Looking at the six-digit balance floating before his eyes, Luffy couldn't help but break into a wide smile.
He had just received 350,000 adventure coins all at once!
It was as if he had plunged into an ocean of invisible treasures, and now everything was within his reach. From now on, he could buy absolutely anything he wanted within the system. Totto Land truly was a goldmine.
As he reflected, he remembered something he had already suspected: the Paradise Sea rewards were ten times higher than East Blue's… and, consequently, the New World rewards were ten times higher than the Paradise Sea's.
Luffy had been dreaming about this place for a long time, imagining the wealth he could gain. And now, finally, that wish had come true.
As expected, the 35 islands of Totto Land didn't function as a single territory, but as individual locations, each offering 10,000 adventure coins separately. Just this information made his heart race with excitement.
But there was more.
Besides this sudden fortune, the adventure system had unlocked a new function before him.
[Customized Update]
Luffy widened his eyes, curious.
"If I specify a product… will it really appear in the next update?" — he murmured, trying to understand the logic of it.
Apparently, this function only became available when the balance exceeded 100,000 adventure coins. This made him wonder: If I reach a million… will another mysterious function be unlocked?
But he was still far from reaching that amount.
Without wasting any time, he opened the Adventure Warehouse. Ever since his Conqueror Haki had reached level IV5, Luffy hadn't consumed any more Haki fruits. The only exception was the one he had given to Chopper. All the others were carefully stored.
Now, there were 11 Haki fruits left.
With the customized update, these fruits would no longer be rare, inaccessible items. He could obtain them whenever he wanted.
A bold thought crossed his mind: he wanted to push the limit.
Without hesitation, he summoned a Haki fruit. A white flash shone, and it appeared in his palm. Without wasting a moment, Luffy devoured it.
But the major update he had been expecting didn't happen.
Still, he felt his Conqueror Haki increase slightly.
Before level 5, just one fruit was enough to level up directly. But now, after reaching IV5, the process had changed. He could clearly feel that he could still evolve, but the required consumption had increased exponentially.
Luffy didn't let it bother him. There were still several fruits, and he began devouring them one by one.
Two… three… four…
With every bite, the energy in his body expanded, and his Conqueror Haki gained more depth, more pressure. The atmosphere around him trembled as if about to collapse.
Until he reached the tenth Haki fruit.
BOOOOM!!!
A devastating explosion of Conqueror Haki erupted from his body like a storm, sweeping everything around. The trees bent violently, the air thundered, and the ground shook.
But Luffy quickly regained control, restraining the overwhelming flow and stabilizing his presence.
"It's done!" — he said, eyes shining.
[Conqueror Haki]: IV5 → IV6
Now, he had reached a stage where he could control the air around him so completely that his enemy couldn't use Observation Haki to foresee the future.
"It took ten Haki fruits to go from level 5 to 6…!" — Luffy thought to himself, breathless with excitement. "But it doesn't seem to be the limit. I can still keep evolving!"
As he reflected on this, he noticed Uta beside him. She was trembling, eyes half-closed, as if she were about to faint. The impact of his Haki had hit her directly.
"Uta!" — Luffy held her before she could fall.
"S-sorry… I couldn't control myself just now…" — she murmured, worried.
"Luffy…" — Uta shook her head, leaning on him, her voice weak but stubborn. "What were you eating just now? You didn't even offer me a piece…"
Even on the brink of fainting, she couldn't forget her greed.
Laughing, Luffy took the last Haki fruit from the warehouse and placed it in front of her.
"Want some?"
In the blink of an eye, Uta grabbed the fruit with determination, as if touching it alone restored her strength. She opened her mouth and took an exaggerated bite, puffing her cheeks like a hamster.
"Hm! It's delicious! No wonder you were eating it so eagerly…" — she said, but suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Her eyes widened.
Immediately, her hearing and vision expanded dozens of times. Every heartbeat, every leaf's movement, every gust of wind seemed to echo in her mind with absurd clarity.
"I-is this…?!"
"It's a Haki fruit. Whoever eats it awakens the power of Haki. But to create it, I need to sacrifice ten years of my life." — Luffy explained casually.
"T-ten years?!" — Uta looked horrified at the half-eaten fruit in her hand.
Then she raised her eyes to Luffy, incredulous:
"Liar! I'm not stupid! You ate ten of them by yourself!"
Without giving him a chance to respond, she took another greedy bite.
Luffy laughed.
"Is it tasty?"
"Delicious!" — she replied, still chewing.
"There are even tastier ones. I'll give you one next time."
"Really?" — Her eyes shone with expectation.
Luffy looked at her fondly. Uta possessed the Song-Song Fruit, capable of transporting people to the "World of Songs." If that power were awakened… the possibilities were endless.
He already planned to give her an awakening fruit. But before that, there were two important girls he also intended to give gifts to: Vivi and Nami.
Before he could make any decision, movement in the distance caught his attention.
A large group advanced toward him, led by a tall, middle-aged man with a long beard. He carried an enormous sword on his shoulder, surrounded by a crowd of soldiers and pirates.
"The current Conqueror Haki… was you, Luffy of the Straw Hat." — said the man, wearing armor made of cookies and holding a cookie shield. His voice was cold and imposing. "Let me commend your courage. Invading Big Mom's territory alone isn't something anyone would dare to do."
Luffy narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?"
Before he could respond, Uta stepped forward, her voice firm despite her still-fragile body.
"Luffy isn't alone!"
The man smiled, revealing himself.
"I am one of the Four Sweet Commanders… Charlotte Snack. My bounty is 600 million."
But by the time he finished speaking, Luffy was no longer in front of him.
In an instant, the Straw Hat appeared before him, moving so fast that his movements were invisible.
"Do you really think this cookie can protect you?" — he asked with a confident smile.
Then, he threw a direct punch.
Snack's pupils constricted violently. His Observation Haki was fixed on Luffy, but… nothing. No sign, no premonition of an attack.
It was impossible to predict his movements.
BOOOOM!!!
The devastating impact struck the commander, throwing him backward. The real Snack, hidden inside the cookie armor, was forcefully expelled, spitting out blood.
His body hit the ground heavily, but before touching the floor…
THUD!
A gigantic, fat hand caught him, preventing him from collapsing completely.
Snack coughed up blood, leaning on the palm, and raised his face, eyes full of fury.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."