Naruto: Copy System#687+688: A Challenge Comes with a Price, Unlocking Potential Through a Brush with Death, Copying More-More Fruit!

"A while ago, you were telling me how strong I was. Now you're saying I couldn't beat anyone..." Nami huffed in frustration.

"Your strength is decent, but it all depends on who you're comparing yourself to. Against the old guard, of course you're going to fall short," Olvia explained.

"Forget the old guard—even compared to the Supernovas, you still have a long way to go, Nami."

Shin's words were blunt, but they were the truth. Nami’s skills just weren’t at that level yet. Of course, against your average Marine or pirate, she could probably take them down in an instant.

"So, no more slacking. It's time for some real training. And I'll be training you myself," Shin said, patting Nami on the shoulder.

"YOU CAN DO IT, NAMI!" Shirahoshi cheered, giving her a tiny, encouraging fist pump.

"Heh, you could torture me all you want—I'm still not training with you," Nami said with a humorless laugh, shaking her head firmly. She'd already been through the hellish nightmare that was Shin's training regimen. She knew her limits.

Last time, just unlocking her Observation Haki had required nearly a month of pure agony. Nami had zero interest in going through that again.

Sure, back then she'd been desperate for power. But now? That drive had completely evaporated. Compared to getting stronger, lounging around doing nothing sounded way more appealing.

'I’m a navigator, not a front-line fighter. Why do I have to kill myself training??' That was Nami's current line of thinking.

"I didn't expect you to throw in the towel so quickly, Nami. But that's not happening. You're continuing your training." Shin wasn't about to let her weasel out of this. She'd been the one begging to get stronger in the first place—no take-backs now.

In the end, Shin had to physically drag her away.

Nami's desperate pleas for rescue fell on deaf ears—everyone else just stood there grinning, finding her suffering way too entertaining to help.

"I'll remember this, every last one of you!!" Nami grumbled resentfully.

"Just you wait, Shin! One day, I'll become so strong that I'll pin you to the ground and beat you senseless!"

Nami tried to win a verbal victory, but Shin was completely unfazed. Let her talk. No matter what she said, he'd still be the one pushing her to her limits—or, as he saw it, helping her train.

In the end, Nami was dragged away. Shin might have been joking around before, but when it came to training, he was dead serious.

"No complaining. If you want real strength, you have to earn it," Shin said, cutting off her protests.

"You don't want to be a burden, do you? So train hard."

The word "burden" struck a nerve. Just as Nami was about to give up, her resolve hardened.

Shin saw the change in her and smiled faintly. When Nami was serious, her determination was something he genuinely admired.

————————————

A week passed, but Byrnndi World still hadn't shown up.

"Was the intel fake?" Shin was beginning to doubt its authenticity.

"Fine. If you won't come to me, I'll go to you."

Just as Shin decided to track down Byrnndi World himself, Robin brought him new information.

The man was on his way, not far from their territory.

"I don't think we should let him get any closer. I've looked into his abilities—his destructive power is immense," Robin said seriously. What if he came ashore and caused massive casualties?

"You've got a point, Robin. I don't want my territory getting torn up."

Shin nodded. "Let's go. Time to meet this guy."

A glint appeared in Shin’s eyes. While this man's strength couldn't compare to Blackbeard's, his value to Shin was far greater.

Shin gathered his crew and set sail.

————————————

It didn't take long to spot Byrnndi World's ship. It seemed he had managed to recruit a new crew. For a powerhouse like him, finding followers was easy—a simple display of strength was all it took to attract a crowd.

"Are you Byrnndi World?"

Shin’s gaze settled on the man. He didn't look particularly old, but in reality, he was over seventy, no younger than Whitebeard. He was a relic of the same era, but having been frozen for over thirty years, time had seemingly stood still for him.

"And you're Shin Uzumaki??"

Byrnndi World's tone was dismissive as he sized Shin up.

"You don't look all that strong..." He was questioning Shin's strength, mainly because Shin didn't look intimidating. In Byrnndi World's experience, true powerhouses had a certain presence, a physical dominance that inspired fear.

Shin, on the other hand, looked more like some pretty boy.

"Oh? And what does 'strong' look like to you?" Shin asked with a faint smile, completely unbothered.

Did he really think he could judge strength at a glance? When Shin concealed his aura, he appeared no different from an ordinary person.

As a ninja, learning to hide one's presence was second nature—a skill honed in the world of Naruto that had become an instinct he couldn't shake. Besides, Shin's personality wasn't the type to be overly flashy, constantly projecting his power. He preferred to keep a low profile, a calm exterior hiding the world-destroying force within.

"By the way, we don't have any grudge against each other. Why did you want to challenge me?"

This was the question Shin really wanted an answer to. Was Byrnndi World just looking for a quick death?

"I don't like your face. And I want to see if you have what it takes to be called the 'World's Strongest.'" Byrnndi World's expression twisted with irritation.

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"Heh, you don't like my face?"

Shin let out a cold laugh. Plenty of people didn't like his face. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

In truth, quite a few people held a grudge against Shin, especially those who had been locked away for a long time. The escapees from Impel Down, for instance, were never fully convinced of his strength.

"System, copy his More-More Fruit ability." Shin commanded silently.

"[Consuming one Divine Replication Card. More-More Fruit successfully copied.]"

The cold, mechanical voice of the System, one Shin hadn’t heard in a long time, echoed in his mind. He felt a new power surge within him—the ability of the More-More Fruit.

"<More-More 100x Gun!>"

Byrnndi World drew a pistol, aimed it at Shin, and his eyes filled with killing intent. He fired. The bullet, magnified a hundred times in size and speed, shot forward with enough force to obliterate a ship.

"Insolent!"

Hancock shouted, and with a single slash, she split the massive bullet in two.

Byrnndi World was taken aback. While it wasn't his strongest move, it was more than enough to handle your average pirate.

"Not bad. Let me return the favor."

A pistol appeared in Shin's hand. To be honest, the guns in this world were nothing special, and he rarely used them. But now, he wanted to see what they could do with the power of the More-More Fruit.

"<More-More 100x Gun!>"

BANG!

A massive bullet shot out, tearing through the air at incredible speed. It was only in the final moments before impact that Byrnndi World snapped out of his shock and dodged the attack, his eyes now fixed on Shin with a mix of horror and caution.

"How can you use the More-More Fruit's ability?" Byrnndi World demanded.

"Do I really need to answer that?" Shin asked calmly.

Byrnndi World's expression soured. His own Devil Fruit ability was now being used by his opponent.

What was going on? Could there be two More-More Fruits??

"<More-More 100x Sword!>"

Byrnndi World gripped a large sword and swung it down at Shin. As it descended, the blade grew to a colossal size, stretching hundreds of meters. He was panting slightly, clearly winded from the effort. The biggest drawback of the More-More Fruit was its massive stamina consumption.

Even Hancock's expression turned grim. She could feel the immense threat from that attack. It seemed the powerhouses of the older generation were not to be underestimated. This Byrnndi World was a prime example—his strength was undoubtedly top-tier, even in the New World.

He was someone the Marines took seriously. There was no way he'd be weak.

"<Shinra Tensei!>"

Shin, however, was unfazed. He simply raised his hand, and Byrnndi World’s attack was stopped in its tracks. The massive blade hung in the air, unable to move an inch, no matter how much force he put behind it.

"An attack like this is too weak," Shin said calmly.

"Impossible!" Byrnndi World's eyes went wide with shock, his mustache twitching uncontrollably. His slashes could normally split a ship clean in half, yet Shin had stopped it with some invisible barrier.

"In this world, nothing is impossible."

Shin smiled faintly, then mercilessly counterattacked. He appeared in front of Byrnndi World in an instant—so fast that even Byrnndi World had no idea how he had moved.

BOOM!

His fist slammed into Byrnndi World’s face. The man was knocked out cold, collapsing to the deck, motionless.

As for his crew, they were too terrified to even move. These were men Byrnndi World had recruited from the first half of the Grand Line—weak-willed and prone to bullying the weak while fearing the strong. Faced with Shin, they didn't dare lift a finger.

"What should I do with this guy?" Shin ignored the small fry and looked down at the unconscious Byrnndi World.

Kill him? He had come looking for a fight, but he hadn't really done anything. Killing him seemed a bit extreme.

"Shin, what are you going to do with him?" Robin asked, coming to his side.

"Hmm, on second thought, I might as well just toss him into the sea."

Shin looked at Byrnndi World, who lay on the ground like a stray dog. Whether he drowned or not was none of his concern. Not killing him outright was already an act of mercy—or perhaps not. For a Devil Fruit user, being thrown into the sea was a death sentence.

Without another thought, Shin tossed Byrnndi World overboard. He sank into the depths in an instant.

"He'll probably die," Robin commented, glancing at the water.

"Probably? He's definitely dead. Bad luck for him." Shin shook his head slightly.

Just then, a patch of red stained the water's surface—Byrnndi World's blood. After being thrown into the sea, he'd had the misfortune of running into a Sea Beast, which had promptly devoured him.

"You can all get lost now." Shin said, glancing at the men on the ship. In the next moment, their vessel disintegrated, collapsing into the sea.

Hundreds of men were thrown into the water.

"Oh, and a heads-up—there are plenty of Sea Beasts around here. Your captain just got eaten. If you don't swim fast, you'll be next."

Shin’s calm words sent a chill through their hearts. Without a moment's hesitation, they began to swim for their lives, their panic unlocking a surprising burst of speed. Even Shin was a bit surprised by how fast they were moving.

"It's true what they say—nothing brings out your potential like a brush with death."

It seemed the old saying was right. Not that Shin had ever experienced it himself—he'd never been in a true life-or-death situation, so he had no idea if it really worked.

"A bunch of unlucky fools. But they brought this on themselves. If they hadn't followed Byrnndi World, they wouldn't have died. Just more greedy souls on this sea." Robin had no sympathy for them.

The pirates on the sea were almost all villains, committing all sorts of atrocities. Most of them were after money, and there was no shortage of pirates who would pillage a village for a quick score.