"This one?"
Luffy pointed at the towering figure behind Kaoru Tsubasa, eyes wide with curiosity.
Kaoru smiled faintly. "Yeah. This is my new ability."
He looked at the massive, glowing construct surrounding him. "It's called Susanoo."
With a thought, Kaoru withdrew the energy. The enormous warrior of light faded away like mist. Ever since he awakened both Mangekyō Sharingan, he could now summon and retract Susanoo freely.
"Susanoo?" Luffy tilted his head, confused. "What's that supposed to be?"
He leaned forward, staring at Kaoru with stubborn determination, clearly unwilling to drop the question until he got an answer.
Kaoru sighed helplessly. "You really don't give up, do you?"
Still, he gave in and summoned the giant once more.
The air trembled as Susanoo reappeared—flesh forming around bone, purple flames igniting along its frame. But before Kaoru could finish manifesting it, an unbearable pain tore through his eyes.
"Ah—!" He collapsed to one knee, clutching his face as blood dripped from his eyes.
"Kaoru!"
Luffy rushed forward immediately, worry flashing across his face.
From the deck below, Sanji and Zoro looked up sharply at Luffy's shout, leaping to the observation deck in an instant.
Kaoru gasped for breath, forcing a smile. "I'm fine… Luffy."
After a moment, the searing pain dulled, though his vision still throbbed faintly. "Sorry… but I can't show you Susanoo again for now."
"It's okay! It's okay!" Luffy said quickly, waving his hands. "Do you wanna eat some meat? That'll fix you right up!"
Zoro groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Idiot. You can't fix bleeding eyes with meat."
Sanji snorted in agreement. "For once, the moss-head's right."
He crossed his arms. "In case it's not obvious, when you're hurt, you go get medical treatment—not a snack!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "What, and not even a drink?"
Sanji's temper flared instantly. "You two idiots! You think rum's gonna cure blindness?!"
Kaoru couldn't help but chuckle. He wanted to tell them that not everyone had bodies as absurdly durable as theirs, but he didn't bother. Instead, he waved them off gently. "Really, I'm fine. I just need to rest."
Luffy studied him for a second, then nodded. "Alright! Rest up, doctor."
The crew gradually dispersed, leaving Kaoru alone on the deck.
They weren't particularly worried—after all, Kaoru Tsubasa was the doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates.
When silence fell, Kaoru turned his gaze inward.
"System… what just happened?"
[Ding! The host's body does not belong to the Ōtsutsuki lineage. Therefore, it cannot fully withstand the power of Susanoo.]
Kaoru frowned thoughtfully. "So that's it…"
He recalled the lore. The Uchiha clan were descendants of Indra, the son of the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki—and Hagoromo himself was Kaguya's child. It made sense that their bloodline could handle the strain.
"But wait—then how could Kakashi do it?" Kaoru muttered.
In the original Naruto timeline, Kakashi Hatake—a man born without Uchiha blood—had famously wielded Susanoo during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
[Ding! Query acknowledged. Can you compare yourself to "Copy Ninja" Kakashi Hatake?]
Kaoru blinked. "...Okay, fair. But still, something feels off."
The system remained silent for a beat before muttering dryly,
[System encountered minor data conflict during replication.]
Kaoru's eyebrow twitched. "You're seriously telling me even you have bugs?"
He sighed. "So, what now? Am I just… never going to be able to use Susanoo properly?"
[Of course not.]
[As long as the host acquires the Uchiha physique, Indra's body, or Sage lineage, this issue can be resolved perfectly.]
Kaoru rubbed his temples. "So basically… I need to draw a new bloodline again."
He exhaled, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Figures."
Still, he didn't dwell on it for long and began examining the remaining rewards.
[Resurrection Ticket]: A purple-gold tier item capable of reviving the dead. Note: The target must have an intact body.
Kaoru's eyes flickered. In his system space rested Gol D. Roger's body—alongside Portgas D. Rouge's preserved remains.
After a long pause, he decided, If I use it, I'll start with Roger.
Battle power mattered more than sentiment.
But he didn't use it just yet. The ticket could revive the dead, yes—but it couldn't cure any underlying illness.
If he revived Roger now, the Pirate King's disease would only kill him again soon after.
Kaoru gently withdrew the golden resurrection ticket, which immediately transformed into a card etched with intricate patterns. He stored it safely before checking the last item.
[Sun God Nika Summoning Ticket]: A purple-gold tier item that summons the legendary "Liberation Warrior," Sun God Nika.
According to ancient tales, Nika was a mythical figure worshipped over a thousand years ago. Eight centuries ago, the world came to revere "Joy Boy" as Nika's reincarnation.
This ticket summons the true Sun God Nika—possessing free will and immense power. Use with extreme caution.
Kaoru's hand trembled slightly as he read the description. "The real Nika…?"
It was shocking.
Luffy's own Devil Fruit—the Mythical Zoan: Human-Human Fruit, Model Nika—was already absurdly powerful once awakened. If the real Sun God Nika appeared… he could easily overrun the entire pirate world.
Even Kaoru wasn't sure he'd be able to control such a being.
He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Not yet. That's too dangerous."
Without further delay, Kaoru leapt down from the observation deck. After a brief chat with Luffy and the crew, he entered the Virtual Space.
Inside the vast simulated world, Kaoru summoned various items from his system storage—including the preservation pods containing Roger and Rouge.
"System, begin using the System Upgrade Coupon."
[System Upgrade Coupon activated...]
[System upgrading…]
[Upgrade complete.]
Kaoru exhaled slowly. "Finally."
"System—open my Status Panel."
[Host]: Kaoru Tsubasa
Level: 4 (Out of 10. The highest attainable level within the Pirate World is Level 10.)
Abilities: Sealing Device: Lightning (Activated)
Items: Sealed Lightning, Ryūjin Jakka (Zanka no Tachi), Ace, Gale Ring...
Taijutsu: Eight Gates (First Gate unlocked)
Haki: All three forms—Observation, Armament, and Conqueror's—fully mastered.
Swordsmanship: Level 10 (Current world cap: Level 10)
System Inventory: 128 Slots
Lottery Shop: Rewards ranked from 1–10; current world maximum available: Level 4.
Lottery Tokens: 0
Profile: A man who has achieved greatness in the pirate world—yet remains a rookie when facing higher realms.
Kaoru Tsubasa closed the panel, a faint smile crossing his face.
"Still a long way to go… but this is only the beginning."