The sun was radiant, its bright light upon the Solar Rift Pirates as they moved further into the open sea. The ocean stretched out before them, waves crashing rhythmically against their ship's hull, as the crew set sail for the Grand Line. But yet, despite this potential adventure, they were anchored in an age of peace—an age to focus on training and improvement.
Solian stood at the back of the ship, his eyes on the horizon. The moment of quiet was a precious thing—one that he intended to use to his benefit. Now that the bitter fight between himself and Kordak and Ragnor had passed, Solian and his crew earned their respite, but they knew well enough that their next conflicts would only grow stronger. The Grand Line was a world of chaos and danger, and they needed to be ready.
"Fine," Solian muttered to himself. "Time to work."
The System's Task
The quiet hum of the ship was interrupted by a sudden alert from the System. It had been a while since Solian had been assigned a new task, and this one piqued his interest immediately.
System Task:
"1 month of rigorous training. Make improvement in physical or Devil Fruit abilities to gain 10 System Points."
Task Details:
You must train for a month, improving either your physical attributes, Devil Fruit abilities, or Haki.
Complete a significant improvement in one of the categories to be rewarded.
After completing the task, you will receive 10 System Points, which can be used as desired.
Solian read the assignment and considered it. A month of training. It was a huge commitment, but the reward would be worth it. He'd already enhanced his skills, but he knew that in order to continue progressing at the pace needed for the challenges ahead, he couldn't let up.
"I'll take it," he whispered to himself, feeling a surge of motivation. A month to improve, and 10 System Points to bolster his strength. It was a challenge he was eager to take on.
Setting the Groundwork
The crew gathered in the ship's common area as Solian explained the System's task to them. His eyes were filled with determination as he addressed his companions.
"Alright, everyone, listen up. The System's given me a task to complete—one month of focused training to improve. That means we're going all in. It's not going to be easy, but the reward is worth it. We'll get stronger as a team, and by the end of this month, we'll be ready for whatever the Grand Line throws our way."
Vance cracked his knuckles and grinned. "You're telling me we're going to train for a whole month? Heaven to me. I've been wanting to be challenged."
Kael adjusted his glasses and appeared to consider. "One month. That's a lot of time to waste. But if we use it constructively, we could come out of this stronger than ever."
Jorin let out a deep sigh. "I'm not one for long, drawn-out training, but I'll do it. I'll focus on strengthening my strikes and endurance."
Solian nodded, seeing the determination in each of their faces. "We'll train apart, but we'll also practice together. Vance, you'll practice swordsmanship. Kael, you practice reaction time and control. Jorin, your strength is fine, but we need to refine your technique and endurance."
He hesitated for an instant, and then he redirected his thoughts toward his own practice. "Regarding myself. I'll train myself in cultivating my Haki and further developing my Devil Fruit abilities. I need a lot to improve."
The crew also agreed, and they set off to begin their month-long training process. The ship became a world of non-stop motion and activity, with all of them working to the limit, each day mounting on the previous one.
Solian's Personal Training: Haki and Devil Fruit Mastery
As days passed by, Solian threw himself into his training with unbridled passion. The past experiences had taught him exactly how important Haki was while fighting. His goal was to completely unlock Observation Haki and perhaps even enter Armament Haki, and this would take considerable time and effort.
He began with Observation Haki. Every day, he stood on the ship's edge, closed his eyes, and focused inward in meditation. He wanted to feel the presence of the world around him, to see the actions and emotions of his crew, and eventually, to react to attacks before they took place.
Initially, his attempts were erratic. He felt the air shift as Vance bore down at him with his sword, but a mere fraction of a second before the blow fell. It wasn't enough.
Solian gritted his teeth. "I have to focus more. I have to feel it coming."
Days turned into weeks as he trained his mind to home in on that inner sense. He learned to catch the subtle movements around him—the flicker of feeling beneath Kael's calm exterior, the subtle shift of Vance's sword. The more he trained, the keener his senses became.
But it was not Observation Haki that he had to train. His Devil Fruit abilities also had to be trained. Solian practiced his Solar Rift Fruit powers for several hours each day, pushing the limits and perfecting his control.
He practiced calling in solar plasma through the fissures he created, shaping it into different forms: thin columns of light, huge plasmashots, and even precise explosions. Each attack was different, and he played around with what they affected on his body stores and energy system. He learned quickly that he drained himself if he spent too much energy but that was learning to hold back.
The Training of the Crew
The crew themselves were well into their own training regimens.
Vance himself was still refining his fencing. He started sharpening his focus in training, imagining his attackers as ghosts, unpredictable in their movements, just like the powerful enemies he imagined he was fighting. His attacks became faster, smoother. He was still a little awkward, but with each day, he was becoming more of a master.
Kael, on the other hand, went on reaction training and accuracy with everything he had. Kael grabbed objects out of the air and tried to knock them out with perfect precision before objects would reach the ground. The movement wasn't that difficult, but it was a representation of Kael learning his winning advantage would be utilizing his pace and focus throughout battles.
Jorin, ever the powerhouse, concentrated on his stamina and technique. His crushing blows were all-powerful, but his endurance was lacking. He trained with a two-by-four wooden beam, employing it to simulate the weight of greater opponents. His biceps bulked up, and his stamina grew with each hour spent exercising.
The Routine: Day by Day
The days passed quickly as the crew underwent their training. The ship rocked pleasantly on the waves, and the crew members all grew increasingly stronger. Solian worked through his exhaustion, constantly practicing his Haki and Devil Fruit abilities, aware that the payoff of the System was within his grasp.
At the bow of the ship on the final day of the month, Solian felt a sense of contentment in his bones. The sun was setting, and an orange hue covered the sky.
He activated his Status Screen.
Solian Flare's Status
Devil Fruit Mastery: 43%
Devil Fruit Points: 26
Constitution: 18
Strength: 14
Agility: 20
Endurance: 16
Haki: 10
System Points: 10
He had gotten better, but it wasn't just the points he was worried about. It was the improvement he had seen within himself—his body had become more concentrated, more attuned to the world that surrounded him.
"Okay," Solian told himself, his smile widening. "Time to get going."