Days blurred into a punishing cycle of heat, exhaustion, and survival. The rigorous training that Rayleigh devised for them was simple: survive the island's monsters and master the basics of Haki. While Rayleigh mainly focused on Luffy, teaching him to find and control the energy within, Leo was left to his own brutal, solitary grind.
Leo, having embraced his role as the reluctant Gamer Pirate, stuck to his own path of progression. He spent his mornings trekking through the jungle, hunting smaller, isolated monsters. He leveled up through sheer, bloody effort.
DING!
The sound was often muffled by his panting, but the result was always a small, satisfying surge of power. However, with each Level gained, the grim reality of the System's balancing mechanics became clearer.
I'm definitely stronger, Leo thought one sweltering afternoon, checking his wrist. I'm faster, my strikes hit harder, and I can avoid attacks better. But this XP grind is a nightmare.
When he first arrived, killing a single wolf granted him a satisfying 10 XP. Now, at Level 6, hunting the same low-tier beasts yielded almost nothing.
He had just defeated a giant poisonous centipede—a creature that would have shredded him at Level 2—and summoned the System to check his reward.
DING!
Objective Complete: Defeat Giant Centipedev
XP GAINED: 2
Leo let out a frustrated shout that startled a nearby jungle bird. "Two?! Seriously, twoXP?! It takes me ten minutes of exhausting fighting and nearly getting poisoned to gain a fraction of a percentage! This system is punishing!"
I need a new farming spot. These small monsters are barely worth the time now. He knew his core stats—Attack, Defense, and Speed (which was tied to Stamina/Level)—were increasing with each level. But his skill in combat, his actual ability to avoid blows and land strikes, was also improving. It was a vicious circle: the better he got, the easier the enemy became, and the less XP the System rewarded.
But that Haki line still says 'Locked.' Rayleigh said Armament Haki is about willpower, focusing my spirit. I've almost died a dozen times. What more willpower do I need?
He knew his struggles were nothing compared to the monumental changes happening outside this island. Whitebeard's death had started the countdown. The tides of the world were shifting. Every ambitious pirate, every political opportunist, was making their move.
I bet the others are having the same hellish two years, Leo thought, watching a giant beetle scuttle past, its shell too tough for his current knife to penetrate.
Zoro is probably fighting those baboons on Kuraigana Island right now, learning to channel his inner demons and his new master's insane methods.
Sanji is still running for his life from the Okama on Momoiro Island, his cooking getting better, his kicks getting faster, and his sanity slowly dwindling.
Robin is with the Revolutionary Army, learning to fight the ultimate enemy and discovering the true history of the world. She's probably the most focused of all of them.
And Nami… she's on Weatheria, finally getting the knowledge she craves. She'll come back controlling the skies.
Franky must be blowing up Vegapunk's lab every other day, trying to upgrade himself to a cola-powered demigod.
And Usopp is definitely on the Boin Archipelago, terrified but growing stronger, trying out his new Pop Greens. Poor Brook is probably being mistaken for a summon himself!
And Tony Tony Chopper, the cutest doctor, is doing what he does best: learning medicine, and doing experiment on himself I hope he's safe.
Leo sighed, kicking a loose pebble. He was stuck here, facing the existential choice that would define his new life.
Should I stick with Luffy, the future Pirate King, or use my summons to build my own crew, my own destiny? Luffy's path is guaranteed chaos, but also glory. My path... is unknown, but controlled. I need that Katana first. Let's worry about the crew later.
A tremendous CRACK! of breaking stone ripped through the air, followed by the familiar, high-pitched laughter that always meant trouble was incoming.
Luffy.
Leo watched as his friend burst through the dense foliage, not running from a beast this time, but running at one. He was chasing a huge, enraged Jungle Cobra, his body glistening with sweat, a triumphant, almost manic grin on his face.
Luffy stopped short, punching the air—but his fist wasn't just red. It was pitch-black, hard and glossy, radiating a faint, dull shine.
BOOM!
The punch missed the Cobra, but the sound barrier-breaking impact cracked the ancient stone where the snake had been milliseconds before.
Luffy quickly recalled his fist, which was now just rubber skin again. He turned to Leo, his smile blindingly proud.
"Hey!" Luffy shouted, jogging over, his energy boundless. "I'm done with today's training! Look! I finally learned Armament Haki! Did you learn it, too? Show me!"
Leo just stared at the spot where the stone had shattered, then looked at his friend—a friend who, in a few short days, had achieved the fundamental power that Leo's System still had locked behind an unknown will-check.
Leo nodded his head slowly, a single, silent tear running down his cheek from the sheer injustice of it all. "H-huh! Everyone is not a monster like you, Luffy!"
"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head, confused by Leo's emotional response.
Leo quickly wiped the tear and swallowed his frustration, forcing a wide, fake smile. "Man, I wish I could see the levels of other people sometimes. This System... forget about it. It's buggy."
Luffy didn't understand the comment, but he didn't need to. He just focused on the important things.
"Let's go! Rayleigh says he cooked some extra tasty giant Lion meat tonight!"
Leo, abandoning his internal crisis for the promise of food, stood up. "Okay, let's go. I need to replace the health I lost today."
The first phase of training was clearly underway, and Leo was quickly learning that even with a Gamer System, you couldn't cheat the grind, and you definitely couldn't cheat destiny.
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