"Charlotte Linlin!"
Upon hearing this, Charlie's expression changed drastically. Although he had known she was nearby, he hadn't expected her to arrive so quickly!
He glanced at the treasure chest on Kuma's shoulder, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.
Among the four treasure chests Kuma was carrying, the contents of the other three were unclear, but one of them contained another god-tier Devil Fruit – the Paramecia-type Paw-Paw Fruit!
To be honest, Charlie had also struggled between choosing the Azure Dragon Fruit and the Paw-Paw Fruit. After all, the Paw-Paw Fruit was also incredibly versatile. But in the end, he had decided on the Azure Dragon Fruit.
The reason was simple: the Zoan Mythical Creature Type was the current meta!
Moreover, Zoan-type fruits paired exceptionally well with the Six Treasures Immortal Thief!
"Forget it, there's no time. I'll have to give up on the Paw-Paw Fruit."
Charlie felt a tinge of regret. Originally, he had planned to snatch the Paw-Paw Fruit as well. But now, with Charlotte Linlin right behind him posing a massive threat, trying to seize the Paw-Paw Fruit from Kuma now would undoubtedly plunge him into grave danger.
The most important prize, the Azure Dragon Fruit, was already in his possession. Now, the main priority was to seize the moment and escape from the whirlpool that was the Valley of the Gods.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charlotte Linlin pouncing towards him. Charlie thought to himself:
"Even with the boost from the Azure Dragon Fruit, the gap between me and Charlotte Linlin is still vast. I can't afford to get entangled by her."
Charlotte Linlin had been capable of wiping out a giant village when she was just a child. Now, at thirty years old, she was at the peak of her power.
Greed would only be his downfall!
In that split second, Charlie made the safest decision.
"Roar!"
A high-pitched dragon's roar erupted. Charlie transformed into his Azure Dragon form. Layer upon layer of dragon scales covered his body, encasing him completely.
Simultaneously, immense power surged wildly from within, giving him the illusory sensation that he could shatter a planet with a single punch.
A hundred-meter-long Azure Dragon hovered mid-air, wreathed in flames, accompanied by crackling lightning, with howling winds swirling around him—his presence was overwhelmingly imposing.
"Heat Breath!The dragon's head reared back high, its eyes imposing and fixed intently on Charlotte Linlin.
Immediately after, a scorching and violent blast of fire shot straight towards Charlotte Linlin.
Furious at seeing the fruit she coveted being eaten right before her eyes, Charlotte Linlin attacked with all the hatred she felt, meeting Charlie's assault head-on.
"Emperor Sword·Break-Break Blade!"
Napoleon transformed into the Emperor Sword, gripped firmly in Charlotte Linlin's hand. She swung it forward furiously, unleashing a blazing slash.
"Boom!The two violent attacks collided instantly. The shockwave from the massive explosion swept outwards in all directions. The warehouse was instantly reduced to rubble. Flames spattered everywhere, igniting a raging inferno around them.
Meanwhile, Ivankov and Kuma had vanished, whether blasted away by the shockwave or buried beneath the wreckage.
At this point, Charlie had no mind to concern himself with the fate of Ivankov and Kuma. After that single exchange, without looking back, he used the momentum to retreat, shooting straight up into the sky.
By the time Charlotte Linlin charged out of the explosion, covered in dust and grime, Charlie's figure had already shrunk to a mere black dot, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
"Ahhh!"
A piercing scream erupted with a shockwave, sending dust and stones flying. Charlotte Linlin's eyes blazed with fury, her chest heaving uncontrollably.
"Bastard! Don't let me run into you again—next time, I'll kill you for sure!"
"How dare you steal from me!"
Glaring in the direction Charlie had fled, Charlotte Linlin cursed vehemently.
...
"Huff… huff… huff…"
"That was close! Too close!"
After escaping the battlefield, Charlie quickly reverted from his transformed state and hurriedly hid in a dense mountain forest—a pre-prepared hideout.
With the Six Treasures Immortal Thief circulating within him, his aura vanished completely, like an ordinary stone.
He reverted because his stamina couldn't sustain the transformation for long, and a hundred-meter dragon form was far too conspicuous. In this chaotic battlefield, the more attention one drew, the quicker death would follow.
Inside the cave, panting heavily, Charlie pulled out the food he had prepared earlier and devoured it ravenously. The moment the food entered his mouth, it was instantly broken down, its nutrients rapidly converted into stamina.
Soon, his stamina was fully restored, but he didn't stop eating. He was about to leave the troubled Valley of the Gods, and leaving the stored food behind would be a waste—better to consume it all.
With the aid of the Six Treasures Immortal Thief, Charlie could store excess nutrients in his body. These could be used to recover stamina or heal injuries in critical moments, and also to strengthen his physique.
"Save half for emergencies; no need to keep the other half—use it all to fortify my body. A towering building rises from the ground—physical strength is the foundation!"
"Too bad my Six Treasures Immortal Thief is only at the beginner stage. The strengthening process is slow, and as my physique improves, it gets even slower. In a year, my physical strength has only increased tenfold."
"Besides, the food I usually eat isn't very nutritious—just ordinary stuff."
"Oh, right—when I ate the Devil Fruit earlier, I thought I heard something shatter…"
As he spoke, Charlie silently summoned the System panel.
[Host: Nico Charlie]
[Age: 11]
[Height: 168cm]
[Skills/Talents: Six Treasures Immortal Thief LV1 (73%), Mythical Zoan-Type Fish-Fish Fruit: Azure Dragon LV1 (1%)]
[Main Quest 1: Join Dragon Tiger Mountain, become a disciple of the Heavenly Master. Reward: Eight Wonders - Qi Body Source Flow.]
[Main Quest 2: Participate in the Luo Tian Grand Ritual, defeat all competitors, and claim first place. Reward: Eight Wonders - Tongtian Scripture.]
[Main Quest 3: Become the new Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Reward: Eight Wonders - Dual Complete Hands.]
[Main Quest 4: Defeat the Old Heavenly Master and become the world's strongest. Reward: Eight Wonders - Great Clarity Insight.]
[Side quests not yet triggered. Please explore independently.]
He wanted to ignore those impossible, mind-grating trash tasks on the panel, but every time he saw them, Charlie couldn't help but mutter, "What 'Under One Person'? This is clearly One Piece!"
Then, his gaze fell on "Six Treasures Immortal Thief." The characters had now turned gold, followed by a flashing "!" symbol.
Charlie focused his intent on "Six Treasures Immortal Thief."
A line of text suddenly popped up.
[Unknown spirit detected, decomposing: Curse of the Sea (1%)]
"Holy shit!"
Charlie's eyes widened in disbelief as he exclaimed in surprise, "What's going on? Can it actually break down the side effects of a Devil Fruit? That's insane!"
But then Charlie noticed that the curse of the sea was being broken down very slowly, at the same rate as the Six Treasures Immortal Thief was improving—averaging just a one percent increase every five days.
"It seems the speed of decomposition is likely related to the level of the Six Treasures Immortal Thief..." Charlie speculated.
"Hmm, probably in another four or five months, the Six Treasures Immortal Thief will level up to LV2. Then I'll know for sure."
...
A short while later,
Charlie had completely devoured the over a hundred pounds of food stored in the cave.
Meanwhile, the battle outside was raging fiercely.
And with the chaotic intrusion of the Roger Pirates and the arrival of Garp and others, it was gradually escalating into a full-blown frenzy.
"It's time to leave."
Charlie stepped out of the cave and looked toward the center of the island, where an intense battle was erupting. All sorts of notable figures were making their grand appearances.
Rocks, Whitebeard, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, John, Ganzui, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, Kaido...
Roger, Rayleigh, Gaban...
Garp, Gorosei Saint Saturn, Saint Garling, and the other members of the God Knights, as well as the imminent arrival of Imu...
The Valley of the Gods was the grand stage—if you dared, you came.
Such a formidable lineup was nothing short of earth-shattering. Even decades later, the world-shaking Summit War would pale in comparison.