set, Luffy turned his attention to the final item he had received from the system, and immediately his eyes lit up as he read the description. "Oh, a custom Devil Fruit—and the model is pretty amazing too," he said, a grin stretching across his face.
But as Raphael began explaining its abilities in detail, that grin only grew wider.
"Damn... this one's seriously good," he muttered, flipping the fruit in his hand. Its swirling patterns and unnatural shades of blue colors made it look as mysterious as ever, but what really intrigued him was its potential.
For a brief moment, he considered eating it himself. But after a few seconds of thought, he shook his head.
"Man, as cool as this is, it doesn't really fit my combat style," he admitted, tossing the fruit into the air and catching it absentmindedly. "I could probably make it work, but someone else could put it to way better use."
His mind immediately went to his crew—or rather, potential crew members. Uta was a strong contender, but he wasn't entirely sure if she was the perfect fit for this ability.
"I should wait and see if someone else matches what I have in mind," he mused, twirling the fruit once more before storing it safely in his inventory.
With that decision made, he stretched, rolling his shoulders before hopping to his feet. He had rested enough. Time to get moving.
Pushing open the cabin door, he stepped out onto the deck and began looking for a certain crew member of his.
******
"There you are," Luffy said as he spotted Kaya sitting on the upper floor of the ship, completely engrossed in a book. He grinned and strolled over. "Just the person I was looking for."
Kaya looked up from her book, her lips curving into a warm smile. "Hey, Luffy. Do you need something?" As her gaze settled on him, her expression shifted to mild surprise. "Wow, you look really nice! I didn't know you had something like that in your wardrobe.
Luffy chuckled, tugging at the sleeve of his sleek new outfit. "Thanks! I just got it from my Devil Fruit," he said proudly. Then, without missing a beat, he reached into his inventory. "And nope, I don't need anything. Actually, I have a gift for you."
Kaya blinked in surprise as he pulled out a dark purple cloak, held together by a large crimson jewel clasp. "Here, this is for you. It'll help hide your wings and make it easier to stay unnoticed during battles. Since you're our healer, keeping you safe means the rest of us stay alive longer too."
Her eyes widened slightly before softening with appreciation. "Oh, thank you, Luffy!" She took the cloak from his hands, running her fingers over its smooth yet sturdy fabric. "I was actually thinking about getting something like this myself."
She knew her wings tended to draw unwanted attention, and as Luffy had pointed out, that wasn't exactly ideal for the crew's medic. So if this cloak could help conceal her, it would be invaluable.
Without hesitation, Kaya draped the cloak over her shoulders and fastened the jewel clasp around her neck. The moment it clicked into place, a subtle shift in the air surrounded her, as though the cloak itself was acknowledging its new master. A quiet hum of energy settled around her, instinctively conveying its abilities.
Curious, she pulled the hood up. The moment she did, shadows cascaded down over the upper half of her face, leaving only her brilliant blue eyes visible beneath the veil of darkness.
Luffy's jaw dropped slightly. "Whoa! That looks awesome!" he said, eyes practically sparkling with excitement. Seeing her like this, it was impossible not to be reminded of why he'd always thought Raven's design was so cool.
Then, an idea struck him.
Without hesitation, he reached into his inventory and pulled out his phone. "Alright, we need a picture of this. Come on, pose with me."
Kaya tilted her head curiously. "What's that?" she asked, eyeing the small box-like device in his hands.
"This? It's a phone. Another one of the things I got from my Devil Fruit," Luffy answered smoothly, with a straight-faced lie.
Honestly, at this point, he had long since given up on hiding his phone from his crew—or anyone else who happened to see it. Not that it mattered. With enchantments like unbreaking, protection, and loyalty, no one could steal or destroy it anyway. Of course, he wasn't about to show them the One Piece manga or let them access the internet, but taking pictures? That was fair game.
"Just stand next to me and pose like it's a normal picture," he instructed, positioning himself beside her.
Kaya, still unsure about the whole thing, hesitated for a moment before giving a small smile and holding up two peace signs.
Luffy grinned and snapped the selfie. A second later, he turned the screen toward her.
Kaya's eyes widened as she stared at the image, wonder flashing across her face. "That's... amazing!" she breathed. Then, excitement overtook her curiosity, and she immediately began bombarding him with questions.
Luffy chuckled, already expecting this reaction. He had a feeling he'd be stuck answering her questions for a while.
******
As they chatted, the faint sound of footsteps echoed from the stairway below. Luffy's ears perked up, and with a quick use of his Observation Haki, he identified the person approaching and a mischievous glint sparked in his eyes.
"Kaya, you know how to activate the cloak's detection-warding ability, right?" he asked, turning to her with a sly grin.
"Yeah, I do," Kaya nodded, though she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his sudden excitement. "I just have to will it on or off."
"Great. Activate it now, and don't turn it off until I give you the signal," Luffy said, urging her to hurry.
Kaya blinked before realization dawned on her. She sighed, shaking her head at his childish antics, but still complied. The moment the cloak's ability activated, she became nearly undetectable—even Luffy, who had asked her to use it, had trouble sensing her presence.
Just then, Reiju stepped onto the upper deck. "Hey, Luffy and—" she began, but stopped abruptly. She frowned, scanning the area. "Wait, you're alone? I swear I heard you talking to someone just now."
"Really?" Luffy said, tilting his head with exaggerated confusion. "But as you can see, it's just me. All alone. With my lonely self," he added dramatically, clutching his chest as if overcome with sorrow.
Reiju gave him a deadpan look. "You are not funny." She folded her arms, narrowing her eyes. "And I know I heard someone else. My ears didn't just betray me."
Luffy fought to keep a straight face. "Maybe it's the wind whispering secrets to you," he said, barely holding back a smirk.
Reiju sighed, clearly unimpressed. "Whatever, I don't have time for your nonsense."
"Okay, okay, don't get all worked up. I actually have a gift for you," Luffy said, pulling a ring off his finger and tossing it to her.
Out of reflex, Reiju caught it, her brows furrowing as she examined the old yet elegant ring, adorned with a vibrant green gemstone. "What is this?" she asked, turning it between her fingers. Then, her lips curled into a smirk. "Are you seriously proposing to me? We've barely known each other for a week."
Luffy's expression went completely deadpan. "Proposing to you? Please, I have standards."
Reiju's smirk twitched, her eye giving the faintest of twitches. "Excuse me?"
He grinned, thoroughly enjoying the reaction. "Relax, I'm kidding. The ring increases your stamina recovery speed. You should wear it—it'll help you recover faster after training sessions."
When Luffy had first received the ring from the system, he had been excited. His Petrosapien abilities heavily relied on stamina, making the ring's effects useful. But after months of training, increasing his stamina reserves, and fighting multiple battles with his crystalline powers, the boost it provided had become negligible. The ring still had its uses, but he figured Reiju would benefit from it far more than he would.
Reiju slipped the ring onto her finger, and almost instantly, a refreshing sensation coursed through her body, washing away the lingering fatigue from her earlier training. She flexed her hand, watching the way the gemstone gleamed under the sunlight.
"Oh, not bad," she mused. "And it doesn't look half bad either."
Luffy grinned. "See? Now you have fashion and function."
Reiju smirked, giving him a sideways glance. "Guess I'll let you off the hook for that 'standards' comment... for now."
Luffy chuckled while his Observation Haki alerted him to another presence approaching.
Moments later, Uta strolled onto the deck, her sharp eyes immediately landing on the ring adorning Reiju's hand. She raised an eyebrow. "You're giving out gifts now? Where's mine?" She held out her hand expectantly, wiggling her fingers.
Luffy grinned and reached into his pocket. "Here, you might like this," he said, holding out a half-eaten piece of gum.
Uta's expression went flat. Without missing a beat, she snatched the gum and immediately hurled it back at him. Luffy ducked, laughing. "Aw, come on, that's good gum! I even saved half of it for you!"
Uta rolled her eyes before giving him a scrutinizing once-over. "By the way, what's up with your clothes?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Didn't know you had fashion sense—or, y'know, a sense of anything, really."
"Hey! I do have fashion sense!" Luffy shot back, puffing out his chest.
Uta scoffed. "Buddy, up until this morning, your entire wardrobe consisted of a red shirt and blue shorts."
"Yeah, because we had so many clothing options back home, right?" Luffy retorted with an eye roll. Then, his lips curled into a mischievous grin. "And do you really want me to start talking about all those bright-colored dresses you used to wear back at home?"
Uta's eyes widened ever so slightly before she quickly cut him off. "Aaanyway!" she said hastily, waving a hand as if physically pushing the topic aside. "Where's Kaya? I've been looking for her, but I can't find her anywhere."
Luffy grinned, stretching his arms behind his head. "Oh, Kaya? Well…" His grin widened—a full, shameless, shit-eating grin. "She's been here the whole time."
Reiju's eyes snapped open wide as she frantically scanned the deck. Uta, not missing a beat, activated her Observation Haki, her brows furrowing.
"Wait…" she muttered, shifting her gaze around. "There's definitely a fourth person here… but I can't pinpoint their location…"
Kaya, meanwhile, had quietly maneuvered behind Reiju, staying completely unnoticed. Then, without warning, she deactivated her ability and leaned in close.
"Hey," she whispered right into Reiju's ear.
"AHHH!"
Reiju yelled, nearly jumping out of her skin as her arms flailed wildly in panic.
Luffy immediately burst into laughter, doubling over as he clutched his stomach. "Oh—oh my god—your face!" he wheezed, pointing at her.
Reiju, still catching her breath, quickly turned her glare on Kaya, who looked entirely too pleased with herself. Then, shifting her burning, embarrassed fury, she locked onto Luffy.
"You—!" she growled, eyes ablaze with vengeance.
Luffy only laughed harder.
With a frustrated yell, Reiju lunged at him, launching into a full-blown chase around the ship.
Uta watched the chaos unfold, shaking her head with an amused smirk. Kaya, meanwhile, simply sighed, adjusting her cloak. "It does feel nice to play pranks friends," she muttered to herself.
*******
A week had passed since Luffy's prank on Reiju, and the Going Merry was sailing smoothly under the morning sun. In the kitchen, Luffy was flipping pancakes when the door suddenly burst open with a bang.
Uta stormed in, clutching a rolled-up map they had stolen from Shells Town's Marine branch. "Luffy! As captain, I need your opinion on this," she declared, slamming the map onto the table.
Luffy, unfazed, turned off the stove and wiped his hands with a napkin. "What's up?" he asked, strolling over with a curious tilt of his head.
"Look, we're approximately here right now," Uta said, flattening the map and jabbing a finger at a specific spot in the sea. "And this is the island I'm interested in," she added, her finger moving to a nearby island marked 16th Branch. "I think we should hit this place."
Luffy leaned in, eyes scanning the map. "Why this one?"
"It's isolated," Uta explained. "If we hit them fast enough, reinforcements won't have time to show up. Plus, if we pull off a successful heist, it'll give us a solid boost to our supplies. Win-win, right?"
Luffy hummed, considering her words. "Hmm… We could, I guess…" His brows suddenly furrowed as something clicked in his mind.
"Wait—did you say 16th Branch?" His gaze snapped back to the map, his finger tracing over the name as a memory surfaced. Then, his eyes widened in realization as he remembered who the captain of that branch was.
"That settles it!" Luffy declared, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "Uta, go tell everyone to get ready," he declared with a wide grin. "In two hours, we're raiding the 16th Branch Base!"
To be continued...