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Chapter 23: Sign-In at Fish-Man Island! Reward: Sun Breathing
After receiving the coating at Sabaody Archipelago,
All that was needed was to raise the sails and let the sea currents carry the ship toward Fish-Man Island.
Whitebeard, hearing the earlier shout from the pirate,
Glanced at the subordinates in his division and laughed heartily.
"About time. Let's head to Fish-Man Island."
"Gurararara! Wonder how Neptune's doing these days!"
"It's been a while since we last met."
"Listen up, boys! No causing trouble when we arrive at Fish-Man Island! Save the chaos for when we hit the affiliated nations!"
As his words fell,
The coated bubbles collided and enveloped the entire ship.
The massive pirate vessel gradually sank along the currents into the depths, the brilliant sunlight piercing the azure sea surface to create a dazzling spectacle.
Lotte gazed at the scene and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Then he turned to Whitebeard with curiosity.
"Newgate, if I remember correctly, Neptune is royalty on Fish-Man Island. How did a pirate like you come to know him?"
In the original story, this wasn't explained in detail.
It only mentioned that Neptune had helped Whitebeard many times when he was young.
So Lotte couldn't help but wonder.
Hearing Neptune's name,
Whitebeard's face showed surprise as he glanced at Lotte.
After all, mermaids and fish-men rarely interacted with humans. How did such a young kid like Lotte know the name Neptune?
But he didn't dwell on it and answered casually.
"It's nothing special."
"Back when I was on the run from the Marines for a while, Neptune helped me out quite a bit."
"And he even sent me a lot of specialty sake."
Recalling that time,
A nostalgic smile appeared on Whitebeard's face.
In his view, few people on these seas qualified as his friends, but Neptune was undoubtedly one of them.
As the two conversed,
The pirate ship continued sinking deeper.
Time passed unnoticed,
And soon they reached a depth of 10,000 meters below the surface.
In the distance, a massive underwater island gradually came into view, shrouded in a protective barrier.
Suddenly, a familiar mechanical voice rang in Lotte's mind.
[Ding! Based on the current detection, Host is in the Fish-Man Island area.] [Would you like to sign in?]
The system voice brought instant joy to Lotte.
As expected, signing in was possible in the Fish-Man Island region.
Without hesitation, Lotte mentally commanded the sign-in.
[Ding! Fish-Man Island sign-in complete!] [Reward obtained: Improved Sun Breathing!]
As the voice ended,
A warm current surged from deep within Lotte's body.
Knowledge flooded his mind, causing him to take a deep breath.
Instantly,
His entire breathing rhythm
Underwent a complete transformation.
[Host is fully focused on mastering Sun Breathing. Sun Breathing is highly satisfied with Host's attitude. Current Sun Breathing training speed increased by 150%.] [Ding! Current Sun Breathing mastery increased by 1%...] [Due to photosynthesis, Hashirama Cells are very pleased. Mastery increased by 1%.]
???
What the hell is photosynthesis?!
Are you telling me these Hashirama Cells are plant-based?!
Lotte couldn't help but complain inwardly.
As the system voice faded,
He felt the changes in his breathing while the warm current gradually dissipated.
His overall strength seemed to have increased noticeably.
Whitebeard beside him glanced curiously at Lotte, sensing something had changed about the kid.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Everyone had their secrets—Whitebeard didn't dwell on it.
"Phew—"
Lotte exhaled deeply, organizing the knowledge in his mind.
This sign-in reward was the system's improved version of Sun Breathing. Compared to the original life-draining version from Demon Slayer, its power was superior.
As Lotte understood,
Sun Breathing, a technique from Demon Slayer, allowed massive oxygen intake in short bursts, dramatically boosting physical abilities.
At a certain mastery level,
It could be maintained constantly—even during sleep—without interruption.
Though Lotte's mastery of Sun Breathing wasn't at that level yet,
The ability still provided a significant boost to his strength.
Thinking this,
He silently opened his attribute panel.
[Name: Lotte] [Age: 17] [Bloodline Ability: Hashirama Cells (Mastery: 34%)] [Skills: Wood Release (Current Power Limit: near A- rank), Three-Color Haki (Proficient 25%), Flying Slash Swordsmanship (Beginner 100%), Sun Breathing (Mastery 11%)] [Inventory: None] [Combat Power: 5500~7000] [Overall Evaluation: Host's strength remains comparable to an ordinary Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral. With Sun Breathing burst active, Host can briefly approach Elite Vice Admiral level, but still falls short of Seven Warlords caliber.] [Special Remark: Brave boy, go create miracles!]
As usual, Lotte ignored the special remark.
His gaze settled on the system's overall evaluation.
As expected,
His base strength hadn't changed dramatically yet,
Since both Sun Breathing and Hashirama Cells mastery were still too low to trigger a qualitative leap.
But even so,
As long as he avoided top-tier experts,
He could handle most situations with self-preservation.
Still, Lotte wasn't satisfied.
It seemed he absolutely had to obtain that Supreme Grade Sword from Rocks' treasury!
At that moment,
Whitebeard patted Lotte's shoulder, snapping him back to reality.
"Kid, stop spacing out—we've arrived at Fish-Man Island!"
Lotte looked ahead.
In the distance, the massive Ryugu Palace gradually came into clear view.
Ryugu Palace sat at the sunlit top level of Fish-Man Island—a luxurious palace built from giant coral reefs, shells, and other materials.
Normally, only honored guests were allowed entry.
Lotte wasn't surprised by this.
After all, they flew the Rocks Pirates' flag.
A pirate crew that had just forced even the Marine Fleet Admiral to retreat—unless the current king of Fish-Man Island was foolish, he wouldn't dare oppose them.
The consequences of opposing the Rocks Pirates
Were nothing short of death!
Whitebeard gripped Murakumogiri and gazed at Ryugu Palace with a nostalgic look.
"It's been quite a while."
"I'll take you to try some of Fish-Man Island's specialty sake later."
As the ship approached,
The vessels of the other cadres following Whitebeard
Also entered Ryugu Palace along the opened path.
In the distance, fish-men watching the ships
All showed looks of deep fear in their eyes.
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