The Kokosia Village had grown noticeably livelier since Kapu's arrival.
All the villagers were abuzz, discussing the intense conversation earlier between Hogan D. Brakk and Rei Damon.
And not just the villagers—within the Bellemère household, too, the atmosphere was animated.
At that moment, Rei Damon was in the yard lifting a large stone, steadily training his body.
"Big brother Rei, aren't you tired?" Nami asked with innocent curiosity.
"Tired? Of course I'm tired."
"Then why do you keep training so hard?"
Rei was about to mention the awakening skill tree system in his head, but caught himself. Instead, he made something up.
"How else can I protect you two if I don't get stronger?"
Those words struck Nami like lightning.
For a child who had lost her parents and barely remembered fatherly warmth, the emotional impact was immense.
"...I see."
Rei didn't notice her reaction—his attention was focused on the slowly increasing numbers flashing across the status panel in his mind.
> [Physique +0.01]
[Physique +0.01]
[Constitution +0.01]
[Due to continuous body training, EXP +0.1]
"Kids! Time to eat!" Lyra Bellem's voice called out as she brought over a tray of orange pie, setting it down on the table along with a roasted chicken, the aroma thick in the air.
Rei paused his training, took a shower, then opened his system interface.
---
[Awakening Skill Tree System: Active]
Name: Rei Damon
Age: 12
Origin: Kokosia Village
Title: Unknown
Physique: 0.3 / 100
Agility: 0 / 100
Speed: 0 / 100
Strength: 0.28 / 100
EXP: 8.7 / 100
Available Perks: 0
Unlocked Skills: None
---
"Meat on day one, huh?" Rei chuckled as he dried his hair and looked at the food-laden table.
"It's all thanks to you!" Lyra smiled as she set plates down.
"Big brother Rei, you're really handsome today!" Nami added playfully.
After his bath, Rei's youthful features were more striking than usual. Even Lyra found herself startled for a second, her heart skipping a beat—before she shook it off and laughed at her own thoughts.
"Come on, stop standing there—dig in."
Nami munched her orange pie cheerfully, occasionally glancing at her mysterious new brother.
What Rei had said earlier still echoed in her heart.
"Big bro, you came from Windmill Village, right? You must've seen a lot of the outside world!"
Her eyes gleamed with yearning.
Even Nojiko perked up, her quiet gaze betraying a deep curiosity.
Rei tapped into his memories from his past life—using knowledge of Earth and fiction—to craft wild and vivid tales.
He talked about cities as tall as clouds, enormous rivers held back by dams, statues taller than towers, lands of fire and snow...
Nami clung to his arm with sparkling eyes. "That's amazing!"
"All right, enough dreaming. Finish eating, Nami-chan—afterward, we train."
"Got it!" she said with excitement, finishing her pie in record time.
Rei didn't hold back either—he demolished half the roast chicken and a good portion of the pie.
Later, he took Nami out to train, and surprisingly, Nojiko began joining in too.
Before long, the three became close companions.
---
[EXP +1.5 from group training]
A few days passed. Rei finally had enough experience to unlock his first ability.
He wasted no time.
> [Skill Unlocked: Physical Conditioning Lv.1]
Effect: Slightly enhances all physical stats; increases stamina recovery rate by 5%.
Rei clenched his fists. It wasn't much, but it was enough to take on some lower-tier pirates.
Just as that thought passed—
"Run! Pirates are attacking the village!"
A scream rang out near the entrance, and panic immediately gripped the villagers. Those working the fields froze, then bolted.
"You pathetic worms! Hand over your valuables or die!"
A group of pirates swaggered into the village, their faces twisted with glee at the fleeing villagers.
Rei bolted toward the source of the chaos.
He saw a ragged ship anchored in the distance, flying a pirate flag marked by two crossed blades and a bizarre horned skull between them.
"I'm the second-in-command of the Twin Blades Pirates! Hand over everything if you value your life!"
Rei didn't bother responding.
He dashed forward, seized a pirate by the collar, and slammed his fist into the man's face.
> [Damage dealt: -15 HP]
[Target stunned]
The pirate collapsed in pain. Rei picked up the man's dagger and stared at it.
Should he kill?
This was the line.
This world was governed by survival of the fittest. If you hesitate, you die.
He hesitated.
But then—another pirate charged him, sword raised!
BANG!
A gunshot rang out. The pirate dropped instantly, blood blooming from his chest.
Lyra stood behind Rei, rifle smoking.
"Don't freeze up now, brat!"
Rei snapped out of it.
With a roar, he plunged the dagger into the neck of the first pirate.
> [Pirate killed. EXP +20]
Blood splashed across Rei's face.
He didn't flinch this time.
Another pirate came charging. Rei deflected the blow, then slammed a knee into the pirate's groin and buried the dagger in his chest.
> [Pirate killed. EXP +22]
The pirates reeled back in shock.
Who the hell was this bloodstained kid mowing them down?
But rage soon replaced fear.
They rushed him.
"I'm gonna break your arm, runt!" one pirate shouted.
Rei gritted his teeth. He wasn't ready to kill this many.
His stomach churned from the blood—but now wasn't the time to waver.
"What kind of pirate announces his move? No wonder you're nobodies."
Dodging blades narrowly, Rei avoided a fatal hit—though his arm was grazed.
He countered with a sweeping slash to a pirate's side.
> [Damage dealt: -25 HP]
[Target downed]
Behind him, Lyra kept firing methodically, taking down stragglers.
"Pfft—" another pirate hit the ground.
The rest hesitated, watching this demon-child stain his blade again and again.
"Oi, what's the hold-up? You bump into the Navy or somethin'?"
A new voice broke through.
From the forest line strode a tall man wearing a crimson coat and wide-brimmed hat. Twin scimitars hung at his waist.
His long tongue flicked across his lips, expression twisted and sinister.
"Boss! That kid killed a bunch of our men!"
The man's eyes locked onto Rei.
"I see. Then I'll kill him myself."
Rei tossed aside another corpse and glanced at his dull, bent dagger.
"Junk."
He picked up a pirate's short blade and faced the newcomer.
Their eyes met.
A battle was about to erupt.