Chapter 67: Banquet Conversation! The Azure Emperor Departs
Though Lotte had decided to head to Ohara,
He had no intention of leaving without saying goodbye. After all, if he didn't give Rocks a reassuring pill first, the captain definitely wouldn't let him leave so easily.
This time, he planned to depart alone.
If he took Newgate and the others with him, it would inevitably arouse Rocks' suspicion.
Moreover,
Lotte never intended to drag the others into his personal matters.
With the death of cadre Silver Axe,
Although there had been some twists, the grand banquet on the ship still proceeded as usual.
The lights were dim and flickering. Amid the toasting and drinking,
Lotte mentioned to Newgate and Golden Lion his intention to leave the Rocks Pirates for a while.
Golden Lion immediately looked surprised.
"Lotte? You're planning to leave the crew temporarily?!"
"You know Marine Headquarters hates your guts right now. If they discover you while you're traveling alone, those bastards definitely won't let you go!"
Though according to the rules on the ship,
Cadres were allowed to temporarily leave the crew, but they first had to provide a sufficient reason.
But the current Lotte
Was undoubtedly a thorn in the Marines' side and a thorn in their flesh!
The only reason he could travel so safely right now
Was the deterrence brought by the Rocks Pirates.
Lotte shook his head and smiled lightly.
"Don't worry. I naturally have ways to avoid being discovered."
After all, he still had other ninja techniques hidden up his sleeve—including the Wood Transformation Technique that could change his appearance. As long as he was careful, no one would find him.
Finding him would be like searching for a needle in the ocean for Marine Headquarters and CP0!
Newgate also frowned and said,
"According to what you're saying, you'll probably be gone for quite a while. Are you confident you can convince the Captain?"
"This isn't a joke."
If Rocks didn't agree to Lotte leaving, there was no way Lotte could depart from this ship.
And now, with Captain Rocks' plan about to begin,
It was likely only within the next year or two.
Asking the Captain to let Lotte leave at this time would probably be difficult.
Lotte shook his head slightly.
"Don't worry. I have enough confidence to convince the Captain. I just came to say goodbye to you two."
A smile appeared on his face as he spoke.
"While I'm away from the ship for this period, you two better not slack off on your training."
"Otherwise, when I come back, it might be unclear whether either of you can even beat me. That would be quite embarrassing."
Once he reached Ohara,
Just investigating Rocks' goal would likely take quite some time.
But his strength would undoubtedly improve rapidly during that period.
If Newgate and Golden Lion didn't make progress in the meantime,
They really might not be his match anymore.
As the words fell,
Golden Lion Shiki immediately glared and snorted coldly.
"What are you talking about?! You think a little brat like you can surpass me? Don't get ahead of yourself!"
"This great lion's strength is definitely stronger than yours!"
Shiki was quite displeased. In his view, Lotte daring to underestimate him was simply not taking him seriously!
Even if he starved to death!
Even if he jumped off the ship!
He would never admit that this kid Lotte could surpass him in the future!
Newgate heard this and drank from his gourd, laughing heartily.
"Gurararara! I told you, you dumb lion—how could you possibly understand? Lotte's strength now is on a completely different level from before!"
"Come on, let's drink!"
While the two were happy for Lotte,
Lotte himself had no mood to continue chatting. He opened his attribute panel while lying in bed.
[Name: Lotte]
[Age: 18]
[Bloodline Ability: Hashirama Cells (Mastery: 50%)]
[Skills: Wood Release (Current Power Limit: A rank), Three-Color Haki (Intermediate 12%), Flame Dance Dual Sword Style (Intermediate 1%), Sun Breathing (Mastery 40%), Voice of All Things (Mastered)]
[Inventory: Flame King / Shodai Kitetsu (Supreme Grade Swords)]
[Combat Power: 13500–15000] [Overall Evaluation: The Host's Hashirama Cells mastery seems to be improving more slowly now—perhaps a bottleneck has been reached. But once broken through, strength will surely leap forward again.]
[Special Remark: If I become the Azure Emperor one day, let the peach blossoms bloom together.]
As Lotte had expected,
With the increasing mastery of Hashirama Cells, he realized that fully mastering it in two years might not be as easy as he initially thought.
At the current stage, if he wanted to improve his strength at the fastest speed,
He still needed to sign in at various locations as quickly as possible.
Relying solely on his current abilities would still make the God Valley War extremely difficult.
In the original story, the suitable sign-in locations were few: Ohara with the Tree of Omniscience, the long-historied Wano Country, and the sky island.
From a certain perspective,
Marine Headquarters, Enies Lobby, Water 7, and even Impel Down (with its large number of transported criminals) could also be good sign-in spots.
But Lotte knew very well that Transformation Technique wasn't omnipotent.
For safety's sake, he chose Ohara—the one currently most useful to him. Along the way, he might even encounter suitable crew members.
Lotte closed the attribute panel.
He looked up at the bright moon outside the window, clenched his fist tightly, and felt a touch of melancholy in his heart.
If he remembered correctly,
The Spring Festival from his previous life was approaching soon. Though he had no attachments left behind, Lotte still felt a sense of loneliness.
It was time to go out and explore.
To see just how many more wonders this vast, boundless world could offer.
Lotte pondered as he slowly drifted into sleep.
The next morning,
Lotte asked someone on the ship to make a Vivre Card using his fingernail.
This would be very useful for his upcoming plan,
And it would also prevent him from being unable to find the pirate crew when he returned.
Then he calmly walked to the front of the Captain's office, reached out, and lightly knocked on the door. Soon after, Rocks' dignified voice came from inside.
"Come in."