Sometimes It Worked, Sometimes It Didn't / Lucky Cat

[System inventory (2/2): small fishing boat; seastone x131000]

[You have hired Nami for approximately 30 days]

Nami hugged the pile of heavy gold, her chest full of happiness, when she suddenly heard Ruidio say, "Lend me those three sticks on your leg."

"At your service~" Nami replied ingratiatingly, grinning as she handed him the three-section staff strapped to her thigh.

Ruidio put the replica three-section staff and two pieces of seastone into the Three-in-One System at the same time.

[Slot 1: assembly-type three-section staff]

[Slot 2: seastone]

[Slot 3: seastone]

Ruidio confirmed the synthesis and tried repeatedly. At last, he got the version he wanted—a three-section staff composed almost entirely of seastone, down to the two chains joining its sections.

"I'll call you 'Playful Cloud.'" He gripped the heavy staff with satisfaction.

Chapter 11: Sometimes It Worked, Sometimes It Didn't

Even back then, with piles and piles of ordinary swords at his disposal, using the Three-in-One System to synthesize Malevolent Shrine, the Great Grade Sword Ruidio now carried, which was in no way inferior to Wado Ichimonji, had depended heavily on luck.

That was because what this damn Three-in-One ultimately produced was entirely up to chance.

Ruidio had tossed the replica of Nami's three-section staff and two pieces of seastone into it. The first synthesis had simply embedded the seastone into the staff, much like Smoker's Jitte, and in an awkward spot, too: the middle of the staff.

Seastone was a special ore said to contain the power of the sea, and it could counter Devil Fruit Users. But embedded in the middle of the staff with only a tiny bit exposed, it was just ridiculous.

Ruidio had no choice but to take out two more pieces of seastone and throw the half-finished staff back in for another round of Three-in-One forging... He had repeated the process until the small pile of seastone he'd set aside was almost exhausted before finally getting a result he liked.

He tossed the three-section staff, now composed almost entirely of seastone, into slot 1 of [Three-in-One]. Slot 2 automatically displayed the cost of copying the item: (42 Essence).

That was the system's valuation of the special three-section staff, which had become one with the seastone.

When Ruidio had copied Smoker's Jitte, the system had valued it at 9 Essence, fairly decent among ordinary weapons that didn't make the grade. After all, it was just an iron rod with a piece of seastone embedded in it, with little design to speak of.

The seastone three-section staff, worth 42 Essence, couldn't compare to the Great Grade Sword Malevolent Shrine, which was worth 6,699 Essence, but it was more than a match for Famous Swords of the Grade Sword rank.

"I'll call you 'Playful Cloud.'"

Ruidio held the brand-new three-section staff. It was heavy, and he was very pleased.

Just let Smoker try to sneak up on me again. Heh, I'll thrash you into a spinning top!

Even a body that could turn to smoke would probably be good for nothing but taking a beating in front of this seastone weapon.

Although the system rated Smoker's overall strength at three stars, Ruidio felt it was fine as long as he wasn't completely outmatched. He also had some confidence in his brute strength, and if he could find the trick to bringing his physical power fully into play, he'd be even more confident.

With that thought, Ruidio tried swinging the three-section staff around and hit himself on the head with a bang.

"Haha." Nami laughed beside him.

Ruidio looked over, and she immediately stopped laughing. With a solemn expression, she said, "Is this another one of your miraculous spells, Lord Ruidio?"

"Don't you know how to use one? Want to try?"

Ruidio handed her the Playful Cloud three-section staff. Nami reached out to take it without thinking, but the moment it touched her hand, she knew something was wrong and dropped it.

Thud! Thud, thud...

The three-section staff slipped smoothly to the floor with a heavy thump.

Nami stood there with her hand still outstretched, stunned.

This time she was prepared. She struggled to lift the Playful Cloud three-section staff from the floor and said in disbelief, "How did it get so heavy? Each section... must weigh ten kilograms! Did you really... fuse those stones from earlier with my three-section staff?"

Ruidio said, "You'll get used to it. Come on, show me how to use a three-section staff."

Baring her pointed teeth, Nami yelled, "Are you an idiot? How could a weak girl like me possibly swing something this heavy? I'm not some freakishly strong man like you!"

She struggled to toss Playful Cloud back to Ruidio. He caught it in one hand, then returned her original three sticks.

Given the randomness of the Three-in-One results, Ruidio was in the habit of copying the original sample as a backup when an item wasn't very valuable.

Malevolent Shrine was worth too much now. Ruidio couldn't afford to copy it, and he was reluctant to use it in a synthesis on a whim. If the quality dropped or it came out ruined, the loss would be enormous.

Otherwise, instead of using Nami's three-section staff with the seastone just now, he would have fused Malevolent Shrine with it directly.

"Besides, mine isn't even a three-section staff. It's just three short sticks that can be assembled," Nami said, strapping her three sticks back onto her thigh and hiding them. "You'll have to take your time learning how to use a three-section staff yourself. Just don't knock yourself stupid..."

Bang!

Clang!

Smack!

By evening, the setting sun had spread a blood-red glow across the sea.

Ruidio was the only one left on the battered deck, swinging the thirty-kilogram three-section staff in the sea breeze. His technique was clumsy, and every so often he hit his own head or struck his shoulders, arms, back, and chest, leaving bruise after bruise.

To keep his shirt from being torn, Ruidio had stripped to the waist, revealing a lean, muscular physique. His muscles weren't overly bulky; they were well-proportioned and clearly defined.

The way those muscles moved, especially as he swung the three-section staff with force, left Nami staring from the side. The paint bucket in her hand fell to the deck with a bang, giving her a fright.

"Why do I have to do all the work alone?"

Ruidio looked over at her from the deck, but Nami spoke first, pointing her brush at the red-nosed skull on the enormous sail above. "You have plenty of stamina. You should paint the sail, and I'll take down the pirate flag..."

Ruidio held up the Playful Cloud three-section staff, his stance already looking reasonably proper, and muttered loudly to himself, "Huh, that's strange. Who did I give all that gold to again?"

You win!

For Nojiko, for the village... for the sake of the gold, I'll put up with it!

Nami's chest heaved as she angrily climbed up to take down the pirate flag and paint the sail...

[Mastered: Basic Staff Technique (beginner)]

Ruidio looked at the system's assessment, delighted. Who could understand the feeling of being able to see your own progress with the naked eye?

Without that kind of positive reinforcement, even he doubted he could have persevered in the self-torture of the gravity training room. In his previous life, after all, he'd just been an ordinary person, not someone with a monstrous physique like Zoro's.

From Ruidio's experience, what the system called the beginner stage, meaning an initial grasp of the basics, meant "sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't."

Smack!

Ruidio, who had just been handling the Playful Cloud three-section staff quite well, suddenly lost his rhythm and inexplicably hit himself on the head again. He grimaced in pain and rubbed the spot rapidly.

That's how it is when you're just starting out...

Ruidio wasn't in a hurry. He settled down and continued practicing with the three-section staff, growing familiar with its weight, its center of gravity, and the path it took when he swung it while gripping different sections, adapting to its "temperament."

"Are you sure it's that way?"

The sound of the waves drifted into the helm room through the night. Nami lit a lamp and compared their course with a nautical chart. "If you're going to Mirrorball Island, the chart says we need to adjust our angle a little more," she said doubtfully.

Ruidio lay in a hammock nearby and selected an entry from the quest list: [Ongoing quest, client: Yurika]. He opened the details—

[Three months ago, a female thief named Nami swindled the Tulip Pirates out of all the treasure they had accumulated over many years. Captain Yurika has been dejected ever since, and no matter how many villages and towns he destroys, he cannot soothe the pain in his heart. If he ever sees that hateful thief again, he will make her regret it.]

[Quest requirement: capture the female thief Nami and deliver her to the Tulip Pirates.]

[Client: Yurika]

[Distance: medium]

[Estimated difficulty: ★]

Ruidio selected the quest and glanced at the sea outside. Seeing the approximate direction of the client indicated by the system, he nodded. "That's right. This is the way."

Nami could only obey. She planned to find a chance to slip away once they reached the next place anyway. After steadying their course, she curled up nearby, intending to get a little rest.

But with her head resting on the heavy bag of gold, her thoughts churned, and she couldn't sleep. She couldn't help staring at the young man in the hammock—no, the boy.

She had already asked. He was only fifteen, a month younger than her! He was just tall and broad.

"Hey, Ruidio, who exactly are you?" Nami couldn't help asking.

"Someone who's planning to sleep," Ruidio answered.

"Are you really giving me all this gold? You can't take it back."

"Do you think it's too little?"

"No..." Nami muttered. She shifted into a comfortable position on the bag of gold and gazed out at the pitch-black night sky and sea. Suddenly, she asked, "Why did you say in the passenger ship's restaurant that 'if I put up fifty million Beli, you could turn it into a hundred million'?"

One hundred million Beli was the sum she had agreed on with her enemy. As long as she gathered it, she could buy her village and free everyone from that bastard's clutches.

Unfortunately, the helm room was quiet. Ruidio didn't answer.

That was because Ruidio's attention was on a system notification that had popped up before him...

[Ongoing quest, client: Tony Tony Chopper]

[Daily settlement reward: 8 Essence]

[Remaining Essence: 2120]

I actually got eight Essence today. Pretty lucky.

Ruidio smiled, then heard Nami ask, "Hey, did you already know me before we met in the restaurant?"

"Something like that." Ruidio was noncommittal.

"Do you like me?"

"Heh..."

Nami suddenly said, "Did someone hire you to capture me?"

When Ruidio didn't answer again, she added, "Because I noticed you seem to like getting people to ask you for help, so... But the only people I've crossed are pirates. You wouldn't agree to help a pirate, would you...?"

Ruidio said, "Something like that."

"Huh?"

In the East Blue, on an island where the Tulip Pirates were hiding—

Ruidio held a rope and presented Nami to the assembled pirates.

"This is Nami, the Cat Burglar who robbed you blind three months ago." Ruidio cleared his throat. "Recognize her? If you do, hurry up and confirm delivery."

Nami was tied up behind him, bawling with her pointed teeth bared. "You really would do something like this, you bastard! Waaaaah!!"

Chapter 12: Lucky Cat

The Tulip Pirates' distinguishing feature was that everyone wore their hair in a style resembling a tulip. They were close to Mirrorball Island, the fashion center of the East Blue, though whether they went there often to get their hair done was anyone's guess.

"This is Nami, the Cat Burglar who robbed you blind three months ago."

As Ruidio spoke, the pirates were lying in a neat row on the beach, sunbathing. At his words, every one of them, including Captain Yurika, turned to look at him in unison.

"Recognize her? If you do, hurry up and confirm delivery." Ruidio tugged on the rope, revealing the orange-haired girl he'd tied up and dragged there behind him.