Lucifer believed that by the time he was eleven, he would absolutely be capable of setting sail.
After all, in his past life, he was already considered a young master at eleven.
He couldn't believe that with such a solid foundation—and years of intense training—he still wouldn't be ready to sail at ten years old!
With the disappearance of the Imagination Seed, Lucifer also felt the power stirring restlessly within his soul.
However, since there was no "carrier" yet, the power had no place to manifest and was still not revealed.
Time passed little by little; soon, three years slipped away inside Lucifer's rigorous training schedule!
...
Year 1495 in the One Piece calendar—Lucifer was now eight.
From five to eight years old, Lucifer had grown from 1.2 meters to 1.6 meters tall.
His growth wasn't slow, but compared to the "monsters" in the pirate world who often stood two or three meters tall, he was nowhere near tall.
Even now, handsome features were starting to show on Lucifer's face—a pair of eyebrows like the moon and a sword, sharp and bold eyes, a high nose bridge, and a mouth neither too big nor small.
He was a darling wherever he went.
The Chris family lived on Buna Island in the West Sea.
Buna Island was small, with only four or five medium towns, but a peaceful and prosperous place to live.
The West Sea wasn't the weakest among the Four Seas.
Pirates there were fairly strong, though ultimately inferior to the Grand Line.
Buna Island's population numbered in the tens of thousands, not a large island but remote.
Pirates didn't like to come there much, as the islanders were fierce and ordinary pirates stood no chance.
As for the past three years, Lucifer hadn't wasted any time.
He packed his training schedule full, pushing his potential to the limit.
Only in this way could he catch up with the terrifying monsters on the seas.
Luckily, he had the "Myriad Phenomena Celestial Star Technique."
Otherwise, with his weak body constitution, pushing himself so hard would have wrecked his body in a few years.
The Chris family's physique was just that poor.
But thanks to his "cheat," every day after training till he was like a dead dog, traces of rare energy nourished his tired body.
Because of this, Lucifer didn't collapse but endured three years of hellish training.
Over these three years, people watched Lucifer change bit by bit.
His resolute spirit and cheerful character made everyone in Buna Tero Town, where the Chris family lived, like and admire him greatly.
Of course, all this was noticed by his father, Chris D. Mage, head of the Chris family.
But every time Mage saw Lucifer come home exhausted, he never said a word.
Until today, three years later, when Lucifer prepared to head out for training again, Mage called him over for a long-awaited father-son talk.
"Lucifer, how long has it been since we talked properly?"
Mage, whose hair was turning white and showed signs of aging, looked at Lucifer, who looked drained every day.
"...A long time, father. I can't remember."
Lucifer answered his stepfather honestly.
He truly didn't remember, training every day till dead tired—lying in bed still trying to run the "Myriad Phenomena Celestial Star Technique" to repair his body and restore potential.
There was simply no time to ponder such matters.
"Yes, quite a long time... Ever since I scolded you for sneaking into the secret basement, you and I haven't formally spoken."
Mage sighed.
"Oh... really? Three years? That's a long time!"
Lucifer scratched his head, not sure what Mage meant.
"...Lucifer, why have you become so strong?"
Mage lowered his eyelids and asked softly.
"To become strong for what?"
Lucifer was a little confused by this sudden question, answering without much thought:
"Of course, to become the strongest in the world. What else?"
"The strongest in the world?"
Upon hearing Lucifer's instinctive reply, a flash of light suddenly sparked in Mage's somewhat cloudy eyes, then quickly hid.
"Then, how do you think you can become the strongest in the world?"
Mage continued.
"Train hard, defeat the strongest, and then I'll be the strongest!"
This was exactly how Lucifer thought—and planned to act.
---To be continued---
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T/N:
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