Ten-year-old Euron Greyjoy ended his three-year journey and returned to Pyke.
This child, once frail and easily lifted by his brother Balon with one hand, had grown taller and stronger, stained with the dust of lands across the Narrow Sea and an unfathomable silence. He did not indulge in the comfort of returning home; instead, at the next dawn, he appeared on the pebble beach outside Pyke.
Every day, before the sea mist was fully dispelled by the morning sun, his lean and exceptionally tough figure would appear punctually.
Euron challenged any Ironborn willing to accept a combat spar, from rugged warriors to curious sailors; he refused no one. With wooden swords, blunt blades, or even bare hands, the beach became his exclusive, cruel training ground of sweat and seawater.
Driving him was not simple honor or love for martial arts, but a deeper, stronger motivation—The Pirate King System.
Every effective defeat, every successful dodge, every time an opponent surrendered, a cold notification sound would ring in his mind, accumulating trivial but continuous "Defeat Points." These points were the shortcut to becoming stronger in his eyes, the only currency for lucky draws and enhancements.
Over three years, through system exchanges and his own bitter training, Euron was no longer the person he used to be.
The [Water Dancer Swordsmanship] from Braavos granted him fluidity and precision like water; [Nitoryu (Two-Sword Style) Lv.10] allowed him to wield two weapons simultaneously, offense and defense unified, dazzling the eye; and the [Rokushiki - Kami-e (Paper Art) Lv.10] from a profound world enabled him to dodge attacks by millimeters based on perception of airflow and hostility, as if his body had no weight.
Even his once-criticized weak strength, far below the Ironborn average, had slowly risen to [10 Points] through persistent daily exercise and age growth—indistinguishable from an ordinary robust adult.
Quantitative change finally triggered qualitative change.
One day, when his brother Balon, known for bravery and strength, stepped onto the field with a hint of teasing and contempt, intending to "instruct" this eccentric brother, the outcome shocked all the onlooking Ironborn.
Balon Greyjoy's low roar drowned out the noise of the waves. His massive body charged with unstoppable momentum. The heavy practice axe tore the air with a vicious intent to cleave Euron and his sword in half, chopping down head-on! This strike contained the pure power accumulated from years of fighting at sea—simple, brutal, effective.
However, Euron did not retreat or block as everyone expected. The moment the axe wind touched his body, he seemed to lose weight, "flowing" sideways and backward in an almost eerie manner—a perfect combination of [Water Dancer] footwork and [Kami-e] airflow perception. The deadly axe blade grazed the corner of his clothes by millimeters, smashing heavily onto the beach, splashing wet, cold gravel.
Balon's strike missed; old force exhausted, new force not yet born. In this split-second gap, Euron moved. The wooden sword in his hand was no longer a weapon but an extension of his keen nerves. No wide swings, only continuous taps precise as surgery.
Thwack! The first strike hit Balon's wrist joint holding the axe. Numbness instantly shot up Balon's arm, making him almost drop the axe handle.
Thwack! The second strike followed closely, hitting his elbow, forcing his arm to bend involuntarily, completely dismantling the offense.
Before Balon could adjust his center of gravity, Euron's third step entered his open centerline. The wooden sword tapped precisely on the side of his knee for the third time.
Balon grunted, staggering. The continuous precise strikes brought not only pain but thoroughly destroyed his balance and force rhythm. He felt he possessed fierce power but hit cotton every time, only to be lightly guided elsewhere by the opponent, frustrated enough to vomit blood.
In rage, Balon let out a roar, swinging the giant axe again regardless of everything, trying to sweep with pure power to force Euron back. But this was the moment Euron was waiting for. Facing this angry full-force strike, Euron advanced instead of retreating. His body slid close to Balon at an extremely small angle. His left hand cleverly touched and guided Balon's exerting arm—not resisting, but pushing along the momentum.
Balon felt his power rush into the void, then pulled forward by an unexpected force. He lost control instantly, pitching forward. Simultaneously, Euron's right foot shot out like a ghost, precisely tripping his already unsteady steps.
Bang!
A heavy thud. Balon Greyjoy's burly body completely lost balance, smashing heavily into the cold seawater and rough pebble beach, splashing water everywhere. The axe flew out of his hand, landing a few steps away.
Dead silence fell on the beach; only the waves tirelessly beat the shore. Balon lay in the shallow water, salty seawater soaking his clothes. He looked at the grey sky of the Iron Islands, panting heavily, his face written with pure, unbelievable astonishment.
When did that brother he could once knead at will, that "freak" who only buried himself in books, grow to such a terrifying level?
Shame and unwillingness instantly drowned the shock. "Come!" Balon propped himself up abruptly, water dripping from his face. He roared low, "I was careless just now! Fight again!"
Euron smiled and retreated a few steps, picking up another blunt training sword. Standing with dual blades, he assumed a starting stance.
The second match began faster and ended even quicker.
Balon learned his lesson, no longer attacking blindly, trying to pressure more steadily. However, Euron's dual swords wove an invisible web—parrying, deflecting, thrusting, flowing like clouds and water. In less than ten rounds, Balon's vision blurred, and the blunt round tip of a wooden sword was already lightly, yet with unquestionable cold touch, pressed against his Adam's apple.
His whole body froze instantly. All roars and unwillingness were stuck in his throat. He could feel the faint pressure from the sword tip, and the gap in strength it represented.
Euron withdrew the wooden sword, remaining silent, and turned to walk deeper into the water to continue his daily practice.
"Again!"
"No. Practice your sword well. You can challenge me once a month."
"Challenge??? Bastard!!!"
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Night fell. Back in his room, Euron looked at the more than 500 points he had earned and opened the Pirate King System—Lucky Draw.
1. [Special Item: Suke Suke no Mi (Clear-Clear Fruit)]
Source: Absalom, commander of the Zombie Soldiers and Zombie Generals, subordinate of Gecko Moria.
Description: The user can turn their body invisible and make objects in contact with their body invisible. User becomes invisible under normal light. Special item, limited to system binder use only.
Note: Since the system binder has already consumed a Devil Fruit (Soul-Soul Fruit), this fruit automatically converts to a One-Time Use Fruit. Disappears after one use. Duration: 60 Minutes. Fruit effect can be actively terminated.
2. [Skill: Pegasus Rush Lv.1]
Source: Gan Fall, the 6th God of Skypiea.
Description: Use a knight's lance while mounted to perform a Super Armor raid.
Super Armor Effect: While mounted, cannot be easily knocked off.
3. [Equipment: Octopus Shoes]
Source: "God" Usopp, sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, bounty 500 million Berries.
Description: Octopus-shaped props invented by Usopp. Worn on hands and feet, allowing wall climbing via built-in suckers.
Looking at the weird shoes resembling octopus legs, Euron thought: Do they expect me to climb the Wall wearing these?
4. [Food: Mackerel Simmered in Miso]
Source: Wano Country Cuisine.
Description: A delicious dish. Want a taste?
5. [Item: Arlong's Shark Teeth]
Source: Arlong, captain of the Arlong Pirates, former Sun Pirates officer.
Description: You can fit them in your mouth to bite through steel—if your mouth fits them. Mm, they're not bad as decorations either.
The only item among the five that satisfied Euron was the [Special Item: Clear-Clear Fruit]. Though one-time use, it might play a critical role at certain times. Like infiltration, sneak attacks, assassinations, etc. Of course, one could also emulate Black Leg and peek at the Dragon Mother or the Cersei taking a bath. The other four looked like wasted points, pretty useless.
Sigh~~~ Work done, sleep!