As we finished the last two sessions in Deep Jungle, the results confirmed what everyone had already understood: no changes in the rankings. The positions remained exactly the same, despite everyone's extra efforts. After a quick discussion, everyone agreed on the distribution of the rewards, leaving me to manage all the munnies accumulated during the runs, while each person chose accessories better suited to their fighting style.
Thanks to the intensive farming in Deep Jungle, the crew's equipment took a major leap forward. Every member was able to replace their old gear—Apprentice Rings or basic Shell Necklaces—with at least one Power Wild Fang, far more effective for boosting versatility, slightly increasing attack, defense, and learning ability.
I quietly pocketed the only Power Wild Fang+ we obtained, offering up a standard one in exchange, since I had the feeling I was starting to struggle to keep up with everything I was learning.
Everyone… except Charyzax, who chose to keep his Guard Armor gauntlets, believing their versatility suited his style better. No one questioned his decision.
What struck me most, though, was the crew's overall growth.
Unlike the game's skill point system, here the passive learning effect seemed to apply across all fields. Luffy was the best example. With Merry's patient help and that invisible bonus, he had started to grasp the basics of navigation.
He wasn't an expert yet, but he understood Nami's instructions much better, and everyone had already begun practicing new disciplines—including me, as I had started investing time into cooking. Usopp had taken an interest in medicine, and Charles in ship carpentry, which would allow him to assist Franky if we recruited him… or another skilled shipwright otherwise.
As we ate peacefully on the deck, everyone satisfied with their new equipment, I took a moment to assess things. Between the runs and the rewards, I had accumulated around 35,000 munnies. A significant amount… but not unlimited.
The Traverse Town shop was still fairly limited for now. It mainly offered potions, ethers, and a few basic accessories like elemental rings—fire, lightning, or ice. Nothing truly exceptional.
But completing Wonderland had unlocked new content.
Two items in particular caught my attention:• Potion+• Tent
The problem…
Was their price.
Potion+ cost 1,000 munnies each, and Tents went up to 5,000 munnies. Far from the game's usual prices.
Despite that, I bought two of each.
You never know…
Better to have them and not need them… than the other way around.
I briefly thought back to the repeated dungeon runs, to the moments when I took advantage of each return to stop by the shop, optimizing every purchase carefully.
"Jordan!!!"
Nami's panicked scream tore through the air. I turned immediately, just in time to see her face collapse, her eyes wide with a fear I had almost never seen before. Around me, pale blue flames suddenly appeared—silent, unreal—wrapping around me without heat… but with a freezing sensation that pierced straight to my bones.
"What the—"
I didn't have time to finish.
The world shifted.
In a fraction of a second, I vanished under the stunned gazes of the crew.
When my vision stabilized, I found myself sitting at a massive stone table, bathed in a strange light shifting between shadow and orange reflections. The air was heavy, thick with an oppressive energy.
In front of me…
ZeusandHades.
One radiated overwhelming authority, his gaze crackling with lightning and impatience.
The other… was smiling.
A smile far too calm.Far too interested.
"Why did you summon Jordan here?" Zeus growled, slamming his fist on the table as lightning briefly crackled around his arm.
The impact echoed like thunder.
Hades raised his hands in a mock-calming gesture.
"Easy, easy…" he said, letting a dark flame dance in his palm before snuffing it out. "I just wanted to… protest."
He leaned slightly forward, his gaze settling on me with an amused glint.
"Our dear friend has unlocked the Phil Cup… and still hasn't set foot in the arena." He sighed theatrically. "Everyone's already under my control… and I'm starting to get seriously bored."
I frowned, far from reassured.
"You'll have to excuse me, Hades… but I'm not exactly comfortable being here. Especially not in a world under the control of the god of the underworld."
A silence followed.
Then Zeus burst out laughing, clearly amused by my answer, casting a mocking glance at his brother.
"See? Even he doesn't trust you."
Hades rolled his eyes, visibly annoyed.
"I've learned it's boring without challengers, so I'll propose something," he said, pointing at his brother, who didn't seem to mind. "We make a contract with this oaf as a witness. He handles your rewards, you put on a show, and I'll give you a nice little ability if you win the cup. What do you say?"
I turned slightly toward Zeus, looking for confirmation. He gave me a subtle nod.
I grabbed the parchment Hades had conjured, immediately sensing a dark energy emanating from the lines written on it.
Without hesitation, I let my Armament Haki crackle and infused it with a faint electric charge at my fingertips.
The parchment reacted instantly.
Several lines began to fizzle…
Then dissolved into black smoke.
Hades immediately brought a hand to his forehead, exasperated.
"Seriously? Again?"
I looked back at him with a faint smile.
"Sorry… I like reading the fine print." I said, signing after confirming there were no more issues and rereading the contract.
Zeus burst out laughing.
And Hades…
Hades gritted his teeth, clearly annoyed to see another one of his little tricks fall apart.
"Since you pulled this on me without warning…" I said, calmly setting the parchment back on the table, "I choose my team composition. That works for you, right? After all, most of them have already cleared the preliminaries."
A silence.
Hades closed his eyes briefly before sighing.
"…Fine," he replied with resignation. "But don't take too long."
I nodded.
"Call Luffy and Kuina."
As soon as I finished speaking, a circle of pale blue flames opened beside me. In an instant, Luffy and Kuina appeared, slightly off-balance from the teleportation.
Luffy looked around with stars in his eyes.
"Ooooh! What is this place?!" he exclaimed enthusiastically before noticing Zeus. "Hey! It's you! The old guy who gave me Aspida!"
The floating shield vibrated slightly at his side, as if responding.
Zeus laughed heartily, clearly pleased.
"Hahaha! I see my gift has evolved well! Look at that… it talks now. Not bad, kid!"
Aspida rotated proudly around Luffy.
"Of course. I protect my partner."
Kuina, on the other hand, stayed much more guarded. Her gaze quickly scanned the room, stopping on Hades, then Zeus, before settling on me.
"Jordan…" she said seriously. "Where exactly are we?"
Luffy crossed his arms, curious.
"Yeah, what's going on? We were eating peacefully two seconds ago. Then you disappeared, and now we're dragged here."
I let out a small breath.
"Let's just say… we were invited. By the way, can the rest of the crew come as spectators?" I asked.
Hades smirked and said we'd have to win his reward first.
Kuina narrowed her eyes.
"Invited by gods?"
Hades gave a crooked smile.
"Glad to see someone here understands quickly."
He straightened slightly, observing the three of us with interest.
"You really come from a fascinating world…" he murmured. "A rubber kid, a swordswoman who can turn into a gorilla… another into a crocodile… and now, a talking shield."
Luffy grinned widely.
"Yeah, we're awesome!"
Kuina sighed quietly.
"That's not really the point…"
I stepped in before things drifted.
"In short: we're going to take part in a competition in an arena. Combat. Spectacle. And a reward at the end."
Luffy clapped his hands, instantly excited.
"A TOURNAMENT?! Why didn't you start with that?!"
Kuina remained focused.
"Strong opponents?"
I nodded.
"Most likely."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Perfect."
Hades raised his hand, cutting the conversation short.
"Alright… enough talk."
Without warning, the blue flames reappeared around us.
The scenery tore apart.
We were thrown into a massive arena.
The stone ground echoed beneath our feet. Around us, endless stands rose, filled with an invisible crowd whose murmurs formed a constant hum.
In the sky, Zeus took his place again, watching with excitement.
Hades appeared in a box overlooking the arena, lounging with almost provocative nonchalance, a satisfied smile stretching across his face.
"Let the show begin!" he declared theatrically.
No sooner had he finished than dark flames erupted all around the arena, rising in columns before exploding into a hellish fireworks display. The air vibrated, the ground trembled slightly…
Then our first opponents appeared within a ring of fire.
Heartless.
In massive numbers.
Forty Power Wilds, their massive silhouettes slamming heavily against the ground, accompanied by thirty Soldiers advancing in tight formation. Their aura… was clearly different. Denser. More aggressive.
Hard mode.
But despite their numbers…
They were still manageable.
I took a step back, crossing my arms.
"Kuina, I'll let you handle this. We'll take turns each round… and we'll jump in together if it gets too complicated."
Next to me, Luffy pouted, already frustrated at not being able to charge in.
"Seriously…?" he muttered. "I wanted to fight…"
I gave him an amused look.
"Your turn will come."
Kuina, on the other hand, didn't respond. She took a slow breath… then her blade ignited.
A vivid flame ran along the edge of her sword, dancing like a natural extension of her movement.
"Flame Tongue."
She vanished.
Or at least… that's how it felt.
In a fraction of a second, she entered the group of enemies, her movements turning into a deadly ballet. The Power Wilds, despite their strength, didn't have time to react properly. Every move Kuina made was precise, fluid, guided by her Observation Haki.
The timer showed:
40 seconds.
Kuina straightened slowly, the flames fading from her blade, her breathing barely altered.
In the viewing box, Hades watched the scene, one eyebrow slightly raised.
"Interesting…" he murmured. "She's become much stronger than before."
A faint smile stretched across his lips.
The show…
Was starting to get interesting.
The following fights unfolded without much surprise. Eight matches, similar to those in the original game… except the number of enemies had been multiplied by ten. Entire waves of Heartless flooded the arena, filling every available space, but even so, the gap in power was obvious.
I let Kuina and Luffy handle most of the rounds.
Luffy laughed as he fought, launching himself from one enemy to another with boundless energy, while Kuina executed her opponents with ever-increasing precision. Their enthusiasm was contagious… but on my end, a strange feeling of fatigue began to creep in.
…I feel a bit… slow.
I stayed back, watching them, letting the fights unfold without intervening. Even Hades, from his box, didn't seem surprised to see wave after wave fall.
Then—
The ground trembled.
Once.Twice.
Then irregularly, like heavy heartbeats.
A silence settled over the arena.
The invisible crowd held its breath.
And finally… it appeared.
A gigantic mass of living rock, two massive heads roaring in unison, glowing cracks running across its body like veins of cooled magma. Each step made the entire arena vibrate.
The Earth Titan.
Zeus immediately straightened in the sky, visibly irritated.
"The very first cup… and you're already sending in a Titan for the finale?!" Zeus growled. "You really have no shame, Hades!"
From his box, Hades simply smiled.
"The spectacle, my dear brother… always the spectacle."
I took a step forward, observing the colossus without the slightest trace of fear.
A smile stretched across my lips.
"No problem…"
I rolled my shoulders lightly.
"This thing looks almost small compared to some Sea Kings I've run into."
Luffy burst out laughing behind me.
"I really wanna punch it!"
Kuina, however, didn't take her eyes off the Titan.
"I haven't reached the level of cutting steel yet… this one might be difficult."
I raised a hand, stopping them both.
"No."
They froze.
I turned slightly toward them.
"This one… leave it to me. I want to try something. Please."
A brief silence followed.
Then Luffy gritted his teeth, torn between frustration and excitement.
"Seriously…? Fine. I've already had plenty of fun, but if you struggle, call me."
Kuina nodded slowly.
"…Alright. I'm not suited to dealing with large opponents yet."
I stepped forward slowly as the two of them backed away by about ten meters.
My body began to change… to grow rapidly.
Dark scales spread across my skin, my muscles swelled, my back elongated, and my jaw stretched into a massive maw lined with razor-sharp teeth. An overwhelming pressure radiated from me as I took on my full ancient crocodile form.
The air vibrated.
The ground cracked beneath my weight.
Luffy took a step back, eyes shining.
"OOOOOH!!"
Kuina remained silent… but her gaze betrayed her amazement.
"…Impressive. So that's the difference between a regular Zoan and an Ancient one?" she thought, observing my gigantic form.
My size had increased even more compared to when I first obtained this Heartless… I now had the power of an additional Sea King, and it had devoured the essence of another Devil Fruit…
Even if I was still slightly smaller than the Titan in height… my presence was no less imposing.
I bent my knees slightly.
Then I vanished.
A monstrous impact echoed.
My fist slammed directly into the Titan's torso, shattering part of its rocky structure and leaving a clear imprint in its massive body.
The colossus roared in pain, its two heads screaming in unison as chunks of stone exploded outward.
(Author's note: Yep, you know what's coming next—see you in the next chapter ^^ I'll still include the edited image of the Titan and my MC's transformed form here. I know the Titan doesn't look exactly right, but Disney copyright is pretty strict.)