After two failed summoning attempts, Ethan couldn't help but fall into deep thought. He flipped back through the system's rules and found the 10th entry in the [Additional Rules]:
[10. The medium required for summoning cannot be "generic." Acceptable attributes include: cursed swords, graded swords (e.g., Wazamono, Owazamono), Devil Fruits, etc.]
"Why didn't you show this earlier?!" Ethan angrily vented at the system.
[...]
Ethan, who had a bad memory, flipped through the rules again and found:
[11. The medium required for summoning can be purchased from the system shop.]
However, after checking the shop in the previous chapter, Ethan knew that the prices were sorted from low to high, and the only thing he could afford was a 100,000 berry scratch card—a blatant money sink. The cheapest high-quality items started at over 1 million berries. Ethan could only console himself: 'If there were a consumer protection agency, I'd definitely sue you.'
[12. The player has the ability to identify the name, quality, and function of items, which will be displayed below the item.]
Ethan squinted and saw the faint, almost transparent text below his weapon:
[Item: Flintlock Pistol]
[Quality: Trash]
[Price: Actual value 350,000 berries, but the player overpaid 500,000 berries (LMAO).]
'Damn it, I'm going back to that store!' Furious, Ethan rushed back to the weapon shop that had scammed him, only to be firmly rejected by the clerk with the excuse, "No quality issues, no returns allowed."
'God, the seven-day return policy from my past life was so much better...'
With no way to meet the summoning requirements and lacking sufficient funds, Ethan decided to try his luck at a spot where pirates often secretly docked. 'Ugh, just when I thought things were looking up with the system, now I can't even summon anyone.'
[Bzzt...]
'Not your fault. I'm just unlucky,' Ethan mentally reassured his only cheat ability.
Unfortunately, even the usual pirate hangout was completely deserted.
"Guess I'll have to check my secret base for luck."
Having lived in Loguetown for over a decade, Ethan had stumbled upon a hidden spot during his explorations—a secluded bay formed by underwater currents. It was a place where shipwrecked bodies or items often washed ashore.
"Huh? Is that a person over there?" Sharp-eyed Ethan noticed a man lying face down on the beach as soon as he reached the bay entrance. The man's clothes were soaked, covered in seaweed and sand.
Ethan flipped the man over and checked his pulse. The body was cold, with a faint smell of decay. It seemed the man had been dead for two or three days. Just as Ethan was about to leave, he noticed a sword hanging from the man's belt.
"Looks like I can loot this guy," Ethan thought, licking his lips. Though it felt wrong to take things from the dead, he reasoned that anyone else would do the same. Besides, he planned to bury the man, which made him more ethical than most scavengers.
After searching the man's pockets, Ethan found only 63,000 wet berries. The sword, however, was a different story. It had a reddish-brown scabbard, a hilt wrapped in ray skin, and a long blade with a flame-like pattern.
In his inventory, the item's description read:
[Item: Sandai Kitetsu]
[Quality: Cursed Sword]
[Price: You wanna sell this death magnet? Keep it and spare humanity.]
"You calling me a walking coffin?!" Ethan gritted his teeth.
"But this should work for summoning, right? As long as it's not a generic." Ethan prepared to try summoning again. He headed to a secluded grove by the shore, cut his palm with a small knife, and drew a summoning circle. 'Maybe I should get a blood draw kit and store some blood in a bottle for future use. This hurts like hell.' "Sorry, Zoro, but I'm taking your sword!"
Placing the Sandai Kitetsu in the center of the circle, Ethan stretched out his hand and began the chant: "I hereby declare. Your body shall serve under me. My fate..."
"...I forgot the words again. SUMMON!"
A flash of white light erupted from the circle, and in the center stood a graceful figure. She had beautiful black hair, crimson eyes, a determined gaze, and a naturally lovely face. She looked down at her hands, confusion in her voice as she murmured, "What is this?"
This was Akame, a former assassin for the Empire's special forces. After carrying out countless missions, she had come to understand the darkness of the Empire and began to question her role. During a mission with her comrades, her hesitation led to a fatal mistake. Severely wounded, she was coldly abandoned by her teammates. As her consciousness faded, she found herself transported to this unfamiliar place, and her body miraculously healed.
Due to the system automatically implanting some knowledge of the One Piece world, her mind was slightly muddled. Her usual slightly dazed expression now made her look even more adorably clueless.