Sky Island, God’s Island.
Sven’s days of training passed in a steady and comfortable rhythm.
As the current ruler of Sky Island, he no longer had to worry about hunger or harsh conditions.
During his free time, he would sit atop the dome of the Thunder God Palace, quietly watching the dawn pierce through the sea of clouds and the sunset paint the sky in molten gold.
At night, he rested beneath a vast sky filled with stars, the Milky Way stretching endlessly above him.
There was only one drawback, the lack of information.
The News Coo could not reach the White Sea, which lay ten thousand meters above the ocean.
The thick cloud layer blocked everything below, isolating Sky Island from the rest of the world.
At the same time, this isolation allowed Sven to focus entirely on training.
His goal was clear, fully integrate the Iron Balloon physique as quickly as possible.
Sven poured all his energy into training, pushing himself without restraint.
Sweat shed now meant less blood later.
Among the strongest figures on the sea, those who stood at the very top were never specialists in just one field.
Whether it was Observation Haki, Armament Haki, or Conqueror’s Haki, along with physical combat, Devil Fruit abilities, or swordsmanship, they developed everything together into a complete system.
Victory was never achieved through a single ability.
Only by building a balanced and refined combat style could one truly stand firm on the sea and pursue their ambitions.
The weak had no such luxury.
They drifted aimlessly, losing even the right to choose their own path.
Having lived through two lifetimes, Sven understood that feeling all too well.
Back then, he had no choice.
Now, he aimed to become the strongest.
Three months later.
Under the setting sun of the Golden City, Shandora, Sven stood before the ancient Poneglyph, clearing his mind of all distractions.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each punch tore through the air, creating deep, heavy echoes that spread across the ruins.
His fists slammed repeatedly against the stone surface, sending numbness through his arms.
Even so, he did not hold back.
Sweat dripped from his chin, soaking his clothes, yet he continued without pause.
His will drove every strike, again and again, hammering forward without hesitation.
The Poneglyph remained unmoved, silently carrying the weight of history.
Having endured centuries, it became the perfect medium for Sven to attempt awakening Armament Haki.
Each collision pushed his body to its limit.
Sven poured his will into his fists, forcing himself to break through his physical boundaries, attempting to open the door to Armament Haki through sheer persistence.
Why suffer this much when he already had advantages?
The answer was simple. The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
He lacked resources.
Since Warhammer’s purchase, only four Dials had been sold on the trading platform.
Meanwhile, more and more users were posting requests to buy them at low prices.
Three months had passed.
Even after fully integrating Iron Balloon, Sven had only managed to save 4,300 points.
He suspected that users from other worlds had pieced things together.
His earlier purchase of the Musou Isshin using eighty eight thousand eight hundred eighty eight tons of gold, along with his sales of Sky Island Dials, likely revealed that he had control over Sky Island.
Because of this, they were deliberately suppressing prices.
Fortunately, Dials were unique to this world.
As the ruler of Sky Island, Sven controlled the supply.
He needed points, but not to the extent that he would accept unfavorable prices.
If necessary, he would simply refuse to sell.
Using the system was useful, but outmaneuvering other users on the platform was far more engaging.
In theory, each world possessed its own unique goods, giving its users pricing power.
In reality, priority determined everything.
Sven was not desperate.
If he could not buy Armament Haki, he would train it himself.
Even without it, he still had the sword experience of Musou no Hitotachi stored in his mind, which he had yet to fully integrate.
Because he was not in a hurry, the advantage remained his.
If he had been desperate, he would have been forced to accept whatever prices others offered.
Only someone like Warhammer ignored such concerns, purchasing items purely based on preference.
Seeing others suppress prices, Sven responded in kind.
He began posting low-price offers for items like flying cloaks and combat techniques.
His strategy was simple, maintain high prices for his own goods while buying others at reduced rates.
Then, a sharp sound echoed.
A faint crackling noise spread from his fists.
Sven’s breathing grew heavier as his clenched fists turned pitch black, as though coated in a layer of hardened armor.
He exhaled slowly.
“Finally.”
He had awakened Armament Haki.
Even though he already possessed advanced Conqueror’s Haki, making basic Armament Haki seem less impressive, it was still a necessary foundation.
Having it was better than lacking it.
The five thousand points he had saved could now be used elsewhere.
Armament Haki strengthened both offense and defense, and more importantly, it allowed direct contact with Logia users.
It manifested in three primary forms. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Hardening, the most basic application, reinforced the body or weapons.
Emission allowed Haki to flow outward, creating invisible force.
Internal Destruction, an advanced form, sent Haki into a target to damage it from within.
In Wano Country, these techniques were collectively known as Ryuo due to their flowing nature.
In the New World, where Armament Haki was common, Sven’s previous inability to awaken it only highlighted how poor his original physique had been.
Now, with Big Eater, Innate Divine Strength, and Iron Balloon, his foundation had transformed completely.
He was no longer the same person.
Feeling satisfied, Sven drew his blade, the Musou Isshin, and swung it toward the top of the Poneglyph.
A clean, sharp sound followed.
A piece of the stone was sliced off smoothly.
Sven raised an eyebrow.
“As expected of a divine blade.”
The Poneglyph had endured three months of relentless strikes without a single mark.
Yet it yielded instantly to this weapon.
Sheathing his sword, Sven transformed into lightning and returned to the Thunder God Palace in an instant.
Inside, a young woman in her early twenties hurriedly bowed.
“Thunder God.”
She wore a beige short skirt, her blonde hair flowing behind her.
Her figure was striking, with long legs and small wings on her back.
Sven shifted his gaze away without lingering.
“I am not going to do anything.
Relax.”
As the ruler of Sky Island, he naturally had no shortage of attendants.
Even Gan Fall had attempted to send his granddaughter to serve him, an intention that was far too obvious.
Sven, however, was not used to such a lifestyle.
In the end, only the two sisters, Shani and Sharu, remained to take turns attending to the palace.
Shani hesitated before speaking.
“Lord…
since you returned earlier than usual today, the kitchen has not finished preparing dinner.”
Sven waved his hand.
“I will take a bath first.
Serve the meal at the usual time.”
He paused briefly before adding,
“And raise your head when you speak next time.
There is no need to act like that.”
Shani pressed her lips together, clearly unconvinced.