"Thirty days…"
Credos Vito now wore a crude outfit made from animal pelts. Casually, he scratched another tally mark into a tree trunk with his finger. There were already six full sets of "正" etched into the bark.
Ever since the day he devoured the Devil Fruit, Vito had been silently keeping count.
In that time, he also uncovered something strange about this island, he had yet to feel even a single breeze. Not once.
Even stranger: in just one month, he had lived through four completely different seasons.
The wildly shifting weather, the still, windless air, and the presence of absurdly powerful beasts, these clues helped him piece together where he was.
This was none other than the island where Luffy trained during the two-year time skip.
Located deep within the Calm Belt, Rusukaina Island.
With his general location confirmed, Vito's next priority was to figure out when he was.
After all, while he had some knowledge of the One Piece timeline, nailing down the exact year was essential to making full use of that knowledge.
Especially in a world where Devil Fruits could grant bizarre, unpredictable powers, you never knew what sort of monster might come crawling out of the shadows.
Even though he'd gained a powerful Fruit ability through sheer luck, he wasn't about to get complacent.
Because in this sea, everything was still decided by strength.
So Vito trained.
Every. Single. Day.
He pushed himself harder than ever. Because as the saying goes, if you want strong steel, you'd better be the one swinging the hammer.
"951… 952… 953…"
Vito was doing vertical push-ups, upside-down. His sweat dripped to the ground like rain, darkening the dirt beneath him.
"1000."
He finished with a grunt, slammed his palms down, and flipped upright in one fluid motion.
"Huuh…"
He exhaled slowly, then walked over to a massive tree that would take several grown men to wrap their arms around.
Balling his fist, he drew back, holding it just a few inches from the bark. He thought back to a time in his previous life, when he had randomly studied videos on the one-inch punch.
Thud!
His fist snapped forward like a gunshot.
The bark where he struck began to split, forming concentric cracks that spread out like shattered glass. Even the leaves high in the canopy began to fall in a green shower.
As the leaves fluttered down, Vito withdrew his hand.
A perfect imprint remained on the tree's surface. So detailed, it looked like a master artisan had etched the outline of his knuckles and skin creases into the wood itself.
"Tch..."
He clicked his tongue. Still not satisfied.
Just then,
A thunderous rustling tore through the underbrush.
A giant lion burst forth, its claws slashing down with a roar, tearing through the air like a guillotine.
Vito moved as if he had sensed it all along. He dodged cleanly, well, almost.
One claw sliced across his chest, cutting deep.
For an adult, it would've been a fatal wound. It should've spilled blood like a fountain.
But his body bled… nothing.
"This Devil Fruit really is busted."
He casually wiped across the wound. It sealed shut.
Instantly.
And then, the lion pounced again.
Swipe! Swipe! Swipe!
A torrent of claw strikes crashed down on the jungle, each swing releasing blades of wind like a swordsman's flying slash.
The sheer number of wind blades formed a storm in front of the beast, cutting indiscriminately.
Vito didn't flinch.
Instead, he charged through it.
Each slash tore open his skin, and every wound healed just as fast.
That horrifying regenerative power came from the Devil Fruit he had eaten.
Based on its effects, Vito had given it a name,
[Life-Life Fruit]
A fitting title. The ability granted near-limitless vitality.
With it, his strength and speed had transformed.
Everyone knows the human brain places limits on muscle output to protect the body.
But now, with this regeneration, Vito could remove those mental limiters.
He could access 100% of his physical power.
Even if it tore him apart from the inside, he would just heal.
The pain didn't even register anymore.
Back when he was first attacked by beasts, he had been overwhelmed. But now,
"This regeneration was made for battle."
He lunged through the curtain of wind blades. They couldn't even slow him down.
"ROAR!!"
The giant lion bellowed and lunged.
"Just what I wanted!"
Vito bent his knees. His speed surged again.
But the lion was even faster.
In a flash, it twisted in midair and whipped its tail, like an iron rod, right at Vito mid-jump.
CRACK!
Vito was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through several trees.
"RAAAHH!!"
The lion roared and leapt after him, claws raised to finish it.
Vito tucked and rolled, dodging the fatal strike by inches.
But that movement placed him directly inside the lion's reach.
"…Damn it, was that bait?!"
He looked up into the beast's gaping maw, ready to snap shut around him.
No fear. No hesitation.
"Rrrrgggh, !"
As the lion clamped down, something inside its mouth exploded outward,
A surge of brute force.
"!!"
The lion's eyes widened in disbelief.
Its jaws, were being pried open from the inside!
Vito's entire body bulged with strength as he forced the beast's mouth apart.
Then, WHAM!, he uppercut the lion square in the roof of its mouth.
Snarling, the lion thrashed violently. But Vito was ready, muscles already coiled in defense.
The beast spun again, tail whipping forward.
BOOM!
Vito was sent flying once more, skidding across the ground, but this time, he landed on his feet.
"ROAR!!"
Another flurry of wild claw strikes!
But Vito was unfazed.
Those previous wounds? All caused by wind blades.
The lion itself hadn't touched him, not even once.
Now that he'd seen the move before, he wasn't going to fall for it again.
This time, he charged straight through.
With agility like a swimming fish, he weaved through every strike, each step bringing him closer.
The lion started to panic. It had already felt Vito's monstrous strength.
Its attacks grew frantic, desperate.
Each claw strike blasted craters into the ground, like mini-explosions.
But Vito had already read the pattern.
He ducked low. Slid in. The target locked,
The lion's chest.
//----------------------------------------------------//
//--- Add to Collection!
//--- 150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter