Astrix's days of training on Sky Island were comfortable and peaceful.
As the current God of Sky Island, he never had to worry about hunger or cold. In his leisure time, he could sit quietly atop the dome of Thunder God Palace, watching dawn pierce through the sea of clouds and sunset dye the sky like molten gold.
When night fell, he slept beneath a vast canopy of stars, cradled by the silver glow of the Milky Way.
There was only one regret: the lack of information.
After all, News Coo could hardly cross the White Sea ten thousand meters above the ground.
The winds and waves of the sea below were completely blocked by the thick cloud layer, severing his connection with the outside world.
Of course, this isolation also allowed him to fully calm his mind and devote himself entirely to training—
To integrate the Iron Balloon physique as quickly as possible.
Astrix poured nearly all of his passion into relentless training.
Sweating more now was better than bleeding later.
Looking at the true powerhouses who stood at the pinnacle of the sea, almost all of them were well-rounded fighters.
Whether it was the three types of Haki, Taijutsu, Devil Fruit abilities, or the swordsmanship of a Great Swordsman, each aspect complemented the others—none could be neglected.
They never relied on a single method to win, but instead forged their abilities into a flawless combat system.
Only then could one secure a firm foothold on the sea—and pursue their dreams.
The weak could only drift with the tide, stripped of the right to choose.
Having lived two lives, Astrix knew that powerlessness all too well. He had long grown tired of the suffering brought by hunger and cold.
Before, he had no choice.
Now—he wanted to become the strongest.
Three months later.
Beneath the setting sun of the Golden City of Shandora, Astrix stood before the Poneglyph stone tablet, casting aside all distracting thoughts.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The wind from his punches tore through the air.
Dull impacts echoed across the ruins.
Each collision between his fists and the stone tablet numbed his arms, yet he did not lessen his strength in the slightest.
Sweat dripped from his chin, soaking his clothes, but he paid it no mind. Driven purely by will, he continued—punch after punch—hammering relentlessly.
The stone tablet remained silent, bearing the weight of history.
Spanning a thousand years, it had become the perfect testing ground for Astrix to awaken Armament Haki.
Every strike pushed his body to its limits. He forged his will into his fists, striving to break through the shackles of flesh and, through sheer impact, force open the door to Armament Haki.
He was already using cheats—so why was he still suffering like this?
Because he was poor.
Since Mr. Warhammer's purchase, only four Dials had been sold on the trading platform. Meanwhile, more and more users were posting requests to buy Dials at low prices.
Three months had passed. Even after fully integrating Iron Balloon, Astrix had only saved up 4,300 points.
He suspected that users from other worlds had guessed he occupied Sky Island—from his purchase of Musou Isshin for 88,888 tons of gold and his listings of Sky Island Dials.
That was why they were deliberately driving prices down.
Fortunately, Sky Island Dials existed only in the One Piece world. As the God of Sky Island, Astrix held the pricing power.
Moreover, while he needed points, he wasn't desperate enough to slash prices.
He would rather not sell at all than sell cheaply.
Using cheats was certainly enjoyable—but outmaneuvering users from other worlds on the trading platform was even more addictive.
In theory, each world possessed unique items, so pricing power should belong to that world's user.
In reality, however, it depended on urgency.
Astrix wasn't in a hurry. If he couldn't buy Armament Haki, he could simply train it himself.
Even if he failed to awaken it, he still had the Thoughtless Swordsmanship training experience in his mind that he hadn't fully absorbed.
Because he didn't need to rush—because it was entirely optional—the pricing power remained in his hands.
If he had been desperate for points, he would have been forced to accept the low prices offered by others.
And in doing so, he would have lost control.
Only wealthy users like Mr. Warhammer ignored such concerns, buying whatever they pleased based purely on preference.
The only thing capable of restraining someone like him was the platform's rules.
Seeing others attempt to suppress prices, Astrix responded in kind—posting low-price requests for flying cloaks, Taijutsu techniques, and more.
His strategy was simple:
Never lower his own prices—while buying others' goods as cheaply as possible.
Pzzzt—
A crisp sound suddenly rang out before the stone tablet.
Astrix's chest rose and fell rapidly. His clenched fists had turned black, as if coated in a layer of enamel.
"Phew…"
"Finally awakened."
Although Astrix had already mastered Advanced Conqueror's Haki—making basic Armament Haki seem somewhat underwhelming—
Having it was still better than not.
The 5,000 points he saved could now be used elsewhere—perhaps to strengthen other abilities or purchase a flying cloak.
Armament Haki—
Its core function was to enhance both attack and defense, while also allowing the user to touch the true bodies of Logia-type Devil Fruit users.
It manifested in three forms: Hardening, Emission, and Internal Destruction.
Hardening was the most basic form—coating the body or weapons in Haki to significantly boost attack and defense.
Emission allowed Haki to flow outward, forming a shockwave around the user's strikes.
Internal Destruction was a more advanced application of Emission, sending Haki into a target to destroy it from within.
In Wano Country, Emission and Internal Destruction were collectively known as Ryuo, due to their flowing nature.
In the New World—where nearly everyone possessed Armament Haki—the fact that Astrix had only just awakened it spoke volumes about how weak his physique had once been.
But now—
With Big Eater, Innate Divine Strength, and Iron Balloon, Astrix had transformed completely.
From a mere bird gun into something closer to a star-destroying weapon.
His physique now rivaled that of a giant.
He was no longer the same person as before.
In high spirits, Astrix drew Musou Isshin and slashed at the top of the Poneglyph.
Crack—
A clean cut appeared instantly.
A corner of the supposedly indestructible stone tablet was neatly sliced off.
"It has to be you… You truly live up to the name of a divine weapon."
After hammering the tablet for three months without leaving a single mark, Astrix had almost believed it to be an untouchable treasure.
And yet—
One clean slash was enough.
Sheathing his blade, Astrix transformed into lightning and returned to Thunder God Palace in an instant.
A young woman of about twenty, wearing a beige short skirt, with blonde hair, long legs, a full figure, and small wings on her back, hurriedly bowed.
"Lord Thunder God."
Even that simple bow resembled a surging wave upon the sea.
Astrix quickly looked away.
I am not the Thunder God—Shani, you are the real thunderstorm here…
As the ruler of Sky Island, Astrix was surrounded by no shortage of beautiful attendants. Gan Fall had even tried to send his granddaughter to serve him.
The man's intentions had been painfully obvious.
Unfortunately, Astrix wasn't used to such luxury. Having grown up in hardship, he found it difficult to adapt.
In the end, only the sisters Shani and Sharu remained, taking turns attending to the palace.
"Lord…" Shani lowered her head.
"Because… you returned earlier than usual today, the kitchen hasn't finished preparing dinner…"
Astrix waved a hand.
"I'll take a bath first. Serve the meal at the usual time."
Then he added calmly:
"And look up when you speak in the future."
"I'm not going to eat you."
Shani pursed her lips.
Whether you will or not… that's hard to say.
You've already peeked more than once
---
Happy Reading!!!