Vongola Storm!

Yesterday, Storm had still been a rookie Marine.

Tomorrow, he might become an officer!

Marineford Calendar 1518.

On the morning of New Year's Day.

Vongola Storm woke from a turbulent, rose-colored dream.

He found a dazzling [Big Trophy] suddenly floating before his eyes.

What was this?

The [Big Trophy], brimming with a fantastical aura, floated quietly in the air, firmly capturing Storm's attention.

Was he dreaming?

Storm stared hard at the [Big Trophy], and soon received some information.

[Unique Trophy: Coming of Age]

[Trophy Star Rating: ★★★★]

[Condition: Survive in good health until adulthood in the Great Pirate Era, when the waves surged and tides roared]

[Trophy Quote: Set sail!]

This wasn't a dream, but reality?

Had the cheat he'd waited a full eighteen years for finally arrived?!

Storm stared at the [Big Trophy] in midair in disbelief.

Eighteen years.

[Big Trophy], do you know what I've been through these past eighteen years?

In Marineford Calendar 1500, the Great Pirate Era began, and Storm was reincarnated into this world.

Though he hadn't gotten a residence permit for the Holy Land of Mary Geoise—a local one, not an immigrant's.

He'd still been very lucky to be born in a town just behind Marine Headquarters, right next door to the Holy Land.

His family had served in the Marines for three generations.

On this perilous sea.

Even ordinary people had to give it everything they had just to stay alive.

The town behind Marine Headquarters was absolutely safe enough.

The only problem was that when Storm was born, he happened to be caught up in the world-shaking attack on Marineford by Golden Lion Shiki.

An unprecedented super typhoon ravaged Marine Headquarters.

Storm had very nearly experienced the peculiar adventure of "being born and immediately facing death."

But it was precisely because of that world-shocking attack.

That Storm had gotten his name—STORM.

As the saying went.

With the legendary title "Stormborn."

Storm had thought he could become a "king," too.

But he never got the "Sword in the Stone" that would make him king.

It wasn't until he reached the age for a proper education.

That Storm finally gave up on his unrealistic fantasies of "dragons," "systems," "superpowers," and the like.

In the end, he decided—

To study hard and train his body.

To follow in his ancestors' footsteps and enlist.

A "hot" tip about the sea.

Even the weakest, most pathetic Marine had a tailor-made cheat—

"200x Effort" cheat, activate!

Storm officially entered the Naval Academy at sixteen and trained like mad during his time there.

At seventeen, he joined the Elite Marine Recruit Training Camp and graduated with excellent marks.

If nothing unexpected happened.

Eighteen-year-old Storm would skip the "recruit" and "sergeant" stages and become a "Marine Headquarters Lieutenant" directly!

That was the normal treatment for an outstanding graduate of the Rookie Training Camp.

Storm's next goal in life was—

Work hard and make money.

Then get his hands on a powerful Devil Fruit!

Although the sea's famous lecturer, Beasts Kaido, had once said:

"Only Haki stands above everything else."

But putting aside the fact that the man himself was a Devil Fruit User who'd eaten the [Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon Model].

And putting aside that right after he'd said those words, he immediately unleashed his ultimate move, "Fire Dragon Torch."

And putting aside that the person who defeated Teacher Kaido was also a Devil Fruit User who'd eaten the [Mythical Zoan, Nika Model].

Another famous villain of the sea, Blackbeard Teach, had also taught a lesson.

"Compared with their flaws, Devil Fruits come with more advantages!"

Of course.

Blackbeard Teach was talking about powerful Devil Fruits.

As for sayings like "There are no truly useless Devil Fruits, only useless users."

That was just like saying, "There are no useless martial spirits, only useless spirit masters."

Pure poison!

Devil Fruits clearly had a hierarchy, with superior and inferior varieties.

The Magma-Magma Fruit was superior to the Flame-Flame Fruit.

Even if both users were Logias.

The Magma Man could punch right through the Flame Man!

Storm had no aversion to powerful Devil Fruits.

He wouldn't turn down a Logia for being weak.

And he wouldn't turn down a Rule-based or Concept-based fruit for being strong.

If it was a Mythical Zoan, even better!

Storm understood better than anyone on the sea what the "current meta" was.

Isn't that right, Mokey D. Luffy? God Nika?

But now.

Storm had been using the ordinary people's tailor-made "200x Effort" cheat and working himself to the bone for quite a while.

And now the [Big Trophy] had arrived?

Hmph!

Well, since it was here~

Storm tried to pull back the corners of his mouth, which had nearly reached his ears, and began examining the [Big Trophy]'s specific effects.

The gleaming [Big Trophy] radiated a swirling fluctuation that seemed to reach the very source of things.

In no time at all.

Storm understood everything.

The [Big Trophy] had two abilities.

First, the [Big Trophy] could help Storm obtain the thing he wanted most.

Second, the "stars" corresponding to the [Big Trophy] could be used to enhance his own abilities.

Under normal circumstances, he couldn't have both.

But some special trophies had both effects.

There was only one way to obtain a [Big Trophy]—

Fight to the death!

The stronger the opponent and the fiercer the battle, the higher the level of [Big Trophy] he could obtain!

As Storm understood it.

The [Big Trophy]'s abilities were "wish-granting" and "stat-boosting."

He looked at [Coming of Age].

It was a special trophy with no "stars."

That meant [Coming of Age] couldn't be used to "boost his stats," but it could be used to "grant a wish."

Written as a zero-star trophy.

Read as a beginner's bonus.

Storm didn't hurry to check his "beginner's gift package."

Instead, with some awkwardness, he summoned another, brand-new [Big Trophy] using his thoughts.

[Vongola Storm's Big Trophy]

[Physique: ★★☆]

[Haki: Unawakened]

[Quote: A Marine who trains like mad qualifies to be one of the one hundred thousand Marines surrounding Whitebeard in the Summit War]

Storm still wasn't sure how high a level "★★☆" represented.

But judging by that [Quote]...

High EQ: He's not that strong yet.

Low EQ: Weakling.

Storm kept looking.

Both [Physique] and [Haki] had three sub-attributes.

[Haki] naturally had [Armament Haki], [Observation Haki], and [Conqueror's Haki].

As for the three sub-attributes of [Physique], they were—

[Strength: ★★☆]

[Speed: ★★☆]

[Stamina: ★★★]

"...Healthy, all four limbs intact, eating and drinking normally. A bright future awaits."

Storm closed the [Big Trophy] and silently comforted himself.

Then he bathed, changed clothes, burned incense, straightened his hat, and sat upright.

Only after his mind had completely settled.

Did Storm summon the [Coming of Age] trophy he'd seen first.

"After waiting eighteen years for my 'Sword in the Stone,' what will it turn out to be?"

Under Storm's gaze, the [Coming of Age] trophy burst into a strange, resplendent glow.

The dazzling [Big Trophy] eventually transformed into a simple, unadorned silver-gray ring.

[Name: Demon Ring]

[Star Rating: ★★★★★★★★★]

[Description: An artifact of super-ancient technology, the crystallization of the wisdom of the Ancient Kingdom]

[Effects: 1. Natural Energy: The [Demon Ring] can draw energy from the unseen, making its own energy nearly inexhaustible;

2. Indestructible: The [Demon Ring] is made of extremely hard material and forged using a highly unusual method; it cannot be destroyed;

3. Devil Power: The [Demon Ring] can suppress, absorb, seal, and transfer the supernatural factors contained in any Devil Fruit, then use its own energy to unleash the fruit's original abilities]

[Quote: The devils can't kill me!]

"One, two, three... nine? Nine stars?!"

The nine-star [Demon Ring] nearly blinded Storm with its densely packed stars.

But even more dazzling were the [Demon Ring]'s three effects!

What was the biggest weakness of Devil Fruits, with their bizarre appearances and wildly varied abilities?

After eating a Devil Fruit, the user became instantly rejected by the sea and lost the ability to swim for the rest of their life.

On this "Blue Planet," where the oceans held an overwhelming advantage in surface area.

Not being able to swim was an absolutely fatal weakness!

But as Blackbeard Teach had said.

Devil Fruits might have obvious drawbacks, but they had even more advantages!

Like the [Hollow-Hollow Fruit].

Like the [Card-Card Fruit].

The great strengths of Devil Fruits were more than enough to offset their attached drawbacks.

Storm had treated "eating a Devil Fruit" as one of his goals in life.

It was because he'd already accepted that he'd "lose the ability to swim for the rest of his life."

But now that he had the [Demon Ring].

Storm didn't need to eat a Devil Fruit at all to use its powers without any cost!

In a word: awesome!

Storm had never felt so carefree.

It was like welcoming New Year's morning in a fresh pair of underwear, leaving him refreshed and energized.

The Marine put on the ring.

Just outside the door was Marine Headquarters.

Justice never took a holiday.

On the first day of the new year, Marine Headquarters Building was still bustling with people.

Dressed in the blue-and-white Marine uniform, Storm looked utterly inconspicuous among the Marines.

After winding through the building, he finally arrived outside the door of an office on one of the top floors.

Knock, knock—

Storm knocked on the door.

A weathered yet powerful voice came from inside.

"Come in."

After receiving permission, Storm pushed the door open and entered. He raised his hand in salute, palm facing backward.

"Sir! New recruit Vongola Storm, reporting for duty!"

"Storm? You're here early."

The one who answered Storm was a burly, muscular man with purple hair.

The former Admiral of Marine Headquarters, Black Arm Zephyr!

He was also the head instructor of the Elite Marine Recruit Training Camp.

Storm had come today to confirm with Zephyr his future rank and assignment changes.

Zephyr glanced at Storm and pulled a letter from the side with his sound left hand.

With a light flick of his finger, the letter flew directly in front of Storm.

"This is the Recommendation Letter I wrote myself.

"Now, go find Kuzan next door!

"He'll tell you everything!"

Aokiji Kuzan?

Holding the Recommendation Letter, Storm arrived next door at the current Admiral's Office in a daze.

Aokiji seemed to have known about the situation long ago.

As Storm pushed open the door and entered,

Aokiji got straight to the point.

"Vongola Storm? Did you bring the Resignation Letter?"

Storm froze where he stood.

It wasn't a promotion.

He was being fired?

A new book from a new author—welcome to the sea where Primacy of Strength reigns!

Please, beg you for follows, continued reading, and everything else!!!

--

The timeline of this book.

Based on Roger's death in Grand Line Era 1500.

That is, Luffy officially set out to sea in Grand Line Era 1522.