"Wait, didn't the system note earlier that the full potential of these swords wasn't yet unlocked?"
Nao sat cross-legged at the stern of the boat, a thought suddenly surfacing. He opened the system interface and navigated to the new weapon tab, checking the details of his twin swords.
[Wind Sword / Azakana Blade]
[Current Rank: Skillful Grade Sword (Automatically adjusted to match player's world context)]
[Upgradeable (Next Rank: Great Grade Sword)]
[Upgrade Requirements: Blood of 1,000 evil souls, 50,000 points]
[Description: Upon their return from the spirit realm, the residual demonic aura of the human world became the perfect nourishment for these blades. Only by severing evil souls can they achieve true redemption.]
"…They really can be upgraded."
Nao mulled over this information. "The cost is a bit steep, but the fact they can evolve is promising. I don't see a limit yet—maybe after reaching Great Grade, there's a chance to push them to Supreme Grade?"
In the world of One Piece, the finest swords are classified as Supreme Grade (12 exist in total), Great Grade (21), and Skillful Grade (50).
Supreme Grade swords are legendary treasures of unparalleled quality.
Among those, Nao was only aware of two confirmed examples: Mihawk's Yoru and Whitebeard's Murakumogiri.
"Supreme Grade… huh." Nao gazed at the fiery clouds on the horizon, his eyes shimmering with anticipation.
He'd have to start saving points for the upgrade. But as for this "blood of evil souls" requirement—how was that measured?
Did it mean he personally had to kill 1,000 people, or would simply defeating them and letting the blade absorb the blood suffice?
The first option felt too extreme, more like a sacrificial weapon trope.
Glancing at the twin blades in his hands, he figured it was probably the latter.
"Well, this just makes me look forward to the field evaluation even more."
If he made it in time, not only could he test his current strength, but he could also climb the rankings and collect some 'evil blood' for his weapon upgrade.
A triple win—and quite a hefty one at that.
During dinner, Nao wasn't keen on canned food. He rummaged through the ship's small kitchen, finding a surprising variety of spices. Excited by the idea of enjoying grilled fish under a starry sky aboard a solitary boat, he went and caught a few fish.
Unfortunately, reality and imagination are worlds apart.
His cooking skills were atrocious. The final product was charred beyond recognition, and the taste… best left unspoken.
After forcing down half a fish with T Bone (the shy helmsman), Nao shoved the grill aside and scurried off to open a can of food.
T Bone, being a good-hearted kid, tried to finish the leftovers, but less than twenty minutes later, he sprinted into the bathroom, returning pale and shaky.
"Hey, that's not my fault!" Nao insisted, tossing him a can of food while feigning indignation. "It's just that I was raised in a Marine family and spent all my time training instead of learning how to cook. If I'd started out in a place like Baratie, I'd be an incredible chef by now!"
The voyage itself remained uneventful.
They encountered no storms or rough seas—compared to the Grand Line, the Four Blues were relatively calm and safe.
Nao maintained his grueling self-training, even experimenting with skipping sleep altogether. By the next morning, he still felt perfectly fine, proving that with his current monstrous physique, sleeping once every three days was entirely feasible.
Before they knew it, evening arrived.
T Bone checked the charts and compass, and to his delight, informed Nao that they were ahead of schedule.
The journey to Silest Island now only required another four or five hours.
A pleasant surprise.
Nao finally paused his training, deciding to rest up and conserve his strength for the inevitable battle against the pirate lieutenants on the island.
—Assuming they hadn't already been wiped out by Shiryu and the others.
Just as he was dozing off, T Bone shook him awake.
"What's wrong?" Nao groggily opened his eyes. "Did we arrive?"
"No, sir," T Bone said nervously, pointing into the distance. "At five o'clock—there's a pirate ship approaching us."
Nao's eyes snapped open, and he leapt up, rushing to the railing to look.
Through the thin mist, a medium-sized ship with a black pirate flag was indeed drifting their way with the current.
"Head toward them!"
His eyes gleamed with excitement, and he barked an order—though with only T Bone as his sole crewman.
"Brazen pirates! They see a Marine vessel and not only don't flee, but dare approach? We'll show them what's what!"
Um, Nao… this isn't exactly a Marine warship.
It's just a small speedboat that can barely carry five or six people…
T Bone nearly blurted that out but ultimately just nodded and obeyed.
After observing Nao's grueling training over the past few days, he had come to trust in the power of this "big shot from headquarters."
—At least, no one else at the 329th Branch could match Nao's strength.
As the two vessels drew closer, they reached a distance where the pirate ship's deck could be seen with the naked eye.
"…Something's off."
Nao scrutinized the ship, frowning.
By now, the pirate ship should've fired its cannons or shown some sign of resistance. But its deck was eerily silent, devoid of any movement.
The ship wasn't even sailing—it was simply drifting along with the wind, like no one was steering it.
"Recognize that flag?" he asked, pointing to the mast.
The black flag fluttered in the breeze, displaying a skull and crossbones wearing a black hat, with no other distinctive markings.
T Bone studied it for a while, then shook his head in embarrassment.
"I don't recognize it, sir. I've been in the Marines for two years, but I've spent most of my time focusing on martial training and rarely studied pirate flags…"
"I see."
Nao sighed in mild disappointment but understood.
"Alright then, steer us alongside. Let's board her and take a look."
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin