Inside the Grand Line, near the Calm Belt, Rayleigh and Mislanda found a small uninhabited island.
Rayleigh decided to build a small wooden cabin here — a temporary home where they could train and rest for a while.
Meanwhile, Mislanda slipped away to a secluded part of the island.
"System! The reward — hurry up and give it to me!" he said excitedly.
After all, that last mission was brutal. Surely the reward this time would be just as amazing — maybe even better than the Dark-Dark Fruit.
[Ding! Reward distribution in progress!]
[Congratulations, Host has obtained — Dragon Essence and Phoenix Blood!]
A small glowing pill materialized in Mislanda's hand, engraved with a faint dragon-shaped mark.
"Dragon Essence… Phoenix Blood? What's that supposed to be?" he muttered, turning the strange item over in his hand.
The names sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place them.
[Ding! Explanation: Dragon Essence and Phoenix Blood originate from the world of Feng Yun (Wind and Cloud). They are the condensed life force of the Dragon God and the Phoenix!]
[Dragon Essence — The essence of the Dragon God. Grants immortality, indestructibility, and immense power. It can even enable Dragon Transformation!]
[Phoenix Blood — The essence of the Phoenix. Grants immortality, indestructibility, and eternal youth.]
Immortal? Indestructible? Eternal?!
"Wha—WHAT?!" Mislanda nearly fell over. His eyes went wide like saucers.
"No way… this can't be real, can it?!"
He knew Feng Yun very well — he'd watched it more than once, even seen all the fan edits online.
Now he finally understood why the names sounded so familiar — and just how terrifyingly powerful these treasures were.
"This thing… this thing can literally make me immortal?!"
Without hesitation, Mislanda tossed the Dragon Essence into his mouth.
A blazing warmth exploded inside him, flooding every inch of his body.
Energy surged through his veins like molten lightning.
"Ahh—! This feels… incredible!"
Crack! Crack!
Bones and muscles shifted and strengthened as his body absorbed the power.
Moments later, Mislanda realized he had grown taller — his height jumping from 1.5 meters to nearly 1.6 in an instant!
Every cell in his body pulsed with vitality. His strength had increased fivefold, and his physical foundation was now unbelievably strong.
"The Dragon Essence is insane… this power—it's unreal!"
He let out a shout, releasing an overwhelming wave of pressure that rolled across the entire island like a storm.
BOOM—!
The trees trembled. Animals fled.
Far away, Rayleigh, who had been building the hut, froze mid-swing.
"That aura… Conqueror's Haki? Mislanda?!"
He dropped everything and dashed toward the source.
When he arrived, he could only stare in disbelief.
There stood Mislanda, smiling innocently — and visibly taller than before.
"What in the world…?" Rayleigh quickly grabbed the boy's shoulders and checked him over, confused.
The body felt sturdier — harder, denser, stronger.
"What happened to you?!"
Mislanda shrugged. "No idea! Maybe I awakened Haki, and my body just… developed faster?"
He grinned. "Anyway, come on, old man! Let's finish building the house before we have to sleep under the stars!"
Still dumbfounded, Rayleigh could only follow him back.
A week later, Mislanda had completely adapted to his new body.
The Dragon Essence wasn't just powerful — it constantly nourished his body, strengthening him little by little every day.
Opening his system panel, he looked over his stats:
Name: Silvers Mislanda
Age: 10
Abilities: Dark-Dark Fruit, Conqueror's Haki, Dragon Essence
Power Level: Platinum (near breakthrough)
Strongest Score: 100
When he first awakened Conqueror's Haki, he'd broken through to the Platinum tier. Now, thanks to the Dragon Essence, he was on the verge of reaching Diamond tier — the level of monsters.
"Wait a second… where's the Phoenix Blood?" he suddenly realized.
The reward was supposed to include both — but he only received the Dragon Essence!
[Ding! Dragon Essence and Phoenix Blood cannot coexist within the same body. Therefore, the Phoenix Blood has not been delivered.]
That reminded him of something. In Feng Yun, Dishi Tian had consumed the Phoenix Blood a thousand years earlier and couldn't absorb the Dragon Essence afterward. So the rule made sense.
Still, Mislanda grumbled, "Hey, if I can't use it, at least give it to me to hold on to!"
What kind of stingy system was this?
[Host, please relax and listen!]
[Since ancient times, the Dragon and the Phoenix represent the union of a couple. Therefore, this system has decided: each time the Host gains a woman, you will receive one portion of Phoenix Blood. Up to five portions!]
[Friendly reminder: it only counts if you have… physical relations with her.]
Mislanda: "…"
"...Are you kidding me?!"
[If you disagree, you're free to file a complaint. Of course, doing so means you'll receive no Phoenix Blood until further notice.]
"Damn it, this system's perverted…" he muttered under his breath.
That night, Mislanda and Rayleigh sat by the campfire, flames flickering against the darkness.
"Mislanda," Rayleigh said seriously, "I've made a decision. Starting tomorrow, I'll begin training you properly in Haki. Observation, Armament, Conqueror's — everything."
Mislanda's eyes lit up. "Seriously? That's great! I've been waiting for this!"
Until now, Rayleigh had only given him a brief demonstration. This time, it was going to be real training.
Seeing the boy's excitement, Rayleigh chuckled. "Ah, youth really is a wonderful thing."
But then his expression turned solemn.
"There's one more thing. I'll train you for four years — no more. During that time, I'll teach you everything I can. After that… I'm leaving this island. What you do then will be up to you."
Mislanda blinked, surprised.
"You mean… you're leaving me?"
Rayleigh sighed softly. "I've raised you for ten years, Mislanda. But everyone must stand on their own someday. If you truly wish to be the strongest in the world, you must learn to walk your own path — alone."
His voice carried both kindness and resolve.
As much as Rayleigh cared for the boy, he knew he couldn't protect him forever.
Mislanda listened quietly, then nodded firmly.
"Four years… that's enough."
His eyes burned with determination.
"In four years, I'll master everything you can teach me. After that—" he clenched his fists, "—I'll start my own journey. And one day, I'll conquer the entire Grand Line!"
Rayleigh smiled faintly, seeing the fire in his adopted son's gaze.
The boy was growing up.
And so began the four years of training that would change Mislanda's destiny forever.
~~--------------------------
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