"Come, cheers!"
Lin Muxue and the others stood up, clinking their glasses with high spirits, having finally reached level thirty.
Their rapid progress wasn't just due to relentless effort—resources had been prioritized for their advancement. With four major Pirate Crews working together, treasure hunting, slaying Ferocious Beasts, and clearing Mystic Realms became highly efficient. The strategy was clear: let these four level up first. Once transformed, their enhanced strength would allow them to tackle stronger beasts, benefiting the entire crew.
The crew harbored no resentment, finding the logic sound.
Reaching level thirty was a dream come true for Lin Muxue's group. As top Chosen Ones, they'd endured too many humiliations—mostly because of Ye Yu, with Lin Muxue suffering the most. Now, their power surge was palpable.
Lin Muxue brimmed with confidence. "This boost is massive. While I still can't defeat Ye Yu one-on-one now, once I level further and inherit more of Enel's abilities, victory will be mine. By level forty at the latest, I'll surpass him."
She'd learned the name of the Rumble Rumble Fruit user from the Pirate King world—Enel. Post-level thirty, Lin Muxue felt comprehensive improvements: strength, defense, speed, and combat skills. But what thrilled her most was her Haki progression.
"My Haki has grown tremendously," she declared proudly. "My Armament Haki improved significantly, but Observation Haki advanced the most—its range is now vast. Combined with my Rumble Rumble Fruit, it's a perfect synergy."
Indeed, her Armament Haki had leaped forward. Though Enel was defeated early in the original storyline (albeit surviving to reach the moon), his current incarnation here clearly mastered it—something Ye Yu acknowledged but dismissed as inconsequential against his own power.
Li Cang asked curiously, "Xue Er, have you mastered Observation Kill?"
Others leaned in—this advanced technique, whose terror Ye Yu had demonstrated, was coveted by all top fighters.
Lin Muxue's expression faltered. "No," she admitted. "Surprisingly, despite Enel's exceptional Observation Haki, he never learned it. But I'll master it soon through training. As for Conqueror's Haki and Dominator Infusion..." She shook her head. "Those are impossible—Enel lacked Conqueror's Haki."
This realization briefly dampened her spirits before she rallied. "It doesn't matter. My Rumble Rumble Fruit's lightning power is paramount—Conqueror's Haki can't enhance lightning attacks. Even if Dominator Infusion boosts damage, it's negligible compared to my electricity. In the endgame, I'll still reign supreme."
Turning to Jin Mo, Song Ling, and Wang Quanshi, she inquired, "What about you all? Any Observation Kill mastery? Or Conqueror's Haki?"
Jin Mo said, "All three of us possess Conqueror's Haki and have slightly mastered Dominator Infusion, inherited from our predecessors. As for Observation Kill, none of us have it."
This made Lin Muxue a little envious, but only slightly.
Jin Mo was somewhat surprised. "It's really puzzling that they don't know Observation Kill. In the world of pirates, the one who possessed the Float-Float Fruit ability was Shiki the Golden Lion. Although he wasn't one of the Four Emperors, his title was no less prestigious. As a legendary pirate, he represented one of the top-tier fighters in the pirate world, yet he didn't know Observation Kill—while Ye Yu does."
This also confused Wang Quanshi. He believed Kaido must be stronger than the Non-Ability Users contracted by Ye Yu, so he should naturally know Observation Kill, yet he didn't.
After brief contemplation, Lin Muxue understood. "That's because they all possessed powerful Devil Fruit abilities and spent more time developing their fruits rather than Haki. Besides, Ye Yu contracted seven individuals, so his Observation Haki stacked, resulting in him knowing Observation Kill, while Enel and Shiki did not."
Hearing this, Jin Mo and the others found it reasonable and were no longer surprised. They were confident they would develop Observation Kill soon.
Jin Mo excitedly said, "Our strength has improved significantly—not just in Haki but also in raw power, speed, defense, and physique. Now we fully understand why Ye Yu's combat power was so overwhelming before. We've inherited these traits and are even stronger than those he contracted. Soon, we'll surpass him. Additionally, I've mastered an incredibly powerful swordsmanship and learned something important."
At this point, Jin Mo was exhilarated.
Lin Muxue and the others were curious. "What is it?"
Jin Mo manifested two famous swords in his hands and introduced them: "These two blades are renowned in the pirate world—Cherry Ten and Withered Tree. Moreover, during Shiki's era as a legendary pirate, he held a top title: the World's Greatest Swordsman!"
Hearing this, Lin Muxue and the others understood why Jin Mo was so thrilled. Shiki was truly formidable—not only did he possess immense strength, but he was also the World's Greatest Swordsman.
After all, Ye Yu had already demonstrated terrifying swordsmanship, shocking and envying top-tier fighters, proving that mastering swordsmanship could make one incredibly powerful. Now, if Shiki was called the World's Greatest Swordsman, didn't that mean his swordsmanship surpassed that of Ye Yu's contracted individuals? Would Jin Mo eventually surpass Ye Yu in swordsmanship?
Jin Mo was confident it was possible.
Lin Muxue asked, "What about afterward? Did Shiki remain the World's Greatest Swordsman?"
Jin Mo shook his head. "We don't know. We only inherited knowledge about Shiki. Perhaps a new World's Greatest Swordsman emerged, but not because someone defeated Shiki in swordsmanship—it was because he disappeared for over twenty years. If he hadn't gone into hiding, no rising star could have taken his title. So, Shiki's swordsmanship was undoubtedly the strongest. That means, soon, my swordsmanship will also be the world's greatest, surpassing Ye Yu. The title of World's Greatest Swordsman won't belong to Ye Yu—it will belong to me."
Lin Muxue and the others found his reasoning sound, and Lin Muxue herself was confident.
"The title of the strongest in the future won't belong to Ye Yu—it will be mine. Moreover, since Ye Yu claims to be the Strongest Creature in the Sea, Land, and Air, then the strongest on land and in the air will also be me, not him. I will become the Thunder God and reign supreme over heaven and earth."
At this moment, Wang Quanshi frowned slightly, let out a cold snort, and spoke with unwavering conviction.
"You can't do it. I dare say that by level thirty, my growth will be the greatest."