"Huh? Is this really a Devil Fruit?"
After taking a bite of the Dark-Dark Fruit, Mislanda looked stunned.
Weren't Devil Fruits supposed to taste awful?
Buggy had once said the taste was like moldy bread sprinkled with a handful of salt — enough to make you gag.
But this one… was actually good.
Sweet, tangy, and even a little crunchy!
Crunch, crunch!
He immediately finished the whole thing.
After swallowing the last bite, Mislanda suddenly felt his body fill with an immense, surging power.
Then, carefully, he opened his right hand and tried channeling the strange force flowing within him.
A wisp of black mist rose from his palm, forming into a small vortex of darkness that gave off a strange gravitational pull.
"Nice. With this kind of power, I should at least be able to protect myself."
As a transmigrator — and now with a system and the Dark-Dark Fruit — Mislanda had no intention of living quietly.
He was going to conquer the seas.
But first, he needed strength.
Without a powerful body, no Devil Fruit user could stand toe-to-toe with the monsters of this world.
The only thing he could do now was train.
And as the adopted son of Silvers Rayleigh — the "Dark King" himself — he had the perfect teacher.
Thinking of this, Mislanda decided to leave the forest.
What he didn't know was that just after he left, Shanks arrived looking for him.
The two missed each other completely — and they wouldn't meet again for many, many years.
"Mislanda, you look… different somehow."
On the small boat, Rayleigh studied his adopted son curiously.
They'd only been apart for a day and a half, but something about Mislanda's aura felt deeper — heavier — almost frightening.
What on earth had happened?
Mislanda just waved it off casually.
"It's nothing. I just ate a Devil Fruit."
"What?!"
Rayleigh nearly choked on his drink.
"You ate a Devil Fruit? What kind?"
Devil Fruits were incredibly rare.
Some people searched their whole lives without finding one, while others stumbled on one by sheer luck.
To Rayleigh, Mislanda clearly belonged to the latter group.
"Here, take a look."
Mislanda extended his right hand.
A dark vortex appeared, spinning slowly in his palm.
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed.
Even though the power didn't threaten him, he could feel a deep, almost horrifying force hidden within it.
This wasn't an ordinary fruit.
"That's… impressive. Well, so you're a Devil Fruit user now. Just be careful—you won't be able to swim anymore."
"Yeah, I know," Mislanda replied with a faint smile.
He didn't intend to tell Rayleigh the whole truth.
Not because he didn't trust him — but because some things were simply too complicated to explain.
And so, the two of them set sail away from Loguetown.
Just as they were about to leave the East Blue, Rayleigh stopped the ship.
"Mislanda, have you thought about what you want to do next?"
Honestly, Rayleigh didn't really know where to go either.
The Roger Pirates were disbanded, and he had no plans to start another crew.
[Ding! System Mission Released!]
Just as Mislanda was about to answer, the familiar electronic voice echoed in his head.
Seriously? Now?
"Give me a minute," Mislanda said, forcing a smile. He walked to the back of the boat and sat down.
They were sailing a small wooden vessel — simple, but occupied by a living legend.
"Alright," Rayleigh said, "let's stay away from the coast for now. I don't want to run into that old bastard Garp."
"Okay, system," Mislanda muttered. "Before we get to the mission, explain yourself first."
[Ding! This system is called the "Strongest System." Its main purpose is to help the host become the most powerful being in this world.]
[The host can earn rewards and "Strength Points" by completing missions or defeating others.]
"Strength Points? Do I have any now?"
[Yes. The host currently has 100 Strength Points.]
[In addition to missions, defeating strong opponents can also earn Strength Points. For example—]
A glowing interface appeared before Mislanda's eyes.
Target: Silvers Rayleigh
Power Level: KING
Defeating him will grant 10,000 Strength Points
[The system classifies power levels in this world as follows:]
Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Diamond → Star → King → Supreme King
[Defeating lower-level opponents yields no points. Only the first victory against a new opponent grants full rewards; repeated victories will give less each time.]
Mislanda's mouth twitched.
Was his system… modeled after some video game?
[Ding! The host's current power level: GOLD.]
"So that means I can only get points from fighting opponents at Gold level or higher?"
[Correct.]
"Alright… one last question. Are there actually any 'Supreme Kings' in this world?"
Rayleigh's strength was legendary — even decades later, few could claim to defeat him. And this was him in his prime… yet he wasn't at the top?
[There are. You'll find out for yourself.]
[Ding! New Mission: Protect Ohara! Repel the Navy's Buster Call!]
A new message popped up before Mislanda's eyes.
Ohara? The Buster Call?
Mislanda froze.
"System, are you kidding me? How am I supposed to stop a Buster Call?!"
The Buster Call was an annihilation-level operation — led by five Vice Admirals commanding a fleet of warships.
And during Ohara's incident, two of those Vice Admirals were future Admirals Akainu and Aokiji!
How the hell was he supposed to fight that?
[The host may seek outside help. For example— the man sailing with you… and the one currently in the sky.]
"The one in the sky?"
Startled, Mislanda looked up.
Even Rayleigh had already noticed and was watching the clouds cautiously.
There, high above them, stood a man in a gray-green cloak, looking down silently.
"System, who is he?"
[Monkey D. Dragon — Power Level: KING. Current Title: Leader of the "Freedom Army."]
Same level as Rayleigh!
Monkey D. Dragon… the future founder of the Revolutionary Army?
But wait — the Revolutionary Army didn't exist yet.
At this point in time, Dragon was only the leader of a resistance group — the Freedom Army.