Chapter 28: Epitome of an Era
Level 2: Book of Knowledge
Attributes: Intelligence +2, Perception +1
Talents:
Sword Mastery – Unity of sword and wielder, greatly enhancing understanding of swordsmanship!
Thunder Mastery – The Thunder God descends, freely controlling the power of thunder!
Energy: 277/1000
"My thunder power has also increased significantly."
Rhodes opened his status screen and glanced at it, smiling softly. Cultivating Haki also boosts energy—a pleasant surprise.
As for swordsmanship, progress has been somewhat stagnant lately.
At the Sword Master stage, simply practicing forms is ineffective. One must engage in battles against both humans and nature itself to find a breakthrough.
Improving swordsmanship—as any great swordsman is forged through endless battles—has significantly increased the power of his sword techniques.
Overall, Rhodes' current combat power far exceeds his pre-Haki level, and he should have no problem overwhelming opponents with ease.
Dual-color Haki serves as the entry ticket to the realm of the strongest in the pirate world, providing a tremendous boost to one's strength.
"Let's stop here for today."
"It sounds pretty lively outside."
He sheathed his sword, opened the training room door, and walked outside.
The Training Hall
Crack!
Two dark shadows clashed, exchanging dozens of punches and kicks in an instant. Every strike sent whistling gusts of wind through the air. Wherever they fought, tiny cracks spread across the ground, sending a chill through Rez and the other observers.
Since this place was designated as a training hall, the construction materials were naturally extremely durable to withstand normal training sessions.
"No wonder the captains don't usually train in the main hall," someone murmured.
"We still have a long way to go. After this, we need to train even harder."
Rez thought to himself, hoping his captain would win—otherwise even the headquarters reserves would be disgraced.
With a sharp clang, the figures in the arena suddenly separated. One stood perfectly still while the other staggered back seven or eight steps.
Rez and the others looked closely, their hearts sinking. The retreating figure was the captain of Squad 5.
He trembled, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, and said with resignation, "I surrender."
His opponent's physical abilities weren't much superior to his own, but their combat experience was on completely different levels. It was like a seasoned veteran facing a complete rookie—total domination.
He had hoped to impress the Revolutionary Army leadership, but instead became their stepping stone.
"I didn't expect the headquarters reserves to be nothing more than greenhouse flowers, possessing only brute strength with no real combat sense," Sasse said, his expression and voice remaining calm as he stepped back.
Shanuo, Nia, and the others felt deeply unsettled.
Since headquarters was located in the New World, there were fewer opportunities for actual combat, unlike bases in other regions where it was easier to accumulate real battle experience.
After Sasse withdrew, another figure emerged. This man appeared to be in his early twenties, but his brows were sharp as blades, and he radiated a fierce aura. A katana hung at his waist—clearly a swordsman.
"Eastern Army Reserve, Kuro," the young man said coldly. This time, he didn't even bother with formalities, his expression even more intimidating.
"I'll take him on!" Nia stepped forward, iron staff in hand.
"You're no match for me."
Kuro shook his head dismissively. He glanced at Shanuo and said softly, "You're also a swordsman. Step up and don't waste my time."
The entire crowd fell silent.
No one had expected this young man to immediately identify Shanuo as a fellow swordsman!
Nia frowned. If he truly was a skilled swordsman, she really stood no chance. But she had already stepped forward—if she retreated now, it would devastate morale completely.
"Please, teach me your techniques."
Nia gripped her iron staff tighter, showing no sign of backing down.
"Since you're eager to lose, I'll grant your wish."
"Tch!"
Nia clicked her tongue. This level of arrogance was insufferable. Even with her usual composure, she couldn't tolerate it. She suddenly burst forward, rushing in with a devastating overhead strike.
Clang clang clang...
Sparks flew as the sound of clashing metal rang out repeatedly.
The two fighters' weapons met again and again across the arena. Nia unleashed her ultimate speed and strength, creating a continuous blur of motion like a violent storm that made it difficult for the reserves to follow.
Yet incredibly, Kuro easily parried all of Nia's attacks with just his katana, keeping his other hand casually behind his back.
"Too slow."
After a moment, Kuro seemed to lose interest. With a single deflection, he knocked aside Nia's attack. Then, stepping forward smoothly, he delivered a horizontal slash that sent Nia flying across the arena.
A complete and utter defeat!
Nia realized her opponent had shown mercy, and though frustrated, she could only retreat.
"Damn it! He's not as strong as Rhodes, but he's even more arrogant! When Rhodes gets here, he'll wipe the floor with you!" Nia fumed.
"Aren't you going to step up yet?"
Kuro stood with his katana ready, looking directly at Shanuo. "You must be Shanuo, captain of Squad 1. Stop wasting time."
His tone was calm and casual, as if discussing something trivial, but everyone could sense his overwhelming confidence and arrogance.
"This guy has real skill," Sabo chuckled quietly.
Arrogance stems either from ignorance or from momentum built through continuous victories.
Sabo was similar in many ways, though he was more diplomatic about it.
Northern Army Commander Karasu smiled knowingly. "I've heard about this young man's journey here."
"He's challenged countless dojos along the way, and with nothing but victories under his belt, it's natural for someone so young to be confident. Most young swordsmen are like that."
Koala chuckled, remembering a certain newly promoted reserve who had swept through headquarters not too long ago.
Suddenly, she found herself looking forward to seeing Rhodes take the field.
She'd been at headquarters for some time now, watching these reserves grow, so her allegiance was definitely biased toward the home team.
"How insufferably arrogant!"
Rez and the other reserves clenched their fists, united in their indignation.
But they were also genuinely shocked.
Never before had other bases produced such a large group of young warriors—not only numerous, but with strength that clearly surpassed their own captains.
"An era where powerful warriors emerge in abundance—perhaps this is just a preview?"
Rhodes, having just arrived, couldn't help but mutter to himself as thoughts of the turbulent year ahead flashed through his mind.
A pirate crew carrying dreams would set sail from the East Blue and shake the very foundations of the seas... Blackbeard, Ace, the greatest war in history, the eruption of the Paramount War, the end of a legend...
A series of characters and events flooded Rhodes' thoughts, overwhelming his heart with anticipation.
Upon hearing his voice, Rez and the others quickly turned around, their faces instantly lighting up with relief.
"You're finally here!"
"Those guys are way too arrogant!"
The reserves began speaking up, voicing their complaints.
"Yeah, I can see that."
Rhodes nodded slightly. From the situation in the arena, he easily pieced together what had transpired.
The only thing that genuinely surprised him was Dragon's presence.
This was probably the first time he'd encountered a truly top-tier figure since arriving in this world—both in terms of raw power and political influence.
(End of Chapter)
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