Soon after,
Vice Admiral Garp issued his orders.
The Navy warship began steering toward the pirate vessel a kilometer away—the wreck of the White Ostrich Pirates. The mission: to capture the survivors.
Splash—!
The warship cut through the sea, waves rippling outward.
On the bloodstained deck of the pirate ship—
Just as Kai turned his gaze toward the incoming warship,
a familiar sound echoed in his mind.
[This battle has granted: Strength +0.003, Speed +0.002, Stamina +0.003, Combat Experience +0.01, Spirit +0.01!]
[After applying the 100x Training Effect…]
[Final gains: Strength +0.3, Speed +0.2, Stamina +0.3, Combat Experience +1, Spirit +1!]
At once, a warm current surged through Kai's body, washing over his organs and muscles, reforging him from the inside out.
When it faded, he could clearly feel it—
His body was stronger.
Much stronger.
"So that's it…"
"Fighting can increase my power too!"
"And the improvement is way higher than what I get from boring hellish training!"
His eyes narrowed, lips curling into a smile.
He had once assumed his hundredfold cultivation bonus only applied to training.
But now, after this battle, he truly understood.
Combat itself gave him massive boosts!
Not only had his physical stats increased, but his fighting instincts had sharpened as if the system had directly engraved experience into his mind.
It was like a revelation—
His techniques were cleaner, his instincts keener.
And most importantly—his spirit had grown stronger.
That meant his Conqueror's Haki would hit even harder.
Strength, speed, stamina—they defined his raw physical limits.
Spirit determined the weight of his overwhelming will.
All together, it meant one thing—
Kai had just gotten much stronger.
And more than that—
He had opened a new door.
Training wasn't the only path.
Battle itself was a shortcut to growth!
"The more I fight, the stronger I become."
"Looks like I don't need to spend every day grinding through dull training anymore."
"Of course…"
"To increase my Ghost Back completion rate, I still need strict physical training. That can't be skipped."
He made a mental note.
Then—
"System. Pull up my stats."
[Host: Kai]
[Strength: 19.7 (+2.1)]
[Speed: 17.8 (+1.7)]
[Stamina: 21.1 (+2.2)]
[Spirit: 13.2 (+1.2)]
[Ghost Back Completion: 10.19%]
[Cultivation Efficiency Multiplier: 100x]
Kai nodded in satisfaction.
His stamina had broken past the 20-point threshold.
His strength was on the verge of 20 as well.
Only speed lagged slightly behind, dragging down his overall balance.
But he understood.
With all this muscle mass, he'd naturally be slower.
Yet even so—compared to the ten-million-Berry Zoan user he'd just crushed, his speed had still utterly dominated.
"To patch up my speed weakness, I need a technique that explodes with acceleration."
"For example…"
"Rokushiki: Soru."
That Navy martial art—an instant burst of high-speed movement—was exactly what he needed.
And not just Soru.
"Geppo too."
"The ability to step on air, to stay airborne—that would be priceless in a real fight."
As for the others—Rankyaku, Shigan, Kami-e, Tekkai—he wouldn't mind learning them, but they weren't urgent.
But Soru and Geppo—
He had to master those.
"In time, when I follow the old man to Navy HQ, I'll be able to start training in Rokushiki."
"And then…"
"Color of Armament. Color of Observation."
"Once I've mastered Rokushiki and both types of Haki, I'll already count as a true powerhouse. On this sea, I'll no longer be some low-level nobody."
A true combatant—able to stand tall.
While Kai was plotting his growth, the massive warship finally reached the pirate ship.
Under Garp's orders, hundreds of marines swarmed aboard.
Unconscious pirates were cuffed in chains and dragged into piles on the deck.
The dead were disposed of with practiced efficiency.
Even those floating in the sea were fished out and shackled.
Before long, every survivor had been captured—173 pirates in total.
The pirate ship itself, unable to be emptied, was repurposed as a holding pen, towed behind the warship.
The report was brought to Garp.
"Vice Admiral Garp. Total captures: 173."
"Confirmed deaths, including Captain White Ostrich Kukari: 122."
"The ship's stores contained high-grade liquor, and unopened crates of gold and jewels. The armory held two hundred rifles and…"
After hearing everything, Garp gave the order:
"Tow the pirate ship behind us. Once we reach the nearest East Blue Marine base, we'll turn everything over to them. The base can handle the rest."
"Yes, Vice Admiral!"
With that, the fleet set sail once more, the tattered pirate ship trailing behind the proud Navy warship.
On deck, Garp clapped a heavy hand on Kai's shoulder, his eyes full of pride.
"You did better than I imagined! As expected of my grandson!"
Beside them, Ace stood silent, a complicated look in his eyes.
After today, he knew.
The gap between him and Kai… was enormous.
So wide, he didn't dare boast about surpassing him anymore.
"Are we heading to the East Blue Marine branch now?" Kai asked, now dressed in a loose white shirt that hid his brutal musculature.
"That's right," Garp grinned. "This victory belongs entirely to you. Don't worry—I won't steal your glory."
"I'll report the truth to the branch. No one will take your credit."
"Which means…"
"You're about to become famous, brat!"
"A four-year-old child who annihilated an entire pirate crew worth over twenty million Berries? Word will spread across the whole East Blue!"
"Well? How does that feel?"
Kai smiled faintly. "Not bad."
Seeing his grandson unaffected by bloodshed, Garp finally relaxed completely.
And deep in his heart, he sighed.
As he thought—
This boy… was a born warrior.
Talent. Willpower. Temperament.
Everything about him was flawless.
A natural prodigy, destined to stand at the peak of the sea.
Visit my patreon for more chapters
Advance 30+ Chapters Available
patreon.com/ZeusOp