Chapter 21 – Ten Years of Journey & The Valley of the Gods Arrives
Ten years later — Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1480, January
In the decade of travel, Koya and Ding Li had wandered nearly every corner of the East Blue together. They lived like carefree wanderers—stepping across countless islands, drinking in endless scenery. Along the way, short-sighted pirates occasionally appeared, thinking they could threaten them. Those pirates became Ding Li's "wealth-dispensing boys." Time and again they delivered riches. Over the years, treasure piled up on their ship until the hold could barely contain it all.
So Ding Li began leaving excess gold and jewels on the now-deserted pirate ships they left behind—little gifts for whoever might find them. Strangely, despite passing through so many places, almost no one knew their names. Every pirate who showed malice toward them vanished into the sea without exception.
As for the five middle-aged women who once sailed with them, Ding Li had sent them home with generous pay after he learned to navigate properly in the second year. From then on, it was just the two of them again—free and unrestrained on the vast ocean. Whenever they reached a new island, they would stay for months, soaking in the local customs, food, and culture, living countless unforgettable days.
Now, Ding Li and Koya had just crossed into the legendary Grand Line.
The moment they entered, the system chimed:
Ding! Main Quest Triggered: 1. Defeat the World's Ruler, Imu.
Detected Host has entered the Grand Line early.Main Quest activated ahead of schedule with slight modifications & increased difficulty:
Participate in the Valley of the Gods battle and injure Figarland Garling Saint (Not achieved)
Save Ace (Not achieved)
Conquer the world and make Imu kneel and lick your boots (Not achieved)
Completion Reward: Massive emotion points + one free world traversal opportunity. Failure Penalty: Permanent expulsion from the One Piece world and original world. Exile to system space. System frozen for 100 years.
Detected Valley of the Gods battle begins in 7 days. Host must proceed immediately.
Ding! Entering Grand Line detected.Three-dimensional attributes ≥10,000 → Automatically comprehended:
Beginner Armament Haki
Beginner Conqueror's Haki
Beginner Observation Haki
Three-dimensional attributes ≥100,000 → Automatically comprehended:
Intermediate Armament Haki
Intermediate Conqueror's Haki
Intermediate Observation Haki
Three-dimensional attributes ≥1,000,000 → Automatically comprehended:
Advanced Armament Haki
Advanced Conqueror's Haki
Advanced Observation Haki
A flood of knowledge poured into Ding Li's mind—images of himself training Haki for years, usage methods, growth principles.
Physique strengthened Armament Haki. Soul Strength strengthened Observation Haki. Vitality strengthened Conqueror's Haki—because Conqueror's was the manifestation of one's spirit and will.
Ding Li checked his status:
One Piece World Rank: Admiral-level
Physique: (not shown)
Vitality: (not shown)
Soul Strength: (not shown)
Total Emotions Collected: (not shown) / 10,000,000,000,000
Spendable Points: 12
Skills:
Advanced Armament Haki
Advanced Conqueror's Haki
Advanced Observation Haki
He felt a surge of joy—combined with his raw stats, he was probably at peak Admiral level now.
But the joy quickly turned to cold anxiety.
Figarland Garling Saint—at least peak Emperor, maybe even Sovereign-level. Rocks D. Xebec in the Valley of the Gods battle? Definitely Sovereign-level. If they felt annoyed by his sudden appearance… they might team up to eliminate him first.
Ding Li took a deep breath. He couldn't let despair win. He had to find his own path—a way to grow strong enough to stand at the top of this world.
His thoughts drifted to Roger, Whitebeard, Garp—all legends. All at least peak Admiral, possibly peak Emperor.
And the biggest problem: How was he supposed to reach the Valley of the Gods in 7 days? Normally it took at least half a month—even without knowing the route.
"System! You want me dead? Why bother saving me in the first place? Forget everything else—how am I supposed to get to the Valley of the Gods in 7 days? Give me a year instead, how about that?"
"Detected Host cannot reach destination. Host will be forcibly teleported to the Valley of the Gods battlefield in 7 days. Countdown: 30… 29…"
Ding Li cursed under his breath. No escape.
He glanced at Koya nearby and sighed. "Fine. When the time comes… I'll look for a chance to sneak attack, then run like hell. They probably won't have time to chase me anyway."
Seven days later
Ding Li spent the week searching desperately for a safe place to leave Koya. He refused to drag her into the chaos. After six exhausting days of searching, he found nothing perfect.
In the end, he chose a small, remote, deserted island. He scouted it thoroughly—zero threats, zero people. It wasn't ideal, but it was the safest he could find.
He held Koya on the beach as the countdown ticked down.
Ding! Teleportation begins in 30 seconds…
Ding Li masked his tension and spoke softly: "Koya… I have to go handle something small. Wait for me here. I'll come back for you. I promise."
Koya sensed something was wrong. She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Okay… come back soon. I'll wait right here."
The moment she spoke, the world twisted.
Ding Li felt reality warp. The beach vanished.
He looked down—Koya was still in his arms.
"What the hell, System?! You said teleport me! Why is Koya here too?! Send her back NOW!"
"Any living being in direct skin contact with Host is considered one unit. Cannot separate. No return possible."
Ding Li cursed again. He looked around.
To his left front: a group of unfamiliar pirates. The man with the iconic mustache behind the leader—young Whitebeard. So the leader must be Rocks D. Xebec.
To his front: a man in Navy uniform—young Garp. So the leader in white was Figarland Garling Saint—his main target.
And behind him…
Roger's voice rang out, stunned: "Holy crap… Ding Li? Is that really you?!"
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