Chapter 5

"Okay, that's the window. Stand here, hold the book, and stay exactly like this. When signal you, open the window, and just jump straight toward the direction you're facing," Uta instructed, her tone firm as if talking to a toddler.

Lucy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I got it."

But Uta didn't move right away. She stood there, eyeing him like he was a flight risk. After a moment of hesitation, she sighed and walked back, pressing a folded piece of paper into his hand. 

"Here. If you get lost, these steps. Got it?" Lucy sighed, shifting his gaze to the book in his hands. He couldn't resist flipping it open, curiosity getting the better of him.

The librarian glanced up, watching Uta leave before turning back to Lucy with a confused look. After a moment, the man shrugged and returned to his own book.

So many Devil Fruits… Lucy thought, eyes widening as he flipped through the thick book. Each page displayed two Devil Fruits, complete with images and descriptions of their abilities. There was just one problem, he couldn't read.

But Lucy didn't worry. With his 100x cheat, he was sure he'd gain enough experience to pick up reading faster than any normal person ever could.

Just as he was about to flip back to the first page and start figuring it out, something strange happened. From the corner of his eye, the world flickered. The color drained from everything, leaving only shades of black and white. Confused, Lucy looked up.

Time had stopped.

The librarian sat frozen, halfway through turning a page. Dust hung motionless in the air, and even the sunlight streaming through the window seemed paused. Heart pounding, Lucy spun around, eyes darting in panic until they landed on someone standing near the window.

A red-haired girl… Valkora.

"You've caused me a lot of trouble," Valkora said, floating slightly above the ground, arms crossed and expression sharp. "Why didn't you tell that other goddess you already had a cheat?"

"I came here to tell you one thing," Valkora said coldly. "The other gods will soon find out you have two cheats. That's basically a death sentence for you… and it'll cost me my job." Lucy froze, the weight of her words sinking in fast. Death? He hadn't even fully enjoyed his second life yet.

"But there's one way to fix this," Valkora continued, her expression serious. "I'll make you my avatar, in name only. To the gods, I'll claim my blessing mimicked the effect of your cheat. It'll cover up the truth." Lucy blinked, stunned by her proposal. 

"Sure," Lucy said with a calm nod. Then, with a sly grin, he added, "I thought you abandoned me at first. It's a relief to know you'd go this far for me. You really are perfect." Valkora paused, not expecting such words in a moment like this.

"Snort. You do realize I was the one who made you forget everything about this world, right?" Valkora said, arms crossed, her tone sharp and defensive.

Lucy blinked, then shrugged after a moment of thought. "Honestly? I had a feeling. This anime… seems like something I'd want to forget, just so I could rewatch it fresh. But you didn't just let me rewatch it—you let me live it."

He smiled, almost amused. "You act like you did it to make things harder for me," Lucy continued, "but come on… you're a goddess. Of course, you knew what I really wanted." Lucy was of course acting, after all… he couldn't make her his enemy.

Valkora froze. Her mouth opened, then closed. After a long pause, she muttered, almost to herself, "Just so you know… I'm a low-ranking god. I only just became a goddess…"

Even Valkora seemed confused as to why she'd said that. Maybe it was her awkward way of admitting she wasn't as flawless as she pretended to be. Her version of saying I'm not perfect.

"So? Don't tell me you're self-conscious about something so small." Lucy waved her hand dismissively. "I'm your avatar now, right? That means it's my duty to show the world what I see… and what I see is perfection."

Valkora blinked, caught off guard.

"So just leave it to me," Lucy continued, voice steady with conviction. "Even on my dying breath, the world will see you the way I do."

For a moment, Valkora just stood there, mouth opening and closing without a sound. Words failed her. A faint blush crept across her cheeks. No one had ever spoken about her like that. No one had ever looked at her with such genuine admiration, without fear, obligation, or some selfish desire.

"I-I…" Valkora stumbled, quickly straightening herself as if trying to reclaim her usual air of superiority. "T-there was another thing I came here to do!"

Her voice cracked slightly, betraying how flustered she really was.

"I want you to pick a Devil Fruit," Valkora said, her tone regaining its usual authority. "I'll do my part to draw that fruit toward you. Pick a Mythical Zoan type—they're the true powerhouses of Devil Fruits."

Lucy paused as a glowing screen appeared in front of him. He scrolled through the options, eyes widening at the sheer variety. But many of the ones that caught his eye were already marked as eaten.

One fruit stood out immediately—the Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Phoenix. It allowed the user to transform into a phoenix, granting regenerative flames that healed any injury. The ability to ignore most attacks, thanks to a body of fire, made it nearly unbeatable in battle.

But there were others just as tempting.

The Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Azure Dragon could turn its user into a massive dragon capable of picking up islands. The list went on and on… but soon his eyes stopped on a particular entry.

Saru Saru no Mi, Model: Sun Wukong.

Why this one? Well, he knew of the myth around Sun Wukong, so he knew this devil fruit might be broken.

[Devil Fruit Name]- Saru Saru no Mi, Model: Sun Wukong