One billion Berries. That was the result Vivi brought back.
The funds came from the war reparations paid by Angel Island.
Of course—
Gan Fall publicly described it as a "peace payment," something akin to a goodwill offering between friends.
A one-time gesture only.
Having personally witnessed the might of Ren's crew, the people of Angel Island naturally had no objections—nor the courage to voice any.
In fact, they were grateful. Grateful that Ren's group had ended Enel's tyrannical rule. And the long-standing threat of the Shandian tribe.
Yes—Under the joint efforts of the elders and Gan Fall, the Shandians had officially integrated with the people of Angel Island.
There were simply too few Shandians left—barely five hundred in total. Accepting them posed no real problem to Angel Island. Besides, the Shandians' combat strength was exactly what the islanders needed after all they'd gone through.
The old "god," Enel, was gone. The former "old god" had returned to power, bringing a fragile peace. But no one could guarantee that, once Ren's crew departed, this sky-island would not fall into chaos again.
Naturally, Ren wasn't much interested in politics. After acting as a temporary governor for a while, he quickly realized it wasn't for him and gave up the position.
Now, most of his attention was focused on the lottery.
This time,he planned to upgrade the weapons of Nami and Nojiko.
Nami aside for now—Nojiko's equipment was starting to fall behind. Instead of waiting until she hit a wall, it was better to strike while the iron was hot.
The Sea Offering remained unused. As usual, Ren activated Double Luck.
The golden roulette slowly spun five times.
{Obtained — Synthesis Scroll}
{Obtained — Railgun Blueprint}
{Obtained — Bolts of Gransax}
{Obtained — Rune of Lightning}
{Obtained — Weakness Transfer Rod}
The final prize materialized in Ren's hand—a plain red plastic tube.
At first glance, it looked entirely ordinary. If it hadn't come from Doraemon's world, he might have tossed it aside.
"Weakness Transfer Rod? Never heard of that gadget."
Ren studied the light screen—and froze.
[Weakness Transfer Rod]
Origin: Doraemon Dimension
Type: Minor Rule Artifact
Effect: When held, the user can transfer their own "weakness" to another by touch. The weakness may include, but is not limited to: things one fears, hates, or cannot endure. These weaknesses are conceptual in nature. The effect lasts 24 hours before reverting. Reusable once per day.
Usage Limit: 1 per day.
A very peculiar description... Conceptual, huh? Could the weakness of a Devil Fruit user count?
Ren rubbed his chin thoughtfully. There were countless episodes of Doraemon, and he had never seen them all. He knew little about this item specifically. But he did know how terrifying that world could be—a mere "childcare robot" could casually pull out a galaxy-destroying bomb, or a time machine that defied causality.
Either it was illogical slapstick comedy for kids... or that dimension's science was godlike.
Either way, it meant this prize had serious potential value.
After some thought, Ren added the rod to his immediate "to-do" list, then turned his attention to the other rewards.
The Railgun Blueprint—A mountain of complex schematics that gave him a headache. Still, he could vaguely tell it described a weapon powered by electromagnetic force.
He pondered for a moment, then decided to hand it over to the Angels of Glory and Haredas. He didn't fully understand the details, but just the term railgun spoke for itself.
Super Electromagnetic Cannon...Even hearing that name conjured an image of destructive power. If they could successfully analyze it, it might become standard gear for the Angels of Glory—greatly enhancing their combat strength. In the world of pirates, where people still feared flintlocks, a railgun would be a nightmare.
The rest of the prizes included a root-shaped spear and a metal block etched with runic inscriptions.
[Bolts of Gransax]
Origin: Elden Ring
Type: Magical Artifact
Effect: A mana weapon imbued with immense lightning power. Greatly amplifies all lightning-type abilities.
[Rune of Lightning]
Origin: ???
Type: Divine Script
Effect: A mysterious ancient rune embodying the fundamental power of the world—manifested as lightning itself.
Consumption: None
After examining them, Ren realized he had all the materials he needed for the Synthesis Scroll.
"'Bolts of Gransax' and 'Rune of Lightning' aren't exactly top-tier billion-Beli rewards, but they'll do nicely as components."
He laid out the synthesis grid in his mind.
"Six slots... the Magical Clima-Tact goes in the central sixth slot as the core. Four Thunder Drums count as one slot. Add the Bolts of Gransax, the Rat Talisman Fragment, the Rune of Lightning... and for the last slot... this one will do."
Ren used Essence Extraction, peeling off one of his own spells:
[Magic: Thunderstorm]
It was long retired—but perfectly suited for Nami's needs. Pure lightning spells like Storm Day were stronger, but Nami didn't just seek lightning—she sought dominion over weather.
A technique capable of invoking sustained rain, thunder, wind, and gloom—Thunderstorm was the ideal choice.
With the synthesis and "test" both pending, Ren called Nami over.
"What is it now?" Nami leaned drowsily against his shoulder, eyeing the red rod in his hand with suspicion.
"Basically, it works like this…"Ren explained the rod's effects.
"That's impossible! Devil Fruits being weak to seawater is an iron law." Nami frowned, half-doubtful but intrigued, pressing the red tube against Ren's arm.
"But since it's something you pulled out, I guess we can try."
A faint light pulsed from the plastic rod—first enveloping Nami, then flowing into the rod itself,and finally bursting forth as white light that wrapped around Ren.
Swallowing Rivers, Flooding Lakes!
Using his ability, Ren conjured a tub full of seawater in the bathroom. The instant he dipped his hand in, a strange weakness spread through his body.
He had never felt this before. Seawater had never been his enemy—until now.
He could clearly sense his strength draining in proportion to how much of his body was submerged.
The Weakness Transfer Rod—works!
Thinking it through, it made sense. The Devil Fruit user's vulnerability to seawater was a conceptual weakness.
"At this level... it's actually working?"
Nami's eyes sparkled. "Ren! Your Seastone handcuffs—quick, try those too!"
Urged on, Ren reluctantly retrieved the Seastone cuffs. The moment he touched them, a wave of exhaustion hit him—as if he hadn't eaten for days, as if he were dying of thirst. All his usual vigor vanished in an instant.
No wonder Seastone is the nemesis of Devil Fruit users!
Ren's expression stiffened; he was about to throw them off when—
Click!
The sound of shackles locking echoed through the room.
Nami, quick as lightning, had fastened one cuff to Ren's wrist—and the other to her own.
"...?"
"It really doesn't affect me at all. Amazing." Nami laughed, shaking her wrist. The deadly Seastone cuffs dangled harmlessly against her pale skin.
"Hey, testing's fine, but why did you lock it for real?" Ren's face darkened. "Come on, don't mess around."
But Nami's lips curled into a mischievous grin as she pinched his cheeks.
Her fair fingers tugged and twisted his face playfully.
"So basically, right now you're like a Devil Fruit user handcuffed with Seastone, right?"
Her teasing voice echoed through the steamy bathroom. "Which means... you're weak and powerless. You definitely won't be as energetic as you are at night, huh?"
[10000 words Omitted]
Hours later, a brilliant white light burst from the Synthesis Scroll. Violet-blue radiance spread across its surface. Despite the rather... unconventional process, the goal was achieved.
Ren's body ignited with flame, drying away the seawater and dispelling his weakness. Nami lay curled lazily in his arms, basking in the warmth of his fire. Being "the knight," as she called it, had drained her completely—she felt as weak as if she were wearing Seastone. But it had been worth it. She was happy—truly happy, in both body and mind.
"I think I finally understand why you always make me bend over like that," Nami murmured, tugging his collar with a sly smile. "Next time, we should try that trick again."
"You wish. For now, let's look at your new weapon." Ren rolled his eyes, nipped her lips lightly, and turned toward the newly synthesized creation.
What emerged—or rather, what floated before them—was a cluster of misty, cloud-like substance.
(End of Chapter)