Chapter 8

"Nami, can you please let go of me?"

On the small boat sailing across the azure sea, Seph found himself tightly embraced by an unusually jubilant Nami.

"Mori, Mori!! I'll never let you go in this lifetime!"

Nami shook her head fervently, her embrace growing tighter by the second.

Don't misunderstand, this newfound affection definitely isn't due to peach blossom luck. As a heroine protected by the world's will, it's not easy to deceive her.

Zoro and Luffy exchanged sympathetic glances at Seph's predicament. Zoro spoke up, admiration evident in his voice.

"Indeed, Seph, your luck is truly extraordinary. It's beyond normal!"

Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement as he nodded vigorously. His pockets bulged with gleaming jewelry and gold.

"With Seph around, there's always a feast!" Luffy proclaimed, his enthusiasm contagious.

Meanwhile, Zoro had upgraded his swords to a new set that seemed even more formidable than before.

It all began two days prior.

After defeating Buggy and departing the island, their subsequent journey had been nothing short of miraculous.

Encountering a massive sea king, the crew expected a confrontation, yet the creature surprised them by spitting out a plethora of treasure chests in Seph's direction.

Subsequently, treasures seemed to gravitate towards Seph, either through instinct or uncanny happenstance.

In a single day, the crew salvaged hundreds of treasures, including baileys, gold jewelry, famed swords, and even devil fruits.

Their ship overflowed with wealth, leaving barely enough space to move. Seph's spatial storage ability finally proved invaluable in managing the abundance wich brought him a lot of envious glances from Luffy and Nami.

Initially hesitant, Nami's trust in Seph had been tested, yet seeing the wealth amassed, she couldn't help but cling to him, whether for the riches hidden in his spacial storage or his uncanny treasure-attracting ability.

Despite her initial reservations, Nami's demeanor gradually softened, her tense demeanor giving way to genuine happiness. She even hugged him warmly, a sign of her growing confidence in securing her village's future.

Seph gently patted Nami's head, eliciting a joyful giggle from her.

Suddenly, Seph's gaze fixated on the distant horizon, prompting him to exclaim.

"Huh?"

Hearing his words, Nami's eyes gleamed with the symbol of baileys.

"What, what?! Did you detect another treasure? Where is it? Let's go find it together!"

Nami's response left him speechless.

"It's not a treasure this time. It's a pirate ship, and its crew appears to be plotting some conspiracy and preparing to attack a village nearby."

Nami's expression shifted to one of discomfort.

"What?" Her features contorted with concern.

Zoro and Luffy mirrored her seriousness. Despite their aspirations to be pirates, they remained fundamentally decent individuals.

While ignorance might have excused their inaction, now that they were aware of the pirates' nefarious intentions, they were determined to intervene and put a stop to their schemes.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it," Seph reassured them before rising from his spot. With Nami finally releasing her grip, he spread his wings and vanished from sight.

Zoro sighed in admiration. "Seph's devil fruit is incredibly useful. And he's not just reliant on it—he's a formidable swordsman as well. But I'm determined to reach his level and surpass him."

Luffy's expression turned wistful as he pondered ways to make his devil fruit soar. He aslo wanted to fight...

Nami felt a surge of confidence. Over the past few days, she had witnessed Seph's part of strength firsthand. His newfound abilities, coupled with his miraculous luck, had transformed him into a force to be reckoned with.

On the other side, some nautical miles away, Seph materialized in the sky above a pirate ship. Observing the ominous black cat pirate flag, he wasn't taken aback.

{A significant individual is detected... Jango 'Hypnotist'... Would you like to sign in?]

{A significant individual...]

{A significant individual ...]

{Sign-in successful]

[Congratulations to the host for unlocking: Super Hypnotism]

[Congratulations to the host for acquiring: 2x Energy Cores] 

Seph was taken aback by the revelation.

"So, the Superman Basic Abilities pack can be unlocked through Sign-in? I always thought I needed to reach a certain level to access those incredible superpowers. Knowing it can be acquired through Sign-in is quite a relief."

"Now that I've received the reward, this group of pirates is useless."

With a subtle movement, Masamune materialized in his hand from thin air. He unsheathed his sword slowly, and with a gentle wave, a massive black sword slash, tens of meters in size, surged towards the medium-sized ship beneath him.

The sword slash unleashed tremendous pressure, accompanied by fierce winds and waves. Even before the blade reached its target, the pirate ship was thrown into chaos.

Upon contact, the sword light cleaved the ship in two, followed by a deafening explosion that engulfed it in dust. The pirates onboard were caught in the devastation, their flesh, blood, and body parts scattering in every direction. The sea momentarily turned crimson with the aftermath.

In the distance, Nami, Zoro, and Luffy gazed in shock. Though far away, they witnessed the colossal sword slash and the sudden upheaval of the sea.

Nami's disbelief was evident. "Was that attack launched by Seph? Impossible! Is he truly that powerful?"

Zoro swallowed hard, shaking his head in astonishment. "A swordsman capable of such an attack? I've truly been living in the dark."

Luffy's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Incredible!! Seph is so strong!!"

Luffy gazed at Zoro with a teasing smirk. "Zoro, aiming to be the greatest swordsman is quite the challenge, isn't it?"

Zoro's expression darkened, his hand tightening around his sword hilt. The urge to cut down this guy surged within him.

Seph's silhouette appeared suddenly, prompting Nami to throw herself into his embrace, her eyes shimmering with a strange luster.

"Seph-kun!! I never imagined you were this strong!" Nami exclaimed, her voice tinged with awe.

Seph wore a complacent expression. "Well, I didn't even exert 20% of my strength yet, and you're already astonished," he remarked casually.

Nami looked at him in disbelief. "Lies!!" she retorted.

Seph hugged her gently, shaking his head. "I'm not lying... But Nami, do you know where the Gecko Islands are?"

Nami and the others regarded him with curiosity.

"The pirates still have a captain. This man is none other than the infamous Kuro of a Hundred Plans," Seph continued, explaining Kuro's sinister schemes and the crisis involving Kaya.

Nami's expression soured. "Pirates truly are despicable scum!"

Luffy, who had been serious moments before, suddenly pouted. "Nami, pirates aren't all bad. Kuro isn't even a real pirate."

Nami remained skeptical. "Don't listen... Pirates are still scum," she insisted firmly.

Luffy's spirits dampened instantly, his energy waning as he slumped to the ground.

Zoro, wearing a wild smirk, rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Kuro, huh? Sounds like a worthy opponent..."

Seph could sense the intense fighting spirit emanating from Zoro. It seemed that his earlier display of swordsmanship had ignited Zoro's battle instincts.

Nami appeared to be deep in thought, considering the implications of their proximity to Gecko Islands.

"We're actually near Gecko Islands. It's only about an hour away..."

Seph's lack of surprise was evident.

"Is that so? Then let's set sail! I have a feeling we'll find new companions on that island!"

The trio regarded Seph with a mixture of curiosity and trust. They had learned to rely on his intuition, which had proven accurate time and time again.

Luffy's enthusiasm soared to new heights. "Nami, let's go! Our new crewmates are waiting!"

Zoro's anticipation was palpable, his desire for a worthy battle evident in his expression. He was eager to see what challenges and allies awaited them on Gecko Islands.

Nami let out a sigh of exasperation as she took the helm, steering the boat towards their destination.