"Kill me!"
The long-tongued man roared in fury, brandishing his broadsword with such speed that it cut through the air with sonic booms.
Bell-mère immediately grabbed a long blade and rushed in front of Shen Yuan, blocking the incoming attack with a metallic clang.
"Wait a minute!"
The long-tongued man froze mid-strike, stunned.
Shen Yuan calmly raised his hand.
"I'm leveling up."
The long-tongued man was dumbfounded.
> [EXP Maxed! Level Up: Lv.2 → Lv.3! Bonus Skill Points +1!]
Shen Yuan quickly allocated his new skill point. A new window opened in his mind's eye:
> [Skill Upgrade: Physical Constitution Lv.2 — Base Physique +5%!]
He paused. "…That's it?"
Both he and the long-tongued man were speechless.
Long Tongue: You paused a life-or-death fight… to level up? Are you doing daily training here?!
Shen Yuan: Only 5% boost? I should've dumped the point into 'Knife Mastery' or something useful!
But now wasn't the time for regrets.
"Bring it on!"
Shen Yuan lunged forward. His short dagger flickered like a venomous serpent, aiming directly for the enemy's throat!
The long-tongued man reacted just in time, using his longer weapon to block—but the heavy blade slowed him down.
The attack failed, but Shen Yuan's movements flowed. He slipped into a new position and drove his fist into Long Tongue's jaw!
A perfectly executed uppercut!
The pirate reeled, stars in his eyes. He instinctively swung his sword, but the heavy broadsword posed no threat to Shen Yuan's agility-enhanced footwork.
Darting in again, Shen Yuan's dagger sliced across the man's chest!
A deep, bleeding gash opened across his ornate shirt, turning its brilliant fabric red.
Shen Yuan didn't hesitate. While the pirate staggered, he spun and aimed for the neck!
Long Tongue's eyes widened in disbelief as he clutched his bleeding throat.
His twin swords fell with a clang.
Before he could even gasp, Shen Yuan's dagger pierced his abdomen with a sickening crunch!
The pain and blood overwhelmed him. His consciousness faded—
"Pfft!"
Long Tongue collapsed, dead without a word.
The other pirates were frozen in place, faces pale.
> [Defeated East Blue Pirate Captain! Lv.3 → Lv.5!]
> [Level 5 Reached! System Unlock: Skill Tree (Partial Awakening) Enabled!]
Suddenly, a flood of new data appeared.
> [Unlocked Combat Techniques: Navy Six Styles — 'Shave' (Soru) and 'Mist Kick' (Modified Moonwalk) available.]
Shen Yuan reached down and yanked his dagger from the corpse, a spray of blood arcing out.
He looked at the stunned pirates like a reaper harvesting crops.
The ensuing massacre was swift and precise. Several pirates collapsed in pools of blood before they even understood what hit them.
Garp arrived at last, his eyes widening at the carnage.
He glanced around at the fallen enemies, then at Shen Yuan—soaked in blood, standing firm with an expression no longer childlike.
"...You alright, grandson?"
Shen Yuan gave a light nod. The brutal battle had washed away his innocence.
He had changed.
"Clean up the scene!" Garp ordered, though his eyes lingered on the blade in Shen Yuan's hand.
"Grandpa Garp," Shen Yuan called out, "I want to keep these swords. I'll study weapon forging when I get the chance."
Garp blinked. "You interested in swordsmanship now?"
Shen Yuan nodded again without elaborating.
Garp studied him for a moment, then said nothing—just waved his hand.
"Marines! Move all confiscated weapons to Bell-mère's backyard!"
Then he turned to Shen Yuan.
"How'd you do it, kid?"
Garp inspected him carefully. No major injuries. He sighed in relief.
Shen Yuan didn't explain the system. He just played it off.
"Well, you've got guts," Garp chuckled. "I'll personally train you for a while. How's that sound?"
Shen Yuan's heart skipped. If I can learn Haki early… I'll save at least one skill point!
"Deal!" he grinned like a cat who'd found cream.
Garp flinched. "Why're you looking at me like I'm a treasure chest?!"
---
Bell-mère's House
Everyone sat around a modest table.
Bell-mère, usually feisty, was now as quiet as a cat.
Ajian stood at attention as Garp devoured orange pie loudly.
"You've been working hard, brat," Garp said mid-chew. "Didn't slack off, huh?"
Before Shen Yuan could answer, Nami cut in, puffing out her cheeks.
"Of course not! I've seen big bro Shen Yuan train night and day!"
Garp gave her a warm chuckle, then glanced at the three kids.
He suddenly thought of his own…
"Come back to Windmill Village with me for a while. What do you think, kid?"
Garp patted Shen Yuan's head, his tone surprisingly gentle.
Ajian was about to object, but Bell-mère stepped in first.
"Lieutenant General Garp… could Shen Yuan stay with us a little longer?"
Garp frowned, deep in thought.
Shen Yuan asked softly, "Is there room for me in Windmill Village?"
Garp blinked. "Hah, of course. Plenty of space."
Shen Yuan smiled. "Then why not all go together?"
Nami and Nojiko's eyes lit up.
Garp slammed his chest. "Leave it to me!"
Bell-mère hesitated, but when she saw the children's faces, her resolve melted.
"Alright. Let's go."
---
They boarded a Navy warship.
The Marines? Miserable.
The weapons they'd just hauled into town now had to be hauled back onto the ship… by hand.
And Shen Yuan's training barbell—gifted by Nami and Nojiko—was also coming along.
It took three sailors to move it.
Their faces darkened further when Shen Yuan called out:
"Hey! Don't slack off! Load everything properly!"
The sailors grumbled silently.
On the deck, Shen Yuan gazed at the endless sea, heart churning beneath the calm.
Nami climbed onto his shoulders to share the view.
Garp reclined, munching senbei. Bell-mère and Nojiko stood awkwardly nearby, unused to warships and admirals.
Shen Yuan quietly opened his system panel.
> [New Feature Unlocked: Destiny Alignment]
> [Select Faction to Determine Future Missions and Rewards:]
[Navy]
[Pirate]
[Adventurer]
Without hesitation, Shen Yuan selected—
[Adventurer]
> [Selection Confirmed!]
> [Phase One Quest: Acquire your own ship.]
Shen Yuan's smile froze.
...There's a ship right in front of me.
And I didn't claim it.
If God gave me one more chance...
He looked like he'd just swallowed a sea-king.
Garp squinted at him. "...You good?"
The rest of the sentence died in his throat. Maybe some mysteries weren't meant to be solved.