The moment Ron's thoughts accelerated, so too did his magic.
When he tested his spells, he discovered that his Wind Blade could now be cast in less than half a second. To an ordinary person, this was practically instant no difference between thought and action.
Only a warrior with agility far beyond the norm could detect that faint half-second delay and exploit it as a weakness.
His Multiple Wind Blades, the tri-blade version had also evolved. Its casting time had dropped to under one second. To be precise, around 0.78 seconds.
That speed was terrifying.
On top of that, his passive spiritual recovery had increased nearly threefold, just as he predicted. Every two minutes, he could restore enough energy for another Wind Blade. It didn't sound like much, but in battle, that meant at least two extra spells before exhaustion a huge advantage.
Though his total spiritual energy had grown only slightly, his overall strength had leapt to another level.
Even against an opponent stronger than Iron Hammer Loff, Ron felt confident he could now fight with ease.
Loff's bounty had exceeded ten million Berries, already considered top-tier among East Blue pirates. Above him were only names like Arlong, Captain Kuro, and Commodore Krieg.
In pure combat ability, Arlong far outclassed the other two. Krieg's fame came not from strength but from his vast fleet, five thousand men under his command.
Five thousand… that number was staggering.
Even if they all stood still, waiting to die, Ron would need to drain his spirit dozens of times to wipe them out completely.
"Quantity," he murmured, his gaze distant.
It wasn't fear just irritation. Something about it felt wrong.
Even with his spirit surpassing thirty points, the question still nagged at him.
A true mage shouldn't be troubled by numbers, he thought. We command the elements themselves. Why should I care how many stand before me?
He frowned. "Something's missing."
The thought circled his mind, elusive yet persistent. The System remained silent, offering no hint, no new guidance. Eventually, Ron shook his head and sighed.
"If I went after Krieg," he mused aloud, "I'd rack up a ton of achievements 'Large Ship,' 'Defeat a Thousand Enemies in One Battle,' that sort of thing. But that number… really is troublesome."
He wanted Krieg to be his next target, but if the man already commanded thousands, even Ron's current power would struggle against such overwhelming numbers.
Killing Krieg alone wouldn't mean much. Loff's defeat had already given him the "Ten-Million-Berry Kill" milestone. He needed more massive victories, sweeping achievements that would push him toward the next stage.
"Seventeen total points already," Ron murmured, summoning his translucent panel. "The last time I hit ten, I got a new rune. What happens at twenty?"
He could feel it, something would come. But not another elemental rune. His instincts said it would be different.
A change of another kind.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
Nami emerged from the cabin, stretching her arms and glancing at the deck, which still bore faint stains of battle. "How is it you haven't changed anything? You're too lazy, Ron. Can't you use your magic to summon a few servants to do the cleaning for us?"
Ron grinned, tracing an invisible circle in the air with one finger before tapping it gently against her forehead. "Done. Summoning complete. The new maid will now start scrubbing the deck."
For a second, Nami blinked blankly. Then the meaning hit her. Her face darkened, and she lunged forward with clenched fists.
Ron laughed and danced out of reach.
"Fine, fine. How much did we make from the haul?" he asked, still chuckling.
Nami paused, looking off to the side. "About… seven or eight million? No, maybe ten million Berries."
Ron raised an eyebrow. "How much exactly?"
Her tone grew defensive. "Only fifteen million…"
He sighed. "Right. And I'm supposed to believe that face?"
Ignoring her mock outrage, Ron tossed her a mop from the corner. "Come on. Let's clean up together."
Nami huffed, crossing her arms. "You're really making a girl do this kind of work?"
"Yes," Ron replied without missing a beat.
She froze, glared, then sighed in defeat.
Together, they set to work. The deck was a mess,blood, shattered wood, and the remains of pirates everywhere. But with two pairs of hands, it didn't take long before the ship looked like something close to normal again, though the smell of blood still lingered faintly in the air.
Iron Hammer Loff's severed head was wrapped carefully it would be worth a bounty, after all.
Even if Loff's bounty exceeded ten million, all their collected treasure still fell short of fifty million total. At best, about forty million.
Ron frowned slightly. "Not enough for the next money-related achievement."
But for Nami, it was more than enough.
On the surface, she acted unimpressed, but inside she could barely contain her joy. Forty million! Selling the ship alone would push their total haul past fifty million halfway to her dream of one hundred million Berries.
If not for Ron's cruel insistence that she help scrub the deck, she might have jumped up and hugged him right then and there.
When they were finished, Ron leaned against the rail. "Next stop: the nearest island with a Marine branch. You know the course, right?"
"Of course."
Nami took the helm, glancing at her charts and compass. "We can reach it in two days if the wind stays steady."
"Good. Set sail."
Ron nodded and headed back to the cabin. The blood and salt on his clothes, combined with the stench of death, made him crave a bath more than anything.
After cleaning up, exhaustion crept through his body, but his mind was still sharp, alive with energy. The thirst for knowledge burned brighter than fatigue.
He couldn't rest yet.
He needed to train.
To study magic.
The hours blurred. Ron immersed himself completely in research.
The basic Fire Rune, he discovered, worked much like the Wind Rune. Two fused together formed an enhanced spell, Multiple Fireballs three spheres of flame launched at once.
But three fused runes, like before, still failed to form a true second-tier spell. The structure collapsed every time.
Still, the combination of fire and wind, Fire Edge remained unmatched in destructive force. Fire could consume, wind could shape; together, they became death incarnate.
So Ron made his choice.
Wind magic would remain his primary weapon.
Fire would serve as its faithful companion.
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