Chapter 174: How Far From Admiral?
Inside the temple.
"Maintaining the spatial passage consumes very little mental energy, but it's always present..."
"While it can be sustained temporarily by storing mental energy, it's only a stopgap measure, not a permanent solution, and unlikely to be practical long-term."
Rhodes gazed at the door embedded in the wall before him, a thoughtful expression on his face.
The natural environment of the pirate world was truly harsh.
The Four Blues were relatively safe, with predictable weather patterns and the ability to develop commerce. However, due to their isolation by the Red Line, access to the Grand Line was extremely limited, resulting in a certain backwardness in all aspects.
As for the Grand Line itself, it was truly inhospitable. Even with a Vice Admiral-level escort from headquarters, they could only cope with most situations. A major natural disaster or a medium-to-large Sea King could still destroy everything.
Rhodes's current power base consisted of three main territories: the Kano Country in West Blue, Alabasta at the entrance of Paradise, and the recently conquered Skypiea.
If there were a way to connect these areas, it would undoubtedly enhance the prosperity of his entire faction significantly.
The permanent spatial gate was Rhodes's solution.
But for now, things seemed somewhat impractical.
"With the mental energy currently stored, this passage can last roughly three months, which is sufficient for the moment..."
"The lightning power was enhanced through Enel, which essentially borrowed the power of his Goro Goro no Mi. I wonder if the Door-Door Fruit's power could similarly draw upon CP9's Bruno's Doa Doa no Mi."
Rhodes's eyes flickered. After a moment of contemplation, he set these thoughts aside.
Expanding his influence was merely a side project, something to plan for the future.
Right now, his most important priority was to continue growing stronger, improving his abilities, and striving to reach peak combat power as soon as possible.
"I wonder how far I am from Admiral level now..."
Rhodes stroked his chin, uncertain.
He'd only encountered a few peak-level combatants. Only Momousagi-sensei had truly demonstrated her prowess before him, and Zephyr was past his prime.
But his own strength had been too low back then to properly assess the gap, making current comparisons difficult.
"It would be ideal if I could find a peak-level fighter to spar with."
He muttered this just as a group of figures slowly emerged from the spatial portal before him.
Leading the way were Robin and Vivi.
Behind them followed members of Baroque Works, including Daz Bones.
These members had been tested and met the required loyalty standards.
"So this is Skypiea already?"
Vivi, dressed in an elegant princess gown that complemented her youthful beauty, emerged and glanced around with surprise.
This was the legendary sky island ten thousand meters above?
Yet just moments ago, they'd been in Alabasta!
"Rhodes-sama."
Daz and the other Works members approached Rhodes and bowed respectfully.
"You all go help transport the gold."
Rhodes nodded slightly, then ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Daz and the others responded quickly.
Vivi slowly approached. After months of training, the desert princess had become even more refined—elegant and noble.
"Here, these are the Seastone handcuffs you requested. I've been working on them forever."
The young princess's face was filled with an adorable "Praise me, praise me!" expression.
"Well done. Vivi's the best."
Rhodes couldn't help but smile, gently ruffling Vivi's soft hair before walking over to cuff Enel with the Seastone shackles.
"What kind of cursed item is this?!"
Enel exclaimed in disbelief as the cuffs closed around his wrists.
This was even more terrifying than being completely suppressed by Rhodes.
Although his powers were countered by Rhodes, his physical strength remained, and he'd been confident he could overpower other enemies.
But now, with these handcuffs on, he couldn't generate even a single spark. He was instantly reduced to a weakling—any Skypiean could defeat him now.
Rhodes felt a slight sense of relief, finally no longer worried about the man escaping.
"Hey, hey, Blue Sea man, I've surrendered, haven't I?! Don't leave me cuffed like this!"
The fear of losing his power finally made Enel abandon his last shred of pride as he shouted at Rhodes, his tone filled with panic.
From a lofty god to a weakling who could be bullied by anyone—he couldn't bear it for even a second.
"Consider this training. Although this restrains you now, when you remove it, you'll feel your power has increased."
Rhodes spoke in a serious tone.
Enel was completely skeptical but had no choice except to hope Rhodes would find a control method soon.
Indeed, rather than losing his power entirely, Enel preferred being controlled by Rhodes.
He truly couldn't imagine a life without power. Even though he no longer considered himself a god, he didn't want to be so weak that any random person could bully him.
"Don't worry, it won't be long."
Rhodes reassured his future subordinate.
The pirate world had many methods for controlling people, and the Surgeon of Death Trafalgar Law's Ope Ope no Mi was an excellent option.
Enel could only nod reluctantly.
"Is this guy really that powerful? Is he worth all this effort?"
Vivi asked curiously.
"He's quite powerful, but a bit foolish and ugly," Rhodes said.
Enel felt relieved at the first half of that sentence, but when Rhodes finished, his face darkened.
You're foolish! You're ugly!
Of course, he only dared say these words in his heart—and even thought them cautiously, because Enel had discovered this demon seemed to possess a vague ability to read people's thoughts.
"Here, boss. The latest newspaper. You might be interested."
Robin approached gracefully, her movements fluid and elegant.
Vivi suddenly realized that despite diligently studying royal etiquette and princess deportment lately, she still lacked Robin's natural elegance.
The young princess felt somewhat frustrated.
Curious, Rhodes took the newspaper and glanced at it.
"The Straw Hat Pirates caused havoc on Enies Lobby?"
Rhodes was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected history's inertia to be so strong—or rather, given Luffy and the crew's personalities, certain events were virtually inevitable.
Although Robin was with Rhodes rather than captured, Luffy and company were just as likely to charge in if one of their companions was in danger.
"That's going to be somewhat troublesome. I wonder if I'll even be able to find CP9's Bruno now."
Rhodes frowned slightly, then suddenly froze.
It seemed that after the Enies Lobby incident, when Luffy and the others returned to Water 7, they would encounter Garp, wouldn't they?
Wasn't that exactly the opponent he'd been hoping for?
He might be a bit too strong...
But given Rhodes's connections with the Marines and the Straw Hats, Garp would probably be willing to give him some guidance.
Moreover, only by facing an opponent of that caliber could he truly assess his current strength and recognize his own shortcomings.
(End of Chapter)
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Review!
P*atreon/Soulforger (40+ advanced chapters)
Buy me coffee - ko-fi*com/soulforger01