The seven achievement points he had gained were exactly what Ron had expected and more than enough to satisfy him for now. Still, he couldn't help but itch for another rune draw.
This time, he wanted a defensive magic.
During the battle against Krieg's two-thousand-man fleet, he had seemed untouchable, but in truth, it had been a relentless test of judgment and focus.
The chaos of so many enemies meant even he couldn't perfectly predict every threat. In the end, a stray bullet found his arm. It wasn't serious classified only as a light wound but it was a hit he couldn't completely dodge or block.
That weakness bothered him.
He needed something that could defend. Whether it was a shield spell that could block bullets or a short-range teleportation to evade them didn't matter anything to fill that gap would do.
Unfortunately, reaching thirty total achievement points hadn't triggered another rune draw.
The only silver lining was that the injury had granted him a new title: "Wanderer of the Jianghu." One extra achievement point an unexpected reward.
"Looks like I'd better rack up more achievements here in the East Blue," Ron murmured, glancing at the bandage on his left arm. "Once I get a proper defensive spell, then I'll head to the Grand Line."
The weapons of this world weren't advanced, and the bullet had missed any critical spot, so recovery wouldn't take long. By the time they reached Cocoyasi Village, he'd be good as new.
Now, though, his mind burned with motivation. He needed more achievements, not only to unlock new runes but also because his current spiritual power still wasn't enough for third-tier magic.
His total Spirit stood at 45 points. He suspected something special would happen when it reached fifty a qualitative leap in mental speed and recovery.
That would mark the true beginning of his journey toward mastering third-tier magic.
But before that, there was work to do.
He planned to fully explore the wind and fire rune branches, and ideally, unlock a second-tier fire spell. If he could combine his second-tier fire and wind magic, the fusion would be devastating close to the power of a two-and-a-half-tier spell.
That would be his next major step forward.
In the East Blue, his power already made him unstoppable, but on the Grand Line, such strength would only count as a starting point.
To Ron, the plan was simple: master the second-tier fire spell, find a defensive rune, and then step onto the Grand Line already among the strong.
He didn't believe in "growing slowly" or "fighting evenly matched foes."
No he'd crushed everything in the East Blue, and he would do the same on the Grand Line. He would appear not as a beginner, but as a top-tier powerhouse cutting through enemies and collecting achievements like stars in the sky.
While Ron was lost in thought, a seagull landed neatly on the deck. A small bag hung around its neck, and it gave a crisp salute with its wing.
"Today's paper is here," Nami said, walking over. She paid a coin, took the newspaper, and began to read.
Moments later, her eyes widened. "Ron, look at this you're in the paper!"
"Oh?"
Ron arched an eyebrow. He didn't care much about money, but fame yes, fame was another matter. For a magician, recognition was as satisfying as power itself.
He took the paper and scanned it. The story covered Krieg's defeat, his death at Ron's hands, but the details were vague. The part where Ron fought two thousand men alone had been blurred out entirely.
No doubt the World Government's doing.
They wanted to inspire pirates to fear him while protecting the Navy's image. The article erased any mention of the Marines' defeat, rewriting it as a story of the Navy exterminating the last of Krieg's forces.
"Standard procedure," Ron said casually, shaking his head. He'd expected nothing less.
But then something unexpected.
A clear tone echoed in his ears.
[System prompt: You have achieved 'Rising Star.' Reward: +1 Achievement Point.]
"What?"
Ron blinked. "Rising Star? A fame achievement?"
He quickly opened the achievement interface, half amused, half curious. But it turned out not to be a fame milestone at all. The requirement was simply appearing in a newspaper.
"Well… I'll take it."
He smiled faintly and put the point straight into Spirit, raising it to 45. Then he handed the paper back to Nami.
"How much longer till we reach Cocoyasi?"
Nami tapped her chin, thinking. "About four more days."
Ron nodded. "Perfect. I'll be in the back training. The ship's yours."
He turned toward the stern with a grin. The path was clear: train hard, reach Cocoyasi, crush Arlong, and then set sail across the seas with his navigator at his side.
…Though the "two people sharing the same dream" part was still open for negotiation.
At the stern, Ron took a breath, gaze steady on the waves.
Wind runes, he had three. That was enough. He'd already developed a second-tier wind spell; working further on that path would yield little right now.
Fire, however that was the key.
A second-tier fire spell would greatly amplify his destructive potential. Combined with meditation to hone his spirit, it was the fastest route to greater strength.
After some thought, Ron planned out his days.
Eight hours for rune exploration.
Ten hours for meditation.
Two hours for meals and small tasks.
Four hours for sleep.
Meditation counted partly as rest it didn't fully replace sleep, but ten hours of meditation equaled about five hours of good rest.
It was, he decided, the most scientific time allocation possible.
If he spent more than eight hours on runes, his spirit would collapse into fatigue that even meditation couldn't fix. Only sleep could reset it. But once his mind grew stronger, that balance could shift again.
And with that, his daily rhythm as a true magician of the seas began.
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