I sat on the edge of my small bed, staring at the dimly lit wooden ceiling of the room Makino had provided me. My mind was racing, trying to process everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
I had been transmigrated into a world I once viewed as fiction, given a system that followed the principle of equivalent exchange, and now I had eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi. While this all sounded like a dream to most, for me, the reality was far harsher.
I had nothing. No strength, no combat experience, no Haki, and no allies. This world was dangerous, and I was nothing more than an ant compared to the monsters that roamed these seas.
My system panel reflected my current state:
[Status Panel]
Name: William D. Vale
Age: 8 years
Haki Attributes: Locked
Devil Fruit Mastery: 0/100
Physique: 1/100
I clenched my fists. Bottom of the hierarchy.
If someone like me were to stand before Kaido, the difference would be beyond overwhelming. Just imagining the stats of someone like him made me shudder. The system had given me a golden opportunity, but the road to strength was long, grueling, and dangerous. I had to take it step by step.
[New Task Issued: Daily Training Routine]
A new notification popped up before me.
[New Daily Task Issued]Objective: Strengthen your body and begin training to unlock Haki.
Training Routine:
Body Strengthening Exercises (Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups) – 200 reps each
Cardio Training (Running, Sprinting, Endurance) – 20 km run
Meditation – 2 hour to improve focus and unlock Observation Haki
Rewards: Small Physique Increase (+0.01 Physique Points per completed day), Observation Haki increase (+0.01 points per completed day) Progress toward Observation Haki (Locked until meditation mastery reaches 5/100).
I exhaled deeply. So, this was my starting point.
It wasn't much, but it was something. The system was pushing me toward unlocking Observation Haki, but it wouldn't be instant. I needed to meditate and sharpen my senses before it would even begin to take effect.
It made sense. I wasn't Luffy. I wasn't some destined protagonist blessed with plot armor. If I wanted power, I had to grind for it.
Standing up, I stretched my arms and rolled my shoulders. No time to waste.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, exhaustion gripping my body. My physique had barely increased, and my Haki progress was infinitesimal, but…I had started.
This was just Day One.
Tomorrow, I would do it again. And again. And again.
Because if I wanted to survive in this world, I had no other choice.
[System Notification][Daily Task Completed: +0.01 Physique Points][Observation Haki Increase: +0.01 points]
[Updated Stats:]
Devil Fruit Mastery: 0/100
Physique: 1.01/100
Observation Haki Progress: 0.01/100
A small step forward.
But every journey starts with the first step.
And I had just taken mine.