Another day passed.
Golden light spilled down from the edge of the sky.
Out on the endless sea, a massive sailing ship cut through the water from the distance, splitting the waves as white spray fanned to either side.
[Ding! Total sword swings: 15,000]
[Reward: Passive Skill Unlocked — "Mind's Eye"]
"…Hm?"
On the deck, Ryukawa's eyes flickered. The wooden sword in his hand halted mid-swing, stopping so abruptly it was like time itself caught.
He stared at the translucent panel that had appeared.
Mind's Eye?
What the hell was that?
After a brief daze, he snapped back to himself and quickly opened his status screen.
[Host: Ryukawa]
[Strength: 154 (+28)]
[Speed: 152 (+30)]
[Stamina: 160 (+27)]
[Active Skills: Swordsmanship Lv.25 (+Lv.2), Iai: One-Slash Draw Lv.21 (+Lv.1), Armament Haki Lv.11 (+Lv.4), Observation Haki Lv.8 (+Lv.5), Conqueror's Haki Lv.4 (+Lv.3)]
[Passive Skills: Mind's Eye Lv.1]
[Total Sword Swings: 15,000]
Two days of nonstop swinging had turned his panel upside down.
Ryukawa's strength had undergone a complete transformation.
Right now, he could go toe-to-toe with pirates worth 150 million berries.
Even 200 million wasn't out of the question.
Three types of Haki, sharp swordsmanship, a lethal Iai finisher, and a body that had been upgraded across the board—
Compared to two days ago, it was nothing short of a full-scale evolution.
In the East Blue, that kind of strength was enough to be called—
a true overlord.
Of course… that excluded the handful of monsters who liked to hide their claws.
On the surface, though?
Ryukawa could dominate the East Blue without breaking a sweat.
"My strength… has jumped way too much compared to two days ago."
"If I'm being strict about it…"
"I should be able to match a 200 million-berry pirate, at minimum."
His eyes gleamed.
Still—without a real comparison, he didn't know exactly where he'd fall on that scale.
But his priority wasn't his stats right now.
It was the new skill.
Mind's Eye.
What was it?
"Everything got sorted into active skills…"
"And now I've got a passive skill on top."
"So Mind's Eye is… a passive?"
"Then what does it actually do?"
Questions drifted through his mind like smoke.
Then he focused his attention on the passive skill box.
In the next instant—
A flood of information surged into his head like a crashing wave.
A few seconds later—
Ryukawa exhaled hard and opened his eyes.
There was unmistakable excitement in them.
Mind's Eye…
This was good.
Really good.
"Mind's Eye—like having an extra pair of eyes inside your body."
"Even with my eyes closed, I can still perceive everything around me."
It resembled Observation Haki.
But it wasn't the same.
"The difference is…"
"Mind's Eye gives me instinctive, subconscious reactions."
Meaning—
In a fight, his body would respond like a predator.
If something carried intense killing intent, his body would move before his mind caught up.
"For example…"
"My Observation can't extend thousands of meters."
"If someone is thousands of meters away and aims a rifle at my head…"
"Mind's Eye will give me a powerful sense of imminent danger."
So the core of Mind's Eye was simple:
Danger sense.
Crisis avoidance.
It would massively increase his survival rate on the sea.
Ryukawa's eyes lit with sharp brilliance, excitement rising in his chest.
Mind's Eye had more "applications" than Observation in the moment-to-moment sense—
but that didn't mean Observation was inferior.
They were different systems.
Similar… yet distinct.
And together?
They complemented each other perfectly.
It would give Ryukawa a terrifying level of intuition—
the kind that could sniff out danger before it even arrived.
"Great ability."
"And it's passive, not active."
"That means it's fused into my body."
"It becomes instinct."
Ryukawa smiled, genuinely pleased.
This wasn't just good.
It was perfect.
The waves rolled beneath the hull.
"Up ahead… that's Loguetown."
Hack, the fish-man, stepped up beside Ryukawa, eyes fixed on the island forming in the distance.
After two days at full speed, their target was finally within reach.
Ryukawa's gaze followed.
The island grew larger as the ship approached.
"So this is Loguetown…"
"The Town of Beginnings and Endings."
Where the Pirate King Gol D. Roger was born… and died.
Also the unavoidable gateway for pirates heading into the Grand Line—where countless crews gathered, chasing dreams and throwing themselves at fate.
Ryukawa's mouth twitched slightly.
As the ship closed in, Loguetown's outline sharpened.
He had to admit—
It was the most prosperous town he'd seen yet.
In the East Blue, Loguetown's wealth and bustle weren't even up for debate.
Compared to Octagon Town, it was on another level.
No exaggeration—
Loguetown could rival ten Octagon Towns stacked together… and still have more.
"We're about to dock," Hack ordered the helmsman.
The ship slid in.
Anchors dropped.
Sails were drawn.
After everything was secured, Hack turned to Ryukawa with a serious expression.
"What happens next… we won't interfere."
"To be blunt, for you right now—whether we try to help or not…"
"We'd only be dragging you down."
He didn't want to admit it, but he understood.
Ryukawa didn't need them.
If Ryukawa couldn't handle something, their involvement wouldn't change the outcome anyway.
"…Dead weight," Sabo sighed, looking resigned.
He never thought he'd see the day—
when he'd be eliminated this completely among peers.
The gap was too big.
Ryukawa was an unreachable horizon.
"Wait here for a bit," Ryukawa said with a faint smile, tone casual.
"About half an hour."
"If I'm not back in half an hour, leave on your own."
"With your strength, no one here can hold you," Hack said.
"But don't linger. Loguetown is the gateway to the Grand Line—there are plenty of Marines."
"They take this place very seriously."
"Maybe that's why Cipher Pol dared to set up their base here."
"Either way—be careful."
He repeated the warning more than once.
Then Ryukawa left.
He stepped onto land—
and walked straight into Loguetown.
Sabo watched his back disappear, voice full of envy.
"When will I ever reach Mr. Ryukawa's level?"
Hack shot him a strange look.
"I think you should stop thinking about that."
Why compare a normal person to a monster?
That was just self-inflicted pain.
A human and a monster were never meant to be measured with the same ruler.
Someone like Ryukawa—
there was only one on the sea.
Hack's eyes drifted, still fixed on that retreating figure, emotions complicated.
Ten minutes later.
Outside the entrance to Cipher Pol's Loguetown base.
Ryukawa stood quietly before the massive building, smiling a little, almost amused.
"Cipher Pol really lives well."
"Such a luxurious place…"
"It's a shame to destroy it."
With that, Ryukawa stepped forward and crossed the threshold.
No hesitation.
No tension.
As if he were strolling through a familiar back garden.
The instant he entered—
he felt it.
Something was off.
He swept his gaze across the hall.
The lobby was vast and empty, polished to perfection.
Equipment and furnishings were arranged neatly and spotless.
And yet—
Not a single staff member was in sight.
The absence of people made the place feel wrong.
The atmosphere grew cold, eerie.
"…No one?"
Ryukawa's eyes narrowed.
His first thought was—
Did I come to the wrong place?
Was this not Cipher Pol's base after all?
Just as doubt surfaced—
Footsteps sounded from a door deeper inside.
Click.
The door opened.
A lean young man in a black suit stepped out.
He wore a black formal top hat.
A white pigeon perched on his shoulder—impossible to miss.
Behind him, on both sides, a group of men in black suits followed—roughly twenty in total.
Ryukawa's smile turned playful.
"Looks like I'm the one who got trapped."
"I thought I was the hunter—using my plan to corner Cipher Pol."
"But now I see…"
"You're the hunter."
"And I'm just the bait."
More footsteps echoed—closing in.
Ryukawa could feel it.
The entire building was already sealed.
Doors, windows, every exit—
completely surrounded.
Water-tight.
They'd been ready.
They knew he was coming.
So they prepared a net—an airtight trap—to keep him alone inside.
And they succeeded.
Ryukawa had been boxed in.
It was unexpected.
But he didn't panic.
He stayed calm.
"So my movements were exposed…"
"I really thought my plan was flawless."
"I didn't think you'd notice."
"And yet…"
Ryukawa let out a low chuckle, admiration slipping through.
"Cipher Pol's efficiency really is impressive."
Their intelligence work deserved respect.
Ryukawa had expected to hit them before they could react.
Instead, they had reacted first—
and even used his "perfect" plan against him.
They'd arranged everything in advance, sealing the entire building just to catch him like a fish in a jar.
"You really think highly of me."
"I'm just one person."
"Was it really worth mobilizing this much for me?"
"If someone didn't know better, they'd think you were hunting a notorious criminal."
His eyes shifted—
then settled on the young man with the pigeon.
Ryukawa frowned slightly, a trace of suspicion crossing his face.
"This guy…"
"He looks… familiar."
At the same time, the pigeon-shouldered man stepped forward.
Expressionless.
Calm.
His gaze was sharp—calculated.
Everything about him said: under control.
He walked with polite restraint until he stood less than ten meters from Ryukawa.
Then he casually removed his black hat.
His voice was flat, almost courteous.
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