Chapter 143: Advancement Complete
Sylvia's expression froze upon hearing this.
When Rhodes and Don Chinjao battled, even the nearly hundred-meter-tall Jewel Ice Sheet had collapsed and shattered. She wasn't stupid—how could she possibly dare challenge Rhodes now?
But the girl showed no fear, her eyes gleaming with fierce determination.
"Don't get cocky. After I conquer the Grand Line, I'll definitely challenge you again!"
"Anytime."
Rhodes replied with a casual smile, clearly unconcerned.
Sylvia's face flushed instantly. With an indignant huff, she actually began practicing her sword techniques right there on the deck.
Thrust, slash, cleave...
Sylvia's swordsmanship was graceful and unique, paired with intricate footwork that flowed like a butterfly's dance. It was mesmerizing to watch, drawing many passengers to stop and observe, gasping in admiration.
Sylvia herself wore a solemn expression, completely absorbed in her training, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings and the opinions of those watching.
Rhodes nodded silently to himself. If nothing else, her unshakeable focus—even when facing overwhelming odds—destined this girl for future success.
"But unfortunately, you chose the wrong rival."
He shook his head calmly, clasping his hands behind his back as he gazed out at the distant sea.
The merchant ship quickly set sail, departing from the island and heading toward Reverse Mountain.
Several hours later,
the Red Line—stretching endlessly to the horizon—appeared before everyone's eyes once again.
Sylvia paused her training, her mouth falling open in blank amazement.
Rhodes remained composed. On one hand, he'd seen it multiple times before. On the other, from the perspective of his soul space viewing the entire world, the Red Line didn't inspire the same awe.
"This world... its structure is so deliberate, it's almost frightening."
Rhodes muttered softly, his eyes gleaming with insight.
"What are you talking about?"
Sylvia leaned closer, her face filled with excitement and shock. Before Rhodes could respond, she began chattering away, expressing her inner amazement at the sight.
This particular vessel seemed to take this route frequently. Thanks to the combined expertise of the captain and navigator, the large merchant ship followed the turbulent currents and swiftly rushed up Reverse Mountain's canal, its speed increasing dramatically.
Finally, with a tremendous roar, it crested the mountain's peak.
Sylvia felt her stomach lurch when people nearby suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, is that young man going to jump overboard?!"
Everyone turned to look.
Sure enough.
A young man in white was walking step by step toward the ship's damaged railing where a gap had formed.
He walked without hesitation, only a few steps away from stepping completely off the merchant vessel.
"Someone stop him! He's going to kill himself!"
someone shouted anxiously.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Rhodes stepped off the merchant ship and fell toward the raging current.
This was Reverse Mountain's current—possessing tremendous destructive force. Falling into it meant almost certain death, swept into the deep sea by violent waters with no hope of recovery.
Everyone rushed to the railing and witnessed an incredible scene.
The young man in white didn't fall into the sea at all. Instead, he walked against the current, step by step, as if treading on solid ground. He rode the waves and wind, quickly disappearing into the misty white fog below.
"My god... did we just meet a Sea God?"
someone asked in disbelief.
Sylvia wrinkled her nose, grumbled something under her breath, but couldn't help revealing a hint of longing in her expression.
Before sufficiently powerful individuals, even the most dangerous terrain and terrifying natural phenomena likely posed no real threat.
"I will definitely catch up to you!"
Sylvia's eyes burned with determination.
If three years weren't enough, then ten. If ten weren't enough, then a lifetime!
Several hours later.
Reverse Mountain, East Blue side.
"That was exhausting! Took more than half my stamina..."
Rhodes took several deep breaths, gradually recovering his strength.
It seemed he still had a long way to go. To achieve travel times measured in hours rather than days, he needed to work much harder!
"Need to find some transportation."
Rhodes didn't want to continue using Geppo—it was too draining. He scanned the nearby waters, searching for suitable sea beasts.
Reverse Mountain bordered the Calm Belt, so quite a few Sea Beasts and Sea Kings roamed these waters.
Rhodes quickly locked onto a smaller Sea King, only a few dozen meters long. It was practically advertising itself, basking lazily in the sun on the surface!
As Rhodes approached, releasing undisguised hostility, the Sea King—resembling a massive electric eel—instantly bristled. It launched a lightning bolt as thick as a person's torso.
"..."
Rhodes was momentarily startled, but quickly recovered his composure.
The creature's attack was powerful, yet incredibly slow compared to his perception.
Rhodes dodged with a casual sidestep, then appeared above the electric eel and glared down at it.
Buzz!
Powerful Conqueror's Haki burst forth from his body, shaking heaven and earth. Even the sea's surface seemed forcibly suppressed. The electric eel's eyes rolled back and it immediately fainted.
"Hmm?"
Rhodes felt genuinely surprised. With his keen senses, he could tell his Conqueror's Haki had definitely grown stronger—significantly so!
If Conqueror's Haki were categorized into levels, then:
Ordinary users like Don Chinjao would be at the bottom tier. Top-tier pirates like Doflamingo would occupy the middle. The Yonko like Whitebeard and Kaido would be in the upper tier. And Red-Haired Shanks and Gol D. Roger would stand at the absolute peak.
Rhodes's Conqueror's Haki now resided firmly in the middle tier—no weaker than Doflamingo's, possibly even considerably stronger.
Rhodes slowly descended onto the electric eel's back, tilted his head thoughtfully, and suddenly summoned the Thunder Tome's interface.
As expected.
Advancement complete.
Level 3: Thunder Tome (grants one additional talent selection!)
Attributes: Intelligence +3, Perception +2, Willpower +1
Talents:
Sword Mastery – Become one with the blade, dramatically enhancing comprehension of swordsmanship!
Thunder Mastery – The Thunder God descends, freely controlling the power of lightning!
"So it was the additional Willpower attribute?"
Seeing the changes on the interface, Rhodes understood immediately.
Conqueror's Haki represented an overwhelming force of will striking at the opponent's spirit—naturally, it would cause unconsciousness.
It made perfect sense that the Willpower attribute would amplify it.
"Intelligence affects reaction speed, and Perception affects Observation Haki's strength..."
Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly.
His reaction speed had increased from 2.25 times normal to 3.375 times.
Not an enormous improvement, but certainly not insignificant either.
As Rhodes focused his attention, he immediately sensed the change.
The entire world seemed to slow down around him.
The rippling of waves became more distinct and prolonged.
Subtle air currents drifted lazily, interfering with each other, carving visible paths through space.
"It's like time has decelerated. I can process and react to far more information in the same span of time."
Rhodes collected his thoughts. Most of the truly powerful in this world possessed terrifying speed. Without sufficient mental processing capacity, such speeds would be impossible to control effectively.
Just like Rhodes's previous supersonic slashes—if his mental reaction speed weren't more than twice that of an average person due to his Intelligence attribute, those attacks might have been supersonic collisions instead. He simply wouldn't have had time to perceive and execute the proper sword movements.
(End of Chapter)
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