The morning sun cast its golden rays over the endless sea, warming Solian. He sat cross-legged on his raft, stretching out his limbs and curving his fingers, trying to grasp the subtle yet deep changes of his body. Something was changed.
His breathing was tighter, smoother. His body no longer ached from exhaustion, and his muscles felt heavier, stronger. The chronic stress he'd experienced before—be it from hunger, fatigue, or simply existing in this world—had diminished greatly.
Solian clenched his fists and exhaled the breath. "This. feels amazing."
And then, suddenly, the system screen appeared before him:
Devil Fruit Mastery: 9%
Constitution: 9
Strength: 6
Agility: 6
Endurance: 5
Devil fruit: 9 points
System Points: 0
He stood there for a moment, allowing this to sink in.
A standard character within this world had a baseline of 4 in physical stats like strength, constitution, and agility, based on the system's definitions. That meant that his body was 50% stronger than a normal human, and his constitution more than double a normal person's. He was quicker at recovering, could endure exhaustion longer, and his body was much tougher than previously.
"This is why I feel so… substantial," Solian complained, stiffening his arms. "If the average human being is at 4, then I really am built differently now."
He wanted to check how strong he was.
He glanced around and saw a bit of driftwood from his raft floating in the water. He gripped it tightly. Before, he would have strained slightly to crush something like that. Now? The driftwood glinted under pressure in his hand, disintegrating into individual pieces with a firm squeeze. Solians eyes widened. "Holy crap. I wasn't even trying that hard."
Then, he focused on his Devil Fruit ability.
He raised his hand, concentrating on the space in front of him. The air rippled and a small bolt of yellow energy flared to existence. It was still unstable, but this time, instead of vanishing instantly, it persisted for nearly five seconds before fading away.
A grin spread his lips. "That's progress."
No sooner had he started to experiment further than a soft creaking sound reverberated from the distance.
Facing the horizon, Solian noticed a brown-hulled, medium-sized ship bearing toward him. A few figures traversed the deck, tightening ropes and inspecting cargo.
At last, a muscular man sporting a thick mustache and a red bandana walked over the rail, staring down at him.
"Lost out here, kid?" the man yelled.
Solian hesitated. Should he tell him a lie? No, currently, he needed information.
"Something like that!" he called back. "Mind giving me a lift?"
The man exchanged glances with his crew, then sighed. "Fine. Bring him up!"
A rope ladder was tossed over the rail, and Solian climbed aboard. As he stepped onto the deck, he knew at once. These men were bigger and stronger than he had expected. They weren't just merchants—tough-looking, battle-scarred men, many of them, with robust build. Even though he possessed physical superiority over a regular human being, he wasn't going to underestimate them.
One of the sailors, a thin man with goggles on his forehead, jabbed his friend in the ribs. "Think he's a pirate?"
Solian shook his head. "Not a pirate. A traveler looking for information."
The mustachioed sailor stepped closer, arms crossed over his chest. "I am Captain Mardin of the Blue Gull Trading Company. We do not take strays on board for free, kid."
Solian nodded. "I can pay my passage. I just need to know where we are and what's around here."
Mardin raised an eyebrow, then beckoned him to follow. "Fine. We'll talk about it in my cabin."
Inside the captain's quarters, a large map hung on the wall. Mardin pressed a spot near the West Blue.
"Good that you found us," he said. "You're in the middle of open sea of West Blue, near Dawn Island—the hometown of Monkey D. Luffy."
Solian did not change his poker expression, but he was energized within.
Mardin continued, "If you need a hideout, there's an island named Silvershore about two days away from here. Quiet place, no big-scale wars, perfect for staying low-key."
He lapsed into silence, and then smiled. "But if you want strength, there's another option…"
Solian drew nearer. "Go on."
Mardin's eyes shone. "There's talk of a hard-fighting warrior at Stormwatch Island—a mercenary who battles contenders for money. Some say he's a ex-pirate, others that he's an ex-Marine who deserted."
Solian's mind reeled. A hireling fighter? That was exactly the sort of opponent he wanted to test himself against.
Silvershore was the safe option, somewhere to look at things straight. Stormwatch was the risky one, a chance to see what he was capable of against a decent fighter.
Solian curled his fists into fists. The choice was made.