"Nice! Another upgrade in Devil Fruit Proficiency," Shun murmured, a grin spreading across his face as he flew. "As long as my Devil Fruit awakens, my strength will skyrocket. I might even be able to have a proper rematch with Zero." He chuckled at the thought.
His eyes then fell on the other part of the reward. "Not sure what this 'Memory Fragment' is supposed to be, though. Am I forgetting something?" He focused inward. "System? Any details?"
Silence. No response, as always.
'Well, I'll leave that question for future me,' he decided, shelving the mystery for later.
His attention returned to the more immediate prize. "For now, I'm gonna consume the Poison Dragon Slayer Lacrima." A flicker of apprehension ran through him. He knew the stories—consuming a Lacrima carried a risk of incompatibility. The user's own magic had to synchronize with the crystal's power, or the consequences could be dire.
"Well, there was that clown who successfully consumed seven of them," he reasoned, trying to bolster his own confidence. "I should be fine."
He pulled the Lacrima from Brain's loot bag. It was a sickly, venomous purple-green crystal, roughly the size of a human heart. Its surface was pitted and uneven, and when he looked closer, he could see a darker, tar-like substance slowly oozing within.
'I thought I would just eat it, but this seems a bit…' He recoiled slightly from its malevolent aura. 'I guess I'll wait until I reach the guild and ask Makarov. His grandson is a second-generation Dragon Slayer, after all. He'll know the safest way.'
---
After another hour or two of leisurely flight, the spires of Crocus came into view. Shun booked a room at the first decent-looking inn he found, deciding to rest for the day. He still had two days before the Oracion Seis kids would complete their "flight" and arrive at the guild.
---
The next morning, after a hot shower and a simple breakfast, Shun finally took the time to properly sort through the rest of Brain's loot. Yesterday, his attention had been completely monopolized by the Dragon Slayer Lacrima.
The bag was filled with magic books. He pulled them out one by one.
'Hearing Magic (Kiku Mahou).'
"This one must be for Cobra," Shun mused. "He used it to predict movements and even hear thoughts. It's remarkably similar to Observation Haki." A spark of interest ignited. "If I learn it, it might even help my Haki advance to a higher level. Hearing thoughts is an advanced application in One Piece, after all." He set the book aside. "I'll read this first. I can always give it to Cobra later, but only if he decides to join the guild."
He picked up the next one.
'Celestial Spirit Magic.'
"Self-explanatory," he muttered, flipping through the pages. "I thought it was just about buying keys, but there's a whole guide and set of rules here. Not really my style." He placed it in a separate pile. "This goes to its rightful owner. Next."
'Reflector Magic.'
"Reflect, huh? I only remember Midnight using some bizarre magic. So this is it." The concept was simple but potent. "Not interested for myself. If he joins, I'll give it to him. Though that's doubtful after I beat his father senseless in front of him." He wasn't sure about their relationship, but it couldn't be good.
'Earth Magic.'
"Simple but powerful. This could actually be useful. I'll read it first before deciding to give it to Hoteye."
Finally, he picked up the last book.
'Slow Magic.'
"Another simple but useful one. I'll definitely learn this."
That was the entirety of the loot—a collection of magics perfectly tailored for the future Oracion Seis. It seemed in the original timeline, Brain had used the chaos of Erza's rebellion to recruit them by offering these very grimoires.
"Well, that's enough resting," Shun declared, stretching. "First order of business: buy a map so I don't get lost on the way back."
After a quick shopping trip for snacks, water, and a detailed map, he splurged on a pair of "Gale-Force Reading Glasses," a magic item that cost a month's rent but would allow him to read comfortably even while flying at high speeds. With his new purchases secured, he took to the skies, leaving Crocus—and Zoltan—behind without a second thought.
---
After a day of frustrating wrong turns and course corrections, Shun finally spotted the familiar skyline of Magnolia. Relief washed over him.
He headed straight for the guild, pushing open the heavy wooden door to be greeted by the usual cacophony.
"Ahh, nothing beats a beer after a job well done!" Macao Conbolt was boasting at a central table, a mug in his hand. "Just wrapped up a mission defeating a two-headed giant up on Mount Hakobe!"
Wakaba, blowing a ring of smoke, laughed. "A giant? You probably just found another lost cat. They're calling you 'Cat Slayer Macao' behind your back, you know!"
The surrounding guild members roared with laughter.
"You bastard!" Macao retorted, his face turning red. "This time it was a proper mission!"
The banter was cut short as the guild door creaked open. All eyes turned to see a young black-haired boy, dressed in a dark tunic and loose trousers, step inside.
It was Shun.
"I'm back," he announced casually, strolling towards the noisy group. "Is the Guild Master here?"
"He was here a minute ago," Macao said, looking around. "Where'd he go?"
"He'll be back soon. Wait here with us," Wakaba offered, before turning a curious eye on Shun. "So, how did your first mission go?"
"Oh, it ended without any trouble. Simple escort mission. The most exciting thing was beating up some weak bandits." Shun smiled, then casually compressed a small amount of air in his palm with a faint fwip before letting it disperse.
The guild members who witnessed it shuddered, the memory of his terrifying demonstration still fresh.
"Well… don't overdo it," Wakaba said, his voice slightly strained.
At that moment, a blonde teenager in a yellow t-shirt and black trousers shouldered his way through the crowd.
"Hey, Shun! Fight me!" Laxus demanded, his expression deadly serious.
Shun had expected a refusal, but to his surprise, Shun's smile widened. "Perfect timing, Laxus. I need to ask you something. If you help me, I'll agree to the duel."
"Fine! Ask away!" Laxus said, his eagerness undimmed.
"First, let me show you something." Shun reached into his bag and carefully withdrew the object of his curiosity.
The moment the sickly, purple-tinged Lacrima was revealed, a heavy silence fell over the entire guild hall. All chatter ceased as every eye fixed on the ominous crystal pulsing with malevolent energy on the table.
"…"
Laxus's eyes widened, his competitive glare replaced by sheer shock.
"A Dragon Slayer Lacrima?!!!"