Lumine sank into the plush sofa, her eyes tracing the vivid panels of One Piece: East Sea Saga with growing delight.
The tale of Luffy and his crew chasing the fabled One Piece unfolded across the pages, a whirlwind of daring escapades that tugged at her adventurer's heart.
She felt a pang of kinship with their fearless spirit, the bond of companions pushing forward against all odds stirring something deep within her soul.
Yet a wry smile crept onto her lips as she noted the wanted posters plastered on Luffy's crew, a bitter reminder of the price of such bold quests.
"Pirates or not, I'd rather not end up with a bounty on my head while searching for Aether," she mused, vowing to tread more carefully than her inked counterparts.
Beyond the gripping plot, the Devil Fruits captured her imagination, their strange powers echoing Teyvat's own Eyes of the Gods in a way that felt both foreign and familiar.
"What if I could claim one of those abilities for myself?" she whispered, her voice a soft thread lost in the shop's quiet hum.
Even without a reward, the comic's vibrant world had already made the 100,000 Mora feel like a steal, a treasure worth far more than its weight in gold.
Lumine's head snapped up, frustration etching her features as she glared at Harlan Flint behind the counter.
"Boss, why'd it end so soon? What happens after they escape to the Grand Line past Upside-Down Mountain?" she demanded, her tone sharp with unmet hunger.
The story had cut off just as Luffy's crew sailed free, leaving her dangling on the edge of a cliff she couldn't climb.
Harlan offered a faint, unruffled smile. "That's all for now—just the East Sea Saga. More will come later."
Lumine huffed, crossing her arms as the urge to throttle someone simmered beneath her skin.
"Fine, but what about my reward?" she pressed, shoving aside her irritation to focus on the prize she'd been promised.
That was the real draw, the spark that had lured her into Galehaven Comics despite the staggering cost.
Harlan's gaze flickered as an unseen system chimed in his mind, its message clear and glowing with possibility.
Lumine had finished her read, and the reward was set: the Wind-Wind Fruit's power, a natural force unbound by the sea's curse, granting her dominion over gales and the ability to become the wind itself.
"A natural-type ability? She's luckier than she knows," Harlan thought, a quiet chuckle escaping as he marveled at the system's generous hand.
This power blended offense and defense into a seamless dance: hurricanes to shatter foes, elemental form to evade harm, all without the water-fearing flaws of its comic-born kin.
A radiant beam pierced the shop's ceiling, bathing Lumine in a cascade of light that pulsed with the breath of the skies.
Paimon jolted upright, her tiny voice shrill with alarm. "What's happening? Lumine, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine, Paimon—calm down," Lumine replied, her words steady as she felt a wild, airy strength ripple through her veins.
The light faded, leaving her skin tingling with a power that seemed to whisper freedom in every breath she took.
She turned to Harlan, her golden eyes searching his calm face for answers. "What did I get?"
"That's the Wind-Wind Fruit's gift—control over storms and the power to turn into wind itself," he said, his tone as smooth as the tea he cradled.
Lumine nodded slowly, recalling the comic's hurricane-wielding savior in Roguetown, the wind bending to his will as smoke scattered.
"Wait—if it's a Devil Fruit, won't water weaken me?" she asked, a sudden spike of worry tightening her chest.
Harlan waved a hand dismissively. "No flaws here—the system stripped away the sea's curse, so you're free to wield it without fear."
Relief washed over her like a cool breeze, easing the dread of a life shackled by such a glaring weakness.
No fear of water meant no Achilles' heel in battle—and, just as vital, no ban on baths, a small victory that made her grin.
"Let's test it," she said, closing her eyes as she summoned the wind's wild song from deep within her core.
A gentle whirlwind swirled around her, lifting her golden hair as her feet rose from the floor in a weightless ascent.
Paimon gasped, clapping her hands. "You're flying! No Wind Glider needed!"
Lumine hovered, marveling at the freedom of flight unbound by Teyvat's elemental crutches, her heart soaring with newfound possibility.
She could summon tempests to rend towns apart, a force of nature at her fingertips ready to meet any foe.
Or she could dissolve into wind, untouchable and swift, a ghost dancing through blades and arrows with effortless grace.
"This power—it's incredible," she breathed, landing softly as the realization sank in that 100,000 Mora was a pittance for such might.
The price wasn't steep; it was a bargain, a key to strength that could shift her journey's tide in ways she'd never dreamed.
"If this is what one comic offers, what else might come with more?" she wondered, her thoughts drifting to Aether and the battles ahead.
Harlan watched her, his dark eyes glinting with quiet satisfaction as he sipped his tea, steam curling like a secret unveiled.
The shop's magic had taken root, and Lumine's awe was the first bloom of a harvest that would soon draw Teyvat's boldest souls.
Paimon floated closer, her voice a mix of envy and glee. "You're so lucky! What if I get something that cool too?"
Lumine smiled faintly, her mind already racing toward the next visit, the next tale, the next chance to grow stronger for her lost twin.
***
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