Sky Island, God’s Island.
Thor Palace.
(Thunder God will be changed to ‘Thor’)
Inside the ten-meter-high luxury dining hall, the carved dining table was covered with exquisite dishes and fine nectar.
Crystal-clear juice rested in silver cups, sizzling roasted meat lay on cloud trays, and freshly stewed scallops coated in rich sauce filled the air with fragrance.
A wide variety of delicacies created a dazzling feast.
To Sven, however, these so-called treasures barely matched half of his own cooking skills.
Still, they were acceptable.
Successfully awakening Armament Haki was enough reason to grant himself half a day of rest.
Slowing his pace, he allowed himself to enjoy the meal.
Sven lifted the silver cup and took a sip, his gaze shifting toward Shani, who stood beside him with lowered eyes.
“Sit and eat.”
“Yes, Lord.”
Shani gently adjusted her skirt and pulled out a chair.
Her movements were soft, though a trace of restraint lingered in her posture.
Light conversation blended with the soft clinking of cups.
Shani spoke occasionally about Sky Island’s customs and stories, while Sven shared fragments of his journey across the sea.
Since taking the position of God of Sky Island, he had never eaten with such patience or refinement.
The meal stretched on for two and a half hours.
The relaxed atmosphere, like drifting clouds, made time feel distant.
Once the dishes were cleared and the table restored to order, Shani raised her head.
Her clear eyes reflected the fractured glow of the crystal chandelier.
“Lord… may I follow you to learn swordsmanship?”
“Swordsmanship?” Sven set down his cup.
“Why?”
Her voice steadied slightly.
“I want to grow stronger.
I want to protect Sky Island like you.”
Sven rubbed his brow.
He was no great swordsman, only someone who knew the basics.
Teaching her carried the risk of leading her in the wrong direction.
Protect Sky Island?
Gan Fall had clearly done a thorough job spreading his narrative.
Kizaru had been painted as an invading villain, while Sven, who drove him away, naturally became the island’s guardian deity.
“Go rest early.
“Thank you.”
If Shani wanted to learn anything else, Sven would have had nothing to offer.
Advanced Conqueror’s Haki required awakening Conqueror’s Haki first.
His Armament Haki was still at an early stage, and his Devil Fruit abilities were far from refined.
Sven sat quietly, faint sparks dancing across his fingertips as he focused on developing the Goro Goro no Mi.
His goal was clear, to generate magnetism through electricity.
Electricity and magnetism were closely related, but not identical.
Only moving charges or changing electric fields could produce a magnetic field.
Stationary charges created none.
To achieve his goal, Sven needed to set charges in motion.
Compared to other concepts, this was relatively straightforward.
The idea stemmed from something he had seen in the System.
Railgun, 20,000 points.
A weapon that turned electromagnetic force into devastating kinetic power.
If he could replicate that principle, Sven could fire attacks without needing external tools.
Even without a coin, though using one would improve precision.
Developing magnetism was only one direction.
With enough mastery, he could interpret electromagnetic waves and even brain waves, strengthening his Observation Haki significantly.
That path could eventually allow a form of telepathic communication.
Light itself was a type of electromagnetic wave.
If he reached that level, his combat perception would undergo a qualitative leap.
These were the finer applications of the fruit.
As for raw destructive power, Sven had only outlined two ideas so far.
El Thor, the devastating technique once used by Enel, capable of destroying entire islands.
In large-scale battles, its deterrence alone would be overwhelming.
The second was a Thunder God Form, a conceptual transformation inspired by overwhelming energy projection.
At present, it remained only an idea.
As for awakening the Goro Goro no Mi, Sven had no clear direction yet.
Perhaps the System Store would offer it, though the cost would likely be far beyond his current reach.
Setting aside those distant ambitions, Sven returned to his quarters at the top of the palace dome and fell asleep beneath the vast, star-filled sky.
In the western courtyard of the palace, two voices quietly broke the stillness of the night.
“Sister, I can’t sleep.”
On the white bed, Shani hugged her knees, her expression restless.
Sharu, with her short hair, glanced at her before looking down at her own flat chest.
“Then don’t sleep.”
The response was blunt, ending the conversation.
The next morning, dawn illuminated the White Sea.
Sven stood in black training attire, holding a wooden sword.
With a casual motion, he released a flying slash before turning his gaze toward Shani and Sharu.
“The essence of swordsmanship lies in intent and momentum, not brute strength.”
He paused briefly.
“That said, overwhelming strength can still achieve results.”
“From today onward, follow the method I showed you.
Practice three thousand swings every day.”
The sisters, also dressed in black, carried entirely different presences.
Shani’s figure naturally drew attention, while Sharu gave off a stubborn, spirited aura.
“Yes, Lord.”
For Sven, teaching them was nothing more than a way to pass time.
He had no expectations for their growth.
On the other side of the training ground, thirty Thunder Cloud Guards stood in formation.
Clad in silver armor and armed with spears embedded with Impact Dials, they waited in silence.
Sven appeared before them in a flash and took out a strip of black cloth, covering his eyes.
“From today onward, attack me with everything you have.
I will not counterattack.”
“Yes, Lord!”
Their voices rang out in unison.
After months of discipline, Sven had completely subdued them.
What remained was absolute obedience.
With Armament Haki awakened, he now focused on Observation Haki.
His method was simple, endure attacks and sharpen perception.
Cutting off his vision, he also suppressed his electromagnetic sensing, forcing himself to rely solely on instinct.
The flow of wind, the vibrations in the air, the breathing and heartbeats around him, all gradually became clearer.
Sharp slashes released from the Dials struck him repeatedly.
Clang, clang, clang.
The metallic sounds echoed across the training ground.
Attacks capable of splitting cloud stone landed against his body without leaving even a scratch.
His durability absorbed everything.
The guards hesitated, their grips tightening as disbelief filled their eyes.
“Continue.”
The attacks resumed.
With each strike he avoided or endured, Sven refined his perception further.
His awareness of every movement grew sharper, steadily approaching the threshold of true Observation Haki.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100