On the vast, boundless sea, a small wooden boat—which looked exceptionally tiny amidst the swells—rose and fell with the waves.
Naturally, they had "borrowed" this boat from the Alvida Pirates. As for why Alvida's crew hadn't pursued them? It was likely because their captain was still pinned to the main mast, foaming at the mouth. One backward glance from the terrifying red-eyed youth had been enough to make the entire crew retreat below deck in fear.
"Alright! We're finally out at sea!"
Luffy sat at the bow, showing zero awareness of his responsibilities as captain. Instead, he shouted excitedly into the salty wind. "This is the smell of adventure!"
Koby, sitting in the middle and handling the rowing—though he wasn't quite sure how he'd been relegated to the role of labor—stared ahead with a look of utter exhaustion.
"Luffy-san... are you sure it's okay for us to just take a pirate's lifeboat like this?"
"It's fine, it's fine!" Luffy waved a hand dismissively. "They weren't using it anyway!"
At the stern, Viktor leaned casually against the gunwale, idly flipping his kunai. While Luffy was busy shouting at the horizon, Viktor focused his mind, summoning the system interface deep within his consciousness.
System, settle the combat rewards.
Instantly, a translucent pale-blue screen, visible only to him, unfolded.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the Hidden Achievement Mission: "The First Battle of the Voyage"!]
[Target Defeated: "Iron Club" Alvida (Bounty: 5,000,000 Berries).]
[Combat Evaluation: S.]
[Reward Obtained: 500 Ninja Path Points.]
"500 points, huh..." Viktor rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
According to the system description, [Ninja Path Points] were the sole currency. The acquisition method was simple and brutal: defeat powerful enemies, change major plot points, or create world-shaking "fame moments" on the sea.
The stronger the opponent and the higher the bounty, the better the evaluation and points.
Alvida was somewhat famous in the East Blue, but in the grand scheme of the pirate world, she was barely an ant. Getting 500 points was likely a bonus for it being his "first battle."
Open the Exchange Shop.
The screen shifted, revealing a dazzling list of categories: [Ninjutsu], [Taijutsu], [Genjutsu], [Kekkei Genkai], and [Shinobi Tools].
Viktor scanned the "Luxury Goods" section at the top and felt a sharp pang of "wallet anxiety."
[Rinnegan (Single Eye)]: 10,000,000 Points.
[Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan (Both Eyes)]: 5,000,000 Points.
"Ten million..." Viktor's mouth twitched. "How long is that going to take?"
He shook his head and decisively closed the high-end pages, turning his attention to the [Basic Section]. Currently, with only a single-tomoe Sharingan, his offensive options were limited to basic martial arts and kunai.
His gaze lingered on a few options:
[Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique]: C-Rank. Price: 300 Points.
[Substitution Technique]: E-Rank. Price: 200 Points.
[Shadow Clone Technique]: B-Rank. Price: 1,000 Points.
[Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique]: D-Rank. Price: 400 Points.
Viktor weighed his options. Ultimately, he locked onto the Hell Viewing Technique.
People in the One Piece world generally have low magic resistance; they have almost no defense against mental attacks. Besides... how can a "magician" not know how to perform hypnosis?
"I'll get the Fireball next time. It's the Uchiha standard, even if it never actually kills anyone in the show..."
System, exchange for [Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique]!
[Ding! 400 Ninja Path Points deducted. Exchange successful! Hand signs and Chakra flow patterns have been injected into Host's memory.]
A cool stream of information flooded his mind. Viktor closed his eyes to digest it, and when he opened them, a hint of depth seemed to swirl in his dark pupils.
"Hey, Viktor!" Luffy suddenly turned around, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "Since you're on my boat, you're my first partner!"
"I'm the man who will become the King of the Pirates! As the Vice-Captain, you'd better work hard from now on!"
Pfft—Cough, cough, cough!
Koby nearly choked on his own spit, and the oar flew out of his hand. He stood up abruptly, eyes bulging like saucers as he stared at Luffy in horror.
"P-P-Pirate King?!! Luffy-san, are you joking?!"
"That's the title for the great pirate who possesses everything in the world—wealth, fame, and power! To become the Pirate King means finding the legendary ONE PIECE in a sea full of monsters! That kind of thing... It's impossible! Absolutely impossible! No way, no way, no way!!"
BAM!
Luffy delivered a swift punch to the top of Koby's head.
"Ow!" Koby crouched down, clutching his skull. "Why did you hit me...?"
"Because you're noisy," Luffy said, picking his nose, though his eyes remained remarkably steady. "It's not about whether I can do it. I'm doing it because I want to. Even if I die trying, I don't care."
Koby froze. Viktor reached out, fished the floating oar back from the water, and tossed it to him.
"A spirited declaration. But my Captain, if you want to be King, we can't just rely on us begging for food... I mean, we need more than just us."
"Exactly!" Luffy cheered up instantly, counting on his fingers. "I need a navigator, a cook, a musician... hmm, I wonder about that 'Pirate Hunter' guy?"
"Zo... Zoro?!" Koby's face went white again. "Luffy-san, you want Roronoa Zoro as a partner? The man they call a 'Demonic Beast in Human Skin'?"
"They say he's a cold-blooded demon! He's currently locked up in the Marine Base ahead!"
"He got caught?" Luffy looked indifferent. "Perfect. If he's a good guy, I'll have him join!"
"A 'good guy'... everyone calls him a beast!"
As Koby continued his frantic muttering, Luffy's attention suddenly shifted. He leaned in close to Viktor, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Hey, hey! Viktor!" Luffy was almost nose-to-nose with him. "You said before you're a magician, right? Those red eyes are cool, but I want to see a fun magic trick! Do one for me! Right now!"
Viktor looked at Luffy's "star-eyes" and raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smirk.
"You want to see magic?"
"Okay. Since you're the Captain, I'll show you something high-level."
"Oooooh!" Luffy sat up straight. Even Koby couldn't help but peek over. A trick from the guy who one-shotted a pirate captain? It had to be incredible. Would he conjure fire from nothing? Vanish instantly?
Under their expectant gazes, Viktor slowly raised his right index finger in front of Luffy.
"Look closely, Luffy. This is one finger, right?"
"Mhm, mhm!" Luffy nodded frantically.
"Now, don't blink. Witness the miracle."
Viktor took a deep breath, and then—
He began to shake his index finger left and right with extreme speed. He moved it so fast it created a slight afterimage.
"Look! Transform!" Viktor suddenly extended a second finger. "Ta-da!"
He stopped, looking at Luffy with a perfectly straight face. The scene was silent for three full seconds.
"WAAAAAAAGH!!!"
Luffy let out a roar of amazement, clutching his head as if his brain might explode. "It turned into two!! That's amazing!! It was definitely one just a second ago! How did you do it?! Viktor, are you a God?!"
Koby: "..."
Koby's expression shifted from anticipation to blankness, and finally to deep, profound silence. He covered his face, feeling that his future was very, very dark.
That's not magic! He just stuck out another finger! Anyone can do that! Koby screamed internally, looking at Luffy with newfound doubt. Luffy-san... is he really a total idiot? He fell for a trick meant for a three-year-old?
Viktor, however, looked quite satisfied as he patted Luffy on the shoulder.
"That is the essence of magic, Captain. You'll understand eventually: in this world, seeing isn't always believing."
In this atmosphere of "pure brilliance," the mist in the distance began to clear. The silhouette of a massive island appeared on the horizon. In the center of the island, a towering fortress-like building stood tall, with the giant word "MARINE" gleaming in the sunlight.
"Luffy-san, Viktor-san!"
"Shells Town, Marine 153rd Branch... we've arrived!"