To rival monsters with a human body?
The beach!
The waves crashed against the shore, rolling up heaps of white foam.
After Laino finished reading the description for [Monster Body], he couldn't help but be ecstatic.
This is great! With this talent, the gap between him and the top physical monsters of the pirate world would no longer be vast.
Just a short while ago, he was worried that his body from his previous world wouldn't be able to take it.
Now, that problem was solved.
Awesome!
Just as Laino was about to see what changes [Monster Body] would bring him, the system prompted again.
[Ding! Detecting that the host possesses similar talents: Monster Body, Fearless Heart, Gluttony, Glib Tongue. Fuse them?]
"Hmm?"
The system's prompt surprised Laino.
Four of them, similar talents?
"It seems so. They all relate to physical attributes. Monster Body encompasses Fearless Heart, Gluttony, and Glib Tongue!"
According to the system's rules, when similar talents are fused, their effects can stack and become a higher-level talent.
[Monster Body] A-Rank!
[Fearless Heart] B-Rank!
[Gluttony] C-Rank!
[Glib Tongue] D-Rank!
After fusing, will these four talents become a single S-Rank talent?
What's to choose?
"Fuse!" Laino didn't hesitate.
[Sword Heart] had let him experience the power of an S-Rank talent. Compared to A-Rank, it was a qualitative leap.
A mysterious light shone on the system panel. The four talents fell into a vortex.
In the blink of an eye.
[Ding! Fusion successful. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the talent: Gluttonous Lord (S-Rank)!]
[Talent Description: Food will become your source of power. Your control over your body is increased tenfold. Your limits are boundless, and you will be fearless.]
Laino frowned slightly. This talent's description was rather plain and simple! It should have integrated the four talents and then enhanced their specific effects. He would have to study the actual results.
The system panel had changed.
[Host Name: Laino]
[Actual Age: 17]
[Existing Talents: Gluttonous Lord, Conqueror's Haki, Sword Heart]
[Power Evaluation: A fledgling, yet you possess a demon king's disposition and a heart of the sword. Your potential is limitless. Bide your time, young man, the future is yours.]
Interesting! Laino let out a chuckle.
At that moment, he noticed two little kids staring at him.
"Zoro, what did you do to him? He's been smiling foolishly for a while. Don't tell me he's turned into an idiot?" a silver-haired kid scratched his head. He was Saka, a kid whose talent in the dojo was second only to Zoro and Kuina, and also Zoro's good friend.
Zoro crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "Huh? Saka, don't talk nonsense. I didn't do anything!"
Uh!
An idiot?
Are they talking about me?
Laino looked left and right. There was no one else here besides him. It seemed he had been in a daze for quite a while. He'd have to be more careful next time.
Laino coughed lightly. Just as he was about to explain, his stomach let out an ill-timed and loud "grumble."
A wave of hunger washed over him. He had just eaten dinner, but Laino felt like he could eat a whole cow.
He realized. This was the effect of the [Gluttonous Lord] talent on his body.
A bit like one of the Four Emperors, Big Mom? Could her talent be something like this?
"Zoro, do you have anything to eat?"
Zoro, with his arms crossed, and the curious Saka were both dumbfounded. A grown man asking a child for food?
Laino was simply too hungry. The two laps Kuina had assigned him had to be called off.
"Hey, no way, you ate a whole cow?" the Isshin Dojo's cook was dumbfounded.
"He can eat more than me?" Zoro muttered. In one meal, he could only eat half a bucket of rice.
"Damn it, no way! I can't lose to him! Tomorrow I'm going to eat a whole bucket!"
The dojo's manager, sweating, gritted his teeth and said to Koshiro, "If he eats like this, the food expenses must be increased!"
Ever since Zoro came to the dojo, the expenses had been skyrocketing. Now there was another one who could eat even more?
Koshiro pushed up his glasses, speechless.
After eating his fill, Laino could clearly feel every cell in his body squeezing nutrients from the food.
"So food is the source of power?"
Laino clenched his fists. Strength was filling his body.
He stood up and, for some reason, felt that he had grown taller. The well-fitting training uniform now felt a bit tight.
"Wow, Laino, you ate a whole cow!" Saka, who had been watching, was full of admiration.
"I'll eat more than you!" Zoro shouted, refusing to admit defeat.
The dojo manager felt immense pressure.
Koshiro, with his eyes narrowed, noticed the subtle changes in Laino and called him to the next room to ask about his situation. Laino explained that he had a sickness, a kind of binge-eating disorder.
Although Koshiro was suspicious, he didn't ask further. Everyone has their secrets, and prying too deep can easily create resentment. He said a few words of concern and brought up the issue of food expenses.
Laino readily agreed to the request to increase his food fee. He craved strength more than money.
Before the sky was bright, Kuina knocked on Laino's door. The sprawled-out Zoro was also woken up.
When Laino walked into the main hall, he found about twenty children and teenagers gathered, waiting for Koshiro to appear to begin their morning practice.
First was a warm-up run. Then came basic swordsmanship: the three movements of chopping, slashing, and thrusting.
By the time they finished, it was nearly dawn. Then came literacy and sword theory classes.
Laino didn't need to attend the classes. Koshiro had him follow Kuina to learn the basics of kendo, such as how to hold a sword and proper body posture.
Under the effect of the [Sword Heart] talent, Kuina only needed to teach him once for Laino to understand and even infer other principles from it. In just one morning, he had completed the introductory kendo instruction.
"Laino, have you really never touched kendo before?" Kuina asked at lunch, looking at him strangely.
Laino, gnawing on a grilled fish, nodded seriously and said, "I'm just a fast learner!"
Kuina was frustrated. Another guy like Zoro?
"No, I'm not that amazing. I still have too much to learn," Laino said.
Kuina's spirits were low. "So what? You have a chance to become a great swordsman. Me..."
"You can't?"
Kuina sighed, poking at her rice, "My father said that girls can't become great swordsmen!"