Year 1516 of the Sea Circle Calendar. Luffy is 13, Ace is 15, Rono is 15.
It will be 4 years before Luffy sets out to sea, and 2 years before Ace does.
Rono felt darkness all around him—so dark he couldn't see his own hand.
The next moment, a blinding white light engulfed everything.
> "Beep… Naval Battle Simulation… Participants… 1 person."
When the white light faded, Rono was surprised to find himself standing on a ship's deck. The sea breeze rushed at him, carrying a strong stench of blood that stabbed into his senses. The sounds of battle and shouting hit his ears, snapping him back to reality.
Too real!
A tall, lean man wearing a green bandana, two earrings on one ear, a black short-sleeved shirt, and dark jeans was stretching his limbs as he walked toward Rono.
> "Well then… Come on!"
Bone Armor activated—ready for battle.
> "Here I come~"
The bandana man's flirtatious tone irritated Rono.
Without a word, he lunged forward—bone claws popped out, aiming straight for a vital spot.
The bandana man casually sidestepped.
> "Oh~ you're mad now, huh~?"
That drawn-out tone disgusted Rono. He didn't reply, spinning around to deliver a whip kick.
The man smirked and jumped back, dodging again.
This time he stopped joking. His legs tensed—and in a flash, he dashed to Rono's side.
Just as Rono retracted his leg, the man slammed a knee into his side.
Before Rono could fly off, the man grabbed his arm, not caring as bone spikes stabbed into his palm—then smashed his right fist into Rono's nose.
Crack!
Rono clearly felt his nasal bone snap.
Dizziness followed, then an elbow strike to his neck—crack!—his throat bone fractured.
Then another blow to his waist—crack!—his cervical spine dislocated!
> "AAAAHHHH—!!!"
Agonizing pain tore through him. Even with his strong regenerative ability, it didn't mean he couldn't feel pain.
In fact, regeneration amplified the pain—double agony.
The bandana man threw Rono away like trash, ready to find his next opponent.
He found it strange that Rono didn't bleed, but strange things were common in this sea. Still, he stayed alert, just in case.
He lit a cigarette and watched his subordinates fighting pirates nearby, completely relaxed—like he didn't belong on the battlefield.
About ten seconds later, Rono coughed and climbed back up—Berserker Mode activated.
His eyes instantly turned blood-red. The skin peeled off from his muscles, revealing crimson muscle fibers (similar to Parasyte, full body).
The bone claws retracted, replaced by savage beast-like claws on his fingers. His teeth transformed into sharp fangs.
> Manipulation Fruit: Crimson Armament!
Unlike Bone Armament, which focused on defense, Crimson Armament ignored defense entirely.
His whole body became a weapon—every part except his butt was offense!
> "As a berserker, why defend at all?"
"Injuries for injuries, life for life! That's the true path of a berserker! That's my way of fighting!"
The bandana man noticed Rono's change, his expression turning serious.
Without waiting for the transformation to finish, he rushed forward.
> "If I could beat you once, I can beat you again~!"
He leapt into the air, spinning 360° before diving down to kick Rono.
> "ROARRR!!"
Rono let out a beastly snarl and threw a punch straight up.
Not only that—he grabbed the man's lower leg—his claws digging into flesh.
The man tried to slam his knee into Rono's face, and hit perfectly.
This time, though, Rono didn't scream.
Enduring the pain of his broken nose, he grabbed the man's knee, then opened his mouth wider than any normal human could—and bit into it!
His head jerked back—ripping away a chunk of flesh and cloth, even leaving tiny cracks on the bone.
> "AAAGHH!!"
The bandana man screamed in agony, but the others on the battlefield acted like they didn't see a thing—completely ignoring the scene.
> "Huff… Huff…"
Rono panted heavily, spitting out the meat chunk.
He gripped tight, braced his core, and executed a suplex, smashing the man's upper body into the deck.
Then he stood up and slammed him again—another massive crater in the deck.
With repeated bang bang bang slams, the man's right knee finally broke under pressure—his leg hanging by a few tendons.
Rono didn't stop.
He tossed the man onto an intact part of the deck, preparing the final blow.
The bandana man's eyes rolled up, mouth agape, several teeth missing.
He made clicking sounds—"Ka… Ka…"
The brutal impact and pain of his shattered leg had broken his spirit.
He didn't even groan—just lay there, motionless.
Rono walked over, shaped his right hand into a claw, and plunged it into the man's chest—ripping out a still-beating heart.
> Squelch—
He crushed it to pulp.
The space collapsed, and Rono returned to the dark void.
> "System Rating: B"
"Battle footage downloaded. Please check."
"Friendly reminder: Hell Training (Part 2) starts tomorrow. Please prepare, Host."
> "A B-rank, huh… I still have a long way to go."
The system's simulated opponent had the same body strength as Rono,
but normal-level bone durability (note: not "average person"),
which is why Rono could crack his kneecap by biting.
> "System, show character panel."
> "One moment… beep"
---
Name: Wolf Rono
Age: 15 (183 days)
Physique: 33 (Base body strength) (Upgradeable)
Skeleton: 41 (Base bone strength) (Upgradeable)
Observation Haki: 0 (Upgradeable)
Armament Haki: 0 (Upgradeable)
Skills: Regenerative Factor, Bone Claw
Devil Fruit (Manipulation Fruit):
Bone Armament:
Description: Rough usage of the fruit to control bone growth to enhance defense. In terms of attack, it merely broadens combat methods.
Crimson Armament:
Description: Rough usage of the fruit to remove skin and bone protection, fully unleashing strength. Muscle fibers thicken, and explosive power increases. Downside: Very low defense.
Battle Mode:
Berserker (Passive):
Description: A mode triggered under fatal danger. Enhances combat awareness and comprehension. Downside: Trades injuries for injuries, life for life, and can become addicted to killing.
Skill Duration: 5 minutes
Skill Cooldown: 24 hours
Trigger Rate: Depends on emotional fluctuations
---
Enhancement Points: 4
> Evaluation:
"You're best off being a berserker. But remember—even great berserkers need some defense."
> (Note 1): "Your fruit development is so weak it's embarrassing. I'm ashamed on your behalf." (Disgusted emoji)
(Note 2): "Surprised the system updated? Hmph! I'm a high-IQ AI system, of course I can patch and upgrade!"
> "......"
Looking at the system's face begging for praise, Rono was speechless.
> "Yup… high-IQ child indeed."
After thinking it over, Rono chose to spend his enhancement points on Skeleton, raising his bone strength to 45.
As for why he didn't enhance Observation or Armament Haki?
> "I'm hopeless too! The system won't let me upgrade them!
Says I haven't met the requirements!"