Chapter 17 Entering The Realm Of Great Swordsman, Internal Disagreements

Wanokuni, Onigashima

The dark prison cell.

"You bastard! You're my son, and one day you'll become the daimyo of Wanokuni and rule this country! I forbid you from calling yourself Oden!"

"No! I want to be a man like Oden! You just stole Wanokuni, you're nothing but a despicable thief!"

Eighteen-year-old Yamato shook the shackles on his hands, his defiance unwavering.

Kaido's vision darkened, and he almost passed out from rage.

Thud, thud, thud—

Rapid footsteps echoed beside him.

King approached quickly, whispering urgently:

"Boss Kaido, according to our reports, the Big Mom Pirates have assembled over fifty warships and are heading towards Wanokuni. My subordinates suspect their target is us."

Kaido frowned deeply.

"That many ships? What the hell is Linlin up to? Why is she acting so crazy?"

Ten years ago, he defeated the Kozuki clan and seized control of Wanokuni. Thanks to its unique geography and abundant seastone resources, the Beasts Pirates had grown strong.

Could it be that Linlin also had her eyes on this territory?

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but Kaido wasn't worried.

Although the Big Mom Pirates were competitors, Charlotte Linlin was also his former ally. The two shared a good rapport.

If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have obtained the Zoan-type Mythical Beast Devil Fruit, the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.

Besides, Wanokuni was a fortress of a country—surrounded by cliffs and waterfalls with no coast to speak of. It could only be accessed through a special passage guarded tightly by the Beasts Pirates.

With its unique geography, his massive army, and the support of Kurozumi Orochi, not even the Marines could do much.

However, there was something else Kaido found more concerning.

"Just strengthen the patrols around the area, but don't pay too much attention to the Big Mom Pirates. How's the recruitment of new talent going?"

King bowed his head and replied:

"Two new pirate crews have joined us recently. Their captains are Who's Who and Sasaki."

"Oh, and there's a young man named Jack. Although he's only eighteen, he's quite strong. He's an Ancient Zoan user with the Elephant-Elephant Fruit, Model: Mammoth."

"Good. Have them prepare. I'll inspect them personally in two days."

Hearing this, Kaido's irritable mood eased considerably.

If King thought these people were worth mentioning, they were likely no ordinary pirates.

Kaido grabbed the bottle of sake at his waist, took a swig, and laughed as he left the cell.

…

Blood Sail Pirates, Training Room

Carlos sat shirtless, cross-legged on the floor, his body slick with sweat that had already soaked the ground around him.

Dumbbells, stone weights, and other training equipment weighing several tons were scattered messily around the room.

Physical strength, Haki, and other abilities could all be gradually improved through training. The power of a skill was determined by the amount of physical energy expended.

Even though he had the System, Carlos still spent half a day exercising every day.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when suddenly, Carlos's eyes snapped open.

His fierce, domineering gaze cut through the darkness like lightning.

Since entering the New World, in addition to his daily training, Carlos had spent his spare time imbuing his famed sword with Armament Haki.

Thanks to the System's rewards, his swordsmanship was on the verge of a breakthrough, as if he were about to pierce through a thin barrier.

After battling Dafu, Vista, Snag, and others, Carlos had gained deep insights into the art of swordsmanship.

Through these days of training and meditation, his swordsmanship had elevated from the level of a master to that of a grandmaster.

He could now begin to comprehend Vista's superb sword skills from the auction at Sabaody.

By Carlos's estimation, he had now reached the level of a great swordsman.

"A great swordsman..." Carlos murmured, and a name popped into his mind— "Hawkeye" Dracule Mihawk.

"If divided according to the System, the world's greatest swordsman's skills are probably at the Ultimate level..."

Entry, Proficiency, Mastery, Grandmaster, Excellence, Ultimate.

"To reach the ultimate state, who knows how many years of hard training it would take, or how many powerful foes I'd have to face in life-and-death battles..."

Carlos sighed slightly, then composed himself.

Although he couldn't compare to a top-tier swordsman, his current skill level as a great swordsman, combined with his Penultimate-level Armament Haki, put his strength at the level of a Yonko's first mate. In the One Piece world, that made him a formidable force.

But Carlos knew that even a Yonko's first mate was nothing in front of an Emperor of the Sea.

"I'll still need to be careful when I get to Wanokuni."

"Today, let's train for another five hours..."

Although it had been a while since the Big Mom Pirates' attack, the Blood Sail Pirates still recalled that dangerous day vividly.

Inside the cabin, Yorick drank in silence.

The flickering candlelight cast shadows over their stern faces.

"I say, are you sure you saw that right?"

"This is the fifth time you've asked. I'm the ship's lookout, after all. I swear, I wasn't mistaken!"

"There really was a red-haired woman talking to a transponder snail. No doubt, she was tipping off the Big Mom Pirates' headquarters."

"This is bad news..."

The crew exchanged uneasy glances, sighing bitterly.

When they first became pirates, all they wanted was to make money.

Who would have thought they'd end up tangled with one of the Yonko?

"We should never have let that person on board. Now we've offended the Big Mom Pirates."

"It was a tough situation. What's the point of complaining now? We should be figuring out what to do next." The navigator waved a hand dismissively.

"It should be fine. At our current pace, we'll reach the Beasts Pirates' territory soon. We'll arrive at Wanokuni in about two days."

The crew immediately breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions lightening.

"So the question is, do we stick with Garros, or...?"

First Mate Yorick slammed his glass on the table.

"Haven't you felt the terror of the New World? This place is no place for us!"

"After we finish this job, we should find a way back to the first half of the Grand Line. That's where we belong."

"Alright, but don't let him know about this. After all, he's still our captain... for now."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can visit my Patreon page:

Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel

Patreon have 20+ advanced chapters for you guys

Your help will be greatly appreciated.