Shhh,
As Luffy's voice fell, a large spinning prize wheel instantly appeared before him.
It was the same wheel, filled with countless alluring and mysterious items.
But Luffy knew very well: none of this really had much to do with him.
"Spin."
It was already late. Tomorrow, Luffy had some important things to discuss with Kaya.
So even though this moment should've been thrilling, all he wanted was to get it over with and go to bed.
After all, this was a draw for someone the system itself recognized as "blessed by the heavens." There was no way Usopp would end up with some basic or boring ability.
What was the worst that could happen, give him a Barrett sniper rifle so he could go "pew pew pew"?
As Luffy mused, the pointer on the wheel began to slow down.
Glancing up absentmindedly, Luffy saw the needle creeping closer and closer toward the icon of a Kar98k rifle.
"What!?"
"No! I was just joking! Don't take my thoughts so literally!"
Luffy's eyes flew wide open, all traces of sleep gone. He leapt forward as if to physically stop the wheel, hands flailing.
Even if the gear was for his crewmate, getting a plain sniper rifle? That felt like a huge waste to Luffy.
And then…
The slowing pointer hovered on the Kar98k slot, and its momentum nearly died out.
"No! No! Don't stop there!!!"
Luffy stared at the wheel, shouting so passionately that passing servants began to get… the wrong idea. Not daring to linger, they practically ran away from his door in embarrassment.
"Oh! YES!"
Just as Luffy cried out, the needle moved one final tick, past the rifle, and landed on a swirling mass of strange glowing energy, something even he didn't recognize.
Luffy shouted in joy.
Ding! Congratulations, Host has acquired "Mystic Eyes of Death Perception." The item has been placed in your inventory. Please check.
The system notification rang out at once, lifting Luffy's relief to new heights.
"WHAT!? No way, Did you just say the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception!?"
Panicked, afraid he'd misheard, Luffy quickly pulled open his inventory and tapped on the new item in the last slot.
Mystic Eyes of Death Perception: Grants the ability to perceive the "death" of all things. Allows the user to visualize death as tangible lines and points on any target. (Causality-type Weapon)
"N-No way… I actually pulled a causality-class weapon!?"
Luffy's hands trembled uncontrollably. His eyes couldn't stop shaking in disbelief.
He knew what this ability was.
To someone with the Mystic Eyes, the world looked like it was crisscrossed in strange, erratic lines, lines that revealed the weaknesses of all things. And at the intersection of these lines appeared "death points," physical representations of something's end.
The lines showed where a target could be easily severed or destroyed.
The points revealed the very concept of "death" within that target.
The death lines could be seen effortlessly, but perceiving death points required deep focus.
And these lines weren't bound by toughness, no matter how strong something was, if you followed the death line, it could be cut effortlessly.
Even if a target was still moving, once the death line was cut, the severed part would decay immediately, irreparably.
Striking a death point stopped everything, the body, the soul, even existence itself. Gone.
Even abstract or non-physical beings, if they manifested through energy or force, would display these fatal lines or points. And yes, they could be destroyed too.
This power was on a completely different level.
A power only a god should wield.
In that moment, Luffy actually considered taking off his X-Glove and asking the system to trade it for Usopp's Mystic Eyes.
But…
Exclusive items were called "exclusive" for a reason, they could only be used by Luffy's crewmates. No exchanges allowed.
"System… are you sure this is that Mystic Eyes of Death Perception?"
Luffy asked again, just to confirm.
[Affirmative, Host.]
The system replied without hesitation.
[However, the actual effect will differ slightly from your expectations.The "death" seen by the Mystic Eyes is not limited to biological death.Its manifestation depends largely on the attitude and perception of the user.]
"…What do you mean?"
"Are you saying, if Usopp doesn't believe his attack will kill, even if he hits a death point, it won't work?"
That explanation left Luffy more confused than before.
[Not exactly.]
The system clarified further:
["Death" will still occur. But what form that death takes depends on the wielder's understanding of death.If the user believes 'unconsciousness' is a form of death, then striking a death point may cause unconsciousness.If they define death as 'brain death,' then the victim may suffer that instead.]
[The same goes for objects. Whether or not they reveal death lines, and how many, depends on the user's perception.If the gap in strength between user and target is too great, the user may not be able to perceive any lines or points at all.]
This time, the system laid everything out clearly, leaving Luffy with nothing more to ask.
"…So, I guess it's not as all-powerful as I thought," Luffy muttered thoughtfully.
Then again, every Mystic Eyes user he knew of from memory had been far from ordinary.
There were stories of average people who had the Eyes but couldn't do anything meaningful with them.
Looks like Usopp's training would need to be even more intense than Luffy had planned.
There was no way he could let a power like this go to waste.
========
The Next Morning – Clear Skies and Fresh Air
Originally, Luffy had planned to visit Kaya.
But halfway through, he changed his mind and asked a servant to take him to Syrup Village instead.
========
"Captain!"
"Captain…!"
The three young boys of the Usopp Pirates had woken up early to see Usopp off. They waited outside his house, knowing he'd be leaving soon.
"Ah… You guys came?"
True to habit, Usopp had gotten up early too, normally to shout "Pirates are coming!" around town. But not today.
After what had happened with Kuro, Usopp had spent the previous night silently saying goodbye to his home. The room remained neat and untouched.
He welcomed the boys inside and slowly closed the door behind them.
Turning around, he flashed his usual arrogant smile. He pointed proudly at his long nose and declared:
"Hah! What's with those gloomy faces!?"
"Your great Captain is heading out to sea again!"
"This time, I'll capture one of the monsters I saw before and bring it back for you to see…"
"CAPTAIN!!!"
Before he could finish, the three boys threw themselves onto him, clinging tight as they burst into sobs.
Tears and snot smeared all over Usopp's clothes.
"Wha–hey now, what's this about?"
"Why are you hugging me…?"
Eyes misting over, Usopp looked down at the three kids who had followed him for years. He swallowed hard, then said:
"Come on now… a real man doesn't cry like that…"
"What would people think if they saw you like this…"
"I'm just going out to sea again. It's not like it's the first time…"
The more Usopp talked, the more his voice quivered.
A teardrop slid from the tip of his nose, landing on the back of one of the boys' hands, shattering like a tiny crystal.
========
Outside, Luffy stood silently at Usopp's window.
After a long pause, he turned to the servant beside him.
"It's been a while since I ate. I'm hungry. Forget Usopp for now, let's go back and get some food."
Without another word, he turned and walked back toward Kaya's mansion.
========
The servant stared, dumbfounded, at Luffy's sudden shift in mood and direction.
All he could think was:
"…MMP!!!"
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