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After Robin left, Jason prepared to find some food for himself. A single piece of black bread was truly insufficient, especially after having followed Robin for so long, which meant he had already consumed it.
Fortunately, the living facilities aboard the ship were still intact.
To be honest, Jason's cooking skills were quite poor at first; one could even say they were horrid. Before world travel, as a young man from a wealthy family, his daily life was taken care of, and he often enjoyed ready-made meals at school. The most he had done was learn some basic cooking skills from various food instructional videos and wilderness survival programs.
However, after traveling through the world, he had no choice but to start cooking for himself, as neglecting to do so would lead to starvation. Thankfully, he wasn't foolish and managed to master the basics of cooking after half a month of drifting at sea. At the very least, the food he produced was edible. To celebrate his survival at sea and his newfound friendship with Robin, he decided to cook an additional two dishes.
...
After dinner, Jason lay back in the cabin, contemplating his future and the reasons behind his time travel. However, he found no concrete answers. The only certainty was that he must have died suddenly in his original world, resulting in his soul traveling here.
"I just feel sorry for my parents. I have no idea how sad they are! If I had known better, I wouldn't have stayed up so late! They are still young, so they might be able to have another child!"
"Now that I'm here, I need to live a good life!"
Jason reassured himself.
...
Although the money left behind by the two pirates on the ship was enough to support him comfortably for decades—even if Robin was included in the calculations, it could last for twenty or thirty years—it was still the world of ONE PIECE, where living a stable life was no small feat!
Most importantly, this was O'Hara! In the original story, four Buster Calls were launched, with the first one destroying O'Hara Island and rendering it off the map! Only Robin had survived, forced to hide from the world!
Moreover, in just two years, the notorious Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, would be executed, marking the beginning of the Great Pirate Era! After that, powerful and monstrous perverts would emerge everywhere!
If they could still stand after knocking down a building, what could you even call them if not perverts?!
However, it seemed that O'Hara had not yet been besieged by pirates prior to the Buster Call. The island primarily housed scholars—what could they possibly do if they managed to retrieve a plethora of books?
So let's set aside the beginning of the Great Pirate Era for now.
All he needed to do was leave this island and venture out to sea before the Buster Call, but this required thorough preparation that would take several years. It would be best if he could bring Robin along!
First of all, with this body being only six years old, sailing alone would be equivalent to seeking death.
Secondly, sailing required a certain level of physical ability. While Jason had always practiced the fine traditional virtues of the descendants of the Yan and Huang Dynasties—"I would not offend others unless they offend me!"—he still required the means to protect himself. The world of ONE PIECE wasn't particularly reasonable!
After some deliberation, Jason determined his short-term goal!
He needed to find a teacher to teach him martial arts! Naturally, a well-rounded individual also craved the romance of swords, guns, and halberds. If possible, he'd like to practice swordsmanship too!
"But where could I find teachers for martial arts and swordsmanship?"
He had just arrived and was unfamiliar with everything, let alone where to search.
In fact, the best way to learn martial arts and swordsmanship would be to join the Marines, but Jason currently had no means of getting in on that.
"I wonder if Robin knows?" Jason mused, then quickly dismissed the thought. Judging from the original content, Robin had been bullied and merely read books as a child. How could she possibly know of a swordsmanship teacher?
Nevertheless, a glimmer of hope always existed!
He decided to wait for Robin to visit again before moving forward.
After more than ten days of drifting at sea, he felt exhausted both physically and mentally. Now that he was on solid ground again, he felt a deep sense of relief.
Additionally, after filling his stomach, he began to feel sleepy, eventually succumbing to sleep.
Jason woke up in the evening. The outside was not yet completely dark; without a clock, he had no way of knowing the time, but it couldn't be too late.
He wasn't sure if Robin had come to visit earlier, but it didn't matter since she knew where to find his ship.
After grabbing a quick bite to eat, Jason pulled out the two dumbbells he had on board and began practicing. Since he had decided to train in martial arts and swordsmanship, he intended to start right away!
Though he wasn't proficient in swordsmanship yet, a three-year-old could manage basic swings. Thus, Jason focused on improving his physical fitness first.
To his surprise, this body showed quite a bit of potential!
He lifted the dumbbells for more than an hour before finally feeling exhausted!
It seemed clear that those with a "D" in their names were not ordinary people; the original owner of this body had a "D" as well!
They continued their exercise until the moon hung high in the sky. Jason was panting heavily and utterly worn out!
"Huh... this practice isn't for the faint-hearted!"
He didn't even bother to shower before collapsing into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
...
The next day, Jason woke to the sound of seagulls chirping, realizing the sun was already high in the sky.
He got up, took a quick shower, and resumed his exercise after having a bite to eat!
"Consistency is key in practice!"
"Jason!"
At that moment, Jason turned around to see a little girl waving to him from beneath the ship. It was Robin, holding a book in her hands.
Jason waved back and quickly took two loaves of bread before walking out. Hadn't he provided enough food in the morning?
"Here!"
"Thanks!" Robin exclaimed.
"Did you visit yesterday afternoon?"
"Yes, I saw you sleeping and went back!"
"Next time, just wake me up when you come over. Friends deserve to be entertained!"
"Um!"
Robin beamed, pleased to have a friend.
"What were you doing just now?"
"Oh, just some exercise. I want to learn swordsmanship and martial arts in the future. I want to become a strong person!"
"Oh!" Robin acknowledged with a nod of understanding.
"Do you know of any teachers or dojos that can teach martial arts or swordsmanship?"
Robin shook her head.
As expected, Jason thought, sighing inwardly. It seems he would have to practice on his own! However, he was mentally prepared and not too disappointed.
...
After finishing her piece of bread, Robin planned to read a book in the nearby woods, inviting Jason to join her.
Although Jason wasn't particularly keen on reading, he didn't refuse; he grabbed a wooden knife and accompanied Robin to the woods.
The gentle sea breeze swayed around them as a little girl settled on a wooden post, engrossed in a book.
Her demeanor was incredibly peaceful.
It was hard to imagine that a four- or five-year-old girl could possess such poise.
Not far away, a slightly older boy swung a wooden sword through the air.
This scene was beautifully serene.
Since Jason had no swordsmanship or martial arts teacher, he could only train independently, much like the characters from the anime and novels of his past life.
For instance, he hoped that if he swung a broom a thousand times or performed ten thousand push-ups, he might someday experience a moment of enlightenment regarding swordsmanship.
Both children were preoccupied with their activities and didn't notice several sneaky figures quietly approaching nearby!
"Boom!"
A stone struck Robin!
"Look! It's that monster! Let's beat her down quickly!"
"Why don't you just leave this island? You wretched monster!"
"Go to hell! You're the daughter of the devil!"
Four or five boys hurled stones at Robin, their cursing ringing out! In an instant, bruises formed across Robin's skin from the impact!
Robin quickly set her book aside and glared at the group, preparing to unleash the powers of her flower fruit against them. Whenever she had done this before, they would run away in fear!
But suddenly, she remembered that Jason was still there, and she worried that she might scare him. It wasn't easy for her to make a friend.
So, she squatted beside a tree stump, clutching her head with her hands!
"What are you doing?! Stop it!"
An angry shout rang out! The seagulls roosted in the trees flapped their wings in fright!
The group of boys turned to see a young man with black hair and black eyes charging at them, brandishing a wooden sword and standing protectively in front of Robin!
The leader among them was about the same age as Jason—perhaps one or two years older. He confronted Jason with a loud challenge.
"Who are you? Why do you want to help her?"
"Because she's my friend!"
Jason didn't consider the risks; he didn't dare explicitly mention he knew everything about Robin, but he had pieced together about seventy-eight percent of it!
He had simply lived under the assumption that she was just isolated, not realizing she had faced physical attacks!
Fueled by anger, Jason instinctively brandished his wooden sword and charged forward!
Even Robin was caught off guard by his reaction. She felt elated at hearing him declare, "She is my friend!"—wanting to call out to him, but ultimately deciding against it, opting instead to watch quietly!
It felt wonderful to have someone stand up for her!
At first, the boys dodged Jason's attack, but when they realized he posed no real threat, they began to fight back.
Despite Jason's decent physique, he lacked systematic training! In the end, he was overpowered and knocked to the ground by several boys!
A barrage of punches rained down upon him!
Robin couldn't stand watching any longer; she activated the powers of her flower fruit! Hands sprouted from the bodies of the boys, and she seized control over them!
"The monster is angry! Run!" they exclaimed, panicking and fleeing into the distance!
Hurrying to Jason's side, Robin helped him to his feet.
"Jason, are you okay?" she asked, looking worried. It was unclear whether she was concerned about his injuries or anxious about revealing her abilities.
"I'm fine! Don't worry!" he responded.
"Did you see that? They all called me a monster!"
"I know!"
"What? You know?"
"Well! I'm from outside, after all! Don't worry, you're not a monster! That's simply the ability of the Devil Fruit!"
"What's a Devil Fruit?"
"Yeah! It's a fruit that grants all kinds of strange abilities when eaten. They come in various shapes and have all sorts of bizarre patterns on their surfaces! But they are incredibly rare! You're someone who has consumed a Devil Fruit!"
Though Jason had never eaten one himself, he shared the knowledge he had absorbed.
Upon hearing his explanation, Robin was astonished; so the thing she had eaten was called a Devil Fruit!
Having lacked ample food at her uncle's house, she'd once stumbled upon a beautiful, flower-like fruit while reading in the field and had eaten it, never realizing she would be deemed a monster thereafter. The villagers gazed at her with suspicion, leading her to believe she was, in fact, monstrous.
"So, I'm not a monster?"
"Of course not!"
"Then we're still friends?"
"If that's what you want, we can be lifelong friends!"
Jason affectionately ruffled Robin's hair!
"(σ≧∀≦) Yeah!"
Robin leaped up, brimming with joy, but felt a touch of embarrassment as it was her first time having her head patted by a boy!
Seeing Robin's happiness touched Jason too! What a wonderful, optimistic little girl! So cute! She could grow up to be a goddess!
However, today's events also sparked anxiety in him; how could he protect himself if he couldn't even defeat a few kids his own age? Protecting Robin would be even more challenging!
"No! I must train diligently! I will become stronger and protect both myself and Robin! I can't allow her to live such a miserable life any longer!"
With a renewed sense of determination, Jason silently vowed!
"Ding~"
A sound echoed in his mind.
Jason's spirit flared with excitement. He was certain he had heard correctly! His face lit up with ecstatic joy, and he trembled with enthusiasm!
However, after a long moment, no further prompts followed!
Seeing Jason lost in thought, Robin approached him, tilting her head curiously.
"Jason, what's wrong? Were you hurt just now?"
Jason shook himself back to reality and spoke resolutely.
"No, I was merely contemplating how to grow stronger; I can't let those little brats bully me anymore!"
Covering her mouth in laughter, Robin quipped, "Aren't we all just little brats?"
Seeming reassured by his well-being, she scampered away to continue reading!
Jason sat nearby, frowning, waiting to see if any follow-up would occur.
"System?" he inquired, hoping for a response!
"Busy! Do not disturb!" came the curt reply.
"..."
Isn't this system a bit harsh? But excitement bubbled in him; if he truly had a system, there would be no obstacles in the path to becoming stronger!
As expected, one of the essential benefits of being a time traveler was that, although the system may be late, it certainly wouldn't be absent!
(*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ) Finally, I'm part of a system!
"Oh yeah!"
Robin gazed at him quizzically, wondering if Jason had lost it. He seemed to swing between laughter and tears!
Once he calmed down, Jason sat on the ground and started asking away!
"System?"
The voice replied: "Still binding! I'll notify you once it's complete!"
Seriously? When you say you're busy, do you mean binding?
Alright! You're the boss; I'll follow your lead!
Jason simply waited patiently—after all, what else could he do besides wait?
It wasn't until three hours later, as Robin made her way out, that the system responded!
"Ding~ Host Jason's strong desire to train has been detected! The strongest training system is now bound!"
"This system will release training tasks from time to time to assist the Host in training. You can earn rewards by completing these tasks!"
"Your ultimate goal is to become the strongest man in the world! This is the perk of being a world traveler!"
Jason was left speechless…
So in the end, did he still have to train on his own?
Are you kidding me? Other systems like check-in systems or invincibility systems allow you to grow stronger by simply lying down! Yet here he was, left to practice on his own?
"Ahem, Host, don't worry about the details!"
After thinking it over, Jason realized it was still better than nothing!
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Phoenizbeelze
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