I forced myself to stand. My first steps were shaky, but I had to move.This island, though it looked uninhabited, was part of the Grand Line—and in the Grand Line, no island was ever truly "safe" or "empty." I needed to find fresh water and shelter immediately.
I stepped past the shoreline into the thick tropical forest. Sounds greeted me—branches snapping, faint hisses, a distant roar. The forest was alive, and not all its inhabitants were friendly.
Then I heard something above me. Leaves rustled. I looked up. Between the dense canopy, a pair of glowing red eyes stared down.
A Forest King Tiger—fangs as long as my arm, claws that could tear steel—leapt from the branches. It was three times the size of a normal tiger, its striped fur blending into the forest shadows.
Mortal instinct tried to pull me into fear, but my mind—Eron Arasta's mind—took over. Fear was just a concept. I had faced galaxy-ending disasters before. No matter how strong it was, this beast was still just a mortal creature. The problem was… so was I now, without my Dao.
The tiger roared, baring its gleaming fangs. My fourteen-year-old body trembled. I had no energy left, no cultivation techniques. All I had was my intelligence and endless experience.
I scanned my surroundings—thick vegetation, massive trees with exposed roots, and a muddy pool nearby. I would have to make use of whatever I could.
I ran—not blindly to escape, but toward the nearest massive tree with tall, jutting roots. The tiger chased, its massive strides shaking the ground.
I leapt, grabbed one of the sturdy roots, and pulled myself up. My young body, though weak, was still nimble. I hid behind the roots, my heart pounding.
The tiger prowled below, sniffing, roaring. I could feel its hot, foul breath. I couldn't stay like this forever. I needed a plan.
Scanning the area again, I noticed bright red berries hanging from a lower branch. In the Grand Line, many fruits that looked tempting could be deadly. I also saw strange mushrooms glowing faintly on a tree trunk—dangerous for sure.
I remembered poisons and antidotes from countless worlds I'd traveled through. Without my Dao, I couldn't instantly identify them, and gambling with untested toxins against a Forest King Tiger was too risky.
I needed a subtler strategy—one that used my understanding of living creatures and their environments, not brute force. I was Eron Arasta, not some helpless boy.
The tiger continued pacing, occasionally clawing at the ground. Its patience was fraying. I had to shift the situation in my favor.
My eyes went to the muddy pool at the base of the tree. There was potential there.
As I thought, another question crossed my mind—Luffy. I was in the year 1517 of the World Calendar, five years before he set sail. I knew his future. I knew his adventures, his crew, his ultimate goal.
Should I try to join him someday? Aligning with the Straw Hat Pirates could be the fastest way to understand this world, gain access to valuable information, and maybe find a way to restore my Dao. But… I was a Dao Ancestor. Joining a pirate crew? It felt wrong. I preferred being the mastermind behind the scenes—or an independent power beyond their reach.
Still, my reality was different now. I was a powerless fourteen-year-old. Perhaps, for a time, being part of something bigger was the only path to survival and my ultimate goal. And the "New God Valley" map—wanted by the World Government—surely held key clues.
That thought rekindled my resolve. I couldn't just hide. I had to adapt and evolve.
Closing my eyes briefly, I focused. The tiger roared again, closer this time. I had to act.
I scooped up a handful of mud from the pool below, then hurled it with pinpoint accuracy—not at the tiger, but at a massive beehive about twenty meters behind it.
The mud struck. Instantly, hundreds of giant bees swarmed out, buzzing in fury. The tiger, so focused on me, was caught off guard. The first bees stung deep into its striped fur.
"GRAAAWR!" It roared in pain, swiping wildly at the air. Then it bolted—not toward me, but away from the enraged hive.
I exhaled in relief, my body trembling slightly. This wasn't a victory—just a distraction. But it gave me time.
I needed to find fresh water, food, and a safer shelter. And above all, I needed to start planning my next move in this strange world—year 1517, with a mysterious map in my hand.
A year passed.
Eron Arasta, the Dao Ancestor without a Dao, had survived the wilds of this Grand Line island. His fifteen-year-old body had hardened under harsh conditions—still slim, but lean, agile, and marked with faint scars from countless encounters with the island's beasts. His eyes, once filled with cosmic wisdom, now held the sharp alertness of a predator.
With only intelligence and eons of experience, Eron not only survived—he learned. He built a hidden shelter inside a cave, mastered identifying safe plants and fruits (and the deadly ones), tracked animal migrations, fresh water routes, and the chaotic weather patterns of the Grand Line.
He knew this mortal body wasn't ready for Haki—it demanded immense willpower and physical strength. But as the embodiment of Dao, he retained a fundamental understanding of energy flow and balance. This became the foundation for adapting martial arts suited to his current limitations.
Raw power was useless to him now. He needed an efficient style—one that exploited an enemy's weaknesses while minimizing his own. Across countless worlds, Eron had witnessed unnumbered martial arts.
From them, he chose two core principles—adapting Tai Chi's softness and Aikido's redirection—focusing on the Cosmic Yin-Yang Flow.
From Tai Chi, he embraced gentleness and flexibility—deflecting attacks through circular motion, joint manipulation, and momentum redirection instead of blocking head-on.
From Aikido, he took the art of blending and locking—controlling opponents by using their own force against them. With deep anatomical knowledge, he could break joints, lock limbs, or throw much larger foes.
These two styles—Formless Flow (absorb) and Flow-Breaking Touch (control)—formed a deadly efficiency. Against brute-force opponents, they were almost unbeatable.
They demanded accuracy, speed, and precision—not strength. Perfect for his small frame and lack of Dao. Eron knew they wouldn't take down a Shichibukai or Yonko—but they could let him survive, and even dominate, lesser foes.
In his explorations, Eron found shipwrecks—some holding useful supplies. But the "New God Valley" map remained the greatest mystery. No sign of the island appeared anywhere near here. That meant he had to leave.
The question of Luffy returned. In four years, Monkey D. Luffy would set sail. Eron held knowledge of this world's future that no one else possessed.
Choice One: Join the Straw Hats (at the right time).Pros: access to global news, protection from a strong crew, firsthand observation of the world's top powers, and a likely path to Laugh Tale.
Cons: bound to another's goals, drawn into conflicts irrelevant to him, and risk becoming a subordinate—a role alien to a Dao Ancestor.
Choice Two: Work alone.Pros: complete freedom, pursuit of his Dao restoration or new power without interference, and avoidance of world-shaking events.
Cons: extreme danger in this world alone, difficulty securing resources and information, and a far slower road to power.
Eron sat on a cliff overlooking the vast Grand Line. The ocean wind carried salt and the scent of freedom. A year on this island had taught him much about survival—and confirmed one truth: he could not stay here forever.
This island, while it had become his training ground, would never give him the answers about the "New God Valley" map or a way to restore his Dao.
He thought of the map—a worn parchment showing a route to a mysterious island. The destination was far. Crossing the Grand Line alone, in this mortal fifteen-year-old body, would be suicide.