"My apologies."
Ed's expression turned cold and serious. Even if Rhode's achievements were questionable, he was not someone to be underestimated.
Once the Revolutionary Army official announced the start, Ed charged toward Rhode.
Whoosh! Ed wielded a practice sword, gripping it with both hands as he closed the distance and swung down with a sharp, whistling slash. The sheer force of the strike drew silent admiration from the surrounding youths.
The power behind that slash was flawless.
Yet Rhode, standing in the center of the arena, did something unexpected—he neither blocked nor dodged. Only when the blade was inches away did he suddenly counter with a single, silent stroke.
His sword moved without a sound but arrived first.
With a sharp "shink," the two practice blades clashed.
Despite being made of the same material, Ed's sword shattered instantly upon impact, the broken half clattering to the ground.
Ed froze in shock.
The entire plaza fell into dead silence.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at the severed blade on the ground.
"This… this…"
Leif and the others who had planned to challenge Rhode were utterly disbelieving.
These practice swords were known for their extreme durability, capable of lasting years without issue.
"That really was a swordmaster-level strike," Koala murmured, still unable to hide her astonishment upon confirming it.
With that single stroke, Rhode had proven himself worthy of the title of swordmaster—though likely the weakest in history, given his lack of physical strength.
After effortlessly breaking Ed's sword, Rhode didn't press the attack. He simply stood still, his expression serene.
"Still want to fight?"
He smiled as he spoke, but to Ed, that smile felt like the grin of a demon.
Ed, unable to accept this unimaginable outcome, clenched the broken half of his sword and raised it once more.
But before he could even swing, Rhode's practice blade was already resting lightly against his throat.
Clang!
The broken sword slipped from Ed's grasp and hit the ground.
Feeling the cold steel at his throat, Ed shuddered as if plunged into an icy abyss. Finally, clarity returned to his eyes, replaced by fear and disbelief.
Seeing this, the Revolutionary Army official shook his head and announced the result.
"Rhode wins!"
At this, Rhode calmly withdrew his sword and swept his gaze over the other youths. "Well?" he asked. "Anyone else?"
His tone was mild, but Leif and the others reacted as if struck, stepping back in unison. None dared meet his eyes, their heads bowing instinctively.
Only then did they notice the severed blade's perfectly clean cut—as if it had been cleaved by one of the legendary supreme-grade swords.
Such terrifying swordsmanship was beyond anything they had imagined.Even Lef and the others had no idea what kind of power could achieve such a feat. Even Rez, with his Power Level of 387, probably couldn't pull it off.
Moreover, Ed's Power Level was 197—just shy of the qualifying mark! Rez, who had always maintained an air of mastery, couldn't help but glance at Rhode with a hint of wariness. That kind of slash was something even he couldn't block. However, Rhode's speed was his weakness, so Rez wasn't afraid.
"Tch."
Seeing the other side immediately back down, Rhode shook his head, slightly disappointed.
The feeling of cutting through everything with his sword was truly exhilarating.
"Entering a focused state intentionally requires some time to prepare and build up."
"In a real battle, there wouldn't be such an opening."
Returning to his group, Rhode quietly pondered. He needed to practice more, ensuring he could enter a focused state at will under any circumstances.
As Rhode stepped back, Lef and the others finally let out a sigh of relief and resumed their challenges, though most ended in failure, with only a handful managing to win.
Those who were successfully challenged wouldn't lose their qualifications, though they'd certainly feel embarrassed.
"Alright, that's enough."
Finally, Koala smiled and announced, "After evaluation, those who have qualified as reserves this time are Rez, Rhode… Barry—a total of thirty-one people. Congratulations on becoming reserves."
The square buzzed with excitement.
Those who passed wore proud, satisfied smiles.
The rest applauded in celebration.
In Baltigo, becoming a reserve member of the Revolutionary Army was undoubtedly an honorable achievement—and a testament to one's strength.
In the world of pirates, strength meant everything.
And thanks to the dazzling swordsmanship Rhode had displayed, most of the attention naturally fell on him.
Praise and admiration filled the air.
Rhode, however, remained calm. He was long past the age where flattery would go to his head.
This was just the first step.
His current position was still far, far from the true pinnacle of this world.
...
Nighttime.
After finishing his preparations, Rhode returned home, intending to fully master the focused state while the momentum was still fresh. But out of habit, he willed his mind—and the status panel appeared before his eyes.
Tier 1: Book of Knowledge (Advancement conditions met)
Attributes: Intelligence +1
Energy: 100/100
Seeing that nothing seemed to have changed, Rhode curled his lip and was about to close it.
But in the next instant, his eyes widened as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Advancement conditions met?!"
A mix of shock and joy flooded him, but he was also utterly confused.
This made no sense.
Why? He began recalling the day's events, trying to figure out what had triggered the advancement.
Combat?
Unlikely—he'd fought before.
"Then… could it be becoming a reserve?"
But that seemed too flimsy. Being a reserve was hardly a major milestone—would it advance again when he officially joined?
If so, advancement would be way too cheap.
But none of that mattered right now. He'd advance first and think later.
In the next moment, Rhode willed his mind again, and the same void-like space appeared before him. At its center, the mythic tome hovered silently.
Without hesitation, Rhode chose to advance.Buzz! At this very moment, the hazy space underwent an astonishing transformation. Divine lights crisscrossed and flickered like dancing dragons and snakes, all converging toward the book at the center.
The brilliant divine radiance completely enveloped the book.
As the divine light poured in, the ancient tome began emitting a soft glow, carrying an aura of vast antiquity.
"Gulp..."
Rhode instinctively swallowed hard, his heart unable to remain calm.
Buzz! Finally, under Rhode's excited gaze, the divine light dissipated, and the glow on the book slowly faded.
The changes weren't drastic—only some mysterious and intricate patterns had appeared on the book's cover.
Suppressing his excitement, Rhode pulled up his attribute panel again.
Tier 2: Book of Knowledge
Attributes: Intelligence +2, Perception +1
Talent: Swordsmanship Specialization—Man and Sword as One, greatly enhances comprehension of swordsmanship! (Can draw one additional talent)
Energy: 0/1000
Intelligence +2 meant Rhode's intelligence was now more than double that of an average person, placing him in the genius category. His memory had improved significantly—if he were to take the college entrance exams now, he could probably easily get into Tsinghua or Peking University.
At the same time, the boost in intelligence made his thoughts faster and his problem-solving clearer.
"Combat or training generates energy, while status determines advancement!"
"But judging by the increase in energy requirements, the next tier will likely demand a higher status—maybe a Revolutionary Army officer, one of the four army commanders, or even a Warlord of the Sea?"
In a flash of thought, Rhode made this speculation, gaining some clarity about his inexplicable earlier advancement.
As for the newly added Perception attribute, Rhode didn't notice any obvious changes.
This was probably because he hadn't yet mastered abilities like Observation Haki.
"It should still help quite a bit with maintaining focus."
"If only it had boosted Strength or Agility instead."
Rhode shook his head. Attributes like Intelligence and Perception were indirect and didn't directly enhance his combat power. Perception, in particular, seemed useless for now.
As he pondered, his gaze fell on the talent section, where a new line had appeared.
"Draw an additional talent? Let's try it."