Marco leaned back in the cabin, slightly exasperated.
"No, you really call yourself 'Little Ai'?" he muttered.
"Didn't the Host name me 'Little Ai' before?" the system replied mechanically, its voice flat yet precise.
Marco sighed, recalling the idle moment after the Marineford War when he had jokingly suggested the name.
At the time, he had said it in passing, never expecting the system to adopt it so literally.
Shaking his head, Marco turned to the more pressing matter.
"Forget the name. I need to know—these Devil Fruit upgrade paths… can I pursue each one, or is it like a Digimon evolution where only one can be chosen?"
A pause, then the AI responded:
"I have found these for you…"
The panel returned to the Special Attributes – Devil Fruit Upgrade page.
Marco chuckled dryly.
"Heh, forget it," he muttered, deciding it was pointless to ask further.
He had wanted to know the nuances of Redemption, Undying, Impart, and Destruction, but clearly the AI wasn't going to explain.
In the novels he had read, system AIs often offered suggestions, showed emotions, or guided their users.
His AI, by contrast, was pure logic—efficient, yet cold.
Still, its cheat-level functions made it more than worth it.
For the natives of this world, even an imperfect AI like this would be godlike.
"Never mind for now," Marco muttered, scrolling to the Haki upgrade section.
"I don't have 50,000 Attribute Points for Devil Fruit upgrades anyway. I'll aim to upgrade Haki first once I have 30,000 points."
The panel displayed his current Haki options:
Conqueror's Haki (Intermediate → Advanced): 3,000 Attribute Points
Armament Haki (Top-tier → Legendary): 30,000 Attribute Points
Observation Haki (Top-tier → Legendary): 30,000 Attribute Points
The numbers made him wince.
Upgrading Haki to Legendary was no small feat.
He recalled Teacher Kai's lessons: Haki could transcend all barriers.
But what did Legendary Haki entail?
"I'll test my luck with Kaido first," Marco murmured, a determined glint in his eye.
"If I can't refine my Conqueror's Haki through battle, then I'll invest points."
He thought back to the feats of Red Hair and Joy Boy, whose Haki could nullify Devil Fruit abilities entirely.
On Egghead Island, for instance, Joy Boy's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki had disrupted the Gorosei's powers, sending four of them retreating.
Marco knew that with mastery, Haki could rival even Devil Fruits in versatility and lethality.
Satisfied with his plan, Marco shifted to the task panel, reviewing his current missions:
Revenge: Eliminate the Blackbeard Pirates to avenge Father. Reward: 10,000 Attribute Points.
Bounty: Captain Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach: 3,000 Attribute Points; Crew (Shiryu, Jesus Burgess, Doc Q, Buster Call, etc.): 500 each.
Establish Authority: Confront the Beasts Pirates' provocations. Reward: 1,500 Attribute Points.
Challenge a Four Emperors: Challenge Kaido—remain undefeated for 1 day: 1,000 points; 3 days: 2,000 points; 5 days: 3,000 points; defeat him: 10,000 points.
Kill Wang Zhi: Wang Zhi betrayed the Phoenix Pirates. Eliminate him for 2,000 points.
Surpass the Old Era: Achieve a bounty over 5,564,800,000 Berries to inherit Whitebeard's title of 'strongest man in the world.' Reward: 10,000 Attribute Points.
Marco analyzed the list.
Blackbeard's location remained unknown, making revenge challenging.
Establishing authority remained feasible despite Vista's loss at Nanku Island, though the reward was modest.
The Four Emperors challenge required him to defeat Kaido, the strongest creature of land, sea, and air, but Marco now had confidence after toppling Big Mom.
Wang Zhi, with a bounty of 2.1 billion Berries, seemed manageable given his age.
Surpassing the Old Era would be more difficult.
Even after defeating Kaido and claiming the title of 'strongest man,' achieving a bounty surpassing Roger's 5,564,800,000 Berries would remain a monumental task.
"Still, these rewards are pitifully low," Marco muttered, shaking his head.
"Even completing all tasks, I'd barely reach 30,000 points—just enough for one Haki or Devil Fruit upgrade."
He closed the system panel, a determined glint in his eyes.
"Forget rushing. I'll take it one step at a time. Focus on what I can handle now."
Now at the strength of a Strong Admiral–Emperor Level, Marco no longer felt urgency.
Outside of the mysterious Imu, few could challenge him.
Even Kaido, the so-called strongest creature of land, sea, and air, no longer posed a threat in his mind.
His path forward was clear: one task at a time, one victory at a time.
_____
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