Chapter 3: Life on Ring Island (Part 1)
Luo Han chose a fish that resembled a tuna from Earth, weighing about a hundred jin.
He then carried the fish back to the home he shared with Granny Mo on the ninth and topmost level of the island. Because they lived near the peak, Luo Han had often wandered to the island's summit as a child.
After discovering the only protruding cliff on Ring Island—Green Cliff—he had come to enjoy the distant view from up there. Perhaps it was due to longing for his previous life. Eventually, it became a daily habit.
When he reached the stone entrance of their home, Granny Mo had already started a fire.
"Xiao Han, you're back! Come in quickly!" Granny Mo called out happily upon seeing him.
"Grandma, just wait a moment. Let me prepare this plump fish and then we'll cook it," Luo Han said, setting down the fish.
He got to work, and before long, the fish was cleaned and sliced into thin pieces.
By then, the water in the stone pot that Granny Mo had set over the fire was already boiling.
Luo Han began placing slices of fish into the pot, along with sea salt and a special island herb. Soon, the stew was ready.
"All done! It's ready, Grandma!" Luo Han said as he handed her a stone bowl.
"Good. Xiao Han, make sure to eat more. After eating the fish scale fruit, your appetite will grow—you need to eat enough," Granny Mo said, patting his head as she accepted the bowl.
Steam rose from the white stone pot, and the fragrant aroma of fish filled their cozy stone home. It was a warm and peaceful scene.
"Mmm! Grandma, try this piece of meat. It's really good!" Luo Han said, offering her a bite.
Granny Mo smiled, "Then Grandma will give you another piece, too!"
Time passed quietly as they shared a simple home-cooked meal. After cleaning up, Luo Han said, "Grandma, I'm done. I'm going to find Chubby to hang out."
"Be safe and come back early to sleep," Granny Mo reminded him as she bent over to start preserving the leftover fish for the night.
Luo Han nodded, "Mhm, I know."
Then he left.
Soon, Luo Han and Chubby were at the summit of Ring Island, a place covered in all kinds of grasses and herbs—just like a green hat… yeah, awkward metaphor.
The top of the island at night was stunning. Moonlight bathed the grass in a gentle glow, and the stars above sparkled like diamonds. In that moment, Luo Han felt as if he could embrace the whole universe.
Perhaps only in the world of pirates could such a beautiful scene exist.
"Cole, have you ever thought about the future?" Luo Han asked, gazing absentmindedly at the sky while lying on the grass beside Chubby.
"The future? I wanna eat lots and lots of meat, hehe…" Cole said with a blade of grass in his mouth, grinning.
"Cole, do you want to go out to sea?" Luo Han asked.
"Like those pirates the old folks talk about?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"But my dad says there are lots of big monsters out there that eat people. We're not allowed to leave the island."
"I heard that the meat of those big monsters tastes amazing… wonder if it's true?" Luo Han said with a smile.
"It's true!!! Then when are we going to sea…?" Seeing Cole drooling with blades of grass in his mouth, Luo Han could only think: the "Smells Good Theory" spares no one.
"I'm definitely going out to sea, Cole. When the time comes, if you want to come too, we'll go together," Luo Han said firmly, looking up at the starry sky.
"Now, let's begin our daily training!"
With that, he pulled Cole up to start their sparring—essentially just fighting.
On the island, every child trained in a basic martial art similar to a military-style boxing set. To Luo Han, it looked just like the military boxing he'd learned in university back on Earth.
He and Cole had been practicing since they were five, though they hadn't made much progress. Still, Luo Han dragged Cole to practice every night.
But tonight felt… different. Cole, the chubby one, seemed faster and stronger.
In past sessions, Luo Han had always played with Cole like it was child's play. But today, Cole not only kept up—he was slightly faster and definitely stronger.
"Cole! Why are you suddenly stronger today?" Luo Han asked, stopping.
"I dunno! Must be the fish scale fruit's enhancement!! Didn't Brother Ryan say training would strengthen the effects?" Cole said excitedly.
"That makes no sense… I ate it too, but I don't feel…" Luo Han stopped. He realized—he hadn't eaten a fish scale fruit. He had eaten a Devil Fruit, so his body hadn't undergone physical enhancement.
It was hard to put into words how frustrating that felt.
"Forget it. Cole, you keep training. I'll train on my own."
Luo Han waved him off and sat down nearby, pondering the path ahead.
Now, his journey to grow stronger had been delayed. Fortunately, he still had one more chance to eat a fish scale fruit in four years. Until then, he'd focus on developing the Mind Fruit.
Nearby, Cole was energetically practicing his "military boxing," now with a noticeable aura about him. Clearly, the technique only showed its true power after eating a fish scale fruit.
Luo Han had to think seriously about how to develop his Devil Fruit power.
Reflecting on his current state—without the boost of the fish scale fruit—his body was average. But his mind should be stronger, having awakened Observation Haki after eating the Mind Fruit.
What he lacked now was physical strength. But how to improve it?
Training the body wasn't realistic without another fruit. No matter how much he practiced military boxing, his strength wouldn't grow significantly.
So it had to come from developing his Mind Fruit abilities. Were there mind-based powers that manifested as raw strength?
Yes! One of the most envied and stylish powers among superpowers—telekinesis.
The kind of power where a wave of the hand could push back all enemies. A glare could strike with invisible force. It was a childhood dream superpower for countless people.
He had made up his mind—to develop telekinesis.
Next, he needed to solidify the concept behind it and channel it through the Mind Fruit to manifest telekinetic power.
With a goal in sight, Luo Han cast off the frustration of not receiving a physical boost from the fruit, and focused wholeheartedly on development.
After about three hours of training, Luo Han called Cole to head back home. At the door, they agreed to continue training at Green Cliff the next night, and Luo Han returned to his house.
Cole's house was right next to Luo Han's—which explained why they were always together.
When Luo Han opened the door, the fish-oil lamp was still glowing. Granny Mo sat on a stone stool, flipping salted fish piece by piece.
Luo Han walked up with a smile. "Grandma, are you done? Need help?"
"Xiao Han, you're back. No need to help. Grandma's already finished. Go rest now—Grandma will rest too, hehe…" Granny Mo smiled as she spoke, but didn't move.
Luo Han didn't insist. He went into the inner chamber and lay down in the small cave where he slept. He knew this was her way of showing love. So he never rejected her care.
But he always tried to help her more in daily life.
(END CHAPTER)
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