One Piece: I Loaded the Game Panel

"The most sinister of all, the Dark-Dark Fruit; the heart-shaped Op-Op Fruit; the Flame-Flame Fruit, with its clustered flames... and—

"The Hollow-Hollow Fruit! It really is!"

Nico Robin

A tremendous rush of joy struck Adrian. If not for his exceptional self-control, he might have pulled out the Devil Fruit and eaten it right there, regardless of where he was!

Even so, Adrian could not help reaching into his coat to touch the treasure chest.

"It really is the Hollow-Hollow Fruit. One of the few near-unbeatable Paramecia Devil Fruits..."

As Adrian's thoughts raced, a thin voice suddenly sounded beside him.

"Hello. Are you still using that Devil Fruit Encyclopedia?"

The speaker was a slight little girl in brown, around five or six years old. She had fair skin and shoulder-length black hair that fell down her back. She looked flustered, and her voice was anxious.

"I know this might be rude, but I really need it right now, sir."

"It's all right. I found what I needed." Adrian closed the encyclopedia and handed it to the girl. "If you don't mind my asking, did you suddenly awaken some unusual ability?"

"Yes. Something to do with petals..."

The little girl—no, he could already call her Robin, Nico Robin—flipped through the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia while answering Adrian's question.

"Petals? What a beautiful, unusual ability..."

Adrian murmured to himself. He had never expected to run into Nico Robin by pure chance, much less just after she had eaten the Flower-Flower Fruit.

He offered a gentle hint. "If I'm not mistaken, young lady, what you're looking for should be on page eighty-seven."

Little Robin immediately turned to the page and found the description. "It really does look like the fruit I ate... The Flower-Flower Fruit lets any part of the user's body bloom on any solid surface, for attacks or other uses..."

Little Robin went deathly pale. As though all her strength had left her, she lost her grip on the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, and it began to slip from her hands.

"Is something wrong?"

Adrian flashed forward and bent to catch the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia before it hit the floor. He patted its cover a few times, and the sharp taps brought Little Robin back to herself.

"I ate that thing..." Little Robin said in a panic, her words tumbling out of order. "That Devil Fruit. The Flower-Flower Fruit... This afternoon... I was so hungry, and they all called me a monster..."

Looking at Little Robin, who seemed on the verge of tears, Adrian felt a sudden headache coming on. Was he about to become some kind of kindly big brother she could confide in?

But seeing how frightened she was, he could not bring himself to leave her like that.

"Have you tried using your ability?" Adrian asked softly.

Little Robin rubbed her eyes and nodded.

"Could you show me?"

Little Robin hesitated. Since eating the Devil Fruit, this was the first person who had treated her so gently. Though she had not wanted to show her ability again, she found herself nodding.

She held out her palm and activated her power. "Arm bloom," she whispered.

A lump appeared in the middle of her small, delicate palm. It slowly grew until it became an "arm" about the size of Little Robin's own, its five fingers spreading like petals.

"Do you think this ability is frightening?" Adrian asked.

Little Robin nodded silently as she dispelled the arm.

All right, I think it looks pretty creepy too. Anyone with normal tastes would find it bizarre... It's exactly like growing another arm out of an arm. I think I understand how Robin developed that strange taste of hers later on...

After a moment's thought, Adrian reached out and raised the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia in his hand.

"Remember what the book said about the Flower-Flower Fruit?" he asked. "It doesn't just let parts of your body bloom. They can grow on any solid surface."

Adrian encouraged her. "You could try growing a flower on this book."

Little Robin obediently took Adrian's suggestion and used her ability to grow a hand on the cover of the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.

"Try turning the pages with it... There. What do you think?"

Using her ability had taken a great deal of energy. A little short of breath, Little Robin looked up, her eyes still confused.

Adrian smiled. "It means you can have an extra hand to read, write, or do anything else you want."

Little Robin's eyes suddenly lit up.

"That's right. Devil Fruits don't mean a monster has been born, no matter what people say. They're just unusual abilities—powers people can learn to use," Adrian said. "A Devil Fruit's power isn't good or evil. That depends on the person using it. And don't worry too much about the children who call you a monster. Ignorant people fear powers they don't understand; wise people make good use of every tool they have."

Little Robin nodded earnestly, then asked with curiosity, "Big brother, did you eat a Devil Fruit too?"

"No, but I might soon," Adrian said. "Remember this, though: once you eat a Devil Fruit, you can't swim in the sea anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because everyone who eats a Devil Fruit is cursed by the sea and becomes a landlubber. They lose all their strength when submerged in water," Adrian said with a smile. "If they fall into the sea, they sink like a stone—plunk—and can't get back up."

"That's a shame..." Little Robin looked regretful. "Does that mean I can't swim anymore either?"

"Do you like swimming?"

"Don't call me little miss." Little Robin's cheeks suddenly flushed. She had just realized she had never introduced herself to the older boy before. "I have a name. I'm Robin. Nico Robin."

"I'm Adrian." He smiled. "So, Little Robin, do you like swimming?"

"I do. I used to take a bath every night, but my aunt would scold me for using too much water." Little Robin stuck out her tongue. "So now I have to wait until after ten. Then no one comes to bother me."

"But it's almost eight already." Adrian took out his pocket watch and held it up in front of Little Robin. "Since you have family waiting for you, is it all right to stay out this late?"

"What?" Little Robin's expression changed, and she hurried toward the exit. She had been so excited today that she had lost track of time entirely.

"I have to go home! Bye!"

With only a hurried farewell, Little Robin ran out of the library.

A Conversation in the Library

"What a sweet little girl..."

Adrian watched Little Robin go and sighed.

Cute was justice, no matter when or where!

"Indeed. Robin-chan is a very lovable child, and quite clever too."

An elderly voice came from beside a bookshelf. At the same time, an old man with thick hair and a full beard stepped out of the shadows.

He looked decidedly strange. The pale-green hair on either side of his head and his fluffy pale-green beard formed the shape of leaves, while a stiff tuft stood high at the back of his head like a stem.

From a distance, it looked as though a human body had grown a clover-shaped head.

The newcomer was the current director of the Ohara library and an authority in archaeology: Dr. Clover.

"Young man, I don't believe I've seen you before. May I ask what brought you to Ohara?"

Dr. Clover watched Adrian with a hint of wariness in his eyes.

The young man had arrived on Ohara that evening, and something about him felt different from other visitors. There was even something vaguely familiar about him. He reminded Clover of the Agents who worked for the World Government from the shadows.

And Dr. Clover had no idea what the World Government would think of what Ohara was doing!

At that thought, his expression grew sterner.

Adrian noticed the old man's wariness and waved a hand. "Please don't worry, sir. I came to Ohara for one thing only: knowledge."

Dr. Clover grew even more wary. "What kind of knowledge?"

"The kind that would let someone live alone at sea, safely."

Adrian spread his hands and began counting on his fingers.

"So far, I'd say I'm a decent Navigator and cook. But making a living at sea isn't so simple.

"Besides the essentials of navigation and meteorology, I think I need some Shipwright knowledge. The little boat that brought me to Ohara is nearly falling apart. I need to repair it or build another.

"I can't neglect medicine either. If I fall ill during a voyage, I'll be in trouble without a Doctor. Having no treatment but bloodletting would be awful.

"And it would be best to learn a little about music too. Drifting alone across the vast sea, the loneliness..."

Adrian went on and on until Dr. Clover's head spun.

"Enough! Enough!"

The director had to shout, breaking the library's unspoken rule against making noise.

"Navigator, Cook, Shipwright, Doctor, musician..." Dr. Clover listed them one by one. "Are you planning to do everything alone?"

"Of course. Isn't that obvious?" Adrian nodded without hesitation.

"Companions sound like a lot of trouble. I could manage a pet, though. Hmm. If I did that, would I need to take up Veterinarian as another Secondary Profession?"

The system panel meant Adrian would never gather companions and form a Pirates crew. He might need friends, enemies, or even subordinates, but he had no need for partners to accompany him on his adventures.

People who could only feel their way forward on their own could never keep up with the speed at which Adrian grew stronger.

"I don't think you need to become a Veterinarian as well!" A vein throbbed on Dr. Clover's forehead. By now, he no longer thought Adrian was a World Government Agent. He merely thought him a young man far too greedy for knowledge.

"Young man, don't imagine you can learn so much in a short time. Many professions take years of steady study and practice. There are no shortcuts!" Dr. Clover embraced his role as an elder and tried earnestly to reason with Adrian.

"But the first time I read Basic Navigation, it took me less than half an hour to master it." Adrian blinked with feigned calm and delivered the answer as casually as he could.

There's a humblebrag for you!

Dr. Clover froze. His breathing grew heavier. "So what... Reading quickly isn't so impressive... Who can say whether you truly mastered it? Besides, back in my day..."

What followed was a string of remarks about how he had been quite something in his youth, and hadn't everyone been young once? The mood around them suddenly lightened.

Adrian shook his head and decided not to provoke the clover-headed old man, who still had not introduced himself.

He went straight to the shipbuilding section, pulled out Basic Shipbuilding and Repair, and began reading intently.

Time passed.

[Through reading, you have completed a session of self-study in basic Shipwright knowledge. Given your Intelligence, your progress in Basic Shipbuilding and Repair is 60%.]

[...]

[You have gained a new profession: Shipwright. Your Stamina has increased somewhat. Strength +1, Stamina +1, Free Attribute Points +2, Skill Point +1!]

Adrian closed his eyes and sorted through the shipbuilding knowledge pouring into his mind. Then he nodded in satisfaction.

He returned Basic Shipbuilding and Repair to the shelf and moved to another section.

Several dozen minutes later...

[You have gained a new skill: Simple Disease Treatment. You have gained a new profession: Doctor. Your Stamina has increased somewhat. Intelligence +1, Charm +1, Free Attribute Points +2, Skill Point +1!]

Adrian now had five Secondary Professions—Navigator, Cook, Agent, Shipwright, and Doctor. His Commoner profession had been removed automatically when his total level reached 20.

Just then, a notification appeared on the panel.

[Five Secondary Professions detected. The shortcut of gaining Secondary Professions through reading has been disabled. Discover other methods of acquiring Secondary Professions yourself.]

[As you gain more Secondary Professions, the difficulty of unlocking them and the experience required to level them up will increase cumulatively.]

Adrian nodded to himself as he read the messages.

He had expected this. Without a limit on how easily Secondary Professions could be acquired, a low-level character could keep adding them until his stats matched those of a high-level character. That would ruin the game's balance!

The five Secondary Professions he had now were not necessarily the best possible combination, but they were enough for him.

He checked his experience. Before the cost of leveling Secondary Professions rose, Adrian spent 400,000 experience to raise both Shipwright and Doctor to the maximum level of 10. He gained Strength +10, Stamina +10, Intelligence +10, Charm +10, 40 Free Attribute Points, and 20 Skill Points.

Feeling his strength steadily rise, Adrian smiled in satisfaction. Ohara really was his lucky place!

The Hollow-Hollow Fruit

After leaving the Tree of Knowledge Library, Adrian saw that night had fallen and found a nearby inn.

He still had plenty of Beli left from what he had "borrowed" on Xilian Island, and the Blade Pirates had contributed a fair amount of treasure that day. His personal fortune would cover his expenses for quite some time.

After a hearty dinner, Adrian returned to his room. He took the Hollow-Hollow Fruit from inside his coat and set it quietly on the tea table.

Now that he had confirmed the Devil Fruit's name, his earlier doubts had vanished.

The only question Adrian still struggled with was whether he should eat the Hollow-Hollow Fruit.

After thinking it over, he made his decision: he would eat it!

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was powerful, certainly, but it was far away, and he could not even be sure he would find it.

The Hollow-Hollow Fruit was also extremely powerful. Developed well, it could even reach a near-unbeatable level.

Most importantly, the Hollow-Hollow Fruit was right in front of him!

Adrian took a deep breath, picked up the Devil Fruit, and bit into it hard.