NOVPUBFor the first time in a long while, Alex wakes up and decides to keep lazing around.
The events from last night still fresh in his mind, he’s not quite sure how he should act.
He can vaguely feel Menchi, Tereza, and Jewel already awake and moving slightly. Despite not using Nen, he just knows he’s being closely monitored by all three.
Maybe I can just pretend to be asleep. This situation is very awkward, I don’t know how I should react.
Dearest Soulmate is so cute when he tries to act like he’s asleep ❤️
“Good morning,” Menchi says, patting Alex’s head.
Tereza giggles. “Pretending you’re still asleep won’t make this any less awkward.”
...I’m still asleep.
Alex doubles down on his corpse impression, acting like he heard nothing.
“Your mother called earlier,” Menchi says casually. “I picked up for you—she’ll be here in ten minutes.”
“What?!” Alex blurts out, instantly realizing it’s probably a trick—but the damage is done. He’s blown his cover.
“You lied… right?” he asks her immediately.
“Yes, she did. It was kinda obvious, wasn’t it?” Tereza answers bluntly. “Anyway—good morning! No need to feel embarrassed. This won’t be the last time something like this happens, so we all better get used to it.”
Alex sighs loudly. “I’m sorry… you’re probably right. Good morning.”
Waking up next to two beautiful women who adore him is probably something Alex once thought only happened in dreams. The only thing pulling him back to reality—and reminding him that this isn’t a dream—is the huge spider staring at him with her lovingly red eyes.
He can’t resist the comfort and continues lying in bed, both Menchi and Tereza half-lying on top of him.
Eventually, the group decides to get up.
Menchi showers first and starts preparing breakfast. It’s no problem, since her inventory is still filled with generic food items—most from the world of Harry Potter, which they’d prepared for all kinds of emergencies and comfort, since the system significantly prolongs the shelf-life of most food items.
Alex, Tereza, and Jewel slowly wash up as well and walk into the kitchen.
While eating Menchi’s delicious and nutritious breakfast, they start discussing what they should do next.
“I’m out of ideas,” Alex says. “I texted my parents, and I’ll call them later. Aside from that, maybe I should write a few messages. The guy Rishi referred me to for managing my finances knows what to do and sends monthly reports. Not that it’s even necessary. If we ask Rishi, he’ll wire us whatever we need instantly.”
“I want to go shopping and take a flight over that forest section you showed me,” Tereza says. “But that can wait… Maybe watch a few movies, check out some games and TV series—see what’s trending. I guess that even counts as research, right?” she adds with a smile.
“If you haven’t already—finish HxH and One Piece,” Alex replies. “I’ve still got mission items for those worlds that I plan to use at some point. I can’t select you to join me, but with my LUK, you might get chosen anyway once the guaranteed safety timer runs out.”
He glances at Menchi and Jewel. “That goes for you two as well—since you’re both coming with me! Jewel, especially—you’ll need to learn how to use a smartphone and a computer, which shouldn’t be hard for someone as smart as you.”
Alex rechecks his precious [Baroque Works Invitation].
[Baroque Works Invitation]
Quality: Purple
Type: World Item / Quest Item
Effect: Allows the player to automatically select a fresh One Piece world at an early timeline before the Straw Hats encounter the organization. The player’s next mission will be locked into this world and cannot be changed.
The player will have the opportunity to join Baroque Works during the Arabasta Saga.
Requirements: Level 5-10
Note: Any Officer Agent is tasked with scouting worthy personnel and has the authority to invite new members into the organization. This item grants the player the position of a Frontier Agent, with the chance to work for Mr. 0 himself.
Note2: After clearing the tutorial and unlocking the full functions of the Fantasy Realm, the player can use this item to initiate a mission spanning the entire Arabasta Saga. Other random players of similar level will also be selected to join.
This item cannot be traded or sold. It will disappear from your inventory at level 11.
“One Piece, huh? I know a bit about it, but I haven’t read it yet. I’ll make sure to finish it before the next mission,” Menchi says, then asks, “Anything interesting in that world?”
“Well, I don’t plan to choose that world as my next one, I think, but maybe after that?” Alex replies. “Anyway, One Piece is known for its special power system—Haki. It’s basically a superpower used to enhance your senses, body, and will, quite similar to Nen. You’ll understand it better once you read the manga. Aside from that, it’s famous for its many martial arts techniques, which are a little lower ranked than Haki. Since we’ll be entering an earlier part of the story, I don’t expect we’ll have a chance to learn Haki, but there are other opportunities. For example, we could learn unique skills—or even obtain a Devil Fruit. You already know what those fruits are capable of, since I bought one for Tereza!”
Jewel suddenly jumps up on the kitchen table, spinning around in a wild frenzy before asking Alex:
DEAREST SOULMATE! If Head-Maid Tereza can transform into a bat, can Princess Jewel transform into a human?!
Alex nods. “There is a Devil Fruit called the Hito Hito no Mi, or Human-Human Fruit. It’s already been eaten by one of the main characters, Chopper. There’s a chance we could obtain it by killing him and hoping for a chest drop. It might also show up on the market, but that seems highly unlikely to me. Luckily, if we side with Crocodile, we’ll almost certainly go up against the Straw Hats—and Chopper is part of their crew.”
Tereza lightly taps Jewel’s back, gently holding her down to stop her from bouncing wildly across the table. “I promised to help you, little Princess. We’ll get it for you.”
“I’ll help too—it is your dream, right?” Menchi adds with a soft smile. “As someone who’s had her own dream come true, or rather, is in the middle of fulfilling it. I get it, Jewel.”
Jewel jumps onto both their heads, playfully thanking them.
Only Alex stays silent.
“What’s wrong, Alex?” Tereza asks, noticing his expression.
“There’s a chance that pets can’t use it,” Alex admits. “But the odds of Jewel being able to are actually pretty good. Still… I wouldn’t recommend she does. The Human-Human Fruit is essentially useless. It might interfere with her evolution. And these kinds of power-ups are a one-time thing—if we waste that chance on a weak fruit that probably won’t increase Jewel’s abilities, it could seriously hold her back. Chopper could make use of it because of his special Rumble-balls he was able to create thanks to his years of studying under his mentor. We can’t copy his approach. Worst case, Jewel looks like a weird hybrid form and loses all her abilities and potential!”
Jewel freezes, her body still, eyes wide with a look of pure horror and dejection—as if her dream had just shattered in front of her.
Alex immediately picks her up and strokes her gently. “You can use it. It’s your choice. If you want me to, I’ll do everything I can to get it. I don’t like the idea of allying with Crocodile and going against the ‘good guys’, but for you… I’d walk through hell. I’d kill every single last Straw Hat if that’s what it takes. But it’s your decision. Let’s focus on getting the fruit first. If we fail, there’s nothing to worry about. No point in stressing over a decision that might never even come up.”
Princess Jewel understands…
Should Princess Jewel fulfill her selfish dream at the cost of her future potential? Or should she risk her dream and make the rational decision?
Princess Jewel will think very, very carefully.
Menchi and Alex begin clearing the table while Tereza sneakily escapes kitchen duty and turns on the TV, lying on the couch.
Alex glances over and shakes his head but continues cleaning up the dishes.
Suddenly, Tereza yells: “Guys, come here!! QUICKLY!”
Alex and Menchi rush toward her. Even Jewel, still deep in thought, hops over and lands on the couch.
“What is it?!” Alex asks, slightly alarmed.
“Look at the TV!!” Tereza shouts.
Alex turns to see the image of an Indian-looking man in the upper-right corner of the screen, and listens closely as the German newscaster speaks. He instantly translates her words:
“The private plane of Indian billionaire M****** A*****, the richest Indian man in the world—with a net worth of over 100 billion dollars, currently the ninth richest man alive—has crashed, killing not only him but also a large portion of his family and various equally influential guests on board.
This incident has thrown India into chaos, as he was not only influential to India’s economy but to the global economy as well.
With great regret, we confirm that his spouse and children also died in the crash. The future of his estate is uncertain. Most likely, a lengthy and difficult legal battle will determine what becomes of it—throwing his empire into a dark, chaotic, and uncertain future.
The global stock market has suffered catastrophic losses. Both the DAX and the DOW JONES have dropped by more than 5%.”
