Luffy did not go straight for the maps. His newly augmented INT (now a solid 5/100) told him that a sudden, obsessive interest in naval strategy would instantly tip off Makino. Instead, he made the detour, guided by his meta-knowledge, toward the high forest trails that led away from Foosha Village and into the bandit territory.
He had 3 AC in his pocket, enough for the Basic Stamina Potion, but first, he needed to secure his social foundation. He needed Ace and Sabo.
He found them at their usual spot: a roughly constructed treehouse deep within the jungle, their private cache of stolen food spread out on a worn blanket. Ace, fiercely protective and already sporting his signature glare, had his back to the path. Sabo, ever the thoughtful diplomat, was arranging fruit.
"Luffy! You're late, idiot!" Ace snapped without turning, instantly adhering to the original timeline's emotional script.
Luffy stopped, suppressing the System interface that tried to pop up. He had to embody the character. He plastered on the trademark wide, carefree grin.
"Sorry, Ace! Dadan kept me running chores. And… my face hurts a little," he chirped, rubbing the fresh stitches under his eye.
Sabo turned, his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the scar. "Luffy, that's… that's pretty cool, but also really dumb. You shouldn't wound yourself just for show."
Luffy shrugged, bouncing forward with exaggerated rubbery movements (a subtle way to practice his Q-02 goal). The sight of the two boys—one the future Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, the other the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army—stirred a wave of complicated emotion. He wasn't just dealing with characters anymore; these were his brothers.
They spent the next hour gorging on stolen venison and berries. Luffy's internal monologue was a constant, low-grade thrum of strategic analysis, tracking their DEX movements and estimating their current WILL potential. They were formidable children, but their stats were unquantified by the System until they were "recruited."
As they finished eating, Ace tossed a large apple core carelessly into the bushes.
"Hey, Sabo," Luffy said, leaning back and trying to sound authentically childish while slipping in a meta-reference. "You know, you're always the most diplomatic one. The best. I think you should be Sa D. Bo!"
Sabo paused, a puzzled frown on his face. "Sa D Bo? What does the 'D' stand for? Doesn't Luffy's family have that?"
Ace snorted, finding the randomness hilarious. "Yeah, it means dumb! It suits you, Sabo! You're a noble, but you're dumb!"
Sabo laughed, taking the teasing in stride, completely missing the significance of the joke. Luffy felt a small internal wave of success. It was subtle, but a seed was planted. My first intentional timeline deviation complete.
The good mood was shattered later that evening as Luffy trudged back to Dadan's hideout in the mountains, mentally calculating the required training for a +1 STR increase.
Dadan, a huge, fiery-tempered bandit, met him on the porch, swinging a wooden club with a dangerous glare that would make a low-level pirate turn tail.
"Luffy! You useless little brat! Where have you been all day?!" she bellowed, swatting the air near his head.
"Just… in the woods!" Luffy squeaked, his LUCK stat likely earning overtime to keep the club from connecting.
Dadan dropped the club with a thunderous thud, her expression turning from rage to a deep, weary panic—a look far more frightening than her anger.
"I was going to beat you to a pulp for missing dinner, but this is worse," she whispered, her voice surprisingly tight. She grabbed him by the scruff of his vest, pulling him close. "Listen up, you rubber-headed menace. Your grandpa, Garp the Hero, is visiting. He sent a den den mushi—he'll be here by tomorrow morning."
The words struck the new consciousness like a cannonball.
Garp. The Vice Admiral. The Hero of the Marines. The master of ferocious training and crushing D-blooded children under his fist. The System didn't even have to flash a warning screen. Every instinct born from meta-knowledge screamed run.
The Earth guy, who hadn't physically met the terrifying man, found himself trembling in the small, child's body. This wasn't just a tough grandfather; this was the narrative justification for the MC's insane durability and training capacity. And now, he had to endure it.
Garp is coming. I need to buy the Stamina Potion and get a head start on my END stat—right now.
Luffy swallowed hard, forcing the familiar wide, idiotic look back onto his face. "G-Gar-Grandpa? He's coming to play?" he asked, channeling pure, feigned childish naiveté, while internally, his WILL stat spiked sharply in preparation for the coming ordeal.
Dadan merely buried her face in her hands, utterly defeated. "He's coming to train you, you idiot. And it's going to hurt."
The fear radiating off Dadan was palpable, but it served only to sharpen the MC's focus. The terror of facing the "Fist of Love" required immediate, measurable action.
Luffy waited until the hideout was swallowed by the deep, moonless black of the mountain night. The rough snores of Dadan and the bandits provided a natural cover. He slipped silently off the bed, his bare feet barely disturbing the dusty wooden floor. His DEX might be low, but the motivation to avoid a bandit's waking rage was enough to grant him temporary stealth.
Once clear of the cabin and deep within the jungle shadows, Luffy activated the System. The blue interface lit up the clearing, a beacon of hope in the darkness.
"Store," he commanded mentally.
He bypassed the tempting Haki Primer and went straight to the low-cost section. His eyes locked onto the consumable.
Basic Stamina Potion
3 AC
Temporarily restores a minor amount of physical END and hastens minor wound healing.
"Buy Basic Stamina Potion," he confirmed.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: PURCHASE CONFIRMED]
He immediately pulled the potion from his INVENTORY. It manifested as a small, glowing green vial, which he uncorked and downed in one swift gulp. The liquid tasted intensely of mint and raw energy.
The System gave instant feedback. His END bar flashed green, signaling immediate, total recovery, and a temporary +5% boost to stamina efficiency.
Perfect.
He set his goal: increase END (14/100) to 15/100 before the potion's effect wore off.
Luffy began his training session with the ruthless efficiency of a man who knew exactly how much abuse his body needed to endure. He focused on relentless, rubber-based calisthenics—stretching his limbs to absurd lengths and then contracting them forcefully, repeating until his young muscles screamed in protest. He ran circuits through the trees, relying on his newfound stamina boost to ignore the burning in his chest.
Minutes bled into punishing minutes. He was driven by the image of Garp's iron fist launching him off a cliff. Every push-up, every spring-loaded contraction, was a calculated investment against future pain.
Finally, just as the green glow of the potion began to fade, a familiar chime rang in his mind.
[STAT MILESTONE ACHIEVED]
END (Stamina & Resilience):14/100 → 15/100
AC Earned:1.0 AC.
Current AC:1 AC.
He collapsed onto the damp earth, heart hammering. He had done it. A net gain of one stat point in endurance, a massive benefit against Garp's training, and he had immediately earned back 1 AC. The system worked precisely as calculated.
He checked his wrist. He was now operating with 1 AC and an END of 15/100.
Next, the INT grind. And for that, I need those maps.
He wiped the sweat from his brow. The next step couldn't be done under the cover of the jungle; it required a public facade and a visit to Makino.
CHAPTER 3 IS DONE , MINOR UPDATE IN STATS , QUALITY UPDATE IN CHARACTER PROGRESSION , WE GONNA NEXT CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE MORE OPEN WORLD AND NOT JUST LUFFY. WILL BE RELEASED TODAY AS PROMISED