---
Obviously, it was a small animal, yet it emanated a strange sense of majesty. Suspended in mid-air, its eyes glowed red as it scanned the items within the bottle with a mechanical sharpness.
> "Equivalent Exchange Space Initiated."
> "Begin testing. Analyzing and listing potential exchange items…"
> "Detection complete. Item: Mangekyō Sharingan. Includes the most powerful genjutsu: Kotoamatsukami. Pupil Strength: Superior. Completeness: Incomplete (Cannot activate ultimate ocular techniques—requires possession of Susanoo)."
The voice that emerged from the mongoose's mouth was cold and metallic, completely at odds with its outward appearance. It wasn't so much an assistant or companion to Ye Dou, but more like a broker or agent for the "Equivalent Exchange Space."
Ye Dou's expression remained unchanged. He had long known that the mongoose, while sentient, functioned more like a living terminal. Its movements were limited to a radius of ten meters around him and its primary role was to interface with the exchange space.
In short—it was just a glorified tool.
> "Item judgment rank: First-Class. Please select an item for exchange…"
Buzz.
As the identification process concluded, the mongoose lazily swiped its paw, and with a faint humming sound, numerous strange objects materialized in the air.
Devil Fruit – Zoan Type (Origin: One Piece World)
Ice-Make Magic (Origin: Fairy Tail World)
Ultimate Eye (Origin: Fullmetal World)
...…
These were all categorized as exchangeable items, available based on the value of what Ye Dou had submitted. The Equivalent Exchange System, drawing from countless dimensions and universes, allowed him to trade for anything—magic, bloodlines, techniques, weapons, even item cards—provided the offering was of equal worth.
> "Please select the item to be exchanged…"
The mongoose, now silent, hovered in place awaiting Ye Dou's choice.
"Keep watch. Alert me if anyone approaches," Ye Dou instructed. Then he turned his gaze to the selection before him and began reviewing each item's effects.
There were many fascinating options, but few were compatible with his unique physiology or goals.
For example, the Zoan-type Devil Fruit was immediately disqualified. He had already consumed a Paramecia-class fruit—the Gravity Fruit. Eating another Devil Fruit would cause his body to implode, as confirmed by One Piece lore.
Ice-Make Magic looked flashy, but Chakra and magic were fundamentally different. As Yamato had once told Naruto, Chakra's elemental nature is innate; it must match the user's affinity. Ice-style, or Hyōton, is a Kekkei Genkai formed by combining Water and Wind chakra. If Ice-Make Magic were to integrate into this world, it would likely manifest as an advanced Ice Release technique. Still, the overlap wasn't worth the risk.
Then, his eyes paused at one particular entry: Ultimate Eye.
Its description was absurdly powerful—it claimed that anything seen could be copied and optimized beyond the original. A literal cheat code. It could bypass the restrictions of Chakra nature transformation, bloodline limits, and technique mastery. It was a skill capable of turning someone like Rock Lee—a taijutsu specialist who couldn't use ninjutsu—into someone on par with a Ninjutsu prodigy like Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But was it too good to be true?
In the Naruto world, not all ninjutsu could be learned. Even Kakashi, known as the Copy Ninja, couldn't escape the limitations of non-Uchiha lineage. His Sharingan constantly drained his chakra because he didn't possess the Uchiha's natural affinity, resulting in chronic fatigue.
This Ultimate Eye, however, had no such drawback.
"But… can it really copy all ninjutsu?" Ye Dou murmured.
If it could, it would grant its user a mastery akin to the Third Hokage, who was hailed as the "Professor" for his encyclopedic knowledge of jutsu. Still, everything in the exchange space came at a cost. Surely, something that powerful had its limits.
Take Kotoamatsukami, for instance—Shisui Uchiha's ultimate genjutsu. It allowed the user to implant false memories with subtlety so great the target didn't even realize they were being controlled. Despite being arguably the strongest genjutsu in the ninja world, it had a ten-year cooldown per eye—unless one possessed Hashirama's cells to reduce the interval, as Danzo did.
Even that kind of power had limitations.
Did he really need Ultimate Eye, then?
Probably not.
Ye Dou already had the Gravity Fruit, which gave him dominion over fundamental forces. If he reached the pinnacle of chakra control and combat mastery—even without developing Haki—he could still tear through elite shinobi like a typhoon. He didn't need jutsu if he could crush mountains with a gesture.
And should he eventually master both Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation) and Busoshoku Haki (Armament), he'd unlock even more terrifying techniques from the Gravity Fruit's arsenal—possibly even an ability akin to Fujitora's Meteor Summon or Black Hole Collapse.
With that in mind, Ye Dou passed over the Ultimate Eye and continued browsing.
It was then that his eyes gleamed.
"Huh? A one-time-use card?"
He focused on an item labeled:
---
[Energy Absorption]
Origin: Busou Renkin (Armed Alchemy)
Type: Consumable
Rank: First-Class
Effect: Grants the user the temporary ability to absorb all forms of energy within range and use it to enhance physical and chakra-based performance.
Duration: 2 hours
Note: One-time-use item. Energy capacity depends on the user's physical and chakra limit.
---
"It's an experience card…" Ye Dou muttered. "Victor's ability, huh?"
He remembered Victor, the final antagonist of Armed Alchemy, who could absorb all terrestrial energy into himself, becoming a near-unstoppable juggernaut.
This was an ability with terrifying synergy, especially when paired with the Gravity Fruit.
And with his next target set—Loulan, the ancient city lost in time and tied to the Ryūmyaku (Dragon Vein)—Ye Dou began to consider the possibilities.
A perfect place for the next phase of his plan.
---