MTLNOVEL Chapter 4: CHAPTER 4
There were two ways to increase his Sage Body progress.
The first was through rigorous training.
The second was by fighting strong opponents.
However, the pirate with a 300 million berry bounty wasn't even a challenge. Ayr had crushed him with ease.
The battle had ended far too quickly, and as a result, the progress he gained was minimal.
If he could battle an opponent on his level—or, better yet, someone stronger—he'd gain significantly more.
Even so, 20 progress points wasn't bad.
With his Sage Body progress now at 970, he was only 30 points away from reaching the next stage.
Once he hit 1,000 points, his Sage Body would evolve to Intermediate Level, further amplifying his physical prowess.
Not only would his strength surge, but he would also receive a special system reward draw, something Ayr eagerly anticipated.
With his enemies dealt with, Ayr made his way to the lower deck, searching for the Devil Fruit that Anos had mentioned.
After rummaging through the ship's storage, he finally found a beautifully adorned box in the basement of the cabin.
"Crack!"
Ayr lifted the lid—and there it was.
The Devil Fruit.
"Finally."
Ayr took the fruit in his hands, feeling the weight of his long-awaited reward.
He had spent an entire year at sea, fighting battle after battle, searching for something like this.
And now, after so long, he had finally found it.
Excitement coursed through him.
At that moment, the system's voice echoed in his mind:
"Ding! A Devil Fruit has been detected in the Host's possession. Would you like to sacrifice it to unlock Kurama?"
Ayr's lips curled into a smirk.
"Of course."
Without hesitation, he confirmed the choice.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! Kurama has been successfully unlocked!"
Another system prompt followed:
"Ding! The sacrificed Devil Fruit will not disappear from this world permanently. Instead, it will reappear somewhere in the sea at a later time."
Ayr raised an eyebrow.
"So, it won't vanish completely? That's good to know."
The Devil Fruit was one of the rarest and most valuable treasures in the world. If the system had simply erased it from existence, that would have been a major loss.
But now, knowing that it would respawn somewhere in the ocean, he had a chance to find and sacrifice it again in the future.
This greatly increased his chances of obtaining more Devil Fruits.
The system never failed to exceed his expectations.
As the system prompt faded, a new interface appeared before Ayr.
---
[SYSTEM STATUS]
Host: Ayr
Abilities:
Armament Haki (900/1000)
Observation Haki (900/1000)
Conqueror's Haki (700/1000)
Special Ability:
Sage Body (970/1000) (Currently: Primary Level. Gain progress through training or combat.)
(Note: Once Sage Body reaches full progress, it will level up, greatly enhancing physical abilities, combat skills, and regeneration. A special reward draw will be granted upon advancement.)
Unlocked Special Ability:
Sage Eye: (Not yet activated. Requires Sage Body to advance further.)
Tailed Beast: (Progress: 1/9)
Tailed Beast Bomb (Unlocked)
Kurama Chakra Mode (Unlocked)
Kurama Mode (Unlocked)
(Note: Each Devil Fruit sacrificed to Kurama unlocks more of his power.)
---
Even though Ayr had unlocked Kurama's power, for now, he could only access the Tailed Beast Bomb.
But even that alone was a devastating ability.
In the world of Naruto, the Tailed Beast Bomb was an S-rank ninjutsu, exclusive to Jinchūriki and Tailed Beasts. It was the ultimate Tailed Beast attack—an explosion strong enough to obliterate mountains and entire towns in an instant.
A single blast had the power to reshape the battlefield.
Back in Naruto, even experienced Jinchūriki needed to enter Half-Tailed Beast Mode to use the Tailed Beast Bomb.
This meant that the original Ayr would have needed at least four tails of Kurama's power to reach that level.
But now?
Ayr had only unlocked one tail, yet he could already use the Tailed Beast Bomb!
The system was truly broken!
With just one-tenth of Kurama's power, his strength had already skyrocketed.
And this was only the beginning.
As he closed the system panel, Ayr turned his attention back to the treasure scattered throughout the ship's basement.
He had never cared much for gold or jewels before.
But now, he realized something.
If he collected enough wealth, he could attend auctions and buy more Devil Fruits.
Devil Fruits were rare, but some of the exclusive black-market auctions in the New World occasionally sold them.
Instead of aimlessly searching the sea, wouldn't it be more efficient to simply buy them?
With that thought in mind, Ayr began gathering the treasures aboard the ship.
As soon as his hands touched the first pile of gold, the system's voice rang in his ears again.
"Ding! Host has collected valuable items. Would you like to store them in Kurama's Spiritual Space?"
Ayr paused.
"…Kurama has a spiritual space?"
"Yes."
The system's voice was followed by a surge of information flowing directly into Ayr's mind.
He closed his eyes and focused—
In an instant, he found himself transported into Kurama's realm.
The surroundings were dark and boundless, stretching infinitely in all directions.
And before him—
A massive figure loomed in the darkness.
A beast with thick, brown fur…
Nine colossal tails swaying behind him…
A piercing gaze filled with raw, overwhelming power…
It was Kurama.
The strongest of all the Tailed Beasts.
In Naruto, the Sage of Six Paths had once attempted to distribute Chakra equally among all the Tailed Beasts.
But even back then, Kurama knew his own worth.
While the other Eight Tails received an equal share, Kurama had shed a single tear—and in response, the Sage of Six Paths gave him the remaining ninety-two percent of the total Chakra.
This was why even half of Kurama's power had been enough to overwhelm all the other Tailed Beasts combined.
In Naruto, this was often played off as a joke, but one thing was certain—
Kurama was the strongest, and Ayr now possessed his power!