Seeing how much his strength had grown, Kurou couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement for the future.
According to the system, once his ninja rank reached Chūnin (Intermediate), he would be eligible to unlock his own Kekkei Genkai; and upon reaching Jōnin (Intermediate), he would qualify to train at a Sage Region and unlock Sage Mode.
But what kind of Kekkei Genkai would he awaken?
Would it be Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku, the Hyuga clan's Byakugan, Ranmaru's Red Eye, or even the Uchiha clan's Sharingan?
And which of the sacred lands would become his Sage training ground?
Mount Myōboku? Ryūchi Cave? Shikkotsu Forest?
There was no way to know just yet. Still, the thought of the possibilities ahead made Kurou's blood boil with anticipation.
But at the moment, he didn't even have the Rasengan under control, let alone things like Kekkei Genkai or Sage Mode.
That thought immediately brought him crashing back to reality.
Better focus on training first.
Kurou walked back to the shallow part of the sea, gathered chakra at the soles of his feet, and stepped forward without hesitation...
Success!
Thanks to the past few days of consistent chakra control training, and the cell activation triggered by consuming the meat of the Twin-Tailed Sabretooth Lion, Kurou could now stand upright on the surface of the sea!
Carefully walking across the waves, he found that aside from a faint ripple beneath each step, it felt no different from walking on land.
Kurou was so thrilled that he impulsively sprinted a few nautical miles across the open water.
By the time he returned to shore with perfect balance, it was clear, he had gained precise control over his chakra.
Being able to run freely over water was a dream even the most powerful Devil Fruit users could hardly imagine.
And yet, he had achieved it.
Marineford, Mary Geoise, the Grand Line, the New World...
The Three Admirals, Four Emperors, Five Elders, Seven Warlords...
"This world... I'm coming for you."
Set sail!
Kurou's ship drifted for another three days across the open sea. In the distance, he finally spotted the blurry outlines of three islands.
Anyone who traveled by sea, whether Marine or pirate, would usually dock at an island to rest, replenish food, and gather fresh water.
Kurou had planned to do just that.
But just as the thought crossed his mind, a massive eight-meter-wide whirlpool erupted in front of the ship. And from within, a monstrous sea beast emerged.
Its head resembled a massive lizard, black and white stripes ran down its body, its mouth was full of razor-sharp teeth, and a row of dorsal fins rippled along its back. It stretched at least twelve or thirteen meters long.
Judging from his knowledge of the One Piece anime, Kurou quickly recognized it as a juvenile form of a Sea King.
If it were an adult, its sheer size would have already smashed his ship into splinters.
"But... Sea Kings are supposed to dwell in the Calm Belt. Why is one here?"
While it was true that most Sea Kings nested in the Calm Belt, they could occasionally be found in other seas, though it was rare.
As the saying goes: Misfortune strikes without warning, and fortune comes in strange disguise. In less than a week, Kurou had experienced both. First, he ate a magical beast that supercharged his cells, and now, in the calm waters of the East Blue, he encountered a Sea King.
What were the odds?
He was still grumbling about his bad luck when the colossal beast suddenly opened its gaping mouth and lunged.
Kurou jumped back to the stern just in time, as the Sea King clamped down and bit off the front half of the ship in one devastating chomp.
His vessel was now snapped cleanly into two.
To be fair, Sea Kings weren't nearly as strong as legends made them out to be. Their danger came from size, not raw power. They were nightmare fuel for common folk, like tigers in the wild. But for the truly strong? Just another monster to slay.
Still, Kurou hadn't expected this one to go straight for the bite.
"You bastard! You bit my ship to pieces!"
Lightning began crackling from Kurou's body, hissing and surging,
Lightning Release: Chidori Stream!
His entire body was sheathed in lightning as he lunged forward and slammed into the beast.
The instant they made contact, the Sea King convulsed violently, electricity coursing through its soaked body, blackening its scales and flesh.
Under the overwhelming force of the lightning attack, the charred beast slowly sank beneath the waves.
But Kurou's situation wasn't great either, the remaining half of the ship was also sinking fast.
And yet,
His feet stood firmly on the surface of the sea.
Training wasn't for nothing.
With no boat beneath him, Kurou ran across the ocean toward the distant island. Had anyone seen him, they would have called him a peerless master performing the legendary martial art: Walking on Water.
He ran several nautical miles before reaching one of the three islands he had seen from his ship. Upon landing, the first thing he did was start asking around:
"Hey, where can I find bounty targets nearby?"
Kurou was now a bona fide bounty hunter, and in his current situation, the only way to grow stronger was through money. Lots of it.
Naturally, that meant hunting down pirates.
But his question left the locals looking at him like he was insane.
Who in their right mind goes around asking about wanted criminals? Most people would rather run or hide from pirates, only a lunatic would seek them out!
In any world, the vast majority of people are just ordinary civilians. The fierce clashes of superpowered fighters we see in anime are rare exceptions. That's why every now and then, a cocky nobody with a few tricks gets a bounty slapped on him and starts declaring himself "boss" or "lord."
Here, pirates are synonymous with murderers and maniacs. If the Straw Hats were to be categorized, they'd be closer to adventurers than pirates.
To the average person, pirates were taboo, spoken of only in hushed tones.
And yet here was Kurou, loudly asking around like he was looking for a pizza joint.
Most folks assumed he was either crazy, or bored out of his mind.
One girl in particular wasn't having it. Hands on hips, she snapped, "Where the hell did you crawl out from? You think you're hot stuff asking about pirates without even knowing your own strength?"
Her voice was clear and bright, but her words cut like knives.
Kurou just shook his head helplessly. Arguing with women was pointless.
Still, he kept asking.
And finally, after enough persistence, he struck gold.
Nearby, there was indeed a pirate crew with a combined bounty of 15 million Berries...
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter