"So when you woke up, you were already lying on the beach, and you have no idea how you got there?"
"And you're not some noble, yet everyone in your homeland dresses as extravagantly as you do?"
"And as for your kingdom, you don't even know which sea it belongs to. All you remember is that it's a massive continent with a coastline so long that people living inland might never see the ocean their entire lives?"
Sali repeated Ash's words, his voice gradually growing quieter until it faded into disbelief.
He was not the only one stunned.
Pini, Youki, and the others who had been listening nearby wore the same dazed expressions.
If the boy was telling the truth, then the kingdom Ash came from was unimaginably vast. A land so large that it possessed endless shores, yet entire populations lived their lives without ever touching the sea. Just imagining such a place was enough to overwhelm them.
After all, the largest island any of them had ever seen was the one that housed the capital of the Benbona Kingdom.
Even that island, enormous by their standards, could be traversed in little more than ten days.
"Hey, Big Brother Dicken," Ash suddenly said, snapping them out of their thoughts, "can you pass me that piece of meat with a good balance of fat and lean? The last one was too dry, my jaw's tired."
Without any formality, Ash casually slapped the shoulder of the dazed, one-eyed Dicken and pointed toward the row of roasted meat skewered over the fire.
"Ah, sure thing, Ash," Dicken replied instinctively.
He picked up a slab of grilled meat nearly the size of Ash's head, marbled beautifully with fat and lean, and handed it over before hesitating.
"Say, your name still feels strange on my tongue. How about I just call you Little Guy instead?"
Ash laughed softly as he accepted the meat.
"Thalos is my Surname, Ashton is my given name."
"If that still feels awkward, you can just call me Ash. You're all older than me anyway."
Dicken's eye widened in realization.
"So that's how it works. No wonder it sounded odd, you've been saying your full name the whole time."
"Our full names are pretty long too. Mine's Kanqi Donia Dicken."
He gestured toward the others.
"Big Brother Sali, Pini, and Youki, those are just their given names. Only the Daly brothers actually use their family name. They're called Jella, Jason, and Jack."
The Daly Brothers spoke at the same time.
"Damn it, Dicken, you mixed up the eldest and second eldest again!"
Dicken waved them off lazily.
"No, I didn't. I just said the second brother's name first."
"That's obviously an excuse!"
Pini scratched his head, suddenly thoughtful.
"Come to think of it, are names where you're from always that short? Just one for the family and one for the person? I've never heard of that."
Ash nodded while tearing into the meat.
"Mostly, yes. Though some names are longer."
"In the distant past, people favored short names because they believed simplicity carried prestige. Over time, the idea stuck, even when it stopped making sense."
"Some families still have compound surnames, and there are groups with much longer traditional names, but most people use something simple when dealing with outsiders."
When Ash finished speaking, silence settled over the camp.
He looked up and met a collection of blank, confused stares.
It dawned on him immediately.
Right, he thought, this might be a bit much for them.
"Ah!"
Pini suddenly clapped his hands.
"So you really are a noble then. Your name's short!"
Smack.
Youki's palm struck the back of Pini's head without mercy.
"Did you stuff boar hair in your ears? He said that was from ancient times."
Despite himself, Ash had to admit that Youki never missed an opportunity to humble Pini.
"Ow, damn it!" Pini yelled.
Laughter erupted around the campfire.
"Big Brother Pini's eyes are watering!" Jella laughed.
"They are not!" Pini snapped. "It's the smoke!"
"Second brother, stop talking," Jack said solemnly. "You'll just get beaten again."
"Shut up, Jack. I'm not like Youki, hitting people whenever he feels like it!"
Jason shoved a piece of food toward Pini's mouth.
"Eat this and stop embarrassing yourself. It's good for you."
Sali shook his head, amused.
"Jason, you should've given that to Jella. Milk would help his ribs heal. Stuff like this will just make him uncomfortable later."
Jack blinked.
"Huh? Why would second brother feel worse?"
Everyone answered in unison.
"Kids shouldn't butt in!"
The laughter continued.
"What a shame," Youki said with a sigh. "A night this fun, and not a drop of booze."
"Liquor costs Berries, you idiot," Pini shot back.
Sali chuckled.
"Once we turn in the bounty, I'll take everyone to the royal capital. We'll stock up on supplies, and drinks too."
"Long live Big Brother Sali!" the Daly Brothers shouted.
"I want peach wine!" Pini added eagerly.
Youki responded with a look of pure contempt.
"What's that look for?" Pini barked. "You think you're the only one allowed to drink?"
Their laughter echoed into the night.
The barbecue ended on a cheerful note, and the village gradually fell silent.
Ash was given the same log cabin as before, with Pini sleeping in the room next door.
As Diwen Village slipped back into peace, broken only by the occasional snore, Ash finally had time to focus.
It was time to design his first Devil Fruit.
The blueprint had already formed in his mind the moment he fully understood the nature of Iron Body.
Creating a Devil Fruit just to give it away would be idiotic. He was not that foolish.
Iron Body's growth potential was the foundation of his future.
Growth required energy, and immortality demanded something eternal.
The answer was obvious.
If everything depended on the sun, then he would become the sun itself.
Why chase light when you can embody it?
Ash's lips curled into a confident smile.
A Mythical Zoan, made for him alone.
He had no interest in the Pirate World's so called Sun God fruit.
Even if it were handed to him for free, he would never touch it.
The myths here were shallow, the power crude, and the price laughable.
Burning lifespan for a dramatic comeback? Pathetic.
Ash did not need miracles.
If he was strong enough, victory would be absolute.
If he was not, he would retreat and return stronger.
Charging headlong into death without securing the kill afterward was foolishness masquerading as bravery.
He had no respect for that way of thinking.
Power was meant to dominate, to erase threats completely.
Only then could true supremacy exist.
With that certainty in his heart, Ash opened the interface.
"Open the Devil Fruit editing page."
[Paramecia Fruit Edit Page]
[Logia Fruit Edit Page]
[Zoan Fruit Edit Page]
"Expand Zoan Fruit."
[Zoan Fruit Edit Page]
[Standard Type]
[Ancient Type]
[Mythical Zoan Type]
"Select Mythical Zoan."
[Mythical Zoan Edit Page]
[Design cost: 100 Energy Points]
[Requirement met]
Ash's eyes sharpened.
"Name."
"Zoan, Human Human Fruit, Mythical Type, Di Jun Form."
The moment the words left his mouth, his smile deepened.
___
Milestone
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
200 Power Stones = 3 Bonus Chapters