Chapter 13: Unexpected
The monitoring room was already abuzz with excitement.
"The power of thunder?"
"How is that possible? Is the equipment malfunctioning?"
Every Revolutionary Army soldier was in disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost.
"The sword, it slashed out thunder..."
Koala looked solemnly at fishman Hack. "Rhodes doesn't seem to be a Devil Fruit user, nor does he belong to a special race. So, there's only one possibility."
She spoke with shock, as if stunned by her own guess.
But, eliminating all the impossibilities, whatever remains, even the most improbable, must be the truth.
"Indeed,"
fishman Hack took a deep breath, his eyes filled with shock and a hint of surprise. "It seems we all underestimated this young man's talent for swordsmanship."
"To have reached the level of a swordsman at such a young age is astonishing enough, but I didn't expect that this isn't even his limit."
"At only sixteen, and already comprehended a sword intent unique to him."
"And with the divine power of thunder."
Koala shook her head and muttered, "This is truly..."
Always clever and shrewd, she was now at a loss for words.
As high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Army, though unversed in the ways of the sword, they were well aware of the various categories of swordsmen.
From the most common swordsman to those who have mastered the Breath of All Things, capable of concentrating their strikes into a single line, severing steel, and even unleashing powerful sword techniques.
Further up the hierarchy are the elite swordsmen who have mastered the essence of the sword, such as the Whitebeard Pirates' Fifth Division Captain, Flower Sword Vista, whose swords emanate petals when he swings, and the "Lord of Thunder," whose blades are engulfed in lightning.
After a long pause, Koala recovered her composure and smiled, saying, "But this guy is clearly too inexperienced. His physique is nowhere near the level of his swordsmanship."
"In a real fight, any veteran swordsman would probably be able to defeat him."
Despite her petite appearance, Koala possessed immense physical prowess. Naturally, she wasn't mesmerized by the dazzling spectacle of Rhodes radiating lightning, instantly seeing through his paper tiger nature.
"Even so, his potential is unimaginable. Compared to him, Sabo is only slightly stronger."
Fishman Hack shook his head and sighed softly, "It seems I won't be able to teach him much longer."
A student with extraordinary talent naturally demands higher standards from their teacher, just like young Sabo.
The conversation between the two left the nearby Revolutionary Army soldiers speechless, their understanding profound.
Only when Hack compared Sabo to Rhodes did they finally understand.
Sabo was a student of Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army. He possessed immense talent and strength, and was almost certain to become a pillar of the Revolutionary Army in the future.
And Rhodes being compared to him—what a significant implication this had.
The name "Rhodes" was instantly etched in everyone's memory.
...
At the Black Ape's corpse.
Shortly after Rhodes's departure,
a figure dressed in exceptionally revealing attire suddenly appeared.
"This monster was killed! Who did it?"
Nia frowned slightly, a bit annoyed. The last time she came to this island, she was still weak, but the black ape had chased her around like a maniac. This time, she returned, determined to exact revenge.
But when she arrived at the scene, all that remained were two body parts—oh, and an arm.
"It was a sword wound."
She stepped closer, examining the sharp, neat, slightly burnt wound. She spoke solemnly, "Only a swordsman could have cut through the black ape's tough body with a single strike."
"There are many skilled swordsmen in the reserves, but there are only two masters: Shanuo, the captain of the first squad, and Rhodes, the newly promoted rookie."
"Rhodes is out of the question. He's weak, but he's just naturally gifted with the sword."
"I didn't expect Shanuo to have improved so much this year," she concluded gravely.
Judging from the scene, Shanuo only used two or three strikes to slay the black ape she'd been dreaming about.
Nia admitted that she couldn't do it either.
This was the sharpness that belonged only to swordsmen!
"Tch."
Nia was very frustrated at failing in her revenge, but she had no choice but to turn around and leave.
Time passed by.
In every corner of this island, bloody battles were taking place again and again!
Although the strength of these beasts exceeded that of new reserves like Rez, humans have one advantage, that is wisdom!
The beasts on this island have little intelligence, and only have some animal instincts.
As night approached.
The activities of the beasts became more and more frequent. Most of the reserves, even the captains, found a safe place to rest and were unwilling to act at night.
The jungle at night, with wild beasts rampant and dim vision, is simply a nightmare for humans.
Beneath a towering tree,
Rhodes had built a large fire and was leisurely preparing dinner.
Today's dinner included roasted rhino, roasted white elephant, and roasted whole deer...
"Too bad, I don't have enough utensils to cook anything else,"
Rhodes sighed, his desire for the storage ring growing stronger.
It was a foodie's intense desire!
Beside the fire, Rhodes gnawed on a tender bird leg while reflecting on his day's experiences.
Today's battle had boosted his energy by four points, four times more efficient than regular exercise!
Combat was still the most efficient way to boost energy. He'd get another point of energy boost from his lightning training tonight.
"But we still have a long way to go to reach one thousand,"
Rhodes realized, feeling the long road ahead. He took another large bite of the bird leg.
It was a bird that looked like a dove, but much larger. Rhodes had snatched it from the sky, plucked its feathers, and grilled it. The meat was incredibly delicious, and with a little seasoning, it was amazing. Its rich aroma lingered for a long time, making it one of Rhodes's top delicacies.
"I must go out to sea and try all the delicious food in the world!"
"I heard there are Sea Kings in the pirate world. I wonder what Sea King meat tastes like..."
As someone who appreciated fine cuisine, Rhodes's craving for delicious food was endless.
At this moment, Rhodes suddenly felt the ground begin to shake, as if thousands of troops were trampling the earth at the same time in the distance.
Then, he heard the distant howling of ferocious beasts, filled with a sense of panic, as if they were frightened.
"What's going on?"
Rhodes frowned slightly, paused his movements, and looked up into the distance.
He saw a light and nimble figure suddenly galloping from the distance.
"Nia?" Rhodes blinked, a little confused.
But she looked a little disheveled, sweaty, and her clothes were a little messy.
Rhodes was even more confused. With Nia's strength, how could she be chased so badly?
There shouldn't be such a powerful creature on the island, otherwise, wouldn't an ordinary reserve be doomed if they encountered it?
But the next moment, he understood.
(End of Chapter 13)
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