As expected of a main quest, the first wave of rewards is so generous!
Kaizer looked at the three options before him and had almost no hesitation.
[Six Powers - Iron Body (Novice)]
Although it might be the novice stage of Armament Haki, users of Six Powers tend to die because of Iron Body; it's known as the 'harmful Iron Body,' so let's set that aside for now!
[Luffy's Fist Technique (Mimicry)]
It sounds cool, but without a Rubber Constitution, it's just a poor imitation, and the side effects are significant.
His choice was decisively—
[Six Powers - Soru (Novice)]
The moment the thought occurred, complex knowledge about force-exerting techniques and footwork trajectories instantly flooded into his body, as if he were born with it.
Not only that, the muscles all over his body swelled up, making him feel as if he had undergone a complete transformation.
[To adapt to the skill loading, the system has automatically optimized the host's constitution to the basic constitution of residents in this world.]
Right! The world of the Pirate King is so unscientific; to use the moves here, one must become a local.
At this moment, his entire body was slightly aching from the changes, as if he had undergone intense exercise.
The muscles in his calves were especially painful, but while they hurt, they also felt exceptionally light, giving him an urge to run with the wind.
I'm ready! Luffy, next is the moment to witness a miracle!
Meanwhile, Luffy had already been waiting on the side for a while, her eyelids drooping as she nearly fell asleep.
"Don't underestimate people!"
Kaizer repeated his words to Luffy, but this time, with much more confidence.
Luffy tilted her head, still a bit skeptical: "Just talking is useless, Kaizer. The sea is very cruel..."
Before she could finish, Kaizer moved!
His figure blurred for an instant, as if it were just an illusion. But in Luffy's wide eyes, Kaizer had already appeared three meters to her left, kicking up a faint whirlwind.
This was pure speed!
"Eh?!" Luffy snapped her head around, a look of genuine surprise appearing on her face for the first time. "So cool! How... how did you do that?"
Kaizer endured the intense pain in his calves after using Soru, shrugging with feigned ease:
"Just a little trick. I told you, I'm qualified to stand by your side.
I can be your chef, bringing meat to you the moment you're hungry, and leading you out of sieges when enemies surround you... So, do you think I can be useful now?"
He didn't brag about who he could beat; instead, every word hit Luffy's soft spot—mainly food.
Luffy's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if she had discovered some novel treasure. She giggled, jumped straight off the deck, ran a few steps to Kaizer, and crouched down, poking his calf with her finger.
"So cool! Even though you're not a Rubber Person like me, you're so fast! It's... it's like teleportation!"
[System Notification: Luffy has developed a strong interest in the ability you displayed; favorability has increased by 5%.]
"So," Kaizer took a deep breath, "tomorrow, can you let me board your ship? I, Kaizer, want to go to sea with you as a companion!"
Luffy stopped and stood before him, hands on her hips, looking up at him. The Moonlight fell on her face, her smile bright and without a trace of gloom.
"Okay!" She nodded vigorously, her voice crisp. "I allow you to board my ship! From now on, you are my partner, Kaizer!"
It's done! A huge weight finally lifted from Kaizer's heart; he almost wanted to shout at the sea.
As everyone knows, the crew of our future Pirate King must either have strength, ability, or be interesting. Kaizer barely managed to cover two. In the original plot, Luffy never made anyone leave the ship, but who knows what Luffy would be like?
Kaizer stood straight and made a mock-serious promise to Luffy, "Thank you for the opportunity, Captain! I promise not to let you down!"
"Hehe, then it's a deal!" Luffy clapped her hands happily, then gave a big yawn. "Ah—so sleepy, it felt like I was eating a big steak in a dream just now... No, I have to go back to sleep; we're leaving first thing tomorrow morning!"
As she spoke, she scrambled back onto her small boat on all fours, found a comfortable position, and fell asleep almost instantly, returning to her uninhibited sleeping posture.
Kaizer looked at the future Pirate King, who had fallen back into a dream world in the blink of an eye, and smiled helplessly.
He took one last look at the quiet night scenery of Foosha Village, then sat down on the shore next to the small boat, leaning against the hull.
He pulled up the system interface; Luffy's favorability clearly showed [Friend].
The new pink progress bar was a good deal longer than before, and in the skill bar, there was a new icon for [Six Powers - Soru (Novice)].
The night breeze blew, carrying the saltiness of the seawater. He looked at the starry sky, then back at the Straw Hat Girl sleeping defenselessly in the cabin.
Although the start was a bit rough—getting beaten and rejected—he had finally successfully boarded the ship.
Next comes the real adventure.
He clenched his fist, feeling the new strength in his body. The first step had finally been taken.
The man of the Pirate King—I'm definitely going to be him.
The next day, many villagers from Foosha Village came to see Luffy off to sea.
With this always noisy and vibrant girl leaving, it felt as if the village had suddenly lost much of its color and laughter; even the air seemed quieter.
The village chief was still complaining that having a pirate come from the village was a disgrace, but the worry and reluctance in his eyes were no less than anyone else's.
The villagers' gazes fell more on the young man beside Luffy; Kaizer's presence gave them an inexplicable sense of relief.
Someone recognized by Luffy wouldn't be a bad person, and besides, having an extra person to look out for each other on the sea is always a good thing.
"Young man Kaizer, we're counting on you to look after Luffy!"
"Daring to confess to that girl, you must have some skills!"
"Look after each other!"
At this moment, a series of system notifications rang out:
[Foosha Village Resident (Grocery Store Owner): Due to Luffy's recognition of you, favorability has increased. Reward: Arithmetic (Novice).]
[Foosha Village Resident (Old Fisherman): Favorability has increased. Reward: Fishing (Novice).]
[Foosha Village Resident (Swimming Champion): Favorability has increased. Reward: Swimming (Novice).]
[Foosha Village Resident (Retired Navigator): Favorability has increased. Reward: Navigation Skill (Novice).]
...Kaizer was stunned.
This unexpected pleasant surprise came too suddenly.
He waved to the shore and shouted, "Don't worry, everyone! I'll take good care of her!"
Luffy was moving wooden barrels onto the small boat and immediately retorted, "I'm the Captain! You're just a temporary chef! I should be the one taking care of you!"
"On the sea, we're supposed to look after each other anyway..." Kaizer said halfway through, then suddenly caught the point,
"How am I temporary? Do you have another chef in mind?"
"Because I haven't eaten your cooking yet! I only let you do it because you wanted to be a chef!"
"But didn't you eat the steak I made last night?"
"Last night? How does eating in a dream count!"
...Amidst the laughter, the small boat drifted further and further away with the waves.
Kaizer opened the system interface again, looking at the row of newly acquired, gleaming practical skills; a sense of satisfaction welled up.
[Swimming] gave him confidence in this world dominated by the sea.
[Navigation Skill], even at the novice level, allowed him to have a basic understanding of the route ahead.
This wave of rewards was definitely worth it!
He subconsciously applied the newly acquired [Navigation Skill (Novice)] knowledge, observing the surrounding currents and wind direction. Hmm, it's fairly stable for now... Wait, the water flow on the starboard side seems a bit off? Why is there an unnatural whirlpool and undercurrent?
Almost at the same moment he sensed something strange through his knowledge, a dusty memory flashed through his mind—Foosha Village, setting out to sea, and then... His heart suddenly constricted; he snapped his head around, his sharp gaze scanning the sea surface not far to the right of the hull.
Right there, the seawater seemed to be pushed open from below. A massive, terrifying dorsal fin covered in dark scales was the first to break the surface, followed by a hideous head—with a huge, spear-like pointed beak and cold, emotionless giant eyes, it was locked onto their tiny boat, which was like a mere leaf.
Sea King!