"Thornmail?"
Nao raised an eyebrow. This stripped-down version of the gear didn't seem like pure defense—it didn't boost stats, it reflected damage.
That made it more of an offensive item.
"Actually… it might suit me pretty well."
He scratched his head, glad it landed on him. If a squishy type wore it and got a knockout blow, it'd be useless.
[Rolling…]
Before he could think more, the blue die spun again.
[Roll End — Gift Type: Egg]
"Oh?"
Nao raised an eyebrow. "Is Sadaharu finally getting a companion...?"
[You've obtained a new pet egg: White Night Hawk]
[Type: Avian]
[Description: A fierce pure-white hawk with fearsome speed and reliable combat ability in adulthood.]
[Note: Everything has two sides. This hawk's wingspan is limited—won't be suitable as a mount even when fully grown.]
["There was once a hawk named Little Luo you could sit on. This one, however, belongs on your shoulder."]
The note's second line confused Nao, but he understood it: this new pet was fast and agile—not a mount like Sadaharu.
[White Night Hawk Egg is hatching…]
[After hatching, check its stats in the pet menu.]
A soft blue glow emanated from the egg, followed by cracking. Curious peeps came from inside.
Out popped a chubby white pigeon, tilting its head and cooing softly.
Nao stared, puzzled.
A pigeon? That doesn't look like a young hawk… Did the system mess up?
Thankfully, there was pet tab information to cross-reference. He immediately opened it to see what went wrong.
[Name: Undecided]
[Species: White Night Hawk (Pigeon Form)]
[Strength: 2]
[Agility: 3]
[Stamina: 8]
[Intelligence: 4]
[Charm: 8]
[Recommended Role: Cute Bringer / Message Carrier]
A bird that can switch forms? Meanwhile, I can't even do that… Damn!
"Well, at least let's name you…"
Nao stared at the round little pigeon. After a moment, he sighed:
"Fine. You'll be Little Luo—just like the note says."
It was a good birdy pairing name.
Little Luo cooed twice and nuzzled his palm—not sure if it understood but nodded anyway.
"Alright, now… what's with that pigeon face? Can you switch forms already, or only when you mature?"
Little Luo cocked its head thoughtfully. A second later, white light shone, and the pigeon transformed.
In moments, an elegant white hawk with half-meter wingspan stood before Nao—powerful muscles, razor-sharp eyes, gorgeous plumage. One flap of its wings sent a streak of white light across Nao's eyes before it landed on his shoulder.
"Wow."
He admired the hawk—didn't know if it was the looks or the speed that impressed him more.
He checked the pet menu again:
[Species: White Night Hawk (Hawk Form)]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 15]
[Stamina: 8]
[Intelligence: 4]
[Charm: 10]
[Suggested Role: Precision Strikes / Reconnaissance]
"Damn…"
Even prepared, Nao was struck by those stats—Agility 15 as a hatchling? He'd only had that when defeating the Giant Bear Sano! Charm, too, was high—but reasonable for a pet tied to its owner.
Some people complain their pets get uglier. Maybe they should reflect on their own looks instead.
"Okay, system wasn't exaggerating…"
He stroked the hawk's head.
"Kid, you're amazing right out of the egg. I can't wait to see how much stronger you'll get."
Little Luo nestled by Nao's neck, clearly enjoying the affection.
He smiled—this felt like the best reward from the three A-rank boxes so far.
"Let's switch you back."
After cooing with Little Luo some more, Nao made a decision:
"You'll stay in pigeon form while we're out and about—less conspicuous. Switch to hawk form when it's time to fight or scout."
Smart move. Use stealth over brute strength. It could sneak and strike when least expected.
He then opened the system panel to review his own stats after the month-long grind and training.
Both Agility and Stamina had increased by around 20–30%. On paper, a one-point boost each.
Points were flowing, and his urge to invest them was reigniting. Each +1 now cost 50,000 points—steep, but he had over 200k.
So…
After a moment of thought, he spent 100,000 points—adding +1 to both Strenght and Stamina.
He then shelled out 30,000 points to upgrade "Iron Head" from Beginner to Intermediate. Next step would cost 100,000 points—not urgent yet, so he delayed it.
So, just like he did with "Tough Skin," he chose to set it aside for now, deciding it wouldn't be too late to upgrade it when it became a necessity in the future.
Points flowed out like water, and in an instant, only 92,000 remained.
However, his Stats panel was also completely refreshed, looking like this:
[Name: Natsuya Nao]
[Age: 19]
[Strength: 23]
[Agility: 22 (+2)]
[Stamina: 24]
[Intelligence: 9]
[Charm: 13]
[Points Remaining: 92,000]
[Skills]
Dual-Sword (Intermediate)
Rokushiki (Intermediate)
Firearms (Advanced)
Close-Quarters Combat (Intermediate)
Discipline (Master)
Armament Haki (Intermediate)
Observation Haki (Beginner)
Painting (Advanced)
Fishing (Master)
[Talents]
Radiant Smile
Thick Skin (Intermediate)
Iron Head (Intermediate)
Limb Regeneration
Compared to a month ago, his strength had almost universally improved by a small margin.
After accumulating rich combat experience, his Close-Quarters Combat skill had also quietly broken through, reaching Intermediate.
Nao recalled his battle with Mihawk Missaya a month ago. Although he had been on top throughout, it had still taken some effort to secure the victory.
But if he were to duel a Great Pirate of that level now, he was confident he could resolve the battle and utterly defeat them in mere minutes, almost overwhelmingly!
—Shiryu's Diary—
Day 31 at G6 Branch—Cloudy.
I saw her again today. She didn't say anything, but I could tell she doesn't like the smell of smoke.
After much hesitation, I've made a decision:
—Starting today, I will quit smoking.
Yeah, something like that should be easy for someone as determined as me.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin