Time flew by in a blink six months had passed.
Eli Winters walked out of the last Marine base in the West Sea, dragging behind him two enormous chests. This was the final checkpoint on his West Sea journey. Inside those boxes were pirate flags and bounty posters he'd collected over months of hunting pirates, all now exchanged for a handsome bounty. The Marines had verified every picture and symbol, and before long, Eli received a staggering 123 million Berries in rewards.
By now, his crew's name had spread across the entire West Sea. They were infamous for their ruthless efficiency in eliminating pirates very few had ever survived an encounter with them. Within Marine circles, their reputation had grown surprisingly positive; several branches had even tried to recruit Eli into the service. Each time, he politely refused with the same excuse: he was still too young.
Thinking back on the titles they'd earned, Eli couldn't help but chuckle.
There was Fiona Delos, the Phantom Swordswoman her swordsmanship was so fast that enemies usually died before realizing they'd been struck. Witnesses claimed they saw only a blur of her blade before falling, earning her the nickname "Phantom Blade."
Then came Big Pan, the Divine Staff Master. His Panlong Staff was devastating, every swing carrying terrifying power. One strike had even split open the skull of a pirate worth 84 million Berries, a feat that had people whispering he might possess the strength of a Marine Vice Admiral. Thus, he was dubbed "The Divine Staff."
Next was Filina Delos, the Thunder Girl. Her combat style was as simple as it was spectacular she'd ride her clouds high above the battlefield and unleash lightning upon her foes. Against low-tier pirates and those without Haki, she was a one-woman natural disaster. Under Fiona's mentorship, Filina had even learned Armament Haki, though her teammates' overwhelming strength often left her with little opportunity to shine.
There were also the fishman warriors Simon and Dotai, both still without Haki but masters of the Marine Six Styles and Fishman Karate. Against anyone who wasn't a Logia user, they could hold their ground even against Vice Admirals. Their bravery and relentless fighting spirit earned them the title "Warriors of the Deep."
And then there was Chiyo Mochizuki, the cook who could fight.
After six months of training, she still hadn't awakened Haki, but her mastery of the Six Styles was improving fast. During one battle, a pirate had tried to sneak up on her only for Chiyo to bash his head in with her trusty rolling pin. The would-be kidnapper turned out to be a 15-million-Berry officer. From that day on, Chiyo's name spread as "The Fighting Chef."
As for Eli himself, his fame wasn't all that impressive. Since he rarely needed to fight, people knew him only as the young captain of the "Dream Voyage Adventurer Crew." Yet, beneath that quiet exterior, his strength had grown immensely. His system rewards had given him rare treasures and powerful skills Chiyo's rolling pin, for example, was no ordinary kitchen tool but a weapon equal in quality to one of the famed Great Grade Swords.
Eli summoned his personal status window, glancing through it with satisfaction. His swordsmanship had plateaued, but everything else showed remarkable progress.
Eli Winters
Physical Strength: Admiral level
Speed: Admiral level
Spirit: Admiral level
Devil Fruit: Space-Space Fruit (modified version)
Space Control: 33% mastered
Haki: Observation (Master), Armament (Advanced – Internal Destruction), Conqueror's (Master – Coating)
Abilities: Spatial Slash, Space Rending, Storage Space, Twin Kamui, Phase Shift, Warp, Distortion, Teleportation, Spatial Lock, Space Walk, and Void Exile a devastating skill that drags enemies into chaotic dimensional rifts to shred them apart.
Ultimate Skill: Space Gate creates a massive portal capable of transporting entire ships, unlike Kamui which requires direct contact.
Swordsmanship: Swordsman Realm – Techniques include Draw Slash, Heavy Strike, Flying Slash, Phantom Cut, and Point Break.
Combat Rank: Top-Tier Admiral
Pet: Kung Fu Panda Big Pan (Vice-Admiral equivalent)
Haki: Observation (Advanced), Armament (Advanced – Internal Destruction), Conqueror's (Beginner)
Skill: Panlong Staff Techniques
Power Level: Quasi-Admiral
Prosperity Points: 34,468
Spatial Inventory: Stretch-Stretch Fruit (no side effects), two unidentified Devil Fruits, Cat-Cat Fruit (Leopard Model), Bomb-Bomb Fruit, modern speedboat, disguise mask, and other treasures.
Eli nodded to himself. His control over space had improved steadily, now reaching one-third mastery. The addition of Space Gate meant he no longer had to worry about emergencies it could warp their entire ship away in seconds, a power equivalent to the Door-Door Fruit but on a grander scale.
He wasn't in a rush to improve his swordsmanship; what he needed was a true duel to break through. His target was none other than Dracule Mihawk the future world's greatest swordsman. In this timeline, Mihawk hadn't yet reached his peak, but finding him would be the real challenge.
Haki, on the other hand, would strengthen naturally as his body matured. Life on the sea had become peaceful fishing, napping under the sun, enjoying Chiyo's cooking. With her around, every day felt like a vacation.
After three days of rest on a small island, they stocked up on supplies and prepared to leave the West Sea. Their next destination: the North Sea.
Unlike the tranquil West, the North Sea was far more dangerous home to the infamous Germa 66 and the ambitious Donquixote Doflamingo. The region teemed with underground power and dark science. Thankfully, it was still the year 1506, a year before Doflamingo would truly rise; he was just a 23-year-old schemer at this point, newly seated among the world's underground lords.
Meanwhile, Judge Vinsmoke had already begun his genetic research. Eli's next mission was to find him not for politics, but to see if Judge could enhance Big Pan's Panlong Staff by fusing it with the Stretch-Stretch Fruit. If anyone could make such madness work, it was Vinsmoke Judge.
As Eli fished from the bow of their ship, his mood was light. He'd caught plenty today he wasn't the clumsy "empty-handed fisherman" he'd once been.
"Hey, Captain," Big Pan called from the other side, also holding a fishing rod. "Why are we looking for this Vinsmoke Judge guy? You know him?"
Eli grinned. "You'll find out soon enough."
"Fine, keep your secrets. Anyway, Filina says there's a big storm coming in three days."
Eli chuckled. "Her Cloud-Cloud Fruit is getting so good she's basically a walking weather forecast now."
He didn't think much of it he'd seen storms before. But this one… was different.
That night, Filina appeared with a serious face rarely seen. "Eli, the storm's intensifying."
Seeing her expression, Eli frowned. "Can we steer around it?"
"I've already had Simon and Dotai change course, but the storm's wider than I thought. We may have escaped the center, but we're still inside the outer bands."
Eli smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. If it gets too bad, I'll just warp the whole ship away."
Filina hesitated, then nodded, reassured by his calm confidence.
By midnight, the sea erupted.
Winds howled like demons, waves towered over the ship, and rain hammered the deck like a thousand war drums. The Voyager rocked violently, creaking under the relentless assault. Every crash of the waves felt like the fist of a god trying to tear the vessel apart.
Eli steadied himself, walking onto the deck alone. He stared into the chaos nature's raw fury. His jaw tightened, but his resolve didn't waver. If the ship couldn't withstand it, he'd use the Space Gate. But if they ran from every challenge, then what was the point of being adventurers?
"Eli, I want to try controlling the weather," Filina shouted over the storm, stepping beside him.
"Go ahead," he said with a grin. "I'm right here."
Her eyes gleamed with determination. Clouds gathered, and lightning danced around her as she poured her power into the storm. For a moment, the rain eased but her face turned pale with exhaustion. The wind, however, remained merciless.
Eli placed a hand on her shoulder. "That's enough. You did great."
"I'll get stronger," she whispered, trembling.
"Then stop skipping training," he teased.
Filina flushed. "I don't skip!"
He chuckled, leading her below deck before returning to watch over the storm. Simon and Dotai held the controls steady while the others tried to rest. Big Pan groaned, green-faced from seasickness.
Then came a terrifying crack the main mast snapped like a toothpick. The sail tore apart, howling like a beast. For a second, Eli thought the whole ship might break.
But the Voyager endured.
By dawn, the storm had passed. The sun peeked through the clouds as calm waves lapped against a battered deck. Two masts were broken, the upper deck torn away, but they were alive.
Simon and Dotai worked fast to seal the leaks. Chiyo and Fiona prepared food for the exhausted crew. Filina, clutching her map and Log Pose, finally looked up.
"Captain, according to the pointer, we're near the eastern waters of the Kingdom of Nordis."
Eli sighed. "That storm really tossed us far off course."
He remembered Nordis it was where a young hyena named Bellamy would one day become a cruel pirate, obsessed with Doflamingo. For now, though, Bellamy was just a boy, years away from his downfall.
The ship was damaged beyond easy repair. Visiting Vinsmoke Judge would have to wait. For now, they needed to reach land.
Everyone worked together to patch the ship, and soon the Voyager was seaworthy again. As they set sail toward Nordis, Chiyo brought out a table full of warm food. The moment they tasted it, fatigue melted away.
"Chiyo, you're an angel," Filina said with her mouth full, then kissed the blushing cook on the cheek.
Chiyo stammered, "Fiona helped too!"
Everyone burst out laughing even Big Pan managed a weak grin.
And just like that, beneath the morning sun and the scent of freshly cooked food, the storm's gloom finally lifted.
The Adventurer Crew's laughter once again echoed across the sea.
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