Seeing his own strength rapidly grow, Raion couldn't help but look forward to what the future held.
According to the system, once his ninja rank reached Chūnin (intermediate level), he would gain the chance to draw for a bloodline limit. And when he advanced further to Jōnin (upper level), he would be able to enter the Sage Realm and unlock Sage Mode.
But what would his bloodline limit be?
Kimimaro's bone manipulation? The Byakugan of the Hyūga clan? Ranmaru's crimson eyes? Or perhaps the legendary Sharingan of the Uchiha?
And which Sage training ground would be his destination?
Would it be Mount Myōboku? The Shikkotsu Forest? Or Ryūchi Cave?
He didn't know yet. But even the mere thought of these possibilities made Raion's blood race with excitement.
However, for now, it was far too early to think about bloodline limits or Sage training. He hadn't even mastered the Rasengan yet.
This sobering reality dragged Raion back from his daydream.
"First, I need to focus on my basics and train properly."
Raion returned to the shallow waters by the shore. He gathered chakra in the soles of his feet and stepped onto the surface with determination...
This time, it worked!
Thanks to two days of intense chakra control training, combined with the physical enhancements he gained from eating the meat of the two-tailed saber-toothed lion, Raion now stood proudly atop the water's surface!
He cautiously walked across the sea, leaving only faint ripples behind, finding the sensation surprisingly similar to walking on solid ground.
Grinning, he even ran several nautical miles offshore just to test his limits.
When he finally returned to land, steady and confident, it confirmed what he already suspected — he now had excellent chakra control.
In this world, the ability to walk freely on water was nothing short of miraculous, especially for Devil Fruit users who would otherwise sink like stones.
The fact that Raion could do it was a testament to his potential to one day dominate this world.
Marine Headquarters. The Holy Land of Mary Geoise. The Grand Line. The New World.
Three Admirals. Four Emperors. The Five Elders. The Shichibukai…
Raion clenched his fists."This world… I'm coming for you."
Time to set sail!
For the next three days, his ship glided across the sea. Then, in the distance, Raion spotted three islands.
Anyone traveling by sea — be it Marines or pirates — would take advantage of islands to rest, resupply fresh water, and replenish food stores.
"I'll rest here for a while," Raion muttered.
But before he could change course, the sea ahead began to churn violently. Suddenly, a whirlpool nearly eight meters wide formed, and from its depths emerged a monstrous sea beast.
Its massive lizard-like head loomed above the waves, its black-and-white patterned scales glistening under the sun. Rows of razor-sharp teeth filled its mouth, and a line of jagged fins ran down its spine. The creature looked to be at least twelve or thirteen meters long.
Thanks to his memories of the One Piece world, Raion instantly recognized it — this was a Sea King. Judging by its size, this was just a juvenile.
If it were an adult, it would be dozens of times larger and would have already capsized his ship without effort.
"A Sea King? But shouldn't these things only appear in the Calm Belt? What's it doing here?"
Sea Kings rarely wandered into regular waters, but not all of them stayed confined to the Calm Belt. Some were known to appear in random sea routes, though this was uncommon.
As the saying goes, "Fate is unpredictable, bringing both blessings and disasters." In less than a week, Raion had experienced both extremes. First, he had feasted on the rare, cell-enhancing meat of the saber-toothed lion. And now, he was facing a juvenile Sea King on the open waters of the East Blue.
With luck like this, he might as well start buying lottery tickets.
Raion was still processing the situation when the monstrous beast lunged forward, its enormous mouth wide open…
He quickly leapt back toward the stern, just as the Sea King bit down — and tore off the entire front half of his ship!
Raion's only vessel was now broken in two.
The truth was, the Sea King's power was not as fearsome as its size suggested — but for ordinary people, its massive body and terrifying presence were more than enough to freeze them in terror.
Raion, however, was no ordinary person.
"You bastard! You've destroyed my ship!"
Furious, Raion's body began crackling with fierce lightning.
"Lightning Release – Chidori Current!"
Wreathed in electricity, he charged at the beast. As soon as the lightning connected, the Sea King convulsed violently, its enormous body seared black. Being in the surrounding seawater amplified the current, frying it even faster.
With a final, echoing wail, the creature sank beneath the waves, dead.
However, Raion's own situation was dire — the remaining half of his ship was quickly sinking.
But this time, he didn't panic. His training had paid off.
Raion stepped onto the surface of the sea, his feet steady and firm.
"Practice never fails."
He sprinted across the waves toward the nearest island. If anyone had seen him, they might have mistaken him for some mythical martial artist performing the legendary "water-walking technique."
After several nautical miles of running, he finally reached one of the three islands he'd seen earlier.
The moment he stepped ashore, Raion began asking around about local pirate bounties.
As a bounty hunter, he desperately needed money to improve his strength.
However, his boldness only earned him strange looks.
"What kind of lunatic openly asks about pirates?"
For ordinary people, pirates were synonymous with terror and destruction. Most civilians avoided even mentioning them, fearing the consequences.
In this world, pirates were generally seen as ruthless criminals. The rare exceptions, like Luffy's crew, were more like adventurers — but to common folk, a pirate was a pirate.
To openly go around asking about bounties was almost unheard of.
One young girl in particular looked at Raion like he'd lost his mind. Hands on her hips, she snapped:"Where do you think you are, idiot? Do you even know who you're dealing with? What kind of fool just walks up and asks about pirates?"
Her voice was sweet, but her tone was harsh and dismissive.
Raion simply sighed and shook his head. He had no time to waste arguing with random strangers.
Still, he continued asking around, ignoring the whispers and strange looks. Eventually, his persistence paid off — he learned of a nearby pirate crew with a combined bounty of 15 million Berries…