Chapter 3: Tatsuya's Magic
On the vast ocean, a small wooden boat that seemed exceptionally tiny at this moment was bobbing up and down with the waves.
This boat was, of course, "borrowed" from the Alvida Pirates.
As for why the Alvida Pirates didn't give chase?
It was probably because their Captain was still hanging from the mast, foaming at the mouth.
And when that terrifying red-eyed youth merely glanced back, the entire crew was so scared they pulled their heads back under the deck.
"Great! We're finally out at sea!"
Luffy sat at the bow, showing no self-awareness of being the Captain, instead shouting excitedly into the sea breeze.
"This is the smell of adventure!"
Koby, sitting in the middle and responsible for rowing—though he didn't know why he had become the manual labor—was looking forward with a look of utter despair.
"Luffy-san... is it really okay for us to just take the pirates' lifeboat like this?"
"It's fine, it's fine!" Luffy waved his hand dismissively. "They won't be using it anyway!"
Tatsuya, sitting at the stern, leaned leisurely against the gunwale, playing with the Kunai in his hand.
While Luffy was shouting, Tatsuya's mind stirred, awakening the system interface deep in his mind.
"System, settle the battle rewards."
In an instant, a pale blue translucent light screen that only he could see unfolded before his eyes.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the hidden achievement task—"The First Battle of Setting Sail"!]
[Defeated Target: "Iron Club" Alvida (Bounty: 5,000,000 Berries).]
[Battle Evaluation: S.]
[Reward Obtained: 500 Ninja Points.]
"500 points, huh..."
Tatsuya looked at the number and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
According to the system's explanation, [Ninja Points] were the only currency in this system.
The methods to obtain them were simple and direct: defeat strong enemies, change major plots of the original story, or create iconic moments on the sea sufficient to shock the world.
The stronger the opponent and the higher the bounty, the higher the evaluation and points obtained.
While Alvida had some fame in the East Sea, she wasn't even worth an ant in the context of the entire pirate world.
Getting 500 points was probably mostly due to it being the "first battle."
"Open the exchange shop."
As Tatsuya's thoughts shifted, the screen changed, and a list full of items appeared before him.
This was the feature of the "Hokage System" that he coveted the most.
The shop was divided into several major categories: [Ninjutsu], [Taijutsu], [Genjutsu], [Kekkei Genkai], and [Ninja Tools].
Tatsuya glanced casually at the "Luxury Zone" at the top and immediately felt a pang of phantom pain in his teeth.
[Rinnegan (Single Eye)]: Price 10,000,000 Ninja Points.
[Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan (Both Eyes)]: Price 5,000,000 Ninja Points.
"Ten million..." Tatsuya's mouth twitched. "How long is that going to take to save up?"
He shook his head and decisively closed those high-level pages that only generated "poverty anxiety," turning his gaze to the [Basic Zone].
Currently, he had the Single Tomoe Sharingan, but his means of attack were quite limited; besides basic Taijutsu, he only had the Kunai.
His gaze lingered on several options:
[Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu]: C-rank Ninjutsu. Exchange Price: 300 points.
[Substitution Jutsu]: E-rank Ninjutsu. Exchange Price: 200 points.
[Shadow Clone Technique]: B-rank Ninjutsu. Exchange Price: 1,000 points.
[Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique]: D-rank Ninjutsu. Exchange Price: 400 points.
Tatsuya looked at his balance of only 500 points and weighed his options slightly.
Ultimately, his gaze locked onto [Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique].
"People in the pirate world generally have low magic resistance and almost no defensive measures against mental attacks. And..."
"How can a magician not know how to hypnotize?"
"I'll exchange for the Fireball Jutsu next time. It's an Uchiha staple, even if it never seems to kill anyone in Naruto..."
"System, exchange for [Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique]!"
[Ding! 400 Ninja Points deducted. Exchange successful! Related hand seals and Chakra flow patterns have been injected into the host's memory.]
A cool stream of information flooded into his mind.
Tatsuya closed his eyes to digest it for a moment, and when he opened them again, a hint of profound depth seemed to appear in the depths of his pitch-black pupils.
Before he could think further, Luffy's voice brought him back to reality.
"Hey, Tatsuya!" Luffy suddenly turned his head and said with a serious face.
"Since you're on my boat, you're my first crewmate!"
"I'm the man who's going to be the Pirate King. As the Vice Captain, you'll have to work hard from now on!"
"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"
Koby, who was rowing, almost choked on his own spit, and the oar in his hand nearly flew away in shock.
He stood up abruptly, his eyes wide as saucers, looking at Luffy in horror:
"Pi... Pirate King?!! Luffy-san, you're joking, right?!"
"That's the great pirate who possesses wealth, fame, and power—everything the world has to offer!
"Wanting to become the Pirate King means finding the legendary ONE PIECE on this sea full of monsters!
"Something like that... how could something like that be possible! It's absolutely impossible! Impossible, impossible!!"
Bang!
Luffy unceremoniously gave Koby a punch to the head.
"That hurts!" Koby crouched down, clutching his head.
"Why did you hit me..."
"Because you're loud." Luffy picked his nose, but his gaze was exceptionally firm.
"It's not a matter of whether it can be done. It's because I want to be it, so I'm going to be it. Even if I die for it, it doesn't matter."
Koby was stunned.
Tatsuya helplessly fished the oar back and tossed it to Koby.
"A very spirited declaration. But my Captain, to become the Pirate King, we can't do it just by begging... I mean, just the two of us won't be enough."
"That's right!" Luffy immediately perked up, counting on his fingers.
"We also need a Navigator, a cook, a musician... let me think, how about that 'Pirate Hunter'?"
"Zo... Zoro?!"
At the mention of that name, Koby's face instantly turned pale.
"Luffy-san, you want to find Roronoa Zoro as a partner? That guy they call the 'Demonic Beast in Human Skin'?"
"I heard he's a demon who kills without blinking! He's currently being held at the Marine base up ahead!"
"He got caught?" Luffy looked indifferent. "Then that's perfect. If he's a decent guy, I'll have him join!"
"A decent guy... they said he's a demonic beast!"
While Koby was still having a breakdown and muttering to himself, Luffy's attention suddenly shifted.
He turned his head, his large, curious eyes staring straight at Tatsuya, as if he had suddenly remembered something important.
"Hey, hey! Tatsuya!"
Luffy leaned in closer, almost touching Tatsuya's face.
"You said before that you're a magician, right? Those red eyes are cool, but I want to see a more interesting magic trick! Show me one! Right now!"
Tatsuya looked at Luffy's starry eyes and raised an eyebrow helplessly.
"Want to see magic?" A mischievous grin curled on Tatsuya's lips.
"Alright, since you're the Captain, I'll show you a high-level one."
"Ohhh!"
Luffy immediately sat up straight, and even Koby, who was rowing, couldn't help but steal a glance.
A magic trick from a powerhouse who could instantly defeat pirates must be very amazing, right?
Would he conjure fire out of thin air? Or vanish instantly?
Under their expectant gazes, Tatsuya slowly extended his right index finger and held it up in front of Luffy.
"Look closely, Luffy. This is one finger, right?"
"Mm-hmm!" Luffy nodded vigorously.
"Next, don't blink. This is the moment to witness a miracle."
Tatsuya took a deep breath, and then—
He began to rapidly shake that index finger left and right.
The frequency was so fast and the shaking so vigorous that it even created a slight afterimage.
"Look! Transform!" Tatsuya solemnly extended two fingers.
"Yeah!"
He stopped his movement and looked at Luffy calmly.
The scene was quiet for a full three seconds.
"Waaa!!!"
Luffy let out an unprecedented cry of surprise, clutching his head, his eyes nearly popping out.
"It became two!! That's amazing!! It was clearly just one a moment ago! How did you do it?! Tatsuya, are you a god?!"
Koby on the side: "..."
The expression on Koby's face changed from expectation to blankness, and finally to deep speechlessness.
He clutched his head in pain, feeling that the future was pitch black.
"What kind of magic is that! It's just sticking out another finger, anyone can do that!"
Koby complained wildly in his heart, his gaze toward Luffy full of doubt.
Luffy-san... isn't really an idiot, is he? He can actually believe a trick that would fool a three-year-old?
Tatsuya, however, seemed to enjoy the praise and patted Luffy on the shoulder.
"This is the profound meaning of magic, Captain. You'll understand later; in this world, seeing isn't necessarily believing."
In this atmosphere filled with an aura of "wisdom," the distant mist gradually dissipated.
The outline of a huge island appeared on the horizon.
In the center of the island, a towering, fortress-like building was particularly striking, with the giant word "Marine" shining in the sunlight.
"Luffy-san, Tatsuya-san!"
"Shells Town, the Marine 153rd Branch is here!"