Chapter 86: Bloodshed and Harmony

Kelo removed his claw knife, turned, picked up two towels, tossed one onto Akin’s face, and began wiping the sweat from his own body, saying calmly:

“I happened to hear Gao Wen mention it once.”

“How far a person can grow is largely determined at the moment of birth.”

“He calls it potential.”

“Postnatal experiences—illness, injury, even excessive comfort—can lower that upper limit.”

“Perhaps you’ve already reached your own limit.”

Akin lifted his hand, removed the towel from his face. He knew Kelo’s words were harsh, but they were plain truths.

Though Kelo was the most cunning in the crew when facing enemies, he never beat around the bush when speaking to his comrades.

Yet the more he heard it, the more Akin’s heart burned with resentment:

“Is there truly no way to go further?”

“I don’t want to be left behind in the East Blue just because I can’t keep up with the captain.”

“It’s not necessarily so.”

Kelo adjusted his glasses:

“That same guy also said—awakening Haki through combat insight, enhancing base abilities through body modification, and obtaining special powers via the legendary Devil Fruit—all can push you further.”

“Like our fight in Crow Port?”

“Exactly.”

Kelo nodded:

“Didn’t you yourself master Observation Haki in that battle?”

“...”

Akin froze, sensing his Observation Haki, fists clenched:

“This level of Observation Haki won’t make me the captain’s right hand.”

“Body modification demands a cost I can’t bear—so is Devil Fruit the only option left?”

Kelo frowned:

“Let me remind you: once you eat a Devil Fruit, you become a non-swimmer who can’t touch seawater.”

“Over ninety percent of this world is covered by ocean, and the Grand Line’s weather is wildly unpredictable—fall into the water, and you’re dead.”

Akin smiled carefree:

“But at least then I could help the captain, right?”

“Fool!”

Kelo shook his head and turned away.

To him, the cost of a Devil Fruit was far too deadly on this vast sea.

“Even through my own training, I can surpass that monster Gao Wen.”

“Besides, who in their right mind would swallow something with such terrible side effects?!”

As every pirate in the Gao Wen Pirates began frantically pushing themselves to train, Gao Wen’s experience points surged far faster than he’d anticipated.

Just seven days later, his physique reached LV-10 first.

Late at night.

Gao Wen sat at his desk, feeling his body gradually grow hot, steam rising from his scalp.

This was the strange phenomenon caused by his cells dividing and reorganizing at breakneck speed, his metabolism accelerating beyond comprehension.

In this state, every second, his physical capabilities shifted toward greater strength.

After several minutes, the changes in his body slowly ceased.

He sensed himself briefly, gaining a rough sense of the improvement’s scale:

“Base strength increased by thirty percent, physical resilience rose another tier, agility improved significantly—enhancing neural reflexes and coordination.”

“And under the effect of the Balanced keyword, speed, strength, and constitution all rose in sync, ensuring every point of attribute reached its theoretical maximum.”

“Now, controlling Shunpo’s speed—I have far greater confidence!”

“And the main course is still to come.”

Saying this,

Gao Wen’s gaze was drawn again to the system panel before him:

“Detecting host physique upgraded to LV-10. Choose one of the following advanced branch abilities:”

“Bloodshed, Harmony.”

Looking at these two branch abilities, Gao Wen fell into deep thought.

Bloodshed was clearly the option to boost immediate combat power.

If he guessed right, it was the type that only worked when bloodied—the more wounded, the stronger the damage.

Was such an ability strong?

Very strong.

But it almost always had a glaring flaw.

While wounded, your attacks grew stronger—but so did your vulnerability to a single critical strike.

Gao Wen had personally experienced this razor’s-edge thrill, this near-death gamble, in his battle with Mihawk.

It was exhilarating—but the feeling of losing control, surrendering his life to another’s will, was far from pleasant.

If possible, Gao Wen now preferred to keep everything within his own control.

Courage to fight to the death was necessary—but it was the last resort, the worst outcome.

Thus, his gaze lingered on Bloodshed for only an instant before turning to Harmony.

Even through mere text, Gao Wen could tell this ability was an extension of the Balanced keyword.

“Balanced made my physique a perfect hexagon—no weaknesses. What would Harmony add on top of that?”

“But.”

“No matter what, it couldn’t be worse than Bloodshed.”

Gao Wen’s eyes hardened:

“I choose Harmony!”

In the next instant,

A strange sensation arose within Gao Wen’s body.

Every muscle from head to toe, every organ from within to without, became exquisitely clear in his perception.

He lifted his palm gently—each change in skin, muscle, and tissue from fingers to arm to chest, he could sense, even control individually.

A slight flex of his arm made the muscles ripple like waves, their speed and rhythm entirely under his command.

Even the involuntary movements of muscles and organs, once governed by instinct, now lay entirely under his conscious will!

“I have complete control over this body—I can willfully control any organ, any muscle, even the skin.”

“I can drastically accelerate wound healing, the immune system’s response to disease, digestion of food—even stop my own heartbeat at will!”

Gao Wen understood.

Harmony granted total bodily control; Balanced perfected the body’s equilibrium. Together, their synergy far exceeded simple addition.

Though Harmony did not directly raise his physique stats, it acted like an amplifier, allowing him to exceed theoretical limits with his existing values.

And.

After awakening this ability, Gao Wen became virtually immune to disease and viruses—his hand trembled with excitement.

“Is this... Life Return?”

“No!”

“This is the superior form of Life Return!”

“I can do everything Life Return can—and more!”

(End of Chapter)