Shadows of the Grand Line

The pirate sneered at me, his yellowed teeth gleaming under the harsh sunlight. "Katsuki D. Rook, huh? You've got guts, kid. Too bad you won't have 'em for much longer."

His hand gripped the hilt of his rusty sword, and he raised it high, fully expecting me to tremble. But instead, my mind raced. The System was my lifeline now, and I could feel it running through me, urging me forward, filling me with power I'd never had before.

New Quest: Defeat the pirate.

Objective: Eliminate the threat. Reward: 50 XP, Shadow Soldier (1).

Eliminate him? Oh, I can do that.

For the first time in my life, I wasn't helpless. I wasn't weak. I had the system backing me up. As the pirate charged, swinging his blade toward my neck, my body moved on instinct. I dodged to the side, the sword slicing through empty air with a whoosh. My heart pounded in my chest, but I was weirdly calm. The fight… felt natural.

Ding!

Skill Unlocked: Dagger Mastery (Lv. 1)

I didn't even have a dagger, but the knowledge was there, muscle memory that wasn't mine. I ducked under another wild swing and snatched up a jagged rock from the beach. Close enough.

The pirate grunted, swinging his sword again. This time, I didn't dodge. I stepped inside his swing, moving faster than I thought possible, and slammed the rock into his gut. The pirate doubled over, gasping, and I took my chance. With a fluid motion, I drove the sharp edge of the rock into his side.

Blood splattered onto the sand. His eyes widened in shock. "Y-You little, "

I didn't let him finish. I twisted the rock and yanked it out, feeling his body slump against me. For a moment, everything went still. My breath came in ragged gasps, the taste of iron on my tongue, but I couldn't afford to hesitate. Not in this world.

The pirate collapsed onto the sand, his blood staining the shore. My hand shook, still holding the rock, but the System chimed in like a twisted reward system for my brutality.

Quest Completed: Defeat the pirate.

Rewards: 50 XP, Shadow Soldier (1).

Shadow Soldier? I barely had time to register the words when another notification popped up.

Skill Unlocked: Shadow Extraction (Lv. 1)

A chill ran down my spine. I looked down at the pirate's lifeless body, his empty eyes staring back at me, and I knew what I had to do. My hand stretched out instinctively, fingers splayed over his corpse. I didn't know how the skill worked, but I didn't need to. The System guided me, like some dark force whispering in my ear.

"Rise," I commanded, my voice low.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, like the ground itself obeyed me, the pirate's shadow began to twist and writhe beneath him. Slowly, it peeled away from the sand, forming a black silhouette that stood before me, still wearing the pirate's ragged clothes but now shrouded in darkness. His once scornful eyes were now nothing but hollow voids, empty and obedient.

Shadow Soldier Summoned: Pirate Grunt (Lv. 1)

I couldn't believe it. The pirate was mine, my first shadow soldier. The realization hit me like a tidal wave. I wasn't just fighting to survive anymore; I was building an army.

"Follow me," I said, my voice shaky but firm. The shadow soldier gave a stiff nod and stood at attention.

The power was real. The Solo Leveling system was real. And now? So was my army.

I looked around at the beach, my eyes scanning the horizon. This wasn't some random place in the Grand Line. I was sure of it. Something about the air here, the oppressive heat, the wild trees beyond the shore, it felt like more than just any old island.

I needed more information. Food. Water. Weapons. And I needed to get stronger, fast. The pirate wasn't a challenge, not with the System backing me, but the world of One Piece? It was filled with monsters, both human and otherwise.

Suddenly, a rumble shook the ground beneath my feet. I turned sharply toward the forest, eyes narrowing. Through the trees, I saw something massive shifting. Branches snapped like twigs, and birds flew out in panic. Whatever it was, it was big, and heading my way.

New Quest: Defend yourself.

Objective: Defeat the creature attacking the beach. Reward: 100 XP, Random Weapon Drop.

Great. My heart raced again, adrenaline kicking in. But this time, I wasn't afraid. I had a shadow soldier by my side and the system to back me up.

The ground shook once more, and from the dense foliage, a hulking beast emerged, its leathery skin covered in jagged scars, its eyes wild with fury. A Sea King? No, not quite. Smaller. More like some kind of mutated, land-dwelling predator.

I grinned, adrenaline coursing through me. This was it. My next test.

"Let's see what you've got," I muttered under my breath, cracking my knuckles as the shadow soldier moved into position beside me.