Realizing what had just happened, Enzo was momentarily stunned.
Conis's fork slipped from her hand and fell to the deck.
"Did I hear that right? Did Enzo just... talk?!"
She looked at Robin, and as their eyes met, they could both see the shock mirrored in each other's expression.
"What... what is going on here?" Robin couldn't help but direct her question to Ron.
Scratching his head and stifling a yawn, Ron replied, "I made a translation tool for him. See that black bow tie? It automatically converts whatever Enzo says into a language humans can understand, and then transmits it using an artificial voice."
"This way, it's more convenient. Anyway, I'm off to take a bath now."
After Ron left, Enzo scratched his head, looking a bit bewildered as he glanced at Conis and Robin on the deck. "Does this mean... apart from Master Ron, Big Sis Conis and Big Sis Robin can understand me now too?"
Conis and Robin stared at him and nodded slowly.
They could hear him loud and clear.
An island appeared on the horizon.
As the Traveler approached the island, it encountered an unexpected threat—a massive Sea King, nearly the size of a warship and a hundred meters long.
Normally, Sea Kings of this size were more common in the Calm Belt, so encountering one here was an unusual sight.
The moment the Sea King lifted its enormous tail, poised to strike down on the ship, Ron's figure flashed from the deck and appeared midair.
With one powerful kick, the gust of force seemed to freeze the air itself before exploding outward. The terrifying pressure, condensed and then released, surged in visible shockwaves, driving the Sea King's gigantic tail backward and slamming it into the sea's surface with a resounding crash.
Water erupted skyward.
Suspended in midair, Ron reached into the void and drew out the black sword, Shusui. With a single motion, he swung the blade down toward the ocean.
A massive, crescent-shaped slash streaked over the deck, disappearing in a blink before slicing into the sea with the elegance of a falling black moon, all witnessed in awe by Conis, Robin, and Enzo.
The hundred-meter stretch of ocean split open as seawater surged to both sides.
A deep, straight line of blood appeared on the body of the Sea King beneath the waves.
A torrent of dark, odd-colored blood gushed out, dyeing the surface of the sea in a strange hue.
After a moment of violent churning, the sea grew still once more.
"Master Ron, that was incredible!" Enzo's eyes sparkled as he gazed at Ron, who still hovered in the sky, gripping the black blade, Shusui. His little tail wagged rapidly in excitement.
Conis, recovering from her initial shock, looked at the black-haired young man with a newfound admiration and longing. Would she ever become that powerful one day...?
Robin, however, wasn't as surprised. She had already witnessed Ron's strength back in Alabasta.
What puzzled her was why a Sea King of such size, considered mid-sized at around a hundred meters long and typically seen only in the Calm Belt, had shown up in this part of the ocean.
Could it be connected to the island ahead known as the Primeval Isle...?
Sea Kings were generally classified as follows: small Sea Kings were under 100 meters long, mid-sized ones ranged from 100 to 500 meters, and large Sea Kings measured between 500 and 1,000 meters.
Super-sized Sea Kings, on the other hand, only existed in the deep sea and could exceed 1,000 meters, with some reaching an astonishing 5,000 meters in length.
Compared to humans, these Sea Kings were the true rulers of the sea.
After dealing with the sudden Sea King attack, the Traveler smoothly reached the island known as the Primeval Isle, also nicknamed the "Little Garden."
As Ron set foot on the island, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Host detected on the Primeval Isle—qualifies for sign-in. Sign-in successful; system rewards available. Proceed with sign-in?]
[Sign-in complete. Rewards granted: Vitality Points +10. Awarded skill: Blood Energy Technique—Essence of Strength, Level 1.]
["Essence of Strength Lv1: A blood energy skill, when activated, consumes vitality and increases strength by 10% with no side effects."
"Activation enhances strength by an additional 10% through blood energy consumption..."]
Ron was pleasantly surprised by the reward. His current strength was already formidable; an additional boost of 10% would be significant…
He clenched his fist lightly, eager to feel the surge of power firsthand.
As he channeled his energy and activated the skill, an intense, searing wave of blood-red steam erupted from his body.
Robin and Conis were forced to take a few steps back, pushed by the sudden rush of heated energy radiating from him.
Holding onto her hat to keep it from being blown away, Robin looked at Ron in surprise. "What's happening?"
Ahead of them, Enzo, clad in his weighted iron vest and carrying a large bundle on his back, turned to look at Ron. "Could it be… is there danger?"
Hearing this, Conis and Robin tensed, their gazes sharpening as they scanned the surroundings for any signs of threats.
"No," Ron said, suppressing the sudden surge of overwhelming power and resisting the urge to unleash it. "I just suddenly felt like sparring."
Hearing this, Conis and Robin exhaled slightly, their tension easing.
Enzo's eyes, however, lit up with excitement. "Is this the loneliness of a martial artist who has reached the pinnacle, with no worthy opponent in sight? Truly worthy of Master!!"
"No, stop overthinking things. And Robin, stop letting him read those books."
"Understood," Robin replied with a faint smile.
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