《Reincarnated With the Book of Knowledge》 Volume 1 - CH 1 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// Baltigo Island, the Land of White Soil. The dust and sand barriers in the sky made this place isolated from the rest of the world. Only a few people know that this place is the headquarters of the most mysterious organization in the world; The Revolutionary Army. Baltigo is not just a base, it is a residential area for this organization, habitant by the members of the revolutionary army and orphans, who were heading there from all over the world seeking basic training and ideological education. On the street, Rhodes lined up with a bunch of other people to get the latest newspaper. (T/N: Rhodes Will be the name of the MC, It¡¯s actually very cool because he¡¯s named after a beautiful, and historical Greek Island.) There was a huge headline on the first page of the newspaper: <> ¡°Ace, White Beard¡­¡± Rhodes¡¯s eyes widened the moment he read this news, he knew it was just a matter of time before Ace becomes the 2nd Division Commander. It has been three months since he came to this world. And this wasn¡¯t the first time that Rodhes read about something that happened in this world similar to events that occurred in the Original. Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but feel the urgency of becoming stronger. The year was 1520 only a few years before Luffy leaves his hometown and becomes a Pirate. Rhodes was originally a medical college student who was about to graduate. He was a Gamer/Otaku and watching Anime and playing games is how he spent most of his days, the reason why he ended up in this world is mysterious even to him. He accidentally crossed over to this world and found himself in a sixteen-year-old young man¡¯s body with the same name; Rhodes. At first, he was confused and didn¡¯t know where he was; he was on the edge of losing his mind. Later, as he was wandering the island, he accidentally heard some folks talking about ¡°The Yonko White Beard¡± and ¡°Gol D Roger¡±. At that moment he realized that he had crossed over to One Piece¡¯s World. Moreover, he ended up being in Baltigo; the Headquarters of the Revolutionary Army. Fortunately, his modern medical skills played a great part to settle and gain a foothold in Baltigo. As he was roaming while thinking about what happened to him, he came to an open area. There he saw a small, cute girl, standing right in front of him. ¡°Koala.¡± After he saw that girl, Rhodes stopped and said: ¡°Here you go, this is the newspaper of this week.¡± The girl¡¯s name was Koala, she was a member of the revolutionary army, and she was helping the orphans here with their physical training. She is about 19 years old, and her height was about 160 centimeters the same as the Original. In this world where we have giant people such as Doflamingo or Garp, she¡¯s considered a short, short person, however; in this world, height wasn¡¯t that important. Koala took the newspaper then looked at Rhodes and smiled: ¡°Thank You.¡± ¡°Are you practicing your swordsmanship again today?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Rhodes nodded lightly. If you look at this world from Luffy¡¯s crew¡¯s perspective it will look a bit bloody, but also full of joy, but in fact, this world is full of darkness and cruelty. The so-called great pirate era is actually a troubled one. The Heroes and Villains are fighting for the top seats of the world, and the weak and hopeless people can only suck it up in silence. Rhodes was one of those people, his physical talent was laughable; he was born weak, even weaker than some of the orphans in this place. Rhodes, who was a reincarnated person, wasn¡¯t really happy about this. This is the world of pirates, a world where only strong people can live in it, a world that has Demon Fruits, giants as big as a mountain, and swordsmen that can cut through everything, a world that only the thoughts of living in it makes your heart¡¯s beat rises. And here he was¡­ an ordinary person! What a pity! Rhodes happened to be a bodybuilder in his past life, the moment he learned about this world, he start a hell of training with the thought that this world doesn¡¯t work like the actual one and he will gain a superpower that will make him kill an opponent with one punch! Yet no matter how hard he trained, his physical power didn¡¯t improve much. According to this progress, he will only be as strong as your everyday pirate with a low bounty on the head. Rhodes knew everything about this world, still being weak didn¡¯t help him accomplish anything. Fortunately. One day Rhodes decided to practice his one sword-style swordsmanship, and fortune suddenly smiled at him. ¡­¡­¡­. One day, after he slowly picked up the sword practicing, Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly, and when his thought moved, a hazy space appeared in front of him that only he could see. In this empty hazy space, a quaint, ancient-looking, book was suspended in the air. This ancient mythical Book was representing his good fortune. The moment Rhodes noticed it, something similar to a property bar popped up in front of him. Level One: Book of Knowledge (not meeting the upgrade requirements) Attribute: Intelligence +1 Talent: Swordsmanship Specialist: A combination of Human and Sword¨C¨C Your understanding of swordsmanship will be greatly improved! Your Savvy for swordsmanship will be greatly improved! Energy: 100/100 ¡°What should I do next? The energy is already full.¡± Looking at this property bar, Rhodes blinked helplessly. There wasn¡¯t any kind of instruction for Rhodes included in this system; he needed to discover everything by himself. He learned after a while that Energy comes from fighting or practicing. From scratch, Rhodes worked hard for three months to gain a hundred energy point, with the thought that he will get stronger after that and kicks butts. Unexpectedly, after he filled the energy bar, an unexplained advanced condition was added to the Book. Rhodes was certain that if he advances to the next level he will truly have the foundation to become stronger. So far, Rhodes couldn¡¯t find any way to level up which made him somewhat helpless. However. Although the advanced conditions were confusing, the abilities provided by the Book of Knowledge were still very powerful. His Intelligence attribute was somewhat confusing too; +1¡­ Is this attribute related to the person¡¯s IQ? Because, even if he¡¯s not a genius, he¡¯s also not that stupid, he should at least have more than one point right? Later. Rhodes finally understood that this was a bonus added to the attribute the same as a lot of games he played before. This increase of one attribute point represents 1.5 times the previous one! This improved Rhodes¡¯ accuracy of observation, and he become better at learning new abilities. At the same time, this is helped him recall a lot of the forgotten knowledge that he have learned in his past life, which made his medical skills advance by leaps and bounds, surpassing many of the old wise doctors in Baltigo, and made him a very famous name in the island. As for his talent for swordsmanship, it was even more powerful. Swordsmanship in this world is quite simple, if you want to become stronger, there were actually no secrets to it. You just need to keep waving and slashing day after day, for a few years, or even for decades with great perseverance. Then maybe you will get to take a glimpse at the mysteries of swordsmanship. However, the swordsmanship specialist Talent from the Book of Knowledge completely broke this concept. In less than three months, Rhodes became a very strong swordsman. If it weren¡¯t for his weak body, he would have been even stronger! Whoosh! Rhodes waved his wooden sword and an energy-cut sword flew out slamming a practicing wooden stake in front of him with a bang. Obviously, the power used wasn¡¯t strong enough because he was using a wooden sword, still, that attack left some traces on the stake. ¡°What is the Rhythm of All Things?¡± Entering the state of full focus, Rhodes¡¯ mind was extremely clear, and there was nothing besides his sword in his heart. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! His sword suddenly moved along with a loud roar. The cuts were falling on the stakes like a waterfall, while Rhodes kept waving his sword from every possible angle. His movements were extremely elegant, and precise like a machine, representing the coexisting of beauty and strength. Koala who was watching him couldn¡¯t help but nod lightly. ¡°Although his physical qualities are a bit poor, his swordsmanship talent is enough to turn the scales. He¡¯s leaving me with no choice but to include his name in the assessment that will take place later.¡± Volume 1 - CH 2 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// Rhodes didn¡¯t pin his hopes on the other talents that may or may not be offered by the book of knowledge. He¡¯s a pragmatic person, who believes that only the power that is actually in his hands¡¯ matters. Therefore, after he opened the sword specialist talent, he has been insisting on practicing his swordsmanship all the time. In addition to his medical work, he spent the rest of his time practicing swordsmanship. After clearing his mind and gradually regaining his focus, he locked his thought on his inner power which granted him that feeling of incomparable concentration. For a moment, the world in his view has changed and lost its colors turning into a black and white one, yet everything was pulsating in it. It was just an ordinary slash at that moment, but it was more than enough to cut the wooden stake into two halves. Unfortunately, during these three months, apart from that one-time incident, he has never been able to enter that state again. Afterward, he recalled some events from the original and felt that it was very similar to what Zoro used to defeat Mr.1. ¡°Rhythm of All Things¡­ It can greatly enhance the damage dealt by the simple slash, and at the same time, it can also be used to defend against the Flying Slash Attacks, which is the sword energy.¡± ¡°Only when you clear your heart and focus on the sword, you will reach that kind of state¡­¡± Rhodes thought quietly while practicing. He asked Koala, the smart and lovely girl was very smart, and gave him a clearer answer. The Rhythm of All things is very mysterious, but in essence, it is an unparalleled state of concentration. In this state, the swordsmen can actually feel the rhythm of all things, and following that rhythm, even a rusted iron sword can through steel! ¡­¡­¡­ After half an hour. Feeling numbs from all his body and especially from his arms was a sign for Rhodes to stop practicing his swordsmanship and find a place to rest. ¡°My body is still too weak¡­¡± While heavily breathing Rhodes tried to relax his muscles, then closed his eyes and quietly recalled his last training session. A great swordsman, will not just rest, and will try to detect and correct every slight mistake in his swordsmanship practice, maximizing the effect of each exercise season to the extreme. Ordinary people will perhaps need two days or even a few more of unstopped training in to form muscle memory. But Rhodes only needs one to two hours, thanks to this method, which makes the difference in efficiency huge. ¡°Rhodes, I think you should take part in the assessment that will take place later.¡± Rhodes suddenly realized that Koala was standing next to him, and the whole time she was talking about something. ¡°Joining what?¡± Rhodes turned his head and looked at her curiously. ¡°The assessment of the reverse force. It will probably include two tests, the physical power test, and actual combat strength. The qualified ones will join the reverse force of the Revolutionary Army and receive further training.¡± Koala said with a smile. As an instructor of basic physical training, she¡¯s not only responsible for training people, but also shoulders the responsibility of discovering new talents. The revolutionary army is not like the world government or the marine. anyone can be recruited immediately, Koby could join them easily after all. The Revolutionary Army can only rely on individuals all over the world to actively seek and recruit potential newcomers, but this way of course is inefficient and can cause spies to get into their system. Fortunately, the leader of the Revolutionary army, Monkey D.Dragon is a very foresighted leader. Since the foundation of the Revolutionary army, he pursued a firm policy for newcomers. They start collecting orphans from all over the world and bring them to Baltigo for training, these kids who were raised at the Revolutionary Army headquarters will undoubtedly grow to be the freshest and most trustworthy blood of the Revolutionary army. Therefore; they don¡¯t really have to worry about loyalty issues. ¡°Further training?¡± Rhodes didn¡¯t really care about joining, but he was a little eager for further training. Practicing alone has never been a problem, but he won¡¯t mind having a better sword too. Without mentioning the advanced physical training he will gain, as well as more abilities he might obtain after joining the Revolutionary Army. In a world where the pirates dominate, it¡¯s basically impossible to survive alone. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Rhodes said. ¡°Don¡¯t get all worked up and screw this up for yourself, you might struggle in the first test, but you will be fine once you take the actual combat test,¡± Koala said with a smile. She seems to be enjoying this! Rhodes nodded slightly, then he focused on resting. He wasn¡¯t afraid, but Rhodes didn¡¯t like the idea of doing something he was not sure about. Time gradually passed by. Today seems to be a special day. Rhodes could recognize a lot of people he saw around the place. Most of these people were residents on the island. This island was the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army. Questioning the fact that the children on this island will become members of the Revolutionary Army is like questioning the blue color of the sky. Of course, none of them will end up joining the navy! Many people saw Rhodes standing with a sword in his hand and greeted him with a smile. The name Doctor Rhodes was very famous in Baltigo after all. There were also many young girls who secretly looked at him from a distance with a blush on their cheeks. Rhodes was a handsome guy in his past life, and crossing over to this world didn¡¯t cost him his good-looking face. He¡¯s like an idol on this island. Although this world has all kinds of disasters, illnesses, diseases, ugly people, broken systems, pirates, and killers, Rhodes came to a strange conclusion after he lived in it for a while; this world is eye-catching. Everyone dares to recognize the first, but there weren¡¯t many people who dared to recognize the second. The physical recovery of the people in this world is very strange. When Rhodes watched the anime before, he often saw how the protagonists sometimes suffer serious injuries; however, after sleeping and eating for a day they will just go back to normal life as if nothing has happened. Unfortunately, Rhodes didn¡¯t have such monstrous physical power. But he prepared a lot of high-energy dried meat. In this world, this kind of thing contains extremely rich energy and nutrition, which is much better than having a Red Bull. In just ten minutes, Rhodes could feel all the pain and exhaustion from his previous training session were gone, and he was ready to go at it again. Gradually, the crowd in the training field started to calm down, and silence controlled the place. The crowd that was standing on the edge of the field looked excited and full of curiosity watching the strange equipment they prepared for the test in the middle of the field. ¡°Is this the Doriki device that can measure the person¡¯s Power Level?¡± Rhodes narrowed his eyes. The Doriki system in the original was rather vague. The Doriki level for a regular marine soldier with a gun is about ten points, a Doriki of 500 or higher is classified as superhuman, Rob Lucci, who is known to be the CP9¡¯s strongest in past eight hundred years, had 4000 Doriki. I wonder what are the requirements for joining the reverse force of the Revolutionary Army? It should be relatively high, after all, a member of the Revolutionary army needs to be strong so he could successfully do his quests. No one has spoken a word before the test. Under the resolute arrangement of Koala, the test immediately began. And Rhodes, who was watching from the side, finally understood what she meant by the physical power test. Volume 1 - CH 3 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// The Doroki value is a manifestation of comprehensive quality, which is mainly divided into two categories. Physique-related qualities such as strength, speed, and fighting ability. There is also the mastery of weapons, including weapons such as swords, spears, swords, and sticks, or elemental weapons such as the manipulation of fire. After combining all of these qualities, and after careful evaluation, they measure The Doroki¡¯s level of a person. ¡°Ed, The Doroki Level is 197, unqualified.¡± A revolutionary army agent in a cloak said expressionlessly. That young man named Ed clenched his fists, with a face full of unwillingness; he was almost there! And hearing this data, the crowd was also in a commotion. ¡°One hundred and ninety-seven? It¡¯s almost two hundred.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity.¡± ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter, Ed will be able to pass next time.¡± Koala¡¯s expression was gentle, and when Ed walked out of the square in a lost voice, she encouraged him in a cheerful tone. I don¡¯t know what to say, but when I saw the lost young Ed, he was instantly excited and full of fighting spirit. ¡°Is the requirements two hundred points?¡± Seeing this scene, Rhode frowned slightly. The high-intensity sword practice has made Rhodes¡¯ physical strength a bit better, especially his arm strength which has been greatly enhanced but compared to others, the gap is still very clear. Time passed by. Most of the boys and girls who came to the test were below 200, and they did not meet the passing threshold, so they left the stage sadly. Only a small number of people exceeded 200, and those who exceeded 300 were less than five people, and they were also all in their early 30s. Of course, these people were very excited, but they all pretended not to care, squinting, and enjoying the envious eyes of their peers while acting proud like roosters. At this moment, a slightly surprised voice suddenly came from the field. ¡°Rez, The Doriki Level is three hundred and eighty-seven, excellent!¡± Three hundred and eighty-seven?! This is close to the superhuman¡¯s level! the people around couldn¡¯t help but turn their heads to look. They saw a sturdy young man with a cold look on his face, standing proudly. He was 2.2 meters tall, with bulging muscles all over his body, exuding an extremely ferocious wildness, like a ferocious beast in the jungle. At this time, facing everyone¡¯s astonished eyes, Rez was very calm, as if all of this was expected. ¡°Although he¡¯s really powerful, this guy¡­ really deserves a beating.¡± On the side, someone was talking in a low voice. Originally, everyone¡¯s grades were about the same, and they weren¡¯t too high. Suddenly this guy named Rez came out, and his Doroki Level was almost double the requirements! Such a crushing achievement naturally stole all the limelight, and the girls¡¯ eyes were locked on his body, which made the teenagers reconcile. Rhodes¡¯ expression fluctuated a little, but he soon calmed down. His kinds are just punchable characters who couldn¡¯t live for one or two episodes. Earlier when contenders walked up to the test, they were either unwilling or contented, but because of Rez¡¯s top-notch results, most of the people who passed later were dull and did not cause any disturbance. Soon, it was Rhodes¡¯ turn, which made the onlookers look a bit more interested. ¡°Hey, Dr. Rhodes is also going to take the test?¡± ¡°He is so weak, how can he pass.¡± ¡°Not necessarily. I watched him practice swordsmanship recently, and he looks very well-organized.¡± There was a lot of chattering. Because of his unique medical skills, Rhodes was quite famous in Baltigo, so many people turned their attention to him. Rhodes slowly came to the square, and the agent on the side said lightly to him: ¡°Just punch with all your strength and hit the target.¡± ¡°OK.¡± Rhode nodded slightly, then took a deep breath. Only by entering the revolutionary army and relying on such great forces, one can obtain the most important training knowledge. To become stronger! Rhodes, who stood in front of the boxing target, his feet suddenly exerted force, his body turned slightly, and a powerful force burst out from his waist and crotch and instantly channeled through into his arm. For a moment Rhode¡¯s fist that was piercing the air, looked as if it was the tip of a sword, and with a loud bang, his fist hit the target. After throwing this punch, Rhode¡¯s eyes lit up slightly. ¡°It feels very good, and all of the strength was all out.¡± Rhodes doesn¡¯t know boxing, so he felt that a simple fist might not have enough explosive power. Therefore he directly used the straight thrust technique, which has the greatest explosive power in swordsmanship, and stabbed with his fist as if it was a sword, and it really worked out good. ¡°Explosive, pass.¡± On the side, the agent was a bit surprised. He was a full-fledged member of the Revolutionary Army. An agent like him is powerful and has a good eye. It is natural for him to notice that Rhodes¡¯ technique helped him exude all of his strength in that punch, which was really good. ¡°The technique is very good, but remember not to lose your body¡¯s center of gravity in order to exert all the strength.¡± ¡°In that case, the gain outweighs the loss.¡± The recorder nodded slightly at Rhodes. ¡°Um.¡± Rhodes nodded slightly. It was a pity. Explosive power can be tricky, but Rhodes managed to get great results. However, in other physical tests such as speed and resistance, Rhodes showed his true shape, and he failed in all of them. Fortunately, he had expected it, so he didn¡¯t care. After repeatedly failing, people quickly lost interest in Rhodes and stopped paying attention. The agent was rather kind and comforted Rhodes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, physical growth depends on accumulation over time. You are still young, eat more, and exercise for three years or five years. And you will hit the standard.¡± The children¡¯s comforting tone he used has left Rhodes a little a bit dumbfounded. He wasn¡¯t expecting his physical fitness to reach the standard from the beginning. After all, he has only been in this world for three months. How can he catch up with his peers who have been exercising since childhood? He is exercising, and so are the others. ¡°I can still pass the test.¡± Hearing the agent¡¯s tendency to talk at length, Rhode hurriedly said, of course, he has self-confidence, and this self-confidence comes from his level of swordsmanship mastery. But the recorder didn¡¯t know. Looking at Rhode¡¯s confident face, he couldn¡¯t help shaking his head slightly; he wanted to say something, but in the end, he decided not to say anything. He really didn¡¯t want to hurt Rhodes¡¯ feelings. With Rhodes¡¯ poor performance in terms of physical fitness, unless his weapon mastery is on the charts, it is impossible to reach the level of 200 points. Rhodes finally finished the first test, and it was time for the second. The weapon mastery test is not about measuring the mastery of every weapon, because that would be unrealistic. Generally speaking, everyone has a weapon that they are good at using. Of course, Rhodes chose the sword. It¡¯s a real sword. The sword¡¯s blade was sharp, with a cold metallic texture, shining in the sunlight. When Rhodes held the hilt, his aura suddenly changed. Normally, he is very gentle and polite since he is a doctor who saves people¡¯s lives. But at this time, his eyes looked sharp and cold, giving people chills on the back of their necks. The agent suddenly felt that aura, and it wasn¡¯t any different from the powerful swordsmen he had seen before. ¡°How is it possible, how old is he, how can he be compared with masters of swordsmanship?¡± The agent looked stunned for a moment, then he regained his focus and shook his head, it should be an illusion. Whoosh! Rhodes stomped hard on the ground and suddenly rushed out. In mid-air, as he was rushing to hit the target, the look in his eyes changed again, and it looked even sharper than before. His mind quickly condensed and locked all of his focus on the blade. As if only the sword was in his heart, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, and he waved it with great force. Whoosh! There was a tearing sound in the air. Under the unbelievable gaze of the agent, the sharp blade, like a knife cutting butter, instantly cut off the black stone used for testing, and then without stopping, continued to cut the wooden shelf underneath it into two pieces! Crack! The wooden shelf could no longer bear the weight it should be bearing, and it shattered violently. Immediately afterward, the black stone that was broken in two on it also slammed to the ground with a rumbling sound. ¡°This¡­¡­¡± Seeing this astonishing scene, the agent¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets, while his face was full of disbelief. This black stone is very resistant. Although it is not as good as steel, it is still the main material used to build the fortress base! And with Rhodes¡¯ power, he could cut it off with a single cut, doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ ¡°This is a true swordsman¡¯s slash!¡± The way the agent looked at Rhodes changed completely. Even Koala, who has been watching from a distance, looked in disbelief. Although she knew that Rhodes¡¯ swordsmanship was very strong, she did not expect that he has reached such a stage. ¡°This guy is only sixteen years old¡­¡± The corner of Koala¡¯s mouth twitched; a sixteen-year-old swordsman. Volume 1 - CH 4 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// With an indifferent expression on his face, Rhodes stood with the sword in his hand. This is the second time he has entered this extremely wonderful state. Last time it passed away in a flash, this time he could feel it well. It was as if everything between heaven and earth was completely silent, with nothing in between, only the sound of his own heartbeat could be heard. ¡°Is this the Breath of All Things??¡± At first, there was a touch of surprise in Rhodes¡¯ heart, but he quickly managed to regain his calm. It seems that in this state, the whole person¡¯s emotional awareness is highly concentrated, and it is difficult to be disturbed by other factors. ¡°I focused my mind and all my senses on the black stone, so I can cut it. I must try something else.¡± He began to try to focus his mind on other objects. It seemed to be faint, and he could some breathing, from things such as wood, stone, ground, etc. ¡°Is this the so-called Observation Haki?¡± Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of doubt. This feeling was too similar to the description of the Observation Haki. Just when he was about to comprehend it, there were sudden bursts of unbelievable exclamations from the outside world, because the agent calculated Rhodes¡¯ achievements and revealed that Rhodes was qualified to become a soldier in the revolutionary army reserve force. His Doriki Strength value is two hundred and forty-nine! This wasn¡¯t a low value. Among the people who passed this test, he¡¯s considered to be in the top middle of the list. ¡°How is this possible?!¡± ¡°This is not right.¡± Naturally, people couldn¡¯t believe it, and there was an uproar. Everyone saw Rhodes¡¯ physical fitness test just now. It stands to reason that someone with weak physical standards cannot have such a high Doriki Strength value. If it wasn¡¯t for everyone who knew Rhodes¡¯ identity, they would have all suspected that someone was cheating. Everyone muttered, but no one dared to raise doubts in public. Either way, there will be an actual combat test later. And Rhodes will end up being challenged by someone else and will have to prove his worth then. As for the broken black stone, if they didn¡¯t see it with their own eyes, no one would have thought that Rhode did it. Rhodes didn¡¯t care about any of that. After he withdrew from the state of concentration, he quickly found a stone bench outside the square and sat down, then he began to reminisce about the brief moment of concentration he experienced just now. After this sudden incident, Rhodes gained some understanding of the breath of all things. He should be able to enter it directly next time when it¡¯s needed. This is the true strength of the talent of swordsmanship specialists. He can quickly learn and master anything related to swordsmanship. At this moment, Koala came over and whispered: ¡°You surprised me.¡± ¡°It just happened to break out. I don¡¯ have such a strength usually.¡± Rhode shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a great achievement anyway. This is the profound meaning of cutting iron with a wooden sword that can only be understood by swordsmen. It seems that your swordsmanship talent is very high.¡± Koala said with a smile, but there was a look of inquiry in the depths of her eyes. ¡°Of course.¡± Rhodes¡¯ eyes flashed, and he said with a smile, ¡°You know that use scalpel, right?¡± ¡°When I use my scalpel, my cut is very stable and accurate.¡± ¡°Therefore, when I came into contact with the sword, I realized that I was really suitable for swordsmanship, and I learned it easily.¡± Just blame it on talent, it¡¯s not a shocking thing anyway. ¡°So it¡¯s talent, huh?¡± Koala didn¡¯t have any doubts, she just asked subconsciously. After she got an acceptable answer, she didn¡¯t go into further details. ¡°But you need to be careful, someone will challenge you later.¡± The so-called actual combat test is not actually for the likes of Rhodes, who have a qualifying Doroki Value, but to give people with less than 200 Doroki Strength a chance, a chance to challenge Rhodes, and the others to prove their worth. After all, the Doroki Strength value cannot represent the actual combat power. If you can defeat them, it will naturally mean that you have the standards to join the reserve force. When Koala asked Rhodes to take part in the test, she was actually thinking about his chances to qualify using this method. Swordsmanship is the best at actual combat. When fighting, the sword is the most feared existence. Often, the weak can defeat the strong. ¡°Um.¡± Rhode nodded calmly but didn¡¯t seem like he cared much. If he can¡¯t even beat these people who are not even good to qualify, he should find a piece of tofu earlier and kill him. Rhodes was one of the last people, so after he finished the test, the power test was over soon. ¡°The list of those who passed has now been announced, then¡­ the next step is the actual combat test.¡± Koala¡¯s voice attracted everyone¡¯s attention. And almost in the next instant, a series of sounds rang out. ¡°I, Ed, challenge Rhodes!¡± ¡°I, Leif, challenge Rhodes!¡± ¡­¡­ This sudden scene caught Koala a little off guard, why so many people are challenging him? But when she thought about it, she understood and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Although the Doroki Strength value cannot fully represent the combat effectiveness, it can also reflect a large part of it. Usually, not many people chose to challenge, because of the big gap in the Doroki Strength of two hundred or so. But Rhodes is different. Everyone has seen with their own eyes that in the physical fitness test, Rhodes only barely passed in terms of strength, and in the other physical qualities such as speed and resistance his results were average. It might be true that his weapon mastery is a little high, but how high can it be? This is a chance that should not be missed. If you miss this rare chance now, you will have to wait another year, so everyone is rushing to fight Rhodes since each person who passes can only be challenged three times. Looking at this scene, the rest of the boys and girls who passed the test glanced at Rhodes from the corner of their eyes, waiting to watch a show. The few other people with barely 200 Doroki, breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Rhodes has passed too. This time, there are quite a few people with a Doroki value close to 200. If they were to be challenged, they may get capsized! ¡°So troublesome.¡± In the crowd, Rhode pouted, it¡¯s not good to be too low-key after all. ¡°It seems that it is necessary to work on your reputation too.¡± Walking out of the crowd, Rhodes held the practice sword and slowly came forward. Glancing at the excited teenagers across from him, Rhodes fell silent and decided to shock them. ¡°You can come at me one by one¡­¡± ¡°Or do you wanna come together?¡± As soon as these words came out, the fiery emotions in the audience stagnated slightly, and then there was an uproar. Everyone looked at this slightly skinny boy in white with incredible eyes, as if they didn¡¯t know him before. ¡°I¡¯ll come first!¡± While the others were still in shock, a voice suddenly sounded, and at the same time, a kid took a step forward and came to the center of the arena. ¡°Bastard, this guy Edd got ahead of us.¡± When Leif and the others came back to their senses, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a little annoyed. Edd looked a little bit too confident, it seemed as if he had defeated Rhodes and already joined the reverse forces. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dr. Rhodes, I also want to be a reservist.¡± Edd apologist respectfully, but his expression was very firm. Obviously, he wouldn¡¯t miss out on this opportunity, even if Rhodes treated his injuries countless times. ¡°If you beat me, you will naturally be a reservist.¡± Rhodes stood in the center with a sword in hand and an extremely calm expression on his face. Volume 1 - CH 5 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// ¡°Sorry.¡± Ed¡¯s expression became stern and his eyes solemn. Even if Rhodes¡¯s qualification was a bit odd, he should never be underestimated. After the presiding revolutionary army agent announced the start of the fight, Ed charged toward Rhodes. Whoosh! Ed¡¯s weapon was a practice sword. When he charged with the sword in both hands, he came right in front of Rhodes, then he waved it straight down, with an astonishing sound of breaking through the air and fierce energy, which made the surrounding teenagers secretly astonished. The strength of his slash is incisive. In the field, Rhode stood there unhindered. When the blade came close to hitting him, he suddenly strike out with the sword. His sword moved silently when it came out and suddenly looked like it was there for a long time. Only the sound of ¡°chi¡± was heard. Obviously, the two were using practice swords, and the materials are the same, but when the swords collided, Edd¡¯s practice sword instantly broke into two pieces and fell to the ground with a clang. Ed was shocked! At this moment, the entire square was as silent as death. Everyone stared at the sword on the ground in astonishment. ¡°This this¡­¡­¡± The teenagers like Leif who wanted to challenge Rhodes couldn¡¯t believe it. The material of the practice sword should be extremely hard, with extremely high durability, and you shouldn¡¯t encounter any problems while using it for three years or even five years. ¡°It¡¯s really a swordsman-level cut.¡± After confirming it again, Koala still couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. With a real sword finally in his hand, Rhodes¡¯ techniques are enough to be called a swordsman, but he should be the weakest swordsman in history because his strength is too weak. Rhodes deliberately went after Edd¡¯s sword, so he did not continue to attack, and stood quietly in place staring down at him. ¡°Do you still want to fight?¡± He opened his mouth with a smile, but that looked like a devil smile in Edd¡¯s eyes. Eddie obviously couldn¡¯t accept this completely unexpected result. He firmly held the half-cut sword in his hand and raised it again. However, before his broken sword could complete its motion, the practice sword in Rhodes¡¯ hand was gently pressed against his throat. Bang! The half-cut sword hit the ground. Feeling the coldness in the throat, Edd fell into an ice cellar, and when he finally woke up, a look of fear and disbelief was in his eyes. Seeing this scene, the revolutionary army agent in charge shook his head and announced the result. ¡°Rhodes wins!¡± Seeing this, Rhode lightly retracted his practice sword, then glanced at the teenagers on the opposite side, and said, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Do you still want to challenge me?¡± Obviously, it was just a very flat tone, but teenagers such as Leif on the opposite side seemed to be greatly stimulated. At this time, they could notice that the incision of the half-cut sword was extremely neat, and it looked as if it had been cut by the Supreme Sword. Such a terrifying slash clearly exceeded everyone¡¯s imagination. Leif and the others don¡¯t even know what kind of power is needed to achieve this level, even Reiz, who has a Doroki value of 387, wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. Moreover, Edd¡¯s Doroki Strength is one hundred and ninety-seven; he is only a little short! Reiz, who has always maintained a masterful demeanor up until now, couldn¡¯t help but look at Rhodes with a look of fear because even he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop that slash, but thinking about it again Rhodes¡¯ speed was weak, so Reiz was not afraid. ¡°Shut up.¡± Seeing those people on the opposite side resolutely admit their loss, Rhodes shook his head in pity. This feeling of severing everything with a sword is really good. ¡°It took me some time to enter it.¡± ¡°In a real battle, there won¡¯t be such a gap.¡± Rhodes returned to his place and thought quietly. He still had to practice more. He must be able to enter that state of concentration at will in any situation. As Rhodes retreated, Leif and the others on the opposite side finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued to challenge, but most of them ended in failure, and very few people managed to win. People who lose the challenge will not be disqualified, but their faces will be a little embarrassed. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it.¡± In the end, Koala said with a smile: ¡°After this final round, there are 31 people who have become reservists this time, Rez, Rhodes¡­ Barry, congratulations on becoming reservists.¡± There was a commotion in the square. Those who passed were happy and satisfied. The rest of the people also applauded in celebration. In Baltigo, being able to become a member of the revolutionary army reserve force is undoubtedly a bright thing, and it is also a representative of strength and worth. In the pirate world, strength means everything. And because of Rhodes¡¯ amazing swordsmanship that he has shown, people¡¯s focus mostly fell on him. The voices of admiration were endless. Rhodes¡¯ expression was calm. He had long passed the age when he was touted to go to heaven. This is just the first step. Where he was standing now is too far away from the real peak of the world. ¡­¡­ night. After being busy all day, Rhodes finally returned home, intending to fully grasp that state of concentration while it was still hot. And while he was still habitually thinking, the attribute bar popped up in front of him. Level 1: Book of Knowledge (leveling up conditions have been met) Attribute: Intelligence +1 Energy: 100/100 Seeing that nothing had changed, Rhode curled his lips and planned to turn it off. But in the next instant, his eyes suddenly widened, as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°The leveling up conditions that have been met?¡± While Rhodes was extremely surprised by this sudden change, he was also confused. This is inexplicable. Why? He began to recall what happened today and wondered why he would meet the leveling up requirements. fight? No, I have fought before. ¡°Then, it can only be, becoming a reservist?¡± But this is too unreliable. It¡¯s just a reservist. Then what if I become a regular, will it level up again? If this is the case, then this advancement will just be worthless. However, this is still important, he should level it up if he can. The next moment, Rhodes¡¯ thoughts moved, and the empty space appeared again in front of him. In the center of the space, the ancient book with a very mythical color was quietly suspended there. Without any hesitation, Rhodes chose to level up. Hum! At this moment, the hazy space underwent an astonishing change. One after another, lights flashed alternately, flying like dragons, and they rushed into the book in the center. The dazzling divine light completely enveloped the book. With the infusion of divine light, this quaint-looking book suddenly emitted soft fluorescence, and there was a vast and distant aura rippling. Gudang¡­ Rhodes swallowed subconsciously, unable to calm down in his heart. Hum! In the end, under Rhodes¡¯ excited gaze, the divine light and the fluorescence on the book slowly dissipated. The change was not big, but there were some new mysterious patterns on the cover of the book. Trying to calm down his excitement, Rhodes called up the attribute bar again. Level 2: Book of Knowledge Attributes: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +1 Talent: Swordsmanship Specialist ¨C the combination of human and sword, the savvy for swordsmanship is greatly improved! (An additional talent can be drawn) Energy: 0/1000 Intelligence +2, which means that Rhodes¡¯ intelligence is more than twice that of an ordinary person. He can already be considered a genius, and his memory has been greatly improved. If he takes the college entrance examination now, I am afraid that he will easily pass. At the same time, this improvement in intelligence made Rhodes think faster and more clearly. ¡°Fighting and practicing accumulate energy points, and status determines advancement and leveling up!¡± ¡°However, according to the increase in energy demand, the status required for the next level is estimated to be relatively high. Is it a revolutionary army cadre, commander of the Fourth Army, or being a Shichibukai or something?¡± When his thoughts were spinning, Rhodes made this guess; he had only a little understanding of the previously inexplicable advancement. As for the perception of this newly added attribute, Wisdom, Rhodes did not feel any obvious change. This should be because he has not yet mastered any new abilities. ¡°Mastering the state of concentration should be of great help.¡± ¡°If only there were strength and agility bonuses.¡± Rhodes shook his head. The intellectual perception of these attributes is indirect and cannot directly increase Rhodes¡¯ combat power. Thinking about this attribute is even temporarily useless. While thinking about it, Rhodes¡¯ eyes fell on the extra word in the talent column. ¡°Extra talent drawing? I will try it out.¡± Volume 1 - CH 6 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// All kinds of colorful lights flashed in front of Rhodes¡¯ eyes when he decided to draw the new talent from the book of knowledge, and suddenly some weird words that were unreadable at first drifted in front of him, then gradually started to look clearer. ¡°Wha-¡­¡± With just a glance at the list of words that were in front of him, Rhodes could no longer maintain his composure and exclaimed in surprise. Initially, he thought that the talents that he could draw were nothing more than physical skills, firearms skills, and other talents similar to sword skills, he didn¡¯t expect that this book of knowledge was far more powerful than he imagined. Not only does it have immediate effects such as [Divine Power], [Supersonic Speed], and [Toughness], which directly and greatly strengthens the physical talent of the body. There are also elemental talents such as [Thunder Control], [Ice Control], and [Flame Control]! It doesn¡¯t stop there. From the words that flashed by him, Rhodes even saw incredible abilities such as [Power of Doors], [Power of Faith], and [Power of Luck], similar to the innate abilities of the Devil Fruit in the Pirate World! Looking at these innate abilities that floated by, Rhodes¡¯ heart was beating wildly, and his eyes turned a little red. ¡°Ah, the divine power is very good. With this, my slashing power will at least skyrocket several times!¡± ¡°The element talents are also very powerful. Although it doesn¡¯t work the same way as Logia, it is so handsome¡­¡± ¡°The power of the door? Damn it, with this, not a single place in this world will be out of my reach!¡± Damn it, why can¡¯t I draw more than one? I want everything¡­ In Rhodes¡¯ endless resentment, the golden words floating in front of him finally slowed down. One by one incomparably powerful talents drifted by. The speed is getting slower and slower. Gradually. It stopped at the words [Medical Specialist]¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­¡± Rhodes was stunned for a moment, is this his fate for studying medicine that he will never be able to escape even in his two lifetimes? But studying medicine can¡¯t save the world! Almost at the next moment, he scrolled down slightly and finally stopped on the next talent. I already wasted one-lifetime studying medicine, but the next one surely¡­ Without any further delay, Rhodes decided what will be his next talent. The words turned into a bright golden light, wandering like a galaxy, and finally merged into his attribute column. Level 2: Book of Knowledge Attributes: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +1 Talent: Swordsmanship Specialist ¨C With the combination of human and sword, your comprehension of swordsmanship will be greatly improved! Thunder Control ¨C The Rebirth of the God of Thunder. You can freely control the power of thunder! Energy: 0/1000 ¡°The power of thunder, huh?¡± Seeing this scene, Rhodes was slightly excited. He knew that the Book of Knowledge is his only way to become stronger, and decided to follow it, but he didn¡¯t have a clear pathway up until now. Unexpectedly, this turned out to be the case in the end. Rhodes, whose intelligence is more than twice that of ordinary people, has an extremely strong memory. Almost at the same time he saw the talent of [Thunder Control], countless sparks of inspiration flashed in his mind. Scenes that he had seen before flash in his mind. Enel, the god of thunder on the Skypiea. The omnipotent thunder fruit user. There are also other users of this element in the Naruto world, which uses thunder to activate their cells and strengthen the nerves. There is also the famous Misaka Mikoto¡¯s Railgun, Chidori, Real Thunderbolt, Beams of Thunder, Smite¡­ etc. A series of moves and techniques came to his mind instantly, and Rhodes could hardly wait to develop these abilities one by one. ¡°Calm down, you need to calm down¡­¡± Rhodes took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Everything has a priority; no one can become fat in one go. Moreover, the Thunder Power that Rhodes can currently control, is simply not strong enough to develop overly powerful moves. ¡°For the time being, I have the swordsman-level slash as an attack method. My attributes are completely unbalanced, the most lacking¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s still toughness, speed, and physical strength.¡± Rhodes pondered. Thinking of the poor result of his Doroki Strength value measured today, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed. A true respectful swordsman his Doroki Strength would start at least at 1,000, and he would not have a ceiling, but he only has a pitiful 249 points, what has been shown today wasn¡¯t that great. He actually made a fool of himself Everything is because of this weak body. If this problem is not solved, he will never be able to become a real strong man. flick, flick¡­¡­ Slowly controlling the lightning all over the body, carefully controlling the intensity, Rhodes¡¯ whole body turned blue; he quickly looked in the mirror, but his hair did not stand up. Looking at the blue light-like figure in the mirror, and feeling the faint numbness on the surface of his body, Rhode thought quietly. Using lightning to stimulate cells in the body and enhance the nerves¡¯ activity is definitely a feasible method. If the development is successful, it will truly lay the foundation of Rhodes¡¯ strength, and add to his fast-growing swordsmanship. With only these two talents, Rhodes will have the confidence to face any existence in this world, whether it is Kaido or Whitebeard. However, this method is very dangerous and can be life-threatening, and it will take him more time to explore. The Raikage¡¯s technique, the lightning cloak, is a secret method, which is passed down from generation to generation. Their ancestors must have spent an unknown amount of money on research, and countless years practicing to create this powerful secret technique. But the situation here is different, let¡¯s not talk about the difference in human body strength between Pirate World and Naruto World. The talent of Lightning control allows him to control Lightning meticulously, and adjust the magnitude little by little. From a weak start, the current intensity is stable, and there will never be a scene of high current burning the body and going out of control. He can simply do what he wants with it. Rhodes sits cross-legged on the bed, and first reduced the intensity of lightning to a negligible level. Then, he manipulated the current and let it flow in his body. Rhodes is a doctor, so he naturally knows how much can the human body withstand, and which part of his body he should start working on. The internal organs are by no means the area that Rhodes cannot touch now, as for his muscles and bones, they¡¯re more durable. At this time, his intelligence bonus took effect. He has 1.5 times the perception of an ordinary person, allowing Rhodes to feel the discomfort of his body more acutely and more quickly, so he can adjust it. At the same time, the mastery of Swordsmen¡¯s concentration state allows Rhodes to devote himself to the control of the current, without being disturbed by external factors, and there will be no current control errors caused by distraction. To make it more simple, every step is under his control. Zizzi¡­ The electric current roamed every muscle and every inch of bone in Rhodes¡¯ body, carefully avoiding those fragile organs and other areas. Perhaps because Rhodes¡¯ foundation is too poor, or perhaps because the effect of electricity strengthening his body is really amazing. But he could clearly feel the strong tingling coming from his whole body, just like the tingling of growing bones! This kind of enhancement that is visible to the naked eye and can almost be felt is more intoxicating than fine wine. Rhodes forgot about the world and everything in it and put all of his focus into this process, He couldn¡¯t even feel the passage of time at all. It was bright outside, but the room was still dark. A pair of eyes were suddenly opened in the darkness like two stars shining brightly under the deep dark night sky. ¡°Although the effect is not particularly obvious, this was only my first attempt.¡± ¡°With more proficiency in the future, the effect will definitely be stronger.¡± Rhodes looked excited. Since the day he came to this world three months ago, this was the first time he ever felt proud of his physical strength; now there won¡¯t be a woman of his age that can be compared to him when it comes to strength!!! Can you imagine the feeling of being despised by girls in terms of strength? Anyway, Rhodes couldn¡¯t bear it, and he never wants to feel that shame again in this life! Volume 1 - CH 7 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// In the room. After staying up all night, Rhodes not only did not feel sluggish and tired but he was refreshed and excited for more. He found that this state of meditation seems to be a better substitute for sleep! Moreover. For a whole night, he controlled the electric current to strengthen his body in a state of concentration. Rhodes almost completely mastered this special state of focus. With the movement of his mind, he could enter into that state, and he could burst out a super powerful slash at any time. This is what a true swordsman is! ¡°It feels great to be strong.¡± Rhodes clenched his fists, flexed the muscles in his arms, felt the surging power inside, and couldn¡¯t help grinning. If he were to take the Doriki Strength test at this moment, he would have the confidence to easily pass the physique test! Whether it¡¯s strength, speed, or something else. ¡°This is just the result of one night.¡± Rhodes took a deep breath, but his eyes were still bright and scary. With the talent of [Thunder Control], he finally has the potential to not lose to anyone in this world. Sooner or later, he will reach the peak of the sea, challenge those legendary existences one by one, and let his name resound throughout the world. ¡­¡­ Early morning. The rays of light rose from the sky, dispelling the darkness. After Rhodes finished his lightning practice, he ate some high-energy jerky to cushion his stomach, rested for a while, and then came to the yard to adapt to his sudden increase in strength. After all, there is a difference between increasing your strength bit by bit and gaining a sudden large increase of power, something like this requires proper adaptation in order to accurately control it. However, with Rhodes¡¯ swordsman-level control power, it is still very easy to control this relatively weak body. Therefore, in just half an hour, he completely adapted to the strengthening of his body and adjusted himself to a very good state. ¡°Gu Gu Gu¡­¡± As soon as he exited his state of concentration, Rhodes was crushed by the overwhelming hunger in his stomach. He felt like he could eat two cows! This kind of substantial physical strengthening is an almost leap-like growth, the body undergoes intense transformation, and requires high-energy food supplements. ¡°I¡¯m too hungry to walk.¡± Like a gust of wind, Rhodes rushed into the house and quickly ate the rest of the high-energy jerky, but it was like a drop in the bucket. ¡°This is not enough, I want to eat a lot of roasted beef, a lot of roasted lambs, and I want to eat a roasted sea king!¡± Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but blush. Just thinking about these foods made his mouth-watering. ¡°I¡¯m so hungry!¡± Later, he thought he could eat an elephant. Whoosh! Rhodes left the house at a very fast speed, ran to a nearby restaurant, ordered a lot of high-energy food, and ate it like a wild animal. Fortunately, this world is full of sea kings and ferocious beasts. These high-energy foods are not expensive, and with Rhodes¡¯ income, they can still be supported. Hiccup¡­ After some time, Rhodes built a mountain of dishes on the table, and the rioting of cells in his body finally subsided. ¡°I¡­ ate so much.¡± At this moment, Rhodes finally understood why Luffy and others in the original book could eat so much. ¡°The stronger the body, the greater the consumption of energy, and humans can only consume through food supplements, which will inevitably lead to a large increase in food intake.¡± Rhodes shook his head, but he didn¡¯t care too much. Anyway, the pirate world is full of all kinds of high-energy creatures. I have never heard that a strong man on the sea starved to death. After paying the bill and eating and drinking, Rhodes walked around the street to digest the food. When passing by the training ground, he also pointed his finger at the teenagers practicing swordsmanship on the field. Seeing their blushing faces and how they were listening attentively, Rhodes suddenly realized. Before he knew it, he was considered a master. In fact, he is a master who is even more capable than he imagined. In yesterday¡¯s actual combat test, the swordsmanship techniques he demonstrated were too unbelievable. Many people were stimulated by that scene and felt that swordsmanship was very cool, so they began to practice swordsmanship. After the exhilaration of being a teacher, Rhodes wandered freely and slowly came to the clinic that had just opened. Inside, a white-haired old man was smoking a cigarette. When he saw Rhodes coming in, he pouted and said in disgust, ¡°Stinky boy, so you know the way back to the clinic.¡± Rhodes didn¡¯t seem surprised, he took out a notebook and handed it to the old man, saying, ¡°Old man, I¡¯ve put all of my medical knowledge into this, hope it will help. Also, I don¡¯t think I will come here in the future.¡± The old man took the notebook and glanced at it. He suddenly looked shocked, and his fingers trembled. This was unexpected. He took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions: ¡°You really don¡¯t think about continuing to develop your medical skills? Your talent is obvious¡­¡± ¡°I want to become stronger, stronger than anyone else.¡± Rhodes was silent for a while, and said in a low voice, ¡°Strength is the foundation of everything.¡± Of course, this does not mean that he has to give up being a doctor. Medicine is a very practical auxiliary subject, which allows him to face various accidents more calmly. He will never forget the incompetence of Roger and Whitebeard in the face of injuries. In the original, what would have happened if Whitebeard had his peak combat power during the war? It doesn¡¯t need a genius to answer. The Marines wouldn¡¯t have picked a fight with him if he were still as strong as his heydays. After all, although the Marines have the strength to suppress the Whitebeard Pirates, they cannot stop there Whitebeard at his peak. Moreover, in the pirate world, there are all kinds of black medicine, and drugs like the Rumble Ball developed by Chopper, which is definitely not common. ¡°Huh.¡± Hearing Rhodes¡¯ unshakable words, the old man sighed, he have no more words, in times like these just smoke a cigarette. In such an era, nothing can stop a man from running to the sea. ¡°Then I won¡¯t stop you. Be careful.¡± Speaking of which, the old man paused for a while and said with some amusing: ¡°But you don¡¯t need me to remind you about this. You¡¯re a cautious and mature guy, you don¡¯t look like a 16-year-old at all.¡± Whether it is due to Rhodes¡¯ usual way of life, or his experience and knowledge in practicing medicine, Baltigo¡¯s doctors and patients alike, were all amazed by him Having said that, he still dragged Rhodes and reminded him of some taboos in the sea. Rhodes did not show any impatience. He could see that the old man was just being kind. ¡°Now go. If you remember what the old man said in the future, you won¡¯t end up in my clinic someday.¡± Finally, the old man turned around and said no more. Rhodes was silent for a while. He was never good with words, so he just bent over and bowed before walking out. Coming to the street, Rhodes clenched his fists as he looked at the distant sky covered by sand and dust. Although Baltigo was safe and isolated from the world, it was like a cage, with a dull sense of depression. ¡°If you live in this world, how can you just stay on this island and not go to the sea?¡± As if breaking free from some kind of shackles, at this moment, the vision in Rhodes¡¯ mind was clearer. He has never been a person who is content with the status quo. He is eager to see more exciting places, eager to discover more, eager to fight against those legendary characters, and eager to witness those epic events! To do this, strength is the most basic thing. Having strengthened his belief, Rhodes kept walking and soon came to the wasteland in the east of Baltigo. There is a castle-like building standing here, but it is much larger than a normal castle, covering a wide area, and there is no end in sight. This is where the reservists gather for training, and it is also the real headquarters of the Revolutionary Army. Baltigo is just a place similar to a subsidiary town. Volume 1 - CH 8 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// When Rhodes arrived at the meeting point, Rez and the others were already there, looking nervous, while glancing around. The bottom of the castle has a large space in the center, and there are sturdy stone pillars standing up, big enough to cover a large person like Rez. The stone pillars glow with an icy luster, and they looked like they are made of metal and engraved with mysterious patterns. Standing here, human beings will have a sense of insignificance. Rez, who was the strongest among the newcomers, with almost superhuman strength, clenched his fists helplessly, and the arrogance in his heart subsided. ¡°The Revolutionary Army Headquarters¡­¡± Rhodes wasn¡¯t afraid. In this regard, transmigrators have an extraordinary psychological advantage. He looked left and right, and a curious light flashed in his eyes. No one knows how many powerful people and how many secrets are hidden inside these walls of the Revolutionary Army HQ; the base of the organization that is recognized by the world government, as the most dangerous. Tap tap tap¡­¡­ Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps in the distance, which seemed very distant in this empty space. Rez and the others turned to look. And they saw a sturdy human being in a martial arts uniform walking slowly over. ¡°Murloc Hack?¡± Rhodes¡¯ eyes flickered slightly. Is he in charge of teaching the reservists? I don¡¯t know where Sabo is now and how strong he is. In front of Rhodes and others, Hack said in a deep voice, ¡°I am your future instructor Hack.¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± After he finished speaking, he walked in one direction, and Rez and others quickly followed. Hack led Rhodes and his party all the way to the second floor of the castle unimpeded. This headquarters is obviously heavily guarded, and there are many strong people hidden in the dark. However, in the eyes of the real powerhouses, no matter how strong the defense is, it is all the same. It was like the headquarters of the marines, which was invaded by the golden lion, Shiki, and destroyed half of it. After the war, it was even more fragmented. The headquarters of the Revolutionary Army was also destroyed by the Blackbeard Pirates. This is the world of the strong, and true strong people have nothing to fear. After passing through several corridors, the group came to a wide hall. In this hall, there are many young men and women who are slightly older than Rhodes and the others. They were practicing their own techniques or fighting each other. When Hack stepped in, these people all stopped, looked over in unison, and saluted the fish-man Hack respectfully. ¡°Are they all from the revolutionary army reserve force?¡± Rhodes glanced around; the enhanced perception made him more sensitive to the aura. I am afraid that every one of these reservists is stronger than Rhodes and Rez. ¡°Well, I should be able to live for two more episodes.¡± Rhodes withdrew his gaze and stopped paying attention. Hack didn¡¯t stop here but brought Rhodes and others to a smaller hall. ¡°Everyone sit down.¡± Hack motioned for everyone to find a place to sit down, and then said, ¡°This is where you will practice in the future, and also where you will live from now on.¡± ¡°Once you become a reservist, it means saying goodbye to the life of ordinary people.¡± ¡°What you will face next is not only my special training but also real combat. A battle of blood and fire, perhaps a savage pirate, or a wild beast.¡± These words were extremely solemn. Rez and the others couldn¡¯t help but look serious while feeling a bit of uneasiness in their hearts. For a long time. Hack the Murloc spoke, then his tone became a bit softer, and said, ¡°But you don¡¯t have to think about it for the time being.¡± ¡°Your top priority is to become stronger.¡± Speaking of which, he paused slightly, glanced at everyone present, and said, ¡°Whether you are a swordsman practitioner or a devil fruit person, you must understand one thing.¡± ¡°The strength of the body is the foundation of everything.¡± ¡°If your body is not strong enough, no matter how strong you are in other aspects, this body of yours won¡¯t be able to carry on, and one day it will collapse. ¡° What he said was deafening and convincing. Rez and the others seem to understand but not fully. Rhodes, who is familiar with the plot, took it seriously. In the world of pirates, all the real powerhouses are monsters capable of fighting for days and nights; their blood bars are almost endless. This is also the reason why Rhodes was so excited after he developed the lightning body enhancer technique. In a sea where such monsters live, you can¡¯t survive unless you become one of them too. ¡°Now, let me teach you a way of breathing first.¡± The Murloc Hack said: ¡°Although the strengthening of the body is accumulated over time, and there is no big shortcut. There are some very good tricks that can speed up this process.¡± ¡°One of the best tricks is this breathing method. A correct breathing method can make the muscles of the human body get sufficient oxygen supply, thereby speeding up the effect of exercises, and strengthening every part of the body, which leads to creating a superhuman body without flaws. ¡° Rhodes and the others listened quietly, while the Murloc Hack explained, then they tried to do as the Murloc Hack said. The breathing method proposed by the Murloc Hack is very strange. As a doctor, Rhodes knows very clearly that when a normal person breathes, he inhales a lot of oxygen, but when he exhales, he also exhales part of that oxygen, which is natural, because the human body can¡¯t fully utilize all of that amount in one go. And the method taught by the Murloc Hack can help you control the way of breathe and absorb and utilize all the oxygen. The change of instinct is extremely troublesome, but the people present are not ordinary people, they are all semi-superhumans with a Doroki Strength value of more than 200. Naturally, it cannot be calculated by common sense. Rhodes, who mastered the state of concentration, and developed the lightning enhancer body technique, had far better control over his body than ordinary people, so he quickly mastered some tricks and began to adjust his breathing little by little. Gradually. When he mastered this special way of breathing, he suddenly found that his whole body seemed to be different; he felt lighter. The heartbeats were more powerful, and the brain seemed to be more awake. ¡°This way of breathing seems to strengthen the internal organs?¡± Rhodes narrowed his eyes, and a dazzling light could not help but flash. At this moment, he seemed to have found the reason behind the unscientific health bars of these powerhouses. The influence of a big viscera on the body is comprehensive. If it can be enhanced through practice, it will naturally create a monster-like life. And this is even more important to Rhodes. It¡¯s because of the fragility of his internal organs that he dares not let lightning reach those parts. If you can gradually strengthen your internal organs through this breathing method. Once they reach a certain extent, they can withstand the degree of lightning current strengthening. Once he achieves that, the lightning enhancer body technique will finally be completed, and Rhodes¡¯ body would have no weaknesses. ¡°Well, you have mastered it so quickly?¡± The fish-man Hack, who seemed to have noticed something, was slightly startled and took a deep look at Rhodes who was sitting on the edge. ¡°Is this the young swordsman that Koala mentioned?¡± ¡°He¡¯s really terrifying.¡± Learning this breathing method is not difficult. What is difficult is to integrate it into your everyday activities, even when you¡¯re sleeping, such a thing will take years of training to master, and being able to master it so quickly means that Rhodes has extraordinary control over his body. The Murloc Hack has taught so many reservists, but he has never seen such an existence. It took Sabo a lot of time to do it. ¡°When you master this breathing method, you must try to turn it into an instinct and integrate it into every activity in your daily life, whether it is sleeping or exercising, one must maintain it.¡± These words, Hack originally planned to say after everyone successfully comprehends the essence of this breathing method. Volume 1 - CH 9 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// After reaching a certain level in the pirate world, almost everyone starts practicing alone, or finding someone to learn from, and improve themselves through battles. Generally speaking, the master only plays the role of showing the right path, laying a solid foundation for the students, occasionally answering questions, and so on. Therefore, after becoming a reservist, you are extremely free, and there is no obligation to gather and train somewhere; you plan your own time every day. Of course, this doesn¡¯t mean that being lazy is okay. Not to mention the assessment at the end of the year, it is the occasional actual combat test that spurs the reservists to work and practice harder. Of course, in a world where only the strong can survive, as long as you have a little pursuit, you will rarely waste time. Besides, Baltigo is not much fun, and it is boring. Revolutionary Army Headquarters, second floor, a separate exercise room. Rather than training in the hall in front of everyone¡¯s eyes, Rhodes prefers to practice alone. ¡°One thousand nine hundred and ninety-five, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six¡­¡± Indoors, Rhodes was topless, doing push-ups to strengthen his arms, waist, and abdomen. Sweat made the ground under him wet, but Rhodes was still maintaining the special way of breathing he learned from Hack. Obviously, in these few days of exercise, he has incorporated this breathing method into his instinct, and he can maintain it even exercise that is meant to push the limits. ¡°One thousand nine hundred ninety-eight, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, two thousand!¡± After doing 2,000 push-ups, Rhodes had no intention of stopping to rest and pushed himself as much as possible. Finally. ¡°Two thousand two hundred and thirty-two¡­ two thousand three hundred and thirty-three¡­¡± Finally. Once again, he wanted to hold up his upper body, but he stopped halfway, and fell directly to the ground, unable to stand up again, so he could only keep breathing. ¡°Is the limit two thousand three hundred thirty-three?¡± His body was exhausted to the extreme, motionless like a salted fish, but Rhodes¡¯ eyes were shining brightly. This feeling of strength growing day by day really made him infatuated. Level 2: Book of Knowledge Attributes: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +1 Talent: Swordsmanship Specialist ¨C With the combination of human and sword, your comprehension of swordsmanship is greatly improved! Thunder Control ¨C The Rebirth of the God of Thunder, you can freely control the power of thunder! Energy: 3/1000 Rhodes opened the attribute bar and glanced at it. Seeing the increased energy, Rhodes closed his eyes with satisfaction and took a break. ¡­¡­ At the same time. The Reserve Force training hall. Rez was doing weight-bearing exercises. After mastering the special breathing method, his physique has gradually grown. At this time, he was very confident. If he takes the Doroki strength test again, he would definitely be able to exceed 400, or even more. ¡°Rez, Rhodes isn¡¯t here again today?¡± A tall and short-haired woman asked Rez. ¡°Nia-Sama, Rhodes likes to exercise alone.¡± Rez said respectfully: ¡°He seems to be practicing in the exercise room. He starts early and returns late, we rarely see each other.¡± There are more than 100 reservist members in the headquarters, divided into ten teams. Both Rhodes and Rez are under Nia¡¯s command. She usually doesn¡¯t give them orders, but they are led by Nia when they perform actual combat missions. Being able to become a team captain as a woman, Nia¡¯s strength is unquestionable, and she can easily smash Rez. So Rez is very respectful. ¡°Hmph, what a lonely man.¡± Nia snorted coldly, turned around, and left with some dissatisfaction; she was a little unhappy with this new team member who didn¡¯t fit in well. ¡°¡­¡± After three seconds of silence for Rhodes, Rez immediately restarted his training. ¡­¡­ A month passed quickly. This month, Rhodes had a very fulfilling life; every minute and every second was fully arranged. Running electric current at night to strengthen his body instead of sleep. And when he leaves early in the morning, he starts by eating an elephant of supplements and food. Thanks to the sufficient food provided by the reservists, he didn¡¯t need to spend money. After that, he starts doing physical exercises in the morning to control his soaring strength and speed. In the afternoon, he practices his swordsmanship and develops his lightning abilities. Day after day, almost every day, Rhodes could feel the growth of his physique and the improvement of his strength. Rhodes never felt sick of this feeling of getting stronger step by step and was deeply immersed in it. After a month, Rhodes¡¯ body has changed a lot. Although it can¡¯t reach the level of muscle bulge like Rez, it has become a lot better than the slightly thinner body he had before. This is also a state that Rhodes is extremely satisfied with. Certainly. This is just an external change, and the real physical improvement is far greater than this image. It was hard to estimate the strength of his physical body at this time. He only knew that if he went to test his Doroki strength at this time, he might easily achieve a top-notch result. One afternoon. As soon as Rhodes wiped out the hill-like lunch, he immediately returned to the training room and started today¡¯s swordsmanship training and lightning development. Zizzizizi Bathed in the dazzling blue light, Rhodes is like the god of thunder who walked out of the age of mythology, extremely majestic. ¡°The intensity of lightning has increased again.¡± ¡°Sure enough, thanks to the accumulation of the energy bar of the book of knowledge, the intensity of thunder and lightning will continue to increase!¡± Inside the blue light, Rhodes opened his eyes, dazzling like stars. After a month of hard work, the energy has jumped to 66 points. The intensity of lightning has increased a lot, and Rhodes clearly felt the change. At first, the power of thunder that Rhode could control was only slightly paralyzing, and at the same time, it could only be attached to the body¡¯s surface and could not be released. As for the current Rhodes, the discharge alone can make ordinary people lose control of their bodies, and the thunder and lightning released can probably fly five or six meters away. Closing his eyes, he controlled the lightning to spread to the blade in his hand, until the entire sword showed a light blue color. But Rhodes didn¡¯t stop. He continued to increase the output of lightning, and slowly, the sound of lightning flicking resounded in the exercise room. At this time, the blade of the sword was completely covered by blue light, which was extremely bright. Rhodes held the hilt of the sword and gently swiped the sword at the testing stone in front of him. He hardly felt any resistance, and the corner of the test stone was cut off and fell to the ground. Seeing this scene, Rhodes smiled lightly, feeling slightly satisfied. The current lightning strength is not capable of performing big moves such as releasing tens of millions of volts but relying on the swordsmanship that has grown up, he can still burst out a remarkable power. Of course, the most powerful feature of Thunderbolt is its penetrability. If this penetrability is blessed on the tip of the sword, Rhodes can even easily pierce steel. But attaching it to the blade can also improve the sharpness of the weapon. The one in his hand is just a very ordinary stainless steel long sword, but with the enhancement of lightning, it is almost as sharp as a famous sword! ¡°My strength has improved so much, it¡¯s a little itchy.¡± Feeling the surging power in his body, Rhodes smiled. Volume 1 - CH 10 [[[This is our official Twitter account please follow us and we will follow you back! https://twitter.com/The1TSO]]]]] //////////////// The restaurant at night. Rhodes was eating and drinking in one of the corners; his hands kept stretching out here and there, and the hill-like food in front of him disappeared quickly at a speed that was almost invisible to the naked eye. His appetite has become much larger than the average person. No matter how tired you are from training every day, a normal person wouldn¡¯t be able to compensate for all the energy he used by just eating food, and his growth wouldn¡¯t be noticeable. But Rhodes is different. His growth is almost visible to the naked eye every day. The results he was getting every day are almost comparable to the months of hard work of the others. In this way, the energy and nutrients that his body needs to take in every day are naturally far more than ordinary people. At this time, Rhodes took a big bite off the big golden lamb shank he was holding, and suddenly he heard Rez¡¯s voice. ¡°I finally found you.¡± ¡°Rez? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Rhodes raised his eyes slightly and said vaguely. Looking at him like this, Rez said angrily, ¡°There is an actual combat mission tomorrow, you need to come early.¡± After speaking, he turned and left without turning around. He didn¡¯t have a good relationship with Rhodes, so he came here to spread the news, probably because of Captain Nia¡¯s request. ¡°Actual combat?¡± Rhodes¡¯ eyes lit up slightly, but he was quickly drawn back by the smell of the food and continued to work hard. ¡­¡­ The next day. Under the headquarters castle, there were many people standing. Since the Revolutionary Army doesn¡¯t stipulate uniforms, these people wore all kinds of clothes, which gave Rhodes a new understanding of transvestites in the pirate world. Fortunately, in this picture of the group of weirdos, there¡¯s one bright light that brought hope, that is, Koala standing in front of the crowd, directly raising the average appearance of this group of demons and monsters by a notch. After Rhodes joined the group, it got raised to another level. ¡°Yo, look who it is, the big name. You¡¯re actually the last one to come.¡± Rhodes turned his head to look, and saw a tall and slender woman dressed in a cool dress, looking at him very unhappily. ¡°Am I late?¡± Rhodes was almost dazzled by the beauty of these white flowers, but he still said indifferently. ¡°You!¡± Nia clenched her fists and really wanted to knock Rhodes. Everyone else gathered here early, only Rhodes came late, making her, his captain, very embarrassing. Phew! Nia took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and decided to spare Rhodes¡¯ life. Then she began to explain the actual combat mission: ¡°The mission is actually just to let Rez and you newcomers see blood.¡± ¡°Seeing blood? Are we going to kill pirates?¡± Rez couldn¡¯t help but lick his dry lips. The revolutionary army considers themselves the world¡¯s nobles, and the pirates in the usual sense are essentially opposites. If there is a chance, they will punish the traitors and eliminate the evil. Interestingly, in some sea areas where corrupt marines are rampant and officials and thieves collide, the revolutionary army is the righteous party and will safeguard the interests of the civilians. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Nia sneered: ¡°You are too young to fight against pirates. Besides, this is the New World. Now that you are tied together, it is estimated that you may not get the chance to fight pirates.¡± ¡°The place we are going is an archipelago near Baltigo, and there are many beasts on it.¡± Nia opened her mouth and made a super fierce expression: ¡°These beasts can be big or small, the biggest one will be even seven or eight meters high, and it can eat you all in one bite!¡± After she finished speaking, she glanced at the group from the corner of her eyes, swept through their stunned expressions, and felt a little happy. I think she was also frightened like this at the beginning¡­ Then, Nia glanced at Rhodes again but found that the kid looked very calm as if he had no fear. ¡°Ignorants are fearless.¡± Nia snorted coldly in her heart, but she wanted to see if Rhodes could maintain this unpleasant calm and indifferent expression when he¡¯s chased by beasts. Of course, Rhodes wasn¡¯t afraid; he actually was a little excited. He practiced for a month, and his strength skyrocketed. One month ago, he couldn¡¯t even do a push-up properly, now he can lift his whole body with one hand. However, real power cannot be based on speculation alone. It must be tested in actual combat. Besides. He found out a long time ago that the energy obtained from battles is much more than normal cultivation. ¡­¡­ And this time. The Murloc Hack finally came to the crowd and said: ¡°I suppose that everyone knows what this mission is about. Okay then, let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The reservists took out the coats they had already prepared and put them on one by one. The style of this coat was similar to the one Dragon was wearing in the original book, but it is gray. The neat gray coat brought a solemn atmosphere to the team. The restless hearts of the newcomers gradually calmed down, as if they felt protected by their seniors who put on these same coats. The marching speed of the team was very fast. After all, the weakest person¡¯s physique in this group is far superior to ordinary people, and it is completely enough to finish a marathon easily. It¡¯s just that the environment on the Baltigo is really bad. Sandstorms come and go from time to time, so they had to make a detour every time, so it took them seven days to come to the coast. There was already a large sailboat there, which has been waiting for them a long time ago. Everyone boarded the merchant ship in an orderly and silent manner. It can be seen that after these seven days of marching, Rez and the others have undergone a slight change in their temperament, and they are no longer so jumpy. The Murloc Hack nodded slightly, turned around, and ordered the ship to sail. Koala looked casual. She turned and walked into the cabin, intending to take a beauty sleep. The reservists also found a place to rest. The seven-day march was just an appetizer. No one forgot about the upcoming real battle. Rhodes can hardly feel any bumps. After starting at full speed, the ship quickly put Baltigo under the horizon and could never be seen again. This is the first time Rhodes has gone to sea in his past and present life. Although from various information and videos, he has long known how things are going to be, he has never experienced it personally; he has never been able to experience this vastness and infinity. Rhodes leaned on the rail comfortably, and squinted his eyes, opening the attribute bar to take a look, the energy bar was filled by seven points in total, reaching 73. The increase in energy is relatively stable. The average gain from exercise is about 1 point a day. In the first three months, he collected 100 points of energy. And with the lightning body enhancer technique, it was roughly 2 points a day. During the seven-day march, Rhode naturally couldn¡¯t perform that lightning technique, not because he was afraid of being discovered, but because he would be so hungry afterward. Rhodes really feared that his eyes will turn green and everyone will look like food to him. ¡°It would be nice if there was something like a space ring.¡± Looking at the sea horizon in the distance, Rhodes thought out of boredom, it is indeed a bit inconvenient to not have such a thing. Volume 1 - CH 11 The place where Rhodes and the others were going was very close to Baltigo. There were no accidents during the journey. They slept peacefully on the boat for a night and arrived at their destination the next day. A large sailboat docked near the island. Hearing the roaring of beasts from time to time in the distance, and occasionally seeing terrifying birds with a wingspan of three or four meters rising into the air, Rez and the others couldn¡¯t help but look a bit terrified. They grew up in Baltigo since childhood, but they have never seen such things. Rhodes had seen them before, most of these monsters turned into food and were placed on the dining table of the Straw Hat Crew. However, the others didn¡¯t look as calm as Rhodes. Gudang¡­ Rez swallowed, then looked at the other newcomers, who were looking at each other, all of them saw traces of fear in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Relax.¡± Rez comforted, but everyone could see that he was also a little nervous. Obviously, they are not strong enough to run rampant on this island of monsters. Perhaps they were still maintaining their composure just because of the existence of a captain such as Nia with them. At this time, the Fishman Hack began to explain the mission. ¡°Your mission is to survive on this island for three days and kill as many beasts as possible. Cooperation is allowed, but a team of three members is the limit.¡± ¡°There is surveillance around this island. If we detect a fatal situation, we will dispatch some people to rescue you. We might be able to save your life, but we don¡¯t guarantee your complete safety, so you must rely on yourself.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s all go in.¡± After speaking, Hack didn¡¯t give everyone any time to think and lead them to the island directly, he also didn¡¯t give them any supplements or food, so obviously, they will have to rely on themselves in this regard too. After the reservists got off the ship, they did not leave immediately, but each found a partner and prepared to form a team. Rhodes refused Rez¡¯s invitation, then chose a random direction and began to go deep into the jungle. The unique environment of this wild jungle seems to wake up some instincts lost in the human. Rhodes could clearly feel a trace, like some sort of heat, raising from the depths of his heart. ¡°It turns out that I¡¯m so eager to fight.¡± Rhodes licked his dry lips and smiled. ¡­¡­ And this time. Koala came to a cabin. There were many screens here, monitoring various areas of the island. Obviously, this archipelago was specially developed by the Revolutionary Army to hone the skills of the reservists. At this time, many soldiers of the Revolutionary Army were watching nervously in the cabin, recording the performance of each reservist, which will be used as part of the assessment at the end of the year. Hack had a serious face, while his eyes were constantly wandering on the screen. Of course, his focus is on the newcomers like Rhodes. Good fitness and strong physical, or skillful swordsmanship do not mean that they can beat fierce beasts. After all, when some people see blood and face life and death situations, they can¡¯t even show 10% of their strength. ¡°Watch carefully, don¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± Hack said solemnly. When these reservists grow up, they will become the backbone of the Revolutionary Army, and some of them might even become cadres. ¡°Yes.¡± The soldiers of the revolutionary army responded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything that is too strong on this island has long been turned into bbq. There shouldn¡¯t be any incidents.¡± Koala smiled, then licked her lips. ¡°They¡¯re still kids.¡± Hack shook his head; of course, he was referring to Rhodes and Rez. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± ¡°You mean that young swordsman?¡± Hack nodded lightly and said solemnly, ¡°That guy is indeed a monster.¡± ¡°It only took him a few minutes to learn breathing technique and make it a habit of his body! ¡° ¡°Minutes?¡± Koala was stunned for a moment, and then said in disbelief, ¡°I Remember that Sabo spent nearly an hour just learning it.¡± Sabo¡¯s talent is notoriously high in the revolutionary army. When he came to the revolutionary army when he was very young, Hack admitted that he had nothing to teach him. Later, he trained under Dragon and his strength grew rapidly. Although he is only eighteen years old now, many revolutionary army cadres are no longer his opponents. The leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon praised Sabo¡¯s fighting talent more than once. ¡°But talent is talent, and the battle is battle. There are so many people in this world that are very talented, but when they fight, they¡¯re like a soft-footed shrimp.¡± Hack shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± Koala smiled. ¡­¡­ At this time, Rhodes, who was carrying an ordinary long sword, was walking towards the depths of the forest. ¡°This island should have been specially organized by the revolutionary army to train the reservists for actual combat.¡± ¡°In this case, the strength of the beasts shouldn¡¯t be too strong.¡± Rhodes never dared to underestimate beasts in the pirate world. He still remembered that there were even super beasts in the original book that required Luffy¡¯s fourth gear to defeat. If that kind of monster were to face Rhodes at this time, I¡¯m afraid he wouldn¡¯t even be able to run away. Suddenly, a shadow slowly appeared in the distance. With Rhode¡¯s eyesight, he could quickly identify that it was a beast with a height of one meter. The two huge fangs in that big mouth of the monster reflected heart-pounding light under the sunlight that shot into the forest. He still remembered the fattest and strongest sow Rhodes had ever seen in his previous life in a video on the internet, it was about sixty to seventy centimeters tall. In other words, this wild boar is twice as tall as that one. ¡°My first prey is going to be you.¡± Rhodes hadn¡¯t eaten barbecue for a while, and he felt instantly hungry when he saw this pig. Therefore, he rushed quickly, then stopped in front of this spiky-looking wild boar, smiling. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± The spiky boar stared at the strange creature with a long sword in front of him, and then let out a strange roar. Immediately, the sturdy four hooves stomped on the ground, splashing mud, and a stench of a gust of wind rumbled towards Rhodes. The two sharp fangs, like two giant scimitars, were pointing towards Rhodes. Whoosh! At the moment when the spiky wild boar rushed over, Rhodes quickly flashed to the side, and the speeding wild boar didn¡¯t have time to stop. Then Rhodes¡¯ eyes flashed, and the strength of his whole body suddenly burst into his arm, and the sharp sword with a hazy white light slid across the neck of the spiky wild boar from bottom to top. Poof! The huge head of the boar flew up and blood spurted wildly. However, the pig¡¯s body in flight didn¡¯t stop and rushed out for more than ten meters before it finally fell down with a bang. Its body twitched on the ground for a while, and then it died completely. ¡°It¡¯s as expected.¡± The blood spurting all over the place didn¡¯t move Rhodes the slightest As a doctor, these scenes never bother him. ¡°Well, I need to fill my stomach before fighting.¡± Rhode skillfully took out a series of field survival supplies. And in a matter of a minute, the fire was on the grill, and the flames rose to the sky. It didn¡¯t take long for the spiky wild boar to be roasted with golden oil sparkling on it, and the grease dripping into the fire chirping. ¡°It¡¯s ripe.¡± After waiting for a while, Rhode sprinkled salt and smeared a layer of honey to make the roasted meat more fragrant, then started eating. ¡°This guy¡­¡­¡± Seeing this scene from the surveillance room, Koala, Hack, and many soldiers of the Revolutionary Army couldn¡¯t help but lick their lips, and a few black lines stretched out on their foreheads. Can you consider the feelings of the people that are watching you? Volume 1 - CH 12 What an astonishing appetite for Rhodes. Under the watchful eyes of Koala and the rest of the revolutionary army agents, the whole roasted pig was eaten and wiped clean, not even the head of the pig survived this. ¡°This guy¡­ he was prepared to do this from the start.¡± Koala¡¯s mouth twitched, unable to bear to look directly. What level of one being a foodie is this? He even brought salt, honey, and other things with him. In the center of the room, Hack looked solemn. He watched the whole process of Rhodes beheading the spiky wild boar. At this time, he couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°His strength is good. He is considered to be in the middle of the pack in terms of brutal force. However, this is a bit unreal, because I heard when he joined the reverse force that his physical test didn¡¯t go well. It seems that this month he has become a lot stronger.¡± ¡°His swordsmanship is precise, but he is obviously inexperienced. With his strength, there are many ways to easily kill a spiky wild boar, but he chose the most laborious, beheading.¡± ¡°However, these are just small flaws.¡± Speaking of which, Hack couldn¡¯t help but show admiration, ¡°Rod¡¯s fighting awareness is very good, and he handles unusual situations in battle very well.¡± ¡°He¡¯s much stronger than his peers.¡± Listening to Hack¡¯s precise and well-phrased analysis, the revolutionary army agents in the room couldn¡¯t help but nod their heads in admiration. ¡°He¡¯s a doctor, so his mental state is indeed much better.¡± Koala nodded, but she couldn¡¯t shake that strange feeling in her heart. She felt that Rhodes chose to behead it, just because he wanted to get rid of as much blood as possible; so he could have a good barbecue¡­ ¡°I think he¡­¡± Hack was going to say something but he suddenly looked stunned. Koala¡¯s expression also changed slightly. On the surveillance screen, not far from Rhodes, a huge humanoid creature was rushing furiously toward Rhodes. The earth trembled, and the mountains and forests shook violently. The rocks, the big trees, and everything along the way were smashed, and nothing could stop it. Clap! Everyone from the revolutionary army watched with open mouths, the gigantic monster slapping a stone half the size of a house, sending it flying, as if it was nothing, then things got messier. ¡°He stayed in place for too long. The smell of blood attracted this super beast.¡± Someone shouted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to rescue him?¡± Koala looked at Hack. ¡°Read the situation, although this black ape is powerful on this small island, and it can be regarded as a first-level overlord, Rhodes is not weak either, even if he can¡¯t beat it, he can still deal with it. If you really can¡¯t hold it, then you better not watch.¡± Hack pondered and said. He is an instructor, but he is not a nanny. If he feels that things got dangerous, he will send someone to rescue him. But he still needs to evaluate his skills. At the same time. Rhodes, who had just gotten up, also felt the vibration of the ground and turned his head in surprise. A black ape with a height of four meters was rushing in his direction, and its terrifying power seemed to be as unstoppable as a tank. ¡°Oh, it seems that I have loured a big guy!¡± Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly and looked a little dignified. This black ape is obviously not a creature of the same rank as the wild boar before. I am afraid that if Rez and the more than 30 reservists who were in the same group as Rhodes joined him, they will only be slaughtered. Under the sun, the black ape¡¯s huge and robust body seemed as if it was made of steel, full of a sense of majestic power. At the same time, it exudes a fishy smell, as it was hunting preys all year-round, with a strong scent of blood. Roar! Not far away, the black ape glanced at the skeleton all over the ground, then suddenly slapped his chest in anger, and roared up to the sky. ¡°What the hell?¡± This made Rhodes feel inexplicable, it made it look as if he stole food from this black ape. The next moment, the black ape lowered his head and looked down at Rhodes with red eyes, showing a hint of bloodthirst. Whoosh! Beasts don¡¯t speak harshly. Almost in the next instant, the black ape rushed over at an extremely fast speed. The gust of wind alone blew the white bones on the ground into the air, and the sand rose to the sky. The huge fist of the black ape smashed towards Rhodes head-on, and the air was blasted. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Through the surveillance, the soldiers of the Revolutionary Army couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. On the other hand, Rhodes unexpectedly stood there, he didn¡¯t seem like he was planning on dodging or evading, it wasn¡¯t until the wind blew his hair that his sword finally moved. scoff! Blood splattered all over the place, and a bloodstain appeared on the ground. The biological strength in this world cannot be calculated by common sense. Rhodes¡¯s sword cut through the robust fur of the black ape, but the power of that slash was reduced, and it stopped when it reached his strong bones. ¡°The strength is still a little short.¡± Taking the ape¡¯s strength to his advantage, Rhodes flew back more than ten meters, then landed safely, watching this scene from a distance. Regular swordsmen spend years practicing and improving step by step. After more than ten years of physical training, their physical strength becomes unbelievably strong. Therefore, after comprehending the breath of all things, they can wave out a slash that cuts through steel. But Rhodes is different. He had a realm comparable to true swordsmen, but he didn¡¯t have the strength to match it, so he was shriveled under the tough bones of this black ape. Roar! The damage of a few fingers deep cut is obviously nothing to the black ape. On the contrary, the irritated it even more and became more violent. It looked as if he was provoked by the ants. In this mountain forest, although the black ape is not the strongest one, it is the most arrogant one. And its humanoid body makes it extremely flexible. It was a little unbearable for it to be injured by an ant at this time. Roar! The black ape roared, shaking the forest, making Rhodes¡¯ eardrums hurt. ¡°Shut up!¡± Rhodes shouted at it, and a tingling aura suddenly rose from his body. ¡°Thunderbolt Mode!¡± Under the incredible gaze of Koala and the others, the young man on the screen suddenly burst into extremely dazzling light. Electric arcs surged out of him and lightning flashed. He was bathed in the light of thunder, just like the god of thunder who they heard stories about in myths. Lightning, the power of heaven! All living creatures feared it, it¡¯s in everyone¡¯s natural instinct; thus, no one dares to despise it. ¡°Hoo! Hoo!¡± The black ape felt a little restless, and his instinctive fear of lightning made it want to retreat, but the fury of the animal nature made it want to smash this weak creature in front of him that provoked it. Stopped by hesitations, it could only use roars to vent its emotions. ¡°You¡¯re noisy!¡± Before he finished speaking, Rhodes seemed to have turned into a ray of light that flashed across the battlefield in an instant, and then the blade was wrapped in lightning, with flickering blue light. Instantly Rhodes¡¯ blade cut through the air and slashed down. Whoosh! Like a hot knife cutting butter. The tough bones that had stopped him before were almost shattered and broken in an instant. The huge arm fell to the ground, and blood gushed wildly. The pain of the chopped limb, and the paralyzing fear brought by the lightning, finally completely broke the black ape¡¯s defenses. The monster was so terrified! Must run! But at this moment. A figure suddenly flashed past the black ape, then its muscles twitched inexplicably. It froze in place immediately, while its red eyes reflected the figure that was bathed in lightning, like a god. The redness in his eyes quickly faded. Then a line of blood quickly spread to the abdomen along the left shoulder. Its body swayed slightly, and the small half of its body began to slowly slide down the bloodline. Rhodes glanced at it, waved his sword twice to get rid of the blood, then sheathed the sword, before he turned and left. Volume 1 - CH 13 At this time, the monitoring room was noisy. ¡°The power of thunder?¡± ¡°How is that possible? Is something wrong with these screens?¡± All the soldiers of the revolutionary army seemed to be in disbelief as if they had seen a ghost. ¡°His sword was covered by the lightning¡­¡± Koala looked at Hack solemnly, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be a devil fruit person, nor is he from a special race, so there is only one possibility.¡± Her tone was trembling as if she was shocked by her own guess. However, after eliminating all possibilities, only one is left, even if it is impossible, it must be the case. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Hack took a deep breath, his eyes were full of disbelief, and there was a hint of surprise in his tone: ¡°It seems that we all underestimated this young man¡¯s swordsmanship talent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s shocking enough to step into the realm of a swordsman at a young age, but I didn¡¯t expect that this wasn¡¯t his limit.¡± ¡°At the age of sixteen, he realized his own sword intent.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s the power of thunder.¡± Koala shook her head and murmured, ¡°This is really¡­¡± She has always been smart, clever, and good with words, but at this time she doesn¡¯t know what to say. As the top leaders of the revolutionary army, although they do not know the way of swordsmanship, they were still aware of the various divisions of swordsmen. From the most common swordsman to the swordsman who understands the breath of all things, who can condense the slash into a single line, cut through steel, and even cut out the sword Qi. Going a step further, it is the top swordsmen who have realized the meaning of the sword, such as the captain of the fifth division of the Whitebeard Pirates, Flower Sword Vista. His sword intent is related to flowers, so petals are scattered when he swings his sword. And there¡¯s also McGuy, who can channel electricity into his saber and so on. After a long time, Koala came back to her senses, smiled, and said, ¡°But this guy is obviously too tender, and his physique is far from the great realm of swordsmanship.¡± ¡°In a real fight, I feel that any swordsman can abuse him.¡± Koala was small, but in fact, her physical skills were extremely powerful. Naturally, she would not be fascinated by the cool scene of Rhodes covered in lightning, and instantly saw through the essence of Rhodes¡¯ weak physicality. ¡°Even so, his potential is unimaginable. Compared with him, Sabo is at most a little bit better.¡± Hack shook his head and sighed, ¡°It seems that I won¡¯t have anything to teach him very soon.¡± If the students are too talented, the requirements for teachers would naturally be higher, just like the young Sabo. The conversation between the two made the soldiers of the Revolutionary Army feel as if they were listening to a book from heaven. At this time, they finally understood why Hack was comparing Sabo with Rhodes. Sabo is the leader of the revolutionary army and a student of Monkey D. Dragon. He is extremely talented and powerful, and will almost certainly become one of the pillars of the revolutionary army in the future. And if Rhodes can be compared with him. Everyone knows what this means. Involuntarily, everyone firmly remembered the name ¡°Rhodes¡±. ¡­¡­ At the black ape corpse. Just when Rhodes had just left. A figure dressed in exceptionally cool clothes suddenly appeared here. ¡°This monster was actually killed, who did it?¡± Nia frowned slightly, feeling a little unhappy. When she came to this island last time, her strength was still a bit lacking, so she was driven by the black ape. This time she came back to seek revenge. Unexpectedly, when she came to the scene, there was only his corpse left, oh, and an arm. ¡°It¡¯s a sword wound.¡± She walked closer, looked at the sharp and neat incision with a slightly burnt smell, and said slightly solemnly: ¡°The only one who can cut off the tough body of a black ape with a single sword is Shano.¡± ¡°In the reserve force, there are many master swordsmen, but there are only two swordsmen here, one is the captain of the first team, Shano, and the other is the newcomer, Rhodes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for Rhodes, that kid is weak, only his swordsmanship talent is good. ¡° ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Shano has improved so much during this year.¡± Nia came up with such a conclusion in a solemn tone. After carefully analyzing the situation, it seems that Shano only needed two or three slashes to kill this black ape that she thought about day and night. Nia admitted that even she, wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. This sharpness belongs only to swordsmen! ¡°Humph.¡± When her revenge plan failed, Nia felt very unwilling, but she had no choice but to turn around and leave. Time passed minute by minute. In every corner of this island, bloody battles were taking place again and again! Although the strength of these beasts exceeds that of the newly promoted reserve forces such as Rez, humans have one critical advantage, and that is wisdom! And the beasts on this island have no wisdom, only their instincts. Near night. The activities of the beasts are becoming more and more frequent. Most of the reservists, even the captains, have found a safe place to rest since they were reluctant to act at night. Waling in the jungle at night, and fighting with wild beasts, while suffering from the dim vision, is simply a nightmare for humans. Under a towering tree. Rhodes had a big fire, and he was leisurely preparing for dinner. Today¡¯s dinner includes roasted rhino, roasted white elephant, roasted whole deer¡­ ¡°Unfortunately, there are not many tableware and supplies, so I can¡¯t make other things.¡± Rhodes shook his head and sighed, the desire for the space ring in his heart became stronger and stronger. A strong desire that was coming from him being a big foodie! On the edge of the fire, Rhodes was nibbling on the fresh chicken legs, summarizing today¡¯s experience. Today¡¯s battle gave him a total of four points of energy, and the efficiency is four times that of ordinary exercise! It¡¯s really more efficient to increase energy in battle. Moreover, when he does the lightning forging at night, he can still gain some more energy, which is nice. ¡°But there¡¯s still a long way to go.¡± Rhode felt that the road was long, which made him a bit sad, so he ate another big mouthful of poultry leg meat. This is a bird that looks the same as a turtledove, but it is much larger. It was grabbed from the sky by Rhodes, plucked, and grilled. Its meat is extremely delicious. Listed by Rhodes as one of the top delicacies. ¡°In the future, I must go out to sea and taste all the delicious food in the world!¡± ¡°I heard that there are dragons in the pirate world, but I don¡¯t know what dragon meat tastes like¡­¡± As a descendant of the Great China family, Rhodes¡¯ thirst for food is endless. (T/N: Oh we know that) At this moment, Rhodes suddenly felt that the ground began to shake as if there were thousands of troops in the distance trampling the ground at the same time. Immediately afterward, he heard the howls of wild beasts in the distance, filled with a sense of panic, as if they were frightened. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rhodes frowned slightly, stopped what he was doing, and looked up into the distance. He saw a light and vigorous figure suddenly running from a distance. ¡°Nia?¡± Rhodes blinked, feeling a little puzzled. However, she looked a little embarrassed, sweaty, and a little messy. Rhodes was even more puzzled. With Nia¡¯s strength, she could still be chased so badly? There shouldn¡¯t be such a strong creature on the island, otherwise, wouldn¡¯t the ordinary reservists die if they encounter it? But in the next moment, he understood. Volume 1 - CH 14 The moonlight was like water, swaying on the jungle at night, and the atmosphere that previously have been quiet and reassuring has completely overturned. ¡°A snake? That big?¡± Rhodes was stunned for a moment, with a trace of evident disbelief in his eyes. Not far away in the forest, he saw a big snake chasing the figure of a familiar person madly. As it passed by, any rocks and trees that were in the way were shattered, as the snake forced its way into the jungle Its body is probably twenty or thirty meters long, and it was as thick as a bucket, its dark green scales were the size of a palm, and on the inverted triangular head of the snake is a pair of golden vertical pupils, which looked eerie. No wonder the other beasts in the forest seemed unstable, it turns out that these top predators are being hunted by this snake. With the size and length of this big snake, I am afraid that any black ape or pig will be entangled, and once it catches them it would be their end. ¡°Why you!¡± At this time, Nia, who was rushing over, saw Rhodes next to the fire, and her expression changed instantly. Without hesitation, she slammed the ground with her feet, folded her body, and turned in a different direction, planning to escape in another direction. Although she was a little unhappy with Rhodes, she wouldn¡¯t lead such a super beast to Rhodes. But just after she ran out more than ten meters, she was suddenly startled, because she couldn¡¯t feel the terrifying waves of wind-breaking from behind. ¡°Oops!¡± She hurriedly stopped, turned her head to look, and her expression changed drastically. The big snake abandoned her and rushed towards Rhodes. ¡°This damn bastard. It¡¯s so late now. Why were you barbecuing here, do you think you¡¯re having a bonfire party?¡± It was obviously the aroma of the food that Rhodes was preparing that attracted the big snake to him. Nia cursed, turned back again, dashed over, and then jumped into the air, the iron rod in her hand, wrapped in a fierce sound of breaking the air, and slammed on the black python king. boom! I don¡¯t know how long this big snake has survived, but its skin and scales are so hard. Nia truly deserves to be called the strongest in the reserve force. This powerful strike actually managed to due damage, and the skin got even flushed red and slightly swollen. However, that¡¯s it. It was completely unable to hurt the big snake; it actually angered it. hum! The air roared. Its tail suddenly swept across with incomparably powerful strength. The aftermath alone caused a gust of wind. If it connects, it could easily destroy houses or crack the ground. Such huge creatures, in terms of power alone, are difficult for humans to compare to them, at least in this case, Nia is completely unable to fight. ¡°Soru!¡± Whoosh! In an instant, Nia¡¯s figure disappeared in place, leaving only her footprint. Immediately afterward, the tail of the big snake fell. Boom! Like a meteorite hitting the ground, the ground exploded with thunder! The entire forest trembled instantly, and then a layer of invisible airwaves swayed, and the surrounding stones and soil were thrown out. The ground cracked open, and then it spread for five or six meters. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Nia swallowed and wiped the sweat from her forehead. This is terrible. Too unlucky. She was resting on a big tree when suddenly it got destroyed, and then she saw this big snake. She was upset for a moment and gave it a stick on the head, then she was chased to this point. Fortunately, she is extremely fast and extremely flexible, and she has also learned how to use the explosive movement skills of the Rokushiki, Soru, so she could barely escape from the pursuit of this top predator, but it is still dangerous. Because of Nia being on the spot, Hack and the others didn¡¯t move, but Koala was already thinking about how to deal with this big snake if something happened. Snakes are cold-blooded animals. Lurking underground, their presence is weak, and after one hunt she can survive for a long time and this is how the revolutionary army agents didn¡¯t know about it. It was not discovered until this mission. Fortunately, no casualties were caused for now. Seeing the serpent¡¯s attention being attracted again, Nia breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to continue the marathon, out of the corner of her eyes, she suddenly noticed that a sword-wielding figure was approaching the serpent step by step. ¡°Rhodes?!¡± ¡°Is this guy trying to piss me off?¡± Nia couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious, the kind lady tried her best to help you get away, and you still want to die here? Before, she only thought that this guy was ignorant and fearless, but now she really thinks that this guy is a total idiot. He saw how her attack didn¡¯t do anything to this snake, and even she was barely escaping it. This bastard doesn¡¯t even have the slightest bit of self-knowledge, so he rushed forward out of his capacity. Do you think that only because you become a swordsman at such a young age, you will be able to kill all your enemies? Too proud. Nia couldn¡¯t help but be full of disappointment, ¡°Talent is only talent after all. I¡¯m afraid that with this kind of character he will not grow at all.¡± ¡°Rhodes?¡± Looking at this scene through the monitoring equipment, the Hack couldn¡¯t help but frown and said, ¡°It¡¯s reckless.¡± With his strength it¡¯s difficult to fight against such super beasts, unless his strength is crushing, it is difficult to cause fatal damage. Just like Nia, she can fight against this big snake, but with the vitality of this big snake, I am afraid that if she¡¯s drained first, she will not be able to kill this big snake. Koala smiled. ¡°This is a true swordsman for you.¡± In the world of pirates, any swordsman is extremely proud and confident. They firmly believe in their own path and believe that the sword in their hands can cut through all obstacles. This is a trait that belongs only to a swordsman, not to mention a young swordsman like Rhodes! At this time, Rhodes was approaching, looking up at the large snake, which was nearly thirty meters long. Even if only half of the snake¡¯s body stood up, it was several stories high, and humans in front of it were as tiny as an ant. It stands to reason that when normal human beings look up at such a behemoth, would only have awe in their hearts. But Rhodes¡¯ eyes were a little strange. He looked at the big snake up and down as if he was a butcher looking at a fish on the cutting board, thinking about where to start and what to eat later. He remembered that the longest python he saw in his previous life was only more than ten meters, but this one is almost twice as long! With just one glance, it looks extremely delicious, and the more he looked, ¡°Aaah I want to eat it now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you met me.¡± Rhodes shook his head and sighed slightly. Crackling! The arc exploded, and the thunder roared. There was a sudden hint of numbness in the air. Rhodes was instantly submerged into lightning, and turned into a blue light man, illuminating this dark forest. ¡°What the hell? The power of lightning?¡± Just as he was about to step forward, Nia, who was about to attack with a stick, saw this scene, and her mouth opened slightly in shock. However, when she saw Rhodes suddenly she kicked the air with her feet, and stepped away. The invisible airwaves blew the dust away, and the ground shook violently. At the same time, his body swiftly rushed towards the sky like lightning. At the moment when he soared into the sky, the power of lightning on Rhodes¡¯ body was surging, then it all spread to the blade, turning into a giant lightning sword with a length of five meters. The next second, he held the five-meter-long Lightning Sword up high over the top of the serpent¡¯s head. ¡°This¡­¡­¡± Nia, who was below, watched this scene, with a shocked face. In her eyes, the handsome young man stood on the top of the snake¡¯s head, holding a divine sword transformed from lightning and heavenly might, overlooking everyone as if one was to replace the heavens and the earth and bring down divine punishment. Volume 1 - CH 15 Hiss! The big snake finally felt that something was wrong, and turned its head back suddenly, and hissed when it saw that big sword in the sky. It was suddenly startled, and the scales all over its body stood upright, like a cat with fried fur. When it was about to retreat, it saw Rhodes, who was holding the long sword, wave it gently. ¡°Cut!!¡± Words cannot describe the sharpness of this sword! When that sword fell, it felt that even heaven and the earth could be split into two pieces. All the people watching the battle, couldn¡¯t help but feel the sharpness of that sword on their bodies. The Lightning Sword brought a series of afterimages that cut through the sky, and then directly cut through the snake¡¯s head. The snake body with the thickness of the bucket, and the extremely hard scales, felt like paper paste under the sword of lightning. Roar! The big snake let out a piercing roar. Its snake head slid down as the long sword slashed through it, and a stream of blood spurted out of it, and the wound was charred black. ¡°Boom!¡± The body of the snake that was more than ten meters high fell from the sky and landed in the mountains and forests, causing the dust to raise up to the sky. The big snake that had been dormant for decades was slaughtered as soon as it appeared, and killed by Rhodes¡¯ sword. ¡°¡­¡± Nia at the bottom was left dumbfounded, who she was trying to save? Also, why is this kid Rhodes so powerful? Isn¡¯t his Doroki only 249? Also, what the hell is this exaggerated power of lightning? Is Rhode a person who ate a lightning fruit?? A series of questions popped up in her mind, and Nia couldn¡¯t find any answers to them. The iron rod in her hand fell to the ground with a bang, but she didn¡¯t realize it, her face was still sluggish as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she saw with her own eyes. But the snake body that was cut into two pieces on the ground was irrefutable proof and reminded her times and times again that what Rhodes has just done, is something earth-shattering. Even Koala and the others in the monitoring room were left shocked. ¡°The power of lightning is a bit too strong,¡± Koala muttered to herself. Can the sword¡¯s intent be this strong? She wasn¡¯t very clear and couldn¡¯t help but look at Hack. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡± The Hack shook his head slightly. Sword Intent is something vague to people who don¡¯t follow the way of the sword. Even if he was an instructor of the Revolutionary Army Reserve Force, he only knew a little about it. As for the rest of the soldiers of the revolutionary army, they were all showing a hint of awe. Before when they saw Rhodes kill the black ape with one cut, they were only amazed by Rhodes¡¯ potential. But at this moment, Rhodes slaughtered such big snakes with one cut too, but it proved that this young man already possessed the strength to be side by side with them. ¡°He¡¯s only sixteen years old!¡± Everyone was silent and was a little bit shocked. When Sabo was sixteen years old, he didn¡¯t have such strength. At this time, Rhodes, who exhausted his strength, slowly fell from the sky. He was motionless, his expression was calm as if he had done a trivial thing that was not worth mentioning at all. ¡°He really can pretend.¡± Nia secretly complained and felt very displeased with Rhodes¡¯ calm look. ¡°Is this all the damage I can do by combining all of my lightning power into my swordsmanship?¡± Rhodes¡¯ eyes flickered slightly, secretly blaming the sword he was using. He can¡¯t blame the combination, the destructive power is naturally extremely strong. After all, swordsmanship and thunder are both very powerful, and when combined together, they are stronger. ¡°But it can only be used to deal with such large and bloated beasts. Humans of the same level should be more difficult to hit.¡± The powerhouses in the pirate world not only have vitality comparable to those of beasts but also have powerful strength and unbelievable speed. When they fight, normal people cannot capture their shadows. Just like Nia used Soru; that kind of terrifying speed is not something that Rhodes can match. ¡°Also, the consumption of physical strength is also a problem.¡± This extreme use of power directly consumed half of Rhodes¡¯ physical strength. If he really wants to fight, his endurance needs to be leveled up. ¡°Lightning body forging needs to be stepped up. Although the internal organs cannot be directly tempered, the muscles and bones got strengthened, which can also promote the improvement of internal organs.¡± While thinking about his future plans, Rhodes also slowly came to the body of the big snake. ¡°Well, it¡¯s too big, it will be a little hard to grill.¡± Nia, who had just come over, heard Rhodes¡¯ words, and a few black lines burst out on her forehead. She snorted and turned away. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you stay and eat with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry¡± Before she could say the word ¡°hungry¡±, a faint cooing sound suddenly sounded out of her stomach. ¡°¡­¡± Nia¡¯s pretty face blushed, she couldn¡¯t help feeling embarrassed and wished she could find a crack on the spot to hide in it. Obviously, her stomach was very dissatisfied with this answer, and she chose to betray her master without hesitation. In fact, Nia ran for a long time and used the Rokushiki techniques from time to time, which was extremely physically exhausting. In addition, in the daytime, in order to find the black ape, she didn¡¯t have time to eat, so she was naturally a little hungry now. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together, you can¡¯t eat it all alone anyway.¡± Rhode smiled. He noticed how this woman¡¯s previous behavior changed. She has a good character and is a friend worth making. Nia wanted to leave, but the big snake that was being prepared before her eyes, looked extremely delicious, which made her a little unable to move, so she had to stand there and pretend to look at the scenery. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s so dark, what are you doing? Looking for a ghost? Come and help make a fire for the barbecue.¡± Rhodes pierced her without hesitation. Soon. When the fire started, Nia watched Rhode make his magic, he used a lot of salt, honey, and other condiments. As for the way of being a foodie, she was still too far behind too. I don¡¯t know how many years this big snake has existed. The meat is surprisingly delicious. After being carefully roasted, it tastes ridiculously good. And the two of them had a great time eating it. But this snake¡¯s body is too big. Even if Rhodes and Nia were both big eaters, they couldn¡¯t eat all of it, and there was still a lot left. ¡°It¡¯s a sin to waste such delicious food.¡± Rhode¡¯s face was full of heartache, and he once again felt a great desire for a space ring. At this moment, a delicate voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°Give me some too.¡± The two turned their heads to look and saw Koala standing on the branch of a big tree, saying with a smile. The moonlight swayed down like water, setting off Koala¡¯s charming face. Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°This girl is even more charming than her actual drawing in the manga.¡± However, in the next second, that charming breath suddenly faded away And it was as if a fairy had fallen into the mortal world¡­ After being seduced by the smell of the food. She instantly turned into a big foodie and ate more than Rhodes and Nia¡­ Volume 1 - CH 16 The next day, it was bright. Rhodes stopped the lightning forging body technique, glanced at the attribute bar, and the two points of energy were increased, so he couldn¡¯t help but be slightly startled. Usually, a night of lightning forging will only add a bit of energy. ¡°Is it because I cut off that big snake yesterday?¡± Rhodes touched his chin. It seemed that the stronger the enemy, the more efficient it would be to obtain energy from battles. Either way, let¡¯s find breakfast first. Rhodes took a deep breath, the forest¡¯s air in the morning was exceptionally fresh and refreshing. He glanced around, and his eyes quickly locked onto a large ox that was grazing leisurely. This ox is more than two meters tall, with a yellow-orange body, and the horns between its foreheads are pointing straight to the sky and seemed extremely sharp. ¡°It¡¯s going to be you.¡± Rhodes smiled and rushed up. Whoosh! He was extremely fast and brought with him a gust of wind with great momentum. The big yellow ox managed to survive in this forest to this day, and there is no doubt about its vigilance. It reacted instantly and looked at Rhodes. Moo! It screamed in anger after being interrupted at breakfast, then its hoof trampled the ground, and rushed over without showing weakness, while its pair of horns were glowing with brilliant light. ¡°Ouff, someone is being moody in the morning.¡± Rhodes shook his head, and before he got any closer, he suddenly waved his sword. scoff! Light blue sword energy suddenly shot out from the blade, tore through the air, and head at the bull¡¯s head as fast as lightning. Whoosh! The dazzling thunder light burst, mixed with the sharpness of sword energy. In an instant, the energy sword cut hit the big ox¡¯s iron head and swept behind him to the forest. Blood was dripping, and both bull¡¯s eyes were blinded, and his mouth was opened incessantly; it was still alive. ¡°The power of a long-range slash is really not comparable to a full strike.¡± In the blink of an eye, Rhodes passed by the big ox, and the strong wind blew the hair flying all over its body. Following the inertia, the big yellow ox still walked forward for three or four meters, before its head slid to the side suddenly, rolled to the ground, then blood spurted out like spring water. With his back pointing to the big ox, Rhodes put his sword into the sheath, collected materials on the spot, and prepared to make a feast of beef. Zizzi¡­ The fire burned, and the grease fell into the fire and chirped. Rhodes pondered quietly while biting the big beef shank. Sword Qi is a long-range attack method for swordsmen, and it is only natural that its power is not as powerful as a true slash. However, sword Qi, as one of the signature techniques of swordsmen, is also the most handsome ability. During the war, the world¡¯s largest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, split the earth with a single strike of sword energy, cut off icebergs, and shocked the whole world, declaring that he was truly worthy of the name of the strongest swordsman. He was really cool. ¡°The essence of sword Qi is that the swordsman compresses and condenses the power of the slash to a certain extent, and then burst it out to form a flying slash.¡± This involves physical strength and a certain level of comprehension of swordsmanship. The two are complementary effects. The stronger the physical strength, and the deeper the understanding, the more condensed the sword energy will be, the stronger the power, and the farther the attack distance. Rhodes¡¯ physical fitness has been tempered by lightning for more than a month. Compared with when he first came to this world, of course, he is much stronger. But compared to the powerhouses who really entered the threshold, he¡¯s still relatively immature. Just like what Koala said, if its strength and speed competition, any swordsman can suppress him. ¡°However, with the lightning enhancing his physical strength, in terms of basic speed, and strength, he should be relatively close.¡± Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly. As for the comprehension of swordsmanship, with the powerful talent of swordsmanship specialists, he will never be weaker than anyone! ¡°Fight during the day, gain energy, and perform lightning forging at night, this is going to be my training menu to strengthen your body! ¡° Rhode¡¯s path is extremely clear, he just needs to keep walking step by step, and it won¡¯t take long before he finally gets rid of the title of ¡°the weakest swordsman in history¡±. ¡­¡­ Two days passed quickly. The time for the mission finally came to an end. The assembly signal of the revolutionary army resounded on the island, so the reservists stopped their actions one after another and headed for the assembly point. In the forest. There were five dark shadows constantly attacking a handsome young man. Those five black shadows belonged to lynxes. They were extremely flexible, fast as lightning, and has sharp claws, with a physique comparable to a tiger, they were one of the top predators in the jungle. However, under these lynxes¡¯ attacks, the young man was like a stroll in the courtyard, his posture was relaxed and calm as water, and he unbelievably avoided the attacks of these minions from all directions in a lighthearted manner. This sharpness is truly amazing. ¡°The mission is already over?¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t play with you anymore.¡± Hearing the sound of the horn that spread all over the island, Rhodes smiled lightly, then suddenly grabbed the hilt of the sword, and then slashed out. Whoosh!! The light blue sword energy bloomed as an arc, sweeping in all directions. The surrounding lynxes were caught off guard, and they were slashed by this sword energy, and they were thrown out one by one. The burst of sword energy at such a close range was completely powerful enough to cut through the lynxes¡¯ not-too-tough skin and bones, causing them fatal damage. At the same time, the power of thunder attached to the sword energy also made these lynxes lose their resistance. One cut, five kills. With a bang, Rhodes put his sword back into the sheath and then walked towards the assembly point. When Rhodes came to the coast, the place was already full of reservists. He glanced at it. Rez and others were among them. Although they were injured a little and looked a little embarrassed, they were in good spirits. Nia was there too and seemed to be chatting with friends. Rhode was not interested in chatting with people, so he walked aside on his own, then opened the properties bar to take a look. ¡°When I first came to the island, I had a total of seventy-three energy points. Is it eighty-eight now?¡± Rhodes was not surprised. In the next two days, as more powerful beasts were killed, it was difficult for him to find powerful creatures, and the energy obtained would naturally be a little less. If he hadn¡¯t found these powerful lynxes at the end of the day he would have gained much lesser. However, this is enough. With fifteen points of energy, his lightning power got very strong. ¡°This kid is too lonely.¡± Seeing Rhodes standing alone, and didn¡¯t come to chat with the team members like everyone, Nia couldn¡¯t help but shake her head slightly. ¡°But he also has some good standards. With his talent, I¡¯m afraid he will soon leave the reserve force.¡± Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the young man standing alone at the other end of the crowd. ¡°I wonder how Shanoa performed on this mission?¡± (T/N: Made a mistake last chapter it¡¯s Shanoa, like the character from Castlevania, not Shanon.) ¡°I heard that she fought against a group of crocodiles alone and killed them all!¡± ¡°Rhod¡¯s attack power is strong too. It is really difficult for us to be compared to him in this regard.¡± The captains talked a lot, and all looked at the proud young swordsman with awe-filled eyes. There are also levels among the captains, and Shanoa is clearly ahead of them. Nia looked funny. Four crocodiles? That cannot be compared to a big snake, right? However, she really didn¡¯t know which of the two swordsmen is more powerful. She thought about it for a while but still felt that if Shanoa is seven out of ten, Rhodes is only three. After all, although Rhodes mastered the power of lightning, he can¡¯t even match Shanoa in physical strength, since he didn¡¯t learn the Rokushiki yet. Volume 1 - CH 17 One after another, people kept walking out of the forest, but still, some people never showed up. They weren¡¯t dead, it¡¯s because this island is densely forested and has complex terrain, that some people got lost. Fortunately, there are surveillance cameras all over the island, and under the search of the revolutionary army agents, everyone quickly gathered. A sad death did not occur, but there were still a few reservists who broke a hand but judging from how they looked, it didn¡¯t seem like they were going to give up. In this regard, Hack¡¯s great praise was given. This is the quality that a real revolutionary army should possess. Afterward, everyone boarded the boat one after another and left the island. The anxiety and uneasy atmosphere, from when they first arrived, was smoothed out, and when they looked at the slowly receding island, Rez and the others couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit emotional. ¡°Damn, I almost died several times in this place.¡± ¡°Me too. I was almost gutted by a lynx once. Fortunately, I survived.¡± The newly recruited reservists chatted in a low voice, with lingering fear in their hearts. ¡°Rez, how many beasts did you kill?¡± Someone asked curiously. ¡°Not much, not much, maybe ten or so.¡± Rez shook his head slightly, a little dissatisfied. As the reservists¡¯ highest Doroki in the newly promoted reserve force, he has always demanded high standards from himself, but he did not expect that his performance in this actual battle would be so mediocre. ¡°This is already very good. It is said that the last year¡¯s reservists had the same score.¡± Someone envied. People are always different. Some people are born with the aptitude for the strong, and the gap will only get bigger and bigger. ¡°I don¡¯t know how Rhodes¡¯ score is¡­¡± At this moment, someone whispered. ¡°I am not sure as well.¡± Rez shook his head and said, ¡°He¡¯s a swordsman. He should be more efficient at killing beasts than me, but it¡¯s probably a dozen or so more at most.¡± ¡°After all, his speed is too slow and his strength is weak. The moment he encounters a slightly more powerful beast, I am afraid he will have to flee.¡± The rest of the newly promoted reservists nodded in agreement. Rhode¡¯s physical weakness is obvious to all, and no one knows it better than them. At this moment, Nia, who walked by, heard their conversation, and couldn¡¯t help but smile, and threw a piece of paper over and said: ¡°Take a look, this is the list of the top ten performances that just came out.¡± ¡°Um?¡± Rez grabbed it quickly, glanced at the names on it, and suddenly the whole person froze. Seeing his reaction, the rest of the newly recruited reservists came close to him curiously. All of a sudden, they all froze in place, and their eyes widened while their pupils were trembling violently, it seemed as if they had seen a ghost. Top on the list was Rhodes who was in the same class as them! ¡°For you, it was surviving, but for others, it was just a game.¡± Seeing their collective bewildered expressions, Nia smiled and turned to leave. If Rhodes¡¯ performance was not the best in the game, Nia would be the first to not believe it. After the results were released, there was a commotion on the deck, and everyone looked in disbelief. The top ten spots were basically taken by the captains, with few exceptions. ¡°It seems that this newcomer named Rhodes is very powerful.¡± ¡°I heard that he is a swordsman, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so strong.¡± ¡°Shanoa has an opponent.¡± People were talking a lot, and they seemed both excited and curious. They didn¡¯t shy away from the appearance of this super rookie, because having this kind of companion can greatly improve their chances of survival in future missions. Standing alone on the bow of the boat, Shanoa was closing her eyes and resting and was awakened by the commotion. ¡°A young swordsman?¡± After seeing the list, Shanoa smiled lightly and didn¡¯t care, because the gap between them was actually very big. She didn¡¯t think that young Rhodes has the strength to fight against her. ¡­¡­ After half a day. The sailboat returns to the island of Baltigo. Rhodes walked out of the cabin and could clearly feel the gazes of others looking at him. There was a big difference. Rez and the others were in awe, while the rest of the reservists were mostly curious and provocative. ¡°Have the results been announced?¡± Rhodes¡¯ eyes flashed slightly. It is estimated that the bonus brought by beheading that snake made his score ahead of everyone. Of course, he didn¡¯t care about that. He put on his coat, followed the team, and another trip started immediately. Hack didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of returning to the headquarters directly. He took Rhodes and others along the coastline and marched all the way until they soon came to a place with complicated terrain. Rhodes could clearly feel that there were many sentries in the dark, and he could even vaguely see the dark muzzles from some hidden places. ¡°This is the coastal base, responsible for monitoring the coastline of the Baltigo Island to prevent pirates who land on the island accidentally from entering the headquarters by mistake.¡± Hack said then walked into the base hall with the reservists. Hack didn¡¯t say much about how to deal with these pirates, but obviously, it wouldn¡¯t be a good end for them. As a senior cadre of the revolutionary army, Hack has a high authority and status. He travels all the way in, while the revolutionary army soldiers he encounters salute respectfully. ¡°Rez, you stay, and the rest of the people go to rest.¡± When they reached another hall, Hack gave an order. ¡°Yes!¡± Nia and the others quickly dispersed, leaving only the newly promoted reservists like Rhodes. The scene quieted down for a while. After a long time, Hack said, ¡°I believe that after this actual battle, you all have a deeper understanding of your own strength.¡± ¡°In real combat, physical fitness is only one aspect, swordsmanship, physical skills, and consciousness all occupy an important part, and can be even more important!¡± ¡°Without these, you¡¯re just a reckless man with brute force¡­¡± After they lived that previous experience, Rez and the others all nodded subconsciously, revealing the color of deep thought. Before that, they all just worked hard to train their bodies, they thought that if their strength was strong enough, they can suppress everything. The reason might be correct, but they can¡¯t train to the level of suppressing everything in a short duration. As for the real combat experience, you can only accumulate experience by fighting over and over again. What¡¯s more important is mastering techniques that can help you utilize all of your strength, just like swordsmanship. ¡°Last time, I taught you to change the way you breathe. That¡¯s the foundation of having a strong body.¡± Hack stood with his hands behind his back, and said in a low voice, ¡°Today, what I¡¯m going to teach you is an advanced physical technique, and it¡¯s called the Rokushiki.¡± ¡°These six techniques are Soru that helps you move instantly, and the moon step that can walk in the void¡­¡± After a brief introduction, Hack began to practice the six techniques, while moving very slowly, to explain the difficulties and tricks. ¡°The marine¡¯s Rokushiki?¡± Rhodes blinked, but he was not surprised. With the penetration of the revolutionary army into the world, it was a matter of course to master the extremely practical advanced physical skills such as the marine¡¯s Rokushiki. He saw Nia using Soru before. For Rhodes, the Rokushiki is also worth learning, but it is not necessary to learn all of them. Rankakyu¡¯s slashing was like a joke in his eye as a swordsman, and the Shigan was useless, why use his finger when he can use the tip of his blade. As for the Tekkai and Kami-e, these two abilities seem to lay the foundation for learning Haki. With Rhodes¡¯ physical enhancement speed, I believe that the conditions for practicing Haki will soon be met, and there is no need to learn these techniques. ¡°However, the speed of Soru and the flying effect of Geppo are the most useful to me.¡± Rhodes sighed in his heart, while his eyes were fixed on Hack on the stage. With twice the intelligence of an ordinary person, he naturally memorized the relevant skills easily, but to really learn it, he still had to practice them many times by himself. Volume 1 - CH 18 The Rokushiki is the culmination of all physical techniques. It is a practical physical technique developed by the strong men of the marines for hundreds of years. It is useful to almost anyone, whether it is a martial artist, swordsman, or basically any person. At this level of physical arts, the threshold for learning is naturally very high. Not just anyone is qualified to practice, at least someone with a Doroki that is close to ¡°super-human¡± is qualified to learn. Among the newly recruited reservists excluding Rez, I am afraid that only two or three are barely qualified, and it is very likely that they will not be able to learn. The rest of the newly recruited reservists may even have to practice for several months or even half a year to barely reach the threshold. However, this is still incredible. When these reservists grow up, I am afraid they can all be very reliable agents. ¡°It seems that the reservists recruited by the headquarters this time are all trained as seedlings of cadres.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that the threshold for recruiting is 200 points of strength. After three years of training, I am afraid that almost all of them will have strength close to or comparable to the cadres of the revolutionary army.¡± This thought flashed through Rhodes¡¯ mind, and he suddenly became enlightened. From this point of view, somewhere in the four seas, there should be a sub-base similar to the island of Baltigo, which is under the control of the commander of the four armies, responsible for training ordinary soldiers and building the grassroots of the revolutionary army. ¡°It¡¯s similar to the Marines.¡± It¡¯s just that the Marines have a bigger booth, spreading all over the world. Even the marines branches and marines bases in the first half of the Grand Line, all have the function of training new recruits. If the talent is good enough, they will be sent to the elite battalion of the headquarters of the marine for in-depth training. In this way, the Marines¡¯ heritage is simply terrifying, and it deserves to be one of the most powerful forces in the sea, not even just one of them. However, the revolutionary army can be regarded as a threat by the world government that has ruled the world for 800 years. Apart from these conventional forces, there should be a lot of things hidden secretly. ¡°In the next period of time, you will practice Rokushiki.¡± Hack said in a deep voice, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can learn it or not. The Rokushiki are physical techniques that surpass the limits of human beings. They can speed up your physical growth. However, be careful, and do not force it, because it will then damage the body, and it will not be worth the gain.¡± ¡°Now you can go! But Rhodes, you stay.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Everyone responded, got up, and left. Before leaving, everyone looked at Rhodes with envious eyes. This is obviously going to be a special session for him. However, they have no choice but to accept it. With Rhodes¡¯ performance in the mission, he has proved that his strength is far beyond them. Rez sighed in his heart, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little funny. Before, he thought he was the strongest in his group. ¡°I will definitely catch up to you!¡± He looked at Rhodes who seemed calm and swore in his heart. Rhodes didn¡¯t know what this was all about, and he wouldn¡¯t care even if he knew it. With his cultivation speed, once Rez was overtaken, it will be almost impossible to catch up to him again. After everyone left, Hack slowly came to Rhodes, sat down, smiled, and said: ¡°With your talent, although the demonstration was brief, you should be able to understand it. If there is something you don¡¯t understand, you can ask questions now.¡± Seeing his attitude, Rhodes suddenly realized, that this teaching of the Rokushiki is more aimed at him alone. After all, it will be hard for Rez and others to learn it with their current strength. After pondering for a while, Rhodes asked a few questions, all of which were detailed questions, about Soru and Geppo, and about daily practice. Hack is a master of martial arts. He has been teaching for many years. He has a general idea of what problems students will encounter in the process of training. Therefore, when he answers, he is organized and explains in simple terms. With Rhodes¡¯ intelligence, he naturally understands it all at once, which feels like a sudden realization for him. Previously, he practiced alone, unknowingly, and aimlessly. It might not harm him for now, but if he continued to practice this way for a long time, he might damage his body. The human body is the most precise instrument. Small mistakes can lead to severe consequences. And with Hack¡¯s wisdom and experience, Rhodes felt that not only could these mistakes be corrected, but the efficiency of future practice might also be improved by one or two percent. Don¡¯t think that this is very little. Even if it is half-effective, it is extremely impressive in the case of accumulation over time. After answering another question, Hack looked at Rhodes patiently, and said: ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡± ¡°No, thank you, Teacher Hack.¡± Rhodes sincerely thanked him. ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility to teach students, so you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± Hack smiled and said, ¡°Your talent in swordsmanship is something I have never seen in my life, work hard and don¡¯t waste it.¡± ¡°Student must keep this in mind.¡± Seeing Hack¡¯s attitude, Rhodes was stunned for a moment, and then he realized that the power of thunder was probably regarded as his sword intent. However, this is all in his plan, and it is not surprising. Low-key has the advantage of low-key, and high-key has the advantage of high-key. As long as the exposed things are still within the scope of understanding, there will not be too much risk. Currently, Rhodes is at best regarded as a good seedling with extraordinary talent and unlimited potential. Whether it grows up or not, it¡¯s still two things to say. ¡°Okay, go on and practice hard.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Rhodes nodded lightly, got up, and left. In the back, a bearded man in a coat, with a cigarette in his mouth slowly walked over: ¡°Is this young man that talented? You even made a special session for him to answer his questions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you, Gilteo, this kid is indeed very talented. At the age of sixteen, he realized his own sword intent.¡± The person who came was the intelligence controller of the Revolutionary Army, Tery Gilteo, a high-ranking officer and one of the senior cadres of the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Oh? Sixteen years old? That¡¯s amazing.¡± Gilteo took a deep puff and asked quickly, ¡°What type of sword intent?¡± There are many kinds of sword intent, and it can even be said that every sword master can comprehend his unique sword intent. There is no strong or weak sword intent, it mainly depends on the sword master himself. ¡°The power of thunder!¡± Hack raised the corners of his mouth lightly, and his eyes were full of smiles. ¡°Element class?¡± Gilteo narrowed his eyes slightly, and said, ¡°Although the elemental sword intent is superior to the physical type in terms of destructive power, it will hinder the advancement of a great swordsman.¡± As the intelligence controller of the Revolutionary Army Headquarters, Gilteo even knew something about great swordsmen who stood on the top of the sea. Hack was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a smile and said, ¡°But if it doesn¡¯t, then he would be stronger than anyone.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Gilteo also smiled, ¡°Come with me, I gonna buy you a drink.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ve been eyeing your bottle of Icefire Wine for a long time.¡± Hack¡¯s eyes lit up and he walked out first. Seeing this scene, Koala, who was forgotten by the side, couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. She stretched and walked slowly to a room. Volume 1 - CH 19 Early the next morning. After Rhodes had breakfast, he came to the training room, ready to start practicing Soru and Geppo. ¡°Soru is a high-speed movement, and the Geppo is kicking the air, based on learning how to use the Soru.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll start with Soru.¡± Recalling the training method that Hack explained yesterday, Rhodes slowly came to the side of the training room. The principle of Soru is not difficult, and it can even be said to be the easiest one of Rokushiki. The difficulty is only on the threshold. You must have a non-human level physique, and your body must be able to withstand the explosive movement speed of the Soru before you can be qualified to practice it. Just like breaking the sound barrier, you must have solid material first. Once the physical strength reaches the standard, it is not too difficult to practice. ¡°And many more.¡± Just as he was about to start his training, Rhodes suddenly realized that something was wrong: ¡°This training room seems a little small¡­¡± He took a look at this training room. As a revolutionary army base, of course, the construction materials are of the highest standard. They use special rocks that are only one step weaker than sea stones, and it is extremely hard. However, even though this separate training room is fully equipped, the space is not large. It is enough for physical training, but he was going to practice Soru, things could get wrong in such a small room. I heard Hack say that the biggest difficulty in the initial practice of Soru is the control of the explosive force, and it is easy to jump all the way out in a swish. Rhodes shook his head. He had no hobby of hitting walls. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look at the training hall.¡± Rhodes sighed, turned around, and walked out. Although he didn¡¯t like to practice with other people, there was nothing he could do. Along the corridor, Rhodes gradually came to the outside of a hall. The space here is much larger, which is completely enough to practice Soru, but learning Geppo here will probably be a little troublesome. At this moment, many reservists in the hall were practicing or chatting, and when they saw Rhodes appearing, they all looked surprised. After the last mission, Rhodes was already regarded as the number one man in the reserve force and even regarded at the same level as the captains. These kinds of people usually don¡¯t come to the hall to practice. ¡°It is estimated that it is to find a place to practice the Rokushiki. The space of the personal training room in this base is not as big as that in the headquarters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing. After only one month of becoming a reservist, he has met the requirements for practicing the Rokushiki.¡± ¡°He just met the requirements. If he really wants to learn it, it will take at least a few months, or even longer. It took Shanoa more than four months to master two of them.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not necessarily true. I heard that this guy is a real genius, a sixteen-year-old swordsman! You can¡¯t really tell what he can actually do!¡± ¡°Swordsmanship and Physical Techniques are not in the same field at all, how can they be compared!¡± There were a lot of discussions taking place, and things got a bit noisy. This made Rhodes a little unhappy, he still prefers a quieter environment. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and find a better place.¡± He shook his head and walked along the corridor to the outside of the base. After showing his identity, he came to an open space between the valleys, where there were several plants that happened to grow only on the Baltigo Island, which looked a bit like a cactus. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Rhodes marked a place in front of these special plants, and then slowly retreated to a far enough distance. Phew. Recalling the way of using Soru, Rhodes took a deep breath, secretly adjusted his body strength, and then stomped the ground. boom! The ground cracked with spiderweb-like traces, and then he instantly rushed forward. ¡°No, the power is not superimposed and accumulated.¡± ¡°I need to focus more.¡± boom! The earth cracked again, and Rhodes¡¯ body suddenly rushed forward. Although it was a little better, it was still far from the standard of the Soru. ¡°Again.¡± Rhodes¡¯ mentality was very stable. His talent is swordsmanship specialist, which is not compatible with martial artists. It is only normal that such techniques will take him longer to learn. However, his intelligence is more than twice that of ordinary people, his way of thinking and calculating is very clear, and he can easily detect any flaws. With step-by-step corrections, his learning progress is not slow, at least much faster than normal people. The Rokushiki are indeed advanced physical techniques that surpass the limits of the human body. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is also the reason for the slow learning.¡± Feeling the state of his body, Rhodes curled his lips. After only a moment of practicing, he was already close to the limit of his physical strength. According to the recovery time of his physical strength, the number of times a normal person can practice such a technique in a day is pitifully small. ¡°But I¡¯m different.¡± Rhodes smiled and sat cross-legged on the ground. Zizzi¡­ A faint blue light appeared on Rhodes¡¯ body. Wisps of light blue electric arcs emerged, swimming around like little snakes. This state is different from the lightning-forging body that strengthens his body at night. The current operation is more gentle, just like soaking in a hot spring. Up until now, Rhodes has developed a total of three states using the power of lightning. The first is lightning forging, which uses electric current to stimulate the cells in the body and improve their activity, thereby strengthening the body. The second is the lightning mode, which is a state used in combat. It fully activates the power of lightning, which can stimulate the nerves of the body, and to a certain extent, enhance the speed of the body and the reaction speed of the nerves. Currently, Rhodes can last for about one to eight hours in this state, depending on the intensity of the battle. The third one is the present one. In a non-war state, it is used to relieve fatigue and accelerate physical recovery. The side effect is that it does increase food intake. Soon, Rhodes¡¯ physical strength gradually recovered to full value. He rubbed his legs, stood up again, and continued to practice. ¡­¡­ Half a month passed quickly. In the past two weeks, Rhodes spent most of his time practicing Soru and Geppo, except for the lightning forging at night. Because he can relieve fatigue and speed up physical recovery with the help of electric currents, Rhodes¡¯ daily practice duration and frequency far exceed that of normal people. In just 15 days, he mastered the high-speed movement of the Soru. Though he still lacks some control. To make it short, he can use the Soru technique, but he cannot precisely control the landing point. This is fatal. Using Soru again, Rhodes¡¯ figure flashed like a flicker, instantly crossing a large distance, appearing in front of the big tree, and almost colliding with it. ¡°For the time being, I can only use it to move around. Using it in actual combat is currently impossible.¡± Rhodes shook his head slightly. He will simply be courting death if he dares to use this technique in battle. ¡°It¡¯s really not that simple to figure out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, the Rokushiki is the culmination of the profound understanding of various martial arts. Some pure martial artists managed to traverse the sea for long just by being proficient in a few of them. How could it be so easy to practice?¡± Rhodes¡¯ mentality is very stable, and he is not anxious at all. Compared with other people, he has learned quickly. Due to the addition, he achieved in physical strength, his strength finally broke through a threshold under this daily hard work. Rhodes estimated that he should be at the same level as Nia and other captains. His fast growth is one of the reasons that helped him practice the Rokushiki so quickly. The time has come to the winter of 1520, and a series of major events are brewing, which may break out at any time. This made Rhodes always have a faint sense of urgency. He could not wait to split one day into two days of training. He was extremely eager to have more power. ¡°This is not enough.¡± Letting out a breath, Rhodes loosened his muscles and continued to practice his Soru technique. As for the Geppo. It is an advanced version of the Soru, a high-end application of the skill. After mastering Soru, the difficulty of practicing Geppo will be greatly reduced. Volume 1 - CH 20 half a month later. In the open space. Rhodes stood calmly, eyeing the spot he planned as his foothold in the distance. ¡°Soru!¡± In an instant, Rhodes jumped out violently, turning into an afterimage that was indistinguishable to the naked eye, tearing the air, bringing a gust of wind, and then landing on the foothold with great precision, and almost in the center! ¡°This level should be enough for actual combat.¡± Letting out a breath, Rhodes nodded, feeling somewhat satisfied. In one month, he learned Saru, and the speed even exceeded Rhodes¡¯ own expectations. Although he has various advantages, such as the speed of learning, and the ability to speed up the recovery of physical strength, in the end, it is necessary to work hard in order to achieve something. ¡°It¡¯s probably because my body has grown a lot.¡± ¡°After all, it¡¯s only normal. The better you are, the more difficult it will be to get stronger.¡± Putting aside these messy thoughts, Rhodes looked up at the sky and then jumped up. Whoosh! At this time, his physical strength had already surpassed the limits of the human body, and his jumping power was extremely amazing. He barely exerted much effort before he came into the air, and then under the influence of gravity, his body began to fall quickly. Under normal circumstances, it is impossible for humans to stay in the air, let alone fly. Geppo is one of the Rokushiki techniques, and it gives humans the ability to stay in the air for a short period of time. Rhodes used both of his feet to step down; obviously, he was stepping in the air, but it looked as if he was stepping on the real body. He made a ¡°bang¡±, and then his body rose a bit higher. After several consecutive attempts, Rhodes fell back to pondering. ¡°Geppo is an advanced application technique of Soru, which enables human beings to force their way in the air and stay elevated for a short time, which is of great significance.¡± ¡°The disadvantage is that it is very inflexible, the physical consumption is greater than that of Soru, and it cannot be used for long-distance movement.¡± Rhodes analyzed it attentively. After all, the sky is not the domain of human beings. The Geppo can only give humans the ability to stay in the sky for a short period of time. ¡°However, the captains have more or less mastered two, or three moves of the Rokushiki. I learned it, and I just made up for the shortcomings in this area, so that I won¡¯t be led by the nose when fighting.¡± ¡°The most important improvement is the power of thunder and swordsmanship!¡± Level 2: Book of Knowledge Attributes: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +1 Talent: Swordsmanship Specialist ¨C The combination of human and sword ¨C The comprehension of swordsmanship is greatly improved! Thunder Control ¨C The Rebirth of the God of Thunder. You can freely control the power of thunder! Energy: 149/1000 The energy broke through the 100 mark, and took a big step forward; a full 149 points of energy were gained! At this time, Rhodes¡¯ power of lightning was twice as strong as when he went to the monster island before! The power of lightning at this stage, even if it is not attached to a sword and it¡¯s shot out alone, can be regarded as a powerful weapon. At the same time. In terms of swordsmanship, after his physical strength finally reached the threshold, the sword Qi he can shoot out finally has considerable power in it. If he faces the beasts on that island again, he could slash them with a single strike of his sword Qi. The destructive power of that skill has greatly increased. Before becoming a great swordsman, the most influential factor in the power of sword Qi is the swordsman¡¯s own power. Physical strength is the foundation of everything. ¡°To sum things up, with my current combat power, I should have a 90% chance of winning against Nia and other captains.¡± ¡°As for the first team¡¯s captain, Shanoa, I heard that she is also a swordsman. I have never seen her make a move in person, so it¡¯s a little hard to measure¡­¡± After thinking for a while, Rhodes felt that as long as Shanoa hadn¡¯t learned Haki yet, he has enough confidence to beat her! It can be said that after more than two months of training, Rhodes finally has the power to step into this world by himself, and he can forcefully suppress the elite reservists and cadres raised by major forces such as the Revolutionary Army. If he learns the Haki, Rhodes¡¯ strength will also usher in a surge. This speed seems terrifying. In fact, in the world of pirates, it is not difficult to level up from an ordinary person to an ordinary strong person. If you are lucky, even eating a Devil Fruit would be more than enough to do it. If it is a rare elemental fruit, it can even directly possess the power to traverse the world and even the first half of the Grand Line. However, after reaching a certain level, it will be extremely difficult to go further. For example, Doflamingo in the Shichibukai, or other members of the Yonko¡¯s Pirate groups, are almost all existences who can fight against admirals without losing the wind, but to truly rank with an admiral, or even surpass the admirals, it is simply extremely difficult, and it may even be impossible to do for a lifetime. But Rhodes is different. The existence of the book of knowledge gave him endless possibilities, and he could improve almost unlimitedly. The bottleneck does not exist! The highest level is his goal! Gilteo has been standing by the window for a long time. ¡°In one month, he learned Soru and Geppo, and be able to control them proficiently.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid Sabo¡¯s talent in martial arts is far less than that.¡± After thinking about it for a while, he shook his head, with the light of wisdom flashing in his eyes, and muttered to himself, ¡°No, it¡¯s not a talent for martial arts.¡± ¡°Is it the learning speed? He can quickly detect mistakes, and easily correct them, this kind of sensitivity¡­¡± ¡°Also, the power of thunder, or the sword intent of thunder. I never knew that it can be used like this?¡± This is the most amazing thing. He obviously didn¡¯t expect that Sword Intent could be developed in this way and become a regular power. After observing him for a while, he could naturally notice that Rhodes can quickly recover his physical strength with the help of lightning, thereby speeding up the progress of his training ¡°Geniuses, you can¡¯t speculate them with common sense.¡± Gilteo shook his head, returned to the desk, and sat down, continuing to sort out the information. ¡°Report!¡± A voice came from outside the door. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°According to the pirate flag, it is the relatively famous Silver Sword Pirates in the nearby waters.¡± ¡°But the Captain of the Silver Sword Pirates is not here. The leader of the group of the Silver Sword Pirates is, ¡°Black Fist¡± Lancelot, he has a bounty of 83 million.¡± The soldiers of the Revolutionary Army gave a quick report. ¡°¡­¡± Hearing this, Gilteo pondered slightly, and just as he was about to speak, Hack¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside the gate: ¡°We finally have pirates here?¡± As soon as he said this, Gilteo immediately shook his head helplessly, knowing that this guy was planning to bring those reservists to fight the pirates. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry we got it.¡± The Hack laughed, turned, and walked out. Judging by his level of proficiency, this is obviously not the first time. Volume 1 - CH 21 Dusk. Behind a hillside. Hack came here with the reservists, and then said, ¡°I think you all know the goal of this mission.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you to arrange a suitable tactic or formation to attack the enemy.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t take action unless you encounter an irresistible enemy.¡± ¡°Be careful, the enemies are all vicious pirates, they must not have the slightest mercy.¡± His tone was low and serious, and it attached great importance to this combat mission. The pirates in the New World are all hungry wolves. They have been battling for a long time and have killed countless people. In order to ensure the safety of the reservists, Hack even dispatched some revolutionary army cadres from the coast base. ¡°Yes!¡± Numerous reservists responded in a low voice, all of them were a little nervous, especially Rez and his group. Pirates! The strength and ferocity of this kind of people are almost heard from childhood, and no one dares to underestimate them, because anyone who does, ends up dead. ¡°Rhod, what do you think?¡± Rez asked Rhodes beside him in a low tone. Rhodes gave him a strange look and said: ¡°What do you think, just kill them.¡± ¡°Anyway, they¡¯re all scum, it¡¯s such a waste of clean air.¡± Rhodes didn¡¯t have any good feelings for pirates. The pirates in this world, except for a very small number of existences such as Luffy, and Red Hair, most of the others are criminals who have committed many crimes, and they have to be killed. ¡°¡­¡± Rez was speechless, you are so harsh. At this time, Nia, Shanoa, and other captains came to Rhodes in a group and invited him to discuss the tactic together. This is a world where strength determines status. Rhodes¡¯ performance in the last mission has obviously made the captains recognize him. ¡°The leader of the enemy is a powerful pirate with a reward of 83 million, nicknamed Black Fist, he should be a strong individual.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very likely that he learned how to use Haki. This guy will be handed over to Shanoa. It¡¯s okay to hold him back, right?¡± ¡°As soon as we solve the other scumbags, we¡¯ll come to help you.¡± Nia seems to be a tactical analyst, and spoke straightly: ¡°Comparing the number of people, we are a little less, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It can be like this, and like this¡­¡± She speaks extremely fast and eloquently, she was obviously a proficient tactic specialist. The rest of the captains nodded frequently, and even the great swordsman Shanoa showed approval. Her strength has not reached that point where she can ignore the number of people. On the side, Rhodes secretly sighed helplessly, they had already discussed it, why did they call him. ¡­¡­ It seems that this group of pirates had to change its course due to sudden sea storms. After accidentally discovering the island Baltigo, they docked to explore and repair their pirate ship. There is a camp in the open space on the shore. Some pirates are in charge of guarding, the rest are resting, and a few people have been sent to explore the island. This is the habit of pirates. When they encounter an island, they will go forward to explore, and they may find some treasures and the like. In the center of the camp, Black Fist stood with his hands behind his back, and said lightly, ¡°How long will it take to repair.¡± ¡°Half a day.¡± Someone replied. Black Fist nodded and turned to look back it was dusk and looked quite atmospheric. ¡°What about the others who went to explore the island? Why haven¡¯t they come back?¡± Black Fist narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling that something was wrong. He was a meticulous person and attached great importance to the concept of time. Anyone under him who is late will be severely punished, whipped at every turn, and even shot on the spot in serious cases. His crew knows this, so it rarely happens. ¡°A problem must have occurred. There is danger on this island be careful! ¡± Half a minute later, he ordered everyone to be on alert. Immediately, the pirates scattered on the beach began to gather at the camp. Although they were not panicked, their vigilance was extremely high. Boom boom boom! At the same time, dozens of cannons suddenly flew in the distance, bringing up a trail of flame tails and bombarding the pirate camp. The earth trembled, and dust rose to the sky. ¡°¡­¡± Black Fist stood in the center of the audience. He looked extremely calm, he was really used to standing in such battles. This firepower still can¡¯t make the smallest pirate in the New World flinch. Most of the rest of the pirates did the same. They didn¡¯t panic, but instead, a cold bloodthirsty look flashed in their eyes. After being tossed by the storm, these pirates were in a very bad mood, eager to kill to satisfy themselves and vent their emotions. It would be better if they could find one or two beautiful women. Nia didn¡¯t intend to cause any casualties, she just used the artillery fire to divide the pirates and break their formation ¡°Attack!¡± The next moment, the captains of the reverse force and their team members rushed to the pirate camp from all directions. All of a sudden, everyone was shouting, and on the beach under the setting sun, the ground was painted red with blood. With the advantage of the raid, the reservists achieved good results. But the pirates of the new world are not easy to mess with. If it wasn¡¯t for the strength of the captains such as Shanoa and Nia, and the well-equipped reservists, there would have been casualties already. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet, it¡¯s better not to be positive.¡± Seeing this scene, Rhodes shook his head gently and then headed towards the pirate ship. His mission is to destroy the pirate ship and cut off the pirate¡¯s back path. This is a mission specially assigned by Nia based on his ability. As he was walking, he suddenly felt something in his heart and looked forward to the left. Near a makeshift shed, two tall pirates with strange blushes on their faces looked at him sharply with evident murderous intent. ¡°huh, okay bring it on.¡± Rhodes¡¯ eyes became cold. Soru! A violent force erupted, and the ground shattered instantly, leaving spider web-like traces. At the same time, Rhodes rushed toward the pirates as fast as lightning. The murderous intent in the eyes of the pirates had not faded, and they only came to their senses and tried to turn around and run after it was already too late. ¡°Boom¡±, the temporary shed was blown down by the strong wind. At the same time, a figure ripped open the air and was approaching quickly. The two pirates felt the increasingly fierce wind noise behind them, they looked at each other, gritted their teeth, and let out a loud roar, their skin instantly flushed, their muscles swelled, and countless blue veins emerged like earthworms. A sturdy aura permeated from the body. As elite pirates in the new world, how can they get this far without a special skill? This was an advanced physical technique similar to the Tekkai, which can temporarily strengthen the body¡¯s strength, similar to other techniques. But the disadvantages are also very serious, it makes people lose their blood and energy, exhaust their spirits, and be unable to fight for a few days. However, at this moment, they do not have a lot of options This young man who charged at them with a sword was extremely terrifying. If they didn¡¯t try their best, they would have definitely died! ¡°Go to hell!¡± The two were ready to fight to the death. However, just as they turned around, they saw a flash of lightning flashing across their eyes, extremely bright and fleeting. After that flickering of lightning, the space seemed to stand still, only the whistling of the sea breeze remained. Rhodes looked calm and sheathed his sword. Behind him came the sound of a corpse falling heavily to the ground. Volume 1 - CH 22 Camp. Lancelot commanded from the center, his expression was calm, but there was a strange look in his eyes. ¡°Where did they come from? So many young strong men.¡± ¡°Is this island the base of a major powerhouse?¡± ¡°We must retreat immediately!¡± Between the light and the flint, he made this decision. As a pirate who reach the New World, he was very experienced and avoided the pursuit of the Marines multiple times. Sailing in the New World¡¯s water for years, he is well versed in the value of the wind and knows that keeping their lives is the most important thing. Thus, he was about to order a retreat. The silver sword energy suddenly came from not far away, tearing apart the earth as if it could tear everything apart. ¡°A swordsman?¡± Lancelot¡¯s brows furrowed even tighter. To be able to shoot such a strong Sword Qi, this mysterious force is really incredible. Chi Chi! The sword energy was heading toward him, the strong wind was surging, and Lancelot¡¯s long hair fluttered backward. However, he unexpectedly stood there motionless, and when the sword Qi approached, he suddenly clenched his hands into fists. ¡°Busoshoku Haki!¡± The jet-black energy suddenly colored his arms. boom! When his black fists collided with the sword energy, the void exploded, like the roar of artillery fire. The stalemate didn¡¯t last more than a moment, and the seemingly unstoppable silver sword Qi was shattered by Lancelot¡¯s punch, and the aftermath of the broken sword Qi scattered out, tearing the surrounding earth into dense tiny cracks. Not far away, Shanoa walked backward slowly, full of fear. ¡°¡­¡± Lancelot noticed her, but his face was expressionless. He suddenly clenched his fist, and the void around it made a humming sound. Whoosh! In the next second, he rushed out at an extremely fast speed and reached Shanoa¡¯s front instantly, and his fist that was covered by the Busoshoku¡¯s Haki suddenly slammed her. Shanoa didn¡¯t have time to dodge, so she had to condense all her strength and strike out with her sword. boom! There is no suspense, Shanoa was blasted out. ¡°Time to go.¡± Lancelot didn¡¯t pursue her, because he didn¡¯t want to offend this unknown powerhouse, he just wanted to retreat. But he just turned around. He heard a sudden screeching sound from his ship, and when he looked at it, he suddenly shouted, ¡°No!¡± He was startled and hurriedly rushed toward the sea. On the top of the ship the lightning was flashing dazzlingly, the rumbling sound of the thunder was deafening, and the ship looked like it was about sink at any moment. Rhodes¡¯ action of destroying the ship was hardly hindered in the slightest. Those who stayed on the ship to repair it were ordinary pirates with relatively weak strength. Facing Rhodes at this time, they had no chance at all. On the contrary, this pirate ship that was strong enough to sail in the new world, took him a lot of effort to destroy, because of its extremely hard material. Under the terrified gazes of all the pirates on the ship, Rhodes stood above the void with his sword, bathed in thunder, like a god of thunder from ancient times. ¡°Lightning: One Sword Style: Smite!¡± Groan! Heaven-shaking sword chants resounded through the sky. An azure blue thunder sword Qi lit up the whole world, striking out with an unstoppable aura. As soon as the top of his sword fell, the deck of the pirate ship, the cabin below, and the hardest keel were all cut open, revealing the sea below. Track, prick, prick! Infinite electric current raged on the hull, and it was charred black. Fortunately, most of the pirates in the New World were physically strong and would not be electrocuted to death, but they almost lost their consciousness. The ship was ruined with one strike! At this moment, the battlefield at the beach was as silent as death. Everyone stared blankly at the sword-wielding figure bathed in thunder in the distance. ¡°Is this bastard really a reservist in the same class as us?¡± The reservists gasped, unable to accept this depressing fact. ¡°What a powerful sword intent and amazing swordsmanship!¡± Nia and the other captains were also full of surprise and shock. When the task was assigned, some people raised objections and felt that more captains should be sent to cut off the way back, but Nia advocated that Rhodes should go alone. ¡°The destructive power of a swordsman, who has comprehended the Thunder Sword Intent, is really terrifying.¡± Even the Hack, Koala, and other revolutionary army cadres in the rear couldn¡¯t help but admire it. The entire battlefield was shocked by his sword. The moral of the pirates plummeted, their eyes moved left and right as if they were looking for a way out. ¡°Damn!¡± Black Fist looked ugly and cursed in a low voice. In the waters of the New World, there are not enough sturdy ships, and if you want to go to sea like this, it is simply courting death. Having just experienced a natural disaster at sea, he has a deep understanding of this. The back road was cut off and the situation of being trapped on an isolated island aroused the murderous bloodthirsty intent in Lancelot¡¯s heart. He understands very well that if the secret base of such a big powerhouse is discovered, they won¡¯t think twice before inevitably killing all people. They only sent these young kids to train them as soldiers. ¡°I won¡¯t go down without a fight!¡± Black Fist roared abruptly, and his voice spread throughout the battlefield: ¡°Fight to the death!¡± The pirates froze for a while, they obviously understood the current situation. They were just unlucky. But sometimes being unlucky is enough to end up trapped inside one of the powerhouses¡¯ camp base. A dazzling thunder sword Qi suddenly bombarded from the sky, as if the gods descended to earth, bringing divine mortals¡¯ their divine punishment. ¡°Huh, so flashy!¡± He suddenly stumped the ground, swaying a layer of invisible airwaves, and then the whole person jumped up and greeted it head-on! He regarded himself as one of the strongest pirates on this sea, once he decides to fight, he will not have the slightest fear. ¡°AAAH!!¡± Lancelot shouted loudly, inciting his whole body strength, and at the same time clenched his black-jet fists, which were blasted at the sword energy above without any fancy. boom! The violent power burst out, and the thunder sword Qi stagnates slightly, then collapses and splashes. ¡°So it¡¯s just flashy!¡± Lancelot smiled proudly, but the next moment, the smile on his face faded away. Stab, stab! Endless lightning currents surged out, and in the matter of a second, they directly enveloped all of his body. ¡°What!¡± It all happened in a second, and Lancelot was completely unable to dodge and was directly burned by the electric current, and his physique, which had been honed to an extremely strong point, couldn¡¯t help him withstand such a strong lightning power. He has not yet mastered the Busoshoku Haki to implement it on his whole body, thus, he was unable to resist such an all-around attack! Boom! The next moment, Black Fist, Lancelot, was shot down by the remaining power of the sword Qi and slammed onto the ground. However, he is worthy of being a pirate from the New World. It didn¡¯t take him long before, he stood up again. However, it was a little embarrassing. His hair was messy, he literally had an explosive head. And there were also some dark traces on his skin, which were burned by the high temperature caused by the lightning current. Volume 1 - CH 23 ¡°Is this the strength of a pirate with a reward of more than 80 million?¡± Rhodes slowly floated down from the sky, with a little bit of evident confusion. To be honest, he was a little disappointed. The bounty for pirates was originally just a bounty mechanism created by the world government in order to encourage strong individuals to hunt and kill pirates. But now, the bounty has become a symbol of status and strength, and a bounty of more than 80 million is considered quite good in this sea. If it is placed in the four seas, such as the south, south, north, and west, it is completely enough to become a hegemon. Even in the first half of the Grand Line, you can get a good position. With a little bit more effort, you can become a supernova! You know, after Luffy defeated the Shichibukai, Crocodile, his bounty was only 100 million. ¡°Damn kid, do you think you¡¯ve already won?!¡± Hearing this, Lancelot, Black Fist, was furious. He let out a loud roar, the veins all over his body throbbed violently, and the whole person swelled in a circle, turning into a big man with a height of three meters. He should have looked terrifying, but it¡¯s just that his explosive hair made him look a bit funny. ¡°His skin has turned black!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ¡°Black Fist¡± secret technique that even the captain is so proud of. I have only seen him use it twice. I didn¡¯t expect him to use this trick against such a young man.¡± ¡°Since the captain decided to use this technique, the battle will probably end here.¡± Not far away, the pirates who were attracted by the big movement here all showed awe when they saw Lancelot¡¯s appearance. On the field. After he used his secret technique, Lancelot let out a roar, raised his hand, and rushed in. This time, his speed was a little slower than before, but the power of this punch was as heavy as a mountain, and the power was incredible. When Shanoa, who claimed to be the number one in the reserve force, saw this, her face turned pale again. If that guy used this secret technique from the beginning, she was afraid that she would not be able to take a single punch. In the field, Rhodes stood on the spot indifferently, he didn¡¯t seem like he was planning on dodging or evading. When Lancelot¡¯s fist approached, Rhodes suddenly grabbed the hilt of the sword and slashed out. The thunder flickered and attached to the blade, making this ordinary long sword as sharp as a famous sword. ¡°Boom!¡± The light blue blade collided with the black fist. In the field, like a thunder blast, the aftermath of the huge energy rushed out in all directions, and all the debris, tents from the camp, and other rubbles on the ground were thrown out. The people nearby had to retreat one after another and were forced to stop fighting. They all looked at the battlefield here with awe. ¡°What?¡± Black Fist¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he was forced to take a step back, while Rhodes just kept attacking. The head-on collision between the two clearly determined the winner. Although Lancelot¡¯s physique has been honed to the extreme, Rhodes¡¯ physical strength has also been improving. ¡°How can that be?!¡± Black Fist was shocked. He was extremely confident in his own strength, especially when using the secret technique, there are even some famous pirates with a reward of over 100 million, and he is confident he can win against them. And now a young man who is only sixteen or seventeen years old can compete with it. This has surely felt like a punch to the guts. ¡°I do not believe this!¡± Lancelot roared, if one punch isn¡¯t enough, another punch will do, followed by an elbow and a knee, and a barrage of hits. Every punch and every kick is unbelievably heavy. His body was wrapped in Busoshoku Haki, and it can easily smash boulders and hills. The mighty fist was Lancelot was waving madly sending sand and stones flying. ¡°¡­¡± Rhode¡¯s face was expressionless, and his eyes did not fluctuate. More than twice the intelligence, not only gives him an extraordinary learning speed but also allows him to have efficient information processing capabilities. In such battles, he had strong control over the situation. The speed of thinking and reaction is beyond that of ordinary people. In the face of any situation, he can deal with anything his opponent pulls out at him calmly, and come up with countermeasures in an instant. ¡°Ah ah ah ah ah¡­¡­¡± Lancelot was like a madman, making use of every physical skill he have learned in his lifetime to the extreme. Every part of his body turned into a dangerous weapon, trying to tear Rhodes apart. Although this barrage of attacks was continuous, the power of each blow was inevitably a bit weaker. With the speed of his reaction and his body speed enhanced by the lightning mode, Rhodes coped with it more easily. ¡°Is that all there is to it?¡± Rhodes said lightly. He was no longer planning of using Lancelot as a stepping stone to gain more combat experience. ¡°Blast!¡± The dazzling lightning burst and the sudden strong light made Lancelot narrow his eyes slightly and subconsciously threw his fists into the void. Rhodes dodged his fist to the side easily, stepped forward, and then decided to thrust his blade deep into Lancelot¡¯s heart. The height difference between the two made it impossible for Rhodes to strike him, and could only attack its vital points. ¡°Busoshoku Haki!¡± Lancelot was not afraid, arrogantly believing that his Busoshoku Haki could stop Rhodes¡¯ sword. However, almost in the next instant, the sneer at the corner of his mouth suddenly froze. The sword tip, which was wrapped in the power of thunder, forcibly broke through the protection of the Busoshoku Haki, and then pierced the heart! The battle came to an abrupt end. The two stood there, motionless. ¡°You¡­¡­¡± Lancelot barely spat out a word, before he coughed blood, and darkness started to cover his vision. A second later he started to feel dizzy and then fell to his knees. Fighting a swordsman is so dangerous and cruel, once they break through the defense, one hit can be fatal, unlike fighting an unarmed opponent, even if the nose is blue and the face is swollen, you can still fight for several rounds. After being pierced in the heart, Lancelot didn¡¯t die immediately. He fell to his knees and pressed his left hand on the heart, but he was unable to stop the gushing of blood when he realized that his face was full of panic. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so proud of such an uncompleted technique if I were you.¡± Rhodes sheathed his sword calmly. Lancelot raised his head and opened his blood-filled mouth. Just as he was about to say something, the blood rushed out of his mouth. The secret technique he performed could no longer be maintained, and his figure returned to normal. Then, with a thud, he fell to the ground, and the blood that flowed out quickly formed a pool of blood on the ground. ¡°Dead¡­dead? The captain is dead!¡± ¡°How is this possible?!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve traveled all the way to the new world, how can we die in such a place!¡± At this time, the pirates saw the ending of their captain, and they all took a breath of air, showing shock. ¡°Kill them all!¡± The reservists raised their weapons and shouted loudly, their morale was soaring. Instantly, the reservists rushed at the pirates, who were frustrated, they didn¡¯t dare to face the enemy head-on, they just wanted to escape. ¡°Amazing, you are stronger than me.¡± The captain of the first team, the swordsman Shanoa, came over with a sincere tone, and then let out a deep breath and said with full of fighting spirit: ¡°However when I learn Haki, I will definitely defeat you!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rhodes responded indifferently, turned around, and joined the ranks that were chasing the pirates. Although these ordinary pirates provide very little energy, no matter how small the mosquito is, they¡¯re still worthy of killing. Rhodes has no habit of wasting opportunities. Volume 1 - CH 24 After half an hour. The chasing finally came to an end, and the reservists were cleaning up the battlefield. They worked hard to restore the battlefield to its original state as much as possible. And now it cannot be seen at a glance that fierce battles have broken out here. At the same time, it is also necessary to salvage the sunken pirate ship and find possible spoils from it. The captains gathered together and reported the results back to Hack. After all, the enemy was a pirate from the New World, the group was cunning and ruthless. Even if there were revolutionary army cadres to rush in if anything went wrong, and the average quality of the reservists was better than that of the other party, there were still a few casualties, but most of them were just injuries, and there were only four deaths. In this battle, the most stunning performance undoubtedly belongs to Rhodes, and no one from the reservists will object to this. Seeing is believing. The strength Rhodes showed in the battle, destroying the pirate ship and getting rid of their captain, ¡°Black Fist¡± shocked everybody. After the battle, the reservists, including the captains, looked at Rhodes with a trace of awe in their eyes. This is the awe that the strong deserve! If he was just a bit stronger than them, like Shanoa, the captains would dare to challenge a little bit, but for a monster like Rhodes, forget it. It¡¯s only been over two months! He immediately became the strongest in the reserve force, the strongest without any doubt. Since the revolutionary army started training reservists, there has never been such an existence. ¡°Perhaps, among his peers, only Sabo, who trained under the leader very early, can overwhelm him.¡± Nia and other captains all had this idea in their hearts. After this battle, Rhode finally had a clearer idea of his own strength, and clearly understood what class he belonged to in this world of pirates. With a reward of more than 80 million, Rhodes could kill Black Fist so neatly. Of course, this is due to the sharpness of his blade, but it is also enough to prove that his strength is at least on the right level to be in this sea, and pirates with the reward of 100 million aren¡¯t that scary anymore! To a certain extent, Rhodes has accomplished the first goal he set after coming to this world, no pirate with over a 100 million bounty can stand in his way! The destruction of the pirate ship, the defeating of Black Fist, and the final pursuit all brought a lot of energy to Rhodes. The energy accumulated by the Book of Knowledge jumped from 149 points to 170 points, a full increase of 21 points! It was worth more than ten days of training! This means that the power of thunder that Rhode could use has risen sharply, and it may not be long before the strength brought by the power of thunder will even surpass his swordsmanship itself! ¡°If I want to grow faster, I will have to rely more on battles.¡± Rhodes sighed emotionally, sat cross-legged on the ground, and cleaned his blade, with calm eyes and a trace of leisure. The material of this sword is very ordinary. If it weren¡¯t for the power of thunder that strengthened its sharpness, I¡¯m afraid it would not have been able to keep up with his growing pace. Especially today¡¯s collision with Black Fist, his blade would have been easily overwhelmed. However, things such as famous swords can only be encountered but not sought after. Rhode is not in a hurry. Learning Haki comes first, and he will be able to continue his life with this sword until he finds a good famous sword. Soon, the battle was over. Hack returned to the coastal base with the reservists. After resting for a night, he hurried to the headquarters castle. This time, the military training can be said to have achieved great results, especially the discovery of a super rookie such as Rhodes. Hack was in a very good mood, smiling all the way, which made Koala secretly feel amazed. In her impression, Hack is a true master who upholds the spirit of martial arts, he rarely seen is in such a state. After several days of trekking, the team came under the headquarters castle. Looking at this majestic and quaint building, and the town that could be seen in the distance, Rez felt a bit emotional. ¡°Huh, what a pity.¡± Rez¡¯s eyes were a little red and his expression darkened because one of the four who died was his good friend. The two grew up together, trained together, made an appointment to join the revolutionary army together, and worked hard for their dreams, but he never thought¡­ ¡°After all, we were still not strong enough.¡± Rez clenched his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white. If he had the strength of Rhodes, he wouldn¡¯t have let such a thing happen. ¡°Okay, you have a day off to relax.¡± Hack said. Immediately, the reservists scattered one after another, leaning on their shoulders. Rhodes stood on the spot, and blinked his eyes, feeling a little stunned. Rest? What an unfamiliar word¡­ For more than two months, he has been exercising every day, practicing every day, and even sleeping has been replaced by exercise. Truly sometimes, Rhodes felt really tired, not physically, but psychologically. After all, he is just a normal human being, not a robot. ¡°Take a good rest today.¡± He whispered to himself. Sometimes rest is also part of training. He directly slept through the afternoon and at night, which completely relaxed his body. It was not until the next morning that Rhode got up. And he felt an indescribable sense of comfort and relaxation all over his body. This kind of ease comes not only from the body but also from his soul and will. After two months of high-intensity exercise, his mind reached its limit. After he relaxed and rested his whole body, Rhodes seemed to have relieved some kind of burden, and his mind and will have been tempered. Vaguely, even when Rhodes closed his eyes, he seemed to be able to perceive the movement around him. This is slightly different from the breath of all things that swordsman understands, it is more intuitive and clearer. ¡°Is this the Kenbunshoku Haki?¡± Rhodes smiled slightly upon discovering this pleasant surprise, but it should have something to do with the perception bonus of the Book of Knowledge. This is equivalent to strengthening Rhodes¡¯ talent in this regard. ¡­¡­ Dining room. Rhodes was about to order food, but unexpectedly he saw a familiar face. This familiarity is not seen in this life, but on the screen in a previous life. The future Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army and the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army, the second brother of the original protagonist Luffy, Sabo! ¡°I don¡¯t know how strong he is now.¡± Rhodes got a bit excited. When Sabo appeared in the original book, he showed extremely domineering power. He has successively defeated the top cadre of the Doflamingo family, Diamante, and Burgess of the Blackbeard Pirates. Now the year is 1521, Sabo is nineteen years old, and with his talent, I am afraid that his strength is currently far better than that of Rhodes. Volume 1 - CH 25 It might be because Sabo¡¯s perception is very keen, or maybe because his Observation Haki is very strong, either way, he noticed Rhodes¡¯ gaze almost instantly, and couldn¡¯t help but looked at him, and then was slightly taken aback, because he realized that he didn¡¯t know Rhodes. Sabo felt a little strange, but he still maintained his etiquette and said politely, ¡°Excuse me, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t seem to know you.¡± ¡°You should be Sabo. I often hear Nia and the others mention you, and praise your strength and talent. They say that you are the strongest young man in the revolutionary army.¡± Rhodes said. ¡°Is that so?¡± Sabo was slightly startled, but he knew Nia, ¡°Are you a newly promoted reservist this year?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Rhode smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I hope we can learn from each other.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Sabo was stunned, and a little dazed. What is this? Is it him or is this newly promoted reservist actually trying to provoke him to a challenge? While he was still trying to figure out the situation, Rhodes had turned around and left, so he had to swallow the doubts in his stomach, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh hard. ¡°This kid is really full of energy, he actually has the nerves to challenge me then leave.¡± Sabo felt amused. Although he is still young, his strength and ability have long been recognized by many senior leaders of the revolutionary army. He has accomplished tasks perfectly many times. Whether it is Haki or martial arts, he has his own unique ways. In the revolutionary army, let alone his peers, ordinary revolutionary army cadres are far from his opponents. At this time, a reservist who has not yet turned into a regular was actually trying to provoke him! ¡­¡­ Of course, Rhodes was clearly trying to provoke him, and he really wanted to learn from Sabo in order to accumulate the energy of the Book of Knowledge. However, he is self-aware. Currently, he may not be able to beat Sabo. At a very early age, Sabo apprenticed under Dragon and then became a revolutionary army cadre. He has experienced countless battles and hardships. At this time, I am afraid he has already mastered and formed his Haki and unique martial arts¡ªDragon Claw Fist, and his strength should be far superior to that of ordinary revolutionary army cadres. If Sabo hits ¡°Black Fist¡±, I¡¯m afraid he will be instantly killed with one punch. If Rhodes learns Haki, he would be able to narrow the gap by a lot. ¡°I should be fully qualified to practice Haki now, so I should go to Teacher Hack.¡± After Rhodes was full, he found Hack and explained his purpose. ¡°You want to learn Haki?¡± Hack was slightly startled and then said a little embarrassedly: ¡°Sorry for being negligent. With your physical strength, you are fully qualified to practice Haki.¡± In fact, he never is negligent, but he never thought that Rhodes would grow up so fast. ¡°It¡¯s only been a little over two months.¡± The Hack sighed in his heart. He took Rhodes to a training room and began to introduce Rhodes to this new power, Haki. In fact, Rhodes, who is a transmigrator, knows very well what Haki is, but he just doesn¡¯t know how to use it. In the world of pirates, there are three types of Haki, Kenbunshoku Haki, Busoshoku Haki, and Haoshoku Haki. Among them, the Busoshoku Haki can strengthen the attack and defense and can be used to block the power of the devil fruit, and even touch the entity of the Logia fruit user. Kenbunshoku Haki gives you the ability to sense the enemy¡¯s voice. In a battle, you can use it to perceive or predict the enemy¡¯s attack. As for the final Haoshoku Haki, it can shock and even stun the enemy. In the world of pirates, those who have the Haoashoku Haki are said to have the qualification to be the pirate king. Even in the new world where there are a lot of strong pirates, this kind of qualification is relatively rare. In comparison, Busoshoku Haki and Kenbunshoku Haki are more common. In the new world, there are many users who can use these two, and they have become must-have weapons. After introducing the power of Haki, Hack briefly explained the awakening method of Haki. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s talk about awakening the power of Haki. There are only two ways known to awaken it.¡± ¡°First, through battle! In the battle between life and death, when the potential explodes, there is a chance to awaken Haki. Of course, this method is not good. It not only depends entirely on luck but it¡¯s also too dangerous.¡± ¡°The other method is to meditate. To control and restrain spiritual thoughts, and to actively perceive this power lurking in the depths of the body, and finally guide it out.¡± ¡°This method is gentler, but it takes a long time, and it may not even be accomplished for a lifetime.¡± Hack said incessantly, ¡°Usually, the combination of the two methods is the fastest way to awaken your Haki.¡± ¡°Try perception first. As a swordsman, you mastered the breath of all things, and your perception efficiency should be keener than a normal person.¡± ¡°First of all, adjust your breathing and let your mind be in a state of no self and no other¡­¡± Although what he said was mysterious, Rhodes understood it easily. He slowly closed his eyes, and at will, he entered a state of concentration. Almost in the next instant, he felt the subtle breathing sound from the ground, equipment, his own clothes, and other objects, like a pulsating sound. For the past two months, Rhodes has been in this state almost every day, controlling the power of thunder to strengthen his physique. The degree of his control over this state should be too high. Following the perception method explained by Hack, Rhode gradually sank his thoughts into the depths of his body, and then he ¡°saw¡± a blurry blood-colored world inside the depth of his inner mind. In this world, there seems to be a special power that is just around the corner, longing for its master¡¯s call. It seems that as soon as he locked his eyes on it, it was pulled with him out of that world. ¡°It¡¯s quite simpler than what I thought¡­¡± Even in this state, Rhodes could think clearly. It¡¯s not as difficult as he imagined. The next moment, Rhodes slowly opened his eyes with a strange expression on his face. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you feel it? It¡¯s normal.¡± Hack thought that Rhodes was discouraged because he failed to perceive his Haki, and comforted him: ¡°Although Haki is a potential power possessed by everyone, 99% of people will never be able to wake it up in their lifetime, let alone practice it.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t have to be discouraged. With your talent, you should be able to wake it up in a few months.¡± Rhodes¡¯ expression became even weirder. He stretched out a hand and said, ¡°Is this it?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hack was stunned for a moment, and an unbelievable thought flashed in his mind. This thought made his mind stiff, his expression stiff, his limbs stiff; like a zombie, he slowly lowered his head. Then. He saw a scene that he will never forget. He saw that on Rhodes¡¯ open palm, there were traces of dark, oil-like things, like buds, dripping from under the skin little by little. At first glance, he thought Rhode had some kind of black spot in his palm. However, as a physique expert who is proficient in Busoshoku Haki, how could Hack not recognize it! ¡°Bu¡­ Busoshoku Haki?!!¡± Volume 1 - CH 26 There was a long silence in the training room. After a long time, Hack recovered from the shock, but his expression was still complicated. A moment ago, he was talking about how difficult it is to awaken Haki. No matter how good the talent is, it will take a long time to control it. A few seconds later, Rhodes managed to awaken it¡­ Rhode looked at him innocently and said, ¡°It seems¡­ it¡¯s not that difficult.¡± ¡°As soon as I closed my eyes, I sensed it, and with a little guidance, it came out naturally¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hack¡¯s whole body didn¡¯t feel well, he can see that it is the truth, but because it is the truth, it hurts his heart even more. ¡°Next, I can finally practice Haki,¡± Rhodes said. ¡°Y-Yes, you can¡­¡­¡± Hack¡¯s tone was a little heavy, and he suddenly felt powerless, because Rhodes¡¯ talent was just too strong, and he couldn¡¯t stand it. Next, Hack began to explain Haki in detail, he explained how to awaken Haki before, and now he is talking about how to master Haki. Hack never thought that the awakening of Haki and practicing it would be explained on the same day¡­ Busoshoku Haki is closely related to physical strength. The stronger the physique, the stronger the Busoshoku Haki one cultivates. If the physique is weak, even if one practices the Busoshoku Haki, it will be very weak. It¡¯s like the Kuja tribe on the Amazon Lily Island. On that island, all of the women are soldiers. Almost everyone can use Haki, but their physique is too weak. Even if they use the Busoshoku Haki, the strength is still weak. Under normal circumstances, the best time to practice the Busoshoku Haki should be when the physical training enters a slow period, and it is difficult to make a big breakthrough in a short period of time. But Rhodes is a little different. In just over two months, he has cultivated his physique to the threshold level. This kind of bond and rules mean nothing to him. He himself is an incomprehensible monster. So Hack didn¡¯t mention this. ¡°The strength of the Busoshoku Haki varies from person to person and is closely related to the strength of the physique. Everyone is different, but there are still some divisions in the degree of control.¡± Hack packed up his mood and explained in a detailed and steady manner. ¡°Practicing the Busoshoku Haki to surround the weapon or fist, increases the attack power.¡± ¡°What you want is to attach it to the weapon or fist with a high density, this way it will harden it and make it stronger. This is the true mastery of the Busoshoku Haki.¡± ¡°As for going a step further, it is to cover every inch of the body¡¯s skin with the Busoshoku Haki, so that the whole body is hardened, which is considered to be proficient.¡± As he spoke, Hack demonstrated the state of each control level. ¡°However, what I want you to keep in mind is¡­¡± ¡°The root of the Busoshoku Haki is physical strength. If the strength is not enough, no matter how perfect the control is, it will not help.¡± Rhodes nodded lightly, but these were pretty much what he had guessed. Hardening the whole body does not mean being strong. Just like Vergo, one of the top officials of the Doflamingo family is a typical example. Although he can harden his body, he was still killed by Trafalgar Law. Physical strength is the foundation of a strong Busoshoku Haki! Just like when Black Fist Lancelot was killed by Rhodes before, even when he used the Busoshoku Haki on his chest, he was still pierced by Rhodes¡¯ sword because he is not strong enough. ¡°For you, as long as you implement some of the Busoshoku Haki on your body, that should be enough.¡± ¡°To focus on defense is an insult to a swordsman,¡± Haku said. Rhode nodded, showing approval. A Swordsman, huh? Do you want to know what a swordsman is? He¡¯s a man with a sword in hand that can cut the world! That is what a swordsman should aim for! Perhaps it is not as hearty as a person with strong martial arts, nor as flashy as a devil fruit person, but there is also a different kind of romance in it, that is gorgeous and dangerous. Seeing Rhodes nodding, Hack showed a look of relief, and his tone became serious: ¡°Then, the next step is to officially start your Haki practice, you have to¡­¡± ¡­¡­ A month later, the training room. Rhodes held the sword horizontally in front of him with one hand and stared intently at the sword body. The sword body was surrounded by strands of strange aura, invisible to the naked eye. But Rhodes could clearly sense it. This is the potential that anyone in the pirate world possesses, called Haki! In one month of practice, Rhodes not only grew a lot in terms of strength thanks to practicing Haki but also completely mastered its entry-level of control. At this time, he is practicing his Imbuement. ¡°Busoshoku Haki¡­Imbuement!¡± With the movement of Rhodes¡¯ thoughts, the vain aura on the sword suddenly trembled, and then slowly surged, as if to condense together. But. Before these breaths were completely condensed together, and even before the bright black that was unique to the Imbuement of the Busoshoku Haki, it collapsed directly. ¡°Did it fail?¡± Rhodes let out a light breath. Compared to the reservists of the same class, he was undoubtedly too far ahead. At the age of seventeen, he began to practice his Busoshoku Haki. But when it comes to mastering Haki, he is still a freshman, and he has to explore and practice it step by step. Fortunately, the Hack is extremely responsible and knowledgeable, and can basically solve any problem, so he did not encounter any bottlenecks, and his practice process was stable. Occasionally, when he performs well, he can imbue his blade, but it cannot last for a long time, and it easily collapses. This is an urgent problem to be solved. At the same time as he was Busoshoku Haki, he was also working on his Kenbunshoku Haki. To be more precise, he didn¡¯t really need to practice at all, because the special state he felt before was actually the Kenbunshoku Haki, but it has not been developed and cannot be applied in actual combat. Under the guidance of Hack, Rhodes quickly mastered the use of the Kenbunshoku This type of Haki is a sense of ability to capture the opponent¡¯s movements in order to attack or dodge in advance. The stronger the Kenbunshoku Haki, the more details are captured, and the larger and more sensitive the sensing range is. When you practice it to the extreme, you can even predict the future for a short period of time! When it comes to the ability of the time, even if it is just a little bit of power, it is always beyond the imagination of mortals, and it is difficult to discover. Rhodes¡¯ cultivation speed made Hack, who had been following him, feeling a bit complicated. In the beginning, Hack could still give some pointers. After all, he has practiced Haki for many years and he was very experienced. He has a unique approach to many applied skills. But Rod¡¯s learning speed was too fast, almost to the point of inferring other things that Hack never thought of, and it didn¡¯t take long before he finally was out of any more knowledge to share. Now, regarding Rhodes¡¯ practice, he already has an attitude of ¡°quietly watching you while pretending to be thoughtful.¡± The way things went so far, Hack seemed to have already moved on and looked no longer surprised by Rhod¡¯s sudden breakthroughs. Even if Rhodes suddenly comes to him now saying that he mastered Hardening and Imbuement he wouldn¡¯t be surprised. At most, he will just raise one brow. Well practicing Haki and using it in actual combat are two different things. Hack is still ready to help Rhodes in this regard. Volume 1 - CH 27 Training hall. Rez and other newly recruited reservists were chatting. ¡°In the blink of an eye, it¡¯s been almost four months since we became reservists. Time flies so fast.¡± ¡°Speaking of time, it has been a month and a half since our last mission, since then, there was no movement at all.¡± ¡°Yeah, Rez, do you know when we will have another mission?¡± Someone looked at Rez. Except for a certain monster who is almost beyond everyone¡¯s reach, Rez is the strongest in this newly recruited reservists group, and he is usually the first to hear any news. ¡°It should be almost graduation time.¡± Rez took a sip and said. Reservists will not always stay reservists. Every once in a while, someone will become a regular. Once they¡¯re qualified and promoted to the main force, most of them will have higher treatment and status, this promotion is roughly equivalent to a captain in the Marines. ¡°Captain Shanoa, Captain Nia, and the others should all graduate this time. I don¡¯t know who will be given the vacated captain position, but Rhodes will definitely become the captain of the first team.¡± ¡°Idiot, that monster Rhodes will definitely graduate early. With his strength, he won¡¯t stay a reservist for long.¡± ¡°Cough¡­that¡¯s true.¡± Rez couldn¡¯t help but laugh, Rhodes truly won¡¯t stay long, because if he does the actual combat missions in the future would really be similar to playing a game. ¡°We¡¯re not at the same level anymore.¡± Rez felt helpless. In the first Doroki test, he was confident that he could suppress Rhodes easily, but one month later, Rhodes¡¯ performance in the mission overwhelmed him. After another month, he couldn¡¯t even see his back, and he completely overthrew him. Thinking how he hasn¡¯t even learned how Soru yet, the gap is probably even bigger. ¡°Hey, why are the captains here?¡± someone suddenly said. Rez and the others turned to look. It was Shanoa, Nia, and the others, under the leadership of Hack they strode into the training hall. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Someone asked suspiciously. Except for going out on missions, the captains rarely gather together. To everyone¡¯s surprise, after the arrival of the captains, more and more big figures appeared on the scene. ¡°Intelligence control officer, Terry Gilteo!¡± ¡°Sabo is here too, and Koala.¡± ¡°Hey, my God, isn¡¯t that the commander of the Northern Army, Karasu?¡± The appearance of many cadres and senior cadres of the revolutionary army caused a commotion among the reservists, and their doubts became bigger and bigger. ¡°Who are those people? All of them look very strong.¡± Rez and the others were secretly suspicious, because behind the commander of the Northern Army, Karasu, followed a dozen young men and women with extraordinary auras, looking at them maliciously. At this time. A figure that surprised all the reservists slowly walked out. The audience suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked at the middle-aged man in the dark green coat with an incomparable aura and presence. ¡°Leader!¡± ¡°Leader!!¡± Hearing this title, there is no doubt that the identity of the person who came here is the founder and leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon! He¡¯s the man standing on top of the world! His status is as high as the status of the four emperors who are ruling the new world. The others cannot be underestimated too. It is difficult to guess their strength and no one knows their origins. They are the top leaders of the revolutionary army. There is almost no one who knows their identities and origins. The reservists couldn¡¯t help but feel suffocated in their presence. Especially Rez and the others, they have never even seen Dragon! Dragon didn¡¯t say a word, as if he was just here to observe the power of the new generation of the revolutionary army. This made the reservists calm down a little, and the young faces showed a bit of excitement. In silence. The dozen or so young men and women who followed Karasu seemed to be allowed to the middle of the field one after another, staring at Nia and the others, with a look of disdain. Not to be outdone, Shanoa and the other captains also stared back, gearing up for each other, thinking of teaching this group of bad guys a lesson. ¡°How arrogant, they¡¯re obviously here to make trouble.¡± Someone muttered. Rez narrowed his eyes slightly, and suddenly remembered something, and said in a low voice: ¡°These people should be reservists from other bases. I¡¯m afraid they are really here to make trouble.¡± Rez had heard from Nia that if there are outstanding reservists trained in other bases, they will be gathered and head to the headquarters to battle with reservists trained here, and only winners will be promoted. If you perform well, you even have the opportunity to jump a few levels, and it is not impossible to become a revolutionary army cadre. After all, this is a world where the strong are respected, strength determines status, and the revolutionary army cannot be exempted from it. At this time, there was a young man in his twenties from the opposite camp that was the focus of everyone. He looked strong and had a scar on his forehead, standing like a giant bear. ¡°Western Army Reserve, Sass, please come forward.¡± The young man cracked his neck proudly and walked forward ignoring Shanoa and the others with his calm eyes. ¡­¡­ At the same time, the single-person training room. ¡°Armed color¡­hardening!¡± hum! In an instant, the jet-black Busoshoku Haku rushed out, quickly attached to the arm, dyeing the skin of the arm into bright black, revealing a metal-like texture. ¡°Perfect.¡± From the occasional realization of Busoshoku Haki half a month ago to almost mastering hardening, Rhode¡¯s learning speed is astounding! ¡°I want to try its power.¡± Rhodes clenched his hands into fists and slammed the steel plate in front of him. Bang! The thick steel plate in front of him was pierced in an instant as if it was torn apart! ¡°It¡¯s about twice the attack power increase.¡± Rhodes was slightly satisfied. Twice the increase in attack power may not have been a big deal a few months ago, but for Rhodes today, it is an extremely terrifying increase. If the current him were to fight against Black Fist again, I am afraid that with a single slash, he could be cut into two pieces, and there is absolutely no need to stab his heart. So far, a month and a half of practice have paid off handsomely. Haki is a power that is extremely suitable for everyone in this world. As long as you make a breakthrough, the strength will be directly improved, and the attack power and defense power will be directly enhanced! Not only that, Busoshoku can give ordinary people the ability to fight against Logia users, which is a bit of a broken ability. Of course, devil fruit people can also practice Haki. Therefore, in the high-end battles of the pirate world, Haki is often a decisive force that can determine the outcome of the battle. In the past month and a half of training, in addition to the mastery of the Busoshoku Haki, the physical strength has also steadily improved but compared to the initial leap using the lightning forging, it has now slowed down a lot, and has gradually come to a relatively stable level. Rhodes didn¡¯t care about this, it was just a training method used during his sleep, even if it¡¯s just a small improvement, he should be grateful that he can improve while others sleep. Volume 1 - CH 28 Level 2: The Book of Knowledge Attributes: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +1 Talent: Swordsmanship Specialist ¨C The combination of human and sword: The comprehension of swordsmanship is greatly improved! Thunder Control ¨C The Rebirth of The God of Thunder: You can freely control the power of thunder! Energy: 277/1000 ¡°The power of thunder is also stronger.¡± Opening the attribute bar and taking a look, Rhodes smiled lightly. Practicing Haki will also increase energy, which is a pleasant surprise. As for swordsmanship, its growth was temporarily stagnant. At the stage of the sword master, the effect of pure hard training is low, the only way to improve is through fighting stronger people. In order to make a breakthrough and improve your swordsmanship, you must seek temperament in the battle! However, the increase in physical strength and Haki, made the sword Qi¡¯s power increase a lot. In general. Rhodes¡¯ combat power at this time, compared to before the practice of Haki can be said to be much stronger. Practicing Haki is the entry ticket to the field of powerhouses, and the increase in strength is too great. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± ¡°It seems to be quite lively outside.¡± Rhodes sheathed his sword, opened the door of the training room, and walked outside. ¡­¡­ The training hall. Crack The two shadows were entangled together, and the fists and feet collided more than a dozen times in an instant. Every punch and every kick brought a roaring wind. Wherever they fought, the ground was shattered, leaving tiny cracks behind. This place is the training hall. The construction materials are naturally extremely tough. Usually, they wouldn¡¯t have too many problems while training here. ¡°No wonder the captains usually don¡¯t come to the training hall to practice.¡± Someone muttered. ¡°I way far behind. After this test, I have to practice harder.¡± Rez thought in his heart, hoping that the captain on his side would win, otherwise the reserve staff at the headquarters would be ashamed. Listening to the sound of ¡°ping¡±, the two figures in the field suddenly separated, one person stood on the spot, and one person took seven or eight steps backward, swaying. Rez and the others took a close look, their eyes darkened, and the man who was barely standing was the captain of the fifth team. His body was trembling, and there was an evident trace of blood on the corner of his mouth, he took a deep breath, then said unwillingly, ¡°I admit defeat.¡± The opponent¡¯s physical techniques are not much stronger than his, but their actual combat experience is not at the same level at all, it was just like a battle of a veteran versus a new recruit, he got completely crushed. Originally, he was thinking of being a blockbuster in front of the many high-level revolutionary army leaders present today, but he turned out to be a stepping stone for the other party. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that the reservists at the headquarters are actually just some greenhouse flowers. You¡¯re nothing but brute force, you¡¯re no different from a reckless pirate on the sea.¡± Sass¡¯s expression and voice were still calm, and he retreated after speaking. Shanoa, Nia, and the others all felt a little bit troubled. The headquarters is located in the New World, and there are fewer opportunities for actual combat. Unlike bases in other regions, it is easier to accumulate combat experience. After Sass stepped back, another figure walked out. This man looked like he was only in his early twenties, but his eyebrows were frowned like two swords and seemed extremely energetic. There was a sword hanging from his waist, which looked clearly like a Famous swordsman. ¡°Eastern Army Reserve, Crow.¡± The young man said lightly and seemed even more indifferent and fierce than Sass. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Nia walked out slowly, holding an iron rod. ¡°You are not my opponent.¡± Crow shook his head, looked at Shanoa, and said lightly, ¡°You are also a swordsman, step in, don¡¯t waste my time.¡± In an instant, the audience fell silent. Everyone did not expect that this young man would call out for Shanoa Nia frowned, a swordsman, she really is at a disadvantage, but she has already come out, and if she steps back now, it will really affect her reputation. ¡°You¡¯re scared?¡± Nia held the iron rod and showed no signs of flinching. ¡°Since you want to lose, I will fulfill your wish.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Nia snorted coldly, this was too arrogant, even with her temperament, she couldn¡¯t stand it, she moved suddenly, and rushed over then smashed down with her iron rod. clang clang clang¡­ Sparks splashed everywhere, and the sound of gold and iron clashing exploded. The weapons of the two people on the field collided one after another. Nia exerted her strength and speed to the extreme, and her strikes were continuous, like a violent storm, to the point that the reservists could not see it clearly. Unexpectedly, Crow had a sword in one hand and one hand behind his back, and he took all of Nia¡¯s attacks with ease. ¡°Too slow.¡± For a moment, Crow seemed to lose interest. He swung his sword away to attack, and then stepped forward, slamming the sword sideways, sending Nia flying out. Completely crushed! Nia knew that the other party had shown mercy, and although she was a little unwilling in her heart, she could only retreat. ¡°Damn, his strength is not as strong as Rhodes, yet he¡¯s more arrogant than Rhodes. If he were here, it will be strange if he doesn¡¯t beat you to death.¡± Nia felt indignant in her heart. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take action yet?¡± Crow stood with his sword, looked at Shanoa, and said, ¡°You should be Shanoa, the captain of the first team, don¡¯t waste any more time and step in.¡± His tone was calm and stern as if he was talking about something irrelevant, and everyone could feel his confidence and arrogance from it. ¡°This guy has some strength,¡± Sabo said with a low chuckle. Pride is either out of ignorance or from momentum accumulated through constant victories. The same is true for Sabo, but he has a milder personality and won¡¯t show it. Karasu, commander of the Northern Army, smiled and said, ¡°I heard about this little guy¡¯s story on the way here.¡± ¡°He has challenged countless dojos. After winning all of them, it is normal for him to have such confidence. Most of the young swordsmen are like this.¡± Koala laughed because she thought of a new reservist who also shocked the headquarters, suddenly, she couldn¡¯t help but look forward to the scene when Rhodes shocks this audience. During this period of time, she stayed at the headquarters and watched the growth of these new reservists. She still favored the headquarters in this little clash. ¡°He¡¯s really arrogant.¡± Rez and other reservists all clenched their fists and stared coldly at the enemy. But they were also shocked. In the past, there have never been so many young powerhouses on other bases. Not only are they numerous, but they are also stronger than the captains of the headquarters. ¡°The era when the strong are like clouds, maybe this is a preview?¡± Rhodes, who just arrived here, couldn¡¯t help but whisper to himself, because he remembered what will happen next year, that turbulent era. There is a pirate group carrying a dream, starting from the East Blue and stirring the sea¡­ Blackbeard, Ace, the largest war in history, the outbreak of the battle on the top, the end of the legend¡­ A series of characters and events flooded into his mind, and Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional. Hearing this voice, Rez and the others hurriedly looked back, and all of them suddenly showed joy. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± ¡°Those people are too arrogant.¡± The reservists opened their mouths one after another, holding their grudges. ¡°Um.¡± Rhodes nodded slightly. From the situation on the field, he could easily distinguish the ins and outs of the matter. The only thing that surprised him was the appearance of Dragon. This is the first time he has seen him since coming to this world, a real existence at the peak of the world, whether it is strength or status. Volume 1 - CH 29 At this time, Shanoa was in a somewhat awkward situation. As the captain of the first team of the reserve force, and the strongest person on their side, Shanoa should be the final in line and should keep her composure. But she never expected that her teammates would lose so quickly, and could almost be said that they were destroyed. Currently, there were two battles and two defeats, if she loses, people will laugh at the performance of the HQ reserve force. At this moment, she noticed the movement from behind and quickly turned her head to look. At that moment she saw the scene she most wanted to see, or to be more precise the person she most wanted to see. It was Rhodes, who she had been looking forward to fighting for a long time was now her hero, standing calmly at the back of the queue, looking over here from a distance. Huh. Shanoa breathed a sigh of relief, took a step forward, and started her big duel with Crow. The only sound that could be heard is ¡°Keng¡±. The two blades wrapped in violent power were colliding. The sparks splattered as the sound of gold and iron clashing frantically emitted. ¡°Um?¡± Shanoa¡¯s expression changed slightly, and she involuntarily took a few steps back, while Crow just shook his body. In terms of pure strength, Crow was clearly superior, and Shanoa¡¯s arm was numb. ¡°I have no choice but to use it.¡± Shanoa breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes narrowed suddenly, urging some kind of power that she had just practiced to come out. Busoshoku Haki¡­ Imbuement! The dark color of the Busoshoku Haki imbued her blade; with one side being black and the other white, revealing a cold sense of power. Nia and the other captains couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, showing excitement, this is Haki! No one would have imagined that just before graduation, Shanoa managed to master Busoshoku Haki, and even learned how to use Imbuement. Hack, who has been watching the battle, couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. If the headquarters reserve forces were completely defeated, his face as their instructor will be ashamed. ¡°Busoshoku Haki? That¡¯s interesting.¡± Looking at this scene, Crow nodded slightly. Sabo laughed in a low voice: ¡°Although it¡¯s still a little unstable, it¡¯s not bad that she can use imbuement.¡± Koala showed admiration. With this ability, Shanoa was qualified to become a revolutionary army cadre. Whoosh! The next moment, Shanoa rushed out, came to Crow, and slashed straight down with her black blade, as if it could cut everything off. Rez and the others all looked at this scene with burning eyes. As expected of the captain of the first team, the might of her sword could cut through steel. In the field, Crow stood there motionless, and when the blade approached, he smiled softly and slashed with his sword. He moved after Shanoa, but his blade came first. Clang! The two swords collided and large sparks exploded, but Shanoa was shocked and flew out. At that moment she couldn¡¯t even keep her grip on her sword. At this time, Crow had no intention to stop, instead, his body flashed, catching up with Shanoa¡¯s figure flying backward, and then kicked it out. Boom!! Shanoa¡¯s body was blasted out by Crow and fell to the ground in the distance with a little embarrassment as she coughed blood. Shanoa reluctantly struggled to stand up, but she already lost the ability to fight. Moreover. As long as she¡¯s not a fool, she can clearly see by now that Crow has the absolute upper hand in terms of speed and strength, and she has no hope of winning. ¡°Even Captain Shanoa lost¡­¡± ¡°That man could actually beat her Haki, it¡¯s outrageous!¡± The reservists present were all horrified. It was clear that Crow was about the same age as them, but he already possessed such repressive power, and easily defeated Captain Shanoa. ¡°The headquarters reserve force should be the strongest.¡± Looking at Shanoa who got up slowly, Crow did not continue to pursue, and said indifferently: ¡°You reservists in the headquarters occupy the most resources, the most cutting-edge information, and the most complete training knowledge, but you¡¯re still weak, It¡¯s so disappointing.¡± Nia and other reservists were furious when they heard these words, but they had nothing to say. Shanoa wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, looked at the crowd behind him, and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not the strongest in the headquarters reserve force.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Crow raised a little interest and followed his gaze. The crowd spread out like a tide, revealing a young boy standing calmly. He doesn¡¯t look strong, he even looked a little thinner than most people, but he had a unique temperament, which is shocking. ¡°Is Rhodes going to take part?¡± The reservists couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it. Although there are some people who are worried that Rhodes may not be able to win against Crow. But most people have full confidence in Rhodes. Since seeing Rhodes¡¯ amazing performance in actual combat missions, everyone has an inexplicable feeling that Rhodes will never lose no matter who he faces. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Sabo said in surprise. ¡°Do you know him?¡± Koala looked at him strangely. It stands to reason that the two should not know each other. ¡°Um.¡± Sabo nodded and told her what happened in the restaurant a month and a half ago. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s very him.¡± Koala smiled, and said mysteriously: ¡°Keep an eye on him, this guy can surprise you.¡± Hearing this, even the commander of the Northern Army, Karasu, couldn¡¯t help but show a little curiosity. Koala is not weak, and her vision is regarded very highly. If she can say such words, I am afraid that this young man really has some qualities. ¡°A brave young man.¡± At this moment, Dragon spoke abruptly, with a low and steady tone. This made all the cadres of the revolutionary army turn pale with shock. They did not expect that the leader would give such an evaluation to such a young man! Before now, neither Crow nor Shanoa and others could cause Dragon¡¯s expression to fluctuate, let alone give an evaluation. No one would doubt Dragon¡¯s vision. The cadres couldn¡¯t help but become curious and all looked in that direction. Under everyone¡¯s expectation, curiosity, disdain, or scrutiny, Rhodes¡¯ expression was still calm and indifferent, as if a breeze was blowing on his face. Such a calm and composed attitude gave all the revolutionary army cadres a good impression and secretly praised them. ¡°Be careful.¡± Shanoa looked at Rhodes who was passing by, and reminded in a deep voice, ¡°I feel that this guy still has some hidden trick under his sleeves.¡± She didn¡¯t know how strong Rhodes was, but from the fact that he had dominated an entire battlefield just two months after he became a reservist, he should have definitely surpassed her in terms of strength. Moreover, when she was practicing Haki, she had heard Hack mention Rhodes¡¯ practice process, and she knew that Rhodes had started practicing Haki, and he could even display Busoshoku Haki occasionally! Now it¡¯s up to Rhodes to defeat Crow, otherwise, the entire headquarters reserve force, including Teacher Hack, will lose face. Volume 1 - CH 30 The training hall of the headquarters was full of geniuses. Whether it is the defeated headquarters reserve force captains, or the opponents, Crow, Sass, and the others, are essentially geniuses. They all have monster-like strength at a young age. ¡°Green leaves should always get rid of so that flowers can show off their uniqueness.¡± Aside, Hack watched Rhodes slowly appear and smiled. In the beginning, he was also amazed that so many young and strong men came out of other bases and secretly felt guilty for the defeat of the reserve force captains at the headquarters. But when he saw Rhodes appear, he suddenly realized something. Of course, there are many young people worth mentioning from other bases, but it is almost impossible for these people to truly reach the peak of the sea, and they might even fail to become one of the future cadres. But Rhodes is different. Hack saw all of Rhodes¡¯ growth process. During just four months, he mastered the Thunder Sword Intent, Soru, Geppo, and the Busoshoku Haki¡­ Learning this series of incomparably powerful abilities, at this age, ordinary people would be proud if they¡¯ve learned even one of these abilities in such a short period, but Rhodes mastered them all. This terrifying growth rate gave him a bold idea. Perhaps, Rhodes may become a true pinnacle figure such as the Admiral of the Marines, or the Yonko, and stand on the top of the world! At least his potential is absolutely enough! Hack was convinced of this. ¡°Is there a stronger reserve force reservist at the headquarters?¡± The reservists at other bases all looked at Rhodes who came out with strange expressions. However, although Rhodes¡¯ appearance is very eye-catching, the performance of the headquarters reservists was really poor, so the audience is still full of confidence in Crow, and no one thinks that anyone can beat him. ¡°You are¡­ the strongest one?¡± With a hint of inquiry and scrutiny in his tone, Crow asked curiously, ¡°Since you are the strongest, why aren¡¯t you the captain of the first team.¡± Before he came, he had learned about the situation of the reserve force at the headquarters, which is divided into ten teams. Generally speaking, the captain of the first team was the strongest. ¡°I only joined the reserve force a while ago.¡± In this regard, there is nothing to hide, Rhodes was very calm. As soon as he said this, the whole place fell silent. All those who didn¡¯t know the truth couldn¡¯t help but show a little disbelief. As for the answer to Crow¡¯s question, they had some guesses before they heard Rhodes reply. They thought that he didn¡¯t like being the captain because he wanted to act alone. This can be seen from Rhodes¡¯ late appearance. Unexpectedly, he turned out to be a newly promoted reservist! Judging by the period they usually recruit new reservists, Rhodes should have only been in the reserve force for only four months at most! He shouldn¡¯t be lying, but in this situation, who would dare to lie! Everyone on the opposite side looked at Rhodes with extremely suspicious eyes. ¡°He¡¯s a new reservist??¡± Karasu, commander of the Northern Army, couldn¡¯t help but look at Koala. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true,¡± Kerla said. ¡°Then how old is he?¡± Sabo asked. ¡°Seventeen, two years younger than you.¡± Noticing their surprised and inexplicable expressions, Koala wanted to laugh a little. Even Dragon looked a bit surprised. Youth represents potential. If Rhodes is really this respected at the headquarters reserve force at this age, then the future will be a bit difficult to estimate. In the field. ¡°Interesting.¡± Hearing Rhodes¡¯ answer, Crow¡¯s expression froze, and he laughed lowly. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s see what you have.¡± ¡°Take the first move, you won¡¯t have another chance,¡± Rhodes said calmly. His expression was also indifferent as if he was not facing a powerful enemy that swept the reserve force captains at the headquarters, he seemed like he was going to point out an arrogant junior. That attitude was very similar to Crow¡¯s previous attitude towards Nia. ¡°Humph!¡± Crow snorted coldly and suddenly slashed down with a sword. scoff! The turquoise sword Qi was wrapped in a frightening chill, tore through the air, and cut towards Rhodes. Before the sword Qi reach him, a faint stinging pain could be felt on his face. Looking at this scene, Rhodes lightly held the hilt of the sword with his right hand, and then suddenly drew his blade. A simple and unpretentious slash, but with Rhodes¡¯ power, the reservists only saw a sharp cut like a flash. scoff! In the next instant, the turquoise sword energy suddenly exploded, dissipating invisibly, and the rolling wind blew Rhodes¡¯ hair and clothes. Rhodes took care of this sword Qi so easily, which made Crow¡¯s expression suddenly change, stopped his underestimation, and started to look at him solemnly. The sword Qi just now had a Haki aura attached to it. Soru! Crow¡¯s eyes sank, and the whole person turned into an afterimage. When he reappeared, he was facing Rhodes¡¯ back, and the blade imbued with Haki slashed down sharply, as if to cut Rhodes into two pieces. But at this moment, Rhodes turned around as if he had eyes on the back of his head, and with a light sword, he blocked Crow¡¯s surprise attack. What?! Seeing this, Crow¡¯s heart trembled, but he quickly responded. His right foot suddenly swiveled, and with the help of his waist, his left foot slammed into the air like a dragon swinging its tail. This is the Rankyaku one of the Marines¡¯ Rokushiki, which can be used to kick out a slash no less weak than a sword. ¡°Wow!¡± The people watching the battle couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. No one expected that Crow was so good at physical techniques in addition to his swordsmanship! Such a close-up of Rankyaku burst out, and his blade was still caught, making it impossible to defend. In the blink of an eye, Rhodes seemed to be in a pinch situation, and he would lose at any moment! ¡°As expected.¡± Rhodes muttered to himself, and with his bare left hand, he suddenly clenched his fist and slammed the Rankyaku. ¡°Are you trying to block the Rankyaku with your bare hands? Does he want to die?¡± someone shouted. However, in the next instant, everyone was left shocked. His clenched fist suddenly became dark and shiny, and the high-density black color was attached to it as if it was stained with ink. Boom! As if he punched the glass, the Rankyaku was instantly shattered by Rhodes¡¯ punch. At the same time, Rhodes made use of this stagnation in Crow¡¯s movement and waved his blade, and then raised it to the roof ready to strike Crow down! scoff! The light blue thunder sword Qi ripped through the air and slashed towards Crow. Soru! Crow¡¯s mastery of the Rokushiki was obviously extremely skilled. He stumped the ground hard with his feet and tried to open the distance, but the speed of the Thunder Sword Qi was too fast to avoid from the range. ¡°One Style Sword, Thunder!¡± Rhodes took a deep breath, held the sword tightly in both hands, and slammed it out. There was an extremely sharp tearing sound in the air. The speed of this sword energy was close to the speed of sound! Boom! The thunder sword Qi and Crow¡¯s blade collided together. The force generated pushed Crow to slide back a full seven or eight meters before it finally collapsed, and then splashed in all directions. However, before Crow could breathe a sigh of relief, his expression suddenly changed. Volume 1 - CH 31 The situation of the battle was changing rapidly, and Rhodes¡¯ strength did not disappoint Hack and the others. Track, prick, prick¡­ There was an infinite current surging out, the electric arc swam like a silver snake, and the terrifying lightning evidently overwhelmed Crow! ¡°Ah ah ah¡­¡± In the dazzling thunder, there were bursts of shrill screaming, with a slight vibrato, and the reservists felt their scalps go numb just by standing far away. This just shows how terrifying the power of thunder that Rhodes was generating. Who would have thought that Rhodes would have such power?! ¡°Such a powerful lightning force, is it some kind of a devil fruit?¡± The commander of the Northern Army, Karasu, frowned slightly. He asked that because he didn¡¯t think it was a Logia type of thunder devil fruit because Rhodes¡¯ tactics were completely incompatible with those with the ability of the Logia. ¡°No, it¡¯s Thunder Sword Intent.¡± Looking at the thunderbolt in the distance, Koala said. ¡°Can Sword Intent achieve such a level?¡± Karasu was very puzzled. However, such things as sword intent are extremely mysterious and undiscovered by a lot of people in this world, so it is difficult to study. Because the sword intents of all swordsmen are different, it is almost impossible to copy the composition of each person¡¯s experience, realm soul, and understanding of ¡®Ken¡¯. Sabo was slightly attentive, showing a hint of interest. No wonder this young man had the courage to challenge him. Busoshoku Haki, thunder sword intent¡­ ¡°But this level is not enough.¡± He chuckled in a low voice. ¡°Thunder¡­ Sword Intent?¡± Dragon blinked, and a little excitement flashed deep in his eyes. Compared with the world government, the revolutionary army is still too immature, and it only has a few decades of history under its belt. Even though he is brilliant, was literally gifted with the entire IQs of the Monkey family, and had his hands on some resources, he was still a bit short. So far, Sabo is the only one who has grown up enough to be able to face the world government side by side with him in the future. This lineup is really too thin. Of course, there are still many hidden powers in the revolutionary army, but the world of pirates is all about power, and the main strategy is to become a peak powerhouse. At this time, under the extremely nervous gaze of everyone in the field. Roar!! An earth-shattering roar suddenly came out from the thunderous lightning gathering like a storm around Rhodes¡¯ body. It seemed that the end was near for a moment as thunder rumbled in the training hall. Inside the lightning, a monster suddenly appeared. The monster incarnated by Crow directly broke through the shackles of lightning and rushed out of the storm. ¡°Zoan Devil Fruit?¡± ¡°It should be some kind of cat.¡± Rhodes was a little surprised, this was the first time he encountered a devil fruit person. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to use it. But I really didn¡¯t expect that I would be forced to this extent.¡± Crow, who rushed out of the lightning force field, exhaled a scorching breath, mixed with some subtle arcs. At this time, he was in a state of half-beast transformation, his muscles swelled, and he was filled with an extremely tyrannical bursting power, it seemed as if he could shatter mountains with one punch! At the same time, there was a ferocious aura that pervaded the reservists, causing them to concentrate in secret, their brows tingled, they had to because they were facing some kind of high-level predator. The only fly in the ointment was that his body was slightly charred, and his body was still trembling, and it was obvious that he had been severely electrocuted. ¡°Since I end up using my devil fruit ability, this battle should be over.¡± Whoosh! The moment his voice emitted, Crow¡¯s figure disappeared; the speed was more than twice as fast as before. Even the captains like Nia couldn¡¯t react in time. This basic speed, coupled with his slightly stronger physical technique, made Crow even faster than Rhodes! But. Even though Crow was extremely fast, he was unable to attack Rhodes in this stormy confrontation. Instead, several times in a row, Crow was barely dodging Rhodes¡¯ blade, until he failed to dodge and his shoulder was cut by Rhodes¡¯ sword energy, which was a deep bloodstain. The sharp sound of breaking through the air was incessant, and the sound of gold and iron clashing became more and more frequent. The reservists couldn¡¯t even catch the two figures in the battle, they could only see two shadows clashing against each other, while sparks flew everywhere. However, what they could tell from where they were standing is that Rhodes was the one at a disadvantage, because Crow¡¯s attack frequency is higher, and he obviously has the upper hand. However, when Crow retreated into the distance, people discovered that this was not the case, because Crow had many sword marks on his body, while Rhodes had no scars at all! ¡°You¡¯re fast enough, but it¡¯s far from enough to defeat me.¡± Rhodes stood with a sword in his hand and a leisurely demeanor. Perhaps his movement speed at this time is not as fast as the half-beast-like Crow, but his neural reaction speed is more than one step ahead of Crow due to the activation of the thunder mode! In this way, while using the Kenbunshoku Haki, it was impossible for Crow to hurt him at all! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The reservists were all puzzled; they couldn¡¯t understand what was happening on the battlefield. ¡°Kenbunshoku!¡± Shanoa¡¯s eyes flashed, and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°He even knows how to use Kenbunshoku?¡± The potential¡¯s sealing was raised once again, and Karasu and the other revolutionary army cadres did not know how to evaluate it. ¡°His learning speed is monstrous.¡± Koala, who felt that she knew Rhode the most, couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. She thought that Rhodes had only learned the Busoshoku Haki in the past two months. But she didn¡¯t expect that he even managed to master the Kenbunshoku Haki in the same period. ¡°Huh¡­¡± In the field, Crow sighed and said convincingly, ¡°I admit defeat.¡± The audience might not know, but he was very clear that during their fight just now Rhodes was not serious at all, and he always kept his guiding attitude. Otherwise, he would have been defeated long ago. After all, he can barely use the Busoshoku Haki during battle, and he still didn¡¯t learn how to use the Kenbunshoku. The gap brought by this cannot be filled by a Devil Fruit ability. ¡°What about the rest?¡± Rhodes glanced at the rest of the reservists from the sub-base with indifferent eyes. Obviously, they didn¡¯t want to accept this outcome, but they had no choice but to bow their heads and admit their defeat. Crow is the strongest among them, and being able to defeat Crow without breaking a sweat undoubtedly makes him the strongest in the reserve! They never knew that there was such a monster Headquarters base! No one would dare to provoke Rhodes after he shows such strength! From the beginning to the end, the wind was light and the clouds were calm. In the battle against the monster Crow, he didn¡¯t suffer the slightest injury, not even a touch. This gap can no longer be filled by quantity. This one person alone is enough to support the entire headquarters reserve force, no one dares to underestimate his power! One person managed to suppress the power of an entire army! Looking at this scene, Nia, Shanoa, and the other reservists couldn¡¯t help but show their excitement and pride. Crow is strong, but Rhodes is stronger! ¡°Sure enough, no one can defeat this monster?¡± In the field, the one with the most complicated emotions was Rez. He shook his head and laughed, ¡°This completely destroys my confidence in chasing after you.¡± Before this was full of confidence that as long as he makes a big step ahead, there is still hope. But at this time Rhodes in front of him seemed like a sacred mountain, insurmountable, and completely out of his vision This is just amazing! Volume 1 - CH 32 Headquarters Castle, the highest level. The senior leaders of the revolutionary army gathered together and were analyzing the situation in the sea. Under Dragon¡¯s intentional training, Sabo, who has not yet stepped into the high level, was still fortunate to sit in. As for Koala, she was not eligible for the time being. ¡°The Yonko in the new world has been established, and the Marines has retreated¡­¡± ¡°The high amount of gold in the sky has caused many countries to suffer. Under these circumstances, our revolutionary ideas have been highly recognized, and many countries have been secretly contacting us.¡± ¡°The weapons trade in the black market is monopolized by clowns, and we have encountered a lot of trouble while making our moves due to that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dragon listened carefully, occasionally expressed his views on certain subjects, and most of the time he remained silent. Since the development of the revolutionary army, a relatively complete system has been established within the organization. Under the control of each layer, he, the leader, only needs to control the general direction and make the major decisions, and he does not need to pay attention to everything. After a long time. ¡°This sea will soon be in chaos.¡± If you want to overthrow such a behemoth as the world government, you will only find your way to death if you act rashly. Forbearance and tolerance are the most important things. ¡°Has the list of graduates from the reserve force been sorted out?¡± ¡°Um.¡± The intelligence control officer, Gilteo said: ¡°The graduated reservists, such as Nia, Sass, and the others, will be allocated according to their previous distribution principles.¡± Dragon nodded slightly. Nia and the others are relatively normal reservists. Their strength is good, but they aren¡¯t out of the ordinary. They still need to hone their skills before they can become revolutionary army cadres, they lack a lot in terms of strength or experience. ¡°As for Shanoa, Crow, and Rhodes, all of them are strong enough and learned Haki during their time as reservists. According to the rules, they can directly conduct cadre assessment.¡± After speaking, Gilteo was silent for a while and suddenly said: ¡°Leader, I think that due to Rhodes¡¯ young age, he should stay at the headquarters and continue his training. ¡° As soon as these words came out, Karasu and the other cadres nodded. They all watched the last exchange battle. At this age, he¡¯s really strong. With this kind of potential, he¡¯s really possible to become one of the strongest soldiers of the revolutionary army in the future, he¡¯s fated to be one of the supporting pillars of this organization! It can even be said that although Rhodes did not have a position at this time, and was only a reservist, in the eyes of Gilteo, Karasu, and the others, he was more important than some of the senior cadres. He represents the future! In the Marines, once a strong individual emerges the Gorosei evaluate his worth seriously, and based on the situation they act; either to eliminate him or keep him as a loyal servant. The Revolutionary Army is completely different in this aspect because they lack such strong people. For example, when Sabo just showed his extraordinary talent, he was directly accepted by the leader Dragon as a disciple. Hearing Gildto¡¯s suggestion, Dragon pondered slightly. Rhodes and Sabo are different. Sabo was personally taught by him very early on. Whether it is the character, ability, or combat effectiveness, he¡¯s truly remarkable. However, Rhodes grew up in Baltigo since he was a child. He has never seen the big world. He¡¯s very strong at a young age, and I am afraid he will easily become arrogant. With such a character, on this mysterious sea where you can even find the dungeons of ancient dragons, it is easy to run into a wall and end up dead on a deserted island. Besides, at the age of seventeen, he¡¯s indeed a little younger. Sabo was already eighteen when he went out on a mission alone. But as one of the peak powerhouses in this sea, Dragon understands very well that it is impossible to become a real powerhouse just by practicing. After thinking for a long time, Dragon suddenly shook his head and said with a smile, ¡°Let him decide on his own.¡± ¡°To be able to comprehend such a powerful Thunder Sword Intent at such a young age, his will is probably very strong, and he has his own ideas. Such a person, won¡¯t accept to be chained by old people like us.¡± As soon as he said this, Karasu and the others were stunned for a moment, and then couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed. This was because they were negligent, and regarded Rhodes as a young kid, and even Gilteo might think that Rhodes was just a child, and he¡¯s subconsciously trying to shelter him. ¡°Even though training at the headquarters can steadily improve your strength, you will always stay as a young bird that cannot fly.¡± ¡°Only by conquering the sky and experiencing life and death, you can grow into an eagle soaring in the blue sky freely.¡± ¡°The strong, never fear battle!¡± Dragon¡¯s tone was filled with an extremely restrained domineering. After becoming the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon rarely won, but no one would doubt his strength and knowledge! On the side, Sabo looked at this scene and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. So many senior leaders of the revolutionary army gathered together, but they were arguing over a teenager, this is a treatment that even he didn¡¯t have. ¡°It seems that I have to practice harder, otherwise I will be embarrassed when he surpasses me.¡± Having said that, Sabo was still full of confidence. He firmly believes that his talent and hard work are not inferior to others. He will never be surpassed by the rising star Rhodes. ¡­¡­ The training hall. Hack found Rhodes, explained his purpose, and looked at him with a slightly complicated look. He¡¯s the fastest one to graduate among all the reservists he has taught in his life. In less than half a year, he has surpassed literally everyone. ¡°Of course, I choose to graduate.¡± Rhodes said without hesitation. The things that should be learned have already been learned during his time as a reservist, and it is meaningless to stay here. Next year is the one that will bring chaos to the sea. Gods know what will change, who will emerge, and who will conquer the world. If he stays at the headquarters, I am afraid that it will not be long before he will be eliminated by the time. He is eager to get out, fight, and stand on top of the world. Hack looked at Rhodes¡¯ sharp eyes, knowing that his student¡¯s will could not be shaken; thus he sighed softly, ¡°Since you have made up your mind, I will not persuade you.¡± ¡°But I hope you remember that the outside world is different from here, and all crises must be faced and solved by you alone. You must not act recklessly.¡± ¡°No matter where you are, you must remember that your life is the most important thing.¡± ¡°It should be noted that the one who has the last laugh is the real winner.¡± His tone was extremely sincere and judging by his attitude he really considered Rhodes as his own child. Rhodes nodded earnestly, expressing his understanding. Hack is a true martial artist. He never hides his secrets. He also tried his best to teach Rhodes and gave him the perfect guidance in all aspects. Sometimes, he even went to other revolutionary army cadres to ask for advice about Rhodes¡¯ problems to ensure that every problem was solved in the best possible way. He didn¡¯t know anything about swordsmanship himself, so he also found a scroll inside the revolutionary army and gave it to Rhodes to practice. When Rhodes started practicing Haki, he even went into battle in person and practiced against Rhodes. In teaching, he has done his best. Rhodes has always been grateful for his kindness and vengeance, and he will always remember these things in his heart. Volume 1 - CH 33 ¡°Is Rhodes still going to graduate after all?¡± Listening to the conversation between Rhodes and Hack, Rez and the others were left in a bit of disbelief. Although they knew that Rhodes have already surpassed them, they always felt that they should graduate together since they joined the reserve force at the same time. ¡°In the future, the gap between us and him will only get bigger and bigger.¡± Someone said. Others may suspect that Rhodes will encounter setbacks after going to sea, or even die prematurely, but his peers have an inexplicable feeling that he will only sing all the way up until he overlooks the sea. At this moment, Crow walked over and said, ¡°When I master Haki, I will come to fight you again.¡± He felt that when he lost to Rhodes, it only happened because of Haki because his superhuman speed and strength should be levels above him. ¡°Oh.¡± Rhode nodded calmly. Just like Shanoa, after being surpassed by Rhodes, the gap will only get bigger and bigger, because Rhodes will never stop to look at his back. Besides, this Crow¡¯s practice methods are too complicated. He is a fellow practitioner of martial arts and swordsmanship, and he has devil fruit abilities. He may be very strong at present, but if it continues like this, Shanoa may even surpass him. Only by focusing on one style one can we reach the peak. Although Rhodes has the divine artifact, the Book of Knowledge, swordsmanship has always been the core, with the rest of his abilities as auxiliary. ¡­¡­ The task of cadre assessment is designated by the senior management. Missions are usually complex and will test many abilities, not just combat effectiveness. There are many things that cannot be solved by pure force alone. Certainly. This refers to a force that is not strong enough. If you¡¯re as strong as an admiral, almost all tasks can be done with brutal force. No matter when and where combat power is always the most critical and core element. This is how this world works. After three days of trekking, Rhodes, Sabo, and Koala rushed to the coastline and set out to sea by boat. ¡°Your mission is to kill the head of an underground intelligence organization, the Silver Fox ¡°Crete¡±. This person has committed a taboo in selling intelligence and must be killed to set an example.¡± ¡°It should be noted that this person is extremely good at camouflage, concealment, disguise, etc., and has a keen sense of smell. If you miss the first shot, it may lead to the failure of the mission.¡± ¡°These are the deeds of the Crete, and a few other related materials, you can take a look.¡± Koala introduced the mission to Rhodes and handed him a document at the same time. The two of them didn¡¯t specifically accompany Rhodes on the mission, they just dropped by. If Rhodes can successfully complete the task and become a cadre of the revolutionary army, he will work with them to do another task that just needs young people like Rhodes. ¡°OK.¡± Rhodes took the information and looked at it. With his almost unforgettable memory, he quickly memorized all information in his mind, and gradually started making a plan. Silver Fox Crete¡¯s strength is not strong, nor the most famous, and his bounty is just 120 million. This time, it was Crete who provoked the revolutionary army. Under the intelligence network of the revolutionary army all over the world, he was quickly located. Rhodes¡¯ task is actually very simple, go to the island and kill Crete. It¡¯s just that this person is good at disguising, so he may not be able to find the real person. If he is alerted and disguised in the crowd, the difficulty of the task will be greatly increased, and he might even fail. ¡°Do you think he can complete the task?¡± Koala asked Sabo. Sabo blinked, pondered for a moment, and said, ¡°This task is still a bit difficult. Let¡¯s not mention finding the silver fox himself, even if he¡¯s found, he will be difficult to deal with.¡± The implication is that Sabo is obviously not optimistic about Rhodes. People who are a little stronger in the pirate world become a bit harder to kill, not to mention intelligence dealers like Silver Fox who roam in the underground world. His survival and escaping skills are estimated to be at full level, which makes him harder to kill. After a week of sailing, the sailboat finally arrived at its destination. This is not a big island, but it looks very prosperous. There are many ships docked in the port, including ordinary merchant ships and pirate ships, but they stay together harmoniously and do not offend each other. Because this is an island under the protection of one of the Yonko, the Whitebeard. A legend that ruled for two eras, his name alone is enough to end and stop a war! Although the New World is full of lawless fanatics, few people dare to provoke the Whitebeard. The sailboat gradually came to shore. Seeing the people coming and going at the port, Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but show a little excitement. Although the sea is vast, it is too monotonous. Besides. This is also his first contact with the outside world. Looking at the scene of people coming and going on the port, there were even some strange creatures that were obviously not human, Rhodes¡¯ eyes widened, and his heart could not help but fluctuate a little. Rhodes was a human after all, but he quickly calmed down. Then, he saw a slightly familiar figure. It¡¯s not that he took a fancy to him at a glance in the crowd. But this person was acting very arrogantly, walking in the forefront of a large group of fierce pirates, looking for trouble, but everyone in the port looked afraid of him, and they didn¡¯t dare to offend him. ¡°Maelstrom Spider, Squard?¡± Rhodes was stunned for a moment, and then he showed an interesting look. He was that backstabber. At such an important moment in the war, under the deception of Akainu, he stabbed Whitebeard with his blade, which weakened the strength of the latter, who was already covered in injuries and almost indirectly led to Whitebeard¡¯s death in battle. The man who betrayed his father. But this was Whitebeard¡¯s family affair and it has nothing to do with Rhodes. At this time, he remembered what Koala said: ¡°You must keep a low profile, this is the territory of the Whitebeard Pirates after all.¡± ¡°After completing the task, call us and we will pick you up and leave.¡± ¡°It is good.¡± Rhode nodded, got off the sailboat, and walked towards the island along the road paved with blue bricks. Rhod was a little surprised by everything he saw along the way. This was a side he couldn¡¯t see on the screen in his previous life, the real scene of the world of pirates. ¡°I need to complete the task first.¡± Rhodes walked down the street, turned left and right, and quickly connected with the head of the revolutionary army here. ¡°The mission is to kill the silver fox¡­ This cunning guy is not easy to deal with, he once killed a big pirate with a reward of over 100 million.¡± The head of the Revolutionary Army looked at Rhodes in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but show a hint of surprise. Rhodes was too young. Although the identity proof is correct, it is a little hard to believe. ¡°Stop staring at me and just give me the latest information on the silver fox,¡± Rhode said. ¡°Young people are really angry.¡± The person in charge shook his head and took out a document from the drawer. Rhodes took the information, glanced at it, and walked out. ¡°Don¡¯t you need help?¡± ¡°No.¡± Before he could finish speaking, Rhodes¡¯ figure had already disappeared. ¡°Tsk tsk, whoever gave him this mission knows very well that it¡¯s one level higher in difficulty than the usual cadre assessment task.¡± The person in charge took a cigar, pondered for a while, and decided to take care of it. Such a young man with unlimited talent and potential, if he doesn¡¯t make friends sooner, he won¡¯t have a chance in the future. Volume 1 - CH 34 In the town. Rhodes didn¡¯t rush into trouble with the silver fox, but wandered the streets casually, getting familiar with the terrain. With a memory far beyond ordinary people, he quickly formed a simple map of the town in his mind. ¡°The power of thunder is not the same as the Goro Goro no Mi. I can read the electric waves, so the only choice I have is to strengthen my Kenbunshoku Haki, otherwise, it will be so troublesome here.¡± Rhodes curled his lips. If he develops a technique similar to reading electromagnetic waves, even if his perceptual can¡¯t cover the entire island, it¡¯s not too bad. It also has a monitoring effect, so it would have been impossible for the silver fox to escape from his palm. ¡°It seemed I should go to the Skypiea as soon as I have the chance. But I am afraid that killing Enel, who considers himself a god, would be easier than making him give me the secrets of his techniques.¡± While thinking about it, Rhodes walked to the location of the silver fox. The leader of the Revolutionary Army followed behind, watching Rhodes¡¯ actions, and couldn¡¯t help but be at a loss. At first, he thought that Rhodes was getting familiar with the terrain, but in less than two hours, Rhodes was done? ¡°This kid isn¡¯t playing around, right?¡± The person in charge murmured to himself, feeling that Rhodes was a little unreliable because he was actually eating ice cream at this time¡­ ¡­¡­ A dark space. A group of people in black gathered together and were discussing something. ¡°Lord Crete, Squard asked for a higher protection fee to keep us on the island.¡± ¡°Give it to him.¡± From a dark corner, a slightly hoarse voice emitted. It was a tall and thin figure, he didn¡¯t have a strong aura, and looked like an ordinary person. But all the men in black didn¡¯t dare to be disrespectful at all, because they all knew the cruelty and moodiness of the silver fox. No one knows the origin of the silver fox, and people who inquired are dead. They only know that the intelligence organization he built by himself can even compete with the dark emperors of the underground world. Da da da¡­¡­ At this moment, there was a sudden sound of very steady footsteps at the entrance. The owner of the footsteps did not seem to be walking in the gloomy underground passage but was out walking leisurely and comfortably in the spring. ¡°An outsider!¡± said a man in black. The people in the intelligence organization are all professionally trained and they all walk very lightly. These distinct footsteps can be distinguished instantly by these professional agents. However, they looked at each other in disbelief, because there are many traps outside, and it is usually impossible for anyone to approach this level without triggering the alarm. ¡°You guessed it right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll reward you with a slash.¡± Accompanied by the faint voice, lightning flickered, and the dazzling light illuminated the space. Scoff! The sword energy swept across, directly slicing this underground space in half, and an infinite current swept out, attacking everyone present. ¡°Aaaah!¡± The man in black avoided the direct attack of the sword energy, but could not avoid the lightning that followed. Rhodes¡¯ current thunder power is strong enough to even kill the reserve force captains! These men in black with mediocre strength couldn¡¯t bear it at all. They were all stunned by the lightning, and their hair stood on end. In the not-so-wide space, the lightning flashed dazzlingly, and at the same time, there was a faint smell of burning. With one slash, the men in black were almost wiped out! Said to be almost wiped out because, at the other end of the space, a figure smashed through the wall, and rushed out before the electric current erupted. ¡°The response is quite fast.¡± Using the Kenbunshoku Haki to sense this guy, Rhodes quickly chased after him. His speed was extremely fast, and he disappeared out of thin air with a flash of lightning. Boom! Using Soru, Rhodes chased after the man in black to the hall. Silver Fox rushed to the hall, looked around, and saw the bodies of men in black everywhere. They seemed to be killed in an instant, with an ignorant look on his face, Silver Fox looked at his fellow comrades. ¡°He should be a speed-type enemy, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard to get away and escape.¡± Silver Fox¡¯s expression sank, but he didn¡¯t panic, because he often encountered such situations and had rich experience in dealing with them. ¡°The dark line should have contacted Squard, and reinforcements will arrive soon.¡± In the past, Silver Fox considered this situation and prepared for it beforehand. Not only did he arrange multiple lines of defense in the base, but also positioned manned personnel in some inconspicuous places on the periphery of the base, so that when an accident occurs at the base, they will immediately contact reinforcements. This island was under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates. Of course, he has long been on good terms with Squard, and he can ask him for help if necessary. The next moment, a thunderous sword Qi burst into the air, tearing apart the ground, and emitting a sharp whistling sound. Having seen Rhodes¡¯ sword Qi power in the basement, the silver fox didn¡¯t dare to take it head-on. He quickly evaded, performed some kind of a smoke explosive technique, and disappeared in place. But before he could completely escape, a figure appeared behind him and slashed down with a sword! Keng! Fortunately, Silver Fox¡¯s knowledge and skills are not bad. He predicted Rhodes¡¯ attack in advance, raised his sword, and blocked it, and the sound of gold and iron symphony exploded. The violent power erupted, and the silver fox was completely overwhelmed, and was blasted out, smashed through the wall, and slammed on the street outside, smashing a deep pothole. ¡°Get out of here quickly.¡± ¡°There are strong people fighting!¡± The passers-by were very experienced, and quickly backed away and hid at a far distance to watch. ¡°It¡¯s the silver fox!¡± When the leader of the revolutionary army saw the flying figure, he couldn¡¯t help but feel stunned. That young man¡¯s strength was so powerful! He only stood here outside for less than five minutes to observe the situation, but it was already over inside? ¡°But this is the Whitebeard Pirates¡¯ island. If you don¡¯t solve the silver fox quickly, you will be in trouble when the Whitebeard Pirates arrive.¡± He whispered. He was not allowed to help with the assessment task. he already crossed the line by coming here to look after Rhodes. Right now, it depends on whether Rhodes can kill the silver fox quickly, otherwise, he will intervene to help Rhodes escape. On the street at this time. Clang clang clang¡­ The blades collided, and the two swordsmen clashed a dozen times instantly. The aftershocks of the sword Qi ripped apart the ground and swept across all directions, forcing passers-by to retreat. As one of the famous masters in the underground world, Silver Fox was an extremely skillful Haki user, and mastered the hardening technique to the fullest, while his Kenbunshoku Haki also being way better than Rhodes¡¯. What a pity. Under the unbridled charge of Rhodes, the silver fox soon encountered a pinch, because his body was affected by the violent power of lightning, his flexibility began to decline, and his muscles felt a little paralyzed. He was still standing there only because of his strong physique and astonishing resistance, otherwise, he would have been electrocuted into a mentally retarded man already. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Why do you want to kill me?¡± ¡°Who sent you here?¡± Silver Fox fought and retreated, trying to deceive Rhodes with words. However, Rhodes simply ignored him and slashed wildly with his sword. This is different from the sparring battle at the headquarters. He no longer has to worry about the opponent¡¯s life, and can unscrupulously release his power. This kind of unrestrained battle is really cool! Volume 1 - CH 35 Haki, as a force in the world of pirates, has a great impact on combat. Bushoshoku Haki directly strengthens offense and defense, and with Kenbunshoku Haki you can predict the enemy attacks. Silver Fox was clearly behind Rhodes in both strength and speed, but with his slightly stronger Kenbunshoku Haki, he took Rhodes¡¯ attacks head-on and parried them one by one. However, it¡¯s true that if this continues he will lose. If the battle continues, Silver Fox will definitely lose, but he didn¡¯t plan to experience a life and death battle with Rhodes. He just needed to buy time until the arrival of the Whitebeard Pirates. But. As the battle progressed, Silver Fox gradually felt powerless, and his body couldn¡¯t keep up with Rhodes¡¯ fierce movements anymore! ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s because of his damn lightning.¡± Silver fox started to get anxious; the more he dared to confront Rhodes with the sword, the weaker he got because of the lightning parallelization effect. The speed of the two is extremely fast. In the eyes of most people, they can only see two black shadows flashing alternately, and from time to time they will be separated for a second, then once again clash causing a circle of invisible airwaves to explode. Occasionally, a sword Qi flew out of the sky, tearing apart the earth and destroying the house. The terrifying power was heart-pounding. ¡°That young man looked only seventeen or eighteen years old, but he¡¯s powerful enough to force the other guy to fight!¡± ¡°But the people from the Whitebeard Pirates are about to arrive. If you dare to make trouble on their territory, those monsters won¡¯t turn a blind eye.¡± ¡°It looks like this battle is going to be anticlimactic.¡± People were talking casually during this battle. The pirate world advocates force and the battle between the strong is the most exciting to watch. At this moment, on the battlefield, an accident happened suddenly. The silver fox finally could not bear the parallelization effect anymore, his legs and feet stopped moving, and his movement looked more sluggish! With the speed and reaction of the two of them, this little accident was enough to kill. Scoff! The blade cut through the air, like a drill, targeting the silver fox¡¯s head. With the current level of the silver fox¡¯s Busoshoku Haki, he can¡¯t block Rhodes¡¯ slash! ¡°Aaah! Move me! Move!!!!¡± Silver Fox¡¯s eyes were blood red, he urged all his strength, exploding his potential, and finally, at the critical moment, his body moved sideways a little. Poof! An arm flew out and blood spilled on the ground. Severe pain coming from the shopped arm made Silver Fox grit his teeth, but he managed to endure the pain and quickly pulled away. Looking at Rhodes, a trace of fear and despair gradually appeared in his eyes. As one of the top intelligence leaders in the underground world, he has seen countless powerhouses, and many of them were stronger than Rhodes. But no one put more pressure on him than Rhodes. Because during this battle, Rhodes always controlled the rhythm of the battle. He was rational and calm, but his tactics were fierce and violent as if two contradictory personalities were mixed together. He doesn¡¯t look like a young man who is just popped out of nowhere, but more like a big name on the Grand Line! Silver Fox completely lost the will to resist. In fact, he actually lost the ability to resist. After his arm was cut, the balance of his body declined, and the lightning that invaded his body had already erupted, burning the internal organs, his muscles were tingling and his body was paralyzed; he couldn¡¯t mobilize any more power! At this time, the silver fox could only stand because of his strong will. Looking at Rhodes who was slowly approaching with an indifferent expression, the silver fox opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but words couldn¡¯t come out. Either way, Rhodes didn¡¯t have the habit of listening to dead people. He raised his sword and wanted to give Silver Fox a quick ending. But at this moment, a loud shout suddenly came from behind. ¡°Stop!¡± Accompanied by the sound, there were bursts of harsh whistling. A figure approached quickly, at an extremely fast speed, and the gust of wind it brought up was like a typhoon passing through, blowing all the debris out of the street. Seeing this, Silver Fox¡¯s dim eyes suddenly came back to life, this was like seeing finally light at the end of the tunnel. ¡°This is Squard from the Whitebeard Pirates. He is my friend. If you kill me, you will offend the Whitebeard Pirates, and you will not be able to get out of this island.¡± He spoke very fast but very calm, no aggression could be felt in his tone, because he was afraid of irritating Rhodes. ¡°Oh.¡± Rhodes let out a faint sigh, and his sword suddenly fell down. Poof! A head flew out and blood splattered on the ground. It can be seen that there is still a little joy and hope in Silver Fox¡¯s wide eyes as if he never thought that Rhodes would completely ignore the fact that he¡¯s under the protraction of the Whitebeard Pirates and simply kill him. It¡¯s the Whitebeard after all! ¡°Damn.¡± At this time, Squard just arrived at the scene, looking at the silver fox whose head was separated, his expression sank and he got a little annoyed. He is one of the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates. On this island, he has always been one-of-a-kind, and no one has ever dared to go against him! ¡°Little devil, you are provoking the wrong person.¡± Squard was holding a big sword, and he looked very imposing, and could definitely scare children to tears. ¡°What do you want?¡± Rhodes stood with his sword in his hand, very calm, as if he was not facing a famous pirate, but a little cat. ¡°Ahahahahahaha¡­¡­¡± Squard laughed in anger, and said coldly, ¡°Your death!¡± Before his words could be heard, Squard rushed out suddenly, wrapped in a violent momentum, and rushed towards Rhodes like lightning. As one of the captains of the New World under Whitebeard¡¯s banner, Squard¡¯s strength was beyond doubt. Almost at the same moment Squard rushed over Rhodes moved. Soru!! For a moment, Rhodes¡¯ body turned into an afterimage, flashed by, and with the explosive speed of Soru, he suddenly slashed down with a sword! Rhodes never thought that he would collide with an enemy of Squard¡¯s level at this stage, but since the battle started, he would not have the slightest concern. A sword in his hand is all that he needs! Whoever dares to stand in his way will die. Boom! The violent lightning overflowing from the sword energy formed a thunderous light curtain; the arc flashed, and it crashed towards Squard. Everywhere you look, there is lightning, as if it can destroy everything! The improvement of Rhodes from his previous battle was huge. Counting the last battle with Crow, the training in the middle, and the benefits of this mission, the energy bar has reached an extremely terrifying level, 156! Correspondingly, the strength of the power of lightning has also reached an alarming level. Track, prick, prick¡­ Rhodes released the power of lightning to the extreme, and the dazzling light completely covered this area! The lightning shook, the thunder whistled and roared, and the world changed color. ¡°This is terrible!!¡± ¡°Is he a devil fruit user?!¡± People retreated one after another while squinting to look at the battlefield because the light was too blazing, it could burn the eyes. In the pirate world, there are a lot of lightning-related abilities, but such large-scale and high-intensity of lightning can only be achieved by the legendary devil fruit, Goro Goro no Mi! Volume 1 - CH 36 On the street, the lightning was raging, the bright light was blazing, and the terrifying electric heat ignited all the combustible things around it, the flames were raging, and the ground was scorched black. At this time, the strength of the power of lightning can be said to have completely surpassed the power of Rhodes¡¯ swordsmanship itself. But. Squard is worthy of being one of the captains of the Whitebeard Pirates. He is physically strong and has an extremely powerful Busoshoku Haki. With his whole body hardened, he took this violent lightning head-on! Keng! Under his Kenbunshoku Haki, the moment Rhodes take this move, Squard reacted, and the horizontal sword blocked Rhodes¡¯ energy sword. ¡°Little devil, you¡¯re still a long way off!¡± At this time, Squard¡¯s body was as black as ink, like an evil spirit who came out of hell. His tone was cold and his murderous intent was out of control as if he didn¡¯t rate Rhodes at all. Bathed in lightning Rhodes was very calm, and didn¡¯t respond at all. When his strike was blocked, he immediately took advantage of the situation to retreat. Amidst the lightning field, he seemed to be playing on the home court, and his speed and reaction were extremely fast. With a cold look in Squard¡¯s eyes, he chased after him without hesitation. But at this moment, the surrounding lightning suddenly trembled, and one after another turned into lightning swords, then countless of them swept over like a storm. ding ding ding ding¡­ The lightning swords bombarded Squard one after another. Although this attack was unable to break through the hardened protection of the Busoshoku Haki, it effectively limited Squard¡¯s movement. ¡°His defense is a bit high!¡± Rhodes¡¯ expression remained unchanged because this was what he expected. As a famous pirate, Squard¡¯s physique may have already been honed to the peak, and the strength of his Busoshoku Haki was naturally extremely amazing. It is normal that the power of lightning alone cannot break his defense. There is nothing to be discouraged about. After all, Rhodes¡¯ practice time was less than a year. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to cause him some damaged unless I get the chance to cut him directly with my sword.¡± Inside the thunderous roars of lightning, Rhodes calmly analyzed the gap between the two sides. He has to admit that in the face of these long-established powerhouses, he is still a little immature. Whether it is Haki or physical strength, they are not comparable. He can only contain him by the power of lightning, and it would be a bit challenging to create a chance to kill him. At this moment, a figure broke into the lightning, Rhodes¡¯ expression changed, and then he quickly calmed down, because the person who came was the revolutionary army agent he met before. ¡°You have to go, the Whitebeard Pirates are here.¡± He said quickly. ¡°Um?¡± Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly. Through the lightning, he looked at the sturdy figures that were approaching quickly. Among them, there were many, who were stronger than the silver fox. If they surround him, it would be difficult to even run. He sighed softly and said, ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll set them off with some fireworks.¡± The revolutionary army agent was puzzled but didn¡¯t say much, and immediately walked away. Rhodes¡¯ strength was recognized by him, and he no longer regarded him as a junior, but as a powerhouse at the same level. Phew. Seeing this, Rhodes let out a sigh of relief. A terrifying aura suddenly rose from him. Zizizizizi¡­ Like a thousand birds chirping. The astonishing power of lightning suddenly poured out, but it did not spread in all directions, but all gathered on Rhodes¡¯ open palms. Endless lightning gathered, creating a large Thunderball that gradually changed from light blue to dark blue, and the color continued to deepen. Finally, it seemed to break through a certain critical point, and a silver light appeared unexpectedly. A drop of sweat dripped from Rhodes¡¯ forehead, but it quickly evaporated. Obviously, this move is also a great burden on Rhodes¡¯ body. ¡°Go.¡± As if lifting a mountain, Rhodes slowly pushed the Thunderball out. As soon as the Thunderball left his hand, Rhodes turned around without hesitation and left quickly. With just two flashes, he disappeared from the street. ¡°What?¡± Squard, who has just broken through the Lightning¡¯s siege at this time, rushed out head-on to find the Thunderball closing on him. The Thunderball was dark blue, mixed with a hint of silver light, which looked extremely gorgeous and dazzling. Before he could react, the large Thunderball suddenly stagnated and then exploded. Boom! It sounded like a thousand shells exploding at the same time. The lightning flashed like a flame, the violent force destroyed everything, and the earth was instantly blasted into a five-meter-deep black hole. After taking a direct hit, Squard was blasted out in an instant, spewing a mouthful of blood in the air, and rolled over a dozen meters on the ground before he stopped in front of his comrades. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The captain was beaten like this?¡± ¡°What kind of enemy did you meet, is it someone from the Beast Pirates?¡± The members of his crew were left stunned and hurriedly stepped forward to help Squard. Looking at the place that almost turned into ruins in the distance, and the nearby fragmented buildings, they couldn¡¯t help showing awe, and for a while, they didn¡¯t dare to make a move. After Squard got up, his face was flushed, he was both humiliated, and shocked. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t severely injured because he was covered in the Busoshoku Haki, but his vision was still a bit blurry. ¡°Block the port for me and catch that kid!¡± His tone was full of anger and irritation. Squard got mad, and his heart was full of hatred after he got humiliated by a young man in front of his companions. ¡°Yes!¡± The pirates responded in succession. The whole island fell into chaos at that moment. And this time. Rhodes had already arrived at the port and boarded the ship where Sabo and Koala were waiting. Koala seemed to have received the news long ago. As soon as Rhodes boarded the ship, she ordered the sailor to set sail. Whoosh!! The oncoming sea breeze mixed with a little salty smell, made Rhodes finally relax. Looking at the island that was gradually receding, Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve made a lot of noises.¡± On the side, Koala shook her head helplessly. He¡¯s actually bold to dare to fight against the Whitebeard Pirates inside their territory! Fortunately, he managed to escape. ¡°Good job!¡± Sabo patted Rhodes on the shoulder with a smile, feeling that his approach was very appetizing, and it was a pity he didn¡¯t go all way out, otherwise, he would have had a great fight with Squard. ¡°You two¡­¡± ¡°Enough is enough!¡± Koala got angry. Seeing this scene, Koala covered her forehead, feeling a little bad. When Sabo was on a mission, he was very thickheaded and often messed up. She was responsible for cleaning up his mess every time. I thought Rhodes would be better, but she didn¡¯t expect that this guy was more messed up than Sabo! Enough is enough, why don¡¯t you stay at the headquarters and manage the reserves. ¡°Is my mission completed?¡± Rhodes said. ¡°Certainly.¡± Sabo nodded lightly, took out a Den Den Mushi, and handed it to Rhodes: ¡°The specific appointment will be made at the headquarters, but for now, this is for you.¡± ¡°Um?¡± Rhodes was stunned for a moment, a phone call? Volume 1 - CH 37 The Den Den Mushi are special creatures in the pirate world. They are mainly used for long-distance communication. Anyone with a bit of identity in the pirate world will have one. The Den Den Mushi that Sabo gave to Rhodes seems to be an original product that has never been held before because it was still maintaining the most basic state. With the constant use of the host, the Den Den Mushi will gradually imitate the host¡¯s facial features and will imitate his expression and tone when talking. It¡¯s indeed a very interesting creature. However, Rhodes was not interested in this. In his eyes, it was just a mobile phone. Although this mission didn¡¯t take long, it had gone through two major battles, especially the last big move he used, which used most of his power and left Rhodes extremely exhausted physically and mentally. After making sure it was safe, he returned to the cabin and fell asleep. The next day. After waking up, Rhodes was no longer tired and felt really refreshed, and at the same time, the injury he suffered on his body seemed to have completely recovered after this short period of sleep. ¡°The energy of the Book of Knowledge is 493?¡± Rhodes stretched his body and stood up with excitement in his eyes. Zizzi¡­ Things were getting great for Rhodes, and the road to the top was clearer than ever. The color that the power of lightning was emitting was a bit darker now. Compared with the previous light blue, it is much darker and more powerful. As for the gain of energy, at first glance, it seems that the energy collected from the battle with Squard is not as high as that of the Silver Fox. But this is only because the battle between Rhodes and Squard was too short and the battle process was not intense, so it could not be counted as a complete battle. ¡°My Haki is still far from¡­¡± After this battle, Rhodes had a clearer image of his current level. Judging from Squard¡¯s performance in the original, his level was roughly equal to the Vice Admirals of the Marines. Certainly. In the marines, there is a huge gap in strength between a Vice Admiral and another, and the exact position of Squard is still unclear. However, to be able to fight against Scuard and suppress and kill someone like the silver fox isn¡¯t that simple. Rhodes should at least has the strength of the Rear Admiral of the Marines Headquarters, and his destructive power should be even greater than that. If his physical strength was stronger, and his mastery of Haki si more proficient, he would be able to defeat anyone weaker than three Admiral without any problems. ¡°Getting stronger physical strength cannot be rushed, it¡¯s a matter of time and hard work.¡± Rhodes¡¯ eyes flickered, ¡°Swordsmanship however is a bit of a drag.¡± It is a pity that there are not many strong swordsmen in the revolutionary army. Of course, the current Rhodes, ordinary swordsmen, or even top swordsmen, may not be able to guide him. Only those great swordsmen who have stood at the top of Swordsmanship are qualified to instruct him. But what kind of character is a Great Swordsman? There are only a handful of dragons slayers, and it is a blessing to meet one of them, not to mention the other masters¡¯ guidance. While thinking wildly, Rhodes came to the deck. At this time, there was only Koala on the deck, sunbathing in a leisurely manner. Her clothes were naturally extremely sexy, revealing large parts of her snow-white skin. ¡°Where¡¯s Sabo?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve finally woken up, Sabo should be practicing at this time.¡± Koala took off her goggles and smiled. ¡°Oh, where are we going now?¡± ¡°Do you remember what I told you before? if you complete the cadre assessment, you will immediately join us in another task.¡± Rhodes leaned against the railing, squinting to enjoy the sun. He was eager to fight and eager to practice to become stronger, but he does not reject the enjoyment of exploring and adventure, which can be seen in his pursuit of food. ¡°Um.¡± Koala sat up, pondered for a moment, and said, ¡°The ruler of the Chronos Island, Bell, once served for the World Government. Although his status is not high, he has a lot of power and has participated in many important tasks.¡± ¡°This person is very clever. Knowing that such a relationship will never end well, especially with what information he has, he escaped during a mission and came to the new world, specifically to Chronos island to plant his new roots. With the help of the secret information collected in his previous work experience, he made good friends with many people in the underground world. and he¡¯s now living a very good life under their protection.¡± ¡°This time, the mission is to steal the intelligence information in Bell¡¯s hands.¡± This intelligence information may contain secrets and scandals of the world government and may be useful to the revolutionary army. ¡°Are we going to kidnap and interrogate him?¡± There was a hint of excitement in Rhodes¡¯ eyes. ¡°¡­¡± A few black lines appeared on Koala¡¯s forehead, she glanced at Rhodes speechlessly and said: ¡°Bell is well established in the underground world. He also recruited a lot of mercenaries for protection. He is in his old lair. It¡¯s not impossible to rely on force, but it¡¯s almost impossible to do it only with the three of us.¡± ¡°This mission is mainly about stealing.¡± If you can¡¯t overwhelm them you can always find another way around. ¡°Then what am I going to do?¡± Rhodes pouted. In terms of infiltration, the only way he knows is to pursue the unparalleled assassin¡¯s approach and kill all the witnesses, but this time he obviously couldn¡¯t. Koala stretched her body, got up, and replied, ¡°Bell has the habit of running colosseum competitions, and the prizes are generous. The biggest prize is often a Devil Fruit, in order to attract strong people and recruit them.¡± ¡°If there is a seed with great potential, he will come to the scene in person, and it will be convenient for Sabo to act at that time.¡± Is she asking him to take place in the competition and let him win? ¡°I can do this.¡± Rhodes nodded, indicating that it was very simple. Koala rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I will be in charge of the central command. You have to be careful and don¡¯t reveal too much of your strength.¡± Bell is not a fool. Naturally, he knows that a devil fruit cannot attract a real powerhouse. If Rhodes¡¯ turned out to be too strong, it will naturally arouse suspicion. ¡°Um.¡± Rhode nodded lightly, this is very simple. He just wanted to hone his swordsmanship. In fact, in terms of swordsmanship, Rhodes¡¯ strength is not that strong, and he is probably just a little stronger than Shanoa. Without the guidance of a great swordsman-level teacher, if you want to improve your swordsmanship, you can only rely on constant battles. Certainly. By just relying on battles progress will be relatively slow, just like Zoro, before he apprenticed under Mihawk. Before that, although his performance was good, it was not amazing. But after two years of studying under Mihawk, his strength has grown by leaps and bounds, and he was completely qualified to be the Vice Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. ¡­¡­ After more than a week of sailing, the ship gradually arrived at its destination. Under more than ten years of management under Bell, Chronos Island was very prosperous. There were many people coming and going, not only businessmen, pirates, but even people from the world government. This obviously benefits from Bell¡¯s huge network. When Rhodes was still in the port, he even saw the flag of the Beast Pirates. ¡°It¡¯s really prosperous.¡± Rhodes sighed softly. There are no real continents in the Pirate World. The world is composed of islands. The islands are divided into small, medium, and large islands according to their size and area. With a perfect ecosystem, there will be no shortage of necessities such as freshwater resources. Small islands are usually inhabited. Medium-sized islands are much larger, with at least a few small towns and usually a large town in the center. And large islands, which can accommodate a country, such as Alabasta, Dressrosa¡­ The Chronos Island in front of you is a medium-sized island. The development is very thorough. From the port, you can see a wide road leading directly to the central town. Volume 1 - CH 38 Bell was a very good businessman, and due to that Chronos got very prosperous, the storefront was complete, and the goods were from all over the world! Walking on the street, sniffing the fragrance in the air, Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but point with his finger to a certain place. Following the scent, the three of them came to a restaurant. This restaurant looked unusual, it can only be seen from the door. The crystal lamp behind the door was shining brilliantly, and the door was full of complicated gilt patterns. On both sides of the luxurious carpet, there were sturdy security guards in uniforms standing upright, and two welcoming girls with top-grade looks. ¡°The old good rule. Eat first and then do the task!¡± After speaking, Sabo laughed lightly and walked inside first; walking gracefully, his every move was full of aristocratic temperament, he didn¡¯t seem like a revolutionary army soldier engaged in underground activities at all. This kind of temperament naturally attracted the attention of the welcoming girls, and the two greeted them with sweet smiles. Koala gestured at Rhodes slightly and walked into the restaurant. Rhodes followed closely, feeling a bit excited because he also had high expectations for the food in such a high-end restaurant. ¡°It seems that the life of the revolutionary army cadres is not bad.¡± He thought to himself. Initially, he thought that the daily life of the revolutionary army was to hide in the dark and shoot secretly. If you think about it, you are right; however, Sabo and Koala weren¡¯t your every other revolutionary army soldier, and they were also special cases. The three of them took their seats, and Sabo quickly ordered dishes. The strong people in the pirate world may not be picky, but they are all foodies. This is due to their strong physique, which requires sufficient energy and nutrition to maintain. While serving the dishes, Rhodes looked around casually. Suddenly, he was slightly startled, then his body trembled, and he immediately retracted his gaze. Because he saw an unexpected tall figure. ¡°Why is Gion here?¡± Rhodes was slightly horrified. She¡¯s one of the rare female great swordsmen in the world. As a candidate for being the next admiral, her strength is unfathomable, and her attack power may surpass the three current admirals! Along with the horror he felt, Rhodes couldn¡¯t help feeling a little excited. Meeting with a great swordsman. It is extremely rare. If he can ask her¡­ Although as a revolutionary army soldier asking an Admiral candidate to become your master seems a little unreliable, Rhodes didn¡¯t care about this at all. Strength is the foundation of everything. For Rhodes, whether it is a pirate, a marine, or a revolutionary army soldier, it is essentially just an identity and a position, and it is completely unable to impose any restraints on him as a traveler. Gion¡¯s Kenbunshoku has already reached its peak, and even though Rhodes didn¡¯t look at her for more than a second, it has caught her attention. After her gentle light glances swept over Rhodes, Gion seemed to have noticed something about Rhodes and couldn¡¯t help but smile, then gracefully raised her cup in greeting. ¡°He¡¯s a really sharp boy.¡± Seeing this scene out of the corner of his eyes, Rhodes was a little surprised, but he kept his calm expression and also raised his teacup and drank it. ¡°Interesting kid.¡± Gion blinked, then retracted her gazes. Although she was a little surprised that the three of them have such a strong aura at their age, as a candidate for the Admiral position and a great swordsman, she has seen countless winds and waves, and many of them are young and strong like Rhodes and the others two with him. To put it bluntly, even these three at this time could not arouse the interest of this great swordsman. ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting late, I should go out and buy some clothes.¡± Gion got up gracefully. It was only at that moment that Rhodes found out that this female great swordsman was really tall, she should be more than two meters tall, wearing short shorts, revealing her pair of long beautiful legs. There was also a spider tattooed on her left leg, which gave her graceful but luring vibes. Many young men in the restaurant were looking at her secretly, but they didn¡¯t dare to approach her, because although Gion was beautiful, she had a noble, cold presence that was indicating that she cannot be played with, and it is difficult to approach. ¡°This woman seems very strong¡­ very strong!¡± After Gion left, Sabo took a deep breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. ¡°Like you know anything¡­¡± Rhodes secretly complained, she was a great swordsman, she probably doesn¡¯t need more than her hands to defeat the three of them. Koala pondered as if she was recalling. After a while, she suddenly exclaimed in a low voice, ¡°She must be, Gion, she¡¯s a Vice Captian and an Admiral candidate!¡± ¡°Vice Captain?!¡± Sabo took a deep breath. He is not one of those supernovas who have goals higher than the sky and the guts to challenge the Yonko before even stepping into the new world. As the future Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, Sabo has a very clear reflection on his own strength. He knows very well how powerful people like Admirals are! Legends say that Rayleigh, the dark king, cut an island with one slash. The three current admirals of the marines are comparable to him in the humanoid natural disasters aspect, and can easily destroy the climate of an island. The legendary strongest man in the world even possesses the power to destroy the world¡­ The so-called fearless are just ignorants. The more you know about the world the more you become humble. Even if he firmly believes that he will be able to compete with these legendary figures in the future, at this moment, he is still too far away. Koala was also shocked, and her forehead was covered in a cold sweat: ¡°I don¡¯t know why these people are here, but they shouldn¡¯t be able to interfere with our mission.¡± ¡°You think too highly of yourself.¡± Rhodes was speechless, ¡°As a candidate for becoming an Admiral, Gion, may not have as much power as a true admiral, but her status is almost the same.¡± ¡°Her status is high enough to dispatch an army to this place.¡± ¡°It was probably just a coincidence that we met her here. Maybe she was just bored, and ran from the warship to have a cup of afternoon tea.¡± Although what Rhodes said was a little unreliable, it was inexplicably reasonable, and both Sabo and Koala felt relieved after hearing it. Soon, the food was served. The rich aroma and delicate dishes finally diverted the three¡¯s attention, and they calmed down and enjoyed the food. To be able to open a restaurant in the new world, the chef of this restaurant naturally has two forks, not to mention the color and fragrance, there was also a special sauce, after mixing it together, the taste became excellent and the fragrance was stronger. Since the three of them had great appetites, they gradually forgot their surprise encounter with Gion. Such a terrifying existence that conquered the sea was still not too far away from them. However, Rhodes didn¡¯t think too much about it. Even if he wanted to become her disciple, he couldn¡¯t rashly say ¡°I¡¯m very talented, accept me as a disciple¡±. Masters of the blade pay a lot of attention to the predestination method, just like Zoro is to Mihawk. Rhodes had a hunch that he would meet Gion again, and it wouldn¡¯t take too long. Volume 1 - CH 39 After coming out of the restaurant, the three got separated. Sabo was going to spy on Bell¡¯s castle, detect the garrison inside, observe the terrain, and formulate the best escaping route. Rhodes and Koala went to the arena to observe it secretly. And the way there, Rhodes heard sky-shattering noises coming from the arena. The numerous voice indicated that it was full of people, and the shouts were endless. This is an extremely big Colosseum, surrounded by auditoriums, and there were figures sitting on it, from Fishmen, long-handed, Giants, and other races. After going inside, Rhodes saw that some well-dressed nobles were screaming their lungs out, and some noble ladies had green eyes, staring at the wolf-like burly man on the stage. ¡°Bell will take out devil fruits every once in a while and use them to hold competitions to attract more people.¡± ¡°Usually, this place is used for gambling. The fighters come to the stage to win prizes, and the spectators bet and gamble, forming an industry that makes money every day.¡± There was an undisguised look of disgust in Koala¡¯s eyes. The kinds of battles that were taking place there were about life and death. The scenes were often extremely bloody, and the losers often were cut into two parts or smashed to the ground. Sometimes slaves are used to playing around. The kind-hearted Koala was naturally disgusted by this behavior. Rhodes¡¯ expression was indifferent, there was nothing to say really. Soon the game started. They were two tall and strong men. Both of them fought extremely fiercely, and the hot battle instantly stimulated the audience. The entire arena went into a state of madness. Another fighter came on stage and lost again, and the game gradually reached a climax. Many people even took off their outer clothes and shouted even harder; After each match, the winners were naturally elated and shouted excitedly, while the losers scolded, and cursed, especially those who forfeited. Between the battles, there were hot girls with good bodies and scantily clad dancing on stage, and the whole scene always maintained a frenetic atmosphere. ¡°Too weak.¡± Seeing this scene, Rhodes shook his head. Most of the people who participated in these battles were the weakest in the new world, and they didn¡¯t even learn how to use Haki. ¡°Of course, they are now.¡± Koala said: ¡°After two days when the real competition starts, there will still be some experts.¡± ¡°Sometimes some pirate captains who have just come to the new world will come to the stage to fight in person.¡± ¡°Devil Fruits are clearly priced, but most of the time, they are priceless.¡± Rhode nodded lightly. The reason these pirate captains would join such a game is that after coming to the new world, the gap will be like the distance between heaven and earth, and eating a Devil Fruit is the quickest way to gain more power. Even the ability to gamble on Devil Fruits is tempting. ¡°However gaining more strength is a more tempting existence than money and status.¡± ¡°Only with strength can you have money and status. After that, you can get everything you want and realize your dreams.¡± Rhodes said to himself. Rhode was lucky. The existence of the Book of Knowledge changed his fate and gave him the opportunity to step onto the peak and overlook the world. And Rhodes firmly seized this opportunity, which means that this world will also change. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± It was getting dark, Rhodes and the two left the arena and found a hotel to check-in. Soon, Sabo joined them, the three discussed the plan and then went to sleep separately. Of course, Rhodes still uses lightning to forge his body instead of sleep, and he will never slack off in this regard. The time has come to the spring of the year 1521, and it is getting closer and closer to that turbulent era. Which naturally means that there is less and less time left for Rhode to become stronger. In the next two days, the three gathered more information and waited for the start of the competition. Rhodes was taking things a bit slowly. The hotel wasn¡¯t suitable for high-intensity exercises, so he wanders around the town, and whenever he encountered a weapons store, he went in to see if he has Zoro¡¯s luck. However, this was obviously something that can be encountered but not sought after. In other words, it is very difficult for a famous sword to have no owner in this fiercely competitive world. After a few days, Rhodes had nothing to gain. Finally, the last day came. This afternoon, when he entered the arena, he obviously felt that the atmosphere was completely different from the previous days. The audience sat there extremely focused yet also excited. On the one hand, the status of this group of spectators was higher than usual, either richer, or more powerful. On the other hand, it is also because there are fierce bodyguards standing near the arena, all armed with guns and swords, with cold stares in their eyes. They clearly looked well-trained. ¡°Come on, come on.¡± Noticing the people sitting on the VIP stage there was a commotion in the crowd. ¡°Isn¡¯t that guy from the Beast Pirates!¡± ¡°Hey, Mr.Bell, the Island Lord is here too.¡± ¡°Oh, the captain of the Silver Sword Pirates is here. I heard that he is looking for a Devil Fruit. I¡¯m afraid he will participate in person.¡± Every big man appeared on the stage and caused a lot of discussions, some showed envy, some hated, and some sighed. These people on stage, are all famous in this sea area, and some people are quite famous in the whole new world. ¡°Hey, who is that woman, so beautiful!¡± Some people in the audience were secretly suspicious, and many men with insufficient concentration had really red eyes, and they were fascinated by their emotions. ¡°You don¡¯t even know Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District. Dude, you know nothing about the New World!¡± Someone mocked. ¡°Queen of the Pleasure District?¡± The person who spoke before was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly thought of something, and his face turned pale, and quickly shut up. Koala also looked solemn, and said in a low voice, ¡°It turns out that Stussy was visiting, no wonder Bell came directly to the scene.¡± ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that even someone from the Beast Pirates would come. It seems that Stussy¡¯s status in the underworld is higher than expected.¡± Rhodes nodded slightly, Stussy could sit at the main table at the tea party of Big Mom, and she was obviously at the level of an old monster. Even that guy from the Beast Pirates had to give face. ¡°That¡¯s fine. All attention is drawn to them, and Sabo¡¯s actions will be much smoother.¡± Koala breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°But it¡¯s better for us to make some noises here, we¡¯re not at risk of being exposed anyway.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Rhodes nodded and looked around. He was looking for Gion. On such a big occasion, it stands to reason that Gion might also appear. Of course, she can¡¯t appear as a Vice Captain, but as one of the people in the crowd. After all, this is the site of the Beast Pirates. If her identity was exposed, I am afraid that something big will happen. The Yonko Kaido is a real lunatic and madman. If the marines dare to provoke him, he won¡¯t hesitate to attack a marines base or even their headquarters. At this moment, a cold female voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°Little devil, are you looking for me?¡± Volume 1 - CH 40 The sun was scorching and the wind was warm, but Rhodes felt an inexplicable chill on the back of his neck, and his whole body became a little stiff. He turned his head slowly and then saw a familiar figure. What he saw was a woman sitting in the VIP seat very luxuriously. She was tall and graceful, with long beautiful legs, one hand was casually raised on the armrest of the chair, and the other hand was resting on her cheeks, overlooking the arena as if it was her own playground. Her long smooth black hair was hanging down, and she was wearing a tulle-like black top with a wide open neckline, she didn¡¯t have a big chest, but it was remarkable, exquisite, and delicate. The bifurcation of the skirt was very high, revealing her snow-white pair of thrilling crossed long legs. Her figure was charming and enchanting, and her face was very beautiful, with no traces of the years. She had bright eyes and white teeth, and while she looked at Rhodes and his friend from behind, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Rhodes never thought that this woman would be so sharp, and it was so coincidental that the two crossed paths again! So much so that for a while, he was a little dazed. It was Koala who responded quickly. She almost instantly turned on the mode of acting stupid and smiled innocently: ¡°Big sister, you are so beautiful.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Trials have proved that praising women for being beautiful is never out of date. Especially a young and beautiful girl like Koala, and, if Rhodes remembers correctly, Gion was not too young. Gion smiled when she heard these words, and said, ¡°Little girl you¡¯re quite sweet.¡± She had a deep and sharp look in her eyes, and because of Rhodes¡¯ reactions, she clearly knew that he recognizes her as a Vice Captain. It¡¯s not easy. However, Gion didn¡¯t mean to embarrass these little juniors, and the sharp looks in her eyes slowly faded away. Koala was very clever, she quickly analyzed the situation, immediately hit the snake with a stick, and started a conversation. After all, this was a marine, not a vicious pirate, and seeing Gion in casual clothes, obviously means that she is here just to play. Seeing this, Rhodes was relieved. There were very few scenes about Gion in the original. He was also uncertain about her character. ¡°She¡¯s here now, if I show her my talent¡­¡± After relaxing, Rhodes¡¯ got a bit excited. From the very beginning, he has set his path to become stronger relying on his swordsmanship as the core. Now that the power of lightning is the mainstay, this concept has become a bit embarrassing. Only by apprenticing under a great swordsman and studying swordsmanship in a systematic and in-depth manner can he achieve a breakthrough in swordsmanship, otherwise he will be embarrassed forever! Moreover, the energy of the book of knowledge will continue to grow with battle and practice, and the power of lightning will naturally continue to grow stronger. ¡°Little devil, you want to be my apprentice?¡± Rhodes was thinking about it, but Gion suddenly spoke up, which startled Rhodes and Koala ¡°You¡­ how did you know?¡± Rhode said cautiously. He was a little terrified. Once it can be said to be accidental, but twice is a bit unusual. Could it be that this female great swordsman has some kind of ability to read people¡¯s hearts? There are examples to follow. For example, Princess Otohime of The Fishman Island was born with a Kenbunshoku that makes her hear the inner voice of others. For a pure swordsman like Gion, Rhodes won¡¯t be too surprised if she had such an ability. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to hide your thoughts at all. You are still too immature.¡± Gion smiled lightly and said with a deep, yet playful tone. When Rhodes heard these words, his expression changed, and he almost instantly entered a state of concentration, Focusing his thoughts in one line, his mind was highly concentrated, and his eyes were as flat as a mirror lake. ¡°What?¡± Gion let out a small murmur and glanced at Rhodes in surprise. She didn¡¯t expect Rhodes to react so quickly. What surprised her even more, was how profound Rhodes mastered the state of concentration. The state of concentration is the basic state that all swordsmen possess. A strong foundation, in a sense, can also be regarded as a talent. Most swordsmen must have a brewing time if they wanted to enter such a state, which can be as short as a sword swing or as long as a minute. Only some top swordsmen, or even great swordsmen, can enter such a state at will, just like Rhodes did. What she didn¡¯t know was that Rhodes maintained such a state almost every night to temper his body. Of course, he was very skilled at doing it. Gion pondered for a while and said, ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Seventeen.¡± Rhodes first thought about it in his heart and found that Gion couldn¡¯t detect it, so he said with a sigh of relief. It is really unpleasant to be easily readable by others. Thinking generates brain waves, which will radiate out. If your Kenbunshoku is keen enough you will be able to catch them and then gain insight into people¡¯s hearts. However, most strong people are able to restrain their mental will and achieve a state similar to that of a swordsman¡¯s concentration. Gion¡¯s ability should only be effective on ordinary people, or weaker people. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be right. In a fierce battle, others will be able to read your mind if you¡¯re having unstable thoughts. This is somehow similar to predicting the future!¡± In a second, Rhodes had a more intuitive analysis of this seemingly terrifying ability. Fear stems from the unknown, and after understanding it, it is actually like that. When he was thinking, Gion suddenly said, ¡°If you can beat everyone in this arena, I will consider training you for a while¡­¡± ¡°For a while¡­¡­¡± Rhodes¡¯ forehead was covered in black lines, but Koala cheered in surprise: ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°With your guidance, Rhodes will definitely be very happy.¡± Gion said expressionlessly, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until he defeats everyone.¡± Rhodes glanced at Koala and found that her surprise came from the bottom of her heart. She didn¡¯t seem to have any grudges against Gion as a Vice Captain of the Marines, she just thought it was good for Rhodes. ¡°She¡¯s really a pure and sensual little girl.¡± Rhodes sighed in his heart, but said very calmly, ¡°Then please sit there and watch me, Master.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not your master yet.¡± Gion¡¯s tone was very calm, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes. This seventeen-year-old swordsman had an excellent foundation. Such seedlings are rare in the world, you really can¡¯t just ignore them. Koala secretly complained, the smile in that old hag¡¯s eyes was overflowing¡­ And at this time, the arena has come to a critical stage. A big man dressed in animal skins, with a rough face, as if he had come out of the wild, was looking at the heroes in the arena. He has already defeated seven or eight opponents who came to challenge, many of them were strong, and some of them even had Devil Fruit ability. His Busoshoku Haki was extraordinary, his physical skills were simple but very strong. He attacked like a fierce beast, extremely violent, and when he moved, he was like a cheetah preying, extremely fast. Even Buckley from the Beast Pirates admired him. Volume 1 - CH 41 The arena fell silent for a while. Many participants who were originally confident couldn¡¯t help but back down because this barbarian called Haus was too strong. According to Rhodes¡¯ strength theory, at least it is close to the level of a Rear Admiral, and he seems to be the strongest in terms of physical strength among all participants As long as he can¡¯t break his defense, Haus can blast his opponent. ¡°Is there anyone else who wants to be crushed?¡± Haus stood in the field, his eyes swept across the four directions calmly, revealing his killing intent. He was determined to get this devil fruit because it was a Zoan-type devil fruit. As long as he gets this Devil Fruit, he has great confidence to join the Beast Pirates and get himself a good position. Having been in the New World for so long, Haus knows very well that without a strong enough backer, it is difficult to survive in this chaotic sea, and he might get crushed by another big force someday. The name of the madman of the beast pirates, Kaido, is known to the whole world, and it is naturally the most reassuring to sail under such a captain who protects his shortcomings. Of course, the Whitebeard Pirates would do too, but he couldn¡¯t find a way to join, so he had to settle for the next best thing. Haus¡¯ voice echoed in the empty arena, but no one responded for a long time. ¡°Is this the end of the game?¡± ¡°How is that possible?! There are still many participants, who haven¡¯t fought yet, but they are still observing and don¡¯t want to join in too early. There is no intermission between battles, so if you join too early you will only get tired later.¡± People were talking a lot, and they couldn¡¯t help but look at the higher platform. Bell frowned slightly. Although Haus¡¯ strength was good, the battle have just begun and he can¡¯t end it so quickly, so he had to operate behind the scenes and let his own people take action. At this time, a figure suddenly jumped inside the arena. ¡°Go back, I don¡¯t want to kill you.¡± He spoke lightly and indifferently. In an instant, there was an uproar in the audience. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Captain of the Silver Sword Pirates, would really take action! He is a powerful pirate with a reward of 190 million.¡± ¡°I heard that a few months ago, the Silver Sword Pirates suffered heavy losses from a great storm, and he lost his Vice Captain during that time. The captain, Leonard¡¯s name has long been misplaced.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, it seems that he intends to join the Beasts Pirates by winning this. Only the forces of the Yonko have enough capital and manpower to help him rebuild his crew.¡± Everyone looked at Leonard, The Silver Sword Captain, with incomparable awe. Haus¡¯ expression also changed. He obviously didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a big enemy, but this Devil Fruit is his future, he can¡¯t just let it go, and he won¡¯t let it go! ¡°Come!¡± Haus took his fighting stance. ¡°You do it.¡± Leonard put one hand behind him and raised the other hand slightly. When Haus saw this, he was furious. Although the man in front of him was very famous, Haus was also the man who crashed everyone who stood in his way up until the moment, how can he be humiliated? He roared angrily and slammed the ground with his feet, his figure was shot out like a bullet, his five fingers clenched into a fist covered with Haki, and he swung straight at Captain Silver Sword. His punch looked as big as a mountain, causing an astonishing tearing sound. Looking at the heavy punch, Leonard didn¡¯t try to dodge or even draw his sword. When Haus¡¯ fist got closer, he clenched his right hand tightly and punched out at the same time. His movement made no sound, but it came first. Only a ¡°click¡± sound was heard. The two fists collided, but Haus flew out like a straw, spewing a mouthful of blood into the air, and got smashed heavily on the ground in the distance. He ended with one punch! Haus, a pure master of physical strength, in the battle of strength, couldn¡¯t match the strength of this swordsman, who didn¡¯t even draw his blade! As long as you¡¯re not a fool, you can see the absolute difference between the two. The audience was silent, and everyone showed the same expressions on their faces. In their opinion, this game has already ended after this attack, and the result will never change no matter what Haus will do next. ¡°Do you still want to fight?¡± Leonard lightly retracted his fists and stood with his hands behind his back. Haus¡¯ face was gloomy. He had strong physical strength, so he won¡¯t suffer much damage from a single punch. However, the strength shown by Leonard¡¯s punch was terrifying. Even if he can hold on for a little bit, once that guy draws his sword¡­ ¡°I admit defeat.¡± He lowered his head and left the stage sadly. On the high platform, Buckley, from the Beast Pirates, saw this and ordered his men to go and recruit Haus. Haus¡¯ characteristics fit well with the style of the Beast Pirates, even more so than the Silver Sword Captain, Leonard. However, this is an open competition, and he is not good at breaking the rules, so he can only recruit privately. ¡°I want to congratulate you, it seems you have recruited twice in a row.¡± Stussy covered her mouth and smiled, with a hint of natural charm in her voice. Buckley also smiled when he heard this. He was stationed on this island solely for this reason, so when he met the right person, he would try to recruit him. In fact, the Yonko are not so much a pirate group as they are warlord forces, separated from each other. They also recruit subordinates, manage industries, divide spheres of influence, and even do secret research technology. And this time. Leonard stood indifferently in the field with a relaxed expression, he obviously didn¡¯t think that anyone would dare to challenge him. He looked at the Devil Fruit on the high platform with fiery eyes, and secretly clenched his fists. Today, after encountering major setbacks, he will finally stand up again and change his fate. ¡°Rhod, it¡¯s your turn to take action.¡± Koala looked at the situation in the field and said in a low voice, ¡°As long as you defeat Leonard, others should not dare to challenge you.¡± Gion glanced at Koala in surprise, because judging from her tone, she was obviously confident that Rhodes could defeat Leonard. Initially, she was considering whether to lower her requirements, because Leonard is really not something that a little guy of Rhodes¡¯ age can handle. But now it seems that the situation has changed a little bit. Rhodes seems to be better than she has imagined! ¡°Um.¡± Rhode nodded lightly, and at a moment when everyone almost felt that the game was over, he suddenly jumped into the arena, and then walked to the center step by step, facing Leonard. ¡°Are you sure you want to challenge me?¡± Looking at the young face in front of him, Leonard couldn¡¯t help but show a look of doubt as he pointed at himself and said. He¡¯s the Captain of the Silver Sword Pirates after all! He¡¯s the man, who fought all the way to the new world, beheaded a Commodore, defeated a Rear Admiral, crossed countless dangerous places, sailed through storms, and was famous for his reputation. He never expected that he would be challenged by someone so young, maybe even half his age. ¡°You got that right, I want to challenge you.¡± Rhodes was expressionless. Age has always been his handicap, and it is normal to be underestimated by others In fact, even Rhodes¡¯ body shape has remained at the level of a normal person, or maybe just a little bit taller than a normal person. Volume 1 - CH 42 Most of the powerhouses in the pirate world are gigantic, and every single one of them is over two meters tall. Admirals of the marines are generally about three meters, and the Yonko are more exaggerated than each other. Of course, almost no one in the pirate world has a normal body shape, but there are monster-like powerhouses, with normal human shapes, such as the Yonko Shanks and the world¡¯s greatest swordsman, Mihawk. But these people have been famous for a long time. Moreover, Rhodes looked a little young. Few people really think that Rhodes is strong. Maybe he has some strength, but he can¡¯t be the opponent of ¡°Silver Sword¡± Leonard. Therefore, when Rhodes said those words, there were bursts of boos on the field as expected. Burkley on the high platform couldn¡¯t help but sneer; he turned his head to look at Bell and said, ¡°Did you invite this kid funny?¡± ¡°Well just to heat things up.¡± ¡°Maybe he thought that he can compete with Leonard since he chose not to kill Haus.¡± Bell shook his head and laughed. What an ignorant young man he thought. Leonard didn¡¯t kill Haus because it was obvious that Burkley had a good impression of Haus, and the latter wanted to join the Beast Pirates too, so he didn¡¯t want to piss him off. On the side, Stussy smiled faintly, but no one could understand the meaning behind that smile. At the time, she was glancing at the VIP seats in the distance. As a member of CP0, how could she not recognize Gion, the famous swordsman and the candidate for being an Admiral? ¡°Maybe this will be a little bit interesting,¡± Stussy said softly. Bell was slightly taken aback when he heard these words and felt a bit at loss. He glanced at Rhodes on the stage, then he noticed Rhodes¡¯ young and handsome face; it seems that this cougar didn¡¯t settle down yet. This kid is old enough to be your son! And at this time on the field. Leonard, who got a definite answer, calmed down and said indifferently, ¡°Since you are courting death, I will fulfill your wish.¡± ¡°Stop this nonsense. If you want to fight, then let¡¯s fight.¡± Rhodes didn¡¯t take a fighting posture and stood there extremely relaxed, but when he put his hand on the hilt of his sword, his aura suddenly changed, it seemed as if the sword of the world was unsheathed, and the stern sharpness in his eyes seemed enough to silence the crowd. Sensing that aura that Rhodes had, Leonard¡¯s expression also changed suddenly and stared at Rhodes solemnly. Rhodes slowly drew his sword. It was really slow, inch by inch, but Leonard felt an even more astonishing momentum at the time, it seemed as if he was facing a formidable enemy. scoff! Almost at the next moment, everyone only felt that a ray of light flashed in front of them, and then they saw dazzling silver sword energy shot out, tearing the air and the ground, sweeping toward Leonard. Cut! Facing Rhodes¡¯ sword energy, Leonard looked in a bit of disbelief, and did not dare to take it head-on, he drew his sword and slashed without hesitation. scoff! Turquoise sword energy burst out and met Rhodes¡¯ sword energy. The two sword energies collided and exploded in the air, and then splashed. ¡°It turned out to be a tie, this young kid is also a powerful swordsman!¡± Someone exclaimed. Haus, who had just stepped back, was in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t even take a punch from Leonard, yet this young man took one of his swords Qi so easily. ¡°Soru!¡± Right after the collision, Leonard suddenly disappeared out of thin air, when he reappeared, he was already in front of Rhodes. Strike! The imbued blade with Busoshoku Haki slashed through the air, bringing an astonishing tearing sound, targeting Rhodes. Before the sword could even reach him, a faint stinging pain could be felt on his face. ¡°interesting.¡± Rhodes got serious, holding the sword in both hands, he hardened his blade with Haki, and then greeted him without showing any weakness. Keng!! The sound of gold and iron clashing suddenly exploded, and invisible airwaves swept out. The two blades that were dyed pitch black with Haki collided together, but after a stalemate, they suddenly separated and then collided frantically. Clang clang clang clang¡­ In the blink of an eye, the two clashed dozens or hundreds of times, and most of the audience could only see the two shadows fighting together on the field. The terrifying speed even set off a strong wind, blowing dust. This battle between the swordsmen was shocking! ¡°This is Leonard¡¯s true strength? It¡¯s horrifying!¡± Haus couldn¡¯t help but say, while the cold sweat was covering his forehead. Only now did he realize how lucky he was. If he collided with such a big guy in the outside world, I¡¯m afraid he wouldn¡¯t last long before he would be chopped into pieces! ¡°After joining the Beasts Pirates, I must work hard to get a Devil Fruit as soon as possible and strengthen myself!¡± He thought in his heart, and his eyes became more and more determined. Hearing the sound of ¡°Bang¡±, the figures in the field suddenly separated, and they each retreated more than ten meters, breathing slightly. This kind of intense collision, even though both of them have inhuman physiques and long endurance, they can¡¯t stand it for long. ¡°You are very good, but if you think you can beat me, it¡¯s a few years sooner!¡± Leonard showed a proud look because, in the previous clash, he had the upper hand! ¡°Leonard¡¯s speed and strength are all superior to you. His Busoshoku Haki is a little weaker, but he is still a little bit stronger¡­¡± In the VIP seat, Gion¡¯s light analysis made Rhodes look thoroughly. ¡°If you want to win, your current strength is not enough.¡± Koala smiled lightly and said, ¡°Keep watching, he¡¯s not serious yet.¡± Gion¡¯s expression changed when she heard the words and stared with her beautiful eyes at the stage without blinking; even if she said so, she was ready to rescue at any time. Gion will not base her expectations on nothing. She is a great swordsman, a powerhouse at the top of the world. She is accustomed to taking everything in her hands and acting according to her own preferences. She fell in love with the idea of apprenticing Rhodes; thus, she will not allow him to have an accident. Or in other words, she won¡¯t allow him to die in such a small place! In the field. Hearing Leonard¡¯s confident words, Rhodes was expressionless. He didn¡¯t answer him with words, but with a slash out of his sword. Scoff! The next moment, blue sword energy wrapped in terrifying lightning swept out, like a light curtain, more than ten meters in a vertical and horizontal radius, forming a thunder field! ¡°Lightning!¡± Lightning is already known for its speed, and the same is true for the sword Qi. The two are mixed together, they were as fast as light and shadow. Leonard only had time to harden his entire body and ended up shrouded in lightning. Trick, prick. Even with the protection of the hardening of the Busoshoku Haki, the terrifying power of thunder was still unbearable, his muscles twitched, his whole body tingled, and his hair stood on end. Whoosh! Finally, Leonard rushed out of the lightning field in an embarrassed manner. He jumped back for dozens of meters, then stopped to take a breath, and let out a puff of black smoke. His expression was extremely ugly at that moment. Bell¡¯s arena was as silent as death at this moment! Everyone was staring blankly at the god-like young figure bathed in lightning on the stage! Volume 1 - CH 43 ¡°Lightning?¡± ¡°He is a devil fruit user??¡± Gion narrowed her eyes slightly and said to Koala with some displeasure. Most pure swordsmen, or those who pursue the peak of swordsmanship, don¡¯t like Devil Fruits. ¡°He¡¯s not.¡± Koala hurriedly shook her head and said quickly, ¡°Rhod is not a devil fruit user, I know this best.¡± ¡°This is Lightning Sword Intent!¡± Having said that, Koala also looked at Gion with a little doubt. As a great swordsman, how couldn¡¯t you even recognize the sword¡¯s intent? Gion¡¯s expression froze when she heard the words, and there was a hint of astonishment on her calm face. Lightning Sword Intent? What kind of Lightning Sword Intent can achieve this level?!! Gion stared at Koala and said suspiciously, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Koala nodded without hesitation. Gion frowned, she could see that Koala wasn¡¯t lying to her, but she couldn¡¯t believe it. As a great swordsman who has reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, Gion¡¯s understanding of sword intent is not completely clear, but it is also very profound. This sword intent of Rhodes is too exaggerated, so exaggerated that people may even think it is a Logia Lightning type devil fruit! The three big bosses and Stussy on the high platform were also startled. ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary power of lightning, even Leonard couldn¡¯t bear it, this power should not be underestimated.¡± Bell felt a little terrified. With his strength, facing the power of lightning, he could only temporarily avoid the edge. ¡°Interesting kid, I¡¯m afraid this guy didn¡¯t come for the Devil Fruit.¡± Buckley smiled, while his eyes flashed fiercely. In addition to being surprised, Stussy couldn¡¯t help but speculate in her heart. Could it be that this young man is Gion¡¯s apprentice? Or her nephew or something? With such potential, if there is a chance, it is necessary to contact him as well. Thinking about it, Stussy couldn¡¯t help but lick her lips and look at the proud sword-wielding figure on the stage with fiery eyes. And at this time on the field. Looking at Leonard in the distance, Rhodes said lightly, ¡°What about now?¡± Leonard¡¯s face blushed when he heard this, but luckily he was imbued with Busoshoku Haki at the time, and no one could see it. ¡°Don¡¯t get too arrogant!¡± He roared angrily, stepped on the ground, and rushed towards Rhodes. Scoff! Before he got too close, he slashed using his sword, and the green sword energy was shot out, heading toward Rhodes. ¡°Too slow.¡± While he was in Thunder mode, Rhodes¡¯ body speed and nerve reaction speed were enhanced, already surpassing Leonard¡¯s, and coupled with his stronger sense of Kenbunshoku Haki, Leonard couldn¡¯t win at all! However, with the support of his anger, Leonard¡¯s extreme explosive power was barely able to compete with Rhodes. The blades collided, their silhouettes staggered, and the dazzling thunder light covered everything. People could only see two looming lights and shadows colliding in the field. Only a few strong people could see through the fog and observe the situation. Gradually, as the power of lightning that enveloped the field was completely transformed from light blue to dark blue, a black figure was suddenly blasted out. He was tainted black, but not because of the Busoshoku Haki. Leonard fell to the ground in the distance; his body was covered with sword marks, his clothes were tattered, and he had burn marks everywhere around his body. He reluctantly raised his head and looked at Rhodes who didn¡¯t chase him down, it seems that only his clothes were a little messy. Leonard couldn¡¯t help but sigh lightly, but because of this tiny movement, the wound was affected, and he hissed in pain. As long as you¡¯re not a fool, you can see that Leonard is completely powerless to fight back! After that, Rhodes stood in the field, then with an extremely calm expression, he said lightly: ¡°Who else wants to fight with me?¡± The whole place was dead silent. Everyone stared at Leonard, who was lying on the ground, dumbfounded. Initially, everyone felt that the moment silver sword Leonard decided to attack using his sword, it meant that the game was over. Unexpectedly, an unknown young swordsman who seemed to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, controlled the power of lightning to slash Leonard outright. All the people present were wide-eyed, whether they were rich or powerful everyone knew what this level of potential meant. Stussy swallowed her saliva secretly, thinking in her heart how to cooperate with Gion¡¯s actions if a conflict broke out. But after thinking about it, with Gion¡¯s strength, I¡¯m afraid that no one can do anything to this little boy. Bell didn¡¯t think about anything. Compared with the strong pirates present, he was more like a businessman, running a small island under the banner of the Beasts Pirates. Buckley¡¯s expression became much more solemn. ¡°If we can¡¯t recruit him¡­¡± ¡°He must be killed in advance!¡± ¡°This kind of potential, once he grows up, he will inevitably become an enemy!¡± A murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and just when Buckley was about to make a move, a series of roaring explosions suddenly came from Bell¡¯s base camp in the distance, and the terrifying vibration even spread to the arena. The whole scene became a mess in an instant, and everyone hurriedly fled out for fear of being affected. ¡°What happened?¡± Bell suddenly stood up and rushed to the base camp immediately. Seeing this, Buckley frowned slightly, gave an order to his subordinates, and followed. Bell¡¯s safety was still very important, and he can leave the rest to his subordinates. ¡°With the brothers here, the little guy shouldn¡¯t be able to get away.¡± Thinking in his heart, he accelerated, caught up with Bell, and left the scene. Seeing that there would be no major conflict, Stussy naturally breathed a sigh of relief and quietly disappeared on the high platform. But she was looking for a chance to get to know Rhodes, a potential seed. If possible, Stussy wouldn¡¯t mind what happens next with her and this handsome young man. As the Queen of the Pleasure District, she has absolute confidence in her extraordinary skills to conquer a young, immature seedling. There was chaos on the field, but Rhodes made a gesture to Gion in the VIP seat and left along the flow of people. This was obviously a movement from Sabo. The three of them had already made an appointment to meet, but this time the two probably won¡¯t return to the headquarters with Sabo. Seeing Rhodes leaving, although Koala was still complaining about Sabo¡¯s chaos in her heart, she didn¡¯t show it on her face and said respectfully to Gion: ¡°Please follow me. We will meet up outside.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Gion stood up gracefully, her tall and graceful figure made Koala feel a little inferior because she was much shorter than Gion¡­ Of course, the most important thing is that this female great swordsman¡¯s aura left Koala subconsciously in awe. Volume 1 - CH 44 Sabo really deserves the reputation of being chaotic. Koala had a headache, and the disturbance is really big. Walking outside the arena, panicked people can be seen everywhere. Because of the previous vibration was almost felt like an earthquake. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Sabo did¡­¡± Rhodes was a little curious, but he wasn¡¯t worried about Sabo¡¯s safety. That guy was really strong. After walking for a while, he came to a relatively remote street. There were gradually fewer pedestrians on the road, but Rhodes stopped and said with a light expression: ¡°Come out.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a burly figure walked out of the corner, it was about a 2.5-meter tall gigantic man. He was wearing armor, a feather cloak, there were horns on his head, and he had long hair. He looked like a barbarian. Most of the official members of the Beast Pirates wore this costume. ¡°Boss Burkley wants to talk with you.¡± Karl¡¯s tone was very flat, without ups and downs, but it had a hint of force that could not be rejected. As an official member of one of the Yonko¡¯s Pirates Group, the strongest cadre under Burkley, actually using words before force is already a good deal for Rhodes. Rhodes¡¯ potential is indeed excellent, but as he is now, is just an empty shell. In the world of pirates, strength represents everything, not potential. ¡°What if I don¡¯t go?¡± Rhodes said lightly. ¡°That¡¯s up to you!¡± A cold light flashed in Karl¡¯s eyes. ¡°You alone are not enough.¡± Rhodes lightly put his hand on the hilt of the sword, facing each other tit for tat. The atmosphere suddenly became stagnant, and the scattered passers-by on the street felt a chill to the bones as they ran away quickly. In an instant, only Rhrod and Karl were left on the street. With a breeze blowing by. Whoosh! The two figures disappeared in place almost at the same time, each brought a gust of wind and collided together. Keng! The long sword collided with the machete. Thunderous explosions roared inside the street, and the huge residual energy rushed away in all directions, and all the debris on the ground flew out. The blue brick ground cracked densely, and the entire street seemed to tremble. After a short stalemate, Karl gathered his strength, and a violent force erupted, directly knocking Rhodes out. ¡°Zoan type devil fruit user?¡± Rhodes¡¯ expression was indifferent, he lightly stepped on the air, and then floated to the ground without a trace of smoke. Most of the powerhouses of the Hundred Beast Pirates have Zoan-type devil fruits. They are famous for their rough skin, thick flesh, and amazing brutal force. They are a group of big muscle tyrants who want to train their brains into muscles. It is normal for Rhodes to be suppressed in terms of strength. ¡°As soon as I keep using my forging lightning mode, this gap should be made up to the greatest extent.¡± Most of the powerhouses in the pirate world work very hard. Rhodes does not have much advantage in hard work. If he wants to equalize the gap in physique, he can only rely on the particularity of the power of lightning. At this time, although his internal organs have been strengthened to a certain extent due to the strengthening of his physique, it is still a little short to try and use stronger lightning currents. Without more than 90% certainty, Rhodes would not dare to mess with his internal organs. It is different from muscles or bones and involves too many things. Boom! After Karl transformed into his half-beast mode, his body became larger and larger, approaching a height of three meters, and when he sprinted, it was like a tank rampaging with great momentum. Rhodes did not collide with him head-on, but turned on the lightning mode and waited for an opportunity. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and saw a weak point, rushed forward instantly, and slashed out with his sword. ¡°One Sword Style: Raiken!¡± Chi Chi! Under the increase of the power of lightning and the imbuing of the Busoshoku Haki, the blue-black blade was wrapped in an astonishing tearing force, slashing on Karl¡¯s arm, and the scalp-tingling sound of cutting erupted. After a brief stalemate, the blade slashed through Carl¡¯s Busoshoku Haki, and then slowly cut through his fur, Carl, who was resistant to guns and artillery, was still cut deeply by Rhodes¡¯ sword. ¡°Damn!¡± Under the pain, Carl¡¯s eyes turned red like a mad lion and slashed at Rhodes with his machete. Whoosh! Rhodes did not hesitate and instantly stepped back. He is not a rough-skinned monster like Carl, he will die if he takes this hit. But at this moment, Rhodes¡¯ Kenbunshoku trembled violently, his eyebrows tingled, and his heart seemed to pop out! Danger! I¡¯m gonna die!! Fortunately, Rhodes¡¯ response was extremely fast, and was barely able to keep up with that information thanks to the activation of the power of lightning Therefore, in just a split second, he responded, leaning slightly to the left inconceivably. At the same time. A pitch-black bullet, like lightning pierced through the sky, shot in front of him in an instant, rubbing the skin of his forehead and flying over. A trace of blood slid from his face. Rhodes could feel the burning pain coming from his forehead, and he could even smell a little burning sensation in his head, but his expression did not fluctuate at all. Instead, he became more and more indifferent, giving the sense of extreme danger, more dangerous than facing a beast in the wild! ¡°A sniper?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I was hurt¡­¡± Trick, prick, prick¡­ The power of lightning seemed to be provoked, frantically agitated, and continued to spread as if a lightning field was formed here! The next moment, Rhodes stepped forward and instantly flickered like lightning tens of meters in the air, and crashed into the roof of a building not far away. Boom! Accompanied by the sound of buildings collapsing. Before he had time to go to support his brother, Karl saw his brother Carlo being blasted out, spewing a mouthful of blood in the air, his face flushed, his hair standing on one end, and he fell heavily to the ground. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Karl hurriedly ran to the front and asked in a low voice while staring vigilantly in Rhodes¡¯ direction. Carlo¡¯s face was blue and white, with a hint of shock and disbelief mixed in. He was found by Rhodes and ended in one second! After all, snipers are not very good at close-range combat. The most unbelievable thing for him was that the shot he was so patient to take didn¡¯t hit! It only rubbed his head a little! But that was enough for Rhodes to determine his location! ¡°It¡¯s so fucking unrealistic, how could this kid react!¡± Carlo cursed and stood up enduring the pain, slightly behind Karl. ¡°This isn¡¯t good, let¡¯s contact Boss Burkley quickly.¡± Carlo glanced at Rhodes who jumped from the roof, thought for a while, and decided to call for reinforcements first. He wasn¡¯t a thick-head like Karl, he has a clearer understanding of the situation. With the strength shown by Rhodes, even if the two of them are stronger, they will never be able to kill them. Huh¡­ A specially-made signal bomb flew out of his hand, flying at an extremely fast speed, flying high into the sky like lightning, and then exploded into a bright red emergency signal for help. ¡°Huh, how troublesome!¡± Rhodes frowned slightly. He was confident enough to kill the two brothers, but he wasn¡¯t sure that he could do it in a short time. After all, the combination of one fighting really close and the other shooting from distance was difficult to deal with. Moreover, most of the powerhouses in the pirate world had tenacious vitality. Volume 1 - CH 45 Bell¡¯s base. Bell and Burkley ran quickly until they reached the base, and then learned the ins and outs of the matter. It is said that a mysterious man detonated a large number of explosives, blasting the castle and freeing the imprisoned slaves. ¡°Damn it, where are the guards?¡± Bell clenched his fists with an ugly face because he found that some of the information he had hidden in his residence was lost ¡°Lord Buenos was defeated! ¡° ¡°That mysterious man is very powerful, and he knocked Lord Buenos out with one punch. We couldn¡¯t stop him at all!¡± ¡°The scene was too chaotic, the man was too fast, we lost him.¡± The guards were talking at length, trying to clear the way. After all, they all had to take responsibility for this incident. Bell¡¯s face was ashen, but the worry and fear in his heart subsided slightly. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be the world government.¡± If the world government finds out his identity, the people sent would be here only to kill him and clean up. Is it someone from the underground world?? While Bell was thinking, his expression suddenly changed, because he saw an emergency call for help in the distance. ¡°The two brothers couldn¡¯t take that young man down?!¡± Burkley was also shocked and in disbelief. Carlos and Karl are two brothers, one is an animal devil fruit person, and the other is a terrifying sniper. Together, their combat effectiveness is very strong. In the face of an opponent at the level of Silver Sword Leonard, they can easily subdue and kill him at ease. In this sea area, they are famous for their reputation. They even once fought against the Whitebeard Pirates, and they are truly powerful. He didn¡¯t expect that a young man will force them to send a signal for help! ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡± Burkley rushed in that direction without hesitation. His speed was extremely fast. His huge and burly body smashed through all obstacles, like a human-shaped beast, trampling the ground and shaking the pedestrians on the road. At the same time. The entire island was moving on the wind, and the members of the Beast Pirates scattered in all directions were heading here. If Rhodes insists on killing the two brothers, he would definitely be surrounded by heavy siege, and if he¡¯s dragged until Burkley¡¯s arrival, his life would even be in danger! ¡°Don¡¯t run if you coward kid!¡± Although Karl¡¯s reaction was slow, he was not a fool. He quickly understood Carlo¡¯s intention and rushed up to Rhodes. At the same time, he made a mockery to provoke him. Carlo silently raised the sniper rifle, deterring him from a distance, attracting most of Rhodes¡¯ attention. A powerful sniper is terrifying. They use specially made firearms that have been modified. The bullets are enhanced by the Busoshoku Haki. Thus, their ability to break defense is extremely powerful. Moreover, the snipers usually have strong Kenbunshoku Haki! Most of the pirates will be equipped with snipers, such as the Red-haired pirates¡¯ Yasopp. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m out of here.¡± Seeing that there was no hope of killing them that quickly, Rhodes did not force it. There was no need to put himself in danger for these two pricks. But at this moment, a smiling voice suddenly came from not far away. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re in trouble.¡± Rhodes turned his head to look and saw that Sabo was sitting casually on a roof, looking at him with a half-smile. ¡°Having you here won¡¯t do me any favor.¡± Rhodes satirized lightly. Sabo is a strong physique, perhaps stronger than Rhodes at this time, but in the face of Karl, a rough-skinned muscle tyrant, it is difficult to achieve results in a short period of time. Sabo smiled, and his figure disappeared instantly. Rhodes only heard a loud ¡°bang¡±. Karl¡¯s body suddenly froze for a moment, and then was blasted away, and slammed heavily on the ground in the distance. The ground was shaken, and the sound of rocks falling from nearby buildings could be heard. Sabo withdrew his fist lightly, without even looking at Karl, and smiled at Rhodes: ¡°Let¡¯s go, the Beast Pirates are coming soon.¡± At this moment. A pitch-black bullet came out of a hole like a poisonous dragon, pierced through the air instantly, and struck Sabo like lightning. When Rhodes sensed the bullet, he saw that Sabo had gently raised his steel pipe, blocking the bullet in front of him. Ding! In just an instant, the jet-black bullet, which was wrapped in powerful energy, was shot and blocked by Sabo¡¯s steel pipe. At this time, the sound of gunshots came later. Seeing this, Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly, Sabo¡¯s Kenbunshoku was so strong! Carlo, on the other hand, was completely stunned. What the hell?! Why are more terrifying young people appearing at this place all of a sudden? The other one just dodged his shot, but this one blocked it directly with a weapon! Carlo was shocked, very frightened, and did not dare to act rashly. Because if these two people made a move, Carlo might be able to delay them until the arrival of the reinforcements, but he could not escape death, or at least he will be seriously injured. There was a faint whistling sound in the distance as if thousands of troops were approaching. The faces of the two brothers were delighted. With more people, they would have the confidence to stop Rhodes and the other kid. But at this moment, a cold female voice that seemed to come from above the nine heavens emitted: ¡°How dare you try to hurt my students?¡± Before he could finish his words, majestic, sakura-colored sword energy that seemed to be invisible, suddenly fell from the sky. Before the sword Qi arrived, the terrifying sword pressure came first, and the air became thick as water. Karl and his brother could only barely lift their heads, and their wide eyes were full of despair and fear. Boom! Nothing can describe the sharpness of this sword energy. The majestic sword Qi fell down like a meteor, crushed Carlo into powder almost instantly, and then cut into the ground without stopping. Under the incredible gaze of Rhodes, Sabo, and Koala, the nearly 100-meter-long street instantly formed a bottomless of five-or six-meter-wide abyss crack! What a terrifying power! Sabo looked down at the abyss not far from his feet, only a meter or two away from him. He couldn¡¯t help but swallow, and the cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He had a strong Kenbunshoku Haki, he could predict Carlo¡¯s sniping, but he couldn¡¯t react this time at all. If the sword Qi was aimed at him, I¡¯m afraid his ending would not be better than Karl and his brother. Rhodes raised his head blankly and looked at the tall and slender woman standing proudly in the sky. He was completely overwhelmed with shock and could not speak. Gion is the second strongest person he has ever seen, but this is the first time he has witnessed such a powerhouse take action with his own eyes! Even though there are many scenes in his memory that are even more terrifying than this picture, the shock of witnessing it with his own eyes cannot be described in words. Koala was also stunned, as if petrified, no matter how smart she was, she was completely shocked by this near-mythical power. ¡°It is said that Rayleigh slashed an island with one slash. I thought it was just an exaggeration, but now it seems¡­¡± She swallowed her saliva, and then she rejoiced again because this was Rhodes¡¯ future teacher. Once he learns under her, his swordsmanship will definitely improve by leaps and bounds. At this time, Gion slowly fell down, her black dress swayed slightly, her smooth black hair moved with the wind, and her charming face still had a casual expression, as if the damage caused by this slash was only normal. Volume 1 - CH 46 When Buckley rushed to the scene and saw this shocking abyss rift, he chose to follow his own heart and stop the chase. This decision came right from the heart. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and report this news.¡± Buckley was a little flustered. A sword that can cause such damage can only be the sword of a great swordsman! Such a great enemy is simply not something that he can handle, it must be at least one of three Calamities. As for the dead brothers, he could only mourn for them. At this time, inside the hotel. ¡°What?!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re actually Gion¡¯s student?!¡± Sabo was stunned by this shocking news. Please, brother, we are the Revolutionary Army. Although we are not opposed to the Marines, it is too much to be the student of a Vice Captain. Sabo didn¡¯t know what to say, so in the end, he could only say, ¡°Nice job!¡± It was actually Gion¡¯s slash from earlier that shocked Sabo so much that he was unable to refute it at all. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t go back to the headquarters with you.¡± Rhodes shrugged helplessly, ¡°Master doesn¡¯t seem to have much time to teach me, probably she will only do it for three months or so.¡± After all, Gion is a candidate for the admiral position, and she doesn¡¯t have much free time. Besides, Rhodes is not an amateur, Gion reckons that three months should be enough to teach him what she wants to teach. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a hassle.¡± Sabo pondered slightly. How rare it¡¯s to meet a great swordsman, but Rhodes managed to make her accept him as a student, which is naturally a good thing, even Dragon won¡¯t have too many opinions. The enemy of the revolutionary army is the world government, and the world aristocrat the Celestial Dragons, not the marines that maintain the order of the sea. Besides, in such an era, no one can stop a person from becoming stronger. ¡°Well, we¡¯re not in a hurry to go back to the headquarters.¡± ¡°It happened that I got a lot of information from Bell¡¯s castle before, some ancient secret, and some information about the recent events that occurred in the sea.¡± ¡°It seems that an underground killer organization wants to target a force working under us. It¡¯s not far from here. We will just help them.¡± ¡°During this period of time, you should train hard, and when you are finished, we will go back to the headquarters together.¡± Sabo said this with a sincere smile: ¡°We are partners, we came out together, and of course, we have to go back together.¡± Koala nodded again and again, ¡°That¡¯s how it should be, how can we go back first!¡± When Rhodes heard the words, his expression changed slightly. Seeing that both of them had the same expression, he stopped persuading them and nodded, ¡°I will contact you when the time comes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Sabo smiled, patted Rhodes on the shoulder, and said, ¡°Word hard, maybe you will catch up with me after you practice hard for three months.¡± ¡°By that time, I won¡¯t even break a sweat fighting you.¡± Rhodes said with a smile, but he seemed to be full of confidence. Forget about how strong his swordsmanship will be, in these three months of training, his Lightning power will definitely make him step to a level comparable to that of a Vice admiral. At that time, I¡¯m afraid Sabo will no longer have a chance against him. After all, the power of lightning is extremely powerful, almost invincible. The three exchanged contact information and then went to the hotel lobby together. Gion was sitting there casually, sipping black tea, as elegant as the purest nobleman, attracting the attention of many men. ¡°Have you finally finished?!¡± Gion lightly put down the teacup and glanced at Rhodes with her beautiful eyes. Rhodes nodded. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go.¡± Gion took the three and slowly came to the shore of Chronos Island. This is a cliff, beneath which the rushing sea slaps tirelessly the standing reefs. ¡°Can you fly?¡± The sea breeze blew her skirt, and Gion casually pulled back her hair and asked. Rhodes was slightly startled and said: ¡°I can walk use Geppo.¡± ¡°Then follow me.¡± Gion didn¡¯t ask why Rhodes knows how to use Geppo, she didn¡¯t seem to care about it at all, she jumped lightly, and then came into the air. Rhodes only had time to say goodbye to Sabo and Koala, and then hurriedly followed. The two of them seemed to be walking in the void, getting closer to the horizon step by step. ¡°Are they going to use Geppo to return to the warship?¡± The corners of Sabo¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, and he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little bit of pain for Rhodes. Geppo put a great burden on physical strength. He could imagine what pain Rhodes would encounter. Koala also smiled, but there was a look of anticipation in her beautiful eyes. How high is Rhodes¡¯ talent; last time he left her sight for five months he came back stronger than the reserve force¡¯s cadres. This time she won¡¯t see him for three months. And she doesn¡¯t know how much stronger this guy will become. ¡°Although everyone¡¯s growth rate will slow down in the later stages. I don¡¯t know why I always feel that Rhodes does not have such limitation.¡± Looking at the two black dots that gradually disappeared from sight using Geppo, Koala murmured softly, ¡°Sabo, I think you are about to be surpassed by him.¡± Sabo was slightly startled when he heard the words, and wanted to refute, but suddenly realized that it seemed to be the case. Along the way, Rhodes beheaded Lancelot, clashed with Squard, and managed to escape unharmed. This time, he defeated the Silver Sword Leonard, and then he fought against the two brothers from the Beast Pirates without falling behind¡­ This series of records and performances are already very close to what he accomplished, the most talented member of the revolutionary army. Involuntarily, a trace of urgency and motivation rose in Sabo¡¯s heart. This is the first time he has felt this kind of feeling from a peer of the same age. ¡­¡­ Between the sea and the sky, as far as the eye can see, is the blue of the vast sea. ¡°Master, are you sure we¡¯re not going around in circles!¡± Rhodes reluctantly followed, grinding his teeth. It has been more than half a day since they left Chronos Island. During this time, whenever Rhodes¡¯ exhaustion eased off, he walked behind Gion using the Geppo. But once he¡¯s tired, he had to swim in the sea to keep up with Gion. The sun was scorching hot, and his clothes were dry and wet, wet and dry, so he was really embarrassed. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, we¡¯re almost there.¡± Gion¡¯s face was expressionless, and she only kept saying these words. Rhodes was in a hurry, and he used too much force on his legs and feet. He lost power and fell to the sea numerous times. When he used to practice the Rokushiki, he didn¡¯t spend too much effort on the Geppo, he just wanted to learn it so he can fly, and his proficiency was naturally not high. Phew. Rhodes took a deep breath, he really wanted to pay her back hundreds of times for torturing him. ¡°You seem to be having some bad thoughts¡­¡± Gion¡¯s indifferent and cold voice came, trembling Rhodes¡¯ body instantly. The extreme fatigue made his mind a little unstable, but some thoughts were leaked. Looking at Gion¡¯s slightly suspicious eyes, Rhodes smiled dryly, and quickly calmed down, talking nonsense in a serious manner: ¡°I¡¯m just thinking, what kind of ship is Master¡¯s warship, I haven¡¯t seen a marines warship before.¡± Gion squinted his eyes and suddenly felt like he was cocooning himself. He can be really cute once he exposes his thoughts. ¡°You will see soon.¡± As soon as the voice fell, a huge black shadow appeared in the faint mist in the distance. Volume 1 - CH 47 Gion, as a Vice Captain, and one of the candidates to be the next Admiral, was equipped with a marines warship of the highest specification; it was as huge as a hill. The densely packed cannon looked terrifying, and its towering sail was covering the clouds and the sun. It looks like a moving fortress. If they¡¯re ever faced with an ordinary pirate ship, it can be said that the artillery fire alone will make them cry. The surprise was evident on Rhodes¡¯ face, but deep inside he was actually calm. As a reincarnated soul, there were many warships that he have seen in his previous life, which are bigger than this. Gion was quite satisfied with Rhode¡¯s expression. In order to completely own this talented student, she did everything she could. She killed the two brothers he struggled to defeat with one slash, leaving a bottomless abyss behind her, showing the insurmountable strength of the great swordsman, and then after she crushed Rhodes¡¯ arrogance on the way, she finally brought out her expensive car. ¡°Let¡¯s go down.¡± Gion brought Rhodes to the top deck of the warship. As soon as he landed, Rhodes sat down against the railing, not even wanting to move a hair. Although it has only been half a day, his physical and mental energy was already exhausted, and they were on the verge of collapsing. At this time, he just wanted to sleep until the end of the world. As soon as he sat down, he fell into sleep not long after. Gion glanced at Rhodes, but didn¡¯t say anything, but faced the adjutant who came to pick her up. ¡°Gion-Dono, who is this?¡± the female marine soldier, Eleanor asked curiously. She obviously did not expect that Gion would bring a young man back when she was just out to play. Could it be that he¡¯s her lov¡­ Eleanor¡¯s eyes were full of gossip. ¡°Get aside.¡± Gion knocked Eleanor on her forehead and said angrily, ¡°This is my student.¡± ¡°Eh, student?!¡± Eleanor rubbed her forehead, muttering in her heart: ¡°Could it be that she¡¯s planning to play a part in a teacher-student romance story? Sure enough, older women are provocative.¡± At this time, when they learned that Gion had returned, a bunch of marines gathered on the top deck, and all of them were female soldiers. These were like Gion¡¯s personal guards, and they were working directly under her command. ¡°Master Gion¡¯s student?! The Vice Captain actually accepted an apprentice!¡± ¡°Hey, this little guy is quite handsome, but he¡¯s a little thin.¡± The guards looked at Rhodes who was sleeping on the deck and whispered. The news quickly spread throughout the warships, and all the marines felt a little incredible. The female guards were curious about the young boy, while the male marines were a bit frustrated. Because the female marines on the Gion¡¯s warship were all living on the highest level, they were accepted by her as guards, and they were all women, so there was nothing to say. But this new student of hers is now also living on the top floor, which really made them¡­ envy and jealous! Gion came out to the deck again and had already changed into her standard marines clothing. With the word ¡®Justice¡¯ printed on the back of her cloak, Gion moved with the wind. Changing to these clothes made her lose a bit of grace and nobility, but now she looked more heroic and valiant, like a Valkyrie. ¡°Has anything happened recently?¡± Gion took the black tea handed over by Eleanor and asked casually. ¡°Well.¡± Holding the document, Eleanor pondered for a while and said, ¡°Everything is fairly stable.¡± ¡°The only big event is the showdown between Fire Fist Ace and The Knight of the Sea, Jinbe.¡± ¡°This battle lasted for five days and five nights, with no winner or loser. Later, Fire Fist Ace was captured by the Whitebeard Pirates. We don¡¯t know what the final result will be.¡± After speaking, Eleanor was quiet for a while, then couldn¡¯t help but curiously ask about Gion¡¯s experience these days. Gion glanced at her sharply, but she still answered her, because even though Gion was her superior, she actually treated Eleanor as her little sister. ¡°Three geniuses at once?¡± Eleanor frowned slightly, feeling that Gion is being a little reckless, and then immediately said: ¡°How can you rashly accept apprentices, without even checking his background? ¡° Gion gently put down the teacup and said lightly: ¡°Identity, background, what does it have to do with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m interested in him and nothing else.¡± There was indescribable confidence and arrogance in Gion¡¯s tone. She didn¡¯t care about Rhodes¡¯ identity at all, so what if he was a pirate? Or even from the revolutionary army? As a super-powerhouse who has stood at the top of Swordsmanship, this is her right, who dares to stop her from accepting apprentices? Just like Garp¡¯s family, the guy¡¯s son is the leader of the revolutionary army. Is there anyone who dares to say anything to Garp? In this world, strength decides everything. ¡°All right.¡± Eleanor was speechless for the while, and then she moved on to a more important subject: ¡°We have also received an order from the headquarters. We have to go to the G-5 base and hold over the defense area with Admiral Kizaru.¡± ¡°He can wait, anyway, he is also in the base.¡± Gion took a sip out of her tea and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Fire Island. My body hasn¡¯t been soaked in a hot spring for ages. I will also be teaching my apprentice on the way there.¡± ¡°Uh, but, that¡¯s not good¡­¡± Eleanor was trying to say that it wasn¡¯t good, but her expression was full of longing. Gion glanced at this subordinate who never learned how to hide her true emotions, and then ignored her. She then narrowed her eyes slightly and began to think about the next tutorial. After thinking about it, three months is still too short. ¡°If you learn slowly, it doesn¡¯t matter in five or six months, just let Kizaru get off work.¡± Gion thought indifferently. The next day, in the cabin, Gion who was instructing Rhodes¡¯ swordsmanship said indifferently: ¡°Purely use your swordsmanship to attack me.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Rhodes concentrated his mind, stared at Gion with burning eyes, then took a step forward and kept waving his sword. Or stab, or cut, or chop, or strike¡­ However, no matter how tricky the angles were, no matter how fast or strong the attack was, Gion was able to dodge it, and even took the time to hit him a few times with the body of her sword, causing him to feel numb. Rhodes was tormented for half an hour, his whole body was slapped red by Gion¡¯s sheath; at some point, he started wondering whether he had offended Gion in some way. Gion finally stopped and let out a light breath. ¡°Do you know why I can hit you, but you can¡¯t hit?¡± ¡°Because Master is a great swordsman, with quick responses, strong strength, and a stronger Haki than mine.¡± Rhodes calmly patted his horse. ¡°This is just one aspect. Do you know who is the worst poker player?¡± Rhodes: ¡°¡­¡± Could it be that Gion and Fujitora both like to play cards? ¡°It¡¯s a novice! How do you not know that?! This is your problem, you¡¯re overthinking stuff!¡± Gion looked at Rhodes speechlessly and said: ¡°A novice often shows his emotions and anger when playing poker. When he gets a good card, he will be high-spirited, and when he gets a bad card, he¡¯s downcast. These kinds of people are easy to figure out and winning against them is inevitable.¡± Rhodes reacted instantly, ¡°You mean, I¡¯m revealing my intentions before I attack?¡± ¡°Your eyes are too focused on the target you want to attack. An experienced person can see through your thoughts, predict your attack route, dodge in advance, or counter-attack you without even needing to be stronger than you.¡± ¡°Of course, you usually have the power of thunder to cover this up, and your speed is very fast, thus ordinary people can¡¯t see through it.¡± Rhodes had a feeling of awakening. After all, no one taught him before. He only fought a few battles, and he didn¡¯t learn many skills when it comes to swordsmanship. ¡°Then what should I do?¡± ¡°Face your opponent head-on, observe from the corner of your eye, hide your thoughts, and don¡¯t reveal your intentions.¡± ¡°Now come at me again!¡± Volume 1 - CH 48 The situation in the new world is complicated. The Yonko are supposedly ruling the world, but there are also many neutral and chaotic places, which are under the control of some big pirates, noble families, and underground organizations. With this towering warship of Gion, as long they don¡¯t enter the territory of the Yonko, their sailing will be absolutely safe and stable. As for ordinary pirates, they will only look at the wind and flee when they see them. Gion observed Rhodes in the past few days to understand all aspects of his abilities very deeply. Rhodes¡¯ progress was very fast, and in a few days, he corrected some flaws in his swordsmanship with the help of Gion and got more powerful. At this time, the warship has already arrived at its destination. It was an island with a very special land-form environment. Looking from a distance, you can see a volcano standing like a pillar in the center of the island, surrounded by a large jungle; the sound of apes and tigers roaring incessantly could be heard from a distance. Obviously, there are a lot of beasts living on this island, and the intensity is much stronger than the trial island specially divided by the Revolutionary Army headquarters for the reserve forces. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether this volcano is dead or alive?¡± Rhodes was slightly attentive. When he saw the volcano, he thought of magma and Akainu. It is said that Admiral Akainu¡¯s ability is to imitate the eruption of a volcano, not only the magma of extremely high temperature but also the explosive impact of the volcanos. ¡°We don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°After discovering this special island a few years ago, Vice Captain Gion will come here to rest every once in a while.¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes shone with light; she seemed very excited. Not only her but also most of the other guards. The new world is different from the Grand Line, and the four seas. The situation in the four seas is almost entirely under the control of the marines and the world government. Their domain is slightly weaker in Grand Line, but their control is still strong. There are many marines bases and branches, and some neutral islands that are also biased towards the world government. In such an environment, if the marines want to get some supplies or rest, it is easy to find a place. But in the New World, things are quite different. The New World is the territory of the Yonko. There are many arrogant people who dare not give a face to the marines, and there are very few Marine bases. In such an environment, it is a bit troublesome for marines warships to even get supplies, not to mention play and rest. Often, they can only have a good rest once they¡¯re instructed to defend a zone. However, as long as you have the guts¡­ Oh, no. As long as you are strong enough, you can do whatever you want. Since the hot spring was discovered here, Gion has been coming here often, and Eleanor and other subordinates have also enjoyed it. Leaving the necessary guards behind on the warship, Gion led Rhodes and the others to the island. The marine soldiers in the New World are all elites, and they can serve as school-level officers if they were placed on any other bases. Gion¡¯s personal guards are even more fierce, and the beasts who dared to stand in their way were basically beaten to death and kept for dinner. Passing all the way, Rhodes was stunned to see that there was an avenue leading to the top; he could even vaguely see the warships in the distance. Soon. The group came to the bottom of the volcano. There were many houses scattered here and there, and you could see the mist of water emerging from the gaps between the houses. This should be the hot spring house. The team gradually split. Seeing that Gion didn¡¯t speak of any orders, Rhodes silently followed behind. Gradually. Rhodes suddenly discovered that only Gion and her personal guard were left beside him. No wonder he could feel countless fiery gazes coming from some of the men that came with him, eager to replace him. Rhodes pouted; be envious, be jealous, but it¡¯s useless. Snort! ¡°Boy¡¯a, do you really plan to take a hot spring with us?¡± As they approached the hot spring house, Gion turned her head and looked at him with a half-smile. Eleanor and the other guards laughed and laughed. ¡°He looks so immature and harmless, I didn¡¯t expect it to be such a little perv.¡± ¡°Little handsome guy, big sister doesn¡¯t mind being with you, come if you want.¡± ¡°Come on, come in, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± The guards stood in the hot spring house, and some of them even took off their clothes, revealing a large piece of white skin, which was eye-catching. Naturally, there were no special bath towels here; thus, everyone jumped in naked. Rhodes was moved by this scene, but thinking of the tragic consequences, he silently turned and left this paradise, looking for a hot spring on his own. This place has the potential to develop a volcanic hot spring resort. It didn¡¯t take long for Rhodes to find an open-air natural hot spring. The hot spring pool was irregularly round and steaming. Rhodes took off his clothes and entered the hot spring. The spring water with a suitable temperature nourished his skin and relieved his fatigue, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. This is the first time he has ever been in a hot spring in his past and present life. The hot spring pool that Rhode was looking for was high in terrain and had a very broad field of vision. The hot spring houses at the foot of the mountain were all within sight. and. From such a high place, Rhodes could see a lot of, let¡¯s say, beautiful scenes. ¡°Sure enough, the natural training of the marines is the most efficient way to breed this kind of existence¡­¡± Rhodes murmured, then quickly looked away, and out of the corner of his eyes looked at the deepest, largest hot spring house. Talking about breeds, he had to sneak a look at the highest bread¡­ Even with the steam all over the place, he could still vaguely see¡­ ¡­¡­ The next two days. Gion didn¡¯t start teaching Rhodes immediately but was completely focused on relaxing and resting. After she regained all of her energy, she called Rhodes and came to open space. ¡°In terms of swordsmanship, your advantage lies in the perfect mastery of your concentration. Most swordsmen are not as good as you.¡± Gion held the practice sword and said lightly: ¡°The shortcomings are also obvious. Your swordsmanship is too poor. It looks like you¡¯re a complete novice.¡± ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s really hard for me to understand how such a swordsman like you can comprehend such a powerful thunder sword intent.¡± Speaking of which, Gion couldn¡¯t help but show some doubts. She was really puzzled, but in the end, she could only blame it on Rhodes¡¯ personal talent. Anyway, there wasn¡¯t any other explanation, so she didn¡¯t bother to care so much. Rhodes nodded slightly, expressing his approval. In this respect, it is undeniable that the talent he unlocked from the Book of Knowledge has allowed him to step into the realm of a swordsman in just three months. However, even though it also boosted his swordsmanship¡¯s basic training, it wasn¡¯t too exaggerated, so he still had to work hard. Moreover, during the last three months, Rhodes¡¯ main focus was on his physical strength and Haki, and he inevitably ignored his swordsmanship training. That seemingly skilled and accurate swordsmanship of Rhodes, in the eyes of great swordsmen like Gion, is of course full of flaws. Even his most basic skills are a little out of shape, this so-called great swordsmanship is lackluster; it depends entirely on the terrifying power of lightning and his speed. ¡°The foundation of swordsmanship is very important. Without a solid enough foundation, it is almost impossible to comprehend the profound meaning of ¡°Sword¡± and step into the realm of a great swordsman.¡± ¡°Although the realm of a great swordsman is difficult to describe in words, it is ultimately inseparable from the basics of swordsmanship.¡± Gion said softly, and then set the amount of training for Rhodes during this time: ¡°We will first set a small target for you, you need to do 100,000 strikes per day, if you can¡¯t do it, then you will stab 100,000 times, and if you can¡¯t do it, then you will go back to striking 100,000 times¡­¡± After she finished speaking, she smiled lightly, ¡°A student who knows the basics can always train on his own!¡± Rhodes¡¯ face darkened at that time. Volume 1 - CH 49 In the distance, Eleanor and a group of personal guards were secretly watching Rhodes; they wanted to know what kind of a man could actually make Gion, who always thinks highly of herself, accept him as an apprentice. ¡°What¡¯s going on, here? Vice Captain, Gion is actually teaching the basics?¡± ¡°My God did she got deceived by his handsomeness!¡± ¡°Is our Vice Captain finally ushering in spring?¡± The guards chattered and kept complaining. ¡°He¡¯s starting to practice the basics at this age?¡± Eleanor felt a little strange. Devil fruit is a shortcut to becoming stronger. If you get a powerful fruit, you can become stronger with a little development. However, physical strength and swordsmanship are different, especially the last. Almost any swordsman starts to learn swordsmanship from a very young age and by his age they would have a solid foundation. She had never heard of someone who picked swordsmanship halfway through and actually succeeded. ¡°Maybe Gion-Dono is just interested in the other qualities that this man has!¡± Eleanor was disappointed, she thought Rhodes was an outstanding swordsman genius! After watching him for a while, she quickly lost interest and went back to the hot springs to warm her body. ¡­¡­ The polishing of the basics of swordsmanship was very boring and boring. Repeating an action a hundred times, or nearly a thousand times is not something normal people can endure, not to mention Rhodes who needed to do 100,000 strikes. This will not only destruct his physical strength, but it¡¯s also a test of his will! ¡°A swordsman¡¯s strike is not about power, or you will just be a reckless man!¡± ¡°The most important thing for a swordsman is accuracy, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s one slash or thousands of strikes, they must be all accurate!¡± ¡°Once your 100,000th strike is as accurate as your first your swordsmanship basics¡¯ will be qualified!¡± Gion¡¯s words echoed in Rhodes¡¯ mind, while his expression was extremely determined, and his eyes very focused. His approach to training was very serious, he can even be called obsessed. This was a world where martial artists are respected, and one¡¯s strength can face an army, a country, and even suppress an era! But strength cannot come out of thin air, and it takes arduous and long practice to be acquired. Rhodes knew this very well. Rhodes swung his sword again and again, constantly fine-tuning every strike, while fully mobilizing every inch of his body¡¯s strength into it¡­ Under this constant adjustment, Rhodes¡¯ sword-slashing movements became more harmonious and smoother, and gradually he had a masterful demeanor aura around him. An hour later. Due to the fatigue of his arm muscles, Rhodes¡¯ sword swinging motion got slightly deformed. He didn¡¯t notice it himself, but Gion noticed it right away. ¡°Pay attention to your stance, and maintain your focused state. The angle of your slashes became a little off.¡± Gion¡¯s expressionlessly criticized him. But deep inside she was in disbelief. Because Rhodes¡¯ progress was so fast. It was as if a great swordsman had been reborn and now he is just regaining the power he lost in the past step by step. Honing one¡¯s basics of swordsmanship is easier said than done, and often requires years of perseverance. Even with her, a great swordsman, teaching by hand, the speed of the training would not be as fast as it is now. Gion has even thought about extending the training period that she has set previously. Unexpectedly, Rhodes once again stunned her with his unlimited potential. The beginning was a bit rough, but now he¡¯s doing 10,000 slashes without making a single mistake, and he achieved all of this in less than a month ¡°It seems that it won¡¯t be more than three months.¡± Gion¡¯s charming face was expressionless, but there was a touch of loss and sadness in her heart. This feeling is amazing. With great interest, she planned a lot of tutorials and was even willing to go to battle in person, trying her best to carve and carve this rough jade. But she didn¡¯t expect that this piece of rough jade would evolve on its own and remove impurities on its own. Without even using any effort, it just began to bloom! Excellent students will certainly make teachers happy, but too good students can also be disappointing because it will make the teacher feels that their teaching is worthless. Gion¡¯s thoughts were very complicated, but Rhodes didn¡¯t notice any of that. He was immersed in his sword training. He loved swordsmanship, he felt that he and the sword shared an inexplicable fate. Otherwise, the first talent of the book of knowledge would not be swordsmanship. One strike, a second strike, another strike¡­ Drops of sweat dripped from his forehead, but it didn¡¯t bother Rhodes at all. He waved his sword tirelessly, looking for the most suitable feeling. Gion said that the true meaning of the ¡°sword¡± that Great Swordsmen understood was derived from the foundation of swordsmanship. This sentence seems mysterious and elusive, but it actually gave Rhodes a clear goal. Since the true meaning of swords is so mysterious that it cannot be captured or described in words, then the basics of swordsmanship should be exercised to the extreme, and only then the true meaning of ¡°Sword¡± will emerge on its own. Following the saying, go with the flow. Rhodes didn¡¯t force it, this was the right step into the realm of the great swordsman, nothing is better, or faster. Of course, Gion didn¡¯t only teach him the basics of swordsmanship, but how to use it in actual combat. Swordsmanship is not the same as physical strength. If you want to determine one¡¯s progress, only actual combat can give you that clear image. Only endless battles can refine one¡¯s swordsmanship, such as Zoro¡¯s battles with apes. Of course, Gion didn¡¯t have such a group of apes who were proficient in swordsmanship, so she could only go into battle in person, pressing her strength to fight against Rhodes. This kind of sparring¡­ Of course, it is impossible for Rhodes to win. Even though Gion is holding back, she could easily abuse him. The two¡¯s understanding of swordsmanship is not at the same level at all. Most of the time, Gion is just torturing Rhodes. ¡­¡­ Rhodes spent most of his days practicing the basics of swordsmanship. Occasionally, he fought against Gion, then checked his swordsmanship with her. At night, he used the lightning forging, and of course, went into hot springs whenever he had the chance to relieve the exhaustion. Three months passed quickly. In the open space. Eleanor looked at Rhodes expressionlessly, and said lightly: ¡°Gion-Dono is resting today, so I came instead to teach you a lesson or two.¡± She was holding a delicate-looking thin sword, similar to the Western sword. People who use this type of sword are usually very good at stabbing. Thorn is the most lethal sword stance, and the fastest, but also the most dangerous. Because this stance exposes the most flaws, and it is easy to be caught by others. Rhodes was slightly surprised, he didn¡¯t expect that this girl, who seemed rather quiet and had a low sense of presence, would turn out to be a female swordsman! He didn¡¯t have any contempt. Being able to become Gion¡¯s adjutant, Eleanor¡¯s strength is at least comparable to that of a Rear Admiral! ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Come at me!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rhode confirmed again. ¡°Young people these days surely talk a lot of nonsense; come at me, means come at me! You really think you can hurt me?!¡± Eleanor said impatiently. She clearly doesn¡¯t have a good impression of Rhodes. Her expectations were too high at the beginning, she thought that Rhodes was such a genius, and would his skills left Gion with no choice but to accept him. Unexpectedly, Rhodes came to this island and started to practice the basics of swordsmanship! ¡°Then here I come!¡± After how she treated him, of course, Rhodes will not be humble anymore. With just a bit of effort, he suddenly rushed out like a phantom. Volume 1 - CH 50 After three months of practice, Rhodes has mastered all kinds of sword slashes quite proficiently. At this time, he rushed to Eleanor with a stab. Eleanor was slightly startled, but she didn¡¯t lose her calmness. She leaned slightly and moved her feet to avoid Rhodes¡¯ attack. However, her initial carelessness caused the loose clothes she was wearing to be torn open with a stab, revealing a piece of whiteness. ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± Rhodes did not pursue, but took a step back and said a little embarrassedly, ¡°Do you need a change of clothes?¡± Rhodes didn¡¯t predict such an outcome. If it were him and Gion, this simple stab would have been very easily dodged, and she could have even counterattacked him. Rhodes was even thinking about how to deal with the counterattack. Unexpectedly, he suddenly heard the tearing sound of clothes¡­ It wasn¡¯t intentional. Eleanor tried her best to maintain her indifference, but she couldn¡¯t suppress the restlessness in her heart. As a veteran swordsman who has been practicing swordsmanship for more than 20 years, she was hit by a newbie who had just practiced the basics of swordsmanship for only three months! If other guards saw it, she would probably end up being mocked for the rest of her life! She couldn¡¯t accept it at all. Eleanor took a deep breath and said expressionlessly, ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Certainly!¡± Eleanor resisted the urge to run away and rushed up first. Although she was careless this simple collision just now was enough to prove Rhodes¡¯ strength. This time she attacked with 70% of her strength. The blade cut through the air emitting the sounds of ¡°chi¡± and ¡°chi¡±. Eleanor was surprised to find that under her pressure, Rhodes actually seemed to be able to avoid with ease, back and forth, her lips pursed tightly, her face became colder and colder, and she gradually channeled all of her strength. In a blink of an eye, the two clashed dozens of times. The speed of the two was getting faster and faster. Normal people wouldn¡¯t be able to see their movements. They would only see two shadows intersecting each other in the field, constantly changing their positions. The blades were flashing, and occasionally they collide with each other and exploded. There was an amazing sound of gold and iron symphony, and sparks were scattering everywhere. Even when she blocked his Sword Qi, the scattered energy would still destroy the open space and make it a mess, with mud flying all over the place and cracks opening on the ground. The more she fought, the more frightened Eleanor became. In the end, she had to accept the fact that she was completely unable to suppress Rhodes by simply sparring with him. What she found was that Rhodes¡¯s swordsmanship foundation was extremely solid, and she couldn¡¯t help but admire many of his responses. This is incredible; Rhodes¡¯ swordsmanship is not inferior to her! ¡°This guy, really only started practicing the basics of swordsmanship three months ago?!¡± Eleanor realized that she had misunderstood, he¡¯s actually a genius! At this time, Rhodes felt quite relaxed. If the sparring with Gion was the hell-level difficulty, then the sparring with Eleanor could only be considered difficult, or even inferior. A great swordsman and a swordsman are completely different from each other! Gion¡¯s sword stance has a feeling of making something out of nothing. It feels light and does not contain much power, but it gives Rhodes an extremely dangerous and ubiquitous feeling. Eleanor, on the other hand, looks fancy, with many different angles and shadows, which can confuse people, but in fact, it was easily cracked by Rhodes. Suddenly, a soft cry was suddenly heard. Eleanor, who had just passed by his side, suddenly turned around quickly; her slender waist was like a spring, bursting out with far more than usual strength, and her muscles flowed like water. ¡°Secret Sword, Swallow!¡± The speed of this flash was extremely fast, and it stabbed straight through the gap. But Rhodes, who has been poked by Gion¡¯s training sword countless times, wouldn¡¯t have been hit by such a trick! He just took a small step, and with a slight swing of his blade, he parried this extremely sharp sword move. The so-called sword secret moves are a series of sword moves created by swordsmen based on their own sword styles, their own strength, and even special abilities, such as Zoro¡¯s Three Thousand Worlds. Sword moves cannot be imitated. In other words, even if you try to learn them, you will end up taking another path because of the differences in various details. Just like Zoro¡¯s three sword style, only a few can use it, because most people lack a good set of teeth, you not only must be able to withstand strong force, but also manage to speak with a sword in your mouth¡­ Rhodes was deeply impressed by this, she really deserves to be Gion¡¯s guard. At this time, Eleanor missed, and her attack stopped. At this time she was panting, looking at Rhodes, who was calm, as if nothing had happened, her face was flushed. She have an unbreakable pride, but she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Did you really just start learning the basics of swordsmanship three months ago?!¡± In the end, she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and asked. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. If three months is all that it takes for others to catch up with more than 20 years of hard work, then she was afraid that she would be autistic. Hearing Eleanor¡¯s question, Rhodes blinked and said, ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­¡± The first half of the sentence made Eleanor slightly relieved, but the second half of the sentence made her face darken. ¡°If we including last autumn, this should be my sixth month since I¡¯ve picked up swordsmanship!¡± MF! Although the duration seems to have doubled, Eleanor still felt so sad. She took several deep breaths in succession before she could manage to resist the urge to strike this guy down with her sword. ¡°How many strikes did you manage to do before breaking your stance?¡± ¡°About 70,000 or 80,000 strikes.¡± Rhodes subconsciously said it with a lower tone, fearing that he will break this beautiful adjutant¡¯s will, who he genuinely felt that she was really strong. In fact, he has a very solid foundation now, and according to Gion¡¯s validation, he is already qualified. ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Rhodes who said these words in a very low tone, Eleanor suddenly had the urge to abandon swordsmanship and go home to become a farmer. The requirements that Gion¡¯s put isn¡¯t reasonable actually. It is difficult for ordinary swordsmen to do 70,000 or 80,000 strikes without breaking their stance. Even Eleanor herself is only a little better than this. Without saying a word, she sorted out her torn clothes, turned around, and left in a sullen mood. The swordsmanship spare ends after taking one point, and if they continue, it will be a life-and-death battle. ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡± Rhodes shook his head and continued to practice swordsmanship. The mastery of basic swordsmanship is quite mature, and it is necessary to start the road of fusion and play, that is, the road of creating swordsmanship. The ¡°Lightning Sword Style ¡¤ Smite¡± used by Rhodes before is a sword move derived from his understanding of ¡°strike¡± in swordsmanship. It maximizes the explosive arm strength and the slash intensity is extremely high. It is a relatively popular sword move, but everyone uses it differently. Eleanor¡¯s ¡°Secret Sword: Swallow¡± should be a derivative of turning around and stabbing, and there are many small details contained in it, which are relatively more complicated. Rhodes himself doesn¡¯t like fancy sword moves very much. Aided by the unique power of thunder, his swordsmanship is known for its swiftness and sharpness. This is enough to kill opponents with a single sword. There is no need to spend brain cells thinking of fancy names. ¡°Like the eagle¡¯s eye, the swordsman¡¯s true pursuit is to cut off the iceberg with a single strike.¡± Thinking of next year¡¯s top battle with some emotion, Rhodes became more and more focused on his practice. He¡¯s still far from that level. Volume 1 - CH 51 The hot spring house, surrounded by a touch of white mist, obscured the moving figures. The guards were lying on the edge of the hot spring. At that time, even the hot water couldn¡¯t lift their spirit. It is indeed very pleasant, and very comfortable to soak your body in the hot spring, but three months is really too long. ¡°Ah, when will this day be over?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty good. You don¡¯t have to think too much, just take it easy and you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°No way¡­ When is Gion-Sama going to finish training that little handsome guy.¡± ¡°Speaking of this, it seems that Eleanor-Dono is going to compete with the handsome guy today. I don¡¯t know what the result will be.¡± As soon as the words fell, they saw Eleanor walking in with a blank face. She walked fast, but also heavy, and she seemed to be sulking. The guards are all human beings, and naturally, they are keenly aware that something was wrong, so they started whispering. ¡°Something went wrong!¡± ¡°Could it be that she got defeated?!¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, isn¡¯t handsome Rhode weak?¡± Even though the guards kept their voices down, Eleanor still heard them. Her already sulky face became even sulkier. However, Eleanor had an emergency to report, so she just gave these guards a stern look and then quickened her pace. She then walked to the deepest part of the hot spring house, and said to Gion who was in the hot spring: ¡°Gion-Sama, there is a situation.¡± Gion opened her eyes lazily, glanced at some of the torn clothes on her body, felt stunned for a moment, and then couldn¡¯t help laughing: ¡°Are you here to tell me that you got bullied by Rhodes?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A few black lines appeared on Eleanor¡¯s forehead, ignored this unscrupulous officer, then she just said expressionlessly: ¡°The Neo Marines, Captain, ¡°Black Arm¡± Zephyr is going to attack a group of pirates in the waters near us, and he has sent a message asking us to cooperate in the battle.¡± ¡°Zephyr-Sensei?¡± Gion was stunned for a moment, and her expression became serious. Zephyr is a former admiral of the marines, and he has also served as the chief instructor of the marines for many years. Most of the current admirals in the marines are his students, and Gion is no exception. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Eleanor said: ¡°What we have to deal with is the great pirate Spark. Although ¡°Black Arm¡± Zephyr is sure to defeat Spark, he cannot guarantee that there won¡¯t be casualties among his subordinates, so he asked us to cooperate in the battle.¡± ¡°We have no orders. Whether or not to participate depends on your choice.¡± After she finished speaking, she stood quietly on the spot, waiting for Gion¡¯s order. At work, Eleanor is still very responsible. Gion squinted slightly. She understands that Zephyr¡¯s personality changed, and she knows what has been done recently, but there are too many things involved, Gion can¡¯t do anything, so she can only let it go. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re going to help.¡± After thinking for a moment, Gion said: ¡°Anyway, Spark Pirates Group doesn¡¯t belong to any of the Four Yonko, so if he wants to kill him, let him kill him.¡± Eleanor was not surprised, she nodded and planned to go out to issue an order. Ordinary marines, and other vice admirals, might have to be careful when facing big pirates like Spark, but Gion didn¡¯t think much about it, it was nothing more than waving her sword a few times. ¡°Wait, change your clothes first,¡± Gion said, then burst out laughing. Gion¡¯s voice came from behind; mercilessly opening Eleanor¡¯s scar again. ¡°¡­¡± Unable to bear it any longer, Eleanor jumped on Gion. A strange atmosphere suddenly took place inside the hot springs. ¡­¡­ On the warship. Looking at the island that disappeared under the sea horizon in the distance, Rhodes let out a light breath, showing a little emotion. Now that he thinks about it, he came to Pirate World less than a year ago. Excluding the first three months, the time he spent out, and the special training time, it¡¯s more than six months. For three and a half months at the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army, he practiced Soru and Geppo, and the Busoshoku Haki¡­ The other three months were spent practicing swordsmanship with Gion. The three months on the Fire Island did not seem to be long, but in fact, it took up almost half of Rhodes¡¯ training time. For such a long time, his progress was of course very impressive. The core improvement is of course in swordsmanship, and it was even enough to make him on an equal foot with Eleanor, who is a senior swordsman. It can be said that after three months of special training, Rhodes¡¯ swordsmanship has completely stepped up, even Gion cannot pick out too many flaws in it anymore. Now he has the right foundation to set foot in the realm of great swordsmen. At this stage. It is also difficult for Gion to give Rhodes any further guidance. He needs to walk on his own now, create his own style, and understand the profound meaning of ¡°sword.¡± This is the only way to become a great swordsman. In addition, Rhodes never stopped training his Haki. Knowing that he made little success in the Busoshoku Haki before, he focused more on it. However, the improvement of the Busoshoku Haki is always limited to the current physical state. ¡°My physical strength at this time should not be weaker than that of commodores of the marines. The speed and flexibility are even faster due to the mode of thunder.¡± Rhodes used handled the rail and easily kneaded it into a twist. Rhodes smiled upon seeing that and opened the attribute column. Tier 2: Book of Knowledge Attributes: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +1 Talent: Swordsmanship Specialist ¨C Human and Sword -The understanding of swordsmanship will be greatly improved! Thunder Control ¨C The God of Thunder Was Reborn! You can freely control the power of Lightning! Energy: 717/1000 ¡°The power of lightning at seven hundred and seventeen¡­¡± Rhodes smiled, and blue light flashed in his eyes. With this level of lightning power, the destructive power is definitely enough to threaten the existence of the vice-admiral level. It may be a little off to deal with an Admiral, but the likes of the Read Admirals will definitely not be able to bear this damage. ¡°If it is matched with a higher level of swordsmanship, I don¡¯t know how far it will reach. Even a Vice Captain wouldn¡¯t be my opponent.¡± Rhodes showed a hint of satisfaction. In this sea, it is very difficult for a Rear Admiral-level powerhouse to roam alone; it is easy to encounter fatal crises, such as large sea kings, big storms, etc. But someone at the vice-admiral level can take off on their own, even in the new world where the strong are like clouds, a little bit of care would be enough to sail. Among the strong people in the entire pirate world, the Rear Admiral level is enough to rank you at the top. This is a goal that most normal people can¡¯t achieve in their entire lives. Rhodes is now in this echelon. Further up, there are existences that are only one step away from the peak, such as Marco the Phoenix, Three Disasters, and Doflamingo Family members. In the end, of course, the peak powerhouse standing on the cloud and overlooking the sea, the Four Emperors, the Admiral of the Navy, the Great Swordsman¡­ ¡°The hardest the road, the more exciting.¡± Rhodes sighed with emotion, but he didn¡¯t seem too proud. According to Gion, Rhodes is still at the beginning. There are many people who are where Rhodes is now, but there are very few who went further. Volume 1 - CH 52 In a calm sea, a giant marines warship was slowly sailing. On the deck of the warship, there was the neo marines group. The average strength of this group of people is much higher than that of Gion¡¯s subordinates. This is the Neo Marines Pirates led by the former admiral of the marines, Black Arm Zephyr, who specializes in hunting pirates. On the upper deck. A tall and burly man who had a robotic arm was standing upright, looking at the sea in the distance, with coldness. It was Black Arm, Zephyr. Zephyr initially joined the navy in order to become a hero. At the age of 42, his family was killed by the pirates and everything since then changed. He wanted to resign but he was persuaded to become an instructor of the marines and later he was responsible for training Marine recruits. The current three Admirals and most of the marines commanders were all trained under him, and his teaching ability can be said to be top-notch. It was only later that he was attacked by Whitebeard. He lost his arm during that battle and all the students on his ship except Ain and Binz. Since then, he changed greatly. And last year, he formed the Neo Marines to kill pirates everywhere. Behind him stood a woman with long pretty blue hair, she had very long legs, delicate facial features, and big, bright eyes. She was the one with the Return ability, Ain. ¡°Teacher, I heard that Vice Captain Gion is a great swordsman?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Zephyr nodded slightly, showing a slight smile: ¡°When she comes, you can ask her for advice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Ain looked happy. As a swordsman, being able to get the guidance of a great swordsman is really a dream. ¡°Oh, by the way, Gion has an apprentice. I heard that he is only seventeen years old. He will also be there. I accept you will take part too.¡± Zephyr said. ¡°Yes!¡± Ain nodded and said a little curiously: ¡°The students of Vice Captain Gion should be very talented swordsmen. If there is a chance, I would love it if we have a spare.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine to learn from each other, but he¡¯s only seventeen years old. No matter how talented he is in swordsmanship, his strength will not be too strong. Be careful, don¡¯t hurt her student.¡± Zephyr said, ¡°Gion¡¯s temper is not very good.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll pay attention.¡± Ain nodded quickly. Time gradually passed. Soon, Gion¡¯s warship appeared in their field of vision, and the two warships quickly rendezvoused and sailed side by side. In terms of position, Gion is higher than Zephyr, but as her junior, Gion still brought Rhodes and others to the Zephyr warship to greet him. After getting on the ship, Gion wanted to catch up with Zephyr and discuss a specific battle plan, so Rhodes was left on the deck. ¡°Tsk, there are more familiar faces all of a sudden.¡± Rhodes glanced around. The beautiful swordsman Ain, the martial artist master Shuzo, and the Grow-Grow devil fruit user, Binz¡­ These three are extremely strong, at least comparable to that of a vice admiral in the headquarters of the marine. Especially Ain¡¯s ability, the return-return fruit is extremely strange. Once she uses it on anything, its age will be reduced by twelve years. If it¡¯s used multiple times, it will even be wiped out. ¡°The Busoshoku Haki should have the effect of blocking it, otherwise this ability will be a cheat.¡± As Rhodes was thinking, the Ain and the other two walked towards him, introducing themselves, while looking at him curiously. ¡°Looks a little thin, not strong at all.¡± The tough guy Shuzo thought so, and then stepped forward proudly, patted Rhodes on the shoulder, and said, ¡°Young man, keep close to me on the island so I can ensure your safety.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rhodes was speechless, is he comparing sizes?! What a pain in the neck¡­ Ain looked at the handsome young man in front of her curiously. He seemed to have left a touch of goodwill in her heart. Compared with Binz, who looked similar to a middle-aged man, Rhodes¡¯ image was obviously more pleasing to the eye. She looked at Rhodes¡¯ sword with big, bright eyes, hesitated for a moment, but couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Do you want to have a spare?¡± The apprentice of a great swordsman should have many merits. She thought so. ¡°Um?¡± Rhodes was stunned for a moment, then hesitated for a while, but decided to tell the truth: ¡°You are not my opponent.¡± If Ain could have fought Rhodes three months ago, he might have lost. But now¡­¡­ He wasn¡¯t bragging he didn¡¯t think that any of these three can defeat him. Ain¡¯s expression froze when she heard these words; she never expected to get this answer! This is too crazy! Shuzo was stunned. The three of them were all former Marine soldiers, and their strength is at its peak. They are proficient in Haki, the Rokushoki¡­ And they can be regarded as the core of the Neo Marines Group! Ain was obviously not convinced. She narrowed her eyes, took out two short swords that were not much longer than a dagger, and said a little angrily, ¡°Then please give me some pointers.¡± A seventeen-year-old brat dares to speak out! Ain felt that Rhodes should be taught a lesson and let him know what it means to be humble! This kind of arrogance may be fine sometimes, but against the cruel pirates, it can lead to death! Silence controlled the scene for a while. Binz wanted to dance to cheer up the atmosphere, but seeing Ain¡¯s icy pretty face, he couldn¡¯t help but shrink back. In the Neo Pirates, Zephyr is the core, followed by Ain. Whether it¡¯s strength or ability, Ain is outstanding. ¡°Why do none of them accept the truth?¡± Rhodes sighed in his heart, so he could only wave at Ain, signaling her to attack. With his current skills in swordsmanship, sparring with Ain is just bullying her! ¡°This guy¡­ do you really think that Ain wants his advice?¡± Shuzo was speechless. This spare attracted the attention of many people. The members of the Neo marines and Gion¡¯s guards were watching curiously not far away. The guards were curious about Rhodes¡¯ ability that helped him defeat Eleanor, while most of the members of the Neo Marines members were a bit excited. They thought it would be a battle between dragons and tigers, they didn¡¯t expect that it would end very quickly. It was only two moves. Rhodes brutally swung away Ain¡¯s double daggers, dashed in, and held Ain¡¯s delicate neck with his empty left hand. At that moment, if he exerted a little force, this beautiful swordsman would have perished. The silence controlled the place. Everyone stared at this scene in astonishment. Feeling the heat coming from her neck, Ain¡¯s somewhat annoying mood instantly turned into disbelief! ¡°How can¡­ the gap is so big!¡± She couldn¡¯t even react to Rhodes¡¯ attack! Accurate swordsmanship, terrifying speed¡­ ¡°I said, you are not my opponent.¡± Rhodes shook his head, let go of his hand, took a step back, and sheathed his sword. Ain squatted on the ground, gasping for breath. Her face flushed, looking at Rhodes inexplicably. Ain¡¯s overall strength is very good, and her ability is terrifying, but when it comes to swordsmanship, it¡¯s a bit lacking. In front of Rhodes, she couldn¡¯t even make a move. If Shuzo, who specializes in body-changing techniques, was the opponent, he might have been able to do a few more tricks. Volume 1 - CH 53 The sea breeze blew gently, and the deck was silent. ¡°What just happened?!¡± ¡°Ain was instantly defeated.¡± Everyone, especially the members of the Neo Marines, couldn¡¯t help but rub their eyes as if they couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing. Ain was the pillar of the Neo Marines by being one of the strongest, and the only people who can be compared with her are Shuzo and Binz. Coupled with her delicate face and beautiful body, she is extremely famous in the Marines headquarters, and her popularity is high, even Gion¡¯s personal guards have heard of her. ¡°Brother Rhodes is very strong, no wonder Eleanor was shriveled.¡± ¡°I thought he only had that handsome face, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be so strong, ah, I¡¯m so moved.¡± ¡°Back off, Rhodes is mine!¡± The guards were whispering, laughing, and talking nonsense. ¡°How did Ain lose¡­ did she underestimate him?¡± Binz was a little bewildered. He ate the Grow-Grow Devil Fruit. So he can spawn plants and control them to fight. His ability is similar to the Wood Release in Naruto World, but his strength is not known by many people. He is often educated by Ain. ¡°No, this young man is too strong!¡± Shuzo looked a little dignified. He was a master of martial arts, he could see more things than Binz. Ain couldn¡¯t keep up with Rhodes¡¯ rhythm. She was defeated and restrained in an instant. Although she fought with some carelessness, a real fight probably wouldn¡¯t last for a few more rounds. On the upper deck, no one knew when Zephyr and Gion appeared here, but they have watched the entire battle. ¡°Looks like you have a good apprentice.¡± The look in Zephyr¡¯s eyes was a little deep as if he had remembered something. A smile flashed in Gion¡¯s eyes, but she said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s still a long way off.¡± ¡°He¡¯s very good, even the three of them, were at this level at the beginning, or maybe even a little weaker. However, those three had very powerful Logia type devil fruits.¡± Zephyr shook his head slightly. He is said to be the best at training and excavating newcomers in the pirate world, and he can easily tell a person¡¯s potential and future from some details. ¡°If I haven¡¯t taken that crucial step, no matter how strong my potential was at the time, I wouldn¡¯t have become a great swordsman.¡± Gion saw it clearly. In the era of the great pirates, every year, there are supernovas with extraordinary talents or others with powerful Devil Fruit abilities. There are also those who are proficient in Haki and some top swordsmen. However, those who really meet their potential, let alone reach the pinnacle, are very few compared to lower-level existences such as Doflamingo. Zephyr didn¡¯t speak anymore. Because what Gion said was quite right, only a few can be remembered as legends on this sea. ¡­¡­ The two giant warships sailed. As long as they don¡¯t break into the territory of the Yonko, they should be safe. With full speed, they soon came near to their target. The pirate group that Rhodes and others had to deal with this time was once called the Devil Pirates. Captain Spark was a supernova ten years ago. After breaking into the new world, he did a series of great achievements, and stirred up the situation; thus, his bounty was 340 million. Later, no one knows what happened, he just stopped sailing, and took an island of himself, engaging in criminal transactions such as drugs, slaves, arms, and weapons. Through various clues, Zephyr found the old nest of the Spark forces and decided to attack and destroy them. However, because he was worried about casualties, he called Gion for help. At this moment, on the warship, Rhodes and others looked forward and could already see the outline of an island in the distance. ¡°As soon as we get close, Ain, Rhodes, and others will quickly break into the island and kill the enemy cadres. The rest of the under the leadership of Adjutant Eleanor will make steady progress to eliminate the fishes that will slip through the net.¡± ¡°Gion will go ahead and take care of Spark.¡± ¡°Harmon should be there too, he¡¯s the top cadre of the Devil Pirates. The other members of the crew should all be strong too. They are all pirates with a bounty of over 100 million, or even more than 200 million. It has been many years now, and they should be stronger.¡± Zephyr issued a battle plan with a solemn face and arranged everyone¡¯s tasks. ¡°Do you understand?!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ain and the others roared imposingly. On the side, Gion had an indifferent look on her face, this lazy woman is only responsible for cutting people. If it wasn¡¯t for Zephyr who was in charge this time, she would have definitely gone to the island alone, then she would call for her guards to clean up the mess after the fight. ¡°Be careful.¡± Before leaving, Gion said to Rhodes. After all, actual combat is different, and any accident may happen. She finally found a precious apprentice, and she doesn¡¯t want to lose him here. Rhodes smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, only a few people on this island can be a threat to me.¡± Gion nodded lightly, then followed Zephyr using Geppo to attack Spark. At the same time, the warship was heading towards the island at full speed. There were watchtowers on the island when they saw two giant warships approaching, their faces lost colors. ¡°A marines warship is approaching!¡± The sentinels looked nervous and hurriedly reported the news. On the island, a Clubhouse This clubhouse was splendid and luxurious on the outside, but there were a lot of prisons underground, imprisoning a large number of slaves; Fishmen, mermaids, little people, long-handed people, and so on. Most of these slaves were shivering, but no one even dares to resist or cry, because if they dare to do so, they will be beaten to death, and life is better than death. At this time, on the top floor of the building, in a room. On the bright side of the island, Harmon, the top cadre, was sitting face to face with a bald old man. ¡°Boss Spark was very satisfied with this transaction, and he¡¯s sending his gratitude to your captain.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell him.¡± The bald-headed old man¡¯s expression was light, with a hint of arrogance that was difficult not to detect. Harmon didn¡¯t take it seriously. Although their Devil Pirates have been operating very well in the past ten years, they cannot be compared to these guys. The Doflamingo family is dominating the underground world, and the man himself is one of the Shichibukai. Even one of his Diamante Army Officers, Lao G, is strong enough to be comparable to him. Preprepprepprep! Suddenly, Harmon frowned slightly and took a Den Den Mushi out of his pocket. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Boss Harmon, there is a marines invasion!¡± ¡°Um?¡± Harmon narrowed his eyes slightly, although he was not confused, the moment he was about to ask for more information he heard a continuous roar from a distance as if it were hundreds of cannons firing at the same time. ¡°This firepower!¡± Lao G¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Volume 1 - CH 54 The island was built as a commercial market, and there were not too many defending fortresses deployed. The warship decked smoothly after using a few cannons to destroy any obstacles. Judging by the collective work of the people on the warship, everyone could tell that these guys aren¡¯t here for a picnic. ¡°Hurry up and contact Spark, I¡¯m afraid these guys will not be easy to deal with.¡± Lao G walked to the window, squinted in the distance, and said in a low voice. Harmon¡¯s expression changed slightly, but he immediately contacted Spark. Normally, Spark would be available no matter what is happening. However. No matter how many times he tried he couldn¡¯t contact Spark at all! At this time, Spark was busy ordering his subordinates to defend the shores of the island. Suddenly, two figures appeared on the opposite side, and he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Vice Captain Gion, and Black Arm, Zephyr¡­ The marines really like me.¡± If it were only one of these two, there may be a chance to escape, but if the two join forces, he will only be able to drag the fight for a while. ¡°Spark, you committed countless crimes during the past ten years, you¡¯re strongly connected to every criminal transaction on this island. Today, you will not escape death.¡± ¡°Justice may be late, but it will never be absent.¡± Zephyr said with a cold expression, while murderous intent flashed in his eyes. ¡°Huh, justice.¡± Spark sneered. At his level, he has already seen through the nature of the world, and he is too lazy to discuss the so-called justice with Zephyr. Hearing this, Zephyr narrowed his eyes slightly and did not continue to speak, because he didn¡¯t want to talk to a pirate, and partly because he was also a little confused about it. The many contradictions within the marines and the decisions of the world government made him doubt justice. He is not as casual and rambunctious as Garp, nor as scheming as Sengoku. In the end, he could only leave and establish the Neo Marines, so he can implement justice in his own way. At this moment, the ground suddenly shook, as if endless artillery fire was pouring on the ground. Simultaneously, a piercing alarm sounded over the island. This was obviously the marines attacking the islands. ¡°We need to solve it quickly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want my dear subordinates to be injured.¡± Gion slowly pulled out the Meito sword Konpira hanging from her waist and walked toward Spark with an indifferent expression. Zephyr followed her. The battle broke out instantly! The astonishing movement overwhelmed the sound of alarms echoing in the sky and overwhelmed the roar of artillery fire in the distance. Zephyr was a former admiral of the marines and a pure fighter expert, but because of his lost arm, old age, and frailty, his strength is not as good as it was in the past. His conventional strength should be in the ranks of quasi-vice-admiral. As for Gion, the great swordsman who was at her peak may not be as good as the three admirals in overall comparison, but when it comes to the sharpness of her attack power, she was even better. The combined force of the two was enough to suppress the existence of the likes of Doflamingo, so Spark was naturally in a pinch. As a big pirate whose reward is 340 million ten years ago, Spark is really strong. He even has an ancient animal-type ability Devil Fruit, coupled with an extraordinary Busoshoku Haki, he managed to keep his foothold for a while. After all, the powerhouses in the pirate world are known for their vitality, and those with animal abilities are considered monsters among monsters. If Zephyr was here alone, the two may even have to fight for a day and a night before one of them falls. The three tacitly moved the battlefield away from the frontal side. Zephyr and Gion were worried about accidentally hurting their subordinates. They also feared that Spark might jump off the wall, rush into Marine¡¯s camp, and use people as barging to escape. On the other hand, Spark still held on to a glimmer of hope, feeling that the manpower on the island was enough to defeat the marines¡¯ invasion. Once they defeat them they will come to support him. Of course, he would not have this confidence in normal circumstances. After all, Zephyr¡¯s crew was strong enough to defeat his subordinates, but there were people from the Doflamingo family on the island, so there might be a chance. Spark is no longer the big pirate who wouldn¡¯t fear battle. After ten years of complete silence, he surely become more powerful, but it also made him cherish life. As long as there is a chance, he will not give up. ¡­¡­ The prosperity was gone, and the smoke of gunpowder filled the sky. Since this was Spark¡¯s base camp; an island of pirates. There were no ordinary people in here, all of them were killers and the like. As soon as the marines gained a firm foothold on the island, they encountered tenacious sniping attacks from the other side of the island, but under the leadership and command of Eleanor, the marines fought steadily and pushed forward. The Neo Marines members such as Ain, Shuzo, Binz, and the others, entered the island first, intercepted the enemy cadres, and disrupted the order in the rear. On the street. Rhodes walked casually, and leisurely as if he was still in the hot springs. He was very calm, and his confidence came from his strength. At this moment, Rhodes may not be as good as Mihawk who travels the world with one sword, but he also has enough self-protection power to deal with most situations. On this island, only the great pirate Spark can threaten his life, and the rest, including the top cadres such as Harmon, he has to fight to know. At this moment, he suddenly felt something and looked in its direction. Under the telephone pole, a tall and burly man was looking at him with murderous intent. It seems to be a cadre under Spark¡¯s command, but what is he called again? How much is his reward? Rhodes shook his head, he was too lazy to think about it. Whoosh! As soon as Rhodes stepped toward him, the street shook violently, the ground cracked open like a spider web, and a circle of invisible airwaves oscillated out. At the same time, his body rushed forward like lightning. The murderous intent in the eyes of the pirate cadre instantly faded, and a look of horror appeared on his face. He regained his senses and immediately turned around to run. However, he only managed to take a few steps forward. Suddenly, he heard a shrill whistling sound from behind. He turned around and saw Rhodes approaching at top speed, up until that moment he had never seen this kind of terrifying speed. The only man close to it was the top cadre, Harmon. ¡°I won¡¯t make it!¡± Feeling the cold wind coming from behind, he gritted his teeth and let out a loud roar. Busoshoku Haki. At the same time, he used hardening to strengthen his body¡¯s defense, and his skin instantly turned blue and black, like steel, with an indestructible texture. ¡°Go to hell!¡± He was ready to fight to the death. However, just as he turned around, a figure quickly staggered past him, making his face trembled. He froze in place, and the look in his eyes quickly dimmed. Then a trace of blood ran diagonally along his left shoulder and neck and quickly spread to the lower abdomen. With a slight sway, half of his body began to slowly slide down the bloodline. Rhodes calmly shook his sword twice, put the blade into the sheath, and then continued to walk forward slowly. Volume 1 - CH 55 When facing an opponent on the same level as him, the sharpness and swiftness attached to the Lightning Mode may only give Rhodes an advantage to suppress him, but when facing an enemy weaker than him, this advantage will instantly expand and become extremely deadly. Just like this cadre, if he were fighting against Eleanor, he would have been able to keep his foothold for a while. In other words, it is a powerful pirate with a reward of over 150 million, and his power is enough to make him a captain of a pirate group. But facing Rhodes, he was instantly killed by his sword. ¡°It¡¯s still a long way off.¡± ¡°Compared to a great swordsman who slashes icebergs and islands with a single slash. To them, this level is no different from a child playing.¡± Rhodes¡¯ expression was light, and he continued to walk toward the center of the island. Along the way, the streets were full of blood and corpses. Under his extreme speed, these ordinary pirates often couldn¡¯t even react and died, which is a bit unfortunate for them. The battle was its climax. Rhodes swept and crushed, and the frontal battlefield was also steadily advancing under the command of Eleanor. However, Ain was in a pinch. During the collision, although she forcibly killed a cadre through her special devil fruit ability, she was also entangled by a swordsman who targeted her and she got caught up in a hard battle. Because he had seen Ain¡¯s special abilities, this swordsman did not give Ain the opportunity to use her abilities at all. With his superior swordsmanship and Haki, he suppressed Ain. Boom! The moment they were separated by an explosion of cannon, Ain¡¯s heart sank, and she stepped back without hesitation. She was very calm, she could clearly distinguish the strength of the enemy, and after analyzing the odds of winning, she found that she was likely to be killed if she carried on. So she decided to withdraw to the frontal battlefield. Regardless of everything, she successfully killed one of the pirate cadres, which can be regarded as a good performance. It¡¯s just that in one day, she lost to two swordsmen one after another, which made her feel a little uncomfortable. Klang Keng! Ain fought back while retreating. Facing this skilled six-style swordsmanship, even though this swordsman was stronger, it was difficult to hold her. ¡°Are you just running? Marine girl!!¡± The Swordsman was furious. The pirate Ain killed was a good friend of him. If was just killed he wouldn¡¯t have been this bothered, since they were pirates and they were prepared for such a day. But this also depends on the method of death. But the guy¡¯s age was reduced until he was turned into a baby, then vanished; the poor bastard died miserably. The guy couldn¡¯t bear the tragic death of his companion. Hearing his shouts, Ain¡¯s expression was extremely calm, obviously, it was not the first time that she had encountered such a situation. ¡°If I can just find one of my companions, we can work together to kill him.¡± As long as a teammate with similar strength to her stepped forward to hold him back she will eventually find an opportunity to use her retreat ability to finish him off! And almost at the same time, she thought so, at the end of the street ahead, a sword-wielding figure that made her a little tangled, walked slowly over. ¡°Not this guy!¡± She was defeated by him not long ago, and now that he¡¯s seeing such an embarrassed side of her, Ain subconsciously felt a little unhappy and embarrassed. ¡°His swordsmanship is very powerful, and his comprehensive combat power should not be weak. If he cooperates, we should be able to kill the pirate at the back.¡± She thought in her heart and accelerated towards Rhodes. A spare is different from actual combat. A spare is only a test of swordsmanship, as well as physical fitness and other related qualities. But in actual battles, there are more things involved. Haki, physical skills, fruit ability, even the one¡¯s will, and the surrounding environment. These factors are enough to affect the direction of a battle. ¡°Still¡­ it¡¯s quite embarrassing!¡± Looking at this beautiful girl with a flushed face, while panting in front of him, Rhodes smiled and said, ¡°Damn!¡± Ain was in a hurry, she glared at Rhodes fiercely, and quickly instructed: ¡°You are responsible for holding him back, I will attack.¡± After she finished speaking, she turned to face the pirate swordsman who was charging at high speed with a cold expression. Regardless of Rhode¡¯s identity or age, Ain couldn¡¯t ask Rhodes to do something dangerous. After all, the enemy is a powerful and lethal swordsman, death may not occur, but if he breaks an arm or a leg or something, how will she explain this to Zephyr, how can she explain it to Gion? ¡°I¡¯m being underestimated.¡± Rhodes shook his head slightly, took a step forward suddenly, and said, ¡°It¡¯s better to leave it to a man to fight and kill.¡± ¡°Girls, just have to stay behind and be responsible for being beautiful.¡± Before she could respond to this, Ain felt a gust of wind blowing by her side, and her long smooth blue hair fluttered in the wind. The young man, whom she was responsible for protection, rushed towards the opposite side like this! You are courting death¡­ Eh, why is he so fast?! Ain thought as she watched two sword-wielding figures collide. She could only hear the sound of ¡°Keng¡±. When the two swords collided, the aggressive pirate swordsman flew out like straw, while spitting out a mouthful of blood in the air, unable to hold the blade in his hand, and flew out and fell to the ground in the distance. And Rhodes didn¡¯t stop there, and instantly flashed and reached the sky above Pirate Swordsman. The swordsman let out a tragic roar, folded his hands in front of him, and Rhodes stepped down. His foot, like a falling meteor, smashed the defense of the swordsman, and instantly crack the floor beneath him open. Boom! The ground exploded! The pirate was slammed heavily on the ground, opening a big hole in the street, his chest was deeply sunken as if he had been hit by a thousand-ton cannonball, and his heart was shattered. With such serious injuries, he obviously didn¡¯t last a second. With one slash and one kick, the strong enemy has been defeated. Ain didn¡¯t even have time to change her expression, and she looked like she was still angry because Rhodes rushed out and ignored her orders. The breeze was bleak, and a puff of fine dust on the ground was blown up slightly. The scene fell silent for a while. Ain was still silent and in deep shock, her big and bright eyes vibrated violently as if she had seen a ghost. This strength is too exaggerated! Are you really seventeen and not seventy?! Ain was stunned; she could naturally see the various abilities that Rhodes exposed at that moment. He had far better Haki, extraordinary speed and strength, and a power that¡­ looked a bit like lightning. With all of these put together, Rhodes doesn¡¯t actually need more than two or three moves to kill her. This was too shocking. After a while, Ain returned back to her senses, and she muttered angrily to herself. Originally, she thought he was just more talented than her, she didn¡¯t expect his real combat power to be stronger than hers, much stronger! Wow, this is so frustrating! Volume 1 - CH 56 The marines at this time were in a state of disconnection. The three Admirals of the golden generation, as well as many vice admirals and rear admirals, have gradually entered their middle age, but the young generation that has been training to take their positions has fallen into a more embarrassing situation, and they seem to be unable to catch up to them! With Ain¡¯s talent and strength, in this generation of marines, she can be considered one of the next leaders; some other people are stronger than her, but not much stronger. Growing up in such an environment, Ain¡¯s confidence is naturally quite high, and she never felt much pressure from her peers. But today, she suffered a sudden blow to the guts! After losing to Rhodes in a spare, she still convinced herself that the gap was that big, she thought he only defeated her because he was a disciple of a great swordsman, but what she just saw made her finally understand that no matter what she says, the gap between the two is really huge. ¡°How can there be such a perversion.¡± Ain whispered, no wonder he was accepted as an apprentice by Vice Captain Gion. You must know that Admiral Gion, as one of the few powerful women in the marines and even in the world, has always regarded herself very highly. It is said that she has rejected Vice Admiral Chaton, who is also a candidate for the Admiral position, a hundred times. At this time, Rhodes, who simply killed the enemy, didn¡¯t know that this girl had gone through a long mental journey in a blink of an eye. He slowly came to Ain and said: ¡°Have you seen the top cadre Harmon and others?¡± ¡°Ah, oh.¡± Ain was slightly stunned by Rhodes¡¯ sudden question, and immediately responded: ¡°If you didn¡¯t encounter him on that route, then neither did I when coming down here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very likely that they met with Shuzo and the others.¡± Before departure, Ain and other commandos each were assigned a defend a specific area and tried their best to prevent the cadres of the Devil Pirates from going to the frontal battlefield. The overall tactical idea is probably to concentrate their forces to clean up the battlefield and then attack the pirate cadres. ¡°It is impossible for Shuzo to defeat Harmon with his personal strength, but he shouldn¡¯t encounter trouble holding him back. Besides, Binz is not far from him.¡± Ain knew her friend¡¯s abilities very well and said confidently. Binz is a have the grow-grow devil fruit ability. Although he is not strong in frontal combat, he is very good at controlling and defending. As for Shuzo, he is strong physically and has a powerful Haki. When the two cooperated in the past, they successfully contained many strong men similar to Harmon. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple this time.¡± Rhode shook his head. Unlike Ain who was restrained by that pirate swordsman, Rhodes cleaned the area he was in charge of, and noticed some members who obviously did not belong to the Devil Pirates. They were stronger and more arrogant, and of course, they died even more miserably. ¡°If my information is correct, the members of the Donquixote family are also participating in this battle. At this time, it is not just Harmon that Shuzo and others are facing.¡± ¡°The Donquixote?!!¡± Ain¡¯s tone became a little sharp, and she said quickly: ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up and help them, the Donquixote family is not easy to mess with.¡± She was anxious and worried. The Donquixote family is famous in the whole new world, and it has such a strong commander. According to Ain¡¯s estimation, they wouldn¡¯t send one of their Elite Officers to conduct an underground transaction, but still, they should be really strong. Shuzo and the others can hold back a Harmon-level powerhouse, but if they¡¯re facing the two of them, I¡¯m afraid the line of defense will collapse. ¡­¡­ As Ain expected, Shuzo and Binz¡¯s situation was very bad. If they were not fortunate enough to come across a green field with many flowers and trees that Binz used to build a line of defense, I am afraid they would have been defeated long ago. In fact, the reason that he could persist until now is that the leader on the opposite side suddenly stopped, leaving only a few pirate officers attacking. ¡°How about it, have you thought about it?¡± Lao G looked solemn, with a faint hint of oppression, ¡°Spark is surely going to die. Zephyr and Gion joined forces, he can¡¯t escape. Even if we go to support, it won¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Your business ability and combat effectiveness are very good. I will recommend you to the young master.¡± After Lao G learned who besieged Spark, he clearly understood that the collapse of the Devil Pirates was inevitable. Even if they can defeat the marines on the frontal battlefield, Gion and Zephyr are enough to sweep the entire pirate island, and no one will survive. Harmon¡¯s eyes flickered, and he was a little tangled. After all, the two used to be partners in the sea. ¡°Can you give me time to think about it?¡± Lao G said coldly, ¡°If you wait until they finish Spark off, you won¡¯t be able to run away!¡± Harmon was shocked when he heard these words, he took a deep breath and said: ¡°Do you have any idea how we will escape? The port has already been occupied by the Marines.¡± Lao G said indifferently: ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Let¡¯s get rid of these two annoying kids first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Harmon showed a hint of respect. Since he decided to join him, of course, he had to do a good job on the battlefield. He took the lead and walked forward. At this moment, the accident happened. A blue-haired woman suddenly joined the battlefield. Took advantage of the surprise effect and slapped a pirate cadre back by twelve years, and then beheaded him with her dagger. ¡°Damn you!¡± Harmon was furious and rushed up in an instant. These pirate cadres are all his confidants, and they will also be the team he raises in the ranks of the Donquixote family in the future. How can he bear it when one of them dies in front of his eyes? However. The moment he rushed out. A dazzling sword Qi suddenly burst through; tearing the air apart, causing an extremely harsh whistling sound. ¡°What?¡± Although Harmon was a bit surprised, he still managed to block it. With his fists wrapped in a dark and shiny Busoshoku Haki, he slammed his fist onto the sword energy that was rushing toward him without showing weakness. Boom! When his fist and sword energy collided, Harmon¡¯s face changed colors instantly, his burly body was pushed on the ground forcibly for a full seven or eight meters, and his black face turned red. ¡°Bring it on!¡± With a loud roar, he stomped with his feet, stabilizing his body, and at the same time he threw out another fist, which shattered the incoming sword energy. Chi Chi! The aftermath of the shattered sword Qi swept across all directions, cutting the ground with dense tiny cracks. The scene was extremely frightening. Harmon took a breath with his eyes full of shock. What a terrifying sword energy! Could it be that a senior swordsman, or even a top swordsman, has also come here? With a solemn expression, he raised his head to look in the direction of the sword Qi, and then saw a young and handsome man, standing with a sword in his hand, looking at him indifferently. Volume 1 - CH 57 The battlefield fell silent for a while. The light wind that blew seemed to pierce the heart with a bit of chill as the white-robed swordsman appeared. The remaining pirate officers quickly retreated behind Harmon and looked at the traces on the ground with great fear. This sword knocked back the strong Harmon so far. If he attacks they will definitely die! Even Lao G in the distance was shocked. He quickly flashed and came to Harmon¡¯s side, standing side by side with him. Combining their strength is the answer; only then will they faintly overwhelm the other side. ¡°When did the marines find such a powerful young man?¡± Lao G looked solemn. The Donquixote family has hands and eyes on both the world government and the marines¡¯ movements. It stands to reason that if there are newcomers of Rhodes¡¯ level in the marines, they should be well known by them long ago. ¡°You must kill him now!¡± Lao G¡¯s slightly old face showed a hint of ruthlessness and determination. The birth of a new super-strong soldier in the marines is definitely not what Doflamingo wants to see. Right now is the best time to kill him. At this time, Ain finally found Shuzo and Binz. At this time, the two looked pale, bleeding from the corners of their mouths, covered in scars, and their bodies were extremely exhausted. Especially Binz, who had overused his abilities. However, at this time, the two did not care about their injuries, they were both dumbfoundedly looking at the figure holding swords. ¡°My God, what kind of strength is this?!¡± Binz couldn¡¯t close his mouth. Previously, when they fought Harmon, the guy was like a madman, knocking out the toughest plant under his control with one punch. His power was unbelievable. But one slash from Rhodes¡¯s sword forced Harmon back abruptly, and he needed both fists to stop. What power this is?! ¡°This kind of destructive power is nothing less than the level of Vice Captain!¡± Shuzo stared at the sword marks on the ground, and then murmured after a while: ¡°I know the Vice Captain Momonga very well. I have seen him cut off the pirate ships with one sword. He can be called a top swordsman. Even if Rhodes¡¯ swordsmanship is not as good as Momonga¡¯s, I am afraid it is not too far away.¡± ¡°His potential is really scary.¡± Looking at the reactions of Shuzo and Binz, Ain had an inexplicable sense of relief. Sure enough, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m too weak, but that guy is just a monster! Shuzo wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth, stood up looked at the battlefield, and calmly analyzed: ¡°Swordsmen¡¯s destructive power is indeed unparalleled, but both of his opponents are first-class powerhouses with a strong vitality and amazing endurance. If they drag this battle for a long time I am afraid that Rhodes will be unable to withstand the pressure and flaws will be revealed.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and contact Adjutant Eleanor and ask her to dispatch some people to help. By now, the frontal battlefield should have gained an overall advantage.¡± Shuzo¡¯s combat experience is extremely rich, and he makes the most prudent decision in an instant. ¡°OK.¡± Ain nodded slightly. Ain quickly took out a Den Den Mushi. While Ain was contacting Eleanor, the battlefield also ignited quickly. Lao G and Harmon rushed in from the left and right and surrounded Rhodes from both sides. After forming a siege, they rushed forward. This proved to everyone that they were taking this seriously. Since Lao G decided to kill Rhodes here, Harmon naturally wouldn¡¯t refute, he wouldn¡¯t dare to ignore the words of this veteran cadre. As far as he knows, Lao G was very prestigious in the Donquixote family. If it weren¡¯t for his old age, Lao G would have become a top cadre long ago. Certainly. Most importantly, Harmon felt that it would not take them a lot of effort to deal with the young man Rhodes if they join forces. After all, Rhodes is young. Young means that his physique has not been honed to the peak, and his Busoshoku Haki will definitely not be too strong. In this way, the attack is high and the defense is low. When the two masters of physical art are fighting at a close distance, it is easy to find opportunities, obtain results, and kill the enemy. Almost at the moment when Lao G and Harmon rushed over, Rhodes moved. Soru! The moment he stepped, his body instantly turned into an afterimage, rushing out like lightning. Facing the siege of the two, he was very calm, he held his sword tightly in his hand, and slashed out without any fancy moves. Lightning Style: SMITE! This technique, which combines swordsmanship with the power of thunder, was first used when he was in the reserve force a long time ago to cut off that pirate ship. But he got much stronger since then, with Rhodes¡¯ swordsmanship and the power of thunder now, what kind of power will burst out when uses it?! Boom! The moment the tip of his blade fell, the heaven-shattering sword chant resounded through the fields instantly, covering the sky and the ground. The attack was as fast as a streamer, and it swept in all directions. Lao G and Hamon had no time to dodge. They could only use hardening to protect the body, and counterattack it at the same time. ¡°Iron Fist!¡± ¡°Cracking Mountain Fist!¡± Zizzi! The thunder roared and roared; the lightning arc was dazzling, and the thunder was deafening. Lao G and Hamon were instantly swallowed up in it. Ain hung up the phone when the thunder roared. At this time, seeing this earth-shattering scene, she felt a little tingling sensation on her skin, and she couldn¡¯t even hold the Den en Mushi in her hands and fell to the ground. The poor phone bug didn¡¯t have time to complain about the master¡¯s ruthlessness, it immediately squirmed and hid behind Ain, shrinking into its shell and shivering. ¡°what¡¯s going on?!¡± Shuzo and Binz stared at this scene in astonishment, as if they had seen the most incredible thing. The power of his lightning is too exaggerated! The few remaining pirate officers were still thinking of attacking Ain and the other two, but when they saw this terrifying scene, they instantly lost their minds and hurriedly retreated. Under the incredible gaze of everyone. Bang! Two dark figures flew out of the thunder for more than ten meters before they smashed the ground. It can be seen that neither Lao G nor Harmon survived this attack. Their fists that were used to block this attack were severely damaged, and the rest of their body, which was usually as resistible as mountains, was also trembling slightly, and some places were blackened. With one slash, two physical artist masters were wounded! Lao G looked at the young man in white, who was bathed in lightning in the distance with a dreadful expression. Rhodes¡¯ outstanding power didn¡¯t actually give him the desire to retreat, instead strengthened Lao G¡¯s killing intent towards Rhodes. He decided that even if he sacrificed his life for it, he must kill him here! ¡°He must be killed!¡± Lao G ordered coldly, with murderous intent in his tone, ¡°Behead him, and I guarantee you can become a cadre of the Donquixote family!¡± Harmon took a breath upon hearing Lao G¡¯s promise, his impetuous mind instantly stabilized, and murderous intent also appeared in his eyes. Although Rhodes is strong, he is not irresistible. The biggest advantage of physique masters is their strong resistance. As long as they find opportunities, their chances of winning are still very high! Volume 1 - CH 58 Frontal battlefield. Eleanor stood on the top of a tall building, with a solemn expression, unlike her usual goofy self. Just now, under her leadership, the defense line of the Devil Pirates was quickly broken by the marines, and what was left is only some sporadic resistance. ¡°Understood.¡± Eleanor hung up on Ain and snorted softly; what a worry-free guy. Lao G and Harmon joined forces, even Eleanor has to treat this seriously now. However, this little guy turned out to be really tough. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a little impulsive, but it¡¯s only in line with his age.¡± ¡°Furthermore, I guess watching him being beaten can change my bad temper.¡± Eleanor smiled. Rhodes was usually too calm, like an old wise man who saw through the world, which was a bit annoying. Eleanor quickly dispatched some guards out of the battlefield and moved toward Rhodes¡¯ locations, while explaining the situation to the others. ¡°Hey, someone dares to bully our Rhodes, let¡¯s beat them!¡± One of the girls shouted aggressively. ¡°Hey, hey are you okay? Harmon is a senior cadre of the Devil Pirates, and Lao G is also one of the core cadres of the Donquixote family. He is very powerful.¡± The girl who spoke earlier laughed: ¡°Oh, and isn¡¯t Eleanor with us?¡± Eleanor was expressionless and said nothing. She was obviously used to this group of unscrupulous guards. She turned around in a dashing manner, then everyone laughed and quickly followed. In the eyes of these people, Rhodes is not only the apprentice of their beloved Lieutenant General Gion but also a younger brother who needs to be cared for and loved. This has nothing to do with strength, it¡¯s just Rhodes¡¯ age, which makes these female marines sailors have their maternal love overflowing. Of course, the most important thing is that Rhodes is handsome, and also cute¡­ ¡­¡­ Lao G¡¯s tactical intentions were clear and threatening, but unfortunately, he encountered Rhodes. Rhodes¡¯ strength is indeed not as strong as that of Lao G, and his Busoshoku Haki is not as well tempered as the two of them, but it is by no means as they thought, it turned out that defeating Rhodes will take more than just dragging this fight for a long time. Besides. In Lightning Mode, Rhodes¡¯ speed is enhanced, while Lao G will be eroded by the lightning that Rhodes unscrupulously unleashed. Although they are strong and have amazing resistance, they will always be a little paralyzed, affecting their performance. With one increase and one decrease, Rhodes dealt with them very easily. ¡°Seal of¡­G!¡± Lao G forcibly smashed through the Lightning and rushed toward Rhodes, then instantly throw his fist, taking the form of the letter G, at him. Rhodes¡¯ response was also very simple. He retreated slightly, and at the same time holding the sword in both hands, he suddenly slashed horizontally. One-Sword flow ¡¤ Flash! Of course, such a slash would have been fatal if it were another swordsman. If Hawkeye were the one facing Lao G, it would be possible to cut open an island with a single strike, and it would be even easier to split the mountain and the sea. Although Rhodes is not as good as Hawkeye, the power of this slash should not be underestimated. scoff! The pitch-black blade brought an astonishing tearing sound, smashing through Lao G¡¯s messy boxing skills, and sent him flying out, leaving a terrifying bloodstain on his body. Without chasing after him, Rhodes¡¯ expression moved slightly, as if he had noticed something. Whoosh! With a flash of lightning, he disappeared in place. Almost at the next instant, Harmon appeared in this position, and the punch that was supposed to hit Rhodes had to hit the ground because he lost his target. Boom! Harmon retracted his fist and it was a large pit of several meters in diameter left behind. The depth of this pit demonstrated the amazing power of Harmon. Even Rhodes admired it, but he was not as good as him. Having such strength doesn¡¯t make you a master of physical art. A true physique expert can exert his strength perfectly, and his control is extremely ingenious. Just like the war in the original book, the captain of the third division of the Whitebeard Pirates, Diamond Jozu took the slash of the world¡¯s largest swordsman Hawkeye head-on and knocked out a hill of ice with a punch. Although Harmon¡¯s control is not as good as Diamond Jozu¡¯s, it¡¯s still very good. It is no wonder that Lao G will invite him. Pity. No matter how strong he is, or how good his control is, it is still empty talk if he can¡¯t beat Rhodes. Whoosh! Depending on his Lightning Mode, Rhodes flashed behind Harmon and suddenly slashed out with his sword. In the previous collision, Rhodes was keenly aware that Harmon was the breakthrough point of this battle. Because Harmon¡¯s Kenbunshoku Haki seems to be weak, especially when he is surrounded by thunder. As predicted. When Rhodes flashed not far behind Harmon, he couldn¡¯t react until the blade was down. At that moment, Harmon was suddenly shocked by the sharp sword energy coming at him, but it was too late to dodge. ChiChi! The silver sword energy hit Harmon¡¯s black body, and there were bursts of harsh sounds like cutting steel. Harmon¡¯s Kenbunshoku Haki was slightly weaker, but his Busoshoku Haki was extremely strong. He persisted for two moments before the sword energy finally cut through his Haki, tearing open his skin, and severing his flesh and blood, Rhodes could even faintly see pale bones. But these two short moments were enough to make Harmon act. He slammed his foot down, and bounce to the side, avoiding the follow-up attack of the sword Qi. scoff! The dazzling sword energy continued to sweep forward, tearing apart the earth, and then crashed into a small three-story building, slicing it in half. This terrifying destructive power stunned Ain and the others who were watching the battle from a distance. Moreover, this battle situation seems to be a bit wrong. Shouldn¡¯t it be Rhodes who is being crushed and beaten? Why does it seem like¡­ Ain and the other two looked at each other and they couldn¡¯t help but show some shock. Lao G and Harmon may not be considered super strong in the new world, but they are definitely famous pirates, and they are enough to be called strong in any place. But these two famous pirates, even after they joint their efforts, still couldn¡¯t defeat Rhodes, it can even be said that they were pressed and beaten by Rhodes! Crackling! Under everyone¡¯s attention, Lao G and Harmon attacked frantically, constantly rushing toward Rhodes, punching, and kicking, even hitting with their heads, and biting with their teeth. Up to now, these two strong physique practitioners have been struggling. Lao G is a long-established powerhouse, but he was suppressed by a young man today. If it spreads out, he will probably be laughed at by his opponent for a lifetime. He couldn¡¯t stand it! To this extent, Rhodes was not unscathed, and all that they could get from him is a trace of blood on the corner of his mouth. This last attempt was a perfectly coordinated attack by Harmon and Lao G, and even when they caught Rhodes off guard he once again survived. His offensive power did not diminish in the slightest, and it even became more insane, and fierce! He¡¯s showing now weakness! Volume 1 - CH 59 Most of the high-ranked pirates in this world are rough-skinned, and bulky-shaped, which comes with amazing vitality. Big showdowns between these powerhouses can even last for three days and three nights or even ten days and ten nights. Even though Rhodes suppressed Harmon and Lao G during the battle, you can say that their lives have never been in danger throughout this confrontation. However, because of some of the injuries, Rhodes caused them, the fierceness of Lao G and Harmon aroused. The two of them got mad and fought more and more crazy. At some point, they looked more like beasts and didn¡¯t pay any attention to their fighting styles. The main goal was to hit Rhodes even if it means being hurt by his sword. In this case, Rhodes, as an elegant swordsman, avoided such clashes with them. With the speed advantage of the Thunder Mode, he moved at a high speed like a ghost, traversing the battlefield. Boom! However, with the monstrous powers that allowed them to crack the round open with a single kick, Lao G and Harmon tried to block his path. As a physical expert, Shuzo couldn¡¯t help but express his admiration watching the battle. However. Surely, the ferocity of the two was certainly shocking, each punch and kick had great power, but the most eye-catching thing on the entire battlefield was the young figure with a sword. The violent power of thunder roared and roared, wreaking havoc on the audience, and the dazzling sword Qi swept across the four directions, tearing the earth. This exaggerated destructive power was obviously more than one step beyond Lao G and Harmon! At this point in the battle, the entire space of several hundred meters around was shaking and trembling as the three of them fought. Eleanor followed the movement with her personal guards, and when she finally got closer she couldn¡¯t help but feel stunned when she first saw the battlefield. ¡°Hey, I never heard of this?! Brother Rhodes has such a strong power of thunder?¡± ¡°Oh, bad, my heart skipped a heartbeat looking at him.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that you were electrocuted.¡± The guards all took a deep breath, and then relaxed and got playful with each other. ¡°Not only his swordsmanship is outstanding, but his combat power is also so strong?¡± ¡°What kind of apprentice did Vice Captain Gion accept!¡± Eleanor¡¯s face was indifferent, but she couldn¡¯t help complaining in her heart. As the number one apprentice under Gion¡¯s command, she had a sense of pride before even though she had never been truly accepted as her disciple, now it seems that she is about to be taken over! The battlefield at this time. As the battle continued to heat up and the injuries on the body gradually deepened, Lao G and Harmon gradually came to their senses and had to sadly admit a fact. That is, the two of them will not be able to defeat Rhodes together. If they drag on, they may even be killed by Rhodes. After admitting defeat, the mentality of these two determined physique masters changed very quickly. There¡¯s nothing to be discouraged about, just run if you can¡¯t beat him. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t run before. As a pirate, who hasn¡¯t been chased by the marines? It¡¯s pretty normal. The two looked at each other from a distance and were about to implement their escape plan. However, Rhodes was keenly aware of this change in their mentality. His Kenbunshoku may not be as perceptive as Gion¡¯s, but with the bonus of perception attributes, his perceptual ability is actually not weak, and he can capture a lot of details. ¡°Want to leave? Then you must first ask this sword for permission!¡± A cold light flashed in Rhodes¡¯ eyes. In a matter of fact, his physical strength has also been seriously consumed. If he really keeps fighting, it is still unknown who will die first. But since the opposite party admits the counsel first, he will naturally not miss this opportunity to pursue and expand the victory! Crackling! Rhodes channeled the power of thunder in his body to the extreme, the lightning, which had gradually calmed down before, suddenly became violent, like an earth dragon turning over and sweeping in all directions. Almost at the moment when Harmon turned around and was about to escape, the ground under Rhodes¡¯s feet cracked open. Chi! In an instant, there seemed to be a flash of blue electric light. Bathed in lightning, while taking advantage of this change in Harmon¡¯s mentality, Rhodes flickered like a ghost, came to the front, and stabbed straight out with his sword. The dazzling lightning gathered on the tip of the sword was compressed to the extreme, and even made the body of the sword hum and vibrate, as if it was unbearable. This strike was silent, because of its speed, the sound was left behind! At this moment, Harmon¡¯s thinking was unprecedentedly clear, and the time seemed to slow down. Damn it! Hurry up! There was despair and fear in his eyes, he could see it and he wanted to avoid it, but his body was already scarred by this long battle and eroded by lightning. He could only watch it piercing his chest. ho ho ho¡­ Blood started coming out of his mouth, mixed with some pieces of internal organs. Harmon glanced at the sword thrust in his chest, and then pulled out a wry smile with some difficulty. Sure enough, the betrayers have no good end? At the last moment of his life, Harmon¡¯s eyes were dazed, but he felt an inexplicable sense of relief in his heart. Even if he died, at least he wouldn¡¯t feel embarrassed or guilty when he meets his big brother in the afterlife. This young swordsman is really powerful, and it is estimated that he will become a world-famous swordsman in the future. In this way, if I die at the hands of such a person, I should have no regrets. If you can¡¯t be the strongest, you will be killed by the strongest¡­ Harmon thought so and the look in his eyes gradually faded; there was no unwillingness, only relief. As Rhodes drew out his long sword, Harmon¡¯s burly body trembled, and then fell to the ground like a pillar of jade. Silence. Everyone stared blankly at this scene. Suppression and killing are two completely different situations. The stronger the existence, the more he will be capable of killing such strong people. Before that, Ain and the other two witnessed the whole process of Rhodes pressing Lao G and Harmon during the fight, but they never thought that Rhodes could actually kill one of them. Initially, they thought that it will only be possible with the arrival of Adjutant Eleanor, and in the end, they may even leave these two fiercely famous pirates retreat. They never expect¡­ Not far away, when Lao G saw this scene, he subconsciously retracted and stopped to help, but it just happened too fast for him to even do anything. After this, there was only one thought in his mind. ¡°Escape, you must escape!¡± Lao G felt an inexplicable sense of urgency. When they both fought, they were suppressed. One-on-one, Harmon was killed within seconds, he estimated that it would not be long before he would be killed. At this moment, Lao G¡¯s desire to survive skyrocketed in his heart. His eyeballs suddenly swelled, bloodshot all over his body, and blue veins appeared on his bald head. Lao G turned around and ran towards the island, trying to escape the pursuit with the help of complex buildings. In the blink of an eye, Lao G left this ruined battlefield and stepped into the alley, and that¡¯s when he felt a bit of relief. A leisurely voice suddenly came from midair: ¡°Those who dare to hurt our little brother should be buried here.¡± Volume 1 - CH 60 Eleanor¡¯s battle against Lao G went very well. On the one hand, Lao G has been really worn off by Rhodes; his physical strength has been severally exhausted and his condition was not good. On the other hand, Eleanor herself is a senior swordsman, who can easily have the upper hand in a one-on-one battle. Moreover, she also had a lot of assistants with her, especially a few beautiful snipers. This fierce battle ended with the arrest of Lao G. Huh¡­ Standing in the ruins, Rhode let out a sigh of relief. There was a burst of fatigue and pain all over his body, but he was quite excited as if he had just come out of an Internet cafe after an all-nighter. ¡°The enemies are getting stronger and stronger.¡± Rhodes sheathed his sword and shook his head helplessly. In the world of pirates, anyone who¡¯s called strong is actually considered a monster. However, strength, speed, and endurance are nothing without the mastery of Haki. Kenbunshoku Haki and Busoshoku Haki alone are enough to make you invulnerable. And even if you lack power compared to your opponent, you will be able to drag the battle longer and make an escape route. Moreover, Rhodes has one more major point, he¡¯s now a very powerful swordsman. If he is like Luffy who relies only on his fists, it is estimated that he wouldn¡¯t win the previous battle. ¡°No wonder Aoikiji and Akainu could fight for ten days and ten nights, and even change the climate of an entire island.¡± ¡°However we also have someone like Kaido who¡¯s known for being the strongest creature in the sea. The existence of an immortal maybe even more frightening.¡± Rhodes rested for a while and managed to recover a little. While thinking wildly, he walked towards Ain and the others. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Looking at the pale faces of Shuzo and the other two, Rhodes asked casually. ¡°¡­¡± Shuzo and the other two had black lines all over their heads, is he boasting? ¡°Hey, I can tell what are you guys thinking!¡± Looking at the expressions of these guys, Rhodes reacted and pouted. Am I that kind of person? You¡¯ve just seen how strong I am, why do I need to brag? Only then did Shuzo and Binz realize that they had misunderstood, and they scratched their heads in embarrassment and said: ¡°We¡¯re okay, We should be able to recover after a few days of rest.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rhodes originally wanted to show off his medical skills, but after listening to the two of them, after he heard their answer he felt a bit disappointed. At this time, the frontal battle was over, the second leader of the enemy was slaughtered, and Lao G was also arrested, so only the great pirate Spark was left. However, judging from the faint tremors on the ground, it seems that Spark should still be stubbornly resisting. Right. I heard that this guy is an ancient animal-type ability person. He should be very strong. Even if he is not as good as Jack of the Beast Pirates, he should be a super big muscle tyrant. At this time. Eleanor walked over slowly. She was dressed as a true commander, wearing a straight-fitting marines uniform, with a thin sword hanging from her waist. She wasn¡¯t her goofy self anymore, and she even looked elegant. Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but take a few more glances at her showing admiration: ¡°I can see it. You have the potential to be a captain.¡± ¡°Everyone, this time you have done a great job,¡± Eleanor said with a serious tone, then looked at Rhodes, ¡°Beheading Harmon, the top cadre, and helping to arrest Lao G, one of the cadres of the Donquixote family, is a great achievement.¡± Eleanor was expressionless, but a complex color flashed in her eyes. She felt sorry that Rhodes would leave soon. ¡°I¡¯m not from the marines, and the credit is yours to take.¡± Rhode waved his hand and said casually. ¡°What?¡± Ain and the other two looked slightly surprised; they didn¡¯t say anything, but they didn¡¯t expect that the apprentice of a Vice Captain wouldn¡¯t be from the marines. Eleanor didn¡¯t want to bring up this subject, so she quickly asked: ¡°We¡¯re going to clean the battlefield, free the slaves, and escort the pirates, how about you?¡± ¡°I¡­?¡± Rhodes wanted to go back to the warship to rest, but after thinking about it, he might as well go and watch the battle between those guys. The battle of the great swordsman. Previously, it was just a surprise in Chronos Island, and it was only two small shrimps that were chopped by Gion. This time, he had to observe it carefully. When Ain heard the words, her expression was also lifted, and she quickly raised her hand and said: ¡°I¡¯m going too! I¡¯m going too!¡± It is difficult for any swordsman to resist the temptation to watch the battle of the great swordsman. ¡°Okay, but pay attention to your position, and don¡¯t get too close.¡± Eleanor said lightly. That¡¯s it. Shuzo and Binz went back to recover from their injuries, and Rhodes went to watch the battlefield. ¡­¡­ East of the island. This place was originally a lush jungle, but now its appearance has changed greatly. Mountains and forests were shattered, debris everywhere, the ground was cracked, and at the same time, there were terrifying abysses here and there. Although Spark is a thick-skinned guy, it also depends on who he is facing. In the face of the sharp slash of Gion, the great swordsman, his burly body was covered with deep sword marks. Several of them were the kind of scars that can be seen deep in the bone. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die here!¡± Spark roared angrily. Facing both Gion and Zephyr, he didn¡¯t have the slightest power to fight back. Also, that woman¡¯s attacks were too sharp! Moreover, as an experienced soldier, Black Arm Zephyr is experienced and has an extremely precise grasp of timing, which often opens Spark¡¯s defense to Gion¡¯s sword. The tacit understanding between these two is incomparable. Lao G and Harmon are not even worthy of carrying their shoes, they are not on the same level at all. The three moved quickly and fought fiercely. Smoke and dust rose to the sky which obscured Rhodes and Ain¡¯s vision. They could only see that the area was ruined. ¡°Is this the Sensei¡¯s true combat power? This destructive power is too strong.¡± Rhodes stood on the top of a tall building, looking at the sword marks running through the sea from a distance, he couldn¡¯t help showing a look of amazement. ¡°Teacher Zephyr was also very powerful before, no, he¡¯s still powerful!¡± Ain pouted, feeling a little frustrated. When Zephyr lost his arm in order to protect them, his strength was greatly damaged, and Ain always felt guilty for it. Rhodes was dumbfounded. Looking at this sentimental little girl, he couldn¡¯t help but smile and said: ¡°Of course, as a former admiral of the marines, Zephyr Black Arm was a hero of the same era as the others like Garp, Roger, and Whitebeard. No one can question his strength.¡± It¡¯s a pity that time is a butcher¡¯s knife, and no matter how powerful an individual is, in front of the power of time, they are all insignificant like dust. Ain snorted lightly, and nodded her head slightly with satisfaction, then said: ¡°If it weren¡¯t for his lost arm, which caused a series of complications, Master Zephyr¡¯s strength would never be much weaker than Vice Captain Garp¡¯s.¡± Injuries of the same degree in different periods have different effects. He can¡¯t be compared to red-haired Shanks who lost his arm during his heyday, even then he still stood firmly on the throne of the Yonko as if nothing had happened. Zephyr is old, and losing an arm was simply an end of an era. Volume 1 - CH 61 In this world, people who are called the strongest are simply monsters. Any confrontation between these monsters will last for days. From Rhodes¡¯ point of view, age probably doesn¡¯t affect the combat effectiveness of these monsters too much. But it will make the strongest man in the world in a way ¡°vulnerable.¡± It¡¯s just like the elderly are prone to diseases. Illnesses, injuries, and side effects that were completely ignored in their youth become extremely serious in old age. This symptom is most real in Whitebeard. The strongest man in the world, couldn¡¯t use his powers properly anymore, the side effect of Gura Gura No Mi became too strong for his body, and every time it is used, it will damage him more. But when Whitebeard was young, it didn¡¯t seem to be a problem, or even exist, thus establishing the name of ¡°the strongest man in the world¡±. However, since the beginning era of the Great Pirates, he gradually grew old, but he still had to face an endless stream of challengers, among which Kaido is the craziest. As a result, the side effects broke his body, affecting the strongest man in the world in all aspects, making him constantly weak, and he even ended up relying on medicines to maintain his life in the later stage. in stark contrast. Garp, the hero of the same era as Whitebeard, hardly encountered any hard battles, because of the conservative decision of the world government on the new world. His daily routine was to stay at the Navy Headquarters, eat donuts in the Fleet Admiral¡¯s office, occasionally go to the East Sea to train his grandson, and throw a few cannonballs to bully the little pirates, etc¡­ In this way, it was natural for him to maintain a near-peak combat power, and at the war, he even had the confidence to hammer Akainu¡¯s head. According to Rhodes¡¯ speculation, in order to still maintain near-peak combat power in old age, the only way is to not be injured, especially the severe injury of losing a leg and a hand, and of course not to rely on an ability like the Gura Gura No Mi that affects the internal organs of the body. ¡°But I¡¯m only seventeen years old, so I don¡¯t need to worry about this for the time being.¡± Rhodes shook his head, cast aside these messy thoughts, and concentrated on watching the battle. At this time, the situation on the battlefield also changed a bit. It seems that since she sensed Rhodes¡¯ arrival, Gion¡¯s sword strikes and moves got slightly slower, much slower than usual as if she was deliberately doing it for others to see. How experienced fighter Zephyr, instantly sensed Gion¡¯s intentions and restrained Spark very cooperatively. On his always awe-inspiring face, he couldn¡¯t help but show a smile, and for the first time, he had a little sympathy for Spark. Poor Spark. The dignified big pirate of the new world, the man known as the ¡°devil¡±, has become a training puppet for Gion to demonstrate swordsmanship and teach her apprentices. ¡°Fuck, Sensei is mighty!¡± How witty is Rhodes, he quickly noticed that mentioned it to Ain in a low voice, and then focused on watching Gion demonstrate the swordsmanship? Two super strong men, cooperate with each other or cooperate with Gion to demonstrate swordsmanship. This kind of opportunity is too rare! Rhodes widened his eyes, trying to save every scene in his mind. It may not be of much use for the time being, but after all, it is one kind of experience. Only by accumulating a lot of experience can you become a great swordsman at the very top. After a few hours. After Spark fell to the ground tremblingly and regained his human form, this unique swordsmanship session came to an end. ¡°I hope you rot in jail.¡± Zephyr took out the sea floor stone handcuffs and put them on Spark¡¯s wrists. The unique power contained in the sea floor stone instantly made Spark feel a wave of weakness in his body. He glanced at Zephyr¡¯s mechanical arm, squeezed a smirk, and mocked in an inexplicable tone: ¡°Black arm Zephyr, ho ho ho¡­ So even after you lost your arm and family, you¡¯re still seeking the justice that the world government and Celestial Dragons found?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just their faithful dog after all of this. Justice?! What a pitiful justice that is!¡± Knowing that he was destined to Impel Down, Spark wasn¡¯t afraid to provoke Zephyr at all. Gion looked angry when she heard this, and without any hesitation, she slapped consciousness out of Spark, who hit the ground bleeding from his nose and mouth. ¡°Zephyr-Sensei¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand.¡± Zephyr waved his hand and said indifferently: ¡°The marines focuses on the interests of the people and has its own judgment on justice. I will not be influenced by the words of these evil people.¡± Not far away, Rhodes¡¯ expression changed slightly when he heard this, and he shook his head in his heart. This is a true hero, who dedicated his whole life to the marines, suffering disasters, and believing in justice, but in the end, he was betrayed by the world government, the marines, and everything he believed in. Rhodes, who was an outsider in his previous life, didn¡¯t think too much about it, but when he came to this world in person, he had to make guesses. There are too many outstanding students taught by Zephyr. The three current admirals, most of the vice admirals, and the captains were taught by him. It stands to reason that an existence like Zephyr will find an acquaintance were ever he goes. But it¡¯s a pity that Zephyr, the marines, and the world government, have different ideas and conflicts. Perhaps because of Zephyr¡¯s character, he will not do anything to lead the navy to mutiny, but the world government cannot ignore it and can only take precautions to force Zephyr away. ¡­¡­ Next was the cleaning of the entire island, which lasted for three full days. The great pirate Spark has been in business for ten years, and the wealth accumulated is naturally very considerable, and can even be described as a mountain. and. Because it happened to be stuck at the time of the transaction with the Donquixote family, the marines harvested a batch of high-quality weapons and ammunition to contribute to the cause of justice. As for the imprisoned slaves, they were dealt with according to the relevant rules. On the warship. Rhodes looked at the numb slaves in the port, and even if they were rescued, their faces were still ashen, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh sadly. In the past three days, he has also had the chance to visit the underground space of the island. It was so dark and terrible that it was almost indescribable in words. As a traveler from the modern world, of course, Rhodes disliked the slave system and the Celestial Dragons, which was why he accepted the revolutionary army so quickly. ¡°Darkness, cruelty, and oppression are everywhere, we can only do our best.¡± Gion¡¯s cold and indifferent voice came, with a rare trace of imperceptible tiredness. Although the marines are an armed force under the command of the world government, it is actually the only stability maintenance organization in this sea. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is the hope of civilians. ¡°Eliminating this tumor, the marines alone cannot do it.¡± Rhodes knew that Gion was keeping him and hoped that he would join the marines and inherit this just cause, but he had his own ideas and his own path. ¡°Sigh.¡± Noticing Rhodes¡¯ expression, Gion sighed slightly, and the look in her eyes was a little dazed. Every pirate has his own dream, and so is the marines. Demonstrate justice, punish wickedness, become a hero, protect people¡­ As an admiral of the marines, Zephyr is so powerless. She is only a candidate admiral, and her strength and status are not as good. What can she do? In the end, she said in a gentle and firm voice: ¡°No matter where you are and what your identity is, remember to keep in check your humanity, never cross that line.¡± ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll be the first to catch you.¡± Volume 1 - CH 62 Gion is a very good teacher. Regardless of her silky skin, beautiful face, and long legs, she is serious and enthusiastic when it comes to teaching, and she does not interfere too much with the students¡¯ life paths, so she can be called impeccable. ¡°You could have at least left me on a better island¡­ Why leave me here?¡± Rhodes was standing on the coast, feeling the cool sea breeze, complaining about his beautiful teacher. He and Sabo made an appointment for a meeting place, but Gion said that she running later, and she had to return to the G5 base in a straight line, so she found a manned island and threw Rhodes down. It seems that Teacher Gion still has some resentment in her heart¡­ Rhodes thought angrily, turned around, and walked towards the island, first to taste the island¡¯s special food. On the warship. Gion and Zephyr stood side by side, looking at the gradually smaller island from afar, with their good eyesight, they could even see Rhodes on the island. After a long time, Zephyr said: ¡°Do you trust him that much?¡± ¡°He is my disciple, how can I not believe in him?¡± Gion¡¯s tone was calm and expressionless, but there was a hint of reluctance and hope in her eyes. As Gion¡¯s first and possibly last disciple in her life, Gion really had great expectations for Rhodes, even though they have only been with each other for more than three months, Of course, Rhodes¡¯ talent also surprised her. But now that the apprentice is about to leave, there is always a touch of reluctance, hesitation, and hope. As a top powerhouse, Gion knows very well, if she was kept under the protection of her teacher she would have never become a powerhouse, so she will not stop Rhodes from running alone. ¡°I¡¯m going for a rest.¡± She stretched her body and returned to her warship. Only Zephyr was left standing here alone. ¡°Rod boy¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let Gion down¡­¡± Zephyr murmured softly, then out of the corner of his eyes he looked at Ain¡¯s dazed appearance on the lower deck. ¡­¡­ Due to the unique geographical environment of the Pirate World, the islands around the world are very different in terms of the human landscape, technological level, and special food. This highly differentiated feature naturally breeds countless hard-headed merchants who travel to and from the major islands, buy and sell, and earn high profits. The island that Rhodes was on at this time was generally prosperous, and it also had several specialties. In particular, one of the types of hairy crabs is produced offshore of the island and has the size of a grinding plate. The meat is extremely delicious and tender. It is even more delicious when paired with the sauce specially prepared by the chef on the island. Rhodes had a big meal, and then took a walk to the port. He decided to board a merchant ship and head to the island where Sabo and Koala were at this time. There are many ships in the port, and many strong sailors are carrying supplies up and down. After wandering around for a while, Rhodes finally found a merchant ship with the same destination as his. However, there were many people around at this time. ¡°What¡¯s the deal here?¡± Rhodes blinked and leaned over. ¡°I heard that the caravan encountered a pirate group before coming here. After a bloody battle, they lost a lot of guards. This time they want to recruit some temporary guards. ¡°A guard task?¡± Rhodes murmured lightly, this is not bad, it just saves a fortune on the boat. He didn¡¯t have much money, and the only Bellys on him were given to him by Gion, and he spent a lot of money just eating the hairy crabs. It¡¯s a pity that there are not many marine bases in the New World, otherwise, he could catch a few pirates to exchange for the bounty. The recruitment process is simple. It is to show strength and lift a heavy enough stone lock to be selected. This merchant ship seems to be quite famous. There are many burly men lining up to apply for jobs. When Rhodes lined up, many people looked over and smiled. ¡°Young man, you have come to the wrong place.¡± The man who spoke was 2.2 meters tall. He flexed his arms and posed in a standard bodybuilding posture, with exaggerated muscle outlines. Rhodes curled his lips, his expression was indifferent, and he was too lazy to pay attention to this idiot. Since Rhodes didn¡¯t answer him, the big man couldn¡¯t help showing a bit of resentment and stepped forward to test his strength. Hah! His whole body was agitated, his arms exerted strength, and he lifted the one-meter-high stone lock directly above his head. Rhodes walked over naturally, picked up the heaviest and largest stone lock, and flung it lightly, and it flew more than ten meters into the air. The scene was terrifying. The pier was dead silent, and everyone was shocked. How powerful is this young man exactly?! The big man who showed off his muscles before was even more stunned and his face turned red. Even the young lady in charge of the record was startled, she got up quickly and led Rhodes to the deck with a red face. The captain is a bearded, middle-aged man, and has a strong sense of all corners. After he heard about Rhodes¡¯ power, he had a good attitude and directly arranged the best cabin for him. He didn¡¯t even mention the escort. Rhodes was very satisfied with this, and gave him thirty-two likes, saying that if he was in danger, he would help. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Watching the hatch close, the captain was relieved and straightened up. The young lady in the back asked suspiciously: ¡°Captain, even if he¡¯s strong enough to lift the heaviest stone, I¡¯ve never seen you treat someone this way.¡± Dare to do business in the sea of the new world, the strength of the bearded man should not be underestimated, and he has many strong subordinates hired by him. Ordinary pirate groups won¡¯t have a chance against him. ¡°Being friends with such a young and strong man will never be a loss.¡± Beard Guy smiled. Businessmen are the most important contacts. With Rhodes¡¯ age and potential, he might be able to come in handy in the future. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The little sister nodded in understanding. The merchant ships did not stay on this island for long, and they left the port that afternoon and set out for the depths of the sea. The performance of Rhodes throwing flying stone locks spread very quickly. This strength may not be much, but for most sailor guards, he is considered a strong man and is worthy of awe. Rhodes didn¡¯t care about this at all, and even rejected several young and beautiful girls sent by the Beard Guy. Apart from eating, he almost stayed in the cabin for thunder practicing every day. Because of the continuous deepening of the Thunder Body Tempering, the muscles and bones were continuously strengthened, which fed back to the internal organs to a certain extent. Maybe. It won¡¯t take long for him to use lightning to strengthen his internal organs. This will be a key node! The strengthening of the viscera will completely make up for Rhodes¡¯ last shortcoming, creating a flawless physique. The sea is so vast, and there may be people who master physical techniques similar to dark energy. Only when the internal organs are strengthened can the danger in this area be reduced to the greatest extent! In the dim cabin, a faint blue light flickered, and the air was filled with the smell of electric arcs. Rhodes closed his eyes and kept working hard. Volume 1 - CH 63 Today¡¯s New World is essentially leveling off, with constant skirmishes from all sides, but few wars involving the entire New World. After all, although the Yonko has grown bigger and mega-shattered the world, they have actually become some kind of warlord forces similar in nature to the world government. After all, it¡¯s natural for power to bring order. Only with order can the economy and technology be developed¡­ For the vast majority of merchant ships, as long as they enter one of the Yonko¡¯s territories, it means that they will get a guarantee that they will at least not encounter too powerful idle pirates. Because most of the powerful pirate groups know exactly what it means to be up against one of the Yonko, so as soon as they enter their territories they won¡¯t cause any trouble. However, some of the new pirates whose rewards have just exceeded 100 million are more courageous. However, this kind of new pirate group won¡¯t scare the merchant ships. The captain of the merchant ship is a strong man himself, and he has some mercenaries by his side. His force is very powerful and considerable. Of course, businessmen are generally reluctant to break out into conflict, and they value peace. If you encounter a pirate group, you will usually first use force to deter them, and then you will be submissive to buy them with some money. Only when you are forced to, will a bloody battle occur. In the cabin. Rhodes closed his eyes, and a faint blue fluorescence appeared on his body. If he looked closely, the fluorescence was floating regularly, rippling like water waves. After a long time, the faint blue light gradually subsided. A pair of eyes suddenly opened, like two stars in the deep night sky, shining brightly. Rhodes stood up, stretched out his body, felt the enormous power contained in his body, and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Compared to the time he fought Harmon and Lao G who had almost defeated him before, his physical strength was slightly stronger. In general, he is still at the level of a Rear Admiral. If he wants to go further and surpass Lao G, and even reach the level of a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, it is estimated that he has to rely on the strengthening of the internal organs, thereby driving the overall improvement, and stepping into a stronger field with the trend of perfection. Any existence of the Vice Admiral level of the marines is a well-known powerhouse in this sea. They almost have no obvious shortcomings. Even on the battlefield of the top war level, they would shine. If it is said that the Rear Admiral-level powerhouse is barely squeezed into the high-level of the Pirate World powerhouse echelon, then the existence of the Vice admiral level is to stand firmly on this echelon, even the most talented soldier in the reserve force may not be sure to reach this level. This level can even be said to be the limit of mortals, and one step further up, there are some real monsters. And with Rhodes¡¯ power of thunder and swordsmanship, once his physique enters the rank of Vice Admiral, his overall strength may immediately become one of a kind, and few people would be compared to him. ¡°It¡¯s still a few steps away, but I should get there soon.¡± Rhodes murmured softly, his eyes a little expectant. The Yonko¡¯s Emperor Haki, the Shichibukai¡¯s unique devil fruits, and the secrets of the Gorosei; he¡¯s still far away. But taking it one step at a time can always narrow the distance. PamPam! There was a knock on the door, so Rhodes opened the hatch. It was a red-haired young lady with a good appearance standing outside. This is the captain¡¯s daughter, Aisha. She seems to be very interested in the young, handsome, and powerful man, Rhodes. She visits from time to time to ask about swordsmanship. However, this woman is very sensible, and every time she gets hit by the wooden swords she cries, which does cause Rhodes bad feelings. ¡°I just knew that you woke up at this time. Did you know that you became the most mysterious person on the ship?¡± Aisha glanced at Rhodes, her red lips were like fire, her chest was high, and she had a clear hint of seductive charm. However, after three months of time at the hot springs with the sisters, Rhodes¡¯ concentration reached an amazing level, he completely ignored Aisha¡¯s subtle temptation, turned around, and walked into the cabin, quickly putting on his shirt. Aisha looked at Rhodes¡¯ profile from behind, and the muscles that were twisted like steel wires, and couldn¡¯t help but lick her bottom red lip. He looks very hot, and his strength is inhuman, so if he does that, he should be really good at it, right? Thinking of this, her legs couldn¡¯t close together. In fact, it¡¯s not that Rhodes is really terribly handsome. Strictly speaking, he is ordinary handsome, but with the bonus of age and strength, and the comparison of the people around him, Aisha¡¯s senses were completely missed up. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± At some point, Rhodes came to her. ¡°No¡­ nothing!¡± Aisha hurriedly shifted her gaze while her face seemed to be burning with fever. God, what the hell is the old lady thinking! Although she followed her father on the sea since she was a child, Aisha is actually a girl who kept herself like a jade, and she has never had such an experience before. Rhode didn¡¯t think too much, and said casually: ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to go to the restaurant for dinner.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ okay.¡± Aisha took a deep breath and thought to herself, it¡¯s just that this guy is so attractive, it¡¯s definitely not that the old lady has low determination. That¡¯s right! Accidents will happen. Before reaching the restaurant, the ship, which was running steadily, suddenly jolted violently, and the lost-minded Aisha almost fell to the ground. Rhodes frowned slightly, picked up Aisha, and walked quickly to the deck. Before he got close, he heard a burst of shouting. ¡°A pirate group is approaching!¡± ¡°Bombardment! Bombardment! Watch out for evasion! Watch out for evasion!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t avoid it, get ready for a battle!¡± The deck was chaotic. Under the command of the Beard Guy, the sailor guards quickly stabilized their hearts and performed their duties. Rhodes admired them and then looked at the sea in the distance. There was a large pirate ship riding the wind and waves with many vicious pirates on the deck wielding swords. ¡°It¡¯s really unfortunate. We usually don¡¯t encounter a pirate group when we take this route.¡± On the side, Aisha murmured in a low voice, and said with some worry: ¡°I hope this time we can negotiate peacefully.¡± Having said that, this guy already holds a gun in his left hand and a sword in his right, with a look of excitement on his face. He doesn¡¯t look like a peace-loving Captain. Rhodes felt speechless hearing her saying that. The women who live in the sea are indeed very fierce. Koala is like this, Eleanor is like this, Gion is like this, and so are her guards. No one know what kind of black technology the pirate ship didn¡¯t was equipped with, but it exploded suddenly and it quickly caught up with the merchant ship and began to forcibly board the ship. ¡°So that¡¯s how pirates rob¡­¡± Looking at the pirates who jumped across seven or eight meters in midair, a few black lines appeared on Rhodes¡¯ forehead. It¡¯s really simple, rude, direct, and effective! Yes, this is piracy! Under the restraint of the whiskers, the two sides did not clash immediately. The pirates also knew the rules very well. They laughed and stayed on the deck, waiting for their captain to come over. Soon, two figures, one tall and one short walked slowly over from the paved plank, walking like tigers, their eyes darkened, but they looked quite imposing. ¡°My rules are very simple.¡± ¡°Fight these two and if we lose, we won¡¯t take a penny, and we will leave you in peace!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t beat them, just obediently hand over 90% of your belongings and beautiful women, and you can save a life.¡± Volume 1 - CH 64 It was clear and sunny. But when these pirates boarded the ship, it got a bit chilly, and even the sun couldn¡¯t dispel it. The sailor guards swallowed with difficulty, their eyes were frightened, and some were even trembling. Miss Aisha, who seemed to be not afraid of the sky and earth, looked a little nervous. Without even noticing knuckles turned white from clenching her fist. ¡°It seems that this pirate group has a good reputation.¡± Rhodes thought so in his heart, and couldn¡¯t help but stare. The two in the front are obviously twins, one is slightly taller, but they have the same face. If it weren¡¯t for the difference in height, it would be hard to tell them apart. Seemingly aware of Rhodes¡¯ doubts, Aisha said in a low voice but solemnly: ¡°They¡¯re from the Twin Pirates that has recently gained fame. Captain Bar and Vice-Captain Bud are twin brothers. The two of them cooperate very well and are good at joint strikes. They even won against a powerful pirate with a reward of 170 million. .¡± ¡°The worst thing is¡­ these two brothers are total perverts and like to torture beautiful women the most!¡± Aisha clenched her fists, her face was as gloomy as water, and her eyes flashed with determination. If she¡¯s going to end up being captured, she would definitely jump into the sea to avoid humiliation. ¡°It¡¯s only 170 million, is it worth it to be so solemn?¡± Rhodes pouted, someone with such a low bounty, Rhodes could kill him easily when he first debuted! The silver fox back then was almost at this level¡­ ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± Aisha gave him a speechless look and was secretly disappointed in her heart. As expected, he was a young man who had never seen the world before. And this time. Bud was negotiating, he hummed in a low voice, while his face was full of flattery: ¡°Captain Bud, we can give you whatever you want, but just spare my family, can you do that?¡± ¡°Oh, dear brother as you already know the quality of the female slaves caught last time was too poor to withstand the toss, but this time I have to add something.¡± Bar smiled creepily. ¡°I see that there are a few good ones on your ship.¡± His eyes swept across Aisha and smiled. ¡°Can¡¯t we have a good talk?¡± Beard Guy gave up on peace, he didn¡¯t want to hand over his daughter. ¡°The rules are easy, you defeat us, and you will be free. Choose whoever you want, but don¡¯t you dare cry later!¡± Bar sneered. If he hadn¡¯t noticed how this merchant ship was filled with mercenaries and didn¡¯t want to lose people, he wouldn¡¯t come up with such nonsense. However, Beard Guys needed that hope, the look on his face was a little ugly, so he retreated, and said sincerely to a burly one-eyed man behind him: ¡°Mr. Nord, I can only rely on you, we will fight together.¡± Nord was a well-paid mercenary hired by Beard. But at this time, Nord was obviously not too sure about this, his eyes were dodging a little as he said: ¡°We shouldn¡¯t act recklessly. Life is the most important thing. If your daughter is gone, you can¡­ give birth to another one!¡± The prestige of the Twin Pirates was too great, he really didn¡¯t want to fight them, and didn¡¯t dare to collide with them, he just wanted to send these plague gods away as soon as possible. Hearing this, many sailor guards around started stepping back. No one wanted to collide with the Twin Pirates! The Beard Guy froze slightly when he heard these words, especially after feeling the gazes of the people around him, his expression was extremely ugly, and his fists were clenched tightly. Obviously, he won¡¯t just give up his daughter, he wants to go back to his hometown safely after this business trip with his daughter, he can¡¯t just accept this¡­ He said to Nord in a pleading tone: ¡°Mr. Nord, just join me if we couldn¡¯t win them then you don¡¯t need to die trying, we will just submit, I won¡¯t force it.¡± ¡°This¡­¡­¡± When Nord heard this, he couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. He was a little afraid that the Twin brothers would become fierce after the fight and kill them anyway. It¡¯s just a one-time hire, and he won¡¯t lose his life for it. Beard Guy was tangled, and the Twin Pirates were not impatient. Everyone seemed to be watching the show, including the twin, and especially, Bar, who seemed to like to torture other people and leave them in desperate situations. Rhodes stood on the upper deck, watching the farce below, and couldn¡¯t help shaking his head slightly. At first, he thought that these people could handle it, and didn¡¯t want to take action. After all, even if he defeats these little shrimps he won¡¯t gain even a bit of an increase in the energy bar. ¡°Huh, why not, I¡¯ll just consider it a warm-up.¡± ¡°What warm up?¡± Aisha turned her head suspiciously. But she found that Rhodes suddenly jumped up, drew a perfect arc in mid-air, and then landed on the bottom deck with a ¡°pop¡±, right in the middle of the two sides. Everyone couldn¡¯t help but turn their heads to look, and then froze for a moment. Everyone on the merchant shipping side was a little surprised. This mysterious young man stayed in the cabin as soon as he got on the ship and rarely came out, but he was highly valued by the captain¡¯s father and daughter. Many sailors secretly envied him and wondered what is his deal. No one would have thought that on such an occasion, this young man would dare to stand up. Hasn¡¯t he heard of the vicious name of the Twin Pirates? ¡°Come back quickly!¡± Aisha shouted nervously from above, for fear that this idiot would do something irreversible. Rhodes turned a deaf ear and walked forward with an expressionless face. Now that he has decided to make a move, naturally, he doesn¡¯t need any nonsense anymore. Whoosh! Before the pirates of the Twin Pirates could even have time to react, Rhodes suddenly disappeared in place. It didn¡¯t last more than a blink before that person appeared in front of the two brothers. One punch, one kick. Bang Bang! The two famous brothers flew out like straws, spewing blood in the air, and then crashed into their own pirate ship. Their large pirate ship trembled, causing quite a bit of wind and waves as if it was about to collapse! The whole place was dead silent! Everyone stared at this scene in astonishment. The jaw of the Beard Guy and the others were about to touch the floor. Aisha¡¯s eyes were about to pop out looking at this scene in surprise. The members of the Twin Pirates who were watching the show were all stunned. After reacting, they stared at Rhodes one by one, terrified, nervous, and afraid. When Rhodes¡¯ cold stares locked them. These pirates were all startled; they felt a cold chill from the soles of their feet penetrating their brains the moment Rhodes stared at them, and then they instantly rushed to escape by jumping boats. Just with a little bit of effort, the pirates on the deck fled, and people could even hear the pirates on their ship shouting to set sail¡­ However, Rhodes did not want to let them go. Rhodes stepped using Soru, stepped on the void using Geppo, and even rose out into the sky as if there were invisible stepping stones in the air. He walked step by step and finally reached the top of the pirate ship. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Rhodes draw his sword and proudly raised it into the sky. Dressed in white, while being blown by the sea breeze, it seemed as if a god had descended into this mortal world. Cut! Volume 1 - CH 65 The sky was clear, and it was as vast as ever. But whether it was a pirate, Aisha, or the others, only that young man in white with a sword in hand was in their eyes. holding the long sword, Rhodes waved it gently, and spit out the world in half. ¡°Cut!¡± Nothing can describe the sharpness of his sword! It seemed that it could cut even heaven and the earth into two pieces. For countless people, they could only see magnificent and dazzling lightning striking the ship. This sword energy hit instantly, easily cutting through the deck of the pirate ship, and then directly splitting the cabin. The keel, which is tougher than steel, only lasted for a moment before being cut off. At the same time, the astonishing power of lightning spread out, sweeping in all directions. Trick, prick, prack¡­ Facing the terrifying lightning energy, these ordinary pirates couldn¡¯t resist it at all! For a split second, the pirates who were still on the deck were electrocuted; their hair stood on end, and then fell to the ground one by one, twitching, foaming from their mouths, and dying. Squeak¡­ An eerie cracking sound came. Then Aisha saw that the large pirate ship suddenly trembled slightly, and suddenly split into two, while the cut looked extremely neat. What?! The pirate ship, which was broken in two, capsized in the sea, setting off an astonishing wind and waves, rippling away in all directions. ¡°My God, this, this is too much¡­¡± The Beard Guy was stunned, while Mr. Nord barely managed to squeeze a few words. ¡°This guy¡­is so strong!¡± The dagger in Aisha¡¯s hand fell to the ground, but she was unfazed by it, her eyes were locked on Rhodes with an astonished look on her face. Watching Rhodes defeating the two brothers truly surprised her. But watching Rhodes standing in the sky, cutting the boat with one strike, is a bit unacceptable. After all, Aisha and her father always did their business trips on her borders of the new world. Although they have heard of the destructive power of the top powerhouses, it is the first time that they have seen it with their own eyes. Dah. Rhodes floated back to the deck, glanced at the capsized pirate ship, and put his sword into the sheath. He was very calm as if he had done nothing. Well, in his point of view, this is true. Rhodes¡¯ current strength is levels above these brothers and the silver fox, who he had a lot of trouble defeating when he first debuted. There was silence on the deck for a while. Everyone looked at Rhodes¡¯ back in awe as if they wanted to say something in admiration, cheers, etc., but no one dared to speak, not even whisper, as if they were afraid that Rhodes would also give them a word. ¡°Sure enough, no increase in the energy bar, shrimps are shrimps, in the end, even if you chop a ship full of them, it will still be the same¡­¡± Rhodes shook his head slightly and suddenly felt that the atmosphere was not quite right. He clearly won, why is there no sound at all? He turned around slightly and looked at the group of people behind him. Seeing that they were all nervous, he couldn¡¯t help but smile: ¡°If you want the loot you better start before it sinks into the sea.¡± He spoke softly and looked like a normal young man, which subconsciously relieved the bearded guy and the others. ¡°This, this¡­¡± Beard Guy was used to these situations so he was the first to recover. He came back to his senses and seemed to want to say something, but he didn¡¯t know what to call Rhodes. ¡°Just call me Rhodes, and I would like to thank you for giving me a ride.¡± Rhode was unexpectedly very kind, so he quickly waved his hand and said: ¡°It¡¯s really my pleasure.¡± Rhode was polite, but the Beard Guy did not dare to disrespect him, because the power that this young man just showed was too powerful. ¡°Thank you very much for saving us.¡± ¡°We will be responsible for salvaging all the property of the pirate ship. These are your trophies, and we will never touch the slightest bit of them.¡± Seeing him act like this, Rhodes suddenly felt a little bored, and said lightly: ¡°As you please.¡± After saying that, Rhodes stood quietly as if thinking about something. Beard Guy did not dare to disturb him, so he saluted again, stepped back a few meters, then slowly turned around and began to direct the sailors to salvage. The mercenary Nord was the most ashamed out of the bunch, so he took the lead and jumped onto the wreckage of the pirate ship, and was shocked by what he saw. At first, he thought that the pirates of the Twin Pirates were so powerful that they shouldn¡¯t die even if they lost their ship. So he rushed up with that in his mind, and just to make up for his faults so that the devilish young man would not be dissatisfied with him. But when he arrived, he found something entirely different from what he thought. He found the corpses of pirates, floating on the sea. They were all dead. He even found the mutilated bodies of the two Twin brothers. That man, while cutting the large pirate ship with one sword, he destroyed all the pirates on it at the same time! ¡°This is too much¡­¡± Nord was silent. He has been a mercenary for some years. It is not that he has never seen such a powerful existence as Rhodes. But being so strong and so young is a little scary. However, he didn¡¯t have any feelings of jealousy. After all, the gap between him and Rhodes was so great that he couldn¡¯t even produce emotions such as jealousy, only awe was in his heart. ¡­¡­ On the deck. Aisha stood not far away with a tangled face, she wanted to go up to chat with Rhodes like usual, but she had an unusual faint sense of alienation. Strength brings awe, and awe naturally leads to alienation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?! He won¡¯t bite if I ask him for contact information!¡± Aisha hesitated for a long time, she murmured in a low voice, and a decidedly tragic look flashed in her eyes, like a soldier who was about to go to the battlefield. She was afraid that if she didn¡¯t go up now, she would never have the chance to talk with this man for the rest of her life. Rhodes Kenbanshoku Haki was as sharp as ever, and his perception was clear. He couldn¡¯t help but smile softly, sensing her state of mind, this was a little funny. He turned around, met Aisha¡¯s panicked eyes, and said in a mocking manner: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Miss Aisha, who is not afraid of the sky, would fear me just like the others!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing this slightly teasing tone, Aisha froze for a while, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little surprised. A few moments later she got inexplicably angry. ¡°Who told you I was afraid of you, you¡¯re too arrogant¡­¡± She snorted softly and said sourly. Obviously, the age difference is not big, she is a bit older, but the difference in strength is so terrifying. Rhodes smiled slightly and said, ¡°Forget about it, it¡¯s time now to do what we haven¡¯t done yet.¡± ¡°W-What¡­ what do you mean?¡± Aisha blushed, he surely means that, right? This guy is too strong, what if he tries to force her, should she accept it, acquiesce, or obey? Ah, isn¡¯t this a little erotic¡­ Rhodes gave her a strange look, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dinner time now.¡± After the Thunder Body Tempering exercise, he was hungry! Aisha¡¯s face darkened. Volume 1 - CH 66 The sailor guards are very professional, and they are very familiar with the salvage work. They quickly turned the pirate ship upside down and swiped it clean. When Beard Guy came to Rhodes with a list of belongings, he wasn¡¯t even sure that it would please Rhodes. ¡°Your Excellency, these are all the goods salvaged from the pirate ship.¡± The bearded man glanced at his daughter beside Rhodes in surprise, and then bowed his head respectfully, but sighed in his heart. Silly girl, how could you think of winning the heart of such a hidden dragon-like figure. Rhodes took the list and glanced at it. Suddenly his eyes widened slightly, and he said in surprise: ¡°There is actually a devil fruit?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡± Beard handed over a delicate box containing a red fruit that looked a bit like a coconut. ¡°Is this the legendary devil fruit¡­?¡± This was the first time that Rhodes actually touch or seen a Devil Fruit. ¡°The Twin Brothers didn¡¯t eat, is it because it¡¯s not worth it?¡± Rhodes rubbed the fruit with great interest, but after looking at it for a while, he lost interest. He made relevant preparations when he was at the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army and read the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, but there was no record of this fruit in it. This is obviously an unknown Devil Fruit. However, judging from the shape and other details, it is very likely to be a paramecia devil fruit. If one person can eat one devil fruit, and if it¡¯s going to be an unknown fruit, the best choice must be the Logia type, followed by the Zoan Type, and then the Paramecia type. The Logia-type Devil Fruit, no matter what kind of element it is, as long as you eat it, you can almost have the power to sail in the four seas and even cross the first half of the Grand Line. Even in the new world, the Logia type is an extremely rare and powerful ability, which can conquer many people. After all the three current admirals of the marines, all have powerful Logia-type abilities. Next is the Zoan type. This is because the Zoan type will at least guarantee you a boost in power; even the most common animal type can at least enhance the user¡¯s physical fitness such as strength, speed, and defense. If you are lucky enough to come across an ancient type, a legendary beast specie, then you will make a lot of money. With painstaking practice, it should be no surprise to become a big name in the pirate world. And Paramecia¡­ This is very character-based. There are all kinds of abilities, strong and weak, weird and weirder. The uncertainty is too huge. The sentence ¡°The strength of the fruit depends on the person¡± is quite correct, but normal people are not traversers, and their brains are limited by the world they are living in. The most typical example is probably Buggy the Clown, a terrifying character who can easily be the strongest pirate in the world. Buggy and Shanks are both trainee crew members of the Roger Pirates. Both of them were arrogant and dared to challenge the existence of Whitebeard head-on. Even if there is a gap in their qualifications, it is estimated that it will not be too big. But 20 years later, Shanks has reached the pinnacle of his life, became a Yonko, and ruled the new world, but Buggy is still fishing in the weakest sea and even became Luffy¡¯s first stepping stone as soon as he came out to the sea. From this, it can be seen that betting your life on an unknown devil fruit of the Logia or Zoan type can work, but betting on the Paramecia type is simply a big gamble, and it can destroy your future. Recovering from his chaotic thoughts, Rhode shook his head lightly. With swordsmanship and thunder, his strength system is already complete enough. He doesn¡¯t even look forward to the new talent that the system is hiding, at most it¡¯s just icing on the cake. What¡¯s more, the side effects of eating a Devil Fruit are too great, not only to be restrained by seawater, but also restrained by sea stone cuffs, and even by dark fruit, he has no interest in it at all. But even if he¡¯s not interested, that doesn¡¯t mean other people aren¡¯t interested. That¡¯s what Aisha is. She stared at this devil fruit with shining eyes, and her expression showed almost undisguised desire. For the people at the bottom of the pirate world, Devil Fruit is almost the only way to go up. She is different from her father who has already planned to withdraw from the sea. She has her own dream, especially after Rhodes appeared, and her dream became firmer. And dreams without strength as a foundation are just empty talk! This look is too hot. Rhodes sensed it almost immediately, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile softly, saying: ¡°I don¡¯t need this devil fruit. I¡¯ll sell it to you for 100 million Belly.¡± Beard Guy was stunned for a moment. One hundred million Belly for a Devil Fruit is a steal. Because although Devil Fruit can be priced, it has always been priceless. He pondered for a while and noticed Aisha¡¯s expression out of the corner of his eyes. Only then did he understand, he bowed respectfully and said: ¡°Thank you very much for your generosity.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say these polite words, and give me the money quickly.¡± Rhodes waved his hand indifferently. It¡¯s really useless for him to take this devil fruit, he won¡¯t eat it himself, and his friends don¡¯t need it, so he can only sell it in the end. In this case, instead of having to go to the auction house by yourself, it is better to be a favored person and sell it to Beard Guy. Aisha is a pretty good girl. The father froze slightly, and then he hurriedly went and came back with a card, and handed it to Rhodes. ¡°Your Excellency, this is a universal bank card in the New World, with 200 million Belly in it.¡± In fact, the treasures on the ship of the Twin Pirates are not worth 100 million, about 60 to 70 million, but Beard Guy is obviously a very good person, so he just made it up for Rhodes. ¡°A bank card?¡± Rhodes took it and glanced curiously, ¡°Is this related to the world government?¡± ¡°No, the Golden Emperor, an underground bank run by Gild Tesoro. The name of the World Government is not easy to use in the New World, so only people like the Golden Emperor can afford to open a bank.¡± ¡°This card is not registered, you can go to any island to exchange the money in it.¡± Beard quickly explained. ¡°Golden Emperor?¡± Rhodes pondered slightly, of course, he knew this guy. Gild Tesoro is a person with golden fruit ability. he developed his devil fruit to the level of awakening. In terms of strength, he is a character on the same level as Doflamingo. His status is, even more, bigger than Doflamingo. Gild Tesoro is the head of Gran Tesoro, the world¡¯s largest entertainment city, and controls many industries around the world. The most incredible thing is that he owns 20% of the world¡¯s Belly! The impact of so much money is simply immeasurable, and it is even enough to manipulate the Celestial Dragons, use the power of the world government, and use the money to dominate the dark world! This is a super boss who really eats both black and white. ¡°No wonder so much money turned out to be inside a bank he opened.¡± Rhodes muttered and sighed a little. Fortunately, this is a world where force is supreme. Although the power of money is powerful, it also has limitations. In the eyes of those who have really reached the top, Gild Tesoro is probably not too different from the Joker. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. There were no other accidents on the next itinerary. The merchant ship arrived at the destination smoothly and slowly entered the port. ¡°Goodbye, everyone.¡± Rhodes lightly jumped to the port, waved at Aisha and the others, and walked into the city without looking back. ¡°Separation does always hurts¡­¡± Aisha¡¯s eyes flickered with a faint strange color, holding the devil fruit in her tender little hands, her expression gradually became firmer. ¡°Have you really made up your mind?¡± Beard asked. ¡°Um.¡± Aisha nodded lightly, ¡°I¡¯m gonna leave the new world, and I will start from the first half of the Grand Line until I return one day to this place.¡± After speaking, she did not hesitate to eat the devil¡¯s fruit. ¡°If not, how can I get closer to him?¡± She muttered to herself, but her pretty face instantly turned bitter. It¡¯s so unpalatable, augh¡­ Volume 1 - CH 67 A dimly lit hall. Sabo and Koala are discussing with a group of revolutionary troops. ¡°The security on the Bright Slaveyard is very strict, and it is difficult for us to rescue Yuri and others intact.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not easy, we can¡¯t just leave them. Uncle Yuri and the others were caught in order to save us.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say we leave them, it¡¯s just that the strength is not enough. Although the enemy leader can be handed by Sabo, we won¡¯t be able to stop the attacks of the others, and may even get caught too!¡± ¡°Did you contact our base camp? Can they send someone to support us?¡± ¡°They said it¡¯s a bit difficult. The new world is not our key penetration area.¡± Everyone was talking and arguing. Sabo couldn¡¯t help but have some headaches. Rescuing is different from any other type of mission. It is necessary to ensure the safety of Yuri and others to the greatest extent possible. Koala was actually there, drinking black tea calmly. Since the last time she met Gion, she suddenly fell in love with black tea, and she felt that the gesture of sipping black tea was very elegant. ¡°Well, that guy Rhodes should be back soon.¡± Taking a sip, Koala¡¯s thoughts diverged a little. Remembering what Rhodes told her half a month ago, he should be almost here. ¡°If he was here, this mission would be easy to solve.¡± Koala and Sabo looked at each other, and the thought flashed through their minds almost simultaneously. Bam! Bam! At this moment, there was a soft knock on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± A revolutionary soldier frowned, showing a look of vigilance. There are a lot of secret posts outside. If there is a meeting, no one should disturb it. Sabo, however, showed a hint of a smile, came to the front in a blink of an eye, opened the door, and when he saw the familiar figure, he smiled and said: ¡°Sure enough, it¡¯s you.¡± Right outside the door is Rhodes who just arrived. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time.¡± Rhodes also smiled, and while walking into the hall, he nodded slightly to Koala. Sabo closed the door, barely suppressed the joy on his face, introduced Rhodes to the agents present, and said: ¡°Looks like we can do it now.¡± ¡°With Rhodes here, there is no problem with attacking the auction house!¡± As soon as these words came out, the revolutionary troops present were shocked and showed disbelief. The young man in front of him actually has the power to change the situation of the battle? That¡¯s impossible, this kid Rhodes is younger than Sabo! Everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious and looked at Rhodes secretly, but it was not easy to question, because Sabo¡¯s prestige was very high. As an agent trained by Dragon himself, and the future chief of staff of the revolutionary army, Sabo has established a good reputation in the entire revolutionary army at this time, and his popularity is very high. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Rhodes blinked, a new mission as soon as he arrived? ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain.¡± Sabo smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it on the way.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± This is a world where the strong are respected, and no conspiracy can compare to absolute force. Although Rhodes¡¯ strength at this time is not enough to rush through the world, he can easily deal with most situations. ¡­¡­ The action content is simple. Yuri, a cadre of the revolutionary army, and many soldiers of the revolutionary army were arrested and turned into slaves. Sabo and the others came to the rescue when they heard the news. However, the Bright Slaveyard is heavily guarded. Its leader once dominated the sea, nicknamed ¡°Poison Wolf¡±, with a reward of 250 million. However, Sabo was confident about dealing with him. The strength of the other subordinates is also very good. There are several well-known mercenaries in the underground world who work for him, so the revolutionary army felt a bit of pressure preparing this plan. Moreover, they can¡¯t even rely on the people who were they going to rescue, once you become a slave, you will lose strength. When you are rescued, you will be in a weak state, unable to directly become a combat force, at that point they will even need more protection. Some vicious slave owners will even plant terrifying chronic toxins. Which means fleeing is to die. Under such circumstances, preparing a plan was really hard. ¡°Bright Slaveyard¡­¡± After listening to Koala¡¯s introduction, Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but smirk, and then said strangely: ¡°This guy called poison wolf is very interesting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± Koala rolled his eyes at him and said: ¡°Stick to your part of the plan. How sure are you to block other enemies?¡± Hearing this, the rest of the revolutionary army pricked up their ears; they were very curious about this mysterious young man¡¯s answer. ¡°If the enemy¡¯s strength is what you want me to deal with, then I¡¯m gonna say¡­¡± Rhodes thought for a while before giving a slightly conservative answer: ¡°I¡¯m 100% sure.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing this answer, everyone in the revolutionary army fell silent, not knowing what to say. Even Koala couldn¡¯t help showing a hint of surprise. She knows him. Rhodes is not actually a person who likes to brag. His self-confidence comes from his strength, and he rarely does things he is not sure about. Could it be that you have really gotten stronger in the past three months? She couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it. Sabo¡¯s expression was very calm, and he couldn¡¯t help being a little surprised when he heard this. Protecting the hostages and repelling the intruding enemy at the same time is a much more difficult task than facing Poison Wolf alone. Because there are a lot of enemies and they are attacking from all directions, there will certainly be some people who are good at sniping with firearms. In this case, it is difficult to cover everything. Sabo himself is not very sure he can handle it. After all, he is a martial arts specialist, and no matter how fast he is, there is a limit. It is impossible to block all attacks, and it is impossible to kill all enemies at once. The team quickly arrived at the destination. This is a place similar to the Colosseum in ancient Rome. There was some kind of slave shops in the Colosseum, attracting audiences who are keen on blood. Outside the venue is a low and continuous building complex, where many slaves are imprisoned. Occasionally, some well-dressed nobles and merchants can be seen purchasing slaves inside. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± Rhodes asked. ¡°Go in, find Yuri and the others, rescue them all, and force the steward to unseal them.¡± Sabo said. Rhodes listened to this with a head full of black lines, and couldn¡¯t help but look at Koala, but found that the girl also had a look of approval. ¡°Well, I admit that this is indeed the easiest way.¡± Rhodes covered his forehead weakly. The rescue operation went smoothly as expected. With the force of their group, it is still very easy to break into the Bright Slaveyard. After all, it is impossible for Poison Wolf and others to stay on guard forever. Under the persecution of a revolutionary army, the steward, who was in fear of death, did not dare to resist at all and quickly unsealed Yuri and others. ¡°Next is the most troublesome part.¡± Sabo¡¯s expression gradually became serious. The Bright Slaveyard is a place with many eyeliners and surveillance Den Den Mushi. The news of their invasion probably spread long ago. Poison Wolf and the others will reach the battlefield in thirty seconds. ¡°Since it¡¯s all started by being reckless, let¡¯s be reckless to the end.¡± Rhodes slowly drew out his sword and grinned. Before he could finish his words, a group of fierce figures with pistols and swords came quickly. The first few were the Poison Wolf and his subordinates. Volume 1 - CH 68 Since Poison Wolf runs such a large slave yard, he naturally has a large number of subordinates, with more than a thousand around him. Most of these people are recruited pirates, and a few are killers or mercenaries from the underground world, but no matter what their identity is, they are all battle-hardened elites with skilled techniques. Finding Rhodes and the others, his subordinates were all bloodthirsty and excited for killing, as if they were looking at moving money bags, their eyes were filled with lust and cruelty. Their aura gathered together was filled with evilness and murderous intent. In an instant, it seemed as if winter had come, and the people watching from afar all shivered subconsciously and backed away again and again. ¡°Attack!¡± In such a situation, both sides don¡¯t need to talk nonsense. Poison Wolf and Sabo rushed out of their groups at almost the same time and then collided. Bang! Their fists collided, and Poison Wolf didn¡¯t seem to be falling to a disadvantage. His eyes narrowed slightly, a little dignified, but angrier. To run such illegal places, owners rely on their fierce reputation and prestige. If they were provoked to such an extent and unable to hit back, I am afraid that in the future, everyone will treat them as soft persimmons. Crackling! Sabo and the Poison Wolf are constantly clashing, and ordinary people could only see two shadows entangled in the field, their speed was too fast! These two are first-class physique masters. Every punch and every kick was hit with powerful force. Wherever they landed, the ground of the street was cracked. Colliding and clashing, again and again, the two ended up in a nearby street, clearing the field for the main battlefield. ¡°Don¡¯t just watch catch them all!¡± ¡°That chick with short orange hair is mine!¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless, what¡¯s so good about that woman? That handsome guy in white is so attractive. He¡¯s white and tender, and he looks quite arrogant. I know someone that likes this type the most.¡± There was a burst of unbridled discussion from the opposite side, and it seemed that the victory was assured. The New World is different from other places. The average strength of an individual in this sea and the first half of the grand line is simply incomparable. A group of more than a thousand people naturally possess extraordinary strength, even a major Rear Admiral of the Marines Headquarters can easily be besieged and killed with the right number. However, Rhodes¡¯ strength is not comparable to the major Rear Admiral of the headquarters! Almost in the next instant. Rhode moved. Boom! As soon as he stepped in, an invisible shockwave blew the dust away, the ground trembled violently, cracking like a spider web, and at the same time, the whole person rushed out like lightning! Whoosh! Everyone saw a flash of lightning, and in a second a figure instantly crossed a distance of more than 20 meters and then crashed into the enemy. The people on the opposite side didn¡¯t even have time to react! Bang bang bang¡­ In an instant, the enemy array was pierced abruptly, and dozens of figures flew out, completely untenable. ¡°What the hell?!¡± The little bosses in the front row were all dumbfounded. It seemed like something slipped past them when they weren¡¯t paying attention? And this time. Rhodes has already rushed to the very core of the enemy group; every eye around him belonged to the enemy! Looking at the increasingly hideous expressions of the people around him, Rhodes smiled lightly. ¡°Have you ever seen¡­ a thunderstorm?¡± Before he finished speaking, his whole body suddenly flashed in a bright blue light. The light became more and more blazing. Gradually, it was like a small sun descending into the world. The murderous intent in the eyes of the surrounding people was wiped out almost instantly, and panic has already appeared on their faces. Even though they couldn¡¯t use Kenbunshoku Haki, instinct reacts to such danger, just like when a human sees thunder that pierces the sky. ¡°Quickly¡­¡­¡± He wanted to say ¡°run,¡± but before he could finish his line. The terrifying blue electric arc jumped instantly. stab, stab¡­ The seemingly endless power of thunder surged out, turning into thunderous silver snakes, as thick as an arm, sweeping in all directions instantly No matter how well-trained these people were, in front of such strong surging lightning they won¡¯t have a chance at all. Roar! The shrill screams covered the sky and shook the world. Rhodes was very calm. Human traffickers, and slave owners, when these people decided to oppress slaves and buy and sell them, they have already been wiped out of their humanity, and they deserve to die. Letting one of them live is actually a waste of air. ¡°Unfortunately, it doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡± Thinking of Gion-sensei¡¯s powerlessness towards such people, Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly. The slave industry has always been prosperous in this world. Of course, there is the temptation of huge profits, but more, it is actually because the world aristocrats lead by example. If you want to put an end to this phenomenon, there is no point in destroying the slave yards. You should start from the root cause, overthrow the world government, and wipe the Celestial Dragons from existence. Boom! The scale of this lightning attack was too great. The terrifying light illuminated the sky. Most of the islands were clearly visible. Looking at it from a distance, people couldn¡¯t help showing awe. As for Koala and the others nearby, they were completely speechless. It¡¯s not only that the other side didn¡¯t have time to respond, In fact; even Koala and others haven¡¯t reacted yet. They just put on a fighting stance, preparing for a bloody battle, and then they saw a figure rushing out of their group, and then¡­ the battle seemed to be over? ¡°Is this for real?¡± A revolutionary army agent murmured in a low voice, hearing the roaring thunder in the distance, his body couldn¡¯t help but tremble when he said these words. ¡°He really got stronger.¡± ¡°So much stronger¡­¡± Koala¡¯s eyes were shining, looking at the figure standing proudly inside the lightning field. On the other side, the battle between the two was also affected by this attack. ¡°Logia-type thunder fruit?!!¡± Looking at the roaring power of thunder in the distance, the Poison Wolf¡¯s expression became hideous, as if he had seen a ghost. A trace of awe gradually rose in his heart. Even Sabo was shocked and said with a wry smile: ¡°It seems that he really left a strong impression on Koala.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be left behind either.¡± He muttered to himself, and his face, which had always been calm, couldn¡¯t help but show a dash of blood thrust, feeling a sense of urgency. As the most talented young generation of the revolutionary army, he is also arrogant, he will not easily admit defeat. Besides, Rhodes is just that great when it comes to destructive power. It¡¯s not the first time he¡¯s seen his amazing attack power. He is confident that he won¡¯t lose to Rhodes! ¡°Let¡¯s start with you.¡± Sabo got serious, the Poison Wolf was quickly pushed to the corner, and he started to get hurt and coughed up blood. He was horrified to find that the young man in front of him had better physical skills than him! Especially his unique claw technique that can easily break through his Bushoshoku Haki, tear his skin and muscles and cause serious trauma. Volume 1 - CH 69 The dazzling thunder gradually ceased. What appeared in front of people¡¯s eyes was a pitch-black scorched earth and a mass of black unknown objects. The burning smell was so strong in the air. The residual high temperature distorted the air, making the white figure standing in the center of all of this a little blurry and mysterious. The thunderstorm has a wide range and is very destructive, but the thousands of people were not all crowded together, and the ones at the outer edge were lucky enough to escape. Seeing this terrifying scene, these people all took a deep breath; some of them felt fragile, and even fell to their knees with shocked looks, almost incontinent. Lightning is the power of heaven, it destroys everything, and that¡¯s what makes it the most awe-inspiring. The little bosses who were at the front of the team before and were not affected by this attack looked at each other and could see the deep fear and panic in each other¡¯s eyes. Step, step, step¡­¡­ The crisp footsteps emitted as if triggering something. These little bosses turned like birds in awe, exclaiming and wanting to flee, but it was too late. The figure in white flashed by in the field like a ghost. He drew his sword, sheathed it, and finished the job in one go; Rhodes didn¡¯t even look back at them and continued to walk forward. The five little bosses were shocked. A bloodstain appeared on the neck almost at the same time, and a trace of blood spurted out. They were terrified and subconsciously wanted to touch their necks, but just as their hands moved, their heads fell off. This scene left a strong impact on everyone in the revolutionary army, making them all gasp. The previous magnificent thunderstorm made them feel a heartfelt shock. But this scene when he killed these five in a flash made them feel a little bit of horror in their hearts and chills down their spines. Extreme speed, extreme sharpness, no one dared to think that he can stop his sword. ¡°It¡¯s only been less than a month since I was arrested, when did such a strong man appear in the revolutionary army?¡± In the rear, Yuri, a cadre of the revolutionary army, was stunned; if being arrested is what it takes for such a man to appear then so be it. If there are more young talents of this level, the dream of overthrowing the world government may be realized in a few years. After defeating a thousand enemies, Rhodes calmly walked to the vicinity of Sabo¡¯s battlefield; he wanted to see how strong Sabo is now. In the original book, Sabo appeared in Dressrosa in 1524. As soon as he appeared, he showed incredible physical skills, easily defeating many strong men including the captain of the first team of the Blackbeard Pirates and Vice Admiral Jesus Burgess, who is extremely powerful. It is now August 1521. His eldest brother, Fire Fist Ace, is already famous in the new world and joined the Whitebeard Pirates. It is estimated that he will soon become the captain of the second division. His younger brother, Monkey D. Luffy, will also set sail from the East China Sea next year, stirring up the situation. These three people can be regarded as beings with the fate of the protagonist, and their strength cannot be viewed from a conventional perspective. Bang bang bang¡­ Perhaps aware of Rhodes¡¯s gazes, Sabo subconsciously stepped up his game, showing the special physical technique of Dragon Claw Fist to the fullest. There is a unique momentum in it. Suddenly, Sabo seized the opportunity and kicked the Poison Wolf into the air. Roar! With a light roar, his figure flashed and instantly appeared above the Poison Wolf. His hands flashed with dark and shiny black colors, and then he pressed it on the Poison Wolf¡¯s chest. Dragon¡¯s Breath! There was a flash of sharpness in Sabo¡¯s eyes, and his fists brought a vague phantom that fell like a violent storm. After this extremely fast blow, Poison Wolf was forcibly hammered from midair to the ground. Bang! The earth cracked open instantly, and a huge amount of smoke and dust rose to the sky as if a big explosion had occurred. ¡°He has already developed this technique?¡± Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly, showing some surprise. This zero-distance attack method similar to Bruce Lee¡¯s One-Inch Punch was also used by Sabo in the original book. It smashed the ring of the Colosseum in one fell swoop. Its power was incredible, truly, like the breath of a dragon. When the smoke was cleared, Rhodes found that the famous Poison Wolf was dying, coughing up blood, it seems that Sabo¡¯s attack has destroyed his internal organs. ¡°What a really¡­really unique¡­physical arts.¡± Poison Wolf¡¯s eyes widened as if he wanted to imprint Sabo¡¯s image in his mind, and then he turned his head slightly and looked at Rhodes not far away. He was suddenly surprised to find that the culprits of his death were nothing but two young men in their twenties. ¡°Oh, have I also become a stepping stone¡­¡± When this thought crossed his mind, the look in the Poison Wolf¡¯s eyes gradually faded, his breathing slowly stopped, and he died completely. Phew. Seeing this scene, Sabo let out a long sigh of relief; he was relieved that he didn¡¯t fall too far behind Rhodes, and barely kept his composure. At this time, Koala also walked over with the group of revolutionary army agents. ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s not advisable to stay here for a long time.¡± The two nodded lightly and walked forward first. When passing through the scorched black area, Sabo couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in amazement: ¡°Dude, your destructive power is too exaggerated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been three months, but you¡¯ve become so much stronger. It looks like you¡¯ll be able to surpass me soon.¡± He looked solemn, obviously not joking. ¡°I told you Rhodes has become a monster, maybe he can defeat you now.¡± Koala mocked: ¡°What¡¯s more, he¡¯s two years younger than you!¡± Sabo¡¯s face suddenly turned green, and he felt that his heart was pierced. In the past, when making comparisons, he always had the advantage of being young. Even if he was inferior to others, he could use his age as a cover. But compared with Rhodes, this advantage is completely lost, and it¡¯s even the other way around. Listening to the conversation between the two, everyone in the revolutionary army took a deep breath. The man who solely and instantly killed a thousand people, was only seventeen years old? At this age, what kind of food are they eating? Everyone fell into deep thought for a while. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± Rhodes shook his head amusingly. He is growing fast, but Sabo is not slow, after all, he is the second brother of the protagonist. If there was a real fight, Rhodes claimed that the odds of winning should be slightly higher, but it was not necessarily so. After all, Sabo¡¯s physique skills are extremely high, and he has a strong fighting talent. The special force method of his original technique dragon claw fist is still very threatening to Rhodes. Even if he can win, it should be a tragic victory, and it is even possible that they will end up dying together. However, these gaps will quickly widen after Rhodes starts to use the power of thunder to temper his internal organs! ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡± Rhodes could clearly feel the powerful beating of his heart. His internal organs were being strengthened little by little, and it would not be long before he reaches the safest limit. He just needs to wait a bit longer. Volume 1 - CH 70 At the end of the mission, Rhodes and the other two naturally didn¡¯t stay outside and returned to Baltigo by boat. After more than ten days of sailing, the sailboat returned to the Baltigo without any further problems. Looking at the familiar white soil in the distance, all three let out a sigh of relief. After all, this is the new world. Strong people are everywhere, the sea is treacherous, and the weather is unpredictable. Even with the strength of the three, they are startling every step of the way, with constant twists and turns. At this time, when they saw their familiar island, they could finally feel relieved. Although Baltigo¡¯s landscape is not good, and it is a little desolate, for them, it is the safest place in the New World. The three of them landed on the shore, reported back to the revolutionary army at the coastal base, and then walked directly to the headquarters castle. It is always faster to go home than to leave. For most of the day, the quaint vicissitudes of the headquarters castle were already in sight. The three of them looked at each other and accelerated their speed tacitly, and soon came to the bottom of the castle. ¡°You guys go to rest first, I¡¯ll hand in the task,¡± Sabo said. Koala stretched his waist and said a little lazily: ¡°Speaking of this, it seems that you will soon become a senior cadre.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Sabo waved his hand and walked to the top floor of the castle. Rhodes and Koala also said goodbye to each other and went back to their respective homes. The headquarters castle is still quiet and empty, with quaint stone pillars standing root by root. Rhodes sighed with emotion. He still remembered that when he first became a reserve last year, he felt a little shock and a sense of insignificance in this place. But at this moment, looking at this place again, there is only a kind of indifference and calmness. Because this castle, no matter how splendid and magnificent it is built, he can destroy with one sword. ¡°Well, this desire to destroy is not good.¡± Rhodes shook his head slightly, but his feet kept going, and he walked quickly to the outside of the familiar training hall. ¡°Hey, Rhodes is back!¡± When someone saw Rhodes, they were slightly startled, revealing a strange look. Nia took a few steps, and quickly came to Rhodes and said: ¡°Why did you take so long! Shanoa, Crow, and the others came back several months ago.¡± Speaking of which, she leaned over her and said with a sigh of relief, ¡°You didn¡¯t fail in your mission, right?¡± ¡°Fail?¡± Rhodes was slightly stunned and immediately reacted. For normal cadre assessment tasks, the results will be available in at most a month. But because of his apprenticeship with Gion, it took him more than four months. Naturally, after such a long time, some people would start doubting. Some people even thought that Rhodes have died outside. After all, it is the new world, and this kind of thing had happened before. Figuring out the joints, Rhodes shook his head amusingly and said: ¡°How could it fail?¡± ¡°It was just delayed by some things.¡± ¡°This is good, this is good.¡± Nia breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the words, and said with a smile: ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it either. How could a monster like you fall in the cadre assessment.¡± ¡°I heard that guy, Crow, has developed his Kenbunshoku and is waiting to challenge you.¡± ¡°He is very confident. Many people are optimistic about him.¡± When Crow lost to Rhodes, it was largely due to the suppression of Haki. After all, Crowe¡¯s speed and strength in the half-beast transformation surpassed Rhodes¡¯. Rhodes shook his head lightly and did not speak, but Nia could feel absolute confidence from him, and a strange look flashed in her eyes. The two walked casually and chatted. Speaking of which, Nia at this time has also become an official agent in the revolutionary army, but it has not been assigned yet. At this moment, Rhodes was startled when he saw two familiar figures approaching. One is Crow, and the other is the one-armed swordsman who triggered his talent for swordsmanship when he first came to this world! ¡°That¡¯s Crow¡¯s teacher, the swordsman Ryuji, who is very powerful and a high-ranked cadre.¡± Nia followed her gaze and introduced Rhodes in a low voice. ¡°Ryuji?¡± Rhodes blinked, and suddenly remembered the legendary dragon-killer, Ryoma because Ryuji¡¯s attire was very much like a traditional samurai of Wano. I don¡¯t know if there is any relationship between the two. Even if he is not a descendant of the great swordsman Ryoma, it is estimated that he¡¯s from Wano. Wano is a mysterious island in the New World. There are many brilliant swordsmanship schools proliferating in it. The most famous of them is the legendary swordsman Ryoma who killed a dragon. At this time, Crow also noticed Rhodes, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he walked over. He was ready to challenge him, but then Ryuji suddenly opened his mouth and said: ¡°Come back, you are not his opponent.¡± Crow¡¯s expression froze when he heard the words, his face was blue and white. But Crow was very aware of how powerful his teacher was and how sharp his vision is. He didn¡¯t dare to disobey at all and retreated obediently. It¡¯s just that there is still a strong sense of unwillingness and suspicion in his eyes. In order to defeat Rhodes, it can be said that he racked his brains and worked hard, and finally developed his Haki. Just when he was about to defeat Rhodes and regain his glory, he was denied by the most respected man in his life. Even if he trusts his teacher, he can¡¯t help but raise a little doubt. Could it be that his teacher is wrong? A few months ago, he was still in an inextricable battle with Rhodes. If it weren¡¯t for his lack of control over Haki, he would have definitely won. At this time, Ryuji stared at Rhodes with deep eyes, as if he had noticed something, and said with great interest: ¡°If there¡¯s a chance hope we can learn from each other.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rhodes was surprised by this man¡¯s sharpness, but he didn¡¯t feel any fear and responded calmly. ¡°This¡­¡­¡± Hearing this, both Crow and Nia took a deep breath, showing disbelief. Ryuji is a senior cadre of the Revolutionary Army. He was a top swordsman at his peak. Even if he lost one of his arms, his strength is still terrifying, and he is definitely stronger than a rear admiral. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that we have a strong man like you with us.¡± Ryuji seems to be a serious man, even if he is complimenting, his expression is still very solemn, and he looks rather old-fashioned. He took a deep look at Rhodes, then took Crow around and left. ¡°He¡¯s a very strong swordsman.¡± Rhodes narrowed his eyes and said. ¡°Of course! Ryuji-san suddenly appeared in the new world, making a name for himself, and became popular for a while. Later, he was recruited by the leader and became a senior cadre.¡± ¡°Many people were unconvinced at that time, but Ryuji defeated more than ten senior cadres in a row with one sword, and this established his reputation in one fell swoop.¡± Nia finished speaking, and then showed a strange look, ¡°Such a man, that is pretty famous in the world of swordsmanship, why would he ask you to learn from each other?¡± ¡°Could it be that he wants to take you as a disciple?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you are the most talented swordsman in our revolutionary army, maybe he wants to accept you as a disciple.¡± ¡°Hurry up and apprentice, Rhodes, this is a real swordsman expert, and he is only steps away from being a great swordsman.¡± She was excited and kept talking as if she wanted to be a disciple. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the qualifications to be my teacher.¡± Rhodes shook his head lightly. An injured top swordsman; his strength is at best six or four. If they really fight to the death. With the power of thunder, Rhodes has a great chance of winning. In this case, if Rhodes asks him, Ryuji would probably be embarrassed to accept! ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡± Hearing this, Nia¡¯s excitement froze on her face, and she was a little overwhelmed. After not seeing each other for a few months, has Rhodes reached the point where even senior cadres can¡¯t reach him? Looking at Rhodes¡¯ very calm and handsome face, Nia couldn¡¯t doubt it; if this man said it, he would definitely be able to do it! Of course, Rhodes is confident, because tonight, he will begin the first tempering of the internal organs! According to previous experience, the effect of the first tempering session is often the most significant. Volume 1 - CH 71 At the same time. On the top floor of the Revolutionary Army headquarters, a slightly gloomy conference room. Sabo was reporting back the mission to Dragon. Starting from Rhodes¡¯ assessment of killing Silver Fox, encountering Vice Admiral Gion in Chronos Island, the latter accepting Rhodes as her disciple, the separation of the three, then the reunification and the last rescue operation. Sabo explained everything in detail. No lies and no emotions were involved in his speech. Because he knows very well that in front of Dragon, any lying or personal preference is meaningless. He was the leader of the Revolutionary Army, and he didn¡¯t build up this great power out of nothing, if he doesn¡¯t even have the ability to distinguish between real and fake news, he might have been infiltrated and dealt with by the world government long ago. ¡°That¡¯s how things went.¡± After finishing speaking, Sabo stood there respectfully, his expression seemed to be calm, but he secretly looked at Dragon¡¯s face from the corner of his eyes, obviously, there was no superficial peace in his heart. Similar to Luffy and Ace, Sabo is also the kind of existence who is willing to be your friend once he recognizes you. Although he didn¡¯t get along with Rhodes for a long time, he had already recognized him as a friend of the same age in the revolutionary army. They are competitors and combat partners. ¡°Do you have a good impression of Rhodes?¡± Dragon¡¯s tone was very calm, and his expression was very indifferent. Sabo was completely unable to figure out what this mysterious teacher was thinking. He pondered for a while, then cautiously opened his mouth and said: ¡°Rhodes is a trustworthy person, and his dislike of the world¡¯s nobles and dark systems which is shown in the general direction is also very sincere.¡± ¡°Not only me, but Koala also thinks it¡¯s impossible for him to be led astray by his marine teacher.¡± As he spoke, Sabo couldn¡¯t help becoming nervous. Even in their previous discussion, both he and Koala felt that Dragon wouldn¡¯t pursue the matter, but they always had a bit of concern about this matter. The so-called concern can turn into chaos. In an environment like the Revolutionary Army, Sabo hardly had many friends of the same age. Rhodes¡¯ behavior and character could be called the one that suits his taste the most. The scene fell into silence for a while, and the atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating. After a while, Dragon suddenly said: ¡°Your mentality is in a mess, this way you won¡¯t be take the responsibility for the future of the Revolutionary Army.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not suspicious of Rhodes, I was just testing you.¡± Sabo finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard these words, and scratched his head in embarrassment. He knew that he has just lost a few points, but he didn¡¯t regret it. If can¡¯t feel stressed when his friend is in a trouble, then he¡¯s just a scam. Perperperperperp¡­ At this time, the phone rang, and Dragon raised his hand to answer it. A voice sounded from the other end, which seemed to be Morley, the commander of the Western Army. ¡°Boss, the person in charge of the Kano Country just died in battle.¡± ¡°The cadre Siyue is dead? What¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°During a meeting to discuss the division of forces, he died at the hands of the Godfather of the West Sea, Capone Bege. The Happo Navy also participated.¡± ¡°I see. I will immediately send someone to take over the revolutionary affairs at the Kano Country.¡± After finishing speaking, Dragon hung up the phone and pondered. Neither the Happo Navy nor Bege is easy to provoke. Ordinary cadres and even senior cadres may not be able to deal with them. Who should I send? Dragon was thinking and suddenly raised his head to look at Sabo. After several years of training, Sabo is obviously good enough in terms of strength and ability. Wait¡­ There seems to be another one! In that case, let¡¯s compare the two, it happens that Ryuji is also at the headquarters. He thought for a while, and a perfect plan appeared in his mind. ¡­ In the middle of the night, everything was silent. Rhodes sat cross-legged on the bed and entered deep meditation. Kenbunshoku is different from the spiritual sense of cultivation. It is an ability to sense the breath of creatures and the emotional changes in one¡¯s heart, and it cannot be used for internal vision. But Rhodes is a little different. The addition of perception attributes from the system caused a subtle change in Rhodes¡¯ Kenbunshoku. He could vaguely ¡°see¡± the movements in his body, just like when he awakened his Busoshoku Haki. However, compared to before, what Rhodes can ¡°see¡± is much clearer, and he can even tell which is which. At this moment, in Rhodes¡¯ induction. The muscles and bones are the most powerful and vibrant, while the internal organs are a little bleak, which means that they are overwhelmed. At this moment. One after another small and weak thunderbolts flashed out, followed the blood, and spread in all directions. What is different from before is that in the past, these thunderbolts would only pass through the muscles and bones. But this time, at will, it slowly approached the internal organs. The stimulation of the electric current caused obvious changes in the sensitive and fragile viscera, and they began to squirm slightly as if they were twitching. Chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, and a series of various symptoms appeared. Rhodes almost spit out a mouthful of blood, and his skin turned red as if he was about to ooze blood. At this time, the heart was stimulated and the blood flow accelerated. Such a terrifying performance made Rhodes shudder violently. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t try to temper his viscera recklessly back then. ¡°c-calm d-down¡­¡­¡± Out of pure determination, Rhodes managed to stabilize his mind and continued to test slowly. Gradually. With his rich experience, he quickly found a certain balance point, and the electric current began to stimulate the viscera regularly. There wasn¡¯t much discomfort, just like the first time he tempered his muscles and bones. The foolproof preparations are finally ushering in the harvest. Rhodes did not encounter too many accidents and started refining his internal organs without any danger. ¡°Successful¡­¡± The thought flashed through his mind, and Rhodes gathered all his thoughts and devoted himself to strengthening the viscera. This kind of strengthening that is almost visible to the naked eye has not been experienced for a long time, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel how he missed it. He felt every minute and every second passing. In Rhodes¡¯ perception, the aura of his internal organs is rapidly increasing. The entire sensed picture, the imbalance caused by the obvious gap between strength and weakness before, has been gradually made up, and it looks much more comfortable. ¡­ The next day, early morning. Rhodes opened his eyes, and a look of joy flashed across his face. ¡°The first session of the viscera refining was successful!¡± He slowly got up and got out of bed, and walked a few steps. Maybe it¡¯s his imagination but after the internal organs were strengthened he feels as if his soul was transferred into a new body. No matter how he moves his hands or feet, his whole body is wriggling in response. This feeling is extremely wonderful as if the body is completely new, even the air seems to be fresh, his breathing became extremely smooth, and there is a feeling of being able to use his body freely and vividly. ¡°The most obvious change should be the increase in physical strength!¡± After a little experimentation, Rhodes came to this conclusion. In the past, his physical strength was far inferior to that of real veterans. If he was dragged into a protracted battle, he would easily suffer. But now that his core has been strengthened, this shortcoming has been made up for. When the internal organs are strengthened to a certain limit, he will have that amazing stamina the strongmen of the pirate world have. Three days and three nights, or even ten days and ten nights of fighting wouldn¡¯t be a problem anymore! Volume 1 - CH 72 A few days later, the practice room. This is the highest-standard training room in the headquarters castle. It is made of a special material that is only slightly weaker than Seastone, and it is about tens of square meters in size. The various equipment here is top-notch. They can measure the strength and speed in detail, and roughly evaluate the strength of the person. But that¡¯s only applied at the Cadres¡¯ level if it goes higher, the equipment will simply get destroyed. Koala used to practice here. Rhodes stood in front of the punch strength testing machine, pondered for a while, and then concentrated a bit of strength before he punched out suddenly. Boom! The testing machine vibrated violently, and then a dazzling red light kept flashing. It looks like it had been ruined. There was a mark several inches deep where his fist hit, and the lines were clearly visible. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t working.¡± Rhodes touched his chin, secretly trying to evaluate his own strength. The strengthening of one¡¯s core cannot directly enhance physical strength and agility, but it can play a role similar to integration and coordination. Prior to this, due to the fragility of his viscera, Rhodes couldn¡¯t fully exert his body strength. Because once he tries to channel all of his strength, he will end up hurting his internal organs. But at this moment, with the improvement of the strength of the viscera, this restriction has gradually disappeared, and the power that Rhodes can exert has increased by a full 20%! What a terrifying increase this is! With Rhodes¡¯ strength at this time, even if it is only 20%, it is enough to defeat ordinary pirates with over 100 million, and ordinary revolutionary army cadres may not be able to stand in front of him. ¡°This level of strength should have surpassed the original Lao G. I don¡¯t know how much difference there is between this level and a Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters.¡± A trace of thought flashed in Rhodes¡¯ mind. ¡°However, even if there is still a gap in strength, with the power of thunder and swordsmanship, my destructive power is completely comparable to that of ordinary Vice Admiral in the headquarters, or even higher.¡± There is also a big gap between each Vice Admiral Ordinary people would be easily beheaded by an existence of Doflamingo¡¯s level, but the top Vice Admirals of the headquarters can contend in a short period of time without losing the wind. All in all, after refining the viscera, Rhodes¡¯ physical strength has been greatly improved, his breathing has been light and deep, his basic qualities have also been strengthened, and his overall strength has risen by a level. If he faces Lao G and Harmon again, the battle should end faster. At this time, footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the door, and then Koala opened the door and entered. As soon as she came in, her eyes were fixed on the fist test machine in front of Rhodes. Seeing the clear fist mark on it, she was a little surprised and said: ¡°You¡¯re practicing your physical skills?¡± If it¡¯s a sword swing, this destructive power is of course nothing to be surprised by, but if it¡¯s a fist, it¡¯s a bit surprising. ¡°No, I just got a little bit stronger after practicing a little bit,¡± Rhodes said. ¡°¡­¡± A few black lines could not help but appear on Koala¡¯s forehead. What do you mean you got stronger after a bit of practice? No one can get this strong after a bit of practice! From Koala¡¯s point of view, someone who¡¯s proficient in Fishman Karate, the power of this punch completely surpassed her by a notch. Koala sighed: ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this ever again.¡± ¡°The leader asked me to call you over. It seems that there is an important task. Let¡¯s hurry over.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take a shower first, my whole body smells like sweat,¡± Rhodes said. ¡°Go, go, go.¡± Koala was a little impatient and her tone was very aggressive. While waiting, Kerla came to the punch test machine with a blank face, mustered all her strength, and punched out. Then Koala unexpectedly discovered that her punch couldn¡¯t even leave marks on the punch testing machine. ¡°¡­¡± Koala¡¯s beautiful eyebrows twitched slightly; she took a deep breath before suppressing the urge to dissect this freak, Rhodes. Of course, if she does that, it¡¯s very likely that Rhodes will overturn it. Rhodes took a shower very quickly, and after a while, he got dressed and walked out of the bathroom, and said to Koala: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kerla didn¡¯t say a word and led the way angrily. On her pretty face, the four characters ¡°very upset¡± were written brightly. Rhodes didn¡¯t bother to talk to her. How can he be blamed for increasing his strength so quickly? In silence. The two kept moving forward. Rhodes was surprised to find that Koala was leading him outside the headquarters castle. ¡°Could it be that you got so angry that you decided to find a place to fight with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sensing the increasingly weird eyes behind her, Koala finally lost her composure and snorted coldly: ¡°It¡¯s a battle.¡± ¡°You are too strong. In order to prevent the castle from being destroyed, the battle location was set outside.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Rhodes saw many figures standing in the distance, including Monkey D. Dragon, Murloc Hack, and many other high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Army, as well as Crow and other new members of the Revolutionary Army. Farther away, Sabo was confronting Ryuji in an open space. ¡°It seems that this task is very challenging that Ryuji is actually in charge of the strength appraisal.¡± Rhodes was thinking, but he didn¡¯t stop on his feet. He came to Dragon and bowed. His expression was very calm, and he looked at Dragon indifferently. Perhaps the normal revolutionary army, even Sabo and Kerla, would feel nervous and at a loss in front of Dragon. But it¡¯s impossible for Rhodes to be afraid. In the eyes of Rhodes, who is a time traveler, whether it is the Yonko, Dragon, or the existence of the Gorosei, they are just towering mountains waiting for him to step over. There is respect, but no fear. Dragon stared fixedly at Rhodes, staring at the latter¡¯s pitch-black eyes that were as flat as a mirror lake, and then suddenly raised the corner of his mouth, and said in a low and restrained voice: ¡°These eyes really deserve to belong to the strongest existence the reserve force has ever witnessed in the past twenty years.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Rhodes was neither arrogant nor impetuous and made a steady deal. ¡°Very good.¡± Dragon turned around with a smile, and said to Sabo in the field: ¡°You two can start now. Don¡¯t be shy about going all out. I will be responsible for your safety.¡± With Dragon¡¯s strength, it is completely enough to control the situation of the battle, and there will be no accidents. Sabo and Ryuji nodded. ¡°Thanks for having me.¡± As a junior, Sabo naturally saluted first, and then took a fighting posture. ¡°You go first.¡± Holding the hilt of the sword, Ryuji said softly to Sabo, with a condescending look on his face. Seeing this, Sabo¡¯s expression remained unchanged. His hands became claws, and he kept moving around Ryuji, like a cheetah about to attack, looking for an opening. Ryuji¡¯s expression was always calm. Even when his back was facing Sabo, there was not the slightest fluctuation. The whole person just stood there quietly, with one hand lightly resting on the hilt of the sword. Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at it for a while, and suddenly said in a low voice, ¡°Sabo can¡¯t win.¡± Koala turned her head in surprise and said somewhat dissatisfied: ¡°Sabo is very strong, and he will definitely become a senior cadre soon. Ryuji is strong too, but he¡¯s also injured.¡± ¡°In my opinion, the outcome is hard to tell.¡± She snorted softly, not sure if she was still angry. Volume 1 - CH 73 The little girl was quite confident. Rhodes smirked, and then said, ¡°Oh? Do you wanna bet?¡± ¡°Bet? Bet on what?¡± ¡°One hundred million Bellys!¡± ¡°One¡­ 100 million Bellys? Since when do you have 100 million Bellys?¡± Koala was taken aback. One hundred million Bellys is not a small number. If Rhodes didn¡¯t sell that devil fruit, his fortune is estimated to be only six figures by now. ¡°Why do you care?! You just have to know that earned it fair and square, I didn¡¯t seal or rob. So do you wanna bet or not, final word?¡± Rhodes squinted at her as if looking at a poor soul, full of superiority. Koala was so angry, she gritted her teeth and wanted to agree. But suddenly she thought of something, her expression froze suddenly, and then he whispered angrily: ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have enough money!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so poor, how much do you have?¡± Koala thought for a while before opening her mouth and saying: ¡°About 84.3 million.¡± After saying these words, Koala suddenly realized the seriousness of the matter. She was actually betting on family property, and it was a gamble that ruined her entire family. Koala instantly became vigilant, staring at Rhode suspiciously. Rhodes looked calm and frank as if there was nothing wrong, but Koala was such a clever person, she knew very well that nothing wrong was the biggest problem. ¡°You are deceiving me!¡± Her delicate little face suddenly bulged into a bun, and just as she was about to continue to say something, the sudden battle in the field caught her attention. Only a ¡°clang¡± sound was heard. When Sabo¡¯s claws collided with Ryuji¡¯s sword, there was a deafening sound of gold and iron, and an invisible wave of air burst out. There was a momentary stalemate. Then everyone saw that Sabo was thrown out abruptly, with traces of bright red blood oozing from his fist. While Ryuji just shook his body slightly. With one blow and collision, the verdict will be determined. Sabo was not discouraged after losing the first clash. For a strong man of his level, this injury is nothing at all. Whoosh! In the next moment, he rushed out and with a flicker, he came close to Ryuji looking for an inside fight. Crack! The two collided dozens of times in an instant. In the eyes of Crow and others, they could only see two fuzzy black shadows entangled together. Occasionally, shock waves spread out, tearing the earth with black cracks. The earth trembled, the wind howled, and dust filled the sky. But anyone with a discerning eye could see that the black shadow holding the sword was firmly suppressing the barehanded black shadow. ¡°This is the true power of a teacher!¡± Crow¡¯s expression was filled with pride. Nia and others were also amazed. Is this the strength of senior cadres? As expected, Brother Sabo is still too young. ¡°Ryuji¡¯s age is at least twice that of Sabo¡¯s. It¡¯s normal to lose.¡± Koala explained to Rhodes, and at the same time secretly rejoiced that she didn¡¯t agree to bet against each other just now, otherwise she would have returned to where she was before liberation. ¡°Oh.¡± Rhodes was noncommittal. Another fierce collision. Sabo¡¯s whole body was thrown out, his clothes were torn, his hair was messy, and his forehead was covered with sweat. His eyes were extremely serious, but there was a trace of powerlessness and unwillingness. Ryuji is too strong; he couldn¡¯t find a single weakness. He is behind Ryuji in almost all aspects, and his attack power and combat experience were crushed by the latter. If he is not very talented in physical skills, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to handle himself in front of Ryuji up until now. During the battle, even if he tried his best, it was still difficult to avoid his sharp blade, and he was hit again and again. Facts have proven that Even with one arm, Ryuji is still levels above him. Sabo still has a long way to go. Dragon shook his head slightly in his heart, and said in a deep voice, ¡°The battle is over, Sabo you¡¯re out, Rhodes you can go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sabo quickly collected his mood, and when he passed by Rhodes, he reminded in a low voice: ¡°Be careful, his technique is perfect, almost flawless.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Rhodes nodded casually. Indeed, any Vice Admiral-level character in the headquarters has almost honed his various abilities to the extreme, and there are almost no shortcomings, especially this kind of character who is proficient in physical skills or swordsmanship. ¡°Is it Rhodes¡¯ turn?¡± Hack the Murloc, Gilteo and other high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Army were looking forward to it, but they didn¡¯t have too much expectation. Sabo is recognized as the number one genius of the Revolutionary Army. He learned from the leader Dragon, and his strength has been respected by the younger generation for a long time. Yet even he can¡¯t deal with Ryuji. Rhodes has just been promoted less than a year ago, so what can he do? ¡°I really don¡¯t know why the leader asked Rhodes to go up. He is at most slightly stronger than me, how could he beat my master.¡± Crow was very upset. Shanoa and other cadres are mostly like this. Perhaps in the entire field, only Nia and Koala have more confidence in Rhodes. Koala¡¯s confidence was coming from what she saw today on the punch test machine, while Nia simply thinks that this man will not lose. Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Rhodes. But he didn¡¯t notice it. He put one hand lightly on the hilt of the sword, looked calmly at Ryuji in front of him, and said: ¡°You fought just now, do you want to take a break?¡± ¡°No, it was just a warm-up.¡± Ryuji said lightly, and a fiery look suddenly flashed in his eyes. Since Rhodes was called up too, he knew that his intuitive guess about him was probably correct. This is a very powerful young swordsman. If he wants to win, he has to do his best. ¡°Pleased to be facing you.¡± Ryuji said and then drew his sword. ¡°One-shot, instant slash!¡± This is a special sword drawing technique. Bang! The speed at which Ryuji drew his sword was almost as fast as lightning. The moment he drew the sword, a terrifying force was formed. Buzz! A dark green arc of light suddenly appeared. Following Ryuji¡¯s sword slash, this arc of light suddenly formed a bright sword energy, which was shot out instantly. It looked as if it could cut everything, it was unstoppable. Ryuji is definitely the strongest existence that Rhodes has encountered so far. Facing the incomparably powerful swordsman Ryuji who is probably a samurai from Wano, Rhodes was ready to fight with an extremely strong fighting spirit, full of vigor. ¡°One Sword Style Lightning!¡± Thanks to his enhanced new body, Rhodes exerted his strength to the extreme, stronger than any time before! A bright silver-white sword energy was shot out, like a crescent moon, bursting out from his blade. Boom! The two sword Qi collided in the air and suddenly exploded, causing two deep sword marks to appear on the ground. Ryuji used to be a top swordsman. Although he lost an arm at this time and his strength became weaker, his understanding of swordsmanship did not decrease. After it forcibly defeated Rhodes¡¯ silver-white sword aura, the dark green sword aura was weakened a bit, and then continued to rush out, knocking Rhodes back two steps before finally dissipating. ¡°It really is strong!¡± The initial collision was slightly weaker, but Rhodes¡¯ fighting spirit was now even higher, his lazy attitude completely disappeared, and what was displayed before everyone was a serious state they had never seen before. It was time to get serious. Volume 1 - CH 74 ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Seeing Rhodes¡¯ unscathed appearance under Ryuji¡¯s attack, Crow¡¯s eyes almost popped out; he simply couldn¡¯t believe it. A few months ago, this guy Rhodes was only slightly better than him, and he only lost because he couldn¡¯t use Haki. He has worked so hard during these last few months to learn Haki, just to find that his rival is already able to stand up to his teacher. This is simply¡­ unscientific! The others who graduated at the same time as Rhodes were also dumbfounded and their jaws were on the floor. Not to mention them, even Hack, the Fishman who can be considered one of Rhodes¡¯ teachers was shocked Initially, He was proud enough to know that his strength is just slightly worse than Ryuji¡¯s. And Rhodes was able to receive Ryuji¡¯s attack head-on. Doesn¡¯t this mean that this guy¡¯s strength is almost ready to compete with him? Hack felt that ten thousand beasts were galloping past in his heart. With Rhodes¡¯ talent and strength that he already knew about, he actually envisioned the day when he would be surpassed by this guy, but he never imagined that this day would come so quickly! ¡°To achieve this level without the power of thunder, Ryuji really has no hope of defeating this guy.¡± Koala clenched her fists, inexplicably looking forward to it. ¡­ And in the field at this time. Sting, sting, sting¡­ Rhodes was using the power of thunder now, and at the same time, as he swung his sword, violent thunder swept across, turning into a pillar of thunder that rushed towards Ryuji. The air was filled with electric arcs, making one¡¯s hairs stand on end. ¡°Is this the rumored Thunder Sword Intent?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really outrageously strong.¡± There was a little exclamation in Ryuji¡¯s eyes, but his expression was still calm, and he slashed out sending a sword Qi out without even thinking about dodging or evading. Crack! The sword energy swept forward as if it was going to split everything, almost instantly splitting the thunder pillars that were targeting him. At the same time, Ryuji stumped the round with his foot, setting off a gust of wind, and then as fast as lightning, he rushed towards Rhodes. ¡°But if this is all that you can do, then you lose!¡± Ryuji¡¯s eyes returned to indifference. A top swordsman would naturally have such arrogance. He was already a little uncomfortable when he was entangled by Sabo before. Fighting Rhodes again at this time, even though he was truly amazed by Rhodes¡¯ talent and strength, he didn¡¯t want to hold back anymore. No one would like to be a stepping stone. Moreover, this kind of exaggerated natural-type thunder power and strong current will definitely affect him in a long battle, so a quick decision must be made. ¡°Ryuji¡¯s slash is too strong, even Rhodes¡¯ Thunder Sword Intent is useless.¡± ¡°A senior cadre is a senior cadre, in the end, they are not so easy to overthrow.¡± Everyone watching the battle showed sympathy. Rhodes¡¯ performance was amazing enough, but it was still a bit worse. Everyone believed that if Rhodes were to sharpen his swordsmanship and Haki in the next few years, he might be able to defeat Ryuji, but right now, it¡¯s still too early. Sabo also shook his head slightly; not optimistic about Rhodes¡¯ chances. Only Dragon was as immovable as a mountain, and his eyes were always indifferent. He asked Ryuji to be in charge of appraising the junior¡¯s strength. He never actually thought that Sabo and Rhodes could win. The specific reason behind this is so he can decide who to choose; that of course depends on which of the two will perform better. Moreover, they needed some good beating. It is never a great thing for a talented man to have it easy all the time; occasional failures are more conducive to growth. At this time, Ryuji burst out with an astonishing speed, like lightning across the sky, and rushed to the front instantly; in his head, he saw the end of this challenge with two slashes to the body. ¡°The middle-level characters in this department are indeed much stronger than Lao G and the others. No wonder even Sabo has no power to fight back.¡± Rhodes secretly sighed. Before refining the viscera, he was able to beat Lao G and Harmon violently by himself, because although these two were experts in physical arts, they were suppressed by him in terms of speed. They didn¡¯t have any AOE abilities, so they couldn¡¯t deal with Rhodes at all. But Ryuji is different. Ryuji himself is a top swordsman. In terms of pure swordsmanship, he is a step above Rhodes. Besides, whether it is strength or Haki, he is far superior to the other two, and even the speed that Rhodes is best at is only one level behind him. He is simply one step less than him in all aspects. ¡°Unfortunately for you, you came a few days late. If I confronted you before refining my internal organs, I¡¯m afraid that even if I fight with all of my power I would only be able to put up a good show. But now¡­¡± Facing Ryuji who came so close and slashed down with his sword, Rhodes¡¯ eyes flickered with thunder. The benefits of the initial viscera training did not only make his physique and strength skyrocket, which is reflected in the book of knowledge, but also accumulated more than 900 energy, advancing towards the full value, which is 947! The color of the power of this level of thunder is extremely deep, and the violent power is enough to instantly turn an ordinary person into charcoal. The previous sword Qi he used was just a small trial! Holding the sword in both hands, the blue light in his eyes soared, and suddenly he swung his sword. ¡°One Sword Style Thunder Dragon!¡± The nearly perfect power of thunder was driven to the extreme, and the sudden burst of power changed the color of the world. The only thing that everyone could see is the dark blue thunder. Buzz! The air was humming and rippling. Before the sword could be swung down, the mighty and irresistible power of thunder caused Ryuji¡¯s expression to change suddenly. ¡°How is this possible!¡± Ryuji was shocked. The thunder he used before was already amazing enough, but Rhodes could even make it stronger?! Because the distance is too close, and he was already in motion to strike Rhodes down, it was impossible for Ryuji to just step back, so he could only swing his sword to meet him and hope for the best. Almost at the next instant. A thunder dragon that was highly condensed by lightning and glowing with pale silver light rushed out violently and slammed into Ryuji¡¯s sword. Even though Ryuji used all his strength to push his Busoshoku Haki to the extreme, and his whole body exuded an aura of cutting everything, he was still forcibly defeated by Thunder Dragon. Boom! The ground split open, and a terrifying deep gully appeared, and Ryuji was forced back by the thunder dragon for more than a dozen meters. Every time he was forced back, the ground split in front of him. By the time the Thunder Dragon dispersed, Ryuji was a hundred meters away, and in front of him is a shattered land. Poof! A great amount of scorching blood with electric arcs rushed out of his mouth. Looking at the young man with the sword bathed in the terrifying thunderlight in the distance, he couldn¡¯t help but show a hint of unbelievable shock. With one strike of that electrified sword, the situation was reversed. The audience was silent! There is only one thought in everyone¡¯s mind. Is this real? Can the Thunder Sword Intent actually do this?!! Even Dragon, who had always maintained aloof and deep manners, almost dropped his jaw and was extremely moved. Even if he is in charge of the revolutionary army, he is well-versed in ancient and modern times, he knows astronomy from the top and geography from the bottom. He has never seen or heard of such a monster who can play with thunder depending only on his Sword Intent like this. The Logia thunderbolt fruit is nothing more than that, right? Koala was even more stunned. She had seen Rhodes¡¯ thunderstorm some time ago, and she was shocked at that time, but after all, it has only been a few days! This thunder dragon that tore through the ground is nothing in comparison! It abruptly changed the situation of the battle and repelled the senior cadre Ryuji. ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t this too much!¡± Volume 1 - CH 75 Rhodes has been exploring various combinations of the power of thunder and swordsmanship. Thunder Dragon is one of those combinations; in fact, the strongest move that he could come up with, which blasted the mighty Ryuji into the air with a single strike, shocking the audience. ¡°This guy Rhodes is actually so strong?¡± Sabo smiled wryly, his eyes full of shock. The premonition really came true, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so fast, even with Sabo¡¯s calmness, it was a bit hard to accept. It¡¯s not that he can¡¯t accept being surpassed. With Rhodes¡¯ demonstrated talent and potential, surpassing him is almost a certainty. Even if it feels a little uncomfortable, Sabo still agrees. But he never expected that this day would come so soon¡­ As for Crow, Shanoa, and others who graduated at the same time as Rhodes, they have completely lost their words at this time, and they are all in a daze, their minds are blank, and they¡¯re just in disbelief. This¡­ It seems that even the heavens cannot stop Rhodes at this time! In the field. Ryuji took Rhodes¡¯ blow of thunder dragon head-on, which made the hand holding the sword tremble. ¡°This level of swordsmanship¡­¡± Ryuji¡¯s eyes were serious. If he was at his peak, he might still be able to catch up to him, but at this moment, he was a little bit powerless. Whoosh! The next moment, Rhodes moved violently. Between lightning and flint, his whole body spanned a distance of nearly 100 meters in an instant, bringing out a stream of light. The speed he showed at that moment didn¡¯t look any slower than Ryuji¡¯s! Ryuji didn¡¯t dare to be careless and even raised his sword to greet him. Bang! When the blades collided, huge sparks were blown out, and the sound of metal and iron clanging swept out like sound waves. ¡°His strength is inferior to mine!¡± As soon as it collided, this thought flashed in Ryuji¡¯s mind, but immediately after, there was a violent thunder roaring, and lightning piercing the air like silver snakes. Seeing this, Ryuji¡¯s face suddenly changed colors, he stepped back without hesitation, and at the same time swinging his sword, splitting the thunder. But even so, through the conduction of the metal sword blade, the strong current still affected his body, and he trembled uncontrollably. Although this range is very weak, in a battle of this level, any mistake may lead to losing the advantage. The thunder in Rhodes¡¯ eyes skyrocketed, and he carried himself forward without hesitation, swiping his sword and slashing. Taking advantage of Ryuji¡¯s disadvantage, he gradually grasped the rhythm of the battle and suppressed the latter¡¯s aura. Aura is a very mysterious ability, that can only be possessed by the strong. Rhodes is obviously a strong man, and he also has his own aura. This aura is like his swords, going forward without hesitation, cutting everything. Keng Keng Keng! The sword blades collided continuously, and the power of thunder shook and roared wildly. Even though Ryuji tried his best to restore the situation, facing Rhodes at this time, he seemed powerless. Each has his style, and as a swordsman, Ryuji¡¯s style is actually an offensive one. Often, one blow of his sword is enough to make the opponent exhausted, so as to control the rhythm of the battle. But at this moment, his strongest aspect was suppressed by Rhodes, and the rhythm of the battle became chaotic. If he wanted to attack with all his strength, he would immediately be suppressed by Rhodes¡¯ Thunder Dragon. He wanted to use his speed to detour and look for weak points, but Rhodes¡¯ speed was not weak at all. Whether it was the speed of the body or the reaction speed of his nervous system, they were top-notch. In the end, a swordsman with an offensive style was forced to defend. If it weren¡¯t for the strong thunder currents that constantly affect his strength, he wouldn¡¯t actually mind defending until he finds an opportunity to attack; however, this way, the further the battle progresses, the greater Rhodes¡¯ advantage will be! Boom boom boom! Two brilliant sword Qi collided together, bursting out into the sky. Boom! The deafening roar even made the people in the headquarters castle look over curiously, showing surprise, why is the lightning striking the ground over there. By now, people like Crow and Nia couldn¡¯t even comprehend this kind of power. They felt a bit of insignificance. A random sword Qi is enough to kill them, and occasionally a thunderbolt can seriously injure them. Under the leadership of the Hack and the others, they withdrew far enough away, but they could still feel the sharpness of the constant collision as if the air was stabbing their skins. There was also the terrifying thunder that made their scalps tingle. Even after such a distance, their hair seemed to stand on end. And finally, it ended. Accompanied by a crisp sword groan, the famous dark green sword flew out of Ryuji¡¯s hand and plunged into the ground far away. Ryuji froze for a moment then glanced blankly at his trembling right hand. He can still remember that day when he was defeated by that man and lost his arm, he practiced the one-hand sword style hard and vowed to never lose his beloved sword in battle. Because for a swordsman, dropping the blade in battle means defeat. Since leaving Wano Country and entering the new world, this oath has never been broken, but he never expected that today it would be broken by this young swordsman. After a long time. He just came back to his senses, looked at the indifferent young man in front of him with a complex expression, shook his head with a wry smile, and then said: ¡°I lost.¡± There was a kind of relief in his tone as if had let go of something, and the whole person¡¯s momentum gradually had a strange change. This startled Rhodes slightly, showing surprise, but he quickly recovered his calm. Is it so easy for the great swordsman to just give up? It¡¯s not like Ryuji is weak, and it¡¯s not like he can¡¯t find a solution for his lost arm if he keeps practicing he has the potential to be a great swordsman. ¡°You are really good. It seems that the world will witness one more great swordsman in the future.¡± Ryuji said in a calm tone. After his sharpness had subsided, he seemed to have changed a little. His face was still solemn, but he was no longer aggressive. He was like an old master. ¡°Thanks for your good words. I will work hard.¡± Rhodes wasn¡¯t humble either. A swordsman who gave up on becoming a great swordsman is definitely not a good swordsman. Rhodes was even thinking about defeating Hawkeye and taking the position of the world¡¯s number one swordsman. As for Zoro, well, let him challenge me then. Ryuji didn¡¯t continue talking, but just took a deep look at Rhodes. Even though he just gave up on his dream, Ryuji couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit surprised that this kid actually defeated him. He once heard Crow talk about Rhodes, and he knew that this young man wasn¡¯t even in his twenties, he was just seventeen. At this age, he has the power to defeat him. This kind of talent and potential is really incredible. Ryuji can also be said to be well-informed. During his years in the revolutionary army, he traveled all over the world, experienced all kinds of storms and waves, and met many young and strong men, but he has never seen such a monster. This is no longer something that can be achieved by pure talent. Will, hard work, luck, opportunities, and other aspects are all indispensable! Volume 1 - CH 76 The moment they heard Ryuji admitting defeat, Crow and the newly-promoted revolutionary soldiers came back to their senses. Suddenly, a series of gasping sounds sounded on the field, and a layer of fine dust was rolled up. ¡°Rhodes actually defeated a senior cadre¡­¡± This news is undoubtedly unbelievable, but the fact that it happened before your eyes, you have no choice but to accept it. This is too much! Although Rhodes was very strong before, he was actually not so strong as to break through the sky. It was a kind of strength within the scope of understanding, and the talent potential displayed was also acceptable. Some people like Crow and others still had the intention to catch up and surpass. But in this battle, the astonishing strength that Rhodes displayed was really unbelievable, and it shattered any hopes they had before. ¡°He¡¯s really a monster¡­¡± Shanoa shook her head with a wry smile and completely lost the will to chase after him. In this life, she would consider herself lucky if she reaches the height of Ryuji. But Rhodes, this boy who is seven or eight years younger than her, has already surpassed Ryuji. The gap between them can hardly be measured. Moreover, she is very clear that this gap will probably become wider and wider until she can no longer see him. Crow was also a little depressed. Even his most respected teacher is no match for Rhodes, so he has nothing to say. The previous hope and self-confidence seem to have become a joke. These young people of the same generation as Rhodes were in awe. Hack, Gilteo, and other senior leaders of the revolutionary army were also amazed and looked at Rhodes with a kind of respect. It¡¯s no longer the way they used to look at him as a junior. Strength determines status. With Rhodes¡¯ ability to defeat Ryuji, no one would foolishly treat Rhodes as a young junior. This boy in white is enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them! If it weren¡¯t for the lack of qualifications, he might be directly promoted to a senior cadre. ¡°Win¡­I won, Rhodes won!¡± Koala covered her mouth in surprise. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really amazing.¡± The look in Sabo¡¯s eyes was a little complicated. He clenched his fists and his eyes gradually became firmer. It seemed that he has to work harder, without slacking off. The moment Rhodes sheathed his sword, the battle finally came to an end. It was only then that people noticed how shattered the battlefield was. Sword marks intertwined, and the ground was scorched black as if it had been baptized by thunder. ¡°Come with me Rhodes, the others leave.¡± Dragon said in a deep voice, and the rest of the revolutionary army dispersed one after another, but before leaving, they all took a deep look at Rhodes. Having seen this battle, they had only one thought in their minds. That is, one more step and this young man will become a strong man who can change the world. How long will take? One year, two years, three years? No one knows, but even if it will take three years, this guy will only be twenty years old! ¡­ meeting room. ¡°Your task this time is to go to the Kano Country and take over the work of the senior cadre, Siyue. Kano country is one of the countries that recently joined the World Government. The country is powerful, but the situation within it is complicated. There is also the large-scale armed organization Happo Navy, which is currently in charge of it. These are related Information, check it out when you have time.¡± Intelligence control officer, Gilteo handed over some documents. ¡°Thanks.¡± Rhodes took it with a nod, glanced at it, and memorized it all in his mind. Next, Gilteo explained Rhodes¡¯ task in detail. Generally speaking, dealing with the underground forces, collecting materials, propagating revolutionary ideas, etc¡­ The violent overthrow of the regime is not yet the first choice of the revolutionary army. ¡°Actually, you should be fine dealing with this task.¡± Gilteo said: ¡°However, on this journey, you will travel alone from the New World to the Western Sea. You call this the last test. ¡° ¡°I hope you can complete it satisfactorily, and don¡¯t be careless.¡± In the eyes of these senior leaders of the Revolutionary Army, Rhodes, who has demonstrated terrifying potential, can be called the future of the Revolutionary Army, and no one wants such a seedling to have an accident. But at this level, if you don¡¯t go out to sea and gain experience, it may be difficult for you to fully reach your potential. Therefore, no one tried to object. ¡°Ok.¡± Rhodes nodded, suddenly feeling weird. Normal people break into the Grand Line from all over the world and finally enter the new world. This journey can often make a person transform and grow slowly through time. But Rhodes practiced in reverse¡­ He started from the new world where the strong are like clouds, then to the first half of the Grand Line, and finally back to one of the four seas of the Blue Sea. Of course, this is not to say that there are no strong players and no danger in the Grand Line of the Blue Sea. Rhodes, who is familiar with the original work, is very clear about how many crouching tigers and hidden dragons this sea is hiding, and there must be many retired strong men on the Blue Sea. Besides. These places are also where the Marines control the most tightly. Because of Rhodes¡¯ identity as a revolutionary army, the personnels of the world government are also potential enemies. In a sense, it is even more dangerous than the new world. ¡°Okay, you go and get ready first, we¡¯re leaving tomorrow.¡± Gilteo laughed. Rhodes nodded, turned, and left. After he left, the meeting room suddenly fell silent. Gilteo pondered for a while, but couldn¡¯t help but said: ¡°Boss, the matter about Gion and Rhodes¡­¡± He looked worried and a little uncertain. But Dragon waved his hand to stop him from finishing his sentence, and said calmly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen it yet?¡± ¡°For such a talented young man, it is impossible for Gion alone to influence his will and standpoint, even I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°We just need to know that his position is definitely not on the side of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government¡± ¡°To overthrow a behemoth like the world government, we must learn to be tolerant and accommodate and combine all forces of resistance.¡± Dragon¡¯s tone was deep and his eyes were dark. The world government has ruled the world for 800 years, and it is difficult for anyone to estimate how deep its roots are. Even the Marines, who are their allies, are suffocating. What is there in the dark is simply unmeasurable. At this time, Rhodes, who had just walked out of the conference room, ran into Koala, Nia, and Sabo who were waiting for him. ¡°How is it? When are you going to leave?¡± Koala said with a smile. ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal together, it¡¯s a farewell.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The four set off and soon arrived in the town. The streets and buildings are still the same. They have been away for more than half a year, and there is still no change. Walking on the street, Rhodes could feel many eyes looking at him, with awe, longing, admiration, and even envy¡­ It is estimated that the news of the battle was spread by the reservists. Perhaps the townspeople don¡¯t know what kind of figure the swordsman Ryuji is, but they still understand that Rhodes is already an unreachable star. After the farewell meal, Rhodes did not return to the headquarters castle immediately. Instead, he met with the old doctor and chatted with him for a while in the clinic before leaving the town and returning to the castle. Tomorrow, he will leave this windy and sandy, remote island, and embark on a new journey. Volume 1 - CH 77 The next day, early morning. After bidding farewell to Koala and the others, Rhodes came to the shore and took a boat out to sea. After some twists and turns, he boarded a very luxuriously decorated large merchant ship. This is a team of full-time businessmen who specialize in working for the world government; you can call them, government businessmen, since they have the responsibility to collect rare treasures and hand them over to the Celestial Dragons. Rhodes will take this ship to the Red port, and then go overland to pass through the holy land of Mary Geoise. Although it¡¯s a pity that he can¡¯t appreciate the scenery of Fishman Island, which is 10,000 meters underwater, it is also a good thing to be able to see Mary Geoise, the most powerful holy land in the world. Besides, the road to Fishman Island isn¡¯t easy to take. One accident happened, and you¡¯re dead. However, he will always feel confident while he¡¯s traveling on land. Rhodes himself is a good citizen who doesn¡¯t even have a reward on his head. On the front, he even has the good identity of being Gion¡¯s disciple. It might seem dangerous to be in such a place, but in fact, it¡¯s the safest way. ¡°Young man, what¡¯s your name?¡± Rhodes turned around and saw a middle-aged man approaching, with a red face and luxurious clothes. Behind him, there were two bodyguards in black. They looked very powerful. This guy was in charge of the ship. His name is Soros. He is a high-ranked official and businessman under the command of the World Government. It is said that he manages a large area of industry. He is probably equivalent to the chairman of a state-owned enterprise in his previous life. Of course, in this world where power is paramount, a mere businessman¡¯s status may seem to be a bit sad, but in fact, with that status, he can get whatever he wants. ¡°I¡¯m Rhodes.¡± Rhodes nodded slightly. After all, it was his ship, so can¡¯t offend him. ¡°The young man has ventured into the New World at such a young age. He¡¯s really promising.¡± Soros looked at Rhodes secretly. It¡¯s not a big deal to take people across the Red Line. They used to do it so often that it was not worth his attention. But after hearing that it was such a young man, Soros became a little interested. As a businessman, it has become his habit to make friends with strong people or befriend young people with great potential. Only by constantly expanding your network and making friends with strong people you can stabilize your position. This is the experience that Soros has summed up after working for the world government for many years. However, Rhodes didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention, so he didn¡¯t plan to chat with Soros. But this guy is too enthusiastic, his eyes are extremely vicious, and he acted as if he has already seen something in Rhodes, so he tried to force Rhodes to chat with him. He even brought some rare bottles of wine with him to smooth things up. All that he wanted to know is who is this young man? Two drank the wine and chattered. He knew that such a young man won¡¯t be able to control his liquor as well as him so he kept pouring Rhodes¡¯ glass time after time, but the latter kept his composure the entire time. It wasn¡¯t until night fell that Rhodes took his leave and returned to the cabin to continue tempering his internal organs. ¡°This young man¡­is quite interesting.¡± Soros was a bit surprised. Under normal circumstances, youths of this age are the most unflattering, especially after drinking, but Rhodes has remained unbelievably calm, and even someone as experienced as Soros couldn¡¯t see through him. ¡°So what if he¡¯s calm? No matter how strong you are at such an age, your strength is always limited.¡± A black-clothed bodyguard said disdainfully. Another bodyguard in black also agreed: ¡°Being young means that you haven¡¯t fully exercised and pushed your body to the very limit. It¡¯s impossible to hone your skills to the top level.¡± ¡°Physique is the foundation of everything. I can beat ten of him with one hand.¡± The bodyguard in black was very confident. He used to be a well-known mercenary in the underground world. He had killed even powerful pirates who had rewards of over 100 million on their heads, and he looked down on young strong men the most. Besides, if Rhodes is really strong, why would he leave the New World and return to the first half of the Grand Line? Soros shook his head lightly when he heard these words, ¡°No matter what the reason is, it¡¯s never wrong to make new friends.¡± ¡°Who knows when this guy will be one of these famous strong men of the sea?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Both of the two bodyguards sneered and didn¡¯t bother to argue. The two of them have an employment relationship with Soros, not a superior-subordinate relationship, so naturally, they don¡¯t need to show too much face. The following journey was very smooth. Rhodes has been training in the cabin. Except for the time of eating he doesn¡¯t go out at all. This made Soros feel a little helpless. He could only shake his head and give up on befriending Rhodes. He thought that Rhodes may be humbled by the strong pirates in the new world. This kind of thing is not uncommon. The strong people who came to the new world, after witnessing the gap between heaven and earth, often suffer from mental breakdowns and even commit suicide. Otherwise, the first half of the Grand Line would not be called a paradise by the people of the new world. When the pirates from Paradise break into the New World, there will often encounter bloody storms. On this day, the clouds were thick and the sea was churning. The ship was swaying, Rhodes had to stop his practice, came to the railing of the ship, and looked into the distance. Crack! The weather in the New World has always been unpredictable. One moment the sun was shining brightly, but the next moment it was already covered with dark clouds, and the sea was set off by stormy waves as if it was the end of the world. The thunder was roaring and Lightning was flickering. The torrential rain followed immediately. Such heavy rain could drown such a huge ship if one isn¡¯t prepared. ¡°I hope we¡¯re not out of luck today.¡± Rhodes said to himself lightly and waited intently. If it was a normal storm, he could cut through it with a single sword and save the ship, but if it set off a natural disaster-level tornado, he could only protect himself and leave early. Crackling! A bolt of lavender lightning pierced the sky, stretching for tens of hundreds of miles. It was stunning and domineering. ¡°This how real thunder is¡­¡± A flash of thunder flashed in Rhodes¡¯ eyes, revealing yearning. If one can master such a terrifying power, even people like the Yonko can be easily defeated. Time gradually passed. Rhodes was lucky. The storm didn¡¯t cause any major natural disasters. The ship sailed out of the area without any risk, and the sun was shining brightly again. Looking back, it was less than a kilometer away, and there was still a huge storm, with turbulent, and terrifying waves. ¡°A magical celestial phenomenon.¡± Even if he saw it more than once, Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. With such unreasonable, terrifying, and extraordinary changes in the sky, it is no wonder that any pirate group must recruit qualified navigators to venture safely into the New World. On the sea, no one, no matter how powerful he is, can withstand a real natural disaster. That is, even epic battles between legendary characters such as the Pirate King, Gol. D Roger and the Golden Lion, Shiki, can be stopped by a huge natural disaster. ¡°That¡¯s not right. I feel that someone like the Whitebeard in his heydays would be able to stop such natural disasters with his fists.¡± Rhodes was a little lost in his thoughts as he was about to return to the cabin but suddenly raised his eyebrows, as if he had sensed something. Volume 1 - CH 78 The sky was a bright, clear blue, and not a single cloud marred its perfection. The crew of the ship was jubilant, feeling as though the gods themselves had blessed their journey. However, unbeknownst to them, a shadow was slowly but surely growing larger and larger in the waters surrounding their vessel. As if on cue, the air was suddenly filled with the ominous presence of a top predator ¨C a creature that sat atop the food chain. ¡°Oh no!¡± ¡°We¡¯re in danger!¡± The two black-clad bodyguards finally picked up on the shift in the atmosphere and turned around, just in time to see a massive figure burst through the surface of the water with a mighty roar. The resulting sound wave was almost tangible, sweeping across the area and threatening to rupture eardrums with its sheer force. The waves caused by the creature¡¯s emergence were also strong enough to nearly capsize the large sailboat. Panic set in among the crew as screams filled the air. In this world, sea kings have virtually no natural enemies. Their massive size grants them almost unbeatable strength, and even a glancing blow from one of these beasts could spell disaster for a ship and all aboard. If there isn¡¯t a sufficiently powerful person present, coming face to face with a sea king is tantamount to a death sentence. The sea king¡¯s body loomed like a small mountain, blocking out the sun and causing the very earth to tremble beneath it. This was a scene unlike any that had ever been witnessed before, one that seemed to belong in the very depths of the underworld. Soros and the others were instantly drenched in a cold sweat, with aching pains in their brows, as if they were defenseless commoners who had stumbled upon a tiger-like beast in the wilds of the Grand Line. The sky was shrouded, and so were their hearts, filled with despair. ¡°Don¡¯t fight back, you can¡¯t win. All we can do now is pray it¡¯s too lazy to pay us any mind,¡± Soros trembled as he tried to stop the black-clad bodyguard. The two black-clad bodyguards were immediately scared out of their wits upon hearing the words, having only acted on instinct before. Now that they were reminded, they suddenly realized their own insignificance and hung their heads low, trembling like quails. ¡°With this size, it shouldn¡¯t be considered as a large sea king. It¡¯s probably a medium-sized one, and it¡¯s relatively ¡°slender.¡± Rhodes had read about sea kings in the books of the Revolutionary Army and was familiar with their classification. They range from small to medium, large, and super large. Small sea kings are only tens of meters long, but super large ones can be over five thousand meters in length. To put that in perspective, the average height of an island in the Grand Line is only ten thousand meters! Two super large sea kings, placed end to end, could cover the holy land of the Mariejois and flatten it with ease. However, it¡¯s unlikely that a sea king of such enormous size would appear in such a place. The sea king currently in front of them was about 45 meters high, with a length of over 100 meters when including the part that wasn¡¯t visible above the surface of the sea. His size was indeed relatively slender among medium-sized sea kings. ¡°Based on its shape and nature, it should be a normal squid type with tentacles, relying on brute force. It¡¯s not one of those special electric eel sea kings for example.¡± After observing the sea king for a while, Rhodes let out a sigh of relief. For a sea king of this size, if it were an electric eel type, its power would likely be much more terrifying than Enel¡¯s Goro Goro Fruit, capable of instantly vaporizing a small area of the sea. It would be unstoppable, like a mortal trying to block a killing blow from a god. It¡¯s no wonder that sea kings are known as one of the three ancient weapons. As he marveled, Rhodes suddenly leaped up, his body stepping into midair as if on a staircase, gradually ascending to the top of the sky. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the top of the sea king¡¯s head. Standing in front of it, Rhodes, who was of normal human size, looked even smaller than an ant in comparison. The sea king¡¯s single eyeball was much larger than Rhodes. A fierce and terrifying aura, like that of a higher creature, mixed with a salty smell, rushed towards him. But Rhodes remained expressionless, even feeling a bit stuffy from the smell. ¡°Feel the thunder.¡± Looking at the pupil that reflected his own image like a mirror, Rhodes spoke indifferently. Thud, thud¡­ The dazzling thunder roared, piercing the sky like a silver snake. This was the special ability of Rhodes, the ¡°Thunder Dragon¡¯s Roar.¡± It is a technique that could release a strong burst of thunder from the user¡¯s body. As the sea king let out a miserable cry, Rhodes¡¯s body was surrounded by a golden halo, and a light dragon phantom appeared behind him, with a pair of dragon horns on his head. It was because of the gust of wind that Soros, the black-clad bodyguard, and the others belatedly reacted and looked up. And then they saw a scene they would never forget. They saw a blurry figure in white clothes, holding a sword, proudly standing in the sky dozens of meters above the ground, bathed in dazzling thunder, and suddenly, it swung its sword. ¡°One Blade Flow: Heavenly Thunder Cut!¡± There was no way to describe the sharpness of this sword! As this sword swung out, it seemed to split heaven and earth into two parts. In the pupils of countless people, all that remained was that sword energy that converged with endless thunder, like a thunderbolt that flickered straight through the sky and earth. This sword energy was like a withering, destructive force, easily cutting off the tentacles the sea king reached out with, and then slashing through the void and instantly cutting through the sea king¡¯s head, which was even larger than a sailboat. ¡°Growl!¡± The sea king let out a heart-wrenching roar. With this strike, it had a small half o its head cut off, and then endless thunder burst out, and almost instantly enveloped most of its body. A burst of meat aroma spread out. The terrifying and powerful current made Soros and the others feel like they were going to be electrocuted even though they were tens or hundreds of meters away. But the sea king was worthy of being the ruler of the sea, with an incredibly tenacious life force. Even though blood gushed out of it like a river, it did not die. It was unknown how it managed to do so. In the stunned gaze of Rhodes, this sea king closed its slippery eyes and, with lightning speed, plunged into the sea and completely disappeared within a few breaths. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but spit out a curse. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, like being caught in the middle of trying to show off. Fortunately, he was high up at the time, and Soros and the others were too busy dealing with the waves the sea king had raised to pay attention to this scene. Rhodes blew a sigh of sea breeze, somewhat annoyingly. He sheathed his sword with a clang, slowly returning to the surface of the sea. He looked around and soon saw the severed tentacle. Although it¡¯s called a ¡®severed¡¯ tentacle, it¡¯s still longer than the entire ship. ¡°Can this be eaten? Is it good? How should I eat it?¡± Rhodes was a little at a loss because the tentacle was just too big and thick¡­ it simply looked delicious. It was even longer than the large snake that Rhodes had killed before during a mission, and the thickness was completely incomparable. Rhodes estimated that even if he just cut off a small piece, it would still be enough for a satisfying meal. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll ask Solomon and the others.¡± Volume 1 - CH 79 The sea gradually calmed, and the wind and waves subsided. People finally caught their breath and looked at each other, each seeing in the other¡¯s eyes a dreamy, unbelievable sensation. ¡°Thank goodness, we¡¯re saved. I thought I was a goner just now.¡± ¡°Who is that guy? He¡¯s so handsome and strong. He seriously injured a Sea King with just one sword.¡± ¡°He¡¯s amazing. He looks pretty young too! He has such unlimited potential!¡± The crowd regained their senses, swallowing their saliva and wearing looks of relief at having survived a disaster. At this point, Soros walked to the ship¡¯s railing, his eyes filled with complex emotions. ¡°It seems that I¡¯ve misjudged him. He¡¯s already the predator!¡± Soros was filled with amazement. He had thought Rhodes was a solitary man who had been struck down by a strong pirate in the New World. But with this kind of talent and potential, no matter where he was, or where he went before, he would be the one doing the striking, not getting struck down. The two black-clad bodyguards followed behind. They were both tall men over two meters in height. But at this moment, they blushed and wished they could bury their heads in the sea, especially the one who boasted he could beat ten of Rhodes. The guy almost knelt down on the ground. Rhodes paid no attention to any of this. He looked calm and slowly landed on the deck. In an instant, the entire ship fell silent, save for the sound of the sea breeze, and all the people wore looks of awe. Soros saw the opportunity and quickly walked up to Rhodes, respectfully saying: ¡°Thank you very much for coming to our aid, I am grateful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say these polite words, just send someone to deal with that food.¡± Rhodes was not as cold as Soros had imagined, but instead pointed excitedly at the tentacle in the distance and said. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Soros was slightly taken aback. He seems like he really does like tentacles? He didn¡¯t dare to neglect and quickly ordered his men to drive the ship over and arrange the tentacle. He also called the head chef on board and asked him to do his best to prepare the food, making sure to satisfy Rhodes. The head chef had also witnessed the divine-like scene just now and naturally didn¡¯t dare to neglect it. He shouted and started to work. In a short while, the rare seafood was made into 18 dishes, with a fragrant aroma. Rhodes ate with great relish and tasted the deliciousness of the deep sea. The meat was very fresh and more delicious than the grilled snake. It also contained abundant energy and nutrition and was very invigorating. ¡°No wonder strong people sailing on the sea are rarely starved to death. Sea Kings may be difficult to deal with, but low-level sea beasts are enough to easily satisfy the needs of the entire ship.¡± Rhodes almost swallowed his tongue and saw from the corners of his eyes that Soros and the others were standing respectfully not far away, sniffing the smell of food, constantly swallowing saliva, but not daring to approach. Even the head chef was like this. Rhodes smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together, I can¡¯t finish it all by myself.¡± ¡°This, this doesn¡¯t seem right¡­¡± Soros said this but started eating the fastest. ¡°It¡¯s really good!¡± He praised it, as food made from Sea Kings was truly top-class food that only strong people could enjoy. Soros, with his status comparable to that of a state-owned enterprise chairman in the real world, rarely ate it, and most of the time it wasn¡¯t fresh. The two black-clad bodyguards carefully watched Rhodes, their hearts always feeling a little uneasy. Because they realized a very serious problem. When they spoke contemptuously earlier, Rhodes wasn¡¯t too far away. Perhaps ordinary people, or even ordinary strong people, couldn¡¯t hear it, but with Rhodes¡¯s strength, it was probably crystal clear¡­ Thinking of this, the two super mercenaries, who had caused a stir in the underground world and killed over a hundred million bounty pirates, seemed like wronged primary school students facing their teacher, shrinking together, with their two-meter-plus heights looking about the same height as the normally-sized Rhodes. They didn¡¯t even have the desire to eat, just hoping that Rhodes wouldn¡¯t pay attention to them. Rhodes¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t even fall on them. He wasn¡¯t so cruel as to take someone¡¯s life because of a couple of contemptuous words, but a slight reprimand was still necessary. This time, learn the lesson and don¡¯t look down on people because of their age in the future. In the future, there will be many young people with extraordinary strength. This time, the host and guests enjoyed themselves. Soros¡¯s ability to adapt to the situation was impeccable. If Rhodes was a normal strong person, he would have confidence in building a relationship and even achieving a fairly equal status. But with Rhodes¡¯s age and strength, he didn¡¯t have much confidence. Moreover, he had to think deeply that with such strength at such an age, there must almost certainly be a powerful teacher behind him, or an unknown force supporting him. This trip may have just been a test of his skills. People like that should just be kept in the back of his mind. It¡¯s not worth the risk of getting involved with them, as it could be either a blessing or a curse. Rhodes didn¡¯t know about the self-projections of this business official. After filling up on food and drink, he returned to his cabin to continue his endless, grueling training. He wouldn¡¯t let temporary prosperity distract him and he was very clear about where all this respect came from. Strength is the foundation of everything. The stronger he is, the more he can understand his own insignificance. He still has a long way to go to reach the peak of the sea. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ As they continued their journey, it went smoothly. One day later, they passed the inspection of the G1 branch of the Marines and were allowed to proceed. The merchant ship soon arrived at the Red Port, just below the holy land of Mariejois. In this world, there are two ways to enter and exit the New World: one was through the sky, and the other was through the sea. The path before Rhodes was the government-exclusive route that ascends 10,000 meters into the sky. Of course, others could also pass through this route by applying for permission, but it often takes a long time to wait and requires giving up their ships. Soros had already prepared the necessary arrangements and, upon arriving at the Red Port, led Rhodes and the others straight to the lift. The interior of the Red Port was unremarkable, especially the half of the port on the New World side, which was almost undeveloped and heavily guarded by formidable soldiers everywhere. As they walked on the road, the surveillance never stopped. With Soros leading the way, Rhodes and the others quickly boarded the lift. The lift was made of a special metal with extremely strong bearing capacity and was very wide. Rhodes and the others stood on it and were barely noticeable. Soros directed his subordinates to carry the cargo while Rhodes curiously looked around. The elevator now ill go up ten thousand meters¡­ In the previous world, Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, was only about eight thousand meters high. ¡°I wonder what kind of energy drives it,¡± Rhodes muttered in amazement. Soon, Soros was ready and called out to them, and the elevator slowly rose, very smoothly, with hardly any bumps. The high altitude in the pirate world is different from that on Earth in the previous world. A high altitude does not make it impossible for humans to survive. ¡°No matter how many times I see it, I feel tiny like dust.¡± Soros sighed beside him. The altitude here is already very high, and the Red Line below has long since become a small black dot. Looking out to the sea, it is vast and boundless, and the blue sky seems to be within reach. The faint fog seems to be within reach, and this feeling of standing on the clouds makes one feel as if they are trampling the entire world under their feet, irresistibly fascinated. ¡°No wonder the World Government built its headquarters here.¡± ¡°This place is indeed worthy of belonging to the top of the world¡¯s power.¡± Rhodes whispered to himself, leaning on the railing and looking far into the distance, with deep look in his eyes. Volume 1 - CH 80 The Holy Land Marijois. This city¡¯s center is the home of the world¡¯s Celestial Dragons, an enormous castle that seems to reach for the stars, surrounded by clouds and mist, unlike anything in the mortal realm. The outskirts of the city are the headquarters of the World Government, the office of the Five Elder Stars, and the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku. The suburbs even further out are where the World Government¡¯s high officials and the Celestial Dragon¡¯s slaves reside. Rhodes and the others arrived at the Holy Land Marijois through the roads of Dressrosa. Upon arriving here, Rhodes was not as awestruck as he was before when he gazed upon the sea or up at the sky. The world is worthy of awe, but this corrupt and degraded noble government and the self-proclaimed gods, the Celestial Dragons, are not. Their journey through Mariejois went smoothly, except for some discomfort caused by the Celestial Dragon guards¡¯ show of power and slightly scrutinizing and arrogant glances. Before long, Rhodes and the others arrived on this side of the Great Line. However, there was a difference here. Instead of a fully technological lift, there was a more magical bubble gondola. This type of bubble is a unique product of the climate of the Skypiea archipelago and is very practical and beautiful. Another journey of ten thousand meters ascent. Rhodes and the others once again landed at the Red Port, only this time it was the Red Port on the first half of the Great Line. This port is clearly more prosperous and bustling. As soon as Rhodes and the others emerged from the bubble, someone came up to them, ready to say something, but suddenly saw the smile that wasn¡¯t really a smile on Soros¡¯ face, and these people were suddenly scared and fell back. Soros, who works for the World Government, may not be much in front of strong people like Rhodes, but for these ordinary merchants, he is an irreplaceable big shot, who cannot be offended. Soros couldn¡¯t help but smile. In the New World, he may be unknown, but in the first half of the Great Line, and in the archipelago region, Soros is one of the few big shots, and no one knows how many people treat him as a VIP. However, seeing Rhodes¡¯s indifferent gaze, Soro shook all over and quickly led the way. ¡°This way please, this way please, I have a special boat heading to the Sabaody.¡± Rhodes nodded lightly and walked forward first. Soros followed, half a step behind, while his demeanor was extremely respectful. The group left quickly, leaving a deep impression on the merchants. ¡°Who is that young man? He can even make Soros so respectful and pleasing!¡± ¡°It must be the offspring of a high official in the World Government.¡± ¡°Oh, it really pays to be born into the right family. You don¡¯t have to struggle your whole life.¡± Everyone shook their heads and sighed, showing envy and jealousy. At this time, Rhodes and the others also arrived at the port and boarded a very luxurious, even ostentatious, large sailboat. Seeing Rhodes¡¯s surprised gaze, Soros awkwardly said, ¡°I work for the World Government, so I naturally have to put on a good front.¡± ¡°That suits you.¡± Rhodes nodded casually. Everyone has their own survival skills. Soros goes to great lengths to make connections and curry favor with the upper ranks. Rhodes, on the other hand, just focuses on training and becoming stronger. When the time comes, he will naturally enjoy endless power, status, and wealth. A position derived from strength is the most stable. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ The Sabaody Islands are considered a transit point on the entire Great Line. Not only is this place a lookout for pirates heading to the New World, but it is also very close to the Marines headquarters and the Red Port. This naturally superior location has brought together countless pirates, marines, nobles, and officials of the World Government, as well as attracting countless merchants to do business here. Due to the World Government¡¯s indulgence of the Sabaody Islands, many powerful forces from the dark world, such as the Donquixote family, have many industries here. This group of islands is known as the world¡¯s largest commodity distribution center, where all kinds of treasures can be found, even extremely rare items such as Devil Fruits appear from time to time. Rhodes came to the Sabaody Islands not only to see the so-called gray area but also to search for a famous sword. His original long sword made by the revolutionary headquarters is no longer able to withstand the burden, even with the support of the Busoshoku Haki. However, Rhodes does not want to frequently change swords. He prefers to get everything done in one step. The best swords are the Supreme Great blades, and the second-best is still usable. Rhodes asked Soros, ¡°Which shop here has the best weapons, especially famous swords, and blades?¡± ¡°A weapon shop?¡± Soros was momentarily confused before slapping his forehead, ¡°There¡¯s a really good one on the 14th island. The owner is said to be a master blacksmith who¡¯s made blades for many sword masters, and he¡¯s renowned far and wide.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rhodes¡¯s eyes lit up. This kind of person might have some really good swords in their collection. The 14th island was a lawless area, with pirates carrying swords everywhere. However, there was still a basic order in place. ¡°This area is under the control of the Donquixote family, so normal pirates can fight as much as they want, but they can¡¯t cause trouble in the shops,¡± Soros responsibly explained the local customs of the Sabaody Archipelago. ¡°I heard that this year¡¯s supernova, Cavendish, has already landed on the Sabaody Archipelago,¡± Soros said. ¡°He¡¯s a tough one, and he hasn¡¯t even entered the New World yet, but his bounty is already 280 million Belly.¡± The so-called supernovas are pirates with bounties of over 100 million Belly in the first half of the Grand Line. These people have exceptional talent and strength, and they also have a strong aura about them. ¡°Cavendish? He¡¯s not bad,¡± Rhodes said with an indifferent expression. Supernova bounties often have some inflation, so Cavendish¡¯s real strength was probably around 240 million Belly. Pirates with this level are at most a brigade general level, and perhaps they are slightly tricky to deal with due to some unique ability, but Rhodes could kill them easily as long as they were within his line of sight. They wouldn¡¯t even be able to run if he wanted to. ¡°It¡¯s called, The Ten Thousand Blades Pavilion!¡± Soros said. ¡°Although the Sabaody Archipelago has many shops and a huge market, it¡¯s ultimately controlled by a few big powers. The Ten Thousand Blades Pavilion is one of them, and it has a history of hundreds of years.¡± Soros introduced as they walked in. The staff had already come up to ask what they wanted to buy. Those who could come to the Ten Thousand Blades Pavilion were at least top-level swordsmen, and sword masters were not uncommon, so it was usually a big deal. ¡°Call your master,¡± Soros said haughtily to the small shopkeeper, despite his respectful attitude towards Rhodes. ¡°Who are you?¡± The shopkeeper asked, a little confused. In a place like the Sword Master¡¯s Shop, the highest position was not held by the shopkeeper, but rather by masters who oversaw the shop. These Masters were famous blacksmiths and the prized possessions of the shop, with significant influence. ¡°Please wait a moment,¡± the shopkeeper said, despite his doubts. He could tell by the man¡¯s demeanor and well-groomed appearance that he was someone of importance. As they waited, a staff member brought them some fragrant tea. Not long after, the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching. An old craftsman with a beard in disarray emerged from the back, looking to be in his 50s or older. Volume 1 - CH 81 ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s none other than Mister Soros himself! You grace us with your presence. Why didn¡¯t you inform us of your arrival in advance?¡± The old master approached, bowing in reverence. Soros, feeling a bit of pomposity bubble up within him, quickly suppressed the urge upon remembering the young man waiting nearby. He inquired, ¡°Master, I seek a fine-named sword. Might I request that you present your finest offerings?¡± The old master gave Rhodes a look of mild surprise. Anyone who could earn such high regard from Soros must be someone of great importance. ¡°Please, follow me,¡± he said, leading them to a room of a more prestigious caliber. Unlike the outer room, cluttered with swords of all shapes and sizes, this room contained only nine pieces. The sheaths alone, crafted from the finest materials, exuded a sense of antique grandeur. Rhodes stepped forward and unsheathed a sword with a resounding clink. The blade gleamed like a pool of autumn water, reflecting faint starlight. ¡°This flying star was crafted from deep-sea fine iron, a process that took 49 days to complete. Its sharpness and durability are unparalleled, rivaling even the finest of knives.¡± When it comes to swords, the old master is confident and speaks with the air of an expert. Rhodes examined the sword before sighing and running the blade on two of his finger. To his surprise, it left only a faint white mark. ¡°It¡¯s decent,¡± Rhodes said, returning the sword to its sheath. The old master stared in shock, his mouth agape. Rhodes picked up another sword, drawing the blade. The color of the blade was deep red, and holding it gave off a faint warmth, like a bundle of flames. ¡°This sword is called the Red Flame and has been tempered in molten lava 99 times, earning it the title of hundredfold refined steel. It¡¯s extremely sharp¡­¡± However, he never finished his sentence. Rhodes run the blade again, and this time, instead of a faint white mark, there was a barely noticeable red mark. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s quite sharp,¡± Rhodes said, nodding. The old master: ¡°¡­¡± Soros also had a toothache. This was truly an unconventional method of testing a sword. After that, the old master didn¡¯t bother introducing the rest of the swords. He watched with a numb expression as Rhodes tested each of the nine treasures of the shop, and none of them made Rhodes¡¯s fingers even bleed. For a moment, he had the urge to return to farming, feeling completely defeated. ¡°They¡¯re not bad, but they don¡¯t meet my expectations.¡± Rhodes was disappointed. Most of the swords he saw were good enough for a regular sword master, but they didn¡¯t meet his standards. He might use them for now, but he will always end up switching to something else later. Soros noticed Rhodes¡¯s reaction and frowned, turning to the old master. He had hoped to complete Rhodes¡¯s request and make some connections in the process. ¡°With your level of skill, these swords are not quite worthy of you,¡± the old master said hesitantly, looking at Soros. ¡°I remember there¡¯s an underground auction on 13 Island in a couple of days. There¡¯s supposed to be a great sword among the items up for bidding. I was planning to try to get it, but I heard that a wealthy merchant had already reserved it, so I didn¡¯t see the point in competing.¡± ¡°Reserved it?¡± Soros said scornfully. ¡°This merchant is apparently the top merchant in the West Sea. He¡¯s buying the great sword as a gift for the king of the Flower Country, who¡¯s obsessed with collecting famous swords. I bet he wouldn¡¯t think twice about spending a few billion bellies on it.¡± ¡°The top merchant in the West Sea?¡± Soros said, frowning. ¡°That could be a problem. I don¡¯t have much money to spare, and if I use too many public funds, I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go to this auction,¡± Rhodes said, walking out of the room. Soros thanked the old master and followed him. After they left the sword shop, the group found a place to stay. Two days later, they arrived on the 13th island and were about to head to the auction when a figure suddenly flew out of a hut in front of them, crashing heavily to the ground. The guy was unconscious, with a swollen face and a bruised nose. ¡°Hmm, 13th island, I¡¯ve heard of this place,¡± said Rhodes as he slightly tilted his head and saw a sign hanging above the hut that read ¡°Shakky¡¯s Rip-off Bar.¡±. ¡°Shakky and The Dark King, Rayleigh?¡± Rhodes thought to himself as he was about to pass the hut, not wanting to provoke the legendary pirate. ¡°Wait a minute¡­if it¡¯s Shakky, she might know what I¡¯m looking for,¡± Rhodes paused, recalling that Shakky was known to be an informant who knew many small bits of information. Thinking for a moment, he decided to go into the bar. ¡°Welcome! What can I get for you?¡± a woman¡¯s voice called out from inside. ¡°A cup of red tea, please,¡± Rhodes casually sat down and looked towards the bar. Sitting behind the bar was a woman with graceful charm. She had short, neatly styled hair with a slight curl at the temples and a cigarette between her lips. She glanced at Rhodes with a slight look of surprise before lowering her head to prepare the tea. She then brought a cup of red tea over with a smile, ¡°The apprentice of the great sword master, Gion, you really brought some excitement to this small shop.¡± ¡°Oh, you know me?¡± Rhodes asked. Rhodes was really surprised, he didn¡¯t expect Shakky¡¯s intelligence to reach this level. ¡°Spark is not a minor character, the news of his defeat is a very popular topic nowadays.¡± ¡°Rhodes, the young man swordsman, defeating Lao G and Harmon with one against two, is also known as a famous story between swordsmen.¡± Shakky blew out a smoke ring, smiled, and said: ¡°I¡¯m guessing since you came to me, you want to ask for some information?¡± Shakky cut to the chase, and Rhodes didn¡¯t beat around the bush either, nodded and said: ¡°News about the Supreme Grade Sword.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Shakky clicked her tongue and her eyes flickered with a strange light. Such levels of famous swords are only eligible for possession by swordsmen of corresponding strength. It looks like this young man has the confidence to challenge the Great Swordmaster of the sea. She hesitated for a moment, smiled, and said: ¡°Although the Supreme Grade Swords are very rare, I do know some news.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rhodes¡¯s eyes lit up. But he suddenly noticed Shakky¡¯s somewhat mischievous smile: ¡°For example, Yoru, one of the twelve Supreme Grade¡­ I can provide you with the accurate location for free.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The smile on Rhodes¡¯s face gradually disappeared, and he didn¡¯t know whether to say SOB or not. Everyone in the world knows that Yoru is in the hands of Mihawk! ¡°I can pay, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s one million or ten million,¡± Rhodes said seriously. But Shakky¡¯s expression remained unchanged. She shook her head lightly and said, ¡°Some information cannot be measured by money.¡± News about the Supreme Grade Swords may not be of much use to most people in the world, but for top-notch sword masters and even great sword masters, it is deadly tempting, and it is worth any price to exchange for it. Rhodes nodded in agreement and said after a moment of contemplation, ¡°How about exchanging information for information?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Shakky¡¯s expression slightly improved as Rhodes was no fool. If he could say this, the information he had must be of equal value. ¡°Tell me.¡± Rhodes was not worried about Shakky¡¯s credibility as most old-generation pirates were loyal and trustworthy. He pondered for a moment. As a traverser, he naturally knew many things that ordinary people did not know, but there was not much information that could be considered equivalent to the Supreme Grade Swords. Half a moment later, he suddenly said, ¡°How about information about the Pirate King, Gol. D Roger?¡± As soon as this name was mentioned, Shakky¡¯s expression changed instantly. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly dangerously and she narrowed her eyes as she said, ¡°Tell me.¡± Volume 1 - CH 82 ¡°I wonder what interesting twists and turns the top war will take now that they know Ace¡¯s identity in advance.¡± Rhodes walked out of the Shakky bar at a leisurely pace, lost in thought. The information he had traded was, of course, the fact that Ace is the son of the Pirate King Roger, along with all the details from that time. For instance, how Ace¡¯s mother, Rouge, managed to evade the Marines¡¯ search and keep her pregnancy hidden for twenty grueling months. Thanks to this crucial piece of information, Shakky, with her sharp intuition for intelligence, was able to easily discern its authenticity. She was taken aback by the revelation. Clearly, she hadn¡¯t anticipated that Roger had left a successor alive, unknown even to members of the Roger Pirates. Eager to get the word to Reighley as soon as possible, Shakky excitedly told Rhodes about the sword and sent him on his way. As luck would have it, the sword was located in Rhodes¡¯s destination: the Flower Country. Apparently, it was a royal treasure of the Flower Country, though it¡¯s unclear how Shakky obtained this information. With the specific details of the Great Sword, Rhodes no longer felt the need to obtain the sword at the auction. Instead, he approached the event with a carefree attitude and met up with Soros, who had been waiting for him outside. Upon arriving at the entrance of the auction, they found the place heavily guarded, with a circle of security guards standing at the entrance. ¡°Sorry, this is a private area. If you don¡¯t have an invitation, please leave,¡± a security guard stepped forward and said politely. ¡°We don¡¯t have an invitation,¡± Soros said coolly. ¡°Please announce that I, Soros, have come to pay a visit.¡± The security guard hesitated upon seeing Soros¡¯ confident demeanor. Could he be some kind of big shot? At that moment, a round middle-aged man walked over slowly from a nearby location. Upon seeing Soros, his eyes brightened and he rushed over with excitement, ¡°Sir Soros! How did you get here? I thought you were working in the New World?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you, Harden. I just returned,¡± Soros replied with a hint of arrogance. ¡°I see that you are also attending the auction. It¡¯s a coincidence that I get to bask in your radiance. Take us in.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s an honor to have you bask in my radiance. Please do me the favor of helping me out in the future as well,¡± Harden responded with enthusiasm. Soros, a well-known and trusted merchant of the World Government, can open a world of new possibilities for such a merchant as Harden. Even a small spill of oil and water from him could fill Harden¡¯s stomach to the brim. Seeing that they were acquainted, the security guard allowed them to pass without any obstacles. As they entered the auction venue, they were struck by its immense size. The seats in the venue were already occupied by all sorts of people, all of whom were dressed elegantly and had remarkable demeanors. They were either wealthy merchants or nobles or exceptionally powerful individuals with an imposing presence. ¡°Sir Soros, you¡¯re here as well?¡± ¡°Sir Soros.¡± As soon as Rhodes and the others entered the venue, many people seemed to recognize Soros¡¯s identity and stood up to greet him. Those who did not know him were still in confusion, and the people next to them quickly introduced SorosN to them. This was the World Government¡¯s trusted merchant, a figure regarded as a top businessman in the industry. Rhodes found it amusing that Soros, who recently had almost been killed by a Sea King in the New World, had such a great reputation in the Sabaoady Archipelago. Of course, there were also many people who looked down on him. For example, the richest merchant of the West Sea, Gates, whose industry was primarily based in the West Sea, with a slight presence in the first half of the Grand Line, had little overlap with Soros, who was based primarily in the Sabaody Archipelago. As Soros basked in the flattery and fawning of the crowd, Gates couldn¡¯t help but snort coldly, feeling a little envious. This was because the merchants he had been chatting with earlier had also run over to greet Soros. After all, Sabaody was their home turf. ¡°Forget it, it has nothing to do with me. Let¡¯s just quickly bid on that Great Sword and return to the West Sea as soon as possible. The Grand Line is still too dangerous.¡± Gates took a deep breath and thought to himself. The auction finally began. The first item up for auction was a set of armor that belonged to a famous pirate. The auctioneer introduced the item and the bidding began. The price quickly soared and many people participated in the bidding. Soros also joined in, but his eyes were fixed on a corner of the venue. There was a young man with a straw hat sitting there, who seemed to be in his early twenties. He wore a straw hat and a blue coat, and his facial features were delicate and handsome. He sat there quietly as if he was waiting for something. Soros¡¯ eyes narrowed, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder who this young man was. The starting bid was 30 million bellies, but it wasn¡¯t long before it soared to 60 million. In the end, the auction was won by Gates, the richest merchant of the West Sea, for a whopping 90 million. Many people couldn¡¯t help but marvel at his wealth and extravagance. Throughout the rest of the auction, Gates continued to make bold bids, showcasing his status as the premier merchant of the West Sea and even causing Soros to feel a pang of envy. While the Grand Line may have boasted higher average strength than the Four Seas, the Four Seas covered a vast, stable region that generated a significantly higher economic effect. Gates¡¯ wealth was undoubtedly among the top echelon in the world. ¡°Hmph, if this guy doesn¡¯t leave Sabaody today, he might not make it out alive,¡± Soros sneered to himself. As the saying goes, wealth should not be flaunted openly. Anyone who dared to spend so lavishly in the chaotic region of the Sabaody Archipelago should better be prepared for the hungry wolves who will come knocking. Rhodes nodded slightly in agreement. This kind of rich merchant was the favorite prey for pirates. ¡°And now, the last item of this auction,¡± the host announced as he unveiled a sheathed long sword on the tray. Before it was even drawn, the sword exuded a sharp and fierce aura, it was clearly not an ordinary item. ¡°This sword, named Aranakiri, is a masterpiece created by a master blacksmith with his blood, sweat, and tears. It was forged using earth fire and was struck by lightning on the day it was completed, resulting in its exceptional quality. Even among the Great Blades, it ranks among the top,¡± the host explained. ¡°Starting bid, 30 million bellies.¡± The various powerful individuals and wealthy nobles present all looked excited at the prospect of bidding on the sword. It was clear that they had come specifically for the Lanqie. Powerful individuals craved Great Blades, while wealthy nobles either collected them or used them to build connections and expand their networks. Take Gates, for example. His business empire centered in his homeland of Flower Country, so it was crucial that he maintain good relations with the Flower Country royal family. If it could be solved with money, it wasn¡¯t even worth considering. ¡°40 million bellies!¡± Soros raised his paddle. Some people were surprised to see Soros bidding, as he was not a swordsman and had no particular interest in collecting famous swords. Could it be that someone within the World Government had their eye on this sword? Upon thinking this, no one else dared to speak up. The World Government had ruled the world for 800 years and accumulated a vast amount of power, making it not something that ordinary people would dare to defy. As the host hesitated on whether or not to bring down the hammer, a confident voice called out, ¡°One hundred million!¡± Everyone was shocked as they searched for the source of the voice, and saw that it was none other than Gates, the wealthiest merchant in the West Sea. ¡°You!¡± Soros seethed with anger, feeling disrespected by Gates. ¡°One hundred and ten million!¡± Soros raised his bid again. ¡°One hundred and fifty million!¡± Gates calmly responded. Many of the wealthy merchants and nobles present were on the brink of collapse, shocked by the huge increments in the bids. For every one million added by the other side, Gates added four or five million. It was clear that he was determined to win. Soros was taken aback. He had already considered using million as his unit of measurement to be extravagant, but he never expected Gates to be even more over-the-top. For a moment, Soros couldn¡¯t help feeling a little overwhelmed. He wasn¡¯t like Gates, a free trader with no oversight ¨C he had the World Government to answer to and while he did have a generous amount of funds, he couldn¡¯t afford to be frivolous with them or risk being targeted. As he considered this, Soros couldn¡¯t help but turn to the leader of their group, Rhodes, seeking his opinion. Rhodes¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. He had previously bragged about having 200 million on hand, enough to buy a Great blade, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated running into someone like Gates, who seemed prepared to do whatever is to take what he wants. ¡°Our limit is 200 million. Anything more isn¡¯t worth it,¡± Rhodes declared. After all, his eyes were locked on the sword in the possession of the Flower Country, and while the Aranakiri was a decent sword, it wasn¡¯t a necessity. ¡°Fine,¡± Soros gritted his teeth and raised his placard once more. ¡°160 million!¡± Volume 1 - CH 83 However, Soros¡¯s voice had barely left his lips when Gates spoke up again. ¡°Two hundred million!!¡± Gates¡¯ tone was calm and collected, oozing the confidence of a wealthy tycoon. His lavish display has even caught the attention of many admiring women. Everyone was left speechless by this exorbitant bid. It¡¯s no wonder West Sea is considered the top; Gates is so commanding and doesn¡¯t seem to care about money at all. Soros¡¯s eyelids twitched as he was forced to sit down, defeated. ¡°Mr. Rhodes, this guy is so disrespectful, it¡¯s like he¡¯s purposely trying to go against us. What should we do¡­¡± Soros said through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with killing intent. ¡°No need,¡± Rhodes replied coolly. There is a unique connection between masters and swords. Just like Zoro, at the weapon shop in Logue Town, he was able to obtain two good swords out of nowhere. That saying is true, swords indeed choose their masters. What is meant to be in one¡¯s possession will eventually find its way to thy hands. Seeing that no one else was increasing the bid, the host confidently struck the gavel. ¡°This tycoon merchant from the West Sea is truly generous. Let¡¯s hope he can leave the port safely with his newly acquired sword,¡± the host said excitedly, his earnings from the auction considerable. Although the host hoped for Gates¡¯ safe departure, he secretly wondered if Gates would be able to leave unscathed, given that many envious individuals had left during the auction. Gates, who had been seated quietly on stage, stood and nodded toward the host. ¡°Thank you. I will take good care of this sword,¡± he said before gracefully. The audience below erupted into chatter. ¡°Two hundred million bellies, that¡¯s insane!¡± ¡°I heard this guy is a tycoon from the West Sea, no wonder he¡¯s so wealthy.¡± Aranakiri was the final item of this auction, and with the fall of the gavel, the auction successfully ended. Rhodes stood up and walked out, preparing to leave Saboady early the next day. Of course, he planned to take advantage of his time and tour the Saboady archipelago, at least trying all the famous local snacks. Soros glared at Gates before walking out as well. Gates, however, was indifferent. He was leaving today anyway, so what could Soros do to him? Gates was not afraid of official power, as a tycoon from the West Sea, he had connections with many allied countries in the West Sea and even the World Government. As for underground matters, he had recently recruited two great mercenaries, claiming that he was not afraid of the small thieves on the Saboady archipelago. ¡­ The sky gradually darkened. With Soros as his companion, Rhodes leisurely walked around, eating various famous foods. It could be said that Soros was a very qualified subordinate. With him, Rhodes didn¡¯t have to spend money on various consumption in Saboady, and he was familiar with the place, knowing one or two things about all kinds of things. As they walked, they suddenly heard a burst of discussion in front of them. ¡°I heard that the guy from the West Sea was targeted by the guys from Talon. They¡¯re in for it.¡± ¡°Serves them right for being arrogant in Saboady. Don¡¯t you know, this guy was being showy at the auction earlier.¡± Hearing this, Soros burst out laughing, ¡°Huh! how bold he acted back then, now he has to spit it all out!¡± Rhodes looked in the direction of the commotion and saw a crowd gathered nearby. In the open space ahead, it seemed that two groups were facing off. ¡°Haha, this guy is really unlucky.¡± Soros took pleasure in others¡¯ misfortune: ¡°These guys are very strong, they specialize in doing dirty work for the Donquixote Family.¡± ¡°Even if Gates, that scumbag, can handle Talon, he¡¯ll probably be taken care of by the Donquixote Family executives who will arrive later. Who¡¯s been stationed in Saboady recently? I think it¡¯s the top executive Diamante.¡± ¡°That guy is tough to deal with, very cruel. Haha, even with Gates¡¯ status and position, he¡¯ll probably only be able to save his own life at most.¡± Soros finally spoke out and laughed with a bit of a triumphant look. The Shichibukai, especially the Donquixote Family is not something a small merchant can fight against. Even if they really killed Gates, it would probably be just that, at most condemned by the allied countries of the West Sea. Thinking this way, Soros felt a bit sympathetic towards his peer, feeling that Gates was quite pitiful. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look,¡± Rhodes said. As soon as they came closer, they saw the Big Fat Sheep, Gates, who had waved around his money like dirt at the auction earlier, now in despair. Gates, who had been so full of energy and had crushed all the wealthy nobles at the auction, had a very unpleasant expression on his face and was only accompanied now by two severely injured bodyguards. ¡°Damn it.¡± Gates cursed inwardly. He had been cautious enough, but in the end, he had still been intercepted at the port. It was probably a real underworld boss who had managed to find out where his ship was so quickly. Despair washed over him. Fortunately, the two new hires he had made were both professional and didn¡¯t consider betrayal even in such a dire situation. Of course, Gates was no fool, he knew that if things truly became hopeless, they would probably run faster than anyone else. ¡°The captain said that if you willingly hand over 70% of your wealth, we will let you leave safely,¡± a young man with a very gloomy aura spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t think about running. Your ship has already been burned by our people.¡± With just one statement, he almost completely cut off any possible escape route for Gates. The young man could be called ruthless. A hint of darkness flickered in Gates¡¯ eyes, but he was no stranger to turbulence, and he wasn¡¯t panicked at the moment. His eyes were flickering as if he were looking for a way out. ¡°Chaos, I must cause chaos!¡± In a flash of thought, he yelled out: ¡°This is a Great Grade sword, one of only 21 in the world, it¡¯s called Aranakiri, and it¡¯s worth 200 million bellies!¡± At the same time, he unhesitatingly threw the Aranakiri sword in his hand toward the crowd of onlookers nearby. Hearing Gates¡¯ words and then seeing the Aranakiri sword in mid-air, the crowd¡¯s hearts skipped a beat, but only for a moment. Driven by their desire to survive, the onlookers retreated in unison. Then, the Aranakiri sword fell to the ground with a thud, revealing a small section of its blade, and reflecting a faint blue glow. Gates: ¡°¡­¡± He had obviously underestimated the deterrent power of the Donquixote Family and overestimated the courage of this ordinary crowd. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± The young man almost burst out laughing at the sight. He coldly said: ¡°As expected, you are bold. If that¡¯s the case, then hand over 90% of your wealth or you will die!¡± Gates almost vomited blood. The onlookers, on the other hand, looked at him innocently. Who would dare to mess with the Talon, let alone the Donquixote Family behind him? The scene was extremely awkward. It was as if a group of black crows flew past from the sky. Until a figure suddenly reached out and grasped the Aranakiri in its hand. Only a clanging sound was heard. The person easily pulled out the Aranakiri, its azure blade reflected a faint glow, almost as if the sparks of electricity were dancing. It was clear that he was simply holding it, yet Aranakiri trembled intensely. Whistling! The sword¡¯s fierce hum echoed throughout the area, and all present seemed to feel a faint sense of joy. This person was none other than Rhodes. He held the Aranakiri aloft, examining it closely, and suddenly, a sincere smile appeared on his face. Fate had come knocking and, as expected, no one could stop it! The sword fits him perfectly. As he was basking in this joy, a cold voice interrupted him: ¡°Kid, if you cherish your life, put down the sword now. And, I can spare your life.¡± Rhodes heard this and tilted his head, and replied lightly: ¡°I picked this up on my own merit, why should I put it down?¡± Volume 1 - CH 84 ¡°Why should I relinquish something I acquired through my own merit?¡± As soon as he spoke, the entire room was enveloped in silence. All eyes were fixed upon Rhodes in disbelief. This young man, having emerged from the rags, dared to confront Talon head-on, a representative of the Donquixote Family! Even Soros was taken aback. Rhodes¡¯s sword had inflicted a heavy blow on a Sea King, leaving Soros deeply shocked, and his mysterious background made Soros consider allying with him; however, the Donquixote, or rather, Doflamingo, was a true big shot. In the world of pirates, the Donquixote Family is ranked second only to the Four Emperors. In fact, due to Doflamingo¡¯s special unknown status, the family held sway with the World Government and wielded influence throughout the world, particularly in chaotic places like Saboady. Even the common folk, were filled with trepidation and dared not get involved in this incident, a testament to the family¡¯s power. Talon¡¯s eyebrows arched as his eyes shone with a cold light. The incident with Gates was merely a robbery, a routine operation for them. But Rhodes¡¯s words were a true slap in the face. Not just to Talon, but to the reputation of the Donquixote Family as well! ¡°Os, Odin, both of you, go and take care of this arrogant brat.¡± As soon as he spoke, two men jumped out from behind him, both dressed in rough animal skins and wielding large swords. These two men were the Donquixote Family¡¯s elites, Os and Odin. One man brandished a long sword, while the other wielded a giant sword, both clearly adept at utilizing raw strength. ¡°This brat can be taken down by me alone. Boss, what¡¯s the point of calling us both out?¡± one of the men groused. ¡°He committed a taboo. Whoever deals with him first will be generously rewarded,¡± Talon said coolly. Os and Odin exchanged glances before leering at Rhodes with malevolent intent, cackling grotesquely, ¡°Such a comely little white face, is far superior to the ones back home. Brothers, we can truly savor this moment¡­¡± Yet they didn¡¯t finish their sentence. With a ¡°swish,¡± a bolt of lightning shot by in front of them. It shone brilliantly, yet was gone in an instant. Many people thought it was an illusion and were left confused. But then Os and Odin both shuddered. A wound on their neck rapidly spread, spewing out gouts of blood. The two men looked terrified and instinctively reached for their necks. But before their hands could even move, their heads had already tumbled from their bodies. Blood was sprayed everywhere. The entire field fell silent. Everyone stared at the young man in white, who seemed to have barely moved, and saw him say with some delight, ¡°As expected of a great-grade sword, it¡¯s fast and sharp as advertised.¡± He held the sword in his hand and scrutinized it closely, not missing a single detail or grain. The more he looked, the more excited he became. Aranakiri appeared to be inherently attuned to the power of thunder, and in its transmission, was clearly far superior to the former fine long sword. The speed of that sword just now was not only due to Aranakiri¡¯s own strength but also due to the enhancement of lightning that Rhodes¡¯ channeled through its blade. With a snap of his finger, a crisp hum emanated from the sapphire sword, its surface emitting a faint glow and eliciting a feeling of joy within those present. While Aranakiri was pleased, on the opposite side, Talon and the others were filled with dread, their scalps were tingling and their backs chilled. Talon, in particular. Os and Odin had barely taken two steps when they were suddenly killed. As the two heads landed, they faced Talon, their gazes fixed upon him as if silently accusing him, nearly causing Talon¡¯s soul to flee his body. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and was about to utilize the Donquixote Family¡¯s reputation to intimidate Rhodes, yet he suddenly noticed that the latter seemed to be ignoring him. This caused his heart to skip a beat, and he quickly silenced himself. Talon, with his vast experience, knew that this territory belonged to the Donquixote Family, and the current situation was likely already known to the higher-ups. When the main force arrives, this presumptuous youth, Rhodes, will not be spared! Talon returned to his senses, his thoughts wicked as he absorbed the scene before him. And so, the atmosphere abruptly calmed. Rhodes carelessly examined his new sword, exuding an air of ease and relaxation. Talon, meanwhile, hung his head low, effectively concealing the malice in his eyes as he waited patiently for backup. Time ticked away, one minute, one second. However, events did not unfold as Talon had imagined. Before Diamante could arrive, Rhodes sheathed his sword with a loud clang, called out to Soros, and began walking toward the edge of the crowd as if to leave. Talon¡¯s brow furrowed. He calculated the time and believed Diamante should arrive soon, so his confidence soared. He approached Rhodes, stopping several dozen meters away, and shouted, ¡°Do you really think you can just walk away so easily after disrespecting the Donquixote Family?!¡± His demeanor was arrogant and his tone haughty, but speaking from such a distance did not carry much conviction. Even the passersby couldn¡¯t bear to watch and secretly chuckled. ¡°What¡­did he say?¡± Halfway through the sentence, Talon¡¯s vision suddenly blurred, and he saw the figure in the distance fade away. Then, on his neck, a deep blue sword blade suddenly appeared. The piercing sharpness made Talon feel a chill down his spine as if he were about to join Os and Odin in the next moment, even without actually being touched by the blade. ¡°¡­?¡± Talon swallowed and opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing the enigmatic expression on Rhodes¡¯s face, he didn¡¯t manage to say anything. For he perceived that the youth before him was a veritable madman, unafraid of heaven or earth. If he dared utter a single false word, it was likely that he would meet his demise in the next instant. Just as he was drenched in the cold sweat, feeling as though the days stretched on interminably, a distant, icy voice emitted, carrying a commanding tone. ¡°Brat, if you have the guts, cut me down with that sword and let me see your mettle.¡± Upon hearing this familiar voice, Talon¡¯s countenance shook violently, and he straightened himself haughtily: ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯ll stand here motionless and I dare you to slice¡­¡± Splat! A head flew up. Blood spattered everywhere. Rhodes fell back, avoiding the splattered blood, and shook his head lightly, stating: ¡°I¡¯ve never heard such a strange request before.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Diamante, right?!¡± Rhodes gazed at the sword-wielding man in the red cloak who had just arrived. This individual was none other than the highest-ranking member of the Donquixote Family, Diamante, a Paramecia Devil Fruit user! He had the ability to transform any object he touched, from stones to steel, and even his own body, into a soft, cloth-like form. His garments were all made of extremely sturdy special steel, and although they appeared to be cloth, they were in reality highly resilient and possessed an unbelievable defensive power. Volume 1 - CH 85 Rhodes¡¯s voice resounded across the open field, leaving all present stunned and motionless. If Rhodes had killed Talon before Diamante¡¯s arrival, it would have been a mere collision, not worthy of much attention. However, with Diamante, the highest-ranking member of the Donquixote Family, present, Rhodes¡¯s slaying of Talon was a blatant and outright affront. The atmosphere grew heavy with a sense of foreboding as a cold killing intent and malevolent aura permeated the air. Diamante¡¯s face darkened to the color of a pot bottom, his eyes flickering with a bloodthirsty gleam. ¡°This is it,¡± said some. ¡°We¡¯re in for it now,¡± said others. ¡°This young man is too disrespectful,¡± added a few. In the back, Soros¡¯ face changed dramatically. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head and sighed before retreating. Clearly, with his status and position, he had no right to speak in front of Diamante. All he could do now was hope for the best. The field fell into a tense silence, the oppressive feeling of suffocation reminiscent of the calm before a storm. ¡°Quick, let¡¯s get out of here!¡± The onlookers retreated, leaving a wide open space. In a flash, only Rhodes and the members of the Donquixote Family, including Diamante, remained on the open field. Although he was vastly outnumbered, Rhodes stood tall with his sword, his expression remaining serene as his eyes shone with a sharp edge. He was not one to back down from a fight, and if he couldn¡¯t even stand up to someone like Diamante, one of a Shichibukai¡¯s subordinates, how could he ever hope to reach the pinnacle and go head-to-head with legendary figures like the Four Emperors and their top commanders? What was the point of training without meeting formidable opponents to challenge him? Under the scrutiny of all present, Diamante surprisingly didn¡¯t attack right away. He looked at Rhodes and felt a sense of familiarity as if he had seen him somewhere before. Suddenly, realization dawned on his face as he sneered, ¡°So it¡¯s you, the little brat who caused Lao G¡¯s capture. You should have stayed hidden in Gion¡¯s lap, yet you dared to show your face on the sea again.¡± ¡°You truly have no fear of death!¡± He spoke coldly. Lao G held a high position in the Donquixote Family, and his arrest had caused quite a stir. While the Donquixote Family was busy trying to rescue Lao G from prison, they also conducted a thorough investigation into the incident and learned about the existence of a man named Rhodes. He was rumored to be a sword genius with an extremely powerful thunder sword intention. ¡°To torture and kill a genius, what a delightful pastime,¡± Diamante licked his lips, his eyes filled with undisguised killing intent. ¡°Half Moon¡­ Glaive!¡± Diamante slowly unsheathed his sword, the blade glowing with a cold light. Rhodes¡¯s eyes narrowed as he prepared for battle. As Diamante¡¯s sword descended, a dazzling green-blue sword aura shot forth, slicing through the earth as if it were tofu and exuding an aura of invincibility as it roared toward Rhodes. This was pure swordsmanship at its finest, and Diamante was clearly a formidable swordsman. Though Diamante doesn¡¯t have a prominent role in the original story, as the highest-ranking member of the Donquixote Family and a master of swordsmanship and Devil Fruit abilities, he is at least a Vice-Admiral-level presence, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain control on Dressrosa. ¡°Oh, Diamante-Sama is going all out from the start, leaving no room for error,¡± some remarked. ¡°It¡¯s a shame, really. A young man like this, who was able to defeat Loa G, would likely have become a big shot in a few years. It¡¯s a pity he had to meet Diamante-Sama now, or he probably would have had a bright future,¡± said others. ¡°It¡¯s better for him to die quickly rather than suffer a worse fate if he lives,¡± added a few. The Donquixote followers who had come with Diamante all wore expressions of bloodthirst and excitement as if they had already witnessed the scene of Rhodes being split into two by this sword aura. Whoosh! Before the sword aura even reached him, the wild wind it stirred rushed towards Rhodes, blowing his black hair backward and revealing his shining, pitch-black eyes. ¡°This level of swordsmanship¡­¡± Rhodes shook his head lightly as he gazed upon the seemingly grand green-blue sword aura. He grasped the sword handle and waved a light and effortless slash. Lightning! As the sword swung down, the dazzling silver-white sword energy was like a bright silver moon soaring through the sky, rippling with a tingling sharpness. In an instant, two completely different sword energies collided, producing an earth-shaking hum. Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle! The two sword energies cut and grappled with each other, the sound of clashing and bursting constantly ringing out. Finally, they exploded and burst out, releasing a circle of terrifying waves that swept out. This astonishing phenomenon even caused the nearby houses to make creaking noises as if they were about to collapse. It also made the spectators¡¯ hair stand on end, and they quickly retreated, with some of the more timid ones no longer daring to watch the battle. Almost in the next moment, the collision produced a result. To everyone¡¯s amazement, a weak silver-white sword energy suddenly burst out of the aftermath and continued to slash toward Diamante. It was Rhodes who had come out on top! ¡°What?!¡± Diamante¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the scene. He had never expected that his full-strength slash would be blocked by Rhodes! ¡°Blocked, blocked it?¡± The members of the Donquixote Family in the back all had looks of disbelief on their faces. Although Diamante¡¯s swordsmanship was not considered a core technique, combined with his almost honed to extreme physical strength, it was not a stretch to say that he could cut a Marines warship in half with one sword strike! ¡°As expected of a disciple of the Great Sword Master, Gion, I admit I underestimated you,¡± Diamante remarked as he crushed the remaining sword qi with his blade and fixed a cold gaze on Rhodes, his voice dripping with malevolence. ¡°So this is all there is to the so-called highest member,¡± Rhodes replied, his sword still in hand and his expression remaining undisturbed. But all present could detect a hint of pride emanating from him, and rightfully so. To stand against the highest member of the Donquixote Family, Diamante, and withstand a full-force attack while even gaining the upper hand, was a level of strength that not even this year¡¯s new sensation, ¡°White Horse¡± Cavendish, could boast. Not to mention, Rhodes was clearly much younger than Cavendish, meaning he had even more potential. If Cavendish has the potential to become a renowned pirate in the future, then Rhodes has the potential to become a legendary figure standing at the peak! All present felt that this trip was worth it, to witness the emergence of such a stunning character. ¡°Oh, is this the young man that Shakky spoke of? Not bad at all,¡± a silver-haired old man remarked from atop a rooftop, taking a sip of his wine. ¡°That little kid, Gion, actually took on a disciple. I¡¯m a bit envious,¡± he continued. There are very few Great Sword Masters who have reached the peak of swordsmanship, and most of them have a lonely and cold feeling of inadequacy. Even if they don¡¯t know each other, he couldn¡¯t help but feel envious that he wasn¡¯t the one encountering such a disciple. ¡°But Diamante¡¯s strength is far from just this,¡± Rayleigh said, his eyes shining with a sharp light ¡ª Let this old man taste more the true power of your lightning sword intent. Volume 1 - CH 86 The battle rages on, and the Saboady Archipelago is no stranger to madmen. Stronger individuals continue to flock to the scene, watching the battle with great interest. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Diamante? Who would dare to provoke him? Could he be the new star of the year?¡± ¡°Are you kidding? The New Star? Anyone worth their salt knows that a new star can only cause a stir in the first half of the Grand Line at best. Diamante is a well-known figure in the New World, capable of easily defeating someone like Cavendish, with one hand.¡± The crowd is abuzz with speculation about Rhodes¡¯s identity. For ordinary people in this world, the most straightforward and brute method of achieving fame is to force the World Government to put a bounty on your head. The higher the bounty, the higher the fame, and the easier it is to be remembered. Otherwise, the best thing that will happen to you is to be mentioned in one of the small articles in the newspaper, but who reads those?! Rhodes lacks a bounty and has not done anything noteworthy enough to make headlines, so only a few people know of him. ¡°What¡¯s the point of being strong? Being handsome is the most important thing. Cavendish is the best!¡± ¡°Exactly, this handsome pirate is not something the likes of you rough folk could understand!¡± ¡°Ah~~ My Cavendish.¡± Upon hearing the derogatory comments about Cavendish, some female fans become disgruntled and shoot daggers with their eyes. Upon seeing this, the big men before them suddenly quiet down. They looked at these women with their large waists and ferocious appearance wielding axes and whips, and all secretly sighed. For this legendary pirate nobleman, they only had admiration¡­ and a faint sense of pity for the poor guy. ¡­ At this moment, on the battlefield. Hearing Rhodes¡¯s words, Diamante sneered and said nothing more. The collision just now had indeed put him at a disadvantage, so if he was suppressed, he would just fight back. Cruel words should be spoken while stepping on the enemy¡¯s head. AAAH! He lightly shouted and suddenly activated his Flying Fruit ability. Army Bandera! Buzz! Almost in the next moment, the ground within dozens of meters rippled suddenly, as if injected with a mysterious force. Under the surprised gazes of all present. The whole piece of land suddenly lifted off, like a piece of cloth fluttering in the wind. ¡°It¡¯s here, Diamante¡¯s Fruit ability!¡± ¡°It¡¯s truly terrifying.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way to maintain balance in this situation. It looks like this battle is going to end.¡± The Donquixote family members all showed a look of excitement as if they had already seen Rhodes being flattened by the flying land. But they didn¡¯t think that. Rhodes simply lightly stomped his foot and leaped into the air. He stepped on the Moon Step and easily avoided Diamante¡¯s Fruit attack with a casual wave. ¡°I see you know the Moon Step. But it¡¯s not easy to leverage your power in the air. Let¡¯s see how you handle this!¡± As expected, Diamante snorted coldly and suddenly swung his sword. Half-Moon Glaive! A grand green sword energy swept out as if it would split the sky and earth in two. Different from the previous one, this strike was Diamante¡¯s ultimate burst, using all the sword skills he had learned in his lifetime to the extreme, reaching the limits of his speed and strength. He wanted to cut Rhodes down from the sky with one sword and restore his majesty, proving himself. Buzz! Seeing the green sword energy slice towards the sky, almost illuminating the dark night, everyone couldn¡¯t help but sigh, feeling that Rhodes was doomed. ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± Rhodes suddenly laughed. He laughed and shook his head. ¡°I thought the highest officer of the Donquixote Family would be much more reliable, but it turns out you¡¯re just a fame-seeking opportunist.¡± ¡°You think you can show off with this petty sword technique? I really overestimated you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let me show you the true art of swordsmanship.¡± Rhodes stood with his sword, proud and aloof. In the shocked and confused gazes of the crowd, he calmly said two words: ¡°Thunder Dragon!¡± In an instant, the void came alive with electricity and the thunder exploded as if it were broad daylight! And as he was bathed in the thunder, he swung his sword! Boom! It was like a clap of thunder on a clear day. A thunderous dragon formed from this strike and an energy cut was shot out and serpentined in the air for nine turns like a snake! Diamante unleashed the strongest sword qi of his lifetime, but it almost had no chance once it met the dragon thunder, dissipating instantly like paper mache. The thunder dragon didn¡¯t let up, roaring down as if a divine disaster had descended, destroying everything in its path. ¡°This isn¡¯t possible!¡± Diamante exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock. Nevertheless, he dared not take the attack lightly and stomped his foot fiercely, causing the earth to rise up like a curtain, layer upon layer. But how could these ordinary earth walls stand up to the terrifying thunder dragon from the sky? Puff puff puff! The earth walls were torn apart like a ruin, and in the blink of an eye, the thunderbolt wrapped in violent force broke through the nine layers of the earth walls. It crashed onto Diamante¡¯s sword blade with a loud bang, releasing the thunder dragon¡¯s final burst of power. Diamante was sent flying, spraying blood from his mouth as he crashed into a shop, causing the building to collapse. As the earth shook fiercely, accompanied by a blanket of smoke and dust, the large tracts of earth controlled by Diamante also fell, bursting out with a series of rumbling noises. Many of the wealthy nobles who were leisurely enjoying themselves on the Saboady Archipelago suddenly noticed that the cups in their hands were shaking, creating ripples on the surface. ¡°Is this an earthquake?¡± Everyone was puzzled and rushed outside. The many spectators at the scene were left completely stunned. In mid-air, a figure clad in white was surrounded by thunder, standing tall with a sword in hand, and a cloud of dust at his feet. The sky was illuminated by this person, taking on a deep blue hue. The thunder that tore through the darkness was intimidating. ¡°Such powerful thunderous energy!¡± ¡°Could he be a Logia-Type user of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit?¡± ¡°No wonder he¡¯s so powerful at such a young age! This is almost an unbeatable Logia ability, even the current three Admirals are not as skilled as him.¡± Everyone¡¯s mouths gaped open in shock, their hearts trembling, and they didn¡¯t even notice the dust they were inhaling. ¡°What¡­what did I just see? He¡­he shot out a thunder dragon with one strike?!¡± West Blue¡¯s wealthiest man, Gates, was left speechless. ¡°Even Diamante was beaten by him?!¡± Soros also swallowed his saliva at this moment. Not only was he taken aback, but the usually composed Rayleigh, who was calmly drinking nearby, even spat out his drink. He got his wish and laid his eyes on the rumored demonic ¡°Thunder Sword Intent¡±. But this encounter didn¡¯t go as he had imagined, with him acting like an old man while pointing out mistakes. Instead, he was shocked like any ordinary passerby! Who is this guy? Rayleigh, the vice-captain of the Roger Pirates, the legendary Dark King, a man who once split an island with a single sword strike, is one of the world¡¯s top swordmasters! Even in his later years, he can still effortlessly deflect Admiral Kizaru¡¯s attack. ¡°N-¡­ No way, right?¡± ¡°This cannot be Sword Intent?!!¡± Rayleigh blinked; his face was filled with a ¡°you¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡± expression as he mutters to himself unconsciously. Volume 1 - CH 87 Diamante, one of the Donquixote family¡¯s cadres, unleashed a powerful attack! However, with a swift slash of Rhodes¡¯ sword, Diamante was sent flying through the air, a sight that none of the Donquixote Family members had expected. In their eyes, Diamante was a true force to be reckoned with, a heavyweight among strongmen, second only to the infamous Doflamingo. ¡°We¡¯ve run into a tough opponent,¡± muttered the junior members of the Donquixote Family, exchanging worried glances. Sensing that things were not going their way, they decided it was time to call for backup. Of course, reaching out to Saboady¡¯s headquarters for assistance would be futile at this point, so they turned to the world government for help. Due to Doflamingo¡¯s unknown powerful status, their relationship with the government was delicate at best, but they knew that help would most likely be granted, if not graciously. Doflamingo had risen to power by threatening the government, after all. As the smoke cleared, a tremor rumbled through the ruins of the house. ¡°AAAH!¡± Diamante slowly picked himself up, his eyes icy and filled with anger and shock. At his level, his strength had reached its peak, and all he desired was fame and the realization of his dreams. But now, he had been publicly humiliated by Rhodes, a shame that would haunt him for the rest of his days. ¡°Oh, you want to continue?! You¡¯re not convinced yet? Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll convince you.¡± Rhodes smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth. With a swift step forward, he launched himself into the fray once more, determined to make Diamante submit. In an instant, a massive wave of energy swept through the air. At the same time, Rhodes closed the distance between himself and Diamante in a flash, landing on top of him like lightning and striking with his sword. Clang! The two men¡¯s swords clashed once again. This time, Diamante couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate Rhodes. He channeled all his power, pushing his Busoshoku Haki to its limits, and swung his sword to meet Rhodes¡¯s attack. Clang! The sound of metal ringing out filled the air. In an instant, Diamante was forced back, unable to withstand Rhodes¡¯s sword. ¡°What immense strength!¡± Diamante¡¯s heart was shaken, and his hands trembled slightly. ¡°How is this possible?! I may not be strong, but he¡¯s only 17 or 18 years old and hasn¡¯t even reached his prime yet, how can he have so much strength!¡± He couldn¡¯t comprehend it. He had seen many geniuses and monsters in his life, but none of them had ever had this kind of strength. These people usually had unique talents in swordplay or the development of Devil Fruits and often achieved what others couldn¡¯t in their entire lives at a very young age. But physical strength is not the same, it¡¯s impossible to progress rapidly, and only through daily training and perseverance can it be gradually improved. Normally, a person¡¯s physical strength will reach its peak in their 30s or 40s. Once you hit that milestone, you can only try what you have already achieved, and it¡¯s difficult to make further progress. But Rhodes was only 17 or 18 years old! Diamante couldn¡¯t fathom the idea of Rhodes reaching his peak, his physique honed to such a level of strength that it would rival that of the likes of Black-Arm Zephyr or the King of the Beasts Kaido. He never imagined he would come across such a prodigious talent, but with the family already at odds with Rhodes, Diamante knew he had to snuff him out, and quick. ¡°Fly!¡± Diamante shouted, letting go of his red cloak, the fabric fluttering in the wind. What appeared to be silk threads unraveled from the cloak and intertwined themselves around Rhodes, in reality, they were made of the toughest of steels. In a blink of an eye, Rhodes was ensnared by the steel threads, which seemed to pulsate with fierce energy, further hardening their grip. The threads layered themselves around Rhodes, trapping him in a cocoon of steel, like an insect caught in a spider¡¯s web. ¡°Interesting move,¡± Rhodes remarked, his eyes alight with excitement. Diamante is truly a veteran of the sea, he had managed to improvise and develop his abilities to this extent, impressing Rhodes. These threads may seem flimsy, but together, they were a force to be reckoned with. The mere sight of this move would strike fear into the hearts of any mere mortal, ensuring their demise in an instant. ¡°But alas, your abilities are not yet advanced enough to control these threads from a distance. Also, these metal threads, are conductive.¡± Rhodes shook his head in mild disappointment. Suddenly, the faint glow of lightning that had been flickering over his body, roared to life, towering at a height of three meters. The fearsome arcs of electricity flickered wildly, spreading along the threads at an unimaginable speed in the blink of an eye. Diamante didn¡¯t even have a moment to let go of the threads before he was caught in the current. At this moment, his Busoshoku Haki was mainly focused on the threads, leaving his body almost defenseless. Zizz¡­ The raging lightning, accompanied by the terrifying heat of electricity, gave Diamante a taste of the electric chair. His hair stood on end, his eyes became white, his head was emitting heat, and his steel clothing was wildly conducting electricity, almost making him an imbecile. But he was still a formidable strongman. He gritted his teeth and broke the control of the threads despite the intense numbness and pain throughout his body. Dazzle¡­ He stumbled backward, almost falling to the ground. However, fortune favors the strong-bodied pirates in this world, their vitality is truly astounding. Though Diamante¡¯s head had been ringing with electric shock, he still managed to break free, avoiding any threat to his life. But before he could catch his breath, an alarming sound of breaking air echoed in his ears and an overpowering presence rushed towards him. Diamante had no choice but to brace himself for battle. Despite his best efforts, he could barely fend off his opponent, forced to fight and retreat at the same time. The ground shook beneath them as they clashed. Every time swords were drawn, they left deep trenches in their wake. ¡°This is too much!¡± someone exclaimed, his voice trembling with awe. Before this moment, the people of Saboady had only known that the New World was incredibly powerful, a gathering place for the elite, far stronger than the first half of the Grand Line. But now, they were seeing the true extent of its power with their own eyes. The battle between Rhodes and Diamante was a true display of the might of the New World¡¯s strongest pirates. Their clashes sent shockwaves through the area, like two titanic bulldozers wreaking havoc without a care in the world. The sight caused many pirates who had planned to venture into the New World to feel a shiver of fear and hesitation. ¡°Looks like we have what it takes to go to the New World,¡± said one. ¡°The old are done for, the future belongs to the young,¡± said Rayleigh, taking a sip from his flask before hopping off the roof, and strolling away leisurely. But just as he left, the sounds of battle suddenly came to a halt. From the smoke emerged a figure, flying backward before skidding to a stop on the ground, lying there motionless like a dead dog. ¡°Do you surrender now?¡± Rhodes said with a hint of a smirk as he walked out of the dust, his clothes perfectly untouched as if this battle had been nothing more than a casual walk. Volume 1 - CH 88 Diamante, is a figure of the utmost prominence and a general of the highest caliber, possessing great strength in this sea. Though his swordsmanship may not have been as polished as Ryuji¡¯s, and his strength ever-so-slightly inferior to Rhodes¡¯, he possessed the ability of the Hira Hira No Mi Fruit to compensate. His overall combat prowess was not far off from that of the one-armed swordsman Ryuji, and may even have had the edge in certain aspects. Had it not been for the cloak-wrought steel wire net that just so happened to conduct electricity and was intercepted by Rhodes, resulting in severe injuries, this battle may have had a far different outcome. In terms of physical endurance, though Rhodes had made significant strides, it was uncertain if he could have kept pace with the experienced and powerful Diamante. And in these parts, the Sabaody Archipelago, with its years of machinations, it would not have been a surprise if allies of the Donquixote Family had intervened. Alas, it was not meant to be. Rhodes¡¯ tireless training and relentless pursuit of self-improvement had reaped bountiful rewards. Be it his body strength, swordsmanship, or his signature move the Thunder Power, any one of them would have been more than enough to earn him the title of a supernova-level individual. In combination, they had forged Rhodes into a monstrous talent the likes of which had never been seen before. At the tender age of seventeen, he had struck down Diamante, the Donquixote Family¡¯s highest-ranking officer, with unshakable confidence. ¡­¡­. The scene that now greeted the onlookers was one of complete and utter stillness. The only sound that echoed through the air was the steady tread of Rhodes¡¯ feet as he walked the ground. Not a soul dared to make a sound, not even to take a breath. Whether they be the outlaws of the Sabaody Archipelago, the ruthless pirates, the powerful officials, or even members of the Donquixote Family, not a single one dared to speak. Donquixote Doflamingo had not been seen much since he become one of the Shichibukai. Of the four highest-ranking officers, Vergo had infiltrated the Marines as a spy, Trebol acted as a secretary or bodyguard-like presence, staying in the Dressrosa palace to protect Sugar, and Pica controlled Dressrosa. In recent years, the one who had been out and about handling matters was primarily Diamante, the highest-ranking officer. Perhaps people did not know how powerful Donquixote Doflamingo was, or how strong the Donquixote Family was, but they all knew how strong Diamante is. But in this very moment, after a fierce battle, that mighty figure¡¯s life and death were uncertain. Who would ever dare to face the sharp edge of this young man¡¯s swords after this? ¡°I submit!¡± Diamante barely lifted his head, his eyes filled with endless hatred and shame, but he was no longer the hot-headed youth he once was, he knew when to bend and when to stand firm. For now, he kept his silence, biding his time to preserve his life, but with the Donquixote Family¡¯s position of power and influence in the underworld, there were countless methods to eliminate Rhodes. ¡°The underworld is teeming with all kinds of sinisterly skilled assassins and hitmen, and when the time comes, you¡¯ll be begging for death!¡± Diamante lowered his eyelids, hiding the malice that simmering within. In his mind, the submission would still ensure the safety of his life. After all, he¡¯s from the Donquixote Family and their captain is none other than Doflamingo, one of the Shichibukai. Diamante had tasted defeats before, but those who dared to challenge him would usually falter and back down. Furthermore, a mere youth like Rhodes would be more than satisfied with just the flattery of defeating someone like himself. ¡°Diamante-sama!¡± Many members of the Donquixote Family exclaimed in shock, but couldn¡¯t help but lower their heads. Even the highest-ranking officer could only lower his head and bow, what more could they do? ¡°Submit and die.¡± To their surprise, Rhodes thrust his sword forward, striking Diamante¡¯s heart directly, the terrifying energy burst forth, instantly crushing it. ¡°How d-dare you!¡± Diamante¡¯s eyes bulged, not yet dead, his mouth continuously bleeding, and his face filled with an incredulous expression. He was the highest-ranking officer of the Donquixote Family, one of the Shichibukai Doflamingo¡¯s elite, and his position was revered. Even government officials of the World Government, and even some kings of allied countries, would treat him with respect upon seeing him. But Rodd was resolute in his determination to kill him; succinct and decisive. ¡°You!¡± The members of the Donquixote Family seethed with rage, as Diamante humbly submitted, yet Rodd still brazenly struck him down in front of everyone. ¡°What, you don¡¯t agree?¡± Rhodes drew his sword, the blue blade still gleaming and spotless, not a drop of blood staining it. He stood tall with a sword in hand and a smile on his face as he looked upon the Donquixote Family members. But this smile, to them, was akin to the grin of a demon. The Donquixote Family members, one by one, had their expressions contorted, taking a step back as a wave of fear and terror swept over them, replacing the brief anger. How dare they provoke such a madman? This was a being who would kill even the highest-ranking officer of the Donquixote Family without hesitation. In the crowd, a man in a white mask who had just arrived saw this scene and couldn¡¯t help but blink, halting his steps and muttering to himself: ¡°It¡¯s not my fault, it¡¯s Diamante¡¯s fault for being too weak, I just got here and he¡¯s already dead.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s how I¡¯ll report it.¡± With that, the CP agent shook his head, slowly withdrawing from the crowd. As for the remaining small fry of the Donquixote Family, the CP agent was too lazy to bother with them, this level of strength was not worth inciting the wrath of this madman Rhodes. Mmm, the crux of the matter is that he may not necessarily emerge victorious¡­ CP¡¯s special agent was quite perceptive, he slipped away like a ghost. ¡°Dead, he¡¯s dead, Diamante is dead¡­¡± Soros muttered in a trembling voice, his mind reeling in shock. He could never have imagined that Rodd would dare to publicly slay Diamante right before their eyes. Could it be that he has some sort of powerful backer, one that would allow him to sneer at the Donquixote Family? Even the West Sea¡¯s wealthiest man, Gates, was left reeling in shock. ¡°No matter how much wealth one amasses, it will always fall short when held up against true strength.¡± He murmured; his expression one of resignation. The two bodyguards were also left speechless, whispering among themselves: ¡°Boss, you were the catalyst for this outbreak of violence. This young man may have some sort of backing, but you do not.¡± ¡°We must flee Sabaody Archipelago with all due haste. The sea is wide and the Donquixote Family will not be able to pursue us easily. As long as we can make it back to the West Sea, we can seek refuge under the royal family.¡± Gates was startled upon hearing this, stammering ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll be leaving to find a ship.¡± As Rhodes finished the remaining members of the Donquixote Family with his two strikes, bringing this event to its satisfying conclusion. Rhodes gave his sword a shake, the sound of it being sheathed echoed through the air, and he paused for a moment in contemplation. All eyes were on him as he suddenly made his way toward Gates, who was attempting to slip away unnoticed. Gates was caught off guard, froze in his tracks, his steps hanging suspended in the air for a moment before he retreated silently. ¡°This is it, this guy is the type who holds a grudge isn¡¯t he?¡± Gates was drenched in sweat, wanting to say something, but unable to find the words. Though this conflict had been ignited by Aranakiri, it had ultimately been sparked by the incident with Loa G. But at the source, it was because of Gates¡¯ misfortune. If Rodd truly intends to hold him accountable, Gates would be at a loss for words, and could only accept defeat. Volume 1 - CH 89 Rhodes, in truth, did not spare a second thought about Gates, let alone that this was a bridge he had willingly built. The Donquixote family had a score to settle with him, and with their tyrannical ways, there would always be conflicts in the future, even without Gates¡¯ incident. It just happened a bit sooner than expected. Furthermore, thanks to this incident, he acquired a perfectly fitting great sword for free. Rhodes was in a great mood. Killing with a sword was immensely satisfying, and taking out his enemies was twice the pleasure. ¡°Are you heading back to the West Sea? Care to have me tag along?¡± As Gates was still in shock, he didn¡¯t expect Rhodes to approach him with such a calm tone, leaving him frozen in place like a statue. He had thought that such a young and renowned powerhouse would have been incredibly arrogant. Gates, being a business leader, soon regained his composure, bowing respectfully, ¡°Your Highness, to have you aboard my ship, is an honor of mine!¡± Gates looked overjoyed, and could not dare not show it. How could he refuse? Rhodes had just killed many before his eyes, and their corpses still lay where they fell. Rhodes nodded, he prided himself on being persuasive, if words failed, his sword would speak for him. ¡°Please, please, follow me, I will have a new ship ready within three days.¡± Gates spoke with the utmost deference. Initially, he has planned to acquire a commonplace sailing ship to hasten his return to the West Sea, but with Rhodes joining him, he dared not to be halfhearted in his efforts. ¡°Hm.¡± Rodd nodded with a hint of apathy, following Gates forward without a second glance back at Soros. Some things, once missed, are lost forever. Soros¡¯ decision to step down against Diamante was a common response, but it left a sour taste nonetheless. After all, Rhodes had saved his life before, yet he didn¡¯t even utter a single word. ¡°¡­¡± In the distance, Soros opened his mouth but failed to say anything, ultimately sighing in disappointment. Rhodes¡¯ attitude was crystal clear. His mind was consumed with regret. ¡°Oh well, it doesn¡¯t matter, maybe he won¡¯t even be able to withstand the relentless pursuit of the Donquixote family.¡± Soros whispered consolingly to himself, but his eyes were filled with remorse. He, who was accustomed to investing in young powerhouses, how could he not see Rhodes¡¯ potential? At this age, after defeating Diamante, becoming a powerhouse like Doflamingo in the future, was as easy as a breeze. Even reaching the peak was not out of the question. Having good relations with such figures would bring immeasurable benefits, that any merchant in the world would rush towards, yet he let the opportunity slip through his fingers. With Rhodes and the others leaving, this battle was finally over. But the impact it caused was like a raging storm, spreading throughout the world. The underground realm, where the Donquixote family held the most influence, bore the brunt of it, followed by the entire grand sea route, and eventually, even the far-off seas on the horizon were affected. News agencies clamored to report on it. Perhaps the average person still couldn¡¯t understand the young and rising swordsman Rhodes, but those with a slightly higher status knew of him, understood him, and were shocked by him. Rhodes, at not even twenty years of age, was famous throughout the world! ¡­ The New World, Marine G5 branch. Gion stood tall, draped in righteousness, gazing out the window towards the distant sea. Her striking figure held no expression on her elegant face, revealing no hint of emotion. Being in charge of the G5 branch may seem like a heavy burden, but in reality, it was quite effortless. The New World¡¯s Marine base was a military installation to begin with, lacking the responsibility of protecting islands or civilians. Normally, there wasn¡¯t much to do and there were many Marine captains below her in ranks to handle trivial matters. Someone like Gion, in actuality, was only responsible for intimidation. Furthermore, Gion had a very capable and beautiful female vice-captain, which allowed her to leisurely watch the sea every day. At that moment, footsteps could be heard outside the door, followed by Eleanor pushing it open. ¡°Something big has happened!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Gion¡¯s expression remained calm and unfazed. Eleanor gritted her teeth, her superior couldn¡¯t be bothered and the problem fell on her lap. She absentmindedly touched her hairline, grumbling to herself, ¡°You must know that the center of the problem is that kid, Rhodes!¡± ¡°Hmm?!!¡± Gion¡¯s blank eyes suddenly jolted, as if a sword light had flickered in mid-air, slicing through the atmosphere with a sharp sound. She turned her piercing gaze towards Eleanor; her eyes seemed to pierce right through her. Eleanor shrunk under the pressure. Only then did Gion realize her action and casually withdrew her aura, ¡°What happened?¡± Eleanor grumbled to herself, feeling gloomy. Gion wasn¡¯t like this before, she always felt that Rhodes took away all the love¡­ She felt like an abandoned cat, whispering, ¡°That guy killed the Donquixote family¡¯s highest executive, Diamante.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Gion heard this news and fell into a contemplative silence, nodding slightly, ¡°It appears that his power has seen a significant boost as of late.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Eleanor was left speechless, was this what Gion was most concerned about? She looked at Gion¡¯s serene expression, and the hint of pride and satisfaction in her eyes couldn¡¯t be missed, but Eleanor couldn¡¯t help but retort: ¡°Diamante is the face of the Donquixote family, Doflamingo is not known for his benevolence, Rhodes may be in for some dire times.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true.¡± Gion¡¯s tone was particularly upbeat, she gestured with her hand and said: ¡°Come, prepare the ship, we¡¯re going for a patrol near Dressrosa, we¡¯re going to capture some pirates.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been to sea in a while, my hand is itching for a battle, I always feel like I want to cut something.¡± Eleanor: ¡°¡­¡± ¡­ Dressrosa. In the upper echelons of the palace, in a dimly lit room. Four luxurious chairs were placed here, each engraved with a spade, heart, club, and diamond. Each one represents a top official. These four can be considered the backbone of the Donquixote family, without their support, Doflamingo would not have been able to ascend the throne so seamlessly. Therefore, even with his tyrannical and cruel nature as a Celestial Dragon, he could not accept what happened to his subordinates. ¡°Lao G was imprisoned because of him, and Diamante even died in battle¡­¡± ¡°Is he trying to provoke me?¡± Doflamingo spoke with a serene demeanor, his features betraying no trace of emotion. However, the atmosphere in the room took on a suffocating quality, as if a tempest was brewing. The already dimly lit room felt as if it were on the brink of the apocalypse. Even the members of the Donquixote family standing in the room, powerful figures in their own right, did not dare to utter a word, each one of them sweating profusely, as if they were being hunted by a prehistoric monster, death looming over them at any moment. The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive. At that moment, Trebol entered the room in a hurry, urgently saying: ¡°Doflamingo, a marines warship of the rank of an Admiral is patrolling near the coast!¡± ¡°It appears to be equipped with heavy artillery!¡± ¡°Based on my observation, it should be the Vice-Admiral, Gion.¡± His words caused the air to get colder still, like a harbinger of doom, the atmosphere suddenly came to a standstill before quickly dissipating like spring snow. Doflamingo¡¯s face twisted with anger at that instant. Volume 1 - CH 90 In the waters off the coast of Dressrosa, a sense of unease washed over Eleanor as she turned to her captain. ¡°Are we really sure about this?¡± she queried, her tone heavy with reservation. ¡°This is the territory of one of the Shichibukai, appointed by the World Government. We can¡¯t just go around interfering with them.¡± But Gion was unperturbed, her voice calm and steady as she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just helping to eliminate some local dangers and clear the shipping lanes.¡± No sooner had the words left her mouth, than a massive sea king breached the surface of the water, its body stretching for dozens of meters. Like a miniature mountain, it charged toward the marines¡¯ ship, which was a mere fraction of its size. A blinding light erupted from nowhere, slicing through the sea king as if it were butter, bisecting the creature with ease. Blood and guts spilled out like a deluge, raining down upon the waters below. The sea king let out a mournful cry, before crashing back into the sea with a deafening roar, creating towering waves that rocked the marines¡¯ ship. But the light did not stop there, it continued its relentless advance, cutting through the thick clouds above as if nothing would stop it from reaching the sun. It was as if a sword of pure energy had cleaved the very sky in two. The concentrated sword aura was almost palpable, leaving all who witnessed it in awe. From the summit of the palace, Doflamingo surveyed the scene before him, his anger slowly dissipating as he pushed aside the thought of personally hunting down Rhodes. ¡°That insane woman,¡± Trebol murmured, wiping the sweat from his brow. If it had been one of the current three admirals, they wouldn¡¯t have caused them much concern, as those individuals were known for their restraint and adherence to a code of conduct; they wouldn¡¯t actively harm one of the Shichibukai. But Gion was different. Women are already hard to understand. Powerful women, even more so. As for a woman who has reached the pinnacle of power¡­ Her level of caprice was such that even Doflamingo had to yield to her, and he knew of her powerful connections. One was a Vice Admiral who had been in love with her for a lifetime. Another was almost like a sister to her, one of the major figures in the marines, a former Vice Admiral who had actually once chased after Doflamingo. Just thinking about it gives Doflamingo a headache. He silently retreated to his chamber to ponder. Vengeance and killing her in return was impossible. However, the underworld places great importance on reputation and infamy. If he just accepts the death of one of his highest officials without repercussions, no one would ever take him seriously, let alone respect him, it would even affect his family and business connections. But if he acted personally, Gion would probably tear down Dressrosa the next day, hunting him down to the ends of the earth, and who would be able to stop the killing intent of a sword master. ¡°Let¡¯s place a bounty on Rhodes¡¯ head in the underworld,¡± Doflamingo suggested, his voice heavy with contemplation. He turned to Trebol, his gaze cold and calculating as he spoke, ¡°The reward will be a whopping one billion Belly.¡± The mere mention of this figure sent shockwaves through the room. One billion Belly was an astronomical sum, one that was typically reserved for only the most notorious and dangerous of pirates. Even the likes of Charlotte Katakuri, Vice-Captain of one of the Yonko, had a bounty that barely exceeded this amount. Jack the Drought, one of the Three Disasters, had a bounty of only one billion Belly. Doflamingo¡¯s own bounty during his prime had never reached such heights. ¡°At one billion Belly, even the top-ranked assassins in the underworld will come running, aside from the Killing King, X Drake,¡± Trebol sneered, a twisted smile playing at his lips as if he already envisioned Rhodese¡¯s demise. The assassins in the underworld were known to be powerful foes, with methods that were both devious and deadly. They were experts in using, weapons with high technology, deadly poisons, and other covert means of killing. Some even possessed dangerous abilities. When they were truly sinister, they could even take out high-ranking officers of the Marines. It was said that X Drake, the world¡¯s top-ranked assassin known as the Killing King, had infiltrated the holy land of Marijoa using his special superhuman abilities, and assassinated high-ranking members of the World Government before disappearing, leaving the entire world in shock. This made the Five Elders furious, but they were unable to catch him. ¡­¡­.. As the sailors bustled about the Saboady Archipelago, loading the final provisions onto a grand sailing ship, Gates kept a watchful eye on the proceedings. However, his gaze couldn¡¯t help but wander toward a particular scene not far away. There stood Rhodes, his arms crossed and his eyes distant, lost in deep thoughts. At his side, stood a young girl no older than eleven or twelve, her petite frame standing tall and determined. The sea breeze played with her delicate features, tingeing them with a rosy hue, her body trembled, yet her resolve was unwavering. For a long time, Rhodes said nothing, his tone tinged with a hint of resignation as he finally spoke, ¡°Do you know how old I am? And yet you want me to be your master?¡± The young girl looked up at him, her gaze unwavering. ¡°Age is but a number,¡± she said in a determined voice, despite her chattering teeth, ¡°All that matters to me is your strength.¡± ¡°I must become stronger, as strong as you are. So that I will never feel as helpless as I did on that fateful day.¡± For if it had not been for that tragic day, when she had been shopping in a shop owned by her father¡¯s friend, she would have been reduced to ashes along with the ship, like so many others. And her father¡¯s tale of survival had only fueled her determination and desire to become stronger. Rhodes couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of unease that settled in his chest as he looked at the determined young girl before him. The girl in question was the daughter of Gates, Snowy. It appeared that the events of that day had sparked something within her, for she had immediately sought out Rhodes¡¯ teaching in the art of swordsmanship, despite his attempts to deter her. Suddenly, Snowy dropped to her knees, her voice resolute as she declared, ¡°I understand that I am not yet worthy of being your disciple, if I can just be your maid, I will do it. So long as you teach me the ways of the sword.¡± Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°A maid, you say? Can you wash clothes? Can you cook?¡± But Snowy was quick to surprise him, her small face alight with pride as she proclaimed, ¡°I can do all of that and more!¡± ¡°My mother is the renowned chef of the West Sea, I have been learning these skills since I was a child.¡± ¡°From court cuisine to barbecue, I am well-versed in dishes from all corners of the world, and I even know how to brew my own wine!¡± ¡°I promise you, on our journey back to the West Sea, you shall never be served the same meal twice.¡± She patted her chest confidently, her words carrying a hint of challenge. Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but be tempted by her offer, but he knew he had no experience in teaching and could only say, ¡°Get up.¡± ¡°The path of cultivation is a grueling one and depends heavily on one¡¯s natural talent¡­¡± But Snowy still knelt on the ground, her expression a mixture of tears and determination. The unspoken message was clear ¨C if her request wasn¡¯t granted, she would continue to cry and kneel. Rhodes had initially intended to reject her outright, but something in the pit of his stomach, that insatiable hunger for new food, stirred. And before he knew it, the words slipped out of his mouth, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll teach you a bit during our journey but forget about becoming my disciple. I haven¡¯t even figured out my own path yet.¡± Snowy¡¯s face lit up with joy and she bounded to her feet, practically skipping with glee. For a moment, she looked like the innocent child she truly was. Shaking his head, Rhodes shrugged. The journey was dull and he figured it wouldn¡¯t hurt to spend some time mentoring her. It might even help him to clarify and solidify his own understanding of what he had learned. As the saying goes, ¡°reviewing the old to understand the new.¡± Just as this thought crossed his mind, a group of people came into view, approaching them from a distance. Leading the pack was a blonde man, astride a white horse, a rose between his lips. His flamboyant air was almost unbearable, making Rhodes want to chop him with a sword. Volume 1 - CH 91 Cavendish felt a deep sense of disappointment. He had believed that with his status as a Supernova, boasting a staggering bounty of 280 million, he would undoubtedly become the most popular figure of the year, drawing the attention of the entire world upon his arrival at Sabaody Archipelago. Yet, to his dismay, he found himself upstaged by a mere brat. Enraged by this realization, Cavendish resolved to teach the young upstart a lesson. As for his defeat of Diamante, in the eyes of a Supernova, the Four Emperors were nothing more than mere stepping stones to be crushed beneath their feet. How strong could a mere 17-year-old be in comparison? In any case, he knew he was stronger. In the original story, Cavendish harbors a deep hatred for Luffy and his crew, as they had taken the spotlight from him as a Supernova. He is an outcast among pirates, obsessed over the attention of others and willing to do whatever it takes to gain their attention. Surrounded by a throng of admiring female fans, Cavendish rode on his white steed, slowly approaching Rhodes with an air of superiority. He looked down upon the young man with a taunting grin and sneered, ¡°You must be Rhodes. You don¡¯t seem like much.¡± Rhodes¡¯s eyes narrowed in recognition, quickly understanding Cavendish¡¯s true intentions. A hint of sarcasm danced across his features as he replied, ¡°Cavendish, I presume?¡± ¡°Indeed, it is I, the young master!¡± Cavendish declared haughtily, striking a pose with an air of arrogance. But Rhodes¡¯s expression quickly turned cold and indifferent, as he prepared for the impending confrontation. ¡°Get lost!¡± Rhodes bellowed, as a fierce and powerful aura erupted from him, accompanied by the sound of thunderous explosions. The void itself seemed to crack open with the deafening roar of his presence. Aura is something that usually accumulates with more and stronger defeated existences, personal strength, and experience. When a person reaches the peak state, they can use their aura to make the weak retreat, even if they can¡¯t stun the whole audience like a tyrant. With Rhodes¡¯ aura, just a few days ago when he publicly defeated Diamante in front of everyone, it would have only made Cavendish feel surprised, but it caused a serious scare to his white horse, Farul, under his hip. Farul reared up on its hind legs, almost instantly standing up, scaring the people around him to scream, and they retreated one after another. Cavendish desperately tried to calm the horse down, but it was of no use. He had to helplessly dismount and let his subordinates lead Farul away from this place. At this time, those female fans who were still in shock returned to their senses and couldn¡¯t help but turn their heads to look at Rhodes. At this glance, they were shocked. ¡°Wow, so cool!¡± The youthful and beautiful girls almost instantly fell for him. Cavendish is blond and handsome, elegant and handsome, like a Western noble young man. But Rhodes, with his striking appearance and superior aura, surpassed Cavendish in every way. His clothes were windless, and he had a kind of extraordinary and aloof charm that left everyone in awe. At first, they didn¡¯t notice it, but once they did, they found it more and more pleasing to the eye, the more they looked, the more they found him increasingly captivating. Each glance left them with a weird feeling in their body. ¡°Wow, this guy is incredibly handsome!¡± ¡°Are you single? How about you take me instead loverboy?¡± ¡°This is my hotel room number, let¡¯s talk about our training session tonight?¡± The girls¡¯ eyes were filled with desire, and without hesitation, they began to flock toward him. Snowy was pushed aside by the wild crowd, her body trembling with fear. ¡°¡­¡± Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes, exuding a powerful and intimidating presence, but to the women, it only made him more alluring, causing them to close in even more. ¡°Please¡­¡± Rhodes¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in frustration as he released a faint thunderbolt arc, scattering the women instantly and precisely striking the bodies of those who had lost their minds. Zzzz¡­ These thunderbolts were not particularly powerful, not even close to Rhodes¡¯s current level of cultivation, but they were enough to halt the advance of these women. They came to a sudden stop, standing in place, their bodies trembling slightly, their eyes blank, feeling a numbness spread throughout their bodies, and then¡­ They let out a collective moan of ecstasy. ¡°Ah~~~¡± The scene before them was truly breathtaking, drawing the attention of nearly every person in the port as they stared in confusion at Rhodes. Even Snowy¡¯s gaze was filled with a hint of disbelief. Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of awe as he realized the extent of the power of the Thunder. Meanwhile, Cavendish was left speechless. As he came to his senses, his eyes turned furiously red and he gritted his teeth in anger. Cavendish, who was already insecure, would naturally harbor a deep resentment towards anyone who stole the spotlight from him. And Rhodes¡¯ actions were almost like a public display of NTR, causing his anger to boil over. ¡°I challenge you, in the name of the ¡®Holy Sword¡¯ Durandal! You must be defeated by me, only then will I be the most popular man on this island.¡± His words were spoken with a venomous rage as if Rhodes had taken something precious from him. Rhodes, confused by the sudden turn of events, looked at Cavendish with a serious expression and asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to die?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you have it in you!¡± Cavendish was consumed by his fury. ¡°Then I shall fulfill your desire.¡± Rhodes slowly gripped the sword handle, his body lowering in preparation. The once-lazy posture was replaced by an aura of deadly intent, emanating a shocking sharpness. The manifestation of the will of a powerful swordsman was enough to make Cavendish¡¯s body shiver with fear. In a moment of almost divine clarity, he understood one thing with certainty! He was not a match for this man. Under the exhilaration of life and death, Cavendish¡¯s second personality suddenly awakened, his demeanor shifting to one of cold and frenzied madness. In this state, his sword fighting abilities would be nearly doubled. Those around him could feel the hair-raising killing intent emanating from him, causing fear and dread. In an instant, the once sunny and handsome blonde had transformed into a senseless killer, devoid of any human rationality. And in that same instant, he lost countless female admirers¡­ The girls all showed expressions of fear and retreated, as they felt that Cavendish¡¯s killing intent, directed at anyone and anything, was unstoppable. As he watched this scene unfold, Rhodes¡¯ expression remained eerily calm, as if he was prepared for what was to come. Buzz¡­ Even though Rhodes didn¡¯t exert any force, the sword hilt kept buzzing and vibrating, as if there was a power within the scabbard urging Rhodes to draw it. ¡°If you take this next strike, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± Almost as soon as the words left his lips, Rhodes suddenly moved. Swoosh! Under the specially crafted thunder element within the scabbard, Rhodes¡¯ sword-drawing speed reached its pinnacle; it would even leave Ryuji from before in awe! Whoosh! A whistle-like sound echoed through the air as sword energy, lighter than before, shot out from the blade of Aranakiri. The sword energy left behind a shocking white wave, breaking the sound barrier and creating a sound burst cloud. Volume 1 - CH 92 In an instant, the sword qi that exceeded the speed of sound closed the gap of dozens of meters. The onlookers were left in shock, unable to react. ¡°No!¡± Cavendish, a supernova of extraordinary talent, the strongest genius born in the Great Voyage in a year, would not go down easily. When pushed to the brink of life and death, such a character can unleash hidden potential, displaying a power beyond normal means. With a swift movement, he angled his sword to intercept the sword qi before him. But it was not enough, no further action could be taken. In the next moment, a hazy, dream-like sword qi, accompanied by a deafening sound, cleaved Durandel¡¯s sword in two. ¡°Poof!¡± Cavendish was showered in a spray of blood. Under the sword qi that exceeded the speed of sound, his sword was struck and split in the opposite direction, forming an X-shaped scar on his face. At the same moment, he was thrown back, tracing a perfect arc in mid-air before crashing into a small building. The building collapsed, and smoke filled the air. This supernova, who had landed on Sabaody Archipelago with a reward of 280 million, was no more, felled by Rhodes¡¯ sword. This was a supernova with a reward of almost three billion! Though he hadn¡¯t been tempered by the New World, he was not to be underestimated. He had defeated the Marines multiple times and successfully evaded their chase. But now, he was slain in one swift strike by Rhodes. ¡°Unbelievable!¡± ¡°Is this the young swordsman who killed Diamante? He lives up to his reputation as a renowned figure in the sea.¡± Everyone exchanged glances, all with expressions of awe and admiration as if gazing upon a deity, at the white-clad young man holding a sword. Rumors are one thing, but witnessing it firsthand is even more astounding. ¡°Incredible¡± Snowy clasped her hands together, displaying a look of awe and excitement. ¡°Too cool!¡± Cavendish¡¯s fans almost instantly switched sides, gazing at Rhodes with flushed faces and hearts filled with admiration. A man of great strength, paired with exceptional charm and an unprecedentedly handsome appearance, was impossible to resist. ¡°Not bad, the effect is good.¡± Rhodes¡¯ face was devoid of expression, but he was quite pleased in his heart. Ever since he saw Ryuji¡¯s amazing sword-drawing technique, he had been thinking about creating one for himself. But he hadn¡¯t had a good idea until now. A few days ago, he acquired the Aranakiri sword, which perfectly complements his power of thunder. This gave birth to the idea of this drawing sword technique. By harnessing thunder, he creates an electromagnetic environment within his sword scabbard, allowing for a draw at an unimaginable speed. However, Rhodes¡¯ drawing technique is difficult, and even time-consuming, unable to achieve the instantaneous results he desired. This is the biggest drawback of this sword technique, still, it¡¯s no major issue since it¡¯s a drawing technique. ¡°The speed is incredibly fast, even surpassing the speed of sound. A sudden strike may catch the enemy off guard, but the power is not as great as a normal strike. I wonder if Cavendish is still alive.¡± Rhodes quickly analyzed the situation. Even if he was alive, Rhodes never pay attention to the enemies he has defeated. He casually swung his sword, and then the blade slid into the scabbard with a loud noise. At that moment, a sharp, blue-glowing black bullet came shooting out of nowhere, from hundreds of meters away. There was no sound, as the speed of the bullet surpassed the speed of sound. ¡°So it was a sniper after all?¡± Faced with this bullet, which was capable of killing Cavendish in an instant, Rhodes¡¯ expression remained calm, as if he had expected it, slightly shifting his position to avoid it. The bullet detonated upon impact, releasing a fiery heat and a wisp of blue smoke that swiftly corroded the earth within a few meters, emitting a sizzling sound. It was apparent that it harbored a highly toxic substance. Rhodes¡¯ gaze quickly shifted to the figure in black, who was making a hasty retreat in the distance, a killer who missed his mark and fled far away. ¡°A hitman from the underground?¡± Rod mused, as he watched the hitman retreat quickly and leap over a three-meter-high wall before disappearing. He furrowed his brow slightly. He picked up Snowy, and flashed beside Gates, placing her down. ¡°Wait for me here, I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Rhodes said casually, without waiting for Gates¡¯ reaction, he stepped out. In a few breaths, he had appeared under the wall and then disappeared. ¡°A hitman?¡± Gates, with his experience, recognized it and couldn¡¯t help but show a worried expression. Now, he and Rhodes were like shipmates, and if Rhodes had an accident, he feared that he would soon be torn apart by the surging hungry wolves, who are used to please the Donquixote family. ¡°Brother Rhodes, please stay safe.¡± Little Snowy whispered in prayer. Although she was young, she knew that hitmen were very dangerous. And now, Rhodes was chasing the hitman through dozens of streets. The hitman was extremely fast, moving swiftly, and in a flexible way, like a grasshopper. The assassin finally came to a stop after running non-stop from Island 23 to Island 47, covering half of the Saboady Archipelago Island group. He was out of breath, hands grasping his knees. This extreme speed of escape had taken a toll on his stamina. ¡°You¡¯re not running anymore?¡± A relaxed voice caught him off guard from behind. The assassin turned around and saw Rhodes standing there, arms crossed, with a calm expression as if he had just returned from a stroll. This distance may have required the assassin to run at full speed, but for Rhodes, it was a breeze. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so strong. No wonder the Donquixote family set such a high reward.¡± The middle-aged man with a hooked nose and sinister aura spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°Donquixote? Was it Doflamingo who sent you?¡± Rhodes slightly furrowed his brows. The retaliation from Donquixote had come so quickly, it had only been three days! ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I tell you or not.¡± The assassin sneered, ¡°Two hours ago, the Donquixote family issued a hit on you in the underground world, with a reward of one billion Belly for your head.¡± ¡°I just happen to be in Saboady, that¡¯s why I was the first to move, but there will be a steady stream of assassins to come, even including a top-notch assassin, known as the ¡°Night Blade,¡± who has accepted the mission. He had once assassinated a Major General of the Marine Headquarters. ¡°Unless you kill them all, they will never give up.¡± ¡°One billion Belly?¡± Rhodes gave a slight pause. Doflamingo really held him in high regard, releasing a one billion bounty for his head. This price is almost equivalent to the bounty of one of the Four Emperors or one of the three Disasters. No wonder the assassin clearly felt the gap in strength, yet still dared to try. While Rhodes was thinking, the assassin suddenly pulled out a huge black short gun from behind. Bang! This gunshot was like a bomb exploding. The assassin¡¯s weapon was obviously specially modified, with tremendous power, and could be called black technology. He was confident that this shot could take down a Marines¡¯ captain. Even if Rhodes was powerful, he would inevitably be seriously injured. Volume 1 - CH 93 Regrettably, the overwhelming power of the Kenbunshoku of Rhodes had already given away every move of his, so he simply tilted his head slightly and easily evaded the surprise attack. The roar of the massive bullet as it flew past his ear brought with it a strong gust of wind, ruffling his hair gracefully. ¡°A billion Belly reward, it seems this journey won¡¯t be lacking in excitement,¡± Rhodes murmured with a hint of a smirk on his face. ¡°You, are you a devil?¡± The assassin stuttered, his mind reeling with shock. Rhodes shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°For you, I might as well be.¡± He didn¡¯t bother to unsheathe his sword, instead, he raised his left hand, and in an instant, electric arcs overflowed from his palm, forming a lightning spear that blazed with a dazzling light. Boom! With a swift throw, the spear sliced through the sky, outshining the sun itself. The assassin, who had been trying to flee, was caught up in a blink of an eye. Pop! In the blink of an eye, the lightning spear pierced through the assassin¡¯s body, detonating and rending him apart instantly. His body was reduced to pieces, bones, and flesh flying everywhere, filling the air with a nauseating smell of burnt flesh. Rhodes shook his head, ¡°Death is too cruel, but you¡¯re to blame for coming after me,¡± he said before turning and walking away. Not long after he left, dozens of figures appeared in the area, all of them exuding a cold and ominous aura. Clearly, they were from the underground world. They surveyed the ground littered with fragments of flesh and bones, and couldn¡¯t help but gasp after not finding a single intact piece of that guy. This is too fierce! His body was torn to shreds! This is what a devil must be like. These assassins were all drenched in cold sweat, shivering with fear as they looked at each other. They could see deep fear and awe in each other¡¯s eyes. What makes a powerful being the most terrifying, of course, is the use of such merciless methods. As Rhodes returned to the port, Gates had already made all the necessary preparations. As soon as Rhodes stepped on board, the ship set sail and left the Saboady Archipelago. At that moment, many people still stood at the port, staring at the ship as it gradually sailed away, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of anticipation and excitement. ¡°The sea is about to change greatly,¡± This thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind almost simultaneously. ¡­ In Baltigo, Koala had been working with the information chief, Gilteo, and was currently sorting through recent sea information in the headquarters castle conference room. Koala, being naturally sharp, excels in information work and finds it intriguing. A few days ago, she received the information that Rhodes had killed Diamante in the Saboady Archipelago. This feeling of almost real-time tracking of Rhodes, made her feel as if she was also on an adventure alongside Rhodes, witnessing the thrill of it all. As she was looking through reports, she suddenly paused, standing up in shock. ¡°Report, there¡¯s a billion Belly reward being offered in the underground world!¡± ¡°What?¡± Gilteo, standing beside her, was taken aback and quickly snatched the report to read it, his expression suddenly becoming strange. Koala, seeing his expression, was also confused as to what this attitude meant. A billion Belly! Though rewards in the dark world may not hold the same credibility as those of the World Government, they still hold significant weight. A billion Belly is the equivalent of hitting the jackpot during a drought! ¡°Take a look.¡± Koala took the report and her eyes widened, almost tearing the paper in her hand, her face full of shock. ¡°Has the Donquixote Family gone mad, offering a billion Belly reward for Rhodes¡¯ head!¡± She had been too focused on the billion Belly to pay attention to the specifics of the reward. As Koala continued to read, she finally understood and couldn¡¯t help but let out a wry smile. ¡°It turns out Doflamingo was forced back by Vice-Admiral Gion, he can¡¯t move personally, so he had to rely on the underground world.¡± ¡°A billion Belly, this is the highest reward, I¡¯m afraid the entire underground world is in an uproar.¡± ¡°Yeah, even the top assassin, ¡®Nightblade¡¯, has accepted the mission.¡± The Revolutionary Army often does underground activities and is very familiar with all aspects of this dark world. The assassin known as ¡°Nightblade¡± was recorded in the files, with a reputation for possessing a unique and peculiar fruit ability that was perfectly suited for his line of work as an assassin. In reality, it was almost a given that top-level assassins possessed special devil fruit abilities that were fatal to their victims. These powerful figures were the ones that even high-ranking officers of the Revolutionary Army were careful and cautious around, avoiding them at all costs. But Gilteo simply wore a smile on his face ¡°This is what true training is like.¡± Koala forced a smile, her expression showing some concern. ¡°I must inform Rhodes of this information,¡± she made a decision in her mind, she would definitely contact him after work. ¡­ On the vast blue ocean, a grand sailing ship cut through the waves. After setting sail, Gates and the others relaxed, for it was difficult to locate and capture a ship on the open sea. But Gates, being cautious, still used his own magnetic compass to design a more obscure route. Rhodes didn¡¯t care, only asking Gates to make the final stop of their journey to Alabasta. This was a place that he had decided to visit during his training journey from the start. Since he was on the verge of completing the second level of the knowledge book, he had already guessed the next advancement requirements. Rhodes had come to realize that the advancement of the levels was not just about climbing the ranks, but more about the impact he had on the world. And the influence wielded by the Shichibukai was certainly significant enough to warrant an advancement from a second level to the third level. Though many elite figures may have dismissed the Shichibukai as a joke, they commanded great respect among the common people. They were one of the three major powers that stood tall with the Marine Headquarters and the Yonko, wielding influence that spanned the entire world. The current Shichibukai are: The world¡¯s greatest swordsman, Hawk-Eye Mihawk The tyrant, Bartholomew Kuma The Shichibukai, Donquixote Doflamingo The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock The Pirate Hunter, Jimbei The Desert King, Sir Crocodile The Gorgon, Gecko Moria For Rhodes to become one of the Shichibukai, he would have to replace one of the current members. But the options available to him were limited. It was not just a matter of strength, but also of reasonableness. The Shichibukai system was established by the World Government, they were considered to be external members of the World Government, as long as they had not committed the crime of treason, they enjoyed the legal right to plunder, and the World Government and the Marines have the responsibility to protect them. ¡°Crocodile, it pains me to say it, but your weakness and overestimation of your own abilities in scheming for the country, Arabasta, has brought you to my doorstep.¡± Rhodes stood tall on the deck, his gaze fixed upon the vast expanse of the sea as he pondered. On the other hand, Little Snowy was fully focused and determined to master the art of swordsmanship, honing her basic techniques with fervor. Despite her hard work and dedication, Snowy¡¯s innate talent for swordsmanship was average at best. Even with Rhodes¡¯ guidance and teachings, her progress was slow. After over a month of intense practice, Snowy¡¯s swordsmanship had seen only minimal improvement. However, her culinary skills had reached new heights. Her knife skills had become razor sharp, she was more proficient in handling ingredients and the food she cooked had become mouth-watering, much to Rhodes¡¯ delight. But Snowy could only feel a sense of despair. Volume 1 - CH 94 The sound of electricity crackled in the air as a bolt of lightning pulsed and shifted within Rhodes¡¯ open palm. At times, it was graceful, swirling and dancing like a bird in flight. At other moments, it was fierce, taking on the form of a wild animal, running and roaring with ferocity. And then, just as suddenly, it transformed into a towering tree, its branches reaching skyward in a display of lush greenery. Each movement, each detail, was so lifelike that sailors passing by couldn¡¯t help but stare in amazement. ¡°Control is becoming easier,¡± Rhodes murmured, his blue eyes shining with satisfaction. As he mastered the power of lightning, the previously unruly energy seemed to calm, becoming pliant and obedient to his will. He no longer needed to rely on sword techniques to shape and control the lightning. He could easily mold and unleash devastating and deadly attacks, much like the lightning spear that had felled the black-clad assassin. Now, even with just the power of lightning alone, Rhodes power was on par with that of a famous pirates, and he was far from the weakest among his peers. Of course, while the power of lightning was incredibly destructive, it lacked the precision and sharpness of sword techniques. Simple electric shocks, no matter how powerful, would not be enough to take down the formidable monsters that roamed this world. Their resistance was too great. Take the ¡°Strongest Creature¡± the king of beasts, Kaido, for example. Even a direct hit from a bolt of heavenly thunder would likely only result in temporary paralysis or a mild ache. As Rhodes pondered this, Snowy completed her training for the day, collapsing onto the ground with a heavy breath and sweat pouring down her face. It took a moment for her to catch her breath, then she looked at Rhodes with a hint of disappointment, ¡°Brother Rhodes, is it because my talent is lacking that I haven¡¯t made any progress despite training for so long?¡± The young girl was dejected, and her spirit dampened. ¡°Your talent is not bad,¡± Rhodes said, trying to reassure her. Hearing these words from someone as powerful as Rhodes, gave Snow a glimmer of hope, that she might have a chance to become a formidable warrior. However, Rhodes¡¯ next words crushed that hope. ¡°But it seems to have all gone into your cooking.¡± He said this with a nod of approval. Snowy was truly the daughter of the first chef of the West Sea, her culinary skills were extraordinary, and her range was quite broad. Even with limited ingredients on the ship, she managed to come up with new dishes every day. ¡°Well, at least I¡¯m good at something!¡± Snowy turned away, pouting. ¡°Come here,¡± Rod said, smiling. ¡°No way!¡± Snowy covered her ears, making a cute expression as if to say, ¡°I¡¯d rather die! Or jump off the ship! I¡¯m won¡¯t come!¡± ¡°I can help you become stronger quickly,¡± Rhodes offered. ¡°What?!¡± Snowy exclaimed. She practically jumped three feet high, ran over to Rhodes, and looked at him pitifully. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t coming?¡± Rhodes looked at her with a half-amused expression, and Snowy lowered her head in embarrassment, fidgeting with her hands. ¡°Turn around and sit down,¡± Rhodes said with a steady voice, not wanting to upset the young girl. Snowy obediently followed his instructions and sat down. Rhodes also sat down and with a slow and steady movement, he extended a slender finger and placed it on Snowy¡¯s delicate neck. He could feel the smoothness of her skin, like cream, and his expression remained calm as he carefully released a faint stream of lightning power. He planned to use the power of lightning to aid in Snowy¡¯s body tempering, as this initial stage would be the most crucial in laying a strong foundation for her future training. A subtle numbness spread throughout Snowy¡¯s body, and she almost instantly lost control of her physical form. As the power flowed through her, Rhodes could see the condition of her body clearly. ¡°It¡¯s far too fragile,¡± Rhodes thought to himself, a hint of disappointment in his mind. It seemed that even a slight movement on his part could destroy her tender, delicate body. The tempering process began. Rhodes had vast experience and mastery over lightning, and the danger was minimal. However, the process would not be easy, for Snowy¡¯s body was still too young and weak. ¡°If it hurts, speak up, and I¡¯ll make it weaker,¡± Rhodes said in a calm voice. Snowy¡¯s brows furrowed, her small face contorted in pain, yet she stubbornly remained silent, gritting her teeth and pushing through the discomfort. As Rhodes let go of her, Snowy fell to the ground, her eyes staring blankly at the sky. Her small frame shook as she lay there, her fair skin flushed with a faint red hue and sweat covering her body. The training had been incredibly effective. Snowy¡¯s physical abilities had undergone a comprehensive enhancement after a day of adjustment and recovery. Her strength, speed and even her height had increased. This revelation left Gates and the others shocked and they exclaimed in awe, their gazes towards Rhodes completely transformed. Not only was Rod powerful, but he also possessed the ability to enhance others! Such a powerful being, if he were to establish his own power, could easily claim a place in the world and attract strong individuals from all corners of the globe. ¡­ A few more days passed. ¡°Lord Rhodes, our next stop is the Island of Monsters and Roast Meat,¡± said Gates, his voice tinged with exhaustion. He had vastly underestimated the tracking and hunting capabilities of the powerful agent of the underworld. Their landings for supplies had been ambushed and resulted in the loss of many sailors. If not for Rhodes¡¯ immense strength and his ability to take down the assassins attempting to destroy their ship, they would have been in dire straits. ¡°This is the penultimate stop, next one is Arabistan.¡± Gates said with a hint of relief, ¡°This island should be relatively safe, it is on the edge of the windless belt and occasionally sea kings wander, but it¡¯s dangerous, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have guessed that we would choose to land here.¡± Rhodes didn¡¯t seem too bothered by the possibility of encountering unknown creatures. After all, if he did, he would simply kill them. His greater concern was that his reputation may not be strong enough. Being a member of the Seven Warlords required not only strength but also a sufficient level of reputation that can intimidate the average pirate. In this world where the strong are respected, reputation is determined by the opponents one has defeated. ¡°Fantastic! I¡¯ve heard my mother speak of Monsters and Roast Meat Island. The meat of the monsters here is unique and tastes particularly delicious when grilled,¡± Snow exclaimed excitedly. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to come here for ages, but unfortunately, our last route didn¡¯t pass through.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Rhodes was intrigued by the mention of the roast meat. If it was something that even the top chef of the West Sea couldn¡¯t forget, it must be truly delicious. ¡°If places like this were known by Luffy, he would definitely come here,¡± the three of them mused as they spotted a dark silhouette looming in the distance. It was a medium-sized island, with a vast expanse of undulating terrain that seemed to stretch on endlessly, like a primeval jungle. The ports of mankind were nothing but a small fraction of the icy landscape. Gates gazed out at the distant islands and ports, his voice filled with longing as he spoke, ¡°These islands aren¡¯t on the usual shipping routes. They were created by humans.¡± ¡°Someone saw a dragon on this island, and ever since, people come here every year to challenge themselves, to gain the title of a dragon-slaying worrior. But in reality, they can hardly defeat the monsters that lurk on the outskirts.¡± He spoke with a sense of nostalgia, and a hint of disappointment. The fur of the beasts on this island was of the highest quality and highly sought after by the nobles of the West Sea. He had made a considerable fortune from it in the past. ¡°A dragon?¡± Rhodes exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. The pirate world did indeed have dragons. Kaido, the king of beasts, was probably one of them, a dragon fruit user of the Zoan type. The legendary samurai, Ryuma, the Sword God, had once, with one swift strike, felled a flying dragon and earned the title of ¡°Dragon Slayer,¡± becoming famous throughout the land. ¡°I wonder how strong this dragon is,¡± Rhodes mused, ¡°If it¡¯s not that strong, then perhaps I¡¯ll give the dragon slayer title a try.¡± ¡°The fame of becoming a dragon slayer would be more than enough to meet the reputation requirements of becoming a Shichibukai.¡± Volume 1 - CH 95 The island of Monsters and Roast Meat, a towering structure perched near the port. This was one of Baroque Works¡¯ offices. ¡°Did this man began training from birth? He¡¯s only two years older than me, yet he¡¯s already leaving a mark on the seas and causing a stir in the entire underworld.¡± As Princess Vivi gazed upon that charming face on the wanted poster, her mind couldn¡¯t help but wander. If she possessed such power, the plight of Alabasta would be easily solved without the need for undercover work, a tedious and uncertain endeavor. ¡°If only I could ask for his help¡­¡± It was an unavoidable thought that crossed her mind, but Vivi quickly shook her head. Even if she could convince Rhodes to aid her, making contact with him would be a monumental task. The sea is vast and the odds of crossing paths with the person one desires are slim. ¡°Ah.¡± With a soft sigh, Vivi placed the wanted poster down and turned her gaze towards the nearby port. And then it happened. A gasp escaped her lips as she quickly grabbed the binoculars, her eyes scanning the scene with eagerness. And what she saw left her in shock. ¡°That man, he actually chose to dock here for supplies?¡± ¡°Indeed, this island is remote enough that many are unaware of its existence.¡± Happiness had come unexpectedly and Vivi could hardly comprehend her current emotions. But as quickly as it came, her excitement dissipated. She was but a powerless and insignificant princess, why would anyone offer their aid? Reality is not a fairy tale, and simply revealing her princess identity will not guarantee that others will willingly and selflessly help her without any expectations of reward. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Vivi clenched her fist, her determination unwavering. For the sake of her country, she was willing to give it all. ¡­ At the port. ¡°There¡¯s no assassin around.¡± Rhodes said calmly to Gates and the others. The hostility of a typical assassin is almost impossible to detect through sight, smell, and touch, and even if they are well hidden, their malice can still be sensed by Rhodes and thus be discovered. Unless they are of the highest caliber, like that guy Koala mentioned, it is possible for him to completely conceal his hostility in front of Rhodes. Hearing this, Gates and the others let out a sigh of relief. ¡°We can finally relax.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take a hot shower and let off some steam.¡± ¡°I want to buy some things to take back to the West Sea and try the local roast meat.¡± The sailors excitedly whispered among themselves and, with Gates¡¯ permission, they left in groups. Gates went to the town center to purchase fresh water, food, and other necessary supplies, while also procuring a batch of high-quality furs. ¡°Rhodes big brother, come quickly, I know where to find the most famous barbecue place here!¡± Snowy walked ahead, her pure white dress fluttering with her light steps, creating a dazzling and beautiful sight. Rhodes sauntered behind, taking in his surroundings with a carefree attitude. This island was certainly different from the ones he had visited before. Fewer people came and went, but each one exuded a formidable presence, with towering builds and a menacing aura. It was clear that they were not weak in strength. Just then, a clear and melodic voice, light and graceful, echoed from beside him. ¡°Sir, is this your first time here? Do you need a tour guide?¡± ¡°I charge only two thousand belly.¡± The voice was familiar, Rhodes followed it with curiosity, and was momentarily taken aback. The person he saw was a very familiar figure. With aquamarine hair cascading down her waist, a delicate appearance, and ordinary clothes that couldn¡¯t conceal the noble air that seemed to originate from her very bloodline. Princess Vivi of the ancient kingdom of Alabasta! Rhodes never would have thought that he would chance upon her here. But thinking about it, it made sense. This place was close to Alabasta, and it was normal for Baroque Works to have operatives stationed here. ¡°Sir? Do you need a tour guide?¡± Vivi didn¡¯t assume that Rhodes would be surprised by her appearance, but she gently reminded him with a warm tone. Rhodes heard the words and snapped back to attention, his gaze fixed upon the desert princess posing as a tour guide. He had no intention of playing games with her, instead opting for a straightforward approach: ¡°Princess Vivi, please come over here, I have something important to discuss with you.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, the delicate smile on Vivi¡¯s face froze in place. What on earth was happening?! She knew that her first time as a tour guide would have its shortcomings, but she never expected him to recognize her as a princess! Could it be that this man possessed the ability to read minds? Vivi couldn¡¯t help but gape in shock, her eyes wide and her mind filled with question marks. This is not right. ¡°This is not a place for idle chatter, come with me.¡± Rhodes¡¯ tone was calm, yet there was an undeniable air of authority that made Vivi unconsciously follow him. As they walked, Vivi slowly regained her composure. She gritted her teeth and attempted to clear her thoughts in a trial to uncover Rhodes¡¯ intentions, but her mind was in a state of chaos, and she couldn¡¯t even remember her own name. It was Rhodes¡¯ sudden revelation of her princess identity that left her in such a state of shock. As the princess of Alabasta, Vivi rarely appeared in public, save for the world conference, which was also the reason why she was able to infiltrate the Baroque Works unnoticed. But she never imagined that this young man, who she had never met before and was only two years older, would know her true identity! Just as Vivi was lost in her thoughts, the two arrived at a secluded courtyard. This was a courtyard for a barbecue shop, a space resembling a private room. Snowy stood at the entrance, beckoning to Rhodes with a wave. Rhodes and his companions walked over. Snowy couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡°Rhodes brother, who is this woman?¡± ¡°Vivi, a friend of mine,¡± Rhodes replied. ¡°Hello,¡± Vivi managed a forced smile. Normally, the sight of such an adorable girl would bring her joy, but at this moment, her mind was elsewhere. The three entered the courtyard. Little Snowy, ever the sharp one, picked up on the peculiar atmosphere between Rhodes and the young girl, and promptly offered to order the roasted meat. With her departure, the scene grew quiet. Vivi clenched her small fists tightly, her fingers turning white from the force. She was clearly nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, I bear no ill will,¡± Rhodes reassured her with a smile. Princess Vivi was an integral part of his plans. To bring down Crocodile and claim a seat among the Seven Warlords, it was necessary to reveal to the World Government or the Marines the truth of his treacherous intentions. And these pieces of evidence, personally testified by the royal family of Alabasta, are undoubtedly the most convincing. Princess Vivi is the perfect candidate. As Rhodes spoke, Vivi¡¯s emotions slowly settled and a look of disbelief and a hint of shyness appeared in her eyes. Even though Rhodes clearly stated his own interests, in the eyes of a 15-year-old girl, it appeared as something else. Journeying thousands of miles, specifically to rescue Alabasta in danger, facing powerful and evil enemies, this is truly a heroic tale of epic proportions. Vivi¡¯s face flushed, as she looked at Rhodes, she couldn¡¯t help but show a hint of admiration. Could she be the princess of this hero¡¯s epic legend? Volume 1 - CH 96 As the port and jungle met, two figures could be seen sprinting towards the port with great haste. ¡°Dur, big brother, we¡¯ve hit the jackpot this time. This is a dragon egg, and if we put it up for auction in Saboady, it¡¯ll fetch us a fortune!¡± said the young man, who was carrying a large bundle, in a hushed tone, excitement brimming in his voice. ¡°Keep it down, Peppa, we¡¯re not out of the woods yet. Let¡¯s get on the ship first and talk later,¡± Dur replied, his expression serious. ¡°Got it, got it,¡± Peppa replied with a sly grin on his face. A glint of malice flickered in his eyes as he proposed, ¡°Why don¡¯t we take advantage of the situation and take out a few pirate ships? Let them deal with the dragon while we wait. When the Black Dragon leaves port, we can come back and loot the battlefield for more gains.¡± Dur was taken aback, looking at Peppa in disbelief. Such ruthlessness. But he couldn¡¯t deny the allure of the plan. After all, they were all pirates, and attacking each other and scheming against one another were par for the course. ¡°If we don¡¯t do this, we¡¯ll regret it. If the Black Dragon causes too much damage, we¡¯ll conquer this port completely and capture everyone as slaves,¡± Dur said, determination etched on his face. ¡°With such an accomplishment, our bounties will increase by a level, and we¡¯ll be able to recruit more men in Saboady. Then we can set off to conquer the New World and become Pirate Kings!¡± Peppa was in awe, ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re truly impressive.¡± At that moment, it seemed as though a bright future was within their grasp. ROAR! But just as they were reveling in their newfound prospects, a deafening roar echoed from the distance, sending shockwaves throughout the port and startling everyone. People rushed to see what the commotion was about, while Dur and Peppa hastened their steps towards the sea, their expressions a mixture of fear and confusion. In the shadows, a figure in black clothes watched as the two men fled. A faint smile crossed their lips as they looked towards Rhodes¡¯ direction and whispered in a melancholic tone, ¡°Slay the dragon, for when you do, it will mark your time of death.¡± ¡°Only by falling at the pinnacle of glory can one be worthy of a billion belly bounty.¡± ¡­ In the barbecue courtyard. After reaching a consensus with Vivi, Rhodes came to the grill and stared hungrily at the golden, tender, and unknown animal roasting on it. A unique aroma wafted in the air, stirring one¡¯s innate desire for food. Gulp. Rhodes couldn¡¯t help but swallow his saliva, his eyes bulging with hunger. Vivi couldn¡¯t help but drool either. As a princess of the kingdom, she had often eaten barbecue from this place. But it was clear that even with the same ingredients, the taste varied greatly in the hands of different cooks! Despite the lack of any elaborate techniques, the Snowy seemed to have a way of bringing out the full flavor of the food. Just as the meal was about to be ready, a fierce and majestic dragon roar echoed through the air. The sound, emanating from the top of the food chain, startled Snowy causing her to jolt and almost drop the meat in the pot. ¡°Hmm? You stay here,¡± Rhodes said, annoyance creeping into his voice, before leaping onto the roof to survey the distance. In the distance, a massive black dragon could be seen hurtling towards them. Its body was about 20 meters long, resembling a giant fighter jet. Its scales glistened with a cold metallic shine, its two dragon horns reached towards the sky, and its claws shone with a dangerous light. Its sharp, red eyes stared down at the human port below. This was unmistakably a Western dragon. With a flap of its wings, it created a gust of wind that knocked over the humans in the port. Rhodes could clearly see the highly human-like intelligence shining in the dragon¡¯s eyes. Like the super-large sea kings, this black dragon also possessed human-like wisdom. Without warning, the dragon¡¯s gaze locked onto a specific direction and it prepared to swoop in for an attack. But as it turns out, there are always humans who overestimate their abilities. As the Black Dragon emerged, many people¡¯s thoughts were consumed by one word: ¡°Kill!¡± The sound of gunfire echoed through the air as countless cannons were aimed skyward. These portable cannons, similar in appearance to RPGs, were incredibly powerful and could blast houses to pieces. But when aimed at the Black Dragon, they only made it stumble and left no mark on its scales. ¡°This is a death wish,¡± Rhodes murmured as he watched the Black Dragon charge down the port, its powerful dragon body a deadly weapon as it smashed through everything in its path like a bulldozer. Houses, buildings, and even the warriors who sought to kill the dragon were all instantly decimated. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem too strong, its breath seems a bit weak,¡± Rhodes observed, but he was in no rush to act. Western dragons are still dragons, and in any world, they represent ultimate power and majesty, not to be underestimated. Suddenly, Rhodes¡¯ gaze became focused and his eyes changed color as he picked up a peculiar scent similar to the Black Dragon from a distance. He then saw two figures emerging from a nearby alley. One of them was carrying a bundle, which was the source of the scent. ¡°A young dragon or a dragon egg?¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely a dragon egg,¡± Rhodes deduced swiftly. A dragon egg, if it hatches and is nurtured properly, would make for an incredible battle companion, becoming a legendary dragon knight is the epitome of coolness. But. He had no idea what it would taste like. Rhodes stroked his chin, he had consumed eggs from chickens, ducks, geese, and ostriches, but never a dragon egg. ¡°Hmm, I have to give it a try.¡± Whoosh! In a blink of an eye, a streak of light zipped past. Peppa, who was running, suddenly felt a tap on his back, and the bundle carrying the dragon egg flew out of his grasp. ¡°Who is it?!¡± Peppa halted abruptly and looked behind him. He saw a young man in white, who was examining the dragon egg in his hand, about half a meter in size, occasionally patting his lips as if contemplating how to relish it. ¡°Dammit! That¡¯s my egg!¡± Peppa bellowed in fury as he stormed forward, his large sword raised high, creating a deafening whistle as he swung it with all his might. Stealing a dragon egg from a dragon¡¯s nest required not only luck but also a well-laid plan, but it was clear that these two men were not your average individuals in terms of strength. Seeing Peppa¡¯s actions, Dur had no choice but to draw his own sword and join the battle. They were just two teenagers, how strong could they possibly be? ¡°Ants,¡± Rhodes sneered, as he nonchalantly waved his hand, summoning two silver snakes made of lightning force to surge forward. Dur and Peppa didn¡¯t even have a chance to react before they were bisected by the snakes. Electricity crackled and sparks flew, thunder roared as they fell to the ground, their bodies exuding the smell of burning flesh. These enemies were not even worthy of Rhodes unsheathing his sword. Volume 1 - CH 97 As Rhodes walked into the courtyard with a dragon egg in hand, Vivi and Snowy couldn¡¯t help but stare in shock. ¡°A dragon¡­ egg?¡± Vivi stammered, her expression filled with awe. Though she had her own mount, it was nothing compared to the legendary dragon. Snowy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She couldn¡¯t help but think of the potential power that could be harnessed if this creature was raised and trained. It could possibly rule over an entire nation. But before they could even process their thoughts, Rhodes casually placed the dragon egg on the grill and added some firewood to the flames. He seemed to be planning to¡­eat?! Vivi: ¡°¡­¡± Snowy: ¡°¡­¡± Vivi and Snowy were speechless. ¡°That¡¯s such a waste!¡± Vivi exclaimed, her eyes still fixated on the egg. This is a dragon egg! Who in the world has ever eaten one? Throughout history, there have been very few people who have seen dragons, let alone tasted dragon eggs. This scene, it was simply unimaginable! Snowy was even more excited, without Rhodes¡¯ invitation, the little thing quickly moved. The dragon egg was very big and not easy to roast, but as a culinary prodigy, Snowy had dealt with large eggs before and she quickly got the necessary tools. Stewing the dragon egg! ¡°Hmm, one dragon egg probably won¡¯t be enough to eat, I¡¯ll have to go hunting for a dragon.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Rhodes took flight, leaping into the air with a fierce determination. He soared through the sky, his destination the distant battlefield. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Vivi¡¯s expression changed, she didn¡¯t have time to persuade him. She kicked the ground in frustration, her heart heavy with worry. He was too impulsive. Even though he was a renowned young warrior of the sea, it was reckless for him to face a dragon alone. She had been on this island for a few months now. The most common rumor she had heard was about the dragons on the island. The black dragon had a body covered in scales, impenetrable, and even a bomb would only leave a white mark on its armor. Its claws were razor sharp and could easily tear through steel. It was extremely fast and agile, and had the advantage in the air. There were also rumors that it could breathe fire, melting everything in its path. This was not a creature that a human could fight against. Vivi¡¯s face was etched with worry, the hero had just arrived and was about to be taken away by the dragon, what was she, the princess, supposed to do? At this moment, Rhodes had already using Geppo, approaching the battlefield. The battlefield was in chaos, with people everywhere in a state of excitement, fear, and some even trembling. They used the buildings as cover and continued to attack, with swords, guns, and even steel nets, but they were easily torn apart by the dragon¡¯s claws. With a deafening roar, the black dragon¡¯s rage reached its peak. It lifted its head high and let out an ear-piercing dragon¡¯s roar that sent visible shockwaves rippling through the air, sweeping in all directions. The dragon slayers who were about to strike were sent flying, their eardrums burst, leaving trails of fresh blood streaming from their ears. Most of them were now permanently deaf. In the next moment, the black dragon opened its jaws wide and breathed out a scorching hot breath that twisted and distorted the air around it. The dragon¡¯s breath melted an entire house in an instant, turning the ground into molten lava. Those who were hiding behind it were reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye. Wherever the dragon¡¯s breath passed, nothing survived. The earth was left barren and desolate. It carved out a hundred-meter-long passage in the harbor, with steam rising, lava flowing, and a terrifying sight to behold. Everyone was left speechless, their excitement and passion instantly doused with a bucket of cold reality. It was too terrifying to fathom. After the initial shock dissipated, they realized a grim truth. Killing dragons may be glorious, but it was something simply not worth dying for! In front of this legendary creature, they were nothing more than insignificant ants, unable to make a single dent on its formidable presence. The faces of the pirate captains with bounties of seventy to eighty million, as well as the leaders of this port, twisted with dread. Just moments ago, that dragon breath had effortlessly slain the strongest among them. ¡°We can¡¯t win this, let¡¯s retreat,¡± the leader said with a bitter shake of his head. The difference in strength was too great. Their full-force attacks could only leave a faint trace of blood on the black dragon¡¯s body. Compared to its massive body, it was not even worth scratching. But the black dragon¡¯s attacks easily decimated them. ¡°This kind of creature, it seems only the powerful pirate crews of the New World could handle it,¡± one of the pirate captains said with a sigh. ¡°Even heavy artillery can barely break through the dragon¡¯s scales, this is not a problem that can be solved by numbers. The entire port would have to sacrifice themselves, but it still wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill this black dragon,¡± another added. Just as they were speaking, someone shouted, ¡°Quick, look, someone is walking in the sky!¡± ¡°What?¡± Everyone was shocked and turned to look, then revealed a look of surprise. ¡°Geppo?¡± ¡°Could it be a powerful Marines officer?¡± ¡°To stop this black dragon, it would at least have to be one of the top few from the Marines¡¯ admiral rank,¡± someone said with a hint of awe. As the crew carefully examined the image, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of familiarity, though they couldn¡¯t quite place where they had seen it before. The newspaper article was not a wanted poster, and the quality of the image was not as clear as that of a wanted poster, so they were unable to immediately recognize Rhodes. However, as soon as Rhodes unsheathed his sword, his body was bathed in a dazzling, sun-like aura of thunderbolts. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± The crew exclaimed in shock, their expressions filled with excitement. Suddenly, an incredible thought crossed their minds. Could they be witnessing the birth of the second dragon slayer? ¡°Impossible,¡± said the harbor master, shaking his head. ¡°This dragon is incredibly resilient and can withstand heavy artillery. Even someone like Rhodes-Dono at most can only defeat it.¡± ¡°And the black dragon can fly, the sky is its playground, this is the biggest advantage, and its movements are not flexible enough is a weakness.¡± The analysis was sound, and the pirate captains all nodded in agreement. As Rhodes approached the black dragon, he looked down at the formidable and strange creature. Compared to the mid-size sea king he had encountered before, this black dragon was much smaller in size, but it was clearly more fierce and dangerous. Its claws and teeth are shrp, its armor tough enough to withstand heavy artillery and its breath was deadly, it was truly worthy of the name black dragon. The creature before them was not something that an ordinary commander could handle, only someone of the caliber of a Doberman or Onigumo, could possibly stand a chance. Even then, the odds of defeating it were uncertain. ¡°Too bad for you, you crossed paths with me,¡± Rhodes said with a shake of his head. He slowly unsheathed his sword, the azure blade glinting under the illumination of the thunder. It hummed to life, the clear sword song resounding through the land, capturing the attention of all in the port. As he did so, his body was enveloped in a surge of thunder that reached ten meters high, as if a thunder god had descended upon them. The light was so bright that it was difficult to look directly at it, and the aura of majesty it exuded was undeniable. ¡°ROAR!¡± The black dragon finally realized the gravity of the situation and turned its head to see Rhodes, bathed in thunder, his sword held aloft. It was taken aback, its pupils reflecting a sense of fear, but it did not back down. It breathed out a massive breath, larger than before, that rushed towards Rhodes like a flood. Volume 1 - CH 98 The boiling heat boils over, forming a raging torrent that rushes towards the sky, unleashing a scorching breath that engulfs everything in its wake. The ominous heat descends, casting the world in a pale shadow, as the air twists and writhes and buildings spontaneously combust. ¡°How will he contend with such a move?¡± All eyes are fixed in horrified awe, as the black dragon unleashes the same attack it had used before, reducing everything to ashes, even the strongest among them fell in an instant. What chance did Rhodes stand? ¡°Dragon¡¯s breath?¡± But Rhodes¡¯s expression remains composed as he gazes upon the fearsome dragon breath, his eyes aglow with a fierce blue light. The divine dragon that Kaido, the beast king, had transformed into, could level entire cities with just a single breath of scorching heat. Though this black dragon¡¯s breath paled in comparison to Kaido¡¯s, it was still a formidable force not to be underestimated. With a steady grip on his sword, Rhodes swung it downward with a sudden flourish. ¡°Thunder dragon!¡± A deafening roar echoed as the power of thunder coalesced, forming rippling blue waves, before erupting forth with Rhodes¡¯s sword strike. The deep blue thunder, took shape of a colossal and awe-inspiring thunder dragon, with its mane, scales, and tail all intricately detailed, it writhed in mid-air for nine turns before crashing into the black dragon¡¯s breath with a deafening boom. The collision of thunder and heat sparked a dazzling display of blue and red light as if two worlds had collided and unleashed a terrifying energy fluctuation. The earth shook with a deafening boom, as the area was engulfed in a shocking roar. Thunder and heat swirled and collided, bursting and scattering, setting the earth ablaze and splitting it apart. Each fissure was at least a foot wide, dense, and crisscrossing. The destructive power on display was unimaginable. ¡°It¡¯s too terrifying!¡± The people in the distant port who had retreated earlier now showed deep expressions of reverence. For these people in the early stages of the Grand Line, this was nothing short of a battle between gods, a power that they could not comprehend. They couldn¡¯t even get close to the battlefield, a stray blast of heat or thunder would be enough to end their lives. Under the gaze of all present, the earth-shattering collision ultimately ended with the black dragon¡¯s defeat. It was seen stopping its breath of heat, flapping its wings, and taking off, avoiding the thunder dragon¡¯s attack that followed closely. With a deafening boom, the remnants of the thunder dragon crash on the ground, instantly creating a large pit with a diameter of over ten meters, and the surface blackened. The black dragon¡¯s eyes showed a highly humanized hint of fear and solemnity, but were still filled with an innate arrogance; after all, it was a dragon, the most dignified creature in the world. With a buzz, the void trembled, and the black dragon moved as fast as lightning, fiercely attacking Rhodes. Its body seemed like a black mountain shooting into the sky. Faced with the black dragon¡¯s fierce attack, Rhodes stood unfazed, his sword slicing through the air with precision. Shh! A silver-white blade of energy shot forth, cutting through the sky like a comet, leaving a trail of glistening sharpness that hurtled towards the black dragon. The black dragon¡¯s massive body moved with a nimbleness that belied its size, its fleshy wings flapping lightly as it tilted its body, narrowly avoiding the attack and continuing to press on towards Rhodes. Rhodes¡¯ expression remained unperturbed, his sword still in hand, as he struck out once more. The black dragon, now close enough to strike, extended its two massive, darkly gleaming claws. Ding! The two clashed in mid-air. Rhodes, at a disadvantage due to his smaller size, was sent flying backwards, but he quickly regained his footing with Geppo. ¡°To be able to block my strike, you are quite resilient. You are worthy of being the ultimate material said to be used in creating the ultimate great sword.¡± Rhodes¡¯ lips curled into a smile, as he charged once again, this time with more caution, avoiding the dragon claws. On one hand, the dragon claws were incredibly resilient and it would be difficult to inflict significant damage. On the other hand, Rhodes did not want to waste such a rare and precious material, not when it could potentially be used to forge a new, ultimate great sword in the future. With the power of thunder coursing through him, Rhodes moved with lightning speed, darting across the sky like a bird of prey, charging towards the black dragon with determination. As Rhodes gracefully evaded the black dragon¡¯s attack in mid-air, he landed on its body with precision. With a powerful strike, he wields his sword, his legs propelling him forward with incredible strength as he climbs up the dragon¡¯s body, pummeling and rattling its frame. Normally, the sword¡¯s power would be enough to crush the earth beneath, but as it landed on the dragon¡¯s scales, it failed to shatter them, instead causing the black dragon to lose its balance and falter. The black dragon sensed the danger as Rhodes inched closer to its head, but it was powerless to stop him. In a desperate attempt, the dragon tried to hit Rhodes with his tail. Whoosh However, Rhodes anticipated and guarded against the dragon¡¯s tail strike, and the black dragon ended up hitting itself causing it to cough up a mouthful of blood. With an anguished roar, the black dragon felt the world¡¯s deep-seated malice towards it. Why does such a small creature possess such immense power? It¡¯s suffocating! It¡¯s audacious! Its claws can¡¯t grab, its teeth can¡¯t bite, and its tail landed on itself instead. The black dragon spiraled and flew in mid-air, unable to shake off the ant on its back, emitting suffocated dragon roars that left all onlookers in shock and disbelief. ¡°This can¡¯t be true! It must not be true!¡± ¡°Oh my god, is he a dragon knight?!¡± Everyone rub their eyes, unable to fathom what they were witnessing. The black dragon let out a final, furious roar before plummeting to the earth, crashing down like a black mountain, unleashing a powerful gust of wind. Boom! The sound of thunder echoed as the shockwave of destruction swept through, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake. Buildings were reduced to ruins, rocks were sent flying, and the scene was nothing short of catastrophic. On the edge of the battlefield, onlookers retreated in fear, while only the bravest captains remained, their eyes fixed on the unfolding events. ¡°What is happening?¡± To most, the black dragon¡¯s desperate counterattack was akin to a massive naval warship exploding. Surely, even the strongest warrior, Rhodes, could not have withstood such a blow. Even if he had survived, he would have been gravely injured. Vivi¡¯s nerves were stretched to their breaking point as she watched on, her heart heavy with the thought that the hard-won opportunity for the kingdom may have been for naught. As the wind died down and the dust cleared, an incredible sight emerged from the war-torn landscape. A young man, dressed in white and bathed in the light of thunder, stood tall and proud, with a sword in hand. At his feet, the once-invincible black dragon lay still, its head held high and its eyes glinting with a sense of peace, as its life slowly slipped away. The port was eerily silent at that moment. All present stared in disbelief, their eyes reflecting the dreamlike and impossible scene before them. Just moments ago, an army of nearly ten thousand gathered, all for the purpose of appeasing the hunger of a black dragon ¨C nothing more than a one-sided slaughter. But now, this young man in white, armed with nothing more than a sword, slew the black dragon single-handedly! ¡°Bathed in the thunder, he cut down the black dragon!¡± ¡°From this day forward, Rhodes will be a name known throughout the world!¡± A pirate captain spoke with intensity, his words ringing with conviction. All hearts were heavy. This port was built specifically for the purpose of dragon-slaying, for many years, countless brave swordsmen came here, attempting to complete the dragon-slaying feat, and become famous throughout the world, but they all ended in defeat, becoming food for the black dragon. ¡°After the sword God, Ryuma, we¡¯re witnessing the birth of the new generation of dragon-slaying swordsman¡­¡± The port¡¯s administrator spoke with a tone of nostalgia. All present felt as if they were witnessing history, some swordsmen were incredibly excited to the point that tears welled up in their eyes. In the swordsmen world, there are only two titles that are most prominent. One of them, is of course ¡°the world¡¯s strongest swordsman,¡± this title represented the pinnacle of swordsmanship, overlooking all swordsmen of an era,. The other was a title only achieved by Ryuma, the dragon-slaying swordsman, in history. The world¡¯s strongest swordsman has been crowned one after another. The dragon-slaying swordsman, Ryuma, is the only one in history. Volume 1 - CH 99 Rhodes¡¯ situation was not exactly great. The fact that the Black Dragon was burning the ground to ashes was essentially forcing Rhodes to fight for his life. In that moment of extreme speed, the two entangled with each other, unable to separate. Rhodes may have shattered the Black Dragon¡¯s heart with one sword stroke, killing it, but the dragon¡¯s indestructible dragon claws also tore open Rhodes¡¯s chest, ripping away a chunk of flesh and blood. If it wasn¡¯t for Rhodes¡¯s lightning-fast reflexes, maximizing his nerve response, barely creating some distance, that claw would have also crushed Rhodes¡¯s heart. ¡°What a resolute and proud creature,¡± Rhodes sighed as he looked at the claw marks on his chest. This was the most serious injury he had received since he began training, and the closest he had ever come to death. However, as long as the injuries did not affect his heart or other vital organs, this kind of injury was already unlikely to trouble Rhodes, and he would recover in a few days with some cultivation. The vitality brought by refining the viscera is so terrifying. For someone like the King of Beasts, Kaido, such an injury would probably be recovered in just one breath. However, the harvest this time was also great. Putting aside the potential reputation for now, this Black Dragon itself was a great treasure trove. Dragon skin and dragon scales can be made into an armor of excellent quality that is impenetrable by swords and guns. Dragon claws and dragon teeth are top-notch forging materials. With other auxiliary materials and a master blacksmith, it is possible to forge an unparalleled great sword. As for the dragon meat and dragon blood, although it¡¯s not as sacramental as the legends suggest, it still possesses unique power, boosting strength for those who consume it. For Rhodes, however, it¡¯s simply an unparalleled treat; a dragon liver or phoenix gallbladder, not something you could eat every day! Guess Little Snowy will be thrilled. Amidst the awe-filled, longing, and worshipful gazes of all, Rhodes sprang from the dragon¡¯s corpse, strolling with a slow pace. The port¡¯s manager and several pirate captains were about to approach in reverence, but then a sudden twist occurred! Buzz! As Rhodes reached an open area, it seems like he triggered something, a strange light flickered through the void around him. Immediately after, a pale purple mist surged from the void, enveloping from all directions like a tidal wave. One could see that wherever the mist passed, the earth was almost instantly corroded, making a creaking noise, a frightening sight. ¡°Hm?¡± Rhodes¡¯ expression changed slightly but soon regained composure, as he knew who had arrived. ¡°Is it that assassin, Nightblade?¡± He muttered the name softly, the man¡¯s ruthless and decisive methods, as well as his accuracy in finding opportunities, were unparalleled. Everyone thought that Rhodes¡¯ successful dragon-slaying would have resulted in heavy injuries, and he would be on verge of death; the young man¡¯s mentality would surely be inflated, inevitably becoming lax, making it the perfect opportunity to ambush. Unfortunately. Acting carefree is impossible, not in this lifetime. Unless the dragon head slain today was that of Kaido. ¡°Is this some sort of Devil Fruit ability?¡± ¡°Involves space, it seems like a superhuman-poison Devil Fruit.¡¯ ¡°Conceptual abilities are really troublesome.¡± Rhodes¡¯ thoughts raced, as the poison mist spread like a plague, completely sealing off any escape routes and the air carried a corrupting scent. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Outside, everyone exclaimed in shock. One of them, too excited from witnessing the birth of a dragon slayer, got too close and inhaled a bit of the poison mist, then almost instantly turned purple, collapsing to the ground and convulsing, saliva spilling from his mouth, and eventually melting into a puddle of pus and blood. This was just the aftermath! Everyone inhaled a cold breath and covered their mouths, quickly retreating. ¡°A Dragon Slayer, heh, you really did slay a dragon.¡± ¡°But this specially made SX-type poison mist, is incredibly toxic, not even Sea Kings can withstand it. Rest in peace, all the spoils will be mine.¡± In the darkness, the black-clothed Nightblade chuckled, a sickening excitement and fanaticism flashing in his eyes. Nightblade was different from other assassins. He took on bounty missions not for the reward, but for the target. For a long time, he was disinterested. He only had a fondness for slaughtering rising young superpowers like Rhodes, satisfying his twisted inner self. If not for Firefist Ace¡¯s Logia flame fruit abilities, capable of neutralizing toxins, Nightblade would have already paid him a visit. It all sounds long, but in reality, it only took a few moments. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, a black figure suddenly emerged from the purple poisonous mist, stumbling as he fled. he appeared somewhat disheveled, with a blue aura flickering on the surface. ¡°Hmph, still as tenacious,¡± Nightblade sneered, drawing a blue, poisoned dagger. Without hesitation, he charged forward, ready to strike. Rhodes, seemingly in a bad state, charged forward without anyone noticing. Swish! The dagger sliced through the air, striking like a poisonous dragon from its lair, aiming straight for Rhodes¡¯s heart. Nightblade was confident that this dagger would send the renowned young swordsman ¨C or rather, dragon slayer ¨C to the underworld. However, in the next moment, his expression froze. Just as they collided, Rhodes¡¯s body gracefully dodged to the side, then slammed into Nightblade with ferocity. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt!¡± Nightblade was shocked to see Rhodes slightly tilt his head, grin and reveal his pristine white teeth. At the same time, his hands rested ghostly on Nightblade¡¯s chest. ¡°Thunderstorm!¡± Boom! The thunderous power compressed to the limit burst forth like a volcanic eruption, like a small sun exploding in the sky. Nightblade had no time to react and was directly hit by the blow. The entire person flew out like a burst bag, spraying blood from mid-air, with a deep visible wound in the chest, as deep as an adult fist, with the surface tissue necrotic and finally slamming heavily on the ground in the distance. Rhodes finally stood up slowly, his complexion pale, but obviously not as badly hurt as everyone thought. The poison mist had a limited effect on Rhodes. Especially after the thunderous power is perfected, Rhodes can condense a layer of extremely dense thunder armor on his body, and the mist could not penetrate it. Even if there are leaks, he can refine his own body through the lightning current and eliminate the toxins. Cough cough. Nightblade is a well-known ace killer in the dark world, and even with this severe injury, he wasn¡¯t dead yet. He coughed blood and covered the ferocious wound on his chest with one hand, standing up tremulously, then quickly took out a green potion and poured it on the wound. The robust vitality bloomed and the wound quickly stopped bleeding and he slowly crawled back to life. Nightblade showed a hint of pain, obviously, this potion was also very precious to him. ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated you,¡± he muttered in a low voice, looking at Rhodes with a cold expression. As a top killer in the dark world, even without assassination and sneak attack, his own combat strength is equivalent to that of a normal headquarters captain. How could he be so badly injured by Rhodes, falling to this state? On one hand, Rhodes¡¯s trap was good. On the other hand, Rhodes¡¯s image as a sword hero was deeply rooted in people¡¯s hearts. With no sword in his hand, his vigilance drops to its lowest. Volume 1 - CH 100 Black technology elixir?¡± Rhodes narrowed his eyes as he gazed upon the scene before him. In this world, the medical profession, like technology trees, is incredibly advanced and capable of developing various drugs and potions. On the other hand, the weaker are still stuck in medieval times, relying on bleeding and cutting to heal. But just as Nightblade took out the medicinal potion, Rhodes had already expelled the remaining toxins from his body. He clenched his fist, feeling the surge of power, and a hint of a thrilling smile appeared on his face. He slowly grasped the hilt of his sword, and the thunderous power flowed silently, his body still yet, giving off an extremely dangerous feeling like a tiger storing its strength. ¡°He recovered so quickly?¡± Upon seeing this, Nightblade was quick to retreat, without hesitation, he clapped his hands at his side in the empty air. And in that very moment, Rhodes struck with his sword. Thunder Sword Technique! Silent and stealthy. A flash of thunder sword energy broke through the sound barrier, bringing with it a beautiful burst of sound, a lightning bolt piercing through the sky. In a mere instant, spanning tens of meters, it struck close to Nightblade. Buzz! At that same moment, it was as if something invisible had been triggered. The front of the thunder sword energy suddenly exploded with a remarkable burst, as if dozens of bombs exploded at once, the thunderous sound lingering in the air. In the blazing firelight, the thunder sword energy swept and crushed, but inevitably slowed down due to the impact of the explosion. Whoosh! Taking advantage of the opportunity, Nightblade quickly dodged the sword energy and immediately turned to flee without hesitation. He was a killer, a master of assassination, facing off against a seasoned swordsman in a direct confrontation. Only a reckless soul would dare to attempt such a feat. Yet, even with his small movement, he was coughing up blood, his chest wound tearing open. ¡°Did he set up a retreat route in advance?¡± Rhodes narrowed his eyes, a glint of suspicion flashing across them. Based on Koala¡¯s intelligence report and Nightblade¡¯s combat prowess, this individual was most likely a user of the Paramecia Devil Fruit ability ¡°Trap Trap¡±. Hunters set traps to ensnare their prey. The Trap-Trap Fruit is a physical manifestation of this concept, involving space manipulation and allowing its user to place traps in the void, making them all but impossible to detect. This is a deadly ability, ideal for an assassin, enabling him to lay traps and ambushes in advance, and create escape routes for himself. But, this power has its flaws. It takes a great deal of time to plan and execute the perfect trap, and the user requires specific materials such as explosives or poisonous substances. Moon Step! Rhodes pondered for a moment before suddenly leaping into the air. From mid-air, he pursued Nightblade and unleashed waves of thunderous power. Crackle! The Heavenly Thunder triggered one hidden trap after another, causing explosions of dazzling light and colorful poisonous mist. Rhodes smirked, and Nightblade¡¯s face turned green. He hadn¡¯t set any traps in midair! Boom! Rhodes was bathed in lightning, like a thunder god from myth, unleashing deep blue lightning bolts with astonishing energy fluctuations that tore through the air. Traps are ultimately limited in number, and Nightblade, who was gradually losing cover, was struck repeatedly, making his scalp numb, his body blackened, and his injuries worsening. Finally, he collapsed onto the ground, completely out of breath. With great difficulty, he lifted his head to gaze at Rhodes, and said with a mixture of frustration and exhaustion, ¡°You win.¡± Rhodes remained calm and composed, showing no signs of speaking or relinquishing his advantage. He folded his hands together, gradually building up a terrifying Thunderball shimmering with silver-white light. The electric current was staggering, and the horrific arcs of electricity wreaked havoc in all directions. Even a mere glance at it made ordinary people feel as though they were being electrocuted. Whoosh! In the next moment, the Thunderball pierced through the air, crossing the vast expanse and slamming into Nightblade. Boom! It was like a miniature sun exploding. An astonishing amount of light and heat was released, melting everything at its center into a glimmering, glass-like substance. At the same time, an infinite amount of electric current spread out, leaving the earth charred black. ¡°Is¡­ is it over?¡± The people in the distance dared to peek out, their faces filled with fear and anxiety. Although the battle between Rhodes and Nightblade was not as grandiose as the one against the black dragon, it was still heart-pounding. Especially the poisonous mist that silently claimed lives, that was the most terrifying part. Vivi and Snowy also popped their heads out from not far away. Rhodes and Nightblade¡¯s chase had almost reached the barbecue courtyard. ¡°Sister Vivi, did brother Rhodes win?¡± Snowy asked in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Vivi replied, unsure of her own answer. She was weak, and she couldn¡¯t quite comprehend the level of this battle. Snowy raised her bright eyes at the words, her little tongue licking her lips as she exclaimed, ¡°So, does this mean we can eat dragon meat now?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± ViVv was taken aback, only now realizing what had happened. Dragon Slayer! Rhodes had just slain a black dragon that had been rampaging through the harbor! The shock gave way to intense excitement. Baroque Works was a behemoth, and Crocodile made it home to the ferocious and ruthless pirate. Vivi had been worried that Rhodes would be outnumbered and outmatched. But at this moment, that fear dissipated like smoke. If he could take down a black dragon, nothing could stand in his way. Not even a sand crocodile. In the center of the arena, Rhodes landed and scanned his surroundings, with a hint of confusion and uncertainty crossing his face. ¡°Try this.¡± With a blue light emanating from his body, he gathered lightning energy into threads that spread out in ripples, accompanied by his Color of Observation Haki. After carefully perceiving his surroundings for a while, Rhodes smiled slightly, and then he threw a punch from a distance. A fist made of lightning shot out and hit an empty space three meters in front of him. Boom! The thunderous punch exploded, and electric arcs scattered all around. In the blazing light, the silhouette of a strange substance appeared. ¡°You¡¯re not dead after all?¡± Rhodes chuckled and approached, taking measured steps until he was close enough to reach out with his hand, wreathed in a coating of armament Haki. He extended his hand and made a gentle grasp. Armament Haki was not only useful against Logia users but also against the strange abilities of certain Paramecia users. A cracking sound echoed through the air as his hand seized something solid, but it was as if there was an invisible barrier blocking his grasp, making it sound like a mosquito¡¯s whine. Rhodes snorted coldly and pulled hard. A loud buzzing sound filled the air as ripples coursed through the void, and suddenly, a figure was forcefully yanked out by Rhodes. It was Nightblade! Nightblade was in terrible condition, breathing shallowly and covered in black scorch marks that emitted the smell of cooked flesh. Clearly, even though he had used his ability to conceal himself, he had suffered numerous injuries and was now on the brink of death. After seeing the light of day again, Nightblade¡¯s eyes suddenly changed. But before he could even think of his next move, Rhodes kicked him in the chest, instantly causing his heart to burst and killing him on the spot. Nightblade stared wide-eyed, grabbing onto Rhodes¡¯ pants with a look of disbelief. He tried to speak but only coughed up blood. Rhodes took a step back and stood silently watching the downfall of this renowned assassin. Nightblade was no weakling. If he had not been so severely weakened by Rhodes¡¯ initial strike, this fight would not have ended so quickly. But strategy and planning were always a part of warfare, and Nightblade had underestimated Rhodes. With Nightblade¡¯s defeat, the major event of the Black Dragon¡¯s attack on the port finally came to a close. Reporters on the scene were exhilarated, scribbling furiously and taking several stunning photos to detail the fight¡¯s proceedings. This captivating event was sure to gain the attention of newspaper editors, and after an all-night printing, it was dispatched by newsbirds to every corner of the world. In just one night, the name ¡°Dragon Slayer¡± spread like wildfire across the globe. Volume 1 - CH 101 Koala¡¯s life had been incredibly hectic lately. As a member of the revolutionary army headquarters, she received a massive amount of intelligence reports every day. If it weren¡¯t for her incredible martial arts skills and boundless energy, she would have been completely overwhelmed. At night, Koala would drag her exhausted body back to her bedroom, feeling completely drained. She longed for the good old days when she would go on missions with her friends Sabo and Rhodes. Unfortunately, Sabo had been deeply affected by his defeat at the hands of Ryu and, more importantly, Rhodes. He disappeared soon after to train in isolation, leaving Koala feeling a sense of sadness and longing. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit peckish, I think I¡¯ll grab something to eat first.¡± As she pondered her next move, her Den Den Mushi rang suddenly, startled her. It was a fax, so she quickly picked up the device to receive it. Almost immediately, a group photo popped up. It showed Rhodes standing proudly with his sword raised, standing atop the head of a massive black dragon, wreathed in thunderbolts. It was as if a god of thunder had descended to strike down the dragon. ¡°Wait¡­ that¡¯s a dragon?!¡± Koala was completely stunned, her hand covering her mouth in disbelief. Even from the photo, she could feel the overwhelming and terrifying aura radiating from Rhodes. It was clear that this was no ordinary feat. ¡°This is a dragon, the legendary ultimate creature!¡± ¡°Is it really necessary to show off like this and brag about it in my face though?¡± Kalala said with a hint of bitterness and annoyance after a long silence. She continued to look through the documents, and then her expression suddenly froze as a few black lines appeared on her fair forehead. In the lower half of the fax, there were close-up shots of plates of dragon meat, all looks incredibly delicious! There were red-braised dragon meat, sauce-blasted dragon meat, yellow-stewed dragon meat, curry dragon meat¡­ The entire table was filled with dishes made from dragon meat, and not one of them was the same! Even the soup was made from dragon meat, and there were even hundreds of skewers of dragon meat. Koala could feel her stomach protesting and she couldn¡¯t stop drooling. It wasn¡¯t until she read the last sentence, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already ate your portion for you.¡± That her suppressed emotions erupted like a volcano, culminating in a loud roar of anger and grief: ¡°Rhodes!!!¡± At that moment, the entire headquarters castle was shaken to its core. ¡­ In a certain area of the sea. ¡°The Dragon Slayer Swordsman? You mean that black dragon?¡± Mihawk narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the newspaper in his hand, revealing a hint of regret. He had been to that island before, but the Black Dragon was too weak at the time to even bother lifting a finger. So Mihawk decided to let the Black Dragon grow stronger until it was worthy of a true battle, and then he would come to slay it. Little did he know¡­ Mihawk shook his head faintly, a hint of curiosity and inquiry in his eyes. ¡°A Dragon-slaying swordsman at the age of seventeen or eighteen?¡± ¡°Perhaps he could be a decent opponent¡­ grow quickly.¡± His tone was lonesome, cold from the heights. ¡­ The birth of the Dragon-Slaying Swordsman quickly rocked the world, but its main influence was still confined to the world of swordsmanship. Whether it was Zoro, who was currently hunting pirates in the East Blue, or the renowned swordsmen of various seas, or even the great swordsmen who had reached the pinnacle of their craft, everyone deeply etched the name ¡°Rhodes¡± into their minds. There were expectations, pride, longing, admiration, provocation, and defiance¡­ The title of ¡°Dragon Slayer¡± was different from that of the ¡°World¡¯s Strongest Swordsman¡±; the latter represented absolute strength, while the former was merely an honor that would stir up the challenges of swordsmen. The Island of Monsters and Barbecue. Rhodes, Snowy, Vivi, Gates and others were discussing how to deal with the treasures left behind by the Dragon. ¡°Dragon skin and scales are good things, they can be used to make armor that is invulnerable to swords and spears. Alabasta has skilled leatherworkers who can handle it,¡± Vivi suggested. ¡°Dragon liver, dragon heart, and other parts are all precious. I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± Snowy raised her small hand, brimming with excitement. ¡°Dragon teeth and claws can forge divine weapons,¡± Gates boasted, tapping his chest. ¡°I know an ancient workshop in the Western Sea that has this material, and I guarantee they¡¯ll help us for free.¡± Rhodes stood quietly beside him, feeling for the first time the benefits of having capable subordinates. He didn¡¯t have to worry about a thing; everything was being taken care of perfectly. His eyes sparkled with contemplation as he reflected on the lessons of the recent battle. The Black dragon was a legendary creature with tremendous strength, but it was weakened by its egg-laying and was ultimately defeated by Rhodes, who was ¡°smaller¡± in size. Rhodes had unquestionably reached a level of power that could rival the Vice Admirals of the Navy¡¯s headquarters, and his odds of winning were high. ¡°For now, I cannot increase my Thunderous power. Instead, I will focus on strengthening my physique,¡± Rhodes declared, clenching his fists and taking a deep breath. The stronger he became, the more he understood the profound truth behind the phrase ¡°the body is the foundation of everything.¡± Regardless of whether it was swordsmanship, physical techniques, or devil fruit abilities, they were essentially just forms of attack. The body, on the other hand, was the most fundamental source of strength, speed, defense, recovery, and vitality. Whitebeard, for instance, mastered the power of earthquakes, and his attacks were known as ¡°world-destroying force,¡± making him the strongest man in the world! And then there was Kaido, who possessed one of the strongest physical strength in the world, with near-immortality and was known as the strongest creature on land, sea, and sky. Rhodes was still far from matching either of them, but he knew that his unwavering focus on strengthening his body would eventually lead him to new heights. As he channeled the power of thunder to strengthen his body, every organ and even his cells were tempered and fortified. Day after day, his physique grew stronger and more formidable, making him a truly unparalleled prodigy. ¡°Now, my physical strength should already be at the level of a Rear Admiral in the Navy, much stronger than even the legendary Ryuma. However, compared to top-tier Vice Admirals like Oniwabanshu, I might still be a bit behind,¡± Rhodes mused to himself as he evaluated his combat prowess. His earlier hunch was right: once his physical strength reached the level of a Vice Admiral, his overall combat power would skyrocket. He would become a pinnacle existence within this rank, even surpassing his opponents in terms of attack power. That was how he was able to defeat the Black Dragon and effortlessly slay Nightblade even when he was injured. ¡°It¡¯s already October 1521 according to the Sea Circle Calendar. Luffy will set sail in about three months,¡± Rhodes said, reminding himself of the upcoming Top War. ¡°There should still be half a year until the war. That¡¯s enough time for me to push my physical training to the level of a quasi-Admiral.¡± Rhodes frowned slightly, feeling a bit dissatisfied with his progress. For anyone else, his pace of improvement would already be considered lightning-fast, but he wanted to be even stronger. He had envisioned that once he unlocks the third level of the Knowledge Book and became one of the Seven Warlords, he would have enough influence to be a force to be reckoned with. However, to unlock the fourth level, he would need to wield world-shaking power and be known throughout the world, from the Four Emperors to the World Government and even to the common folk. To achieve that level of impact, he would need to shine brightly in the coming Top War, a world-changing event that could alter the course of history. At his current rate of progress, he would at most be on par with Marco and Doflamingo by the time the war began. To truly influence the Top War, he had a long way to go. ¡°I wonder what changes this advancement will bring, it feels like it¡¯s more than just a new talent,¡± Rhodes thought to himself, his eyes flickering with anticipation. Volume 1 - CH 102 After taking a few days to recuperate, Rhodes and his companions quietly left the Island of Monsters and Barbecue, leaving behind them the tale of dragon slaying. On the deck of their sailboat, Vivi watched Snowy as she diligently practiced her swordsmanship. She couldn¡¯t help but feel envious of Snowy¡¯s natural talent. Despite her own weakness, Vivi¡¯s keen observation as a princess of a major kingdom allowed her to see Snowy¡¯s potential. Even at the age of eleven, Snowy¡¯s physical abilities were already on par with those of an adult. This meant that no matter what path she chose to pursue, Snowy could easily become a formidable force to be reckoned with. With a bright smile on her face, Snowy listened as Vivi praised her efforts. But then, her smile faded as she remembered what Rhodes had said to her. He had told her that she had a little natural talent for swordsmanship and that it would be difficult for her to achieve greatness in this area. Snowy began to feel disheartened. She had been practicing her swordsmanship for over a month, yet she had not even come close to mastering the basics that Rhodes had conquered in just three days. The gap between their abilities was vast, and it left her feeling frustrated and dejected. Vivi could see the disappointment written all over Snowy¡¯s face. ¡°What you consider an achievement may be different from what he considers an achievement,¡± Vivi reassured her. ¡°For Rhodes, becoming a great swordsman is the pinnacle of success in swordsmanship.¡± Vivi used a metaphor to try and ease Snowy¡¯s worries. ¡°It¡¯s like making money. Some people believe that earning a billion bellies is the ultimate goal in life. But for you, that billion bellies may just be pocket change.¡± Vivi was aware of Snowy¡¯s family background and her immense wealth. To be frank, when Snowy inherits Gates¡¯ empire, she¡¯ll have no trouble buying up the entire city of Alabasta. Snowy nodded her head, seeming to understand. She flashed a smile and said, ¡°Sister Vivi, you¡¯re so clever. You¡¯ll lead Alabasta to prosperity and strength.¡± ¡°By the way, Snowy wasn¡¯t always this powerful. It was all thanks to Rhod-ni, who gave me a special kind of training that strengthened my body.¡± She flexed her fist, unleashing a gust of wind that belied her delicate appearance. In fact, her punches could shatter stone, and her strength rivaled that of an adult. ¡°Training? Strengthening?¡± Vivi was curious. Rhodes could help others get stronger? It seemed unbelievable. Snowy noticed Vivi¡¯s curiosity and proceeded to tell her the story of her own training. ¡°At first, it hurt so much, like an electric shock running through my body. But then, it felt like a strange tingling sensation, and I passed out. I don¡¯t remember much after that.¡± ¡°Oh, and there was this weird, hot feeling like something was wriggling around inside me.¡± Vivi was increasingly perplexed, her forehead wrinkling with concern. ¡°This pervert!¡± she gritted her teeth. Her mental image of Rhodes as a noble and upstanding figure was shattered. Garbage! ¡°Pervert?¡± Snowy was confused. ¡°Why do you think Rhodes is a pervert? Even though it hurt at first, it felt so good later on.¡± ¡°I really want to do it again, but Rhodes said the first time was the most effective.¡± The little girl¡¯s eyes sparkled with longing. ¡°It¡¯s truly miraculous. In just one day, Snowy grew two or three centimeters taller and became much stronger.¡± I heard that Rhodes trains himself like this every day. No wonder he achieved such great success at the age of seventeen.¡± As Vivi heard this, she began to blush. It seemed that she has misunderstood the situation. ¡°But, it¡¯s so embarrassing to even think about it. What if he refuses?¡± Vivi hesitated, but her desire for strength ultimately prevailed. She got up and went to find Rhodes. ¡­ Inside the cabin. ¡°Do you want it more intense, or gentler?¡± ¡°Is there a difference?¡± ¡°Of course there is. If it¡¯s too intense, it will be painful, especially the first time. If it¡¯s gentler, it will be more comfortable, but the transformation will be less drastic.¡± ¡°More intense, please.¡± After saying that, Vivi¡¯s delicate face turned red and steam emanated from her. She closed her eyes, but could still feel her heart beating fiercely as if it was about to burst out of her chest. The process that followed was similar to the one with Snowy. However, at Vivi¡¯s request, and because her body was much more durable, Rhodes increased the electric current intensity. In the dim cabin, the sound of electricity crackled, and a gradually rising chorus of breathless moans filled the air. ¡­ Due to the death of Nightblade, the assassins of the dark world gave up their unwise intentions. The journey proceeded smoothly and quickly, and soon November arrived. Rhodes and the others finally arrived at Alabasta and landed at the Nanohana port. ¡°For now, you will wait for me at the port.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gates nodded respectfully. ¡°Brother Rhodes, come back soon, okay?¡± Snowy spoke in a crisp voice. ¡°Sure.¡± Rhodes patted Snowy¡¯s little head, then left with Vivi, heading to the Rainbase. He was determined to take Crocodile down! ¡°Crocodile is one of the Shichibukai, the powerful and feared pirates who rule the Great Seas. Isn¡¯t this too reckless of us? Mihawk, you know him right?! He¡¯s the world¡¯s greatest swordsman, and he¡¯s also a Shichibukai. Even if Crocodile is a close second, he¡¯s not much weaker.¡± On the way, Vivi hesitated for a long time, expressing her concerns. After all, she was only fifteen years old, her perspective was limited, and her experience was lacking. She didn¡¯t quite understand the power levels of the upper echelons. In Vivi¡¯s eyes, the Shichibukai were enormous and powerful entities, with tremendous prestige on the Grand Line, especially in the first half of it. They represented absolute strength, and even the most ruthless pirates dared not offend them. Besides, Rainbase was the headquarters of the Baroque Works, where many devil fruit users resided. It was reckless to charge in without careful consideration. Vivi thought they should discuss the matter further. Rhodes shook his head, not bothering to explain. Crocodile and Gecko Moria were nothing but weaklings, dragging down the average strength of the Shichibukai in the first half of the Grand Line. Whether it was Doflamingo, Kuma, or Mihawk, they could easily beat those two. Even Empress Boa Hancock, who was in the middle, could easily defeat Crocodile and Gecko Moria. In the world of pirates, strength was everything. Powerful strength was important, but a powerful heart was the true core. Crocodile and Gecko Moria lost their strong wills after being defeated by the Four Emperors, and put their hopes in outside forces, eventually becoming mere stepping stones for the Straw Hat Pirates. Seeing that Rhodes had made up his mind, Vivi remained silent. After spending these days with him, she understood what kind of person Rhodes was. Their daily interactions were gentle, and occasionally, he would make jokes that makes her blush and skip a heartbeat. But once he decides on something, he would not tolerate any doubts. As Vivi fretted, the two of them quickly crossed the desert and arrived at Rainbase. Compared to the desert landscape they had just traversed, the newly risen metropolis was bustling and lively, like a completely different world.