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On the Deck of the Merry
Usopp was confined inside the treadmill. Exhaustion was already written all over his face.
Now drenched in sweat, he finally understood why this treadmill earned the ominous nickname "Burning Cauldron." Once activated, it couldn't be stopped until the preset time expired, and its design ensured there was no escape mid-session. All Usopp could do was run.
Panting heavily, he begged, "I…I'm dying… Ikki… l-let me out!"
Without even looking up from what he was doing, Ikki replied calmly, "There's still half an hour left. Just hold on."
Usopp: …
Regret filled Usopp's heart. In his excitement to try the device, he had unknowingly set it for a grueling five-hour session. Now, it felt like he'd fallen into his own trap.
Outside the treadmill, Luffy watched with wide-eyed envy. "I wanna try it too!" he declared eagerly.
But Ikki shook his head, his tone firm. "No way. This treadmill's not built for you, Luffy."
The reasoning was simple: Luffy's strength and energy were on an entirely different level. If this treadmill couldn't handle him stomping around, it would break before long. After all, Luffy had once accidentally dented the ship's water dispenser with a single enthusiastic step.
Ignoring Usopp's groans of despair, Ikki returned to sorting through the various bronze-tier items he'd acquired previously. Many were trivial—scraps he deemed useless—so he casually tossed them overboard. The more valuable items he kept stored away, intending to retrieve them when the need arose.
Among the items before him was a complete set of shurikens, fifty in total.
Seeing them sparked a memory in Ikki's mind. He thought of Uchiha Itachi's legendary mastery of shuriken techniques and how effortlessly he could manipulate them in battle. I've got a Sharingan too… maybe I can master something similar.
Determined to try, Ikki picked up a shuriken, weighed it in his hand, and took aim at the ship's mast, just four or five meters away. Confident in his aim, he flicked his wrist and sent the shuriken flying.
But to his shock, the shuriken missed its target entirely. Instead of embedding itself in the mast, it sailed past and nearly struck Zoro, who was napping nearby.
The faint whistle of the projectile cutting through the air caused Zoro to stir. Half-asleep, he instinctively raised his hand and intercepted the shuriken with ease, the sharp blade clinking harmlessly to the deck.
"Ikki," Zoro growled, his tone dry but unmistakably annoyed. "Are you trying to assassinate me?"
Ikki offered a sheepish grin and quickly rummaged through his system storage, producing a bottle of Maotai liquor. He handed it over apologetically. "My bad! Honest mistake…"
Zoro accepted the bottle, unscrewing the cap and taking a cautious sniff. His expression softened immediately. "This is good stuff…" he muttered under his breath.
Since acquiring his mysterious wine gourd, Zoro rarely drank pre-made liquor, preferring to experiment by pouring various liquids into the gourd to see what unique brews it would create. Pour in juice, and it would yield fruit wine. Add seawater, and it would produce a bitter concoction. Even milk turned into a creamy, alcoholic drink.
But this Maotai… its aroma surpassed anything the wine gourd had ever produced.
Satisfied that Zoro was now preoccupied with the liquor, Ikki turned back to his shuriken practice.
This time, he activated his Sharingan and focused entirely on the task. His eyes analyzed every detail—the weight of the shuriken, the arc of the throw, and the distance to the target. No more careless mistakes, he thought.
When Ikki was observing Usopp's archery earlier, he had activated his Sharingan. Missing a moving target on the waves could be chalked up to lack of skill, but now, on a stationary ship and at a distance of just five meters, Ikki was determined not to miss.
Of course... that previous missed shuriken didn't count.
Glancing nervously around the mast to ensure no one was behind it, Ikki pulled out two shurikens and resumed practicing.
One throw… missed.
Second throw… missed again.
Third, fourth, fifth… miss, miss, miss.
Out of ten shurikens, nine went wide, and the tenth barely managed to hit the very edge of the mast, far from the center.
"Something's wrong… something's definitely wrong…" Ikki muttered, frustration mounting.
He couldn't accept that his aim could be this terrible at such a short distance. There had to be an explanation. Opening the system screen, he began scanning his abilities and items for answers.
After a few moments, he found the culprit: the Sky Dragon Slayer Magic Crystal he had acquired earlier.
Sky Dragon Slayer Magic Crystal (Gold): After use, allows the wielder to use Sky Dragon Slayer Magic. (Note: The conditions for using dragon-slaying magic have been modified to fit the system of the ONE PIECE world…)
The rest of the note was cut off by ellipses. Clicking to expand the full description, Ikki read the explanation—and his heart sank.
*Note: The conditions for using dragon-slaying magic have been modified based on the system of the ONE PIECE world.
The negative seasickness debuff has been removed, adjusted to suit the host's unique circumstances. Instead, a new debuff has been applied: a 99.9% chance of missing with all thrown objects, including firearms, bows, and other ranged weapons.*
Ikki stared at the screen in disbelief.
"So… it's not that I don't get seasick because I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer," he muttered, realization dawning. "The negative buff was just… changed to make me a terrible shot."
He sighed, slumping in defeat. His dreams of mastering cool projectile techniques like Uchiha Itachi's shuriken manipulation were shattered. Even worse, this debuff extended to firearms—he'd been looking forward to testing the Desert Eagle pistol he had acquired. Firearms were supposed to be a man's romance…
But now, that romance was gone.
Ikki's somber mood was interrupted by the sound of the treadmill cage opening. Turning, he saw Usopp stumble out of the Leaky Cauldron Treadmill, drenched in sweat and barely standing.
"I… I finally…" Usopp wheezed, leaning against the treadmill for support.
Before Usopp could finish his sentence, Ikki—still fuming over his debuff—gave him a swift kick, sending him right back into the treadmill cage. With a few quick adjustments, he reset the timer for another two hours.
"Your training isn't done yet, Usopp," Ikki said with a mischievous grin. "Think of this as a reward for all your hard work!"
Usopp's face turned pale. "Ikki! No! I'll collapse if I keep running like this!"
Unmoved, Ikki pulled a candy box from his pocket and tossed a piece of magical candy in Usopp's direction. "This'll restore your stamina! With it, you'll be ready to run for another five hours!"
Relieved, Usopp reached out for the candy, knowing how miraculous Ikki's stash could be. But just as the jellybean flew toward him, it veered off course and bounced over the treadmill's edge, landing in the ocean with a faint plop.
Ikki froze. "Oops…" he muttered, realization hitting him. "I forgot… I can't throw things anymore!"