"The stronger the power, the greater the will and strength needed to wield it."
"Inori no Yumi (Prayer Bow) and Mubou no Ou (Faceless King) are Robin Hood's trump cards. Even if you choose his Heroic Spirit template, you might not be able to use them right away."
"And even if you can, how long you can use Faceless King, and how strong Inori no Yumi will be, all depend directly on your physical stamina."
"But don't worry too much. As long as you train diligently, one day you'll be able to master the Heroic Spirit template."
Genrou gave Usopp a firm pat on the shoulder, snapping him out of his dazed awe.
"This Robin Hood guy really is amazing. If I had his powers, I could wipe out the Black Cat Pirates—and even that Kuro guy wouldn't stand a chance!"
Usopp clenched his fists, brimming with confidence. He completely forgot what Genrou had just said about how Heroic Spirit powers scale with the user's own strength.
Genrou simply shook his head, letting Usopp ride the wave of enthusiasm for now.
In his opinion, Robin Hood was clearly the only valid choice for Usopp.
As for Pinocchio and King… those were off the table.
After a while, Usopp finally calmed down and turned to the name King.
"Three attributes… and one of them is 'Brave Warrior.'"
"Let's see what kind of power you have."
With that, Usopp pressed his hand on King's name.
The Heroic Spirit Space trembled, and the group was instantly transported into a ruined, collapsed cityscape.
"This place is wrecked. Was there a war here?"
Zoro frowned and scanned the devastated area.
"This… this place has something to do with King, doesn't it?"
"Wait—that's him over there?! Wh-What an imposing guy!"
Usopp gulped, his sharp vision quickly locking onto a tall man in the distance with three scars across his face—his expression alone carried an incredible sense of pressure.
They watched as King calmly approached a pile of rubble and pulled out a box of game discs.
At that moment, a man in a black suit ran over.
He glanced around at the destruction, then looked at King in awe.
"You… you're the one who defeated that Dragon-level monster, aren't you?"
"Please, you must join the Hero Association as a professional hero!"
The man bowed deeply, practically begging.
King wiped some blood off his face and gave the man a calm look. Just then, a thump-thump-thump sound echoed from his body.
"This… this sound… why do I suddenly feel scared?"
Nami stepped back unconsciously, hiding behind Genrou.
"Those scars… just like Shanks. And that same pressure. This guy isn't normal."
Luffy's eyes narrowed, his face turning serious.
Zoro didn't speak, but his hand instinctively moved to his sword hilt.
Usopp, meanwhile, collapsed to the ground, staring in terror as King was guided forward by the man in black.
Genrou could only sweat. He hadn't expected King's Teiou Engine (Emperor Engine) to be this effective.
Luffy and Zoro were already convinced this guy was some top-tier powerhouse.
And yet… King's attribute tags included both Coward and Liar!
Just as Genrou was about to correct them, the scene shifted again within the Heroic Spirit Space, showing several new cutscenes.
Each scene was in a different location, but they all had one thing in common:
Wrecked cities… and the ever-imposing King.
Seeing this, Luffy, Zoro, Nami—they were all thoroughly stunned.
They hadn't seen King actually fight, but just from the destruction alone, they imagined the terrifying battles he must have fought.
The view shifted again, this time to a dark, narrow alley.
King walked forward with a grim expression.
Suddenly, a young boy called out to him from behind.
"Thank goodness—it's King, the strongest man on Earth!"
"I'm saved! This whole area's crawling with monsters. I was so scared..."
"King, can I stay with you?"
The kid ran toward King, tears of relief in his eyes.
But before he got close—thump-thump-thump—the Teiou Engine roared to life again.
"Eek! Emperor Engine?! King, I'm just a kid! Why are you going into battle mode?!"
The child stopped in his tracks, drenched in sweat.
"You should give up on me and find another hero."
"No matter how much you beg, it won't change anything."
"The more you rely on me, the deeper into despair you'll fall."
King's eyes glowed red as he glared down at the boy.
Everyone watching looked confused.
"Wait… wasn't this guy a hero? Why's he refusing to save the kid?"
Nami peeked from behind Genrou, frowning.
"Maybe King noticed something we didn't..."
Zoro narrowed his eyes and looked toward Genrou.
Just then, the boy's body suddenly softened—turning into a blob of goo and collapsing into a puddle.
"Wh-What?! He turned into sludge?!"
Usopp was shocked, but then leapt up excitedly, pointing at King on the screen.
"Now I get it!"
"That kid was a monster in disguise!"
"And King took him out just with his presence!"
"Amazing! No wonder they call him the strongest man on Earth!"
"I've made up my mind—I'm choosing him as my Heroic Spirit template!"
(End of Chapter)
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