---Ryouma's POV---
"Offensive, huh…"
I lay back in my chair, various techniques flashing through my mind.
Right now, my strongest conventional attack method was my Blaze Release. It could handle opponents at the Kage-level, but against enemies at the Six Paths level, the damage was honestly underwhelming.
The Super Saiyan Mode was definitely powerful, but its downside was that it could only be used as a trump card. If Orochimaru could further perfect the Yomi no Tsurugi in the future, maybe then the Super Saiyan Mode could become a regular weapon in my arsenal.
Or I could consume the senzu beans I had stored away. But even then, I only had one, and I'd never bothered trying to cultivate more. From what I remembered watching Dragon Ball, growing senzu beans was an absolute pain, they needed perfect nutritious soil, precise humidity levels, and tons of time to mature properly. Without a Hyperbolic Time Chamber or similar training dimension, it just wasn't practical. Besides, even if I did consume the senzu beans, they would only extend my time in Super Saiyan Mode. The fundamental problem remained: the mode was still slowly killing me from the inside out. The senzu beans were more like a temporary band-aid than a real solution.
Maybe this time my birthday wish would bring me something that could synergize with Super Saiyan Mode.
With that hopeful thought, I began counting down the days to my birthday.
But before my birthday arrived, I instead received the news that Minato was about to be appointed as the Fourth Hokage.
---
It was a beautifully sunny day when Rin and I were walking side by side along Konoha's shopping street.
"I really didn't expect Minato-sensei to become Hokage so soon."
"Now that the war is over, it's the perfect time for a change in leadership. If it were delayed any longer… well, it might have been too late," I said.
"What's that supposed to mean? Haha."
Rin laughed at my nonsensical comment.
If we waited too long and peace lasted for a while, Minato's prestige, without the boost from the war, might have been overtaken by Orochimaru again. But that wasn't something suitable to say at a time like this. Besides, it was already an impossibility now.
We arrived at Yamanaka Flowers and picked out a few bouquets suitable for gifting.
"Hanako-san, can you help us wrap these into a flower basket?" I handed the chosen flowers to the shop attendant, someone I had interacted with a few times and was on friendly terms with.
Hanako took the flowers with both hands and began arranging them into a basket, teasing as she worked, "Of course. Your girlfriend is cute, isn't she?"
She suddenly gave Rin a playful look and raised her eyebrows meaningfully in her direction.
I waved a hand in front of her face to block her gaze. "Rin and I are just best friends."
"Best friends, huh?" Hanako handed over the finished flower basket. "All done, your basket, a modest 800 ryō."
After taking the basket, Rin and I said goodbye to Hanako and headed toward Minato's house.
I rang the doorbell. But it wasn't Minato or Kushina who answered, it was Obito, looking smug as ever.
"Ohhh, I knew you guys would come to congratulate Minato-sensei too!"
"Is that Ryouma and Rin? Come on in!" Kushina's voice called out from inside.
After saying a quick "Excuse us," Rin and I stepped into the house.
Inside the living room, we saw a large pile of finely wrapped gift boxes in all shapes and sizes. Kushina was directing Minato and Kakashi as they sorted through everything.
"Wow..."
The gift pile was almost taller than me.
Rin handed the flower basket to Minato with a smile. "Congratulations on achieving your dream!"
"Thank you, Rin. And thank you too, Ryouma."
Minato took the flower basket and placed it on the coffee table in the living room.
"So sneaky!" Kushina exclaimed as she suddenly lunged forward, wrapping both Rin and me into a warm, squishy hug. "You two are even giving gifts together now, what a perfectly enviable childhood sweetheart couple~"
"Huh?" Obito asked in confusion, "But Kushina-senpai, weren't you and Minato-sensei also childhood friends?"
Bonk!
Kushina smacked Obito on the head with a punch and shouted as he cried out in pain, "You're supposed to call me Kushina-neechan."
"I got it…" Obito mumbled, "Kushina-neechan."
"Mm-hmm, that's a good boy." Kushina rubbed Obito's head affectionately. "You know, I wasn't born in Konoha. I came here later because of… certain circumstances, and that's when I enrolled in the Ninja Academy and met Minato."
"Wait, does that mean you were the one who made the first move on Minato-sensei?" Rin asked with bright, curious eyes, clearly intrigued by the gossip.
Kushina waved her hand and shook her head repeatedly. "No way! Let me tell you a secret, I actually hated him when I first arrived in Konoha."
"Oooh, do tell!" Obito hadn't expected his casual question to lead to such juicy gossip.
Even Kakashi perked up and stopped organizing the gifts for a moment, ears pricked so he wouldn't miss a word.
"Hehe…"
Because of her identity as a jinchūriki, Kushina didn't often get to enjoy lively moments like this, so she happily launched into a story from her childhood.
"Don't be fooled by how he is now. Back then, he was such a girly boy."
"Haha… Kushina, come on now…"
Minato scratched his head awkwardly, not sure what to say, Kushina really was a bit too excited today.
More guests arrived afterward with gifts, some of whom I recognized as familiar faces.
Minato glanced out the window to check the sky.
"It's getting late, probably no more visitors today. How about I treat everyone to barbecue?"
"Really? That's awesome!" Obito was the first to raise his hand in agreement.
---Third POV---
Two days later, the Hokage succession ceremony was held as scheduled. All the major figures of Konoha were in attendance, standing on the rooftop of the Hokage Building to witness this historic moment.
Minato accepted the Hokage hat from Hiruzen, placing it on his head. Facing the massive crowd below, he spoke with confident resolve:
"I will give my life to protect Konoha!"
"Yondaime!"
"YONDAIME!!"
"YONDAIME!!!"
Below the Hokage Building, the crowd of villagers erupted into louder and louder cheers.
Once the ceremony was over, Minato removed the Hokage hat and tucked it under his arm, turning to look at the jonin of Konoha gathered behind him. Everyone standing here was no ordinary jonin. They were the representatives of Konoha's major ninja clans, either current clan heads or confirmed successors.
There were also the heads of Konoha's various departments, people he would work most closely with as the Fourth Hokage from here on out.
Now that the ceremony had ended, it was time for the attendees to disperse. Everyone was busy, and since they all lived in the same village, there would be plenty of opportunities to connect later.
Jiraiya walked up and gave Minato a firm pat on the shoulder. "So, how does it feel to be Hokage? Haha!"
"It feels great. Honestly… like a dream," Minato replied humbly.
"Congratulations, Minato," Orochimaru said in his hoarse voice. "I've been busy with experiments the past few days and didn't have a chance to congratulate you earlier."
"It's no problem. I'm already very grateful that you're willing to attend my inauguration ceremony."
Minato meant it sincerely. He truly hadn't expected Orochimaru to come.
In fact, Orochimaru hadn't planned on coming at first. After all, losing the competition was quite a blow to someone as proud as he was. He had originally intended to spend the entire day in the lab, but Ryouma barged in with Jiraiya and dragged him out.
Unable to withstand Jiraiya's persistent persuasion, he had no choice but to reluctantly agree to attend the ceremony.
Right now, his position in the village was quite awkward. Even though Minato had never shown any hostility toward him, the other ninjas tried to avoid contact with him to steer clear of suspicion.
If you asked who in Konoha didn't want him to defect, Ryouma would definitely be one of them.
Not only because of his cooperative relationship with Orochimaru, but more so because of Tsunade. As former teammates, if Orochimaru defected, it would surely affect her emotionally as well.
And that was what led to the earlier scene.
---Ryouma's POV---
"Nice!"
I gave Jiraiya a subtle thumbs-up, and he returned the gesture.
At that moment, Tsunade came over and, lacking any tact, said, "I really didn't expect you to show up. I thought you'd be hiding away somewhere like Danzō."
I tugged on her sleeve and whispered to her, "Orochimaru-senpai is my partner now. Danzō is already out of the picture."
I had gone out of my way to get Jiraiya and bring Orochimaru out of the lab precisely to ease the tension between Orochimaru and Minato. After all, aside from competing for the Hokage position, there wasn't really any bad blood between them, and Jiraiya's connection to both helped.
"Hehe, things like this do happen," Orochimaru chuckled lightly. Luckily, it seemed like he wasn't going to get angry over Tsunade's blunt words. In fact, it was better that she still spoke to him so casually. Because of Nawaki, he still felt guilty toward Tsunade even now.
"Alright!" Jiraiya raised his voice as the atmosphere started to get a little awkward. "The three of us haven't gotten together in ages. Let's have Orochimaru treat us to some barbecue today, how about it?"
"Oh, barbecue? I'm down, I'm down," Tsunade readily agreed, praising Jiraiya. "You actually come up with good ideas now and then!"
"But why am I the one treating?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and asked.
Jiraiya wasn't fazed at all by the threatening look. "Because I am leaving Konoha tomorrow. As my close friend, how could you not treat me to a send-off?"
Minato looked surprised and asked, "Jiraiya-sensei, you're leaving Konoha? Why?"
Jiraiya didn't answer directly, but instead looked toward me. "Didn't Ryouma tell you? I'm going out to gather intel on Nagato."
At that, I twitched the corner of my mouth and said, "I'm not the kind of guy who goes around sharing other people's business. Of course I didn't tell anyone."
"Haha, sorry, I forgot to mention it," Jiraiya said with his hands together apologetically. "To make up for it, let Orochimaru treat us to barbecue!"
"Jiraiya…"
Orochimaru was speechless. This barbecue was happening no matter what, and he was footing the bill.
"Come on, let's go! Are you two coming as well?"
Jiraiya hooked both arms around Orochimaru's shoulders and started pushing him out while still trying to rope Minato and me into joining them.
"Hey, since I'm the one treating, shouldn't it be my right to decide who to invite?"
Sure enough, one thing really did counter another, Orochimaru had already accepted the reality that he was getting taken advantage of tonight.
Minato and I, of course, weren't about to intrude on the legendary Sannin's reunion. We each found an excuse to politely decline Jiraiya's invitation.
"Head home early, okay."
"I got it! And Ryouma, stop imitating Shizune's tone on purpose!"
After seeing Tsunade off, Minato and I stood together, watching the three walk away.
In the breeze, we could still hear Jiraiya and Orochimaru bickering in the distance.
"Orochimaru, it's your fault, that's why Minato and Ryouma didn't come with us."
"Then should I just leave?"
"No way!"
---
Peaceful days always went by too quickly, and just like that, my fifteenth birthday arrived.
That night, as usual, I opened up the system interface. When the clock's hands aligned at midnight, a mechanical notification sounded.
[Ding! You have received a new email. This email will disappear in 365 days. Please check it promptly.]
It was here, it had finally arrived. The contents of the email were always the same. I clicked to open it.
[Thank you for your support and companionship over the past year. We are pleased to grant you a Wish Heart and wish you smooth sailing in your new life.]
After claiming the Wish Heart, combined with the nine I'd saved up, I suddenly jumped up from the bed.
"Time for the pulls!"
With imaginary background music playing in my mind, I clasped my hands and stared at the system interface.
"Let's start the wishing!"
[Would you like to spend 10 Wish Hearts for 10 wishes? Please note, the tenth wish is guaranteed to succeed.]
I took a deep breath. Based on my previous experiences, I knew what was coming. The system's idea of "consolation prizes" was... creative, to put it mildly.
[Confirm.]
[Consumed 10 Wish Hearts. Wishing begins.]
[First Wish Succeeded!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the ability: Rocks D. Xebec's Potential and Body]
I froze. Wait, the first wish succeeded? Rocks D. Xebec... who the hell was that? The name sounded vaguely familiar from One Piece, but I couldn't place him. Some pirate maybe? The "D" in his name suggested he was important, but I'd never heard of him before.
Before I could fully process what this meant, an indescribable pain shot through my entire body.
My bones began to crack and reshape themselves. I could feel my skeleton literally restructuring, becoming denser, stronger, more durable. My muscle fibers were compressing and multiplying.
My height increased as my frame expanded to accommodate the changes.
Damn!
My entire physiology was adapting to house this Rocks D. Xebec!
But the most startling change was in my perception. The Rikugan had already given me incredible sensory abilities, but now something new was awakening. Observation Haki, the ability to sense the emotions, intent, and presence of others, even predict their movements. It synergized perfectly with my existing abilities, creating a level of battlefield awareness that was almost precognitive.
As the physical changes stabilized, I felt an overwhelming personality and ambition that definitely wasn't mine trying to surface. Whoever this Rocks person was, he had to have been someone incredibly powerful and ruthless.
My dark chakra began to shift my hair to a darker shade, and for a moment I felt an alien confidence and cunning that was completely foreign to me.
"KAHAHAHAHA!"
For a moment, I felt an overwhelming ambition and hunger for conquest that was completely at odds with my usual goals. But then, through sheer force of will, I pulled myself back. My hair returned to its normal color, and the manic laughter faded.
I opened the skill description.
---
[Skill: Rocks D. Xebec's Potential and Body
Physical Enhancement: Possesses the monstrous physical capabilities of a One Piece character, adapted for chakra use. Incredible strength, speed, and durability.
Perfect Metabolic Conversion: The body can extract and utilize 100% of nutrients from any consumed food, converting everything into pure energy, muscle mass, or bone density. Requires significantly more food intake but leaves zero waste. Can even process normally inedible materials for trace minerals and energy.
Observation Haki: Can sense the emotions, intent, and presence of others. Predict enemy movements and attacks. Can glimpse brief moments of the future. Enhanced by existing Rikugan capabilities.
Armament Haki: Can infuse body parts and weapons with invisible dark chakra armor, dramatically increasing attack and defense power.
Conqueror's Haki - World Domination (Locked): The absolute pinnacle of Conqueror's Haki that transcends normal limitations. Can render entire armies unconscious, crush weaker wills so completely they become temporarily paralyzed, or cause complete physical shutdown where organs struggle to function, breathing becomes impossible, and hearts falter as if seized by an invisible hand. Creates spiritual pressure so intense that those significantly weaker cannot even approach or breathe properly. The ambition to rule the world itself manifests as an oppressive aura that affects reality. When fully unleashed, the environment responds to this overwhelming will; dark clouds gather and blot out the sun, torrential rain begins to fall, winds howl as if the atmosphere itself recoils in terror, temperature plummets, and thunder crashes continuously across dark skies. Nature itself bends to acknowledge a presence that seeks dominion over all existence. Combined with World Breaker Ambition, this creates a terrifying effect where the very world seems to "fear" the user's presence. The rain intensifies into a deluge, lightning strikes without pause, and the storm grows more violent the longer the aura is maintained. This is a power that defies the natural order, a force so absolute that the world itself recognizes it should not exist.
Apex Predator Instinct: The ability to instinctively identify and exploit any weakness in opponents, strategies, or situations. Enhanced tactical awareness that borders on supernatural, allowing adaptation to any combat scenario.
World Breaker Ambition (Locked): Passive aura that gradually weakens the resolve and fighting spirit of those who oppose the user's goals. Extended exposure can cause enemies to question their own convictions and loyalty.
Unyielding Foundation: Deep within the earth, ordinary stone endures millennia of crushing pressure, heat, and geological forces until it transforms into something far harder and more resilient. This principle governs the body's evolution, each life-threatening battle, each moment of surviving impossible odds, each brush with death compresses the user's physical and spiritual foundation. The closer to death, the greater the pressure applied, and the more dramatically the body's capabilities increase upon recovery.
Leadership Presence: Natural charisma and authority that can inspire absolute loyalty or absolute terror. Can command respect from even the most powerful individuals through presence alone.
Note: This body will continue to grow stronger over time, gradually unlocking dormant abilities as physical and spiritual development progresses. Current abilities are at their initial awakened state and can be significantly enhanced through dedicated training, combat experience, and spiritual growth. The user's potential ceiling is theoretically limitless, matching the pirate who once sought to conquer the world itself.]
---
After catching my breath and processing this incredible transformation, I realized there were still nine more pulls to go.
[Second Wish Failed. Consolation Prize: Saitama's Grocery Coupon - "50% Off Supermarket Sale - Expired"]
A crumpled coupon appeared. I examined it closely.
An expired grocery coupon.
From a world that probably didn't even exist in this reality.
Perfect.
Just what I needed...
[Third Wish Failed. Consolation Prize: Edward Elric's Height Measurement Chart - "Definitely Not Short"]
A height chart materialized with obvious erasure marks and re-written numbers. The measurements had been clearly altered multiple times, with "DEFINITELY 5'6"!" written in increasingly desperate handwriting.
I couldn't help but chuckle. Even in another world, some insecurities were universal. The poor kid had clearly been in denial about his height for years. I almost felt bad for him, almost.
Still completely useless to me, though.
[Fourth Wish Failed. Consolation Prize: Goku's Empty Senzu Bean Pouch - "Just Ate the Last One"]
An empty cloth pouch appeared with a few crumbs at the bottom. I stared at it incredulously.
The system had literally given me an empty bag with crumbs. Not even a whole senzu bean, just the leftovers from someone else's meal. This was getting ridiculous. I was half-expecting the next prize to be someone's used napkin.
[Fifth Wish Failed. Consolation Prize: Vegeta's Hair Gel - "Prince's Pride Formula"]
A container of hair gel appeared with an image of perfectly styled spiky hair on the label. The consistency seemed to defy gravity, maintaining its shape regardless of movement.
I picked up the container, noting how the gel inside seemed to maintain its structure even when I turned it upside down. Impressive, but what was I supposed to do with super-strong hair gel? My hair was already perfectly manageable.
Unless... could this be useful for disguises? The gel seemed strong enough to reshape hair completely. I tucked it away, it might have some practical applications later.
[Sixth Wish Failed. Consolation Prize: Lightning Dragon Lacrima]
A crystalline gem materialized. It pulsed with raw electrical power, almost like a compressed storm.
Now this was more like it. I could feel the raw lightning energy contained within the crystal. Unlike the previous junk, this actually had potential. Dragon Slayer magic adapted to chakra could be interesting.
I carefully stored it in a secure scroll. This was definitely worth keeping.
[Seventh Wish Failed. Consolation Prize: Ichigo's Substitute Soul Reaper Badge - "Currently on Break"]
A small badge appeared with a skull design. It felt inert, like a piece of jewelry rather than a mystical artifact.
At least it looked decent. Maybe I could use it as a regular accessory.
[Eighth Wish Failed. Consolation Prize: Ainz Ooal Gown's Spare Finger Bone - "Unused Crafting Material"]
A single finger bone appeared, emanating an aura of death magic.
I immediately dropped it. The bone radiated an unnatural coldness. Death magic, even inactive, was not something I wanted to handle casually.
While it might have research value for forbidden jutsu, keeping necromantic materials around seemed like asking for trouble. What if someone sensed the energy? How would I explain having the remains of an undead overlord?
I used the single chopstick I got from the system to carefully place it in a sealed container. This was staying locked away until I figured out what to do with it.
[Ninth Wish Failed. Consolation Prize: Rimuru's Slime Secretion Sample - "Great Sage Approved Quality"]
A small vial of clear, viscous liquid appeared.
I held the vial up to the light, watching the substance inside shift and flow. Unlike the bone, this didn't feel malevolent, just... curious. The liquid seemed to react to my presence, moving slightly within the container.
The "Great Sage Approved" label suggested this wasn't just any slime secretion. If it retained even a fraction of Rimuru's adaptive properties, it could be incredibly valuable for research or even medical applications.
Two potentially useful items out of nine attempts. Not great odds, but better than my last gacha experience.
[Tenth Wish Succeeded!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the ability: Breath of All Things]
I blinked. The Breath of All Things, this was the legendary state from One Piece that allowed swordsmen to perceive the "breath" of all matter, enabling them to cut through anything or choose not to cut at all.
---
[Skill: Breath of All Things
Ability 1: Perceive the "breath" or life essence of all matter, living and non-living.
Ability 2: Cut through any material by targeting its essential flow of energy.
Ability 3: Choose not to cut even when striking with full force.
Ability 4: Sense the boundary between life and death in all things.
Ability 5: Enhanced understanding of the fundamental nature of existence.]
---
I sat back, processing everything. The Rocks transformation had given me incredible physical capabilities and Haki, while the Breath of All Things provided supernatural perception of the essence of all matter. This was a swordsman's ultimate technique, the ability to cut through anything or protect anything by understanding its fundamental nature.
The Lightning Dragon Lacrima pulsed in my hand, and with my enhanced Observation Haki, I could sense its desire to be integrated with compatible energy. With the Breath of All Things, I could perceive the very essence of the compressed lightning within, understanding how to properly merge it with my chakra system.
But the real prize was this new body and its capabilities.
I felt that dangerous ambition trying to surface again, whatever kind of person this Rocks had been, his hunger for conquest was clearly immense.
I took a deep breath and centered myself. I had gained incredible power, but I couldn't let it change who I was at my core. I still had people to protect.
Though I had to admit, being able to perceive the essence of all things would make protecting my friends infinitely easier. If I could understand the fundamental nature of any threats against her, I could either cut through them effortlessly or ensure they couldn't harm her at all.
"Alright," I whispered to myself, watching the Lightning Dragon Lacrima crackle in my palm. "Let's see how I can handle this."
Is this version of Conqueror's Haki too strong?
40+ advance chapters!
/Malphegor