The boy who once seemed harmless now carried a faint but unmistakable aura — the presence of someone who did not need to rage to inspire fear.
The Next Day
Rono decided to test the system's acquisition ability.
He headed toward the busiest part of the island — the marketplace, where most of the villagers gathered.
"Poor child…"
As he walked through the streets, the villagers who knew what had happened looked at him with sympathy and quiet kindness.
Rono ignored them.
He had no attention to spare.
Because something extraordinary was happening.
From each passerby, faint, card-like fragments drifted outward — just like items dropping from defeated enemies in a game.
And then—
[Ding — Congratulations. 5 Strength acquired.][Ding — Congratulations. 3 Strength acquired.][Ding — Congratulations. 4 Speed acquired.][Ding — Congratulations. 8 Stamina acquired.][Ding — Congratulations. 3 Stamina acquired.]
They were basic attributes — strength, speed, stamina.
Naturally so. These were ordinary villagers. There were no Devil Fruit users here, no Haki masters.
Still—
It was more than enough.
In this world, physical combat was a fundamental pillar of strength. Some rare individuals even reached the top of the world relying purely on physical prowess alone.
And strength, speed, and stamina determined how destructive one's combat ability truly was.
The notifications continued.
[Ding — 3 Strength acquired.][Ding — 2 Stamina acquired.][Ding — 6 Speed acquired.]
Rono could feel it.
His body was changing.
Growing.
Refining.
After wandering the island for an entire day, he returned home to examine the results.
He opened the system panel.
And what he saw startled even him.
Status Panel
Host: RonoAge: 17Strength: 245 (Lieutenant Commander Level)Speed: 185 (Lieutenant Commander Level)Stamina: 223 (Lieutenant Commander Level)Haki: Conqueror's Haki (Mid-Level)
"Not bad."
He flexed his fingers.
"I should be slightly stronger than an average Lieutenant Commander now… especially with Conqueror's Haki."
His body felt completely different from before.
But that wasn't all.
He had also picked up several unexpected abilities.
[Ding — Cooking Skill acquired. (Beginner)][Ding — Shipbuilding Skill acquired. (Intermediate)][Ding — Navigation Skill acquired. (Intermediate)][Ding — Medical Skill acquired. (Beginner)][Ding — Brewing Craft acquired. (Master Level)]
An unexpected bonus.
For someone preparing to sail, these skills were invaluable.
Though most were beginner or intermediate level, they were essential.
Especially navigation.
Without it, reaching the Grand Line could take years.
Rono did not have years.
When his parents were alive, he never cared about the world's timeline.
Now he had to.
It was Sea Calendar Year 1483.
That meant there were still thirty-seven years until Luffy would set sail in 1520.
Thirty-seven years was far too long.
He could not wait decades to avenge his parents.
So he set his sights on a different event.
One year from now—
The God Valley Incident.
A battle initiated by the legendary pirate Rocks D. Xebec against the Celestial Dragons.
Though the original story never described the battle in detail, one fact was certain:
God Valley was erased from the map.
If not for the alliance between Garp and the future Pirate King, Roger, the Celestial Dragons might have vanished from history entirely.
That battle would be his opportunity.
The Rocks Pirates were filled with monsters.
Whitebeard.Golden Lion Shiki.Charlotte Linlin.Wang Zhi.Silver Axe.Captain John.
All future legends — at this time, members of Rocks' crew.
If Rono joined them, he would grow at terrifying speed.
He could also acquire unimaginable abilities from those monsters.
His path was clear.
Join the Rocks Pirates.
Participate in the God Valley battle.
But Rocks demanded strength from his crew.
Only the powerful were allowed to stand beside him.
Before heading to the Rocks Pirates' base — Hachinosu Island — Rono would need to become strong enough to earn Rocks' recognition.
That Night
Under the cover of darkness, Rono went to an isolated clearing to test his growth.
Before him stood a slab of granite, roughly his height.
He clenched his fist.
Then struck.
CRASH.
The granite shattered into fragments.
His knuckles throbbed from the recoil.
He did not care.
In that moment, he had imagined the stone was a Celestial Dragon.
Good.
Very good.
His strength was incomparable to before.
If he had possessed this power that day—
He could have killed that Celestial Dragon himself.
Of course, the World Government and Marines would have hunted him relentlessly afterward.
But that no longer mattered.
He tested his speed next.
One hundred meters — roughly six seconds.
Extremely fast.
Approaching the Marine technique known as Soru.
Soru allowed users to cover one hundred meters in roughly four seconds.
At this rate, he would soon master it naturally.
One Week Later
The next day, Rono walked the island again.
The gains were noticeably smaller.
Likely because he had already reached Lieutenant Commander-level strength. Extracting attributes from ordinary villagers had become inefficient.
A week passed.
He opened the panel again.
His strength, speed, and stamina had each reached Colonel-level.
He could no longer extract any attributes from the islanders.
And naturally—
He had comprehended Soru.
Even an ordinary Colonel would likely fall instantly against someone possessing Conqueror's Haki and Soru.
Since he could no longer grow here, it was time to prepare to leave.
The most urgent matter—
A ship.
Fortunately, he had acquired intermediate-level shipbuilding skill.
It could not compare to a master craftsman like Franky.
But building a seaworthy sailing vessel was well within his ability.
For three days, he gathered materials.
Wood.Nails.Canvas.Rope.
He found tools — hammers, saws, screwdrivers.
The sound of construction echoed through the night.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
By dawn, the ship was complete.
Roughly the size of the Going Merry.
Exhausted, Rono stared at the finished vessel.
A ripple passed through his heart.
Celestial Dragons… I'm coming.