Chapter 226: Advancement Completed
Mary Geoise, the Holy Land.
Inside a magnificent hall.
The Five Elders, the highest-ranking officials of the World Government, were discussing and analyzing the impact of this war.
"Although Portgas D. Ace has been rescued, that's secondary. As long as Whitebeard is dead, even if the Whitebeard Pirates don't disintegrate, they will lose their status as one of the Yonko."
"The New World will inevitably descend into chaos."
"And we will have the opportunity to extend our reach into the New World."
Before this, the biggest obstacle preventing the Navy from entering the New World was Whitebeard; protecting the Great Pirate Era was no joke.
The Gura Gura no Mi's effect in naval battles and large-scale wars was immense—almost unstoppable.
"Order all agents and spies worldwide to closely monitor the Gura Gura no Mi's movements. This fruit shouldn't exist in the world."
"Sengoku has applied for retirement, and both he and Garp have nominated Kuzan as the next Fleet Admiral."
"Kuzan is unsuitable. Sakazuki is more suitable for the position, both in terms of strength and personality."
"Sengoku and Garp still wield considerable influence in the Navy, making this difficult. Furthermore, Sakazuki's performance in this campaign was less than satisfactory."
"That's alright. Sakazuki should give us a satisfactory answer."
The Five Elders spoke one after another, their discussions potentially impacting the global situation.
Finally, they mentioned several individuals who had emerged during this war.
"Blackbeard trespassed into Impel Down and was stripped of his Shichibukai status. This man seems to possess special methods for acquiring Devil Fruit abilities; he shouldn't be underestimated. Have CP0 keep a close eye on him."
"Dragon's son, Straw Hat Luffy, seems to have the potential to become a king; he shouldn't be underestimated either."
"As for the Dragon Slayer Swordsman..."
At this point, the Five Elders fell silent, feeling a sense of unease.
This battle clearly demonstrated Rhodes' talent and strength. If allowed to develop further, he might very well become a new Whitebeard.
For the World Government, a legendary figure like Whitebeard, who almost influenced the world's balance and led an era, should be nipped in the bud.
However, Rhodes' speed was a major headache.
Such a person might be defeated, but to kill him would require at least several top-tier combatants, and only under specific circumstances.
"Doflamingo failed to eliminate Gecko Moria; he admitted he couldn't defeat Rhodes, so he left the Marineford battlefield early."
"These two seem to have a grudge. Perhaps we can lay a trap in Dressrosa."
"That's feasible. Let Carlos lead the team, cooperating with Doflamingo. Both of them excel at crowd control; as long as Rhodes' speed is limited, it should be enough to kill him."
The Five Elders all made their pronouncements.
They were all experienced and powerful individuals; they could see that while Rhodes' attacks were sharp and his speed swift, his defense and vitality were relatively weak.
Such a person, once restrained, could be easily killed.
And at this moment, Rhodes was facing a brand new change.
As the influence of the Marineford War spread throughout the world, the advancement of the Book of Knowledge was naturally completed.
Fourth Tier: Book of Knowledge
Attributes: Intelligence +4, Perception +3, Willpower +2
Talents:
Swordsmanship Specialization - Man and sword become one, greatly improving comprehension of swordsmanship!
Thunder Control - Thunder God descends, freely controlling the power of thunder!
Door Power - Walking through space, the world is vast and there is nowhere one cannot go!
Power of Faith - Divine might is like a prison, divine grace is like the sea!
"They actually... directly chose this talent?"
Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly, somewhat curious.
Faith was undoubtedly an extremely profound existence.
And the word "divine" in the description was even more exciting.
Speaking of which, in the world of One Piece, apart from the legendary immortality surgery of the Ope Ope no Mi, normal people almost all had a lifespan limit.
Even figures as powerful as Garp and Whitebeard, who had cultivated their physiques to the highest level and possessed incredibly strong vitality, had a lifespan estimated to be only around a hundred years. Before the vast river of time, they were as insignificant as dust.
Rhodes, being an ordinary human, naturally couldn't break this limitation.
But now, the appearance of the Power of Faith seemed to offer Rhodes such hope.
Gods had always meant longevity and immortality.
Thinking of this, Rhodes stared intently at his attribute panel, a strange feeling stirring within him.
Death was humanity's ultimate fear; who wouldn't want a longer lifespan to witness the vicissitudes of history?
He was overjoyed for a moment, then gradually calmed down:
"This is just speculation, and besides, whether I live forever or not is irrelevant to me now."
He was only eighteen, just reaching adulthood, far from needing to consider his lifespan.
Rhodes then began to examine the significant changes brought about by this advancement.
This advancement didn't bring any new attributes, but it did increase his intelligence, perception, and willpower by one point each.
The increase in intelligence further enhanced Rhodes' mental reaction speed.
This was crucial.
In previous battles, Rhodes had already begun to understand the immense benefits of having a mental reaction speed far exceeding that of ordinary people in combat.
At Rhodes' level, battles were almost always decided in mere seconds, allowing for countless exchanges.
The speed of mental reaction was paramount.
For example, in Rhodes' battle with Kizaru, during the intense clashes, Kizaru found it difficult to spare any attention for other thoughts.
But Rhodes was different; he could even analyze the battle situation and manipulate lightning power to condense the Thunder God Spear—all thanks to the intelligence bonus.
This was also one of the reasons why a top-tier fighter often struggled to simultaneously deal with two peak-level opponents.
With an intelligence attribute increase of +4, Rhodes' mental reaction speed was more than five times that of an ordinary person; he had ample mental capacity to handle the attacks and defenses of two peak-level opponents simultaneously.
Of course, this also required an increase in strength.
"As for perception..."
Rhodes closed his eyes, focused his mind, and began to perceive. The world then became strangely varied, filled with all sorts of fluctuations.
He could clearly sense Hancock's even, warm breathing on the bed not far away, her delicate face flushed, her perfectly alluring body.
Outside the palace, the auras of life moved slowly.
He could even perceive the coolness of the ground, the warmth of the sunlight, the sultry climate unique to the Calm Belt, and so on.
This perspective was far richer than direct visual contact.
"Huh?"
Rhodes suddenly paused, catching sight of a pink ball of light.
He probed into it with his senses, somewhat reluctantly, with difficulty, as if walking through a swamp.
But he finally managed to enter.
"Ah, Lady Snake Princess yesterday... was so strange."
"It made my face... and my heart race."
...
A series of fragmented thoughts came through, causing Rhodes' mind to waver, forcing him to withdraw from this peculiar world of perception.
"I can... sense emotions now? It's still a bit of a stretch, and I have to concentrate."
A surge of joy welled up in Rhodes' heart. He'd found the ability to sense emotions intriguing when Gion had sensed him, and now he too possessed this special ability.
"Besides, the range and detail of my perception have improved considerably."
Rhodes wasn't too concerned about that. His Kenbunshoku Haki was only average; even with some improvement, it wasn't particularly powerful—at most only able to suppress some ordinary pirates.
At his current level, he didn't have an advantage against the enemies he faced.
"As for the improvement in willpower..."
Rhodes sensed the intensity of his Haoshoku Haki, his eyes flickering slightly.
Before his advancement, his Haoshoku Haki was strong enough to defeat someone like Doflamingo, and even the newly formed Blackbeard was no match for him.
After the advancement, even if he wasn't quite as strong as Kaido and Big Mom, the two Yonko, he should be close.
These were the changes brought about by the attribute improvements.
Then Rhodes began to examine the changes in his innate abilities.
The last advancement gave Rhodes the ability to control external lightning.
He wondered what kind of changes this advancement would bring to his various talents.
(End of Chapter)
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