Storm Clouds Gather

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Yet for the entire sea, that period felt exceptionally long and oppressive.

First, the "One Piece," Gol D. Roger, turned himself in to the Navy. Then the "Flying Pirate," Golden Lion Shiki, wreaked havoc in Marineford before being captured and imprisoned.

The successive fall of two great legends weighed heavily upon the hearts of all pirates, like an enormous mountain.

It was as though pirates across the entire sea had been doused with a basin of cold water.

Their arrogance had suffered an unprecedented blow, and the whole sea had unexpectedly entered a period of "calm waters."

That was good news for ordinary people, but for Rayne, it meant his greatest source of experience had almost been completely cut off.

For three whole months, the Loguetown branch had captured barely any pirates who needed to be executed.

Even without the System's help for the time being, Rayne did not slack off.

On a deserted coastal cliff outside Loguetown.

Rayne stood bare-chested, beads of sweat covering his slightly bronze skin. Though he was not yet sixteen, he was already nearly two meters tall. His lean frame was covered in smooth, firm muscle, brimming with a sense of strength that did not match his age.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, then casually threw a straight punch forward as if he were taking an after-dinner stroll.

There was no earth-shattering bang, only a short, muffled thud, like a fist striking soaked leather.

Rayne slowly withdrew his fist, glanced at his knuckles without even the faintest red mark on them, and nodded in satisfaction.

The very next second after he pulled back his fist, a clear fist print sank deep into the incomparably hard reef before him. Fine cracks spread silently from the fist mark like a spiderweb, instantly crawling across the entire reef!

Whoosh—

A sea breeze swept past.

Crash...

The entire reef silently collapsed before him like a weathered sand sculpture, turning into rubble across the ground.

"So... I can grow stronger without relying on the System too."

Feeling the ceaseless torrent of power flowing through his body, Rayne was both delighted and more deeply aware of the System's strength. "It's just... too slow. Without the foundation laid by the System, I might have needed five years, or even ten, to reach my current realm on my own."

With a thought, he opened his personal panel and reviewed the overall changes from the past three months.

Name: Corvo Rayne

Age: 15

Rank: Seaman Second Class

[Physique Realm]: Advanced

[Talent]: None

[Skills]: Stealth (Intermediate), Swordsmanship (Intermediate), Marksmanship (Intermediate), Fighting Techniques (Intermediate), Cooking (Intermediate), Navigation (Intermediate)

[Sin Points]: 220

He had gained two non-combat skills—[Cooking] and [Navigation].

He had chosen them when executing pirates not long ago, with the mindset that they were better than nothing.

But when he tried upgrading those two skills in the shop, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that upgrading non-combat skills was far cheaper than upgrading combat skills of the same level!

Though they were only two non-combat skills, Rayne felt those points had been well spent.

He put on the uniform jacket hanging nearby, stretched his sweaty body after training, and headed toward the Marine base.

The closer he got to town, the more clearly he could sense the recent change in atmosphere.

At this hour in the past, Loguetown should have been at its liveliest. Yet now, pedestrians hurried along the streets, their faces carrying traces of unease and panic.

The harbor was packed with all manner of vessels, far more crowded than usual.

Rayne's gaze swiftly swept through the crowd.

He saw reporters from around the world who had rushed over at the news.

He saw bounty hunters with the greedy eyes of hyenas.

And those pirates who made no effort to conceal the violent aura around them!

Storm clouds were gathering... Rayne sighed inwardly. Sharks from all over the world have caught the scent of blood.

By the time he reached the entrance of the Marine base, that tense atmosphere had reached its peak.

The base gates had been taken over by a group of elite soldiers he did not recognize at all. The killing intent around them was far beyond anything the Marines of a small branch like Loguetown could compare to.

"Halt! Password! Present identification!"

Even though Rayne wore a Marine uniform, they stopped him without ceremony.

Expressionless, Rayne gave the password and handed over his identification badge. Only after the lead guard carefully checked it did he coldly wave him through.

Rayne could clearly feel that the atmosphere throughout the entire Marine base had completely changed.

Patrols had gone from teams of two to teams of five. Everyone was armed to the teeth, their gazes as sharp as hawks.

The entire base was like a precise war machine that had activated its wartime procedures, operating coldly and efficiently. Every component radiated a dangerous aura that warned strangers to stay away.

Rayne passed through the heavily guarded base and had only just returned to his secluded dormitory when hurried knocking sounded before he could even sit down.

"Rayne! Captain Stork wants to see you immediately!" The messenger at the door sounded tense.

"Stork?" Rayne raised a brow. It was that scar-faced superior.

With a trace of doubt, he followed the messenger to the captain's office on the second floor of the base.

To his surprise, Captain Stork was not inside the office. Instead, he stood ramrod straight outside his own door like a wooden stake, with even a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead.

When he saw Rayne arrive, Stork immediately pulled him aside and whispered in an unprecedentedly nervous voice.

"Kid, listen up! There's a big shot from Headquarters inside! Once you go in, don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't say what you shouldn't say. Whatever the big shot asks, you answer. Got it?!"

Countless thoughts flashed through Rayne's mind, but he merely nodded calmly.

"Understood."

Stork took a deep breath as though he had made some kind of decision, then personally stepped forward and knocked respectfully on the door.

"Reporting! The... person has been brought."

A gentle female voice came from within.

"Let him come in."

"Yes!"

Stork first snapped to attention, then carefully pushed open the door and gave Rayne a meaningful look.

Rayne walked inside.

The office lights were off, making the room somewhat dim. A lone figure sat in the captain's chair with her back to him, quietly watching the scenery of Loguetown through the window.

As if sensing his arrival, the figure slowly turned around.

By the natural light streaming in through the window, Rayne saw her face—

She had immaculate silver short hair. Though her face bore some traces left by time, her skin remained exceptionally well cared for.

What left the deepest impression were her eyes, sharp as a hawk's, as though they could see through every conspiracy and evil in the world.

Her back was perfectly straight, and her entire presence carried a unique blend of wisdom and authority.

She was none other than Marine Headquarters' chief strategist, Vice Admiral Tsuru.