Chapter 9: New Badge and Physique Enhancement

"Check the crew's potential?"

Gao Wen paused slightly, then turned to look at the pirate beside him. A brand-new panel floated before Gao's eyes:

【Name: En】

【Potential: Iron】

【Rating: Iron: A nobody who has learned basic swordsmanship.】

Immediately, Gao shifted his gaze to the other pirates. The system interface switched, displaying their potential and system ratings in real time.

Without exception, they were all Iron.

Gao was not surprised by this result.

After all, according to the system's standards, even Gao, who now possessed the "Rapid Awakening of Swordsmanship" trait and had increased his physique by one level, still held an Iron rating.

And even if all the pirates on the ship were tied together, they might not be Gao's match; the gap between them was greater than that between dogs.

"So, from now on, I can directly check the crew's potential to screen for needed talents?!"

Gao realized the correct usage of this badge.

However, it was not needed for the moment, since he was still at sea.

"I could go take a look. Besides those three, are there any other leeks in the East Sea worth using?"

"A top-tier genius with supreme talent can reach the peak within a few years."

"This also indirectly proves that the gap between people is greater than that between dogs."

Gao shook his head, then checked the potential of each pirate present one by one. In the end, he could only helplessly confirm that everyone on this ship was nothing but Iron-level nobodies.

However.

Even if they are nobodies, when their numbers increase, they become a leek field that cannot be ignored.

Moreover, Gao's physique had reached the edge of a breakthrough.

He had a premonition that once his physique advanced further, his combat power would undergo a transformation, and he could truly shed the title of Iron-level nobody.

Gao left a small portion of the crew to operate the warship and navigate, while scouting for nearby intelligence. He then gathered the rest on the deck to continue instructing them in swordsmanship cultivation.

Naturally, no one had any objections, nor dared to voice any.

Gao had now established absolute authority in their hearts; no one on this ship dared to resist.

After all.

The corpse of the last person who resisted had already been eaten clean.

"Hey!"

"Ha!"

On the deck.

Loud shouts rang out from the dark figures, accompanied by the sound of metal clashing against metal.

Under the scorching sun, everyone resumed a cultivation regimen that could only be described as harsh.

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

A cool breeze blew across the sea. The exhausted pirates lay flat on the deck, letting the sea breeze blow away their fatigue.

Gao stood aside, nodding in satisfaction. For him, the greatest value of these people lay precisely here.

If they could not even fulfill the most basic function of experience packs, bringing them along would be more of a burden than an aid.

With the end of the cultivation session.

Gao gained another 12 points of Physique experience and 15 points of Swordsmanship experience.

Physique-LV-4: 791/800 -> Physique-LV-5: 1/1600

Swordsmanship-LV-5: 803/1600 -> Swordsmanship-LV-5: 818/1600

His physique, already near its limit, broke through directly to LV-5.

Gao instantly felt the change in his body.

The muscles beneath his leather armor began to swell visibly, and even the bones within his body emitted a series of crackling sounds, like a crosstalk routine of exploding beans.

That was the sound of bones growing rapidly and pressing against each other.

In just a few breaths.

Gao's figure shot up a notch. His previously loose leather armor instantly became a tight fit, and his pant legs now exposed his ankles.

His entire frame had bulked up significantly.

"My physique is stronger!"

"My strength has increased by fifty percent. My resistance to impact hasn't been tested yet, but it is undoubtedly much stronger than before!"

"I just wonder what would happen if I were to withstand Monca's axe head-on right now."

Gao smiled faintly, then raised his hand and clenched it in the air...

Crack!

The air exploded with a sharp report, causing the surrounding pirates to glance over.

"Huh?"

"Did the captain's size change? I remember he wasn't this tall before."

A pirate rubbed his eyes, feeling that Gao seemed somewhat unfamiliar, as if something had changed.

"The pressure coming from the captain is even stronger now, even more so than when he killed Monca!"

"An illusion?"

The pirate with a Mohawk hairstyle patted his shoulder and said weakly:

"I guess you admire the captain too much."

"Is that so?"

"Exactly!"

The group, having barely recovered their strength, began chatting idly.

Gao Wen walked silently toward the captain's quarters, knowing the changes before him were merely an appetizer; greater improvements still lay ahead.

Bang!

After shutting and locking the captain's quarters door, Gao Wen finally checked the information in his mind:

"Detected host's physique upgraded to LV-5. Choose one of the following branch abilities:"

"Herculean Strength, Dexterity, Robustness, Balance."

After a brief moment of thought, Gao Wen fixed his gaze on the final option.

These four branch abilities undoubtedly represented four stat allocation methods: so-called extreme strength, extreme agility, extreme constitution, and a balanced allocation of all three.

But reality was not a game; an overly extreme allocation would likely result in other attributes failing to keep pace, rendering the primary attribute useless.

Great strength requires an equally great constitution to support it; incredible speed without corresponding strength to break through an opponent's defense is merely scratching the surface, while simply stacking constitution makes one nothing more than a pure punching bag.

Moreover.

In the world of pirates, those who reach the pinnacle of the Jin Zita are invariably beings who have pushed their physique, strength, and speed to the absolute limit.

The Marines have Garp and Sengoku; the pirates have Kaido and Whitebeard—existences with balanced attributes and no obvious weaknesses.

Even if a balanced allocation might lead to a situation later on that seems like having everything yet actually having nothing...

... Gao Wen was confident that, relying on the efforts of his... subordinates, he could stack his stats into a hexagonal warrior even if he had to!

"I choose Balance!"

The next instant.

Gao Wen's body grew hot again; countless streams of scalding, lava-like blood surged from his heart, flowing through every organ in his body.

The burning pain, radiating from within, made Gao Wen break out in a cold sweat instantly; he bent over, his face flushed red, biting down so hard he nearly drew blood from his gums:

"Ugh—!"

Accompanying the intense pain within, Gao Wen's body began to undergo astonishing changes.

Every pore on his surface began secreting foul-smelling sweat, which had no time to flow down before being instantly baked dry by the excessive body heat.

When the transformation finally ended.

Gao Wen was completely exhausted, lying on his back and gasping for breath.

"Hah~"

A few breaths later.

Gao Wen regained his senses and only then noticed a thick layer of grime covering his skin; a light touch caused it to crack open, revealing the new skin beneath.

"This..."

"Could this be considered a form of tendon-cleansing and marrow-refining?"

Gao Wen smiled slightly, and immediately sensed the changes in his body.

"Wait!"

"My body feels so light!"

"It's as if I've been living while wearing shackles, only to suddenly have them removed."

"Every part of my body feels incredibly relaxed!"

He moved his body slightly, feeling every cell radiating vigorous vitality; even the hidden injuries left from practicing swordsmanship in his youth were completely healed.

This body seemed to have returned to its most primitive and authentic state!

"Wait!"

"Since I can check others' potential, does that mean I can check my own?!"

(End of Chapter)