Chapter 17: You Learned It Already?

The pale blue system panel appeared before Gao Wen's eyes once more:

【Host - Gao Wen】

【Age - 24】

【Identity - Captain of the Gao Wen Pirate Crew】

【Skills:

Swordsmanship - LV-5: 1021/1600 (Divine Speed)

Physique - LV-5: 280/1600 (Balanced)

Navigation - LV-1: 12/100

Scoop Death - LV-1: 3/200

】

【Badges:

Captain's Wrath - Subordinates' stamina recovery speed +20%

Rising Fame - View latent abilities

】

【Rating - Bronze: Across the four seas and even the Grand Line, you are a figure of note, but in the New World, please keep your tail tucked.】

With the awakening of the Scoop Death skill, Gao Wen's personal rating finally advanced to Bronze.

"Finally shed the title of small fry; not easy."

Gao Wen smiled faintly.

Immediately, countless experiences regarding the Scoop Death skill flooded into his mind.

His legs gradually grew warm.

Accompanied by a numb and itchy sensation, beneath the skin of his calves, as if countless mice were scurrying, a spasmodic pain transmitted.

That was the Scoop Death skill constantly remodeling the structure and muscles of his legs, bringing them to the state most suited for the skill.

A few minutes later.

The changes in Gao Wen's body gradually ceased.

His legs became more slender, bringing an incomparably light sensation.

He instinctively took a step, instantly appearing several meters away.

"This move still needs time to master!"

Thinking this.

Gao Wen walked directly into the training room and began to familiarize himself with the newly acquired Scoop Death skill; he took a step and vanished into the air in an instant.

The next instant...

Boom!

Gao Wen crashed into the wall in a spread-eagle position; even with his strengthened body, he felt a sharp pain, fortunately, given his constitution, he suffered no real injury.

Gao Wen fell with a face covered in dust and dirt, yet his expression was not discouraged:

"Although the Scoop Death skill is only LV-1, my speed seems faster than Xiang Keluo's, and harder to control."

"However."

"Perception during high-speed movement is fine; it must be that I am not yet familiar enough with this move."

"Practice!"

Immediately, the familiar sound of impact echoed again inside the training room.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The continuous sounds of impact were exactly the same as the commotion Xiang Keluo made during his training a few days ago.

In the infirmary.

Having just finished checking everyone's injuries, the ship's doctor Jaka heard the familiar commotion and frowned tightly:

"The First Mate has started again?"

"I've told him several times that with bone and tendon injuries, it takes half a month to heal, yet he simply won't listen."

"Sigh~"

"Only someone so reckless can obtain such monster-like power. Isao, don't you think..."

Ship's doctor Jaka intended to turn back and speak to the nurse Isao, but saw Xiang Keluo lying on the hospital bed, saying nothing.

He paused, puzzled, and asked:

"The one in the training room isn't the First Mate? Then who is it?"

"I want to know that too."

Xiang Keluo's face was gloomy, and Gao Wen's face inexplicably flashed through his mind.

"Could it really be him? Something like this... something like this..."

"Regardless, merely by observing a few times, to learn a move I spent several years developing is simply too outrageous."

"Is it the Cat Brothers? Or Zango?"

Xiang Keluo's mind was in chaos; ignoring his own injuries, he struggled to his feet and limped toward the training room.

At this moment.

A crowd had already gathered outside the training room; Xiang Keluo shoved aside the Cat Brothers blocking the doorway and looked into the room with trembling eyes.

"Huh? Isn't that the vice-captain inside? Besides you, who else could master Dipper Death?"

Zangao said, puzzled.

He had seen Keluo perform this move countless times. Even though he couldn't use it himself, he was utterly familiar with it — the person in the training room was undoubtedly performing Dipper Death!

But if it wasn't Keluo, then who could it be?

The cat-man brothers nearby also looked at Keluo with puzzled expressions.

The latter was wrapped head to toe in bandages, barely able to walk — how could he possibly look like someone fit to keep fighting?

"Then the one inside is…"

The cat-man brothers Sam and Budge exchanged a glance, and simultaneously looked at Keluo, their faces showing confusion.

"I'd like to know that too…"

Keluo clenched his teeth tightly.

The people who had once followed him — the vast majority of them — were gathered here.

Those who hadn't come were either the wounded, or simply lacked the aptitude to ever learn Dipper Death.

Therefore the person inside could not possibly be one of his old subordinates, which left only two possibilities — someone who originally belonged to Gao Wen's ranks, or…

It was Gao Wen himself!

"Learn my trump-card technique just from watching a few times? That's a bit much of a joke!"

At this moment.

Everyone turned their gaze toward the inside of the training room.

As time went on, the afterimage inside the training room moved faster and faster, yet collisions with the walls — caused by an inability to control the extreme speed — grew fewer and fewer.

Half an hour later.

Inside the training room there was now only a single flickering afterimage. Clearly that person's mastery of Dipper Death was growing more and more polished — even surpassing its creator, Keluo.

The afterimage in the training room slowly came to a halt, and the crowd finally saw that person's face clearly.

Tall yet not bulky, with sleek muscle lines, and paired with a handsome, chiseled face — if it wasn't Captain Gao Wen, then who was it?

Seeing the crowd gathering around, Gao Wen slightly furrowed his brow:

"What are you all doing here? Not training? Or do I need to crack the whip before you'll do it on your own?"

At his words the crowd scattered one after another; only the four standing at the very front stared blankly at Gao Wen.

"Captain, you've fully mastered Dipper Death? And you don't lose control the way Keluo does?"

Zangao's jaw dropped. The facts were right before his eyes — no matter how unwilling he was, he had to believe it.

"And if I remember correctly, Captain has basically spent this whole period guiding our training — meaning the time he's had for his own training is hardly anything!"

Sam let out a gasp, and the expression on his face had shifted from surprise to dread.

To master Keluo's pride-and-joy technique in such a short time — and even to a higher degree of completion than Keluo himself.

That kind of talent belonged entirely to a being of another dimension.

For a moment, the gazes the crowd turned on Keluo couldn't help but carry a trace of sympathy.

Keluo's face went deathly pale; the last shred of illusion in his heart was shattered.

Only now did he realize why Gao Wen had been willing to give him pointers.

It was simply because Gao Wen had completed this move before him — and even without having awakened Observation Haki!

By the time he truly fully mastered this move, what level would Gao Wen have reached?

At this moment.

Keluo didn't even notice the glasses on the bridge of his nose slowly sliding down:

"When did you learn it?"

"Just now."

"You hadn't learned it before?"

"No."

Keluo fell silent for a moment, his gaze somewhat hollow.

Gao Wen patted him on the shoulder, then turned and left.

The cat-man brothers glanced at Keluo with a touch of sympathy, then walked side by side toward the deck.

Gao Wen's pace of progress had placed an enormous pressure on them.

If they were left too far behind, they would undoubtedly lose their value to the pirate crew.

And in the world of pirates, losing one's value often meant being cast aside.

Keluo stood before the training room door, nearly grinding his teeth to dust.

A few minutes later.

With a dark expression, he pushed his glasses up with his palm, turned, and headed toward the medical bay.

"I don't care what method you use — I want to start training in three days!"

"That's simply impossible!"

The ship's doctor, Jaka, spread his hands helplessly.

The furious Keluo, however, had no mind to pay attention to any of that — right now he only wanted to awaken that legendary Observation Haki as quickly as possible.

"I don't care!"

"You have only three days — otherwise I'll throw you into the sea to feed the fish!"

(End of this chapter)