Chapter 15

Inside Baratie, the atmosphere is one of refined elegance intertwined with the rustic charm of a seafaring establishment. As the strawhat gang steps through its welcoming doors, they are greeted by the warm aroma of freshly prepared seafood delicacies mingling with the salty breeze drifting in from the nearby sea.

"Hmm... I smell deliciousness!!!" Luffy exclaimed eagerly, the first to open the door as his saliva splattered around.

Johnny and Yosaku shared the same expressions, nodding in agreement.

"Isn't it?! This restaurant is definitely the best!!"

"Unfortunately, we have something to do, and we can't enjoy this meal with you,"

The duo left, reiterating their commitment to guard the ship. Despite assurances that Merry was capable of handling it alone, their stubbornness prevailed.

Nami looked around curiously, taking in her surroundings.

The interior décor of Baratie exudes a timeless nautical theme, with polished wooden floors that creak softly beneath the feet of patrons and walls adorned with intricate maritime memorabilia. Brass lanterns suspended from the ceiling cast a soft, golden glow over the dining area, adding to the cozy ambience.

The main dining hall boasts a series of elegantly set tables draped in crisp, white linens, each adorned with delicate silverware and sparkling glassware. Tall windows line one side of the room, offering breathtaking views of the azure ocean stretching out to the horizon.

She sighed in amazement. "I didn't expect this restaurant to be so high-end..."

Ussop and Zoro nodded in agreement, their consent evident.

Despite its tranquil surroundings, Baratie hums with lively chatter and laughter as guests from all corners of the world gather to enjoy its renowned culinary offerings.

At the heart of Baratie stands a bustling open kitchen, where skilled chefs clad in pristine white uniforms orchestrate a symphony of sizzling pans and clattering pots. The savory aroma of seafood delights wafts through the air, tantalizing the senses and beckoning diners to indulge in the restaurant's delectable fare.

Amidst the convivial atmosphere, guests sit back in contentment, savoring each mouthful of expertly prepared dishes while sipping on glasses of fine wine or refreshing cocktails. From succulent grilled fish to exquisitely crafted sushi rolls, Baratie's menu is a testament to the culinary mastery that has made it a destination of choice for discerning epicureans and weary travelers alike.

Sanji, clad in his waiter suit, had already spotted the crew. Every eye in the restaurant stole glances towards their group, simply because they were too captivating to ignore. Seph's beauty and charm drew the attention of both women and men alike, while the rest of the crew had transformed into near-perfect beings with stunning features and striking auras after taking the serum.

For Sanji, the moment he laid eyes on Nami's waist-length orange hair and her green-bikini bra, he was spellbound, as if struck by a cupid's arrow. Nami's charm after taking the serum rivaled even Hancock's allure.

With a comical swagger, Sanji appeared in front of the crew, his gaze fixated on Nami as he tried hard to maintain a gentlemanly demeanor, albeit with an obscene smile on his face.

"Guests, today's meal is on me! Please follow me!!" Sanji announced with a flourish.

Nami saw through his nature instantly, but she didn't refuse. She took Seph's hand and placed it on her bosom, smiling at Sanji happily. "Thank you, you are such a gentleman!!"

Sanji, almost destroyed by Nami's act of intimacy towards Seph, was soon resurrected. "Hahaha, Miss, you are truly joking!! Please, follow me. I'll lead you to the VIP area."

Zoro looked at the dog-licking Sanji with a mocking smile, but Sanji paid him no mind.

As Seph stepped foot into the restaurant, sign-in prompts kept popping up. For other things, he just let Nami lead him.

[Sign-in successful.]

[Congratulations to the host for unlocking all-superman basic abilities.]

[Congratulations to the host for acquiring: All-Famous Chef (Past, Modern, Future) recipes and skills.]

[Congratulations to the host for acquiring: 10X energy cores.]

Seph sat at the restaurant table, experiencing his third metamorphosis since acquiring the Doomsday gene. The first granted him a tenfold all-around power-up, while the second occurred after ingesting the Devil Fruit, granting him Omnipotence ability plus another tenfold increase. Now, he was undergoing the effects of the third metamorphosis.

With the addition of these basic skills, Seph's strength increased another tenfold, allowing him to effortlessly lift hundreds of thousands of tons. His speed, previously at 10 Mach, surged to 100 Mach, or 100 times the speed of sound, which equates to approximately 30 km/s. At that velocity, he could circumnavigate the Earth of his previous life in just 20 minutes.

His breath could freeze a radius of thousands of miles, almost matching Earth's radius, and he could generate tornadoes and storms with the power to devastate a small continent. His x-ray vision enabled him to see atoms, and he possessed other basic abilities such as clairvoyance and perspective.

His enhanced hearing spanned across the East Blue and even reached into some areas of the other three seas, with a trench of the Grand Line also accounted for. Were it not for his super brain's ability to filter out irrelevant information and block overwhelming stimuli, his head would undoubtedly explode.

His defense bordered on nigh-invulnerability, allowing him to withstand nuclear weapons head-on, and he could even swim in the sun without harm. Coupled with his bio-telekinesis, which enabled him to control all his abilities to their limits and even tamper with the rules of physics, it was evident that the current Seph Doomsday Lv3 was nearly equivalent to the modern peak Superman, almost invincible.

Seph's transformation didn't go unnoticed by the crew. They didn't feel his power increase; rather, Seph's aura suddenly disappeared, and his presence became almost non-existent. If they hadn't been paying attention to him, they would have likely ignored him altogether. It was as if he existed on another side of the world.

Nami looked worriedly at him, gently patting his shoulders as she sought reassurance.

Seph opened his eyes. Outwardly, he appeared no different from before, but he knew that his current state could already be labeled as overpowered.

He gave Nami a slight smile before addressing the others. "Don't worry, I just had a breakthrough in my power... so I suppressed it to avoid harming the guests in the restaurant."

Nami sighed in relief, her hug tightening around him, while Zoro and Ussop looked at him with envy.

Zoro's eyes lit up with anticipation for his own power-up, while Ussop's eyes shone with a desire to grow stronger and become braver.

"I also want to become stronger and braver!" Ussop declared with determination.

Meanwhile, Luffy resumed eating, his initial concern forgotten. His actions spoke volumes about his priorities.

Seph felt a sense of warmth.

'I didn't raise you in vain,' he thought, finding amusement in the situation.

Suddenly, another commotion grabbed their attention.

Sanji appeared to be engaged in a confrontation with other chefs. It seemed that after Sanji defeated the hapless Fullbody, Gin had finally appeared and requested food. The drama of providing food for everyone seemed to have attracted Luffy's attention.

[Sign-in successful]

[Congratulations to the host for acquiring: Los Lobos]

Los Lobos, the weapon used by Coyote Starrk/First Espada from Bleach, suddenly appeared in Seph's possession. He realized that such a weapon might be very useful to Ussop. Without much thought, he presented it to him.

"Ussop, this is for you," Seph said, offering the exotic-looking gun to Ussop.

Ussop was taken aback, but instinctively took the gun.

Nami looked at Ussop in envy and stole glances towards Seph which contain many messgaes. Seph could only sigh. He could only use energy core later along with omnipotence to craft a Weather-godess staff for her to elminate her resentememnt.

 The moment Ussop touched it, the gun turned into light specks and disappeared into his body, along with a flood of memories about its abilities and how to use them.

Ussop soon regained his composure, taking a deep breath.

"Strong!"

"But, Seph, what is 'will'? This weapon uses physical endurance and will..."

Seph was surprised. It seemed that some rewards were modified to align with the rules of this world when given to others. Only Seph, the owner, and the traveler could gain powers and bypass the world's shackles and rules.

Zoro and Luffy looked at the gun with interest, curious about this concept of will. It seemed like something very important.

"Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about this later on, after you get used to your newfound power, but now that Ussop mentioned it, I will explain it to you," Seph began.

The crew looked at Seph with seriousness and wonder.

"Luffy and Zoro, why do you think having a dream is a normal occurrence?"

Seph's sudden question left the whole crew stupefied.

"For example, Luffy, if you hadn't met Shanks and never knew about pirates, would you still want to become the Pirate King? And you, Zoro, you must have your own reasons to become a great swordsman..."

Nami observed Luffy and Zoro shocked faces with interest. Even she and Ussop were wondering. Wasn't having a dream a normal thing?

Seeing their perplexed expressions, Seph continued.

"Not everyone has dreams. Actually, this world is very strange. The true source of power in combat isn't physical strength or even swordsmanship. It's will, and the driving force that strengthens and propels your will to higher levels is your persistence in your dreams. Without dreams pushing you forward, your will won't be strong. Of course, dreams are just a driving force. It's okay to have strong talent, but if you lose your ideals, your strength will diminish, and your will deteriorate."

"This time, the four of them seem to understand a little better," Seph observed.

"For example, Luffy, your current power is about hundreds of tons. If you can harness your will perfectly, you can explode with tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of tons of damage."

Hearing such an explanation left everyone shocked.

"How is this possible? Will actually acts as a multiplier?!" Nami exclaimed, wide-eyed, with Zoro and Ussop sharing her expression.

Luffy scratched his head, trying to grasp the concept.

"So, will can make me many times stronger?"

Seph nodded in agreement at the simple question.

"However, will is not that simple. It's a pure, invisible force that can't be seen with the eyes and can only be felt by perception. Now, each of you can feel it. But the way to use it is through 'blessing'. For example, you can use your will to bless your body parts to increase power, damage, and defense, which is called armament haki. You can also bless your mind and spirit, allowing you to see without eyes, predict attacks, discern emotions and lies, brainwash, monitor, and even predict the future."

The four gasped in shock, Zoro visibly shivering in disbelief.

"This will is so exaggerated?! Does that mean only powerful people can touch it?!" Zoro asked incredulously.

"Yes, only when your control and power level reach a certain threshold can you touch it. Fortunately for you, I gave you that serum, which made your physical body surpass the most powerful in the world. It's easy to touch the will," Seph explained.

Gratitude filled their eyes as they looked at Seph.

Luffy, in his usual straightforward manner, asked a question.

"Why is will just a blessing? Isn't that weak?"

Seph sighed, explaining further. "That's because will is hard to control. Only a few people are born with this talent. For example, me, you, and Zoro. Pure will is actually more powerful than you think. You know, devil fruits are a kind of will!"

The crew was deeply shocked. Even devil fruits were another facet of will?!

"Yes, innate will users are called Conquerors, Kings, Overlords! They can use will to intimidate others and even attract others with their charm."

Nami and Ussop looked at the three so-called conquerors and seemed to understand a little. Whether Luffy, Zoro, or Seph, they all had a certain aura about them that attracted others.

Seph continued his explanation.

"As your control over Will increases, not only can you use it to attack directly, which is more powerful and impactful than normal armament haki, but it can also affect others' devil fruit abilities, Haki and even, to some extent, interfere with reality. If you can push your will to the limits of your world, even becoming a God isn't impossible. Because Will is a transcendent power that fills everything in the world, and mastering it allows you to gain a certain omnipotence."

This time, the four of them were excited.

Luffy suddenly laughed, his voice full of fighting spirit.

"Although I don't understand how strong a god is, if it's needed to become a god to become the King of the Pirates, then I'm determined to become a god!"

Zoro sneered.

"Sword God seems more interesting than the greatest swordsman!"

Nami acted coquettishly.

"Seph, is it really impossible for those of us who are not innate to master this power?! You must have a solution, right? I also wants to become your goddess."

Ussop also looked full of hope; he, too, wanted to become God USSOP!

Seph chuckled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. My Will Arts is an art that allows everyone to master this power. It's far more advanced than the so-called Haki in this world. Although it's the same power, the way we will use the Will is very advanced and miraculous!"

"Yaaay!" Nami happily cheered.

"Kanpai!" Ussop joined the fun, raising his glass.