Chapter 3: Swordsmanship Advancement and Branch Abilities

Afterwards, Gao Wen ordered the shipwrights left behind to hide the vessels as a temporary base, while he himself led his subordinates to find a clearing on the island and had everyone stand in designated areas.

Soon.

Gao Wen began instructing everyone in the most basic swordsmanship cultivation.

From the initial grip on the sword, to how to exert force, how to block enemy attacks, to how to kill more efficiently...

Whether holding real blades or wooden sticks, their spirits were utterly focused, even displaying a fervor never seen before.

Every move and every form was learned with extreme seriousness.

Their diligence was such that Gao Wen even suspected these people's brains were simply too simple.

But in reality, for these people, what Gao Wen said was indeed no different from profound truths; he just hadn't realized this himself.

However, this did no harm to him personally.

Time passed in a flash; the sun gradually set in the west, and the moon rose.

Yet everyone did not feel tired; only late into the night did they reluctantly put down the blades and wooden sticks in their hands.

"Huh? Why, after practicing all day, am I not as tired as I imagined?"

"It must be an illusion!"

"No, I feel it too. My stamina seems better than before. If I did this much exercise before, I'd be too exhausted to speak, but now only my legs feel a bit weak."

"Amazing!"

"Perhaps our efforts moved the gods?"

"Heh, the gods are sitting in Mary Geoise. Do you think they'll bless you? It would be enough if taxes weren't doubled."

Everyone chimed in with this and that, skipping over the topic and attributing it to the benefits of their focused cultivation.

But Gao Wen knew clearly that this should be the bonus brought by the Captain's Wrath badge.

A 20% increase in stamina recovery speed, effective even during cultivation.

In other words.

It was equivalent to a buff reducing stamina consumption by 20% during cultivation, and a buff increasing stamina recovery speed by 20% during rest.

Killing two birds with one stone, doubling the effect!

But at this moment, Gao Wen's focus was not on the badge's effect, but on the system panel:

Swordsmanship-LV-4: 431/800——>Swordsmanship-LV-4: 453/800

Physique-LV-3: 357/400——>Physique-LV-3: 384/400

These pirates, with just one day of cultivation, caused his Swordsmanship experience to rise by 22, and his Physique experience to rise by a full 27 points.

Calculated down, one person's day of cultivation adds only a fraction of a point of experience.

For an ordinary person to cultivate their swordsmanship to Gao Wen's current level, without decades of unceasing hard training, it would be almost impossible.

In sharp contrast were Zoro, Sanji, and the others.

They spent only two or three years to grow to a level approaching the world's strongest; while combat certainly accelerated their growth, the greater reason lay in their exaggerated talent.

The gap in natural aptitude between people in this world is amplified almost without limit.

Gao Wen's current body was clearly no genius; it was merely one tier stronger than these ordinary people.

But as long as the system could maintain its current efficiency, after a month or so, these two abilities would gain at least seven or eight hundred more points of experience; Swordsmanship would surely break through to LV5, and with effort, Physique might also break through to LV5.

"I wonder how much LV-5 Swordsmanship and Physique will boost my combat power."

"According to the system, every five levels of a skill is a threshold that will determine my future direction."

Gao Wen murmured to himself.

A subordinate nearby then handed him some fish meat and wild fruits picked on the island.

This island was fairly rich in resources; wild fruits were everywhere, many plant tubers were edible directly, and with the fish caught from the sea, it was more than enough for over a hundred people to cultivate for several months.

Gao Wen reached out, took it, picked up a piece of meat and bit into it. The meat was dry, tough, and had a fishy smell; naturally, it wasn't delicious, but in this environment, there was nothing to be picky about.

After all, for these pirates from the lower classes, this was already a rare delicacy, and the sufficient protein and carbohydrate replenishment was of great benefit to their cultivation.

Time passed in a flash; half a month went by.

During this time, Gao Wen continued to guide his subordinates in cultivation. Everyone gradually moved from the initial novelty to a calm phase, but the growth over these ten-plus days was real.

If at the start they were complete novices who knew nothing of the sword path, now they were swordsmanship apprentices with a solid foundation.

"This sword in my hand is completely different to me; it's like an extension of my arm. I feel I can now fight ten of my former selves!"

"You're bragging."

"But indeed, I can feel my own growth. But don't forget, all this change was brought by the Captain!"

"That's right. After the incident with Lancer, the Captain has completely transformed; he is totally different from before."

"Not just his personality, but also his attitude toward us. But this Captain now is the one who can truly lead us to become stronger!"

Gao Wen watched this scene from afar, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

If all these people could continue to improve at this speed, even if not everyone reached the combat power of an officer, relying on the blades in their hands, they could easily defend themselves in the East Blue.

He hadn't exactly lied to them.

After all, in this world, only the strong truly have the right to stand up and live; the weak can only crawl on the ground, begging for mercy.

"Captain, my arm is injured. I'd like to ask for two days off."

A pirate wearing a white hat walked apologetically before Gao Wen, one hand covering his swollen arm, a look of unwillingness on his face.

Gao Wen had some impression of this man, named Jamila, who had boarded the ship half a year ago and was one of the few honest people on board. He made no further demands, simply reaching out to pat the man's shoulder:

"Rest for a few days first. Don't let a moment of showing off leave you with permanent scars."

"Mm."

Jamila nodded gratefully, a trace of coldness flashing imperceptibly in her eyes before she turned and walked toward the cabin.

Watching Jamila's figure, Gao Wen frowned.

He wondered if it was an illusion.

On Jamila's chest, he had seen a pendant shaped like a seagull.

Gao Wen shook his head, turned, found a quiet spot, and opened the system panel once more.

Over these half-month, his physique had successfully risen to LV4, bringing enormous changes.

Speed and strength had increased by at least thirty percent, while endurance and stamina had surged by nearly fifty percent; even bone and muscle density showed marked improvement.

Yet his build had not changed much; he remained just over two meters tall with a balanced frame, looking lean when clothed but muscular when bare.

Moreover, not only had his injuries healed, but his resistance to blows had skyrocketed; if he were to face Monca's axe again, he might not be able to block it outright, but he would certainly not be as wretched as before.

And today, his swordsmanship was about to reach LV-5.

According to the system, this was a qualitative change that would bring him unexpected improvements.

Everyone's cultivation for the day ended quickly, and Gao Wen duly harvested 24 points of Sword Dao experience and 30 points of physique experience.

Swordsmanship-LV-4: 793/800 → Swordsmanship-LV-5: 17/1600

The next instant.

A completely new sensation appeared in Gao Wen's hand; it was as though the sword he held was no longer a lifeless object, but part of his own body.

Countless insights into the Sword Dao, along with various complex sword techniques, flashed before his eyes, only to be fully understood and digested in an instant, ready for immediate application in combat.

"This..."

Gao Wen subconsciously raised his hand and casually slashed horizontally at the stone wall ahead.

Hiss!

After a crisp sound, the massive stone wall, over ten meters in diameter, split directly down the middle.

The cut surface was neat, like a mirror.

Gao Wen's eyes instantly went wide.

"This is astonishing!"

"Can a single level bring such an improvement?"

"My predecessor's LV-4 swordsmanship could also cut stone, but not to this extent!"

"With this sword technique, my combat power has at least doubled; coupled with my greatly enhanced physique, my theoretical combat power now has at least tripled compared to when I first arrived here!"

"If I face Monca again, I am confident I can kill him within three moves!"

Recalling the details of his previous fight with Monca, Gao Wen finally made this judgment.

But in the next instant, the familiar system prompt sounded again:

"Detected that the host's swordsmanship has reached LV-5; you may choose one of the following branch abilities:"

"Iron Cutter, Flying Blade, Divine Speed."

(End of Chapter)