After having a lot of fun with the terrified pirates and completing my performance, I glanced at the panel.
Status
Current name: Kuro Miyago
Paths: The Fool (4 sequences, The Bizarre Sorcerer (100%))
Ritual: Be separated from reality for at least three hundred years and advance only after it becomes history and does not belong to the current era.
The goal: To swim to the island of One Piece, before the main character. ( Canonical events have begun ) Reward: 1 meta point
The initial bonus for the race:
Abandoning the Ritual(1)
I decided to use the initial bonus to complete the ritual automatically. As soon as I did this, the invisible veil that blocked further progress disappeared. Feeling that the changes would not take long, I hurried to leave the populated part of the island and headed for a more secluded place.
As soon as I activated the promotion, my skin started to become transparent. The larvae began to move chaotically through the body, barely discernible, but their erratic movements were breathtaking. They gradually dissolved into a thick gray fog that surrounded me from all sides.
This fog was special. It consisted of many fragments that seemed both infinitely small and vast at the same time. It stretched across the world, as if it encompassed time itself, but in every piece it was larger and more complex than the whole world combined.
I felt the fog begin to cover my consciousness, and memories from my life began to flash before my eyes. The moments of awakening, the first steps on the Grand Line, the arrival on Nemea—all this floated before me like crystal clear images. But at the same time, there were areas in the fog that hid fragments unknown to me.
Among them, I saw the moments of other people's stories. I saw Jai Island split apart, soaring into the sky, leaving two different worlds behind. Realizing that the fog holds not only my story, but also records of the world's past, I plunged into research, forgetting about everything.
An unknown force abruptly pulled me out of this state. Consciousness returned with a headache, as if someone had forcibly pushed him back into his body. I was relieved to realize that the process had been greatly simplified thanks to the panel. If this was happening within the rules of the Lord of Secrets, I might have completely lost control of myself.
After regaining my breath and concentration, I opened the panel again.
Status
Current name: Kuro Miyago
Paths: Fool(3%), Scientist of the Past(4%)
Ritual: Bring back a piece of history that was left behind and has survived to our era.
The goal: To swim to the island of One Piece, before the main character. ( Canonical events have begun ) Reward: 1 meta point
The initial bonus for the race:
Missing
I've moved on to the next step and now I can feel even more confident. Of course, I'm still physically weak, but my combat arsenal has increased.
As a Scientist of the Past, I gained the power to turn to history, as if my hands had reached out through the ages to snatch power, knowledge, and even allies from them. It's more than just control—it's a deep connection with the gray fog, allowing me to use the fragments I've personally seen.
The first ability I felt was the Historical Borrowing of Emptiness. I can refer to myself in the past, borrowing the power that I once possessed. In fact, this has two uses. I can constantly replenish my reserve of spirituality by referring to myself who had this reserve, and also literally become my past self. The second use case is useless at the moment, but it is not devoid of potential.
The Following Is A Call For Historical Projection. Here I am subject not only to my own past, but also to the literal challenge of the projection of other people or objects. I can summon three projections at the same time, each of which exists for no more than two minutes if it is equal to my status. Weaker means longer, and stronger means it won't last even a minute. The duration of the historical projection of an ordinary person at the moment is 10 minutes. Smoker's call lasts 7 minutes, and Doflamingo's call lasts exactly two minutes. The duration is also affected by how long I have been with this object or person. For example, Bruno's summoning also lasts 10 minutes, regardless of his strength. Once the potion is digested, the duration will increase by one and a half times. Interestingly, the invocation of projections or objects, in addition to their status, directly depends on my understanding of the objects or the person's relationship to me. You can summon Smoker once in three attempts. And Doflamingo, being my puppet, is given to me in one attempt.
However, these projections remain only reflections — they are devoid of intelligence, but they are as strong as I have seen them myself. The projection can be possessed or even intercepted. If someone besides me has power over history or has the ability to hide from reality, then he will be able to appear in his projection. It also works for those who are able to live outside of their ruined home. As it is, they still resemble puppets. They are not able to share my knowledge or give me any other information.
The third new ability is hiding in a Historical Void. Now I can literally disappear from reality, hiding in the crevice of history. This is not just an escape, but an opportunity to use the fog as a shelter. If I take cover, I can stay there for ten minutes before my spirituality begins to weaken. I can still use my powers there. But not everything is so simple: if, for example, I disappear in a period of time where I am still weak or exhausted, then the amount of spirituality will be taken in similar amounts. And if I didn't exist at all in that interval, then I won't be able to borrow myself. I also won't be able to summon a historical projection in a void where it hasn't been yet.
The old abilities have been enhanced.
Ability Substitutes They can now disrupt other people's powers of divination, prophecy, and tracking. It's not particularly useful in current realities, but something else is more interesting. They can be used as a replacement for limbs or organs. However, you will have to charge them with spirituality so that they work fully.
Damage transfer has gained new facets. I can put not only wounds, but also curses, illnesses, or other people's views on my paper figures. I am also able to use this ability on inanimate objects. Thus, close the hole or hole, transferring the damage to another object or paper figure.
The Flaming leap has now become much more impressive. The range has increased to five kilometers, which allows me to cross cities in an instant. In addition, I can carry large objects with me, or other people with me.
The air cannon gained power comparable to coastal defense artillery. It doesn't sound clear. But if earlier my bullet was able to make a hole in a building, now it will simply destroy this building.
My connection with the threads of the spiritual body has strengthened. What used to take time now happens in seconds. The initial stage of control takes no more than two seconds, and I can establish full control in ten. The capture radius of the spiritual threads of the puppets has increased to five hundred meters. But the control reaches five kilometers. I can swap places with them within the same radius. The limit on the number of puppets reaches 200, and when I digest the potion, this number will increase to five hundred.
As for the improvements from the mythical form, they are still of little use to me. Now I can separate up to three hundred larvae, and in the future — up to six hundred, without experiencing any damage. Even if five hundred of them die, it will not have a serious impact on my condition and will not lead to irreversible consequences.
But more importantly, as I got closer to the second sequence, I gained new opportunities. Now I can create a prayer and an honorable name. If I hear it within a fifty-kilometer radius, I can respond if I want to. However, I am not interested in thinking about this and, moreover, in creating a cult right now.
I got distracted by more important aspects that were reflected on the panel.
First, the "Scientist of the Past." The current progress is four percent. It seemed like a small thing, but being able to digest a potion right away even hinted at the fact that in the future I would be able to cast potions in advance. However, the very role of a scientist requires knowledge of the past. I've already studied the history of the Dress Rose and looked through the local chronicles, but that's not enough. Maybe those four percent include the story of Ohara or Jaya?
If I'm really going to digest the potion completely, I'll have to study the history of this world more deeply, which will take an infinite amount of time, or at least try to understand its essence. Otherwise, there will be no progress.
Secondly, the ritual. "To return a piece of history that has survived to our era" is too vague a formulation. If, say, I return the heavenly island back to earth, will it be considered a ritual? Or is the disappearance of the island not at all one of the "losses" of our era? How are epochs divided in general?
With every thought, it became more and more obvious that moving to the next sequence would be incredibly difficult. It feels like getting to the Raftel is a more real task than trying to perform this ritual.
But for now, it's important to focus on the task at hand. And this is the capture of Enel.