Chapter 4: Training and Progress

It had been two years since Alex obtained his quirk, and he had been training relentlessly during that time. His relationship with Bakugo hadn't changed much, as they continued to fight with each other most of the time. However, Bakugo's mother, Mitsuki, liked Alex and sympathized with him, appreciating his mature behavior. Anna, on the other hand, was worried about Alex. She had seen him trembling and fatigued during his training sessions, but his determination to become stronger always pushed him to complete them.

Alex was looking at the progress panel, which resembled a download bar. It had reached the point where Luffy was fighting Buggy in the Orange Town arc. Alex felt pleased with his achievements as his strength, agility, reflexes, and endurance had improved over the past two years. He also discovered that he could purchase items from his system shop. His first purchase was basic training developed by the Marines for elite troops. Alex wanted to create a mixed fighting style by combining Luffy's moves with some Navy-style techniques. He believed that these Navy moves, accumulated over centuries, would complement Luffy's simple attacks. The system labeled Alex's power as a quirk that couldn't be stolen, although it could still be restricted by quirks like Eraser Head's. Initially worried, Alex was reassured when the system explained that he would retain his physical strength and other aspects. Furthermore, in the future, he would develop the ability to resist quirks that inhibited his quirk's use by using Haki. This information relieved Alex, and his determination to become stronger increased.

While reminiscing about past events, Alex heard a ding sound in his head. Checking the system, he discovered a task assigned to him. After reaching this milestone, Alex's strength matched Luffy's during the Orange Town arc. However, his fighting experience still lagged behind. The system had a protocol in place to help its host, and as part of it, Alex would virtually fight against Buggy, controlling Luffy's body himself. Excited, Alex chose the "yes" option. Suddenly, he fell to the ground in his backyard and found himself transported into Luffy's body.

Facing Buggy without much conversation, Alex immediately attacked using Gum Gum no Pistol, aiming for Buggy's face. However, Buggy dodged the attack. When Buggy retaliated, Alex grabbed a nearby tree, launching himself towards Buggy. Alex's knee connected with Buggy's face, but the damage wasn't significant as Buggy had detached his head, minimizing the impact. Observing this, Alex's expression turned serious, realizing the fighting experience that Buggy possessed. Despite sustaining cuts and bleeding, Alex smiled because he had transitioned from merely dodging attacks to perceiving them. Stretching his foot in the air, Alex utilized the move Gum Gum no Axe to strike Buggy. Although Buggy split his body, there was a bump on his head due to Alex's heel connecting before the split. Before Buggy could recover, Alex unleashed Gum Gum no Gatling, repeatedly pummeling Buggy's bleeding face with multiple fists.

Enraged, Buggy launched both of his hands, each holding a knife. Alex narrowly dodged the attack, sprinted towards Buggy, and wrapped his stretched limbs around him. With his neck stretched, Alex headbutted Buggy, knocking him out. Gradually, Luffy's body began to break down into light particles, and with a sudden jolt, Alex woke up. He hurriedly ran to his room, where he found numerous notifications in the system. Opening the system, he was shocked to discover that he had earned 100 system points and 500kg of cooked Sea King meat which would help him grow stronger. Along with that, the system awarded him some proficiency points, which he could allocate to his moves to increase their proficiency. This idea sparked in Alex's mind, and he asked the system if he could use these points to enhance his gear once he unlocked them. Encouraged by the possibility, Alex opened his system shop to find a product that would aid him in his training. He quickly discovered a gravity bracelet priced at 100 points and instantly purchased it. The bracelet had a dial ranging from 1x to 10x, indicating that it could increase gravity up to ten times. Although Alex was a bit disappointed that it didn't go beyond that, he recognized that it was still a valuable item for 100 points, leaving him with 200 points remaining. Exhausted from his battle with Buggy, Alex fell asleep, and the next day, he woke up and prepared for the day. As he looked at himself in the mirror, he noticed that he had grown taller and his muscles had developed nicely due to his years of training. After having breakfast with Anna, he headed to school, all the while continuing his training. Time passed, and now Alex was ten years old, marking four years since his encounter with Buggy. His strength had reached a level comparable to Luffy's during his time on Little Garden. Alex was aware that his next challenge would be to face Crocodile in the coming days, as the system had informed him.

To be continued...