Chapter 40: Promise
It was mid-afternoon, the sun bright and the breeze warm, yet Rhodes felt an inexplicable chill—as if he were trapped in a world of ice and snow, his entire body stiffening.
He slowly turned his head and saw a familiar figure.
The VIP seats were luxurious. A tall, graceful woman sat in one of them, legs crossed elegantly, one hand casually resting on the armrest, the other supporting her chin as she gazed down with a legendary boss-like demeanor.
Her long, flowing black hair cascaded down her shoulders, and she wore a gauzy black dress—a strikingly stylish outfit. Beneath it were a pair of breathtakingly long legs, their pale perfection dazzling against the dark fabric.
Her features weren't conventionally stunning, but they possessed a certain mature charm, showing no signs of aging. Her bright eyes and white teeth regarded Rhodes and the others with an amused half-smile.
Rhodes had never expected this woman to be so perceptive, and what a coincidence that they were seated so close!
For a moment, he was stunned.
Koala was quick to react, almost instantly switching into playful, innocent mode: "Big sister, you're so beautiful!"
"Heh."
It proved that complimenting a woman's beauty never gets old—especially when it comes from a young, beautiful girl like Koala. And if Rhodes remembered correctly, Momousagi was already quite mature in years.
Momousagi smiled warmly. "You're quite sweet, little girl."
Her eyes held a meaningful gleam, and from Rhodes and Koala's reactions, it was clear she recognized them as more than ordinary spectators.
Not ordinary people at all.
However, Momousagi had no intention of embarrassing the two youngsters, and the subtle wariness in her expression quietly subsided.
Koala, ever so clever, naturally caught the meaning and immediately struck up a conversation. After all, this was the Navy, not some vicious pirates, and Momousagi was dressed casually—clearly just here for entertainment.
Rhodes breathed a sigh of relief. Momousagi's role in the original story was minimal, and he hadn't been able to gauge this powerful figure's personality, so he couldn't make any rash moves. Fortunately, Koala, with her extensive experience in charm, easily handled the situation.
"She's here too. If I show enough talent in swordsmanship..."
After relaxing, Rhodes' mind became active, excitement building within him.
From the very beginning, he had set a path of strength centered around swordsmanship. Now that his lightning powers had taken precedence, this philosophy felt somewhat awkward.
Only by becoming the disciple of a great swordsman and systematically studying the blade could he achieve a breakthrough—otherwise, he'd continue in this uncomfortable position.
Because the Book of Knowledge's energy would continuously increase with battle and training, his thunder powers would naturally grow stronger, potentially overshadowing his sword skills entirely.
"Kid, are you planning to become my student?"
Rhodes was lost in thought when Momousagi suddenly spoke, startling both him and Koala.
"You... how did you know?" Rhodes asked cautiously.
He felt a chill of alarm.
Once could be considered coincidence, but twice was distinctly unusual.
Could this rare female swordsman possess some ability to read minds?
There were precedents for this—like Princess Otohime of Fish-Man Island, who was born with advanced Observation Haki that allowed her to hear others' inner voices.
Momousagi was also a woman and a true master swordsman, so possessing such abilities wouldn't be surprising.
"You don't even know how to conceal your thoughts. You're still so green," Momousagi said with a faint smile, her tone seeming profound.
Rhodes' expression shifted upon hearing this, and he entered a state of mental focus almost instantly. His thoughts became concentrated, his spirit and energy intensely controlled, his eyes calm as a still lake.
"Oh?"
Momousagi exclaimed softly, glancing at Rhodes with genuine surprise. She hadn't expected him to react so quickly, to grasp the concept so instantly.
Even more astonishing was his profound mastery of this focused state.
This state of mental concentration was a fundamental ability possessed by all true swordsmen.
In a sense, this foundation could also be considered natural talent. Most swordsmen needed preparation time to achieve this state—ranging from the time it took to draw a sword to as long as a full minute.
Only top-tier swordsmen, even great swordsmen, could achieve Rhodes' ability to enter this state in a split second.
Unknown to her, Rhodes maintained this state almost every night while tempering his body, so of course he was incredibly skilled at it.
Momousagi pondered for a moment before asking, "How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
Rhodes answered honestly, then breathed a sigh of relief when he realized Momousagi couldn't detect his thoughts anymore.
Having one's inner thoughts easily read by others was truly unpleasant.
Thoughts generated brainwaves that radiated outward, and with sharp enough Observation Haki, one could detect them and gain insight into people's hearts.
However, most strong individuals possessed focused willpower and could concentrate their mental energy, achieving a state similar to a swordsman's focus.
Momousagi's ability should only work on ordinary people or weaker individuals.
"Wait—that's not entirely right. In the heat of battle, when thoughts become unstable, they can still be captured, achieving an effect similar to precognition!"
In a flash of insight, Rhodes gained a more intuitive understanding of this seemingly terrifying ability.
Fear stemmed from the unknown; understanding brought clarity.
As he pondered this, Momousagi suddenly spoke: "If you can defeat everyone in this tournament, I'll consider coaching you for a while."
"For a while..."
Rhodes frowned slightly, but Koala exclaimed with delight, "That's wonderful!"
"I'd definitely appreciate your guidance," Rhodes replied.
Momousagi said expressionlessly, "We'll see after you defeat everyone."
Rhodes glanced at Koala and saw that her joy was genuine. It seemed she held no grudge against Momousagi's Navy credentials—she simply felt this was good for Rhodes.
"What a pure and kindhearted girl," Rhodes sighed internally, but spoke calmly: "Then please wait and see, Sensei."
"I'm not your teacher yet," Momousagi said coolly, though a hint of a smile flickered in her eyes.
A seventeen-year-old swordsman with excellent fundamentals—talent like this was rare even in this vast world. At this moment, she was simply maintaining proper dignity and reserve as a potential instructor.
Koala thought to herself, "The amusement in your eyes is practically overflowing, lady!"
At this time, the arena matches had also reached a critical stage.
A large man wearing animal pelts, with a rough face that looked like he'd emerged from the wilderness, was dominating the ring.
He had defeated seven or eight challengers, including many strong opponents and even Devil Fruit users.
His Armament Haki mastery was extraordinary, and his fighting style was simple yet brutal, possessing a kind of primal beauty. His attacks were like those of a savage beast—extremely violent—and when he moved, he was like a hunting cheetah, incredibly swift.
Even Barkley, the Beast Pirates executive, watched with admiration and clear favor.
(End of Chapter)
join patreon for update and advance 40+ chapters
https://www.p-atreon.com/c/Soulforger
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
"If you're enjoying this story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone! Your support keeps me motivated and helps the novel reach more readers."
"100 Power Stones this week = 1 extra chapter release!"
"500 Power Stones = 2 extra chapter release ."