....
Following the system's prompts, Lucas felt his body begin to change.
[System Alert: "Host possesses the Kusanagi Sword card. Congratulations—exclusive skill unlocked."]
"Exclusive skills?"
Lucas frowned. "So card combinations grant unique abilities?"
He pulled up the system interface.
[Orochimaru's Exclusive Skill: "I spit out snakes. Snakes spit out me. I spit out swords. Snakes spit out swords."]
"Holy hell," Lucas muttered, impressed. "A survival skill right off the bat."
[System Update: "Card fusion complete."]
[Host: Lucas
Character Card: Orochimaru (Gold)
Card Level: 1
Card Skill: Soft Physique Modification
Equipment Card: Kusanagi Sword (Gold)
Equipment Skill: Snake Sword Unity
Combat Rating: C ("Congratulations on escaping fodder status.")]
"System, why am I still weak? Orochimaru's no pushover."
"Card level too low. Increase level to unlock power."
"Levels? How many?"
"Ten total. Reach Level 9 to unlock all skills. Level 10 surpasses the card's original strength."
Lucas processed this. The Soft Physique skill made sense—his body now bent unnaturally.
Just then, a shout snapped him back to reality.
"Gomu Gomu no… Rocket!"
"Huh?"
A straw-hatted figure shot past him.
"Soda, what was that?"
"Tch. It's Zoro, not Soda," the swordsman grumbled.
Lucas grinned sheepishly. Old habits died hard.
"That guy—Luffy—wants me to join his crew," Zoro added, nodding toward the chaos.
"I missed Luffy's intro?!"
[Mood Value +6]
Koby fumbled with Zoro's ropes, panicking as Marine reinforcements arrived.
Colonel Morgan glared. "Trying to flee? Execute them!"
Marines raised their rifles.
"If I recall, Luffy tanks the bullets here," Lucas mused.
"FIRE!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Koby and Zoro flinched—but Lucas stood calm.
Rubber limbs snapped into view, deflecting every shot.
"Bullets are useless!" Luffy laughed.
"Monster!" a Marine whimpered.
Luffy tossed Zoro his swords. "Didn't know which was yours, so I grabbed all three."
Zoro smirked. "Three-Sword Style. Now untie me."
"Uh, guys?" Lucas interjected. "Mind helping me?"
They turned.
Bullet holes peppered Lucas's limbs.
"You… okay?" Zoro asked.
"Do I look okay?!"
[Mood Value +1]
Orochimaru-Style Body Replacement, "Time to test this skill."
Lucas's jaw unhinged grotesquely.
"Another monster?!" a Marine shrieked.
"SO COOL!" Luffy cheered.
A new Lucas slithered out, dripping mucus. The pain vanished. He glanced at his shed skin.
[Mood Value +1]
"Why's everyone staring—? Oh."
He stood stark naked.
"Wait, Orochimaru kept his clothes post-shed!"
"You're… a man?" Koby squeaked.
"Obviously!" Lucas yanked clothes off his discarded skin, unfazed.
Morgan roared: "KILL THEM!"
Marines charged—but avoided Lucas, targeting Zoro instead.
Zoro's blades flashed. "You picked the wrong fight."
[New Mission: Defeat an Enemy]
[Reward: 10 Card EXP]
"I've never fought before…" Lucas hesitated.
[Mood Value +1]
Then he spotted Helmeppo trembling nearby, gun shaking.
"Perfect."
Lucas summoned the Kusanagi Sword.
[Mood Value +1]
"Eat this, you coward!"
Helmeppo pissed himself and fainted before the sword struck.
[Mission Complete: +10 EXP]
*"Allocated to Orochimaru Card (10/100)."*
Lucas grinned—until his legs wobbled.
"N-not scared! Just… adrenaline crash."
Darkness swallowed his vision.
.....