The Marine ship was now a tiny dot on the horizon. The tension that had filled the air during the fight with Captain Harlen slowly dissipated, replaced by the rhythmic sound of waves hitting the hull. Kai lay on the deck, staring at the sky. His body felt like lead, but his mind was racing.
'System,' Kai thought. 'Open the Map.'
[Ding! Initializing System Map... Global Coverage: 0.01%]
[Current Location: Near Reverse Mountain Entrance.]
A translucent 3D grid appeared in front of his eyes. Most of it was covered in a thick, black fog, but a small golden path was highlighted. It led toward a massive, jagged shadow—the Red Line.
"So that's it," Kai whispered. "The entrance to the graveyard of pirates."
[Notice: New Feature — Soul Tracking.]
[The Map will now highlight 'High-Quality Souls' within a 5-mile radius. High-quality souls are essential for unlocking Rank 3 Shop items.]
"You're looking at that invisible screen again," Silas said, steering the boat with one hand. "You know, back there... when you hit Harlen, you didn't just hurt his body. You shook his spirit. That's a dangerous path you're walking, kid."
Kai sat up, rubbing his sore shoulders. "It's the only path I have. In this world, if you don't have a soul-shaking power, you're just someone else's currency."
Silas went silent for a moment, then tossed a small, weathered book toward Kai. "If you're going to use that violet blade, you should at least know how to breathe. Your body is old, Kai. If you don't synchronize your breathing with your soul energy, your heart will explode before you reach Alabasta."
[Ding! Item Received: 'Breathing of the Ancient Tide' (Manual).]
[System Analysis: Learning this will stabilize your internal age and reduce the stamina cost of Soul Skills.]
Kai opened the book, but the pages were blank. Then, his system reacted.
[Requirement to read: 20 Soul Coins. Do you wish to proceed?]
Kai looked at his balance. He had just received 30 coins from the mission. "A trader never gets anything for free, does he?" Kai smiled weakly. "System, unlock it."
As he touched the pages, the ink began to move, forming images of a man standing amidst a raging ocean, perfectly still. Kai closed his eyes and tried to mimic the rhythm.
Inhale... the energy of the world. Exhale... the impurities of the flesh.
[Internal Age Stabilization: 53 Years Old (Locked).]
[Status: Soul and Body Synchronization in progress...]
Suddenly, the Map flashed red.
[Warning! High-Quality Soul detected nearby!]
[Target: 'The Forsaken Castaway'. Location: Small reef, 2 miles North.]
[Soul Grade: Rare (Emerald Green).]
Kai stood up, the exhaustion replaced by a cold, calculating focus. "Silas, change course. We have a stop to make."