Bell-mère stared at her cup for a few seconds before speaking. Her voice sounded calm, but there was something deeper behind it… as if the words weighed on her.
"A few months ago, we lived peacefully in this village," she began, without looking at anyone. "We lacked nothing; everything was simple, peaceful… until they arrived. Krieg's pirates ruined everything. They looted our homes, took what little we had, and since then, they've stayed here as if the town belonged to them."
X listened in silence, arms crossed. Only the steam from the coffee moved between them. Meanwhile, Ahu and Buggy could feel the tension thickening in the air.
"And do you know why they still haven't left?" she continued. "Because they're looking for a boy with purple hair."
The woman paused. It seemed like she was reliving everything as she spoke.
"They say he was the first one to arrive at the village. His body was full of cuts, yet he still smiled, as if pain didn't matter to him. In one of his hands, he held a map, and before anyone could ask him anything, he ran off like a cannonball. No one could keep up with him."
"Shortly after, Krieg's crew arrived shouting his name. They were looking for the boy with purple hair—the one who, according to them, had stolen their Grand Line map."
X raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"We tried to resist when the pirates attacked the village… but it was useless. Not even I, Bell-mère, could stand against that monster called Krieg."
Her tone cracked slightly, though she quickly regained her composure.
"Since then, they've been searching every corner of the island. They divided their crew across the edges, making sure no one escapes… especially the boy who stole their map."
"In the meantime, they forced us to cooperate. They ordered that whenever a stranger appeared, we had to take them directly to the circus. According to them, anyone who arrived could be an ally of the boy with purple hair."
"And what did that boy look like?" X finally asked.
Bell-mère looked at him for a moment before replying.
"At first glance, he seemed like any ordinary kid. His purple hair was shaped into a crest, and he had some tattoos on his body—one in the center of his chest and another, circular one, on his forehead. He looked like one of those rebellious kids who wouldn't listen even to the harshest sermon."
She fell silent for a moment, staring at the empty cup.
"And if you ask me whether I know where he is, or if that boy is even still here… I have a theory," she murmured. "He probably left a long time ago. But Krieg's pirates keep searching because they never saw anyone leave the island."
Bell-mère looked up, and upon noticing X's thoughtful expression, added with a tired half-smile, "Why? Do you know him?"
The protagonist slightly turned his head, glancing at Ahu. The dog also looked at him seriously and nodded faintly, understanding that the boy they were talking about might be the one they were thinking of.
"Maybe we know him," said X. "But we have nothing to do with him. Still… could you give us any clue? Something about that map, or where he planned to go?"
As he spoke, he shifted his gaze toward Bell-mère and took a sip of the now lukewarm coffee, never taking his eyes off her face.
The woman remained silent for a few seconds, her gaze fixed on the table and her eyes half-closed. Then she sighed softly before speaking.
"He said he wanted to meet stronger people," explained Bell-mère in a thoughtful tone. "He wanted to explore this whole world… that's what he shouted as he ran."
"What a strange guy, huh? It's like he's not from this…" commented Buggy with a mocking grin, but he was interrupted before finishing by Ahu.
"Don't talk nonsense, Buggy," exclaimed Ahu with a defiant smile.
X placed a hand on his forehead, exhaling tiredly as he watched those two about to start another argument.
"Well, Bell-mère, it was a pleasure to help this village," said X as he calmly stood up. "However, we must continue toward our next destination."
His two officers stood up behind him, following immediately.
"I understand," replied Bell-mère with a serene smile. "Before you go, I want to introduce you to my two daughters. They wanted to speak with you… and also give you some gifts for saving this town and the entire island."
From behind the kitchen appeared the two girls they had seen before: Nojiko, with purple hair, and Nami, with orange hair. Both approached shyly, watching the trio with a mix of curiosity and admiration.
The first to step forward was Nojiko, who extended both arms, holding a small bag of cookies.
"T-These… I made them myself. Please, take them!" exclaimed Nojiko nervously, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Uh… yes, thank you," replied X, taking the bag with a faint smile.
Then the other girl, Nami, approached doing the same gesture, but this time she offered it to Ahu.
"These are dog cookies. You'll really like them—please take it!" she said in the same nervous tone as her sister.
Ahu smiled softly, wagging his tail before accepting the gift, biting it directly from the bag. "Thank you."
Buggy stood there with his mouth open. He hadn't received any gift.
"And… for me?" he whispered in disappointment.
Everyone looked at him in confusion, which made Buggy change his sad expression to a forced smile as he began to whistle, pretending he didn't care.
"Don't you think you're a bit too old to be getting gifts like that?" asked Ahu with a teasing grin, looking at Buggy with a provocative expression.
"Eh? What are you talking about? I'm not jealous!" the clown replied, crossing his arms as he walked out the door with his eyes closed, feigning indifference.
Everyone laughed at Buggy's failed attempt to hide his emotions. Then, Nami pulled out another small bag of cookies and held it out to X.
"Give this to him too," said the orange-haired girl with a smile.
X nodded and took it, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Well, we're leaving… we're in a bit of a hurry. We'll see each other another time," declared the protagonist as he stood and headed for the exit, followed by Ahu.
"See you soon!" shouted the three girls in unison, cheerfully waving goodbye as they watched them leave.
A few minutes later, the group arrived at the ship they had come with. However, when they looked toward the other side of the dock, they noticed a much larger vessel anchored nearby.
"That's Krieg's main ship," exclaimed Buggy, pointing at it excitedly. "We should take it with us. If we leave it here, they might think there are still pirates on the island."
"Good point…" replied X, observing the enormous vessel. Then he slowly extended his arm toward the previous ship.
Snap.
The gigantic ship began to shrink little by little, until it transformed into a tiny toy replica. X held it between his fingers, gazing at it calmly while a gentle breeze stirred his white hair.
"But not like that!" exclaimed Buggy, shocked to see the ship reduced.
"It doesn't matter; this way it'll attract less attention on the seas," replied Ahu, walking toward the vessel while Buggy followed, still arguing.
Meanwhile, X took out the book he kept in his pocket and examined it closely. It was small, about the size of a hand. He opened it carefully, and a faint purple light emanated from within. The letters in the book glowed with a violet radiance that moved as if it were alive.
X noticed the pages starting to turn blank… until a line appeared before his eyes:
[Armament Haki: the will that strengthens the body. Practice under pressure.]
In that instant, his body grew heavy, as if an invisible force were pressing him down to the ground.
"What… is this?" he murmured, falling to his knees.
The book floated in front of him, and each page displayed ancient combat postures.
[Do you wish to enter the first trial to obtain Armament Haki?]
The voice echoed in his head at the same time the words wrote themselves in the book. A sharp pain pierced through his heart, gnawing at him from within. He tried to stand up, but the pressure held him still.
"No… not yet…" whispered the white-haired boy, as sweat ran down his forehead.
[Next use available in the next 24 hours.]
After that message, the book snapped shut and fell to the ground, unharmed.
The protagonist slowly began to regain his strength. The pressure faded away gradually, as if it had never existed.
"This is quite troublesome… It seems I have to overcome a trial… and from what I understand from 'first trial,' it's not the only one," he thought, gripping the book firmly.
He looked at it in silence for a few seconds before putting it back into his pocket.
"Captain, come quickly!" shouted Ahu from afar.
X simply nodded.
Snap.
He vanished and reappeared right beside him.
"Let's set sail."
The next day, the ship continued its course toward Dawn Island.
Buggy and Ahu were on deck, watching the horizon as the wind gently moved the sails. X, on the other hand, was in the resting quarters, lying on his bed. He remained silent for a few minutes, listening to the soft creaking of the wood with each wave that hit the hull. Then, he stretched out his arm and pulled out the book once more.
"This is the moment… I want to learn that Haki ability, even if it's just one of them: Armament Haki."
He opened the book, and once again, a purple light emerged from its pages, illuminating his face with a mysterious glow.
[Do you wish to enter the first trial to obtain Armament Haki?]
"Yes."
The protagonist responded quickly, before the same pressure from before invaded his body. Just a few seconds passed when the book began to emit an intense glow, forming a black vortex that completely absorbed X. The young man barely managed to show slight surprise before allowing himself to be pulled by the force of the vortex.
When the absorption ended, the book fell gently onto the bed and closed by itself, remaining still.
Meanwhile, X opened his eyes and found himself in a dark place. Beneath his feet, a rocky floor; around him, a narrow passage made of uneven stone, barely illuminated by a purple glow that emanated from the cracks. It looked like a dungeon… silent, ancient, and filled with oppressive energy.
"I'm feeling less and less safe… What am I supposed to do in this place?"
X whispered as he cautiously moved down the corridor. He looked around, though there wasn't much to see: the stone walls were so tight that he could barely move freely.
"This is…"
He adjusted his glasses, and then he saw it. In the distance, a massive wolf with crimson fur charged toward him with a murderous gaze, kicking up dust with every step.
"ROAAGGH!" the beast roared.
[Red Wolf — Lv. 1]
"Red wolf?" murmured X, barely surprised.
The animal lunged at him with a brutal tackle, but the white-haired boy dodged it with a simple sidestep. The wolf turned immediately, trying to bite his arm; however, X leaped over its body with agility and, midair, spun to deliver a direct kick to its head.
Pah!
The blow echoed throughout the corridor. The wolf's body crashed against the rocky ground, leaving a pool of blood beneath it. Its body went still.
The monster was dead.
[Points obtained: 1/1000]
X sighed wearily as he saw the counter floating before him, showing the number 1 out of 1000.
"Well… here we go again. I hope there are stronger monsters that give more points," he murmured with resignation, slipping his hands into his pockets.
Suddenly, a celestial energy—bright as a firefly—emerged from the red wolf's body. It floated gently through the air, illuminating the rocky corridor, until it slowly approached X and entered his chest, disappearing in a flash.
[Congratulations. Your strength has increased by 0.001.]
"That's very disappointing… Hey, system, do you happen to have a stats screen?" exclaimed X without much interest, looking at the floating holographic display.
[...]
[Analyzing…]
— — — [Stats] — — —
Name: X Lancelot
Time since birth: 7 years and 7 months
Physical age: 10 years
Mental age: Undefined
Strength: S – 41.001
Agility: S – 101
Sense: S – 99
Vitality: S – 11
Intelligence: S – 156
— — — — — — — — —