Chapter 157: Your Efforts Are Not Worth Mentioning

Miss Kalifa was stunned, subconsciously assuming Ah Jin had come for the Six Styles, and explained:

"As for the Six Styles, you will need to wait a few more days."

"That is not why I am here; according to Captain Gao Wen's arrangements, from today onward, you two are combatants under my command."

Ah Jin shook his head, a faint smile playing on the corners of his lips.

The scene from that day, where the two had risked their lives for each other—even Luqi, despite bearing heavy injuries, standing before Miss Kalifa—

had stirred a sense of goodwill in him and a desire to look after them a bit more, after all, he understood the feeling of being betrayed by those one trusted most.

Ah Jin spoke:

"I have come here to inform you in advance of the rules on the ship."

Saying this, Ah Jin glanced at Miss Kalifa, then nodded to Luqi, who was sitting nearby, before continuing:

"In general, there are only two rules."

"The first, also an iron law established by Captain Gao Wen:"

"Anyone who betrays their comrades and feeds from the inside while crawling outward, no matter where they flee, we will make them pay the price."

The breathing of the two halted for an instant.

They assumed this was a deliberate warning from Gao Wen, secretly growing vigilant in their hearts, yet their faces remained expressionless.

Luqi nodded and asked:

"And the second?"

"Combat power determines your status on the ship."

As he spoke, Ah Jin took a golden inscribed plaque from his bosom.

The two looked up to see the number '2' engraved in the center of the plaque, while the back bore the emblem of the Gao Wen Pirates.

Luqi said with understanding:

"So, Number 1 is Captain Gao Wen?"

"No!"

Ah Jin denied it, a trace of fervor flashing in his eyes:

"Number 1 is Xiang Keluo."

"The Captain is not included in the rankings because his power and that of us crew members are simply not on the same level."

Luqi froze for a moment, saying in disbelief:

"Not even you, Captain Ah Jin, are Number 1?"

Ah Jin nodded, his voice calm yet filled with unparalleled confidence:

"That was the result of the Martial Arts Tournament before; as for who is truly Number 1 now, we will only know after fighting."

"Furthermore, the internal ranking within the team will determine how much dividend you receive at the end of the year; the top three crew members may also make one request within reasonable limits."

"Devil Fruits, famous blades and swords, or treasures are all acceptable; as long as the reason is justified, the Captain will grant it."

As his voice landed,

the two exchanged a glance, each seeing the stir of desire in the other's eyes; even a trace of arrogance appeared on Luqi's face:

"Our strength is very formidable."

Ah Jin smiled faintly:

"Then I look forward to your performance."

Luqi struck a pose of eagerness to try and provoked:

"If I defeat you, Captain, can I take the Number 2 plaque?"

Ah Jin was slightly stunned, lifted his chin slightly, and said:

"If you can do it, feel free to try."

Having said that,

Ah Jin gave a few more instructions before turning to leave, leaving the space to the two injured parties.

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

The sound of footsteps outside gradually faded into the distance.

Miss Kalifa gently closed the door, her expression immediately turning cold.

"Encouraging internal competition within the team, using a method of raising gu worms, and deeply binding interests to rankings—this model bears some similarity to the Beasts."

"It is even highly likely that Knight Gao Wen is deliberately imitating them."

"Seeing this, his ambitions are vast; he is nowhere near as docile as he appears."

Luqi nodded, yet the corners of his mouth gradually curled upward:

"However, this method where power decides everything makes it convenient for us to quickly enter the core circle of the Gao Wen Pirates."

"After all, since childhood, we have killed our way out step by step in an atmosphere of such high-intensity competition."

"No one understands involution better than I do."

Miss Kalifa pushed her glasses up subtly; the lenses refracted the light, obscuring her expression, yet anyone could feel the confidence radiating from her at this moment.

After all, only those who have experienced the extremely cruel selection mechanism of the CP organization understand just how terrifying the potential becomes when the rule is 'win or die'.

Moreover, they themselves had become the ultimate winners step by step within such a cruel selection mechanism, lacking neither talent, luck, nor the effort of betting their lives.

Compared to themselves, those on Captain Gao Wen's ship were merely a group of pirates.

Without life-or-death crises, without the resolve to fight to the death, and given the lazy nature of humans, working hard for three days and slacking off for two is the norm.

"With your strength, you only need to wait for an opportunity; even if you cannot compare to Ghost Jin or Hundred Plans Kuro, becoming the third person is a certainty."

Speaking thus, Miss Kalifa licked her lips, the corners of her mouth curling into an exceedingly charming smile:

"As for me, I can only walk another path."

……

Early the next morning.

Dawn was breaking.

On the distant horizon, the sun had just risen halfway, dyeing the entire sea a brilliant red.

Having just regained his mobility, Roubo Luqi changed into simple attire, preparing to cultivate first to restore his physical condition as quickly as possible.

Creak~!

The cabin door was pushed open.

"Heh!"

"Ha!"

"Hey!"

……

One shout after another, hoarse and forceful, instantly reached Roubo Luqi's ears.

Dozens of pirates had already gathered on the deck; bare-chested, revealing their lean muscles, they were undergoing basic stamina and strength training.

Even Jin, the Combat Captain, and Kuro, the Vice-Captain, were conspicuously among them.

The weighted objects in their hands, each exceeding several tons, made even Roubo Luqi's teeth ache just looking at them.

Hm?!

Are these pirates really this hardworking?

Roubo Luqi froze on the spot, suddenly realizing that the situation seemed different from what he had imagined.

You're a pirate; without a life-or-death crisis, is it really necessary to strive this hard?

Or is this to leave a good impression on the newcomer?

But even if pretending, going to such lengths is too much, isn't it?

While Roubo Luqi was puzzled, a mocking voice entered his ears:

"Yo, newcomer?"

Zoro held a slight smile at the corner of his mouth:

"If you rise this late, even with originally strong strength, you will soon be surpassed by others."

Roubo Luqi said indifferently:

"If Senior Zoro is interested, I wouldn't mind sparring with you a few rounds."

"Oh~"

Van Augur drooped his eyelids, looking at Roubo Luqi with keen interest.

Back when Roubo Luqi boarded the ship, Gao Wen had already told Van Augur and the others in advance that Roubo Luqi's strength was formidable, likely second only to Jin and Kuro among the officers.

This had secretly stirred a sense of unwillingness to lose in everyone's hearts.

Now seeing the man himself, they couldn't help but voice their provocation, itching for action.

"It seems the one who boarded this time is a restless fellow~"

Zoro curled his lips into a ferocious arc:

"I am somewhat itchy to fight, but the primary task right now is still cultivation."

"That's right."

Sanji nodded; sweat sprayed from his entire body, his legs moving like whips, leaving trails of afterimages in the air, yet showing no sign of stopping:

"I don't know why, but if I don't train for a day now, my whole body feels uncomfortable!"

"I've decided to add extra training tonight!"

As soon as these words were spoken.

They immediately triggered a chorus of wailing and howling on the deck.

"I'm in!"

"Me too!"

……

Watching this scene, the corner of Roubo Luqi's mouth twitched.

He considered himself well-versed in human nature, knowing full well that laziness is humanity's true instinct.

Without the pressure of survival, the vast majority of normal people cannot persist in one thing indefinitely, let alone pirates among whom hedonism prevails?

Even among the members of the CP groups, without the pressure of survival or missions, they would not devote their entire minds to cultivation.

Fake!

It must be fake!

Roubo Luqi was utterly convinced of this; his heart gradually settled, and finding an empty spot in a corner of the deck, he began familiarizing himself with his former skills on his own.

The Six Styles, secretly transmitted by the World Government, were demonstrated by him bit by bit, leaving trails of afterimages on the deck, while occasionally vacuum slashes shot toward the sea surface, stirring up waves.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Water splashed everywhere.

A slight smile curled at the corner of Roubo Luqi's mouth.

Turning his head, he realized that apart from drawing sidelong glances from some ordinary pirates, his actions had elicited no reaction whatsoever from the officers of the Gao Wen Pirates; they were all immersed in their own worlds.

Let's see how long you can keep up this act!

Luqi sneered coldly.

Yet he did not expect the crowd on the deck to cultivate straight through until deep night, pausing only to eat and drink, while otherwise striving desperately to cultivate on the deck.

Several individuals had clearly pushed their bodies to the limit, their legs trembling, yet they still refused to give up, challenging their own boundaries!

Luqi could not help but remind them:

"If you continue like this, your bodies will not hold up; your muscles might even dissolve, causing symptoms like bloody urine—it will kill people."

"You don't understand."

That pirate's face instead broke into a smile that could only be described as perverted, clearly reveling in it:

"The feeling of sensing oneself break through limits and reach new heights is the most addictive thing; even sacrificing one's life for it is worth it."

"Compared to that, drinking and indulging, or even money and women, are not worth one ten-thousandth."

Saying this,

the pirate turned to look at Luqi and asked in confusion:

"Moreover, no matter how much the body is squeezed dry, it recovers to normal by the next day—isn't that common knowledge? How is it that you can't do it?"

"If you can't even manage this level, there's no way you can keep up with the cultivation speed on this ship."

What kind of common knowledge is that?!

The corner of Luqi's mouth twitched.

He had long mastered the Six Powers' ultimate technique, Life Return; unless suffering a fatal wound or damage to one's foundation, consuming large amounts of food in a short time allowed for recovery.

But it was impossible for an entire ship's crew to have mastered Life Return, right?

That would be too bizarre!

Regarding what that pirate had said, Luqi did not believe a single word, yet as he watched the reactions of the crowd, his confusion only grew.

After all, such efforts that damage one's foundation could not be sustained, yet the Gao Wen Pirates had no reason to stage a performance just for his sake merely to establish a reputation as desperate cultivators?

There was no need for that, was there?

Burdened by such doubts, Luqi ended today's cultivation and, enduring the contemptuous gazes of the crowd, returned to the cabin.

He relayed his observations from the day to Miss Kalifa; after pondering for a moment, her eyes brightened slightly:

"I previously saw in the Juan Sect's internal archives within the CP organization that certain secret medicines can achieve similar effects, though most come at the cost of one's potential or even lifespan."

"For instance, the E-S Fierce Drug popular in the black market can drastically enhance a person's physical abilities in a short time, but overdosing accelerates the aging process."

"There was even a case where someone swallowed dozens of pills at once and aged several decades overnight."

"Perhaps similar drugs exist within the Gao Wen Pirates."

Luqi nodded and said:

"I know what you're talking about, but such drugs always leave obvious traces, such as bloodshot eyes, receding gums, and other issues."

"In short, the more one uses them, the more one's vitality surely withers."

Miss Kalifa nodded;

"You should be able to make a rough judgment by observing them tomorrow."

Luqi nodded.

In truth, his heart had already concluded that Miss Kalifa's explanation naturally held merit.

At the same time.

Lights still burned in the captain's cabin, rising and falling continuously with the swaying of the ship's hull.

Recalling the scene of Luqi cultivating the Six Powers during the day, Gao Wen could not help but feel anticipation:

"Whether I can master the Six Powers depends on this wave."

He had never expected Luqi and the other two to honestly teach him the cultivation methods of the Six Powers.

After all, for the World Government, the importance of the Six Powers far surpassed that of ordinary treasures.

And now, Luqi and the others, having not yet encountered Spandam's betrayal, still believed in so-called justice and remained loyal hounds of the World Government.

Did he really expect them to be willing to betray the World Government's interests and hand over the Six Powers to him?

Even if he succeeded in obtaining the cultivation methods for the Six Powers from them, there would likely be countless loopholes, or even parts completely opposite to the original.

One careless mistake could easily inflict hidden injuries upon his subordinates.

To Gao Wen, Ah Jin, Xiang Keluo, and the others were long ago no longer merely ordinary leeks; they were leeks to whom he could entrust his back, leeks worthy of trust.

From beginning to end, Gao Wen's thought had always been to rely on himself.

A few minutes later.

A familiar notification sound rang in Gao Wen's ears:

"Constitution Experience +1300!"

... (omitted)

"Zoan Devil Fruit Experience +360!"

"Skill Unlocked - Six Powers (Complete)!"

"Six Powers (Complete) - LV-0: 80/1000!"

"It's here!"

"Constitution Experience increased by two hundred, and Zoan Experience increased by three hundred; this is even while Luqi has not fully recovered."

"Even setting aside everything else, the cost-performance ratio of this leek is absurdly high."

"More importantly, it unlocked the Six Styles!"

Gao Wen's eyes lit up; he raised his hand to summon the system panel, his gaze landing directly on a new entry in the skill column:

【Six Styles (Complete) - LV-0: 80/1000】

Looking at the skill column before him, he suddenly noticed a point he had never discovered before.

Abilities mastered by himself, such as Armament Haki and Observation Haki, woke up at LV-1, ready for immediate use.

Whereas abilities plucked directly from subordinates, such as Shave, Sniping, and the Six Styles, required leveling up from LV-0 to LV-1 before they could be used.

However.

In any case, now that he had obtained the Six Styles skill and had two leeks in Miss Kalifa and Roubo Luqi,

he only needed to wait a few months for the Six Styles to be stacked to Level 5 and unlock branch entries; by then, even among the many experts cultivating the Six Styles, Gao Wen would not be considered weak.

Afterwards, Gao Wen would summarize the essentials of the Six Styles and transmit them to Xiang Keluo and the others; this way, they could directly bypass the thresholds set by the Navy's interior and obtain the Navy's Six Styles.

Furthermore, Gao Wen had also discovered another ability of the system that could be called a bug:

"Even if a crew member does not sincerely join the ship, as long as they superficially submit, the system can harvest experience and even acquire their combat skills."

"But as for the bonuses..."

(End of Chapter)