The words from the system echoed in Liam Ross's mind, and even his imprisoned duplicate paused.
The Exploding Sky Crew?
In the adjacent cell, Douglas Bullet lifted his head slightly. The heavy seastone chains clattered as he moved. For a moment his expression was blank, then a faint sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Another pirate crew? Whatever it was, it would never compare to the Roger Pirates. That much he believed without question.
Still, boredom was boredom.
He finally spoke.
"Kid, this Exploding Sky thing you mentioned. Is that your pirate crew?"
"That is correct."
Liam's response was firm and immediate.
Bullet grunted.
"So how strong are you?"
"Well..."
Liam fell silent. Because honestly, how was he supposed to answer that?
There was no way to give a straight explanation without sounding insane.
The moment he hesitated, Bullet scoffed.
"Thought so. Must be weak. Pathetic."
Liam rolled his eyes.
"You have got it all wrong. The Exploding Sky Crew isn't weak. In fact, we are frighteningly powerful."
"Oh, really?"
Bullet sounded amused and perfectly unconvinced.
"More powerful than us? Stronger than the Roger Pirates?"
"If I tell you the truth, I am afraid you might not be able to handle it."
Liam's voice carried the perfect level of dramatic mystery.
"Who are you trying to scare?"
Bullet laughed, and several nearby prisoners joined in.
"This is Level Six of Impel Down. Everyone here has crawled through storms you cannot imagine."
"Exactly. You think anyone stronger than Whitebeard or Roger shows up every day?"
Another voice from deeper in the darkness snorted.
"Exploding Sky Crew? What is next? The Blow Up Heaven Pirates? You think you can literally blow up the sky?"
Turns out, none of them had spoken earlier because they were too busy eavesdropping.
The moment Liam bragged, their irritation burst open.
Liam muttered in annoyance. If he wanted to brag, he would brag properly. It was not illegal anyway. And these prisoners clearly needed some education.
Fine.
If they wanted spectacle, he would give them spectacle.
He lifted his chin and spoke confidently.
"Of course you do not know anything. You have all been trapped here for years. Let me enlighten you. Our captain, Master Xu, is known across the seas as the King of Style. When someone gets called king, it means their strength is unquestionable."
King of Style?
Several prisoners went speechless. Clearly they did not understand the nickname at all.
Bullet finally cut in again.
"Kid, say something concrete. How strong is your captain, really?"
Liam did not bite.
He went mysterious instead.
"I cannot say for sure how strong he is. I just know that I cannot withstand even a single move from him."
He paused and added meaningfully,
"As for my strength, you saw the escort earlier. It took Vice Admiral Garp and Vice Admiral Sakazuki to bring me down. Does that still sound weak to you?"
Silence filled all of Level Six.
Inside every cell, the criminals exchanged looks even if they could not see each other.
They knew those names.
Anyone who crossed the seas knew those names.
Garp.
Sakazuki.
Two of the strongest monsters the Marines had.
One old prisoner finally asked from the darkness right across Liam's cell.
"You are really that strong?"
Liam leaned back, unable to see the speaker's face through the thick shadows.
"If I were not, why would five Vice Admirals chase me down? Including Sakazuki and Borsalino themselves."
Several prisoners hissed at the same time.
Even in a place like Level Six, the mention of those names sent a cold shiver down many spines.
Bullet and the old prisoner, however, stayed calm. They were used to being near the top of the food chain.
The voice from across the way spoke again.
"What position do you hold in your crew?"
Liam responded with pride.
"I am one of the two vice captains of the Exploding Sky Crew."
"One of two?"
"Yes. The other one is about as strong as I am."
Bullet chuckled.
"Interesting. Kid, whether what you say is true or not, if I ever escape this place, I will find you first. We will fight. And after that, I will challenge your captain. That sounds fun."
Liam snorted.
"If you cannot even defeat me, do not embarrass yourself in front of Master Xu. Also, if you lose, you become my crew member. How about that?"
Bullet's laughter rumbled through the cells.
"I believe in one thing: strength rules everything."
From Marineford, Liam's true body listened through the sensory link and smiled faintly.
It worked.
The bragging paid off.
The bait was taken.
But he also knew one thing clearly. Bullet's strength rivaled Rayleigh's. Perhaps even Roger's in his prime.
With his current power, beating him was impossible. Not yet.
This problem had to be solved later.
He needed time. And he needed power.
Twenty-four hours passed in a blink.
Liam sat alone in his office when a crisp notification rang inside his mind.
"Ding. System update complete. Official version is now active. Please enjoy your upgraded system."
He brightened immediately.
Finally.
And apparently he had been using nothing but a beta test version until now.
"System," Liam asked quickly, "tell me what the official version includes."
The system replied in its usual cold tone.
"After optimization, the system provides two major features: the Sign-In Function and the Auxiliary Function. The Sign-In Function includes Daily Sign-In, Regional Sign-In, and Task Sign-In. These function options..."
"Stop. I already know all about the sign-ins. Tell me the new feature."
Liam cut it off.
The system did not mind.
"Auxiliary Function: The Heart of Fusion. The host may select two rewards and attempt to fuse them. You have a thirty-percent chance to obtain a superior reward."
Thirty percent.
Meaning seventy percent chance of failure.
"And if I fail?" Liam asked.
"If the fusion fails, you will randomly obtain one of the two original rewards."
Liam frowned.
That was rough.
Powerful, but risky.
Still, the temptation was undeniable.
"System, how do I use the Heart of Fusion?"
"Open the system, choose Fusion, then insert two rewards."
Liam rubbed his chin.
He wanted to try immediately.
But just as he reached out mentally, there was a knock on his door.
He sighed.
"Come in."
A Marine soldier entered and saluted.
"Ensign Ross, Vice Admiral Kuzan requests your presence."
"Understood."
Five minutes later, Liam stepped into Kuzan's office.
The tall Vice Admiral looked as relaxed as ever, leaning back slightly in his chair.
Kuzan smiled warmly.
"Liam, you have talent. So we have decided to send you to the training camp for formal instruction. Everything is arranged. You will set sail tomorrow. Train well and do not embarrass me. Understood?"
Liam straightened his posture.
"Yes, sir."
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