"System! Open the status panel."
[Understood. Status panel activated.]
A stream of data appeared, projected onto Luffy's retinas.
Character: Monkey D. Luffy
Level: 26
EXP: 12,138 / 60,000
HP: 15,100 / 15,100
Stamina: 1,510
Strength: 1,097
Agility: 1,079
Mental Power: 1,400
Luffy swung his fist, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He hadn't even realized how strong he'd become.
From what he could tell, pirates with 100 million Berries bounties generally had average stats (excluding mental power) around 500. Those at the 300 million level were usually over 800 across the board, and 500 million Berries pirates had attributes exceeding 1,000.
Beyond that point, even a minor increase in bounty represented a significant jump in power, hundreds of attribute points at a time.
By Luffy's estimate, Trebol's average attributes must be above 1,500, while Doflamingo's were probably in the 3,000 to 4,000 range, mental power included.
Luffy glanced at his newly evolved weapon, clicked his tongue, and smiled confidently.
"I still have a long way to go."
There were fewer than six years left until the main storyline began.
He was only eleven years old now, yet with full use of Armament Haki, his strongest strike could dish out around 5,500 damage.
Even if his grandpa Garp stood in his way, he'd probably be forced to admit, "Ouch, that hurt!" after a punch like that. Hahaha!
Let's test this new ability!
BOOM!!!
On Grove 14 of the Sabaody Archipelago, a sudden explosion rocked a house, reducing it to ashes.
Residents looked up toward the blast, seeing only flames and smoke billowing into the sky.
Fortunately, the house had been isolated, Shakky's place, so no one was hurt.
Probably.
Cough! Cough! Cough!
From the smoldering debris, a figure slowly crawled out.
Luffy emerged, hair blown into a comical afro, his face and clothes covered in soot and ash. He stood on what used to be his cozy little home, his expression vacant.
For a moment, he seemed completely lost.
After a beat, Luffy raised one hand again.
BOOM!!!
Another thunderous roar echoed out.
Twenty meters away, Luffy slammed into the ground from high above, but with his strong reflexes, he landed on his feet.
The already-destroyed house was now completely gone, not even a scrap of rubble remained. Just a scorched crater, and the faint smell of burnt wood.
Luffy stared in disbelief at the new X-Gloves Ver.V.R on his hand.
With no prior experience, his first attempt had used only a tenth of his strength, and that alone had obliterated the entire house. The second try, he'd held back even more, and still ended up launched twenty meters into the air.
"Looks like this Lightning Flame is way stronger than I imagined..." Luffy muttered, a bit stunned.
He glanced around at the empty clearing where their house used to be.
His face crumpled in distress. "The power's amazing, but it's just so hard to control…"
He suddenly remembered the two potted plants Robin had bought yesterday with such joy. She'd placed them by the entrance, saying they made the house feel like a real home.
And now... it was all gone.
How was he supposed to explain this to Robin?
He imagined her coming home, hopeful and smiling, only to find total ruin.
She might actually cry.
"No, no! I can't let Robin come home today. I have to stall at least until tomorrow!!" Luffy muttered to himself, hatching a plan. "That's it! We'll go out and play for the whole day. Then tomorrow, I'll sneak off and buy a new house. That way she won't…"
He suddenly froze.
"Buy a house...?!"
His eyes widened.
"My money!!!"
Luffy dove headfirst into the crater, frantically searching.
But aside from broken wood and charred debris, there was no sign of the black case, or the Beli inside it.
As the saying goes, misfortunes never come alone.
Murphy's Law states: the more you worry about something happening, the more likely it is to happen.
"LUFFY!!!"
Just as he was despairing, a sweet, lively voice called from the distance.
Robin's bright figure emerged from the trees, running toward him with a cheerful smile.
But as she approached and saw the devastation behind him, her pace slowed, then stopped altogether.
Momentum carried her a few more steps forward, before she stood frozen in disbelief.
Her eyes immediately filled with concern as she rushed toward Luffy.
"Robin, I, " Luffy started to explain, but she cut him off before he could finish.
"Are you okay? Were you attacked by pirates? Are you hurt anywhere?" Robin asked anxiously, brushing soot from his face and smoothing down his wild hair.
Seeing him like this made her heart ache.
Inwardly, she cursed herself: Damn it! Something this serious happened to Luffy, and I wasn't there for him... The enemy must've been incredibly strong...
Guilt crept across her face.
Luffy only grew more awkward.
Once his hair had been patted back to normal, he finally said in a small voice, "Um... Robin... Actually, the house was… my fault."
"Hm?" Still lost in her own thoughts, Robin didn't register his words.
Luffy continued, head bowed even lower: "I was trying out a new move today… but I messed up the power control a bit… and, uh… it kind of… exploded…"
By the end, he was mumbling, barely able to look her in the eyes.
Thankfully, Robin was calm and understanding. Despite her sadness at the loss of their home, she didn't let it show. Instead, she said softly, "As long as you're okay. Just be careful next time, alright?
"You're strong, but if you lose control and hurt yourself, that'd be even worse."
Luffy waved his hands frantically. "No, no! I've already got a better handle on it now."
Seeing that Robin wasn't angry, Luffy felt like he'd dodged a bullet.
Robin is seriously the kindest...
Feeling relieved, and a bit like a kid eager to show off a new toy, Luffy couldn't hold back any longer.
He raised his right fist to his chest, revealing the newly evolved X-Gloves. Flashing a bright smile, he said, "This new move is super strong! Once I master it, I swear, no one on this sea will ever be able to bully you again!"
Though he grinned like an excited child, Robin couldn't help but believe him.
"Watch this!" Luffy said, brimming with pride. He pointed his finger like a gun at a nearby ancient tree.
"Flame Bullet."
A small bead of steel-colored fire gathered at his fingertip. Luffy carefully held back his strength, trying to keep the output minimal.
Whoosh!
The flame shot out like a bullet, hissing through the air with a deep roar.
Even with such low power, the recoil from the Lightning Flame still knocked Luffy back two steps.
His aim was off, the flame hit the ground in front of the tree.
Still, the explosion was impressive. Flames burst upward. Dirt flew into the air. A wave of heat rolled out like a tsunami.
Luffy quickly used a Lightning Flame to create a fire shield in front of him, blocking the debris.
Once the dust settled, he scratched his head and laughed sheepishly. "Uh… yeah. That's how the house blew up."
─────────🏴☠️─────────
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 538+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 317
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 263
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 159
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 142
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to 72