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More than an hour later, the storm had passed. The dark clouds dispersed, revealing a bright blue sky.
The crew of the Going Merry settled back into their usual routines, the earlier excitement giving way to a relaxed atmosphere.
"Huh? We can see the lighthouse so clearly, so why haven't we reached it yet?" Usopp grumbled, holding his binoculars to his eyes as he scanned the horizon.
Nami glanced at the navigator's tools, her expression calm. "That just means the guidance lighthouse is enormous. At our current speed, we'll reach Reverse Mountain in a few more hours."
Just as Nami finished speaking, Usopp pointed to a patch of sea not far ahead. "Hey, look over there! Why are there so many birds hovering around?"
Everyone turned to look, spotting a large flock of seabirds circling in the distance.
"Must be a big fish nearby," Sanji guessed. Then, an idea sparked in his eyes. "Hey, Luffy, let's see if we can catch it!"
At the mention of fish, Luffy's face lit up. "A big fish? I'm on it!"
Stretching out his rubber arms, Luffy reached toward the flock of birds.
"Gotcha!" he declared triumphantly, feeling something in his grasp. But as he reeled his arm back, it twisted slightly.
Sanji and Usopp, recognizing trouble when they saw it, dove for cover.
"Bang!"
"Thud!"
Two heavy impacts echoed across the deck, and Zoro—who'd been napping peacefully—found himself on the receiving end of Luffy's miscalculated catch.
Groaning as he sat up, Zoro shot a glare in Luffy's direction.
Luffy scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry! My bad, Zoro!"
Whether or not Zoro heard the half-hearted apology was anyone's guess, as he slumped back down with a grumble.
Meanwhile, Ikki paid no attention to the chaos on deck. He was in the cabin, preparing for an important ritual.
What kind of ritual? The pre-lottery ceremony, of course.
Having accumulated 10,000 points, Ikki planned to perform a round of ten golden draws.
First, he carefully washed his hands. Then, he changed into fresh clothes, lit a stick of incense he'd purchased in Loguetown, and sat cross-legged on the floor.
Satisfied that everything was in order, he began the draw.
The lottery wheel spun in his mind, and as it slowed, the rewards began to appear one by one:
[Marrow Cleansing Pill] (Gold-level item): Originating from the cultivation world, this pill purifies the body, enhancing one's innate potential and overall capabilities.
[Sharingan] (Silver-level item): From the Naruto world, this grants a one-tomoe Sharingan with the potential to evolve up to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
[Monkey Talisman] (Gold-level item): A relic from Jackie Chan Adventures, this talisman allows the user to transform others into animals and revert them back at will.
[Bamboo Copter] (Gold-level item): A device from Doraemon, enabling its user to fly through the air.
[Brutal Suit Set] (Silver-level item): From a futuristic world, this suit enhances the wearer's strength, speed, and defense significantly.
[Psyduck Poké Ball] (Silver-level item): Hailing from the Pokémon world, this ball contains a Psyduck that can evolve into a Golduck.
[Quincy Bow] (Gold-level item): A weapon from the Bleach world. This Quincy bow generates spiritual light arrows. In the One Piece world, it has been modified to rely on physical strength instead of spiritual power.
Ikki's lips curved into a small smile as he reviewed his haul. The mix of items offered intriguing possibilities, each with its own potential for adventure—or mischief.
[Teigu: Thousand-Mile Flight: Mastema] (Gold-level item): Originating from the world of Akame ga Kill, this Teigu allows for supersonic flight, the ability to launch feather-like projectiles as attacks, and the power to rebound flying objects like cannonballs.
[Small Light] (Silver-level item): From the world of Doraemon, this flashlight can shrink objects or people at will and return them to their original size.
[Gourmet Tree Sapling] (Silver-level item): From Toriko, this magical plant grows a variety of gourmet foods, providing endless nourishment and culinary possibilities.
The draw was complete.
Out of the ten draws, Ikki had secured four gold-level items: the Marrow Cleansing Pill, the Monkey Talisman, the Quincy Bow, and the Thousand-Mile Flight: Mastema.
Ikki analyzed each item with a mixture of excitement and practicality.
Marrow Cleansing Pill: A no-brainer. This item would dramatically enhance his physique and, most importantly, improve his innate potential. If it could bring his aptitude closer to Luffy's, Ikki considered that a win.
Monkey Talisman: A potentially overpowered item. While it could transform enemies into animals, Ikki knew it might be less effective against skilled opponents with Observation Haki, who could likely evade the talisman's light. Still, its sheer versatility made it invaluable.
Quincy Bow: This weapon greatly increased destructive power, but it didn't align well with Ikki's fighting style. He decided to keep it in reserve for now.
Thousand-Mile Flight: Mastema: This was by far Ikki's favorite. Flight was a rare and valuable ability in the pirate world, and the Teigu's speed and elegance made it all the more appealing. Not to mention… it's ridiculously cool!
Ikki extracted the four gold-level items, one by one.
The Marrow Cleansing Pill materialized as a round, golden elixir. The Monkey Talisman appeared as a small, octagonal stone engraved with a monkey symbol. The Quincy Bow manifested as a sleek cross-shaped bracelet. The Thousand-Mile Flight: Mastema transformed into a magnificent pair of wings.
Ikki carefully stored the Monkey Talisman in a safe corner of his cabin and slipped the Quincy Bow bracelet onto his wrist.
When he touched the Thousand-Mile Flight: Mastema, the Teigu suddenly turned into a stream of light and fused with his body. A pair of intricate wing tattoos appeared on his back, signaling his newfound ability.
With a mere thought, Ikki could now summon the wings for high-speed flight. He couldn't help but smile. This is going to be fun.
Next, Ikki turned his attention to the silver-level items. He extracted the Sharingan first.
As the ominous eyes floated before him, he hesitated briefly before touching them. The Sharingan fused into his own eyes, and Ikki felt a sudden, sharp clarity in his vision.
He covered his eyes instinctively, but when he opened them, his irises glowed a vivid blood red, a single magatama spinning in each eye.
Ikki tested his new vision, marveling at how much sharper everything appeared. He could even see the tiny legs of a mosquito buzzing nearby.
'Sharingan is definitely a good ability. It just needs to be upgraded. If I could unlock the Eternal Mangekyō someday… now that would be incredible.'
He mused briefly about how an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan would likely qualify as a gold-level item. It reminded him of the potential of a Zanpakutō from the Bleach universe: if it were a complete Zanpakutō instead of just a Shikai, it would undoubtedly be classified as gold-level too.
Ikki decided to pause on extracting the remaining items, knowing they would remain in a safe, dormant state until needed.
For now, he focused on the Marrow Cleansing Pill. Consuming it would likely trigger an intense and time-consuming process, so it was best to inform the crew before he began.
Ikki left his cabin and headed to the deck. To his surprise, no one was there.
He checked the kitchen and dining room next, hoping to find Luffy and the others.