Chapter 23: The Lost Opportunity of a Past Life
Action followed thought.
Kaizen Reiya spoke with Makino, kissed her forehead, and then walked toward a small river east of the village.
The river was over ten meters wide, with a swift current.
With the sound of rushing water in his ears, Kaizen arrived at the grassy riverbank.
"Calm Sea Key, activate the 180x cultivation ability."
Ding. The 180x cultivation ability is now active. Duration: Six minutes.
The contents of Lightness Skill: Water Treading flashed through Kaizen's mind.
First Level.
Second Level.
Third Level.
It took less than a minute for Kaizen to fully master all three levels, achieving the ability to tread water.
Wow. This 180x speed is ridiculously fast. Less than a minute to achieve what takes others thirty years of hard work. This is incredible.
A fierce grin spread across Kaizen's face. He then shot forward, stepping onto the river's surface.
This was far superior to any minor footwork technique.
He reveled in the uninhibited feeling of walking on water.
Being able to walk on this fast-flowing river meant he could walk on the sea.
This gave him much more confidence in dealing with the King of the Near Shore at sea.
Compared to the Japanese swordsman from his previous life, who had to use a boat to fight the Sea King, his mobility was now far greater.
That Japanese swordsman, though he had ultimately killed the King of the Near Shore, had done so thrillingly, almost dying in its jaws.
Having the Lightness Skill: Water Treading was a massive advantage, something the Japanese swordsman of his past life couldn't compare to.
Whoosh! Kaizen leaped from the water like a bird, landing on a large tree by the river.
The treetop swayed in the wind, but Kaizen stood upon it as steadily as if on solid ground.
It felt refreshing and comfortable, free from the earth's pull.
"Unfortunately, this Lightness Skill only has the Lower Three Levels. It would be perfect if it had the Middle and Upper Three Levels as well."
Kaizen shook his head. He still couldn't decipher the strange characters on the iron shard.
The text seemed to indicate the location of the Middle and Upper Three Levels of the Lightness Skill.
His Calm Sea Key's treasure detection radar could scan the area. Finding them shouldn't be too difficult if he was in the right place.
Forget it. I'll search for the Middle and Upper Three Levels later. Right now, I need to focus on improving my strength bit by bit.
The King of the Near Shore was a Level 100 monster. It wouldn't be easy to deal with.
Even if he could find its Life Gate, attacking it successfully was another matter.
"I still haven't learned the Fire Serpent Slash and the Thirty-Six Windstorm Slashes I got from the bandit leader Higuma last night. I'll learn them now; they might come in handy."
Kaizen's eyes flashed. He began practicing the Fire Serpent Slash. As expected, it took less than a minute to master.
He focused his mind, and a katana flashed out from his storage backpack into his hand.
It was the one he had taken from Bandit Leader Higuma the night before.
Shing! The blade left its scabbard, cold light glinting. Kaizen swung the sword.
A fiery serpent tore free from the blade, flying out and striking a large tree by the river. Instantly, raging flames erupted. The tree, over ten meters tall, was reduced to a pile of ashes in a flash, the heat astonishing.
Next, Kaizen learned the Thirty-Six Windstorm Slashes. However, at his current level, he could only manifest eighteen blades. But because his combat power far surpassed Higuma's, the power of his eighteen slashes was much greater than Higuma's twenty.
Kaizen visualized thirty-six blades but unleashed only eighteen. The sword lights shone like thunder, shaving a large boulder into powder. The power was twice that of the Fire Serpent Slash.
As expected of the bandit leader Higuma's ultimate killer move.
Next, Kaizen quickly practiced the Glue Cannon, achieving eight simultaneous shots. Eight cannonballs spun out, flying in eight different directions, blasting eight large craters a hundred meters away.
This method of artillery bombardment was unprecedented and perfect for "fishing."
After raising all the martial skills he could to their current maximum potential, Kaizen headed for a weapon shop in the town, the Heavenly Blade Forge, and set off.
The Heavenly Blade Forge was renowned throughout the new One Piece world, its quality and reputation guaranteed.
While it specialized in swords and blades, it actually manufactured all kinds of weapons.
The branch in Windmill Village was just one of countless small branches the Heavenly Blade Forge had established across the new world.
Kaizen returned from the river to Windmill Village and walked toward the Heavenly Blade Forge.
In his previous life, he had lingered outside the Heavenly Blade Forge countless times, yearning to commission a golden spear gun or harpoon to kill the Level 100 monster, the King of the Near Shore.
But back then, he couldn't afford it. He could only watch the opportunity slip away with immense regret. That chance to rewrite his destiny was snatched by the little Japanese swordsman.
But in this life, after plundering tens of thousands of gold coins from the Higuma Bandits, Kaizen was far wealthier. In this early stage of the starter village, he could be considered a top-tier player. He would not repeat the tragedy and helplessness of his previous life.