These days, it was not just people opening Jars. Even lions had joined in.
The gold chunk Richie spat out was large enough that Amon estimated it was worth at least a little over a hundred thousand berries, so he had Lily ask which Jar the lion wanted.
"Lily, ask him which one he wants."
"Okay."
The little girl nodded and began speaking with Richie in that strange language no one else could understand.
Having a translator was so convenient.
Back when Amon watched One Piece, he had been a little envious when Luffy and the others used Chopper to communicate with animals. He had once thought it would be nice to have something like that around. In the end, he did not get Chopper, but ended up with an even cuter little companion instead.
By the time that thought passed, Lily had already finished talking with Richie.
After hearing her explanation, the lion began choosing his Jar.
Unlike humans, Richie did not rely on instinct or whatever looked pleasing. He lowered his head and sniffed each one carefully. Before long, he found one that satisfied him. He lifted it with both paws, reared up on his hind legs, and carried it over to Amon, placing it neatly at his feet with an eager look in his eyes.
"Brother Amon, he says he's chosen. He wants you to open it for him."
Lily translated, and Richie nodded in a very human way.
"Nice."
Amon rubbed the lion's fur, smiling, then picked up the Jar. He hardly seemed to use any strength at all, yet it split cleanly in two, the opening smooth and even.
As the Jar broke apart, the contents dropped out.
Richie's luck did not seem strong. There was only a single card inside.
Unlike the other cards from before, this one had an animal printed on it.
It looked oddly familiar. Amon frowned for a moment, then used the system scan.
[Rengar Permanent Transformation Card]: An item from the world of League of Legends. After use, the user can transform into Rengar and gain Rengar's abilities. Transformation duration: one hour. Cooldown: twenty-four hours.
So that was it.
No wonder it looked familiar.
It was Rengar.
What he did not know yet was whether Richie would only gain the appearance and skills, or whether the transformation would also come with stronger physical abilities. The description did not explain that part.
Still, based on the system's usual behavior, it was probably safe to assume there would be a proper boost.
"Brother Amon, what did the lion get?"
Lily's voice broke his thoughts.
The rest of the Buggy Pirates had crowded over as well, all of them curious to see what Richie had opened. Mohji, especially, looked extremely expectant.
Amon looked toward the lion, who was now visibly nervous, and smiled.
"Little lion, your luck is quite good. You opened something very impressive."
As he spoke, he raised the card for everyone to see.
"This is a transformation card. Once used, it will let you become an ancient beast, the Lion King."
"An ancient beast? A Lion King? That's amazing, Richie!"
Mohji looked thrilled.
He had raised this lion from a young age. Though he called himself a beast tamer, he truly cared for Richie. Seeing him open such a ridiculous item made Mohji almost as happy as if it had been his own reward.
Richie himself was even more excited. His great bronze eyes fixed on the card in Amon's hand, and the beast practically trembled with anticipation.
"Lily, tell him to hold the card and silently say use. That's all he needs to do."
Lily nodded and translated.
After hearing her, Richie gave a solemn nod, then actually knelt toward Amon once before taking the card in his paws.
Amon laughed. "Go on, then."
"Wooo!"
With a loud cry, the card melted into Richie's body.
The instant it entered him, his appearance began to change.
His golden mane turned silver-white, every strand standing upright. His claws lengthened and sharpened. His body grew more upright, more muscular, and several beast bones appeared around his neck. In the span of a moment, Richie transformed into the full image of Rengar, fierce and imposing.
The surrounding pirates swallowed hard.
The sight was genuinely intimidating.
"Wooo!"
Richie roared again in excitement. He could feel power surging through every part of his body, and more than that, he could sense three new abilities now resting inside him.
"Lily, tell him to use his skills one by one and attack me."
He wanted to know how strong Richie had become after the transformation.
But the moment Lily passed on the message, Richie immediately began shaking his head.
"Brother Amon, he says he's very grateful to you, so he doesn't dare attack. He's afraid he might hurt you."
Amon blinked, then laughed.
This lion really was interesting.
"Tell him not to worry. Let him attack with confidence. That little bit of strength isn't enough to hurt me."