The Way of the Wanderer, Born from Death!

The Black Cat Pirates were a famous pirate crew in the East Blue, boasting over a hundred members. Their captain, "Hundred Plans" Kuro, had a bounty of a staggering 16 million Berries

Standing before him was a thin and frail young man, who was undoubtedly one of Kuro's trusted subordinates—Sam, one of the notorious Cat Brothers.

As Shanuo quickly recalled the original story, impressions of Sam flashed through his mind, causing a trace of seriousness to appear in his gaze.

This guy… While he tends to feign weakness, he's actually a cunning and ruthless fighter. His teamwork with the other Cat Brother, Butch, was enough to suppress Zoro. That alone made Shanuo cautious, with no room for underestimation.

"Um… This young man here…"

On the other side, Sam, seeing Shanuo remaining silent, awkwardly scratched his head. After hesitating for a moment, he pointed behind Shanuo and asked, "By the way, how's the situation at the harbor now? Could you… let me take a look?"

"Hm?"

Shanuo was momentarily stunned but then seemed to recall something. A peculiar smile crept onto his face.

"Well, sure, come over and take a look," he said with a light cough, nodding. "But once you've seen the harbor, you'll need to get off the ship. After all, this is our ship, and leaving a stranger aboard wouldn't feel right."

As he spoke, there was a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone, as if he were still displeased about someone sneaking onto the ship.

"Of course, of course. Thank you, young man!"

Sam immediately showed an overjoyed expression, nodding eagerly.

As he walked toward the ship's railing beside Shanuo, he smiled bitterly. "Although it's rude, there wasn't much choice. These pirates are just too arrogant. If…"

When he reached the railing, brushing past Shanuo, a sinister grin appeared on his face. His fingers spread slightly, revealing hidden claws, sharp and deadly.

His tone suddenly turned cold as he continued:

"If they found me, it would've been terrible. I don't want to end up dying as senselessly as some people…"

Squelch!

The next moment, the sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed. Blood spurted out in an arc, splattering across the deck. Almost instantly, the surrounding area was stained red.

Sam's arrogant, peculiar laughter filled the air.

"Ha ha ha! Bleeding already? Such a pointless death! Looks like my claws are sharper than ever. Even I can barely control them anymore…"

However, his laughter abruptly stopped. Trembling slightly, he looked down in disbelief at his chest.

There, a plain wooden sword was quietly lodged in his torso. Blood flowed ceaselessly from the wound, dripping onto the ground.

On the other side of the blade, Shanuo let go of the hilt and scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, you're right. It really was a senseless death…"

"How… how could this happen…"

Feeling his life slipping away, Sam's lips moved as though to speak. But before he could finish, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.

"Trying to out-act me, huh?"

Casting a sidelong glance at Sam's fallen body, Shanuo snorted. He knelt down, checked for breath, then, still uneasy, stabbed the other side of Sam's chest a few more times. Satisfied only when the body resembled a sieve, he finally dusted off his hands and retrieved his wooden sword, Dongyehu.

"If I hadn't mastered iaido and countered quickly, I'd almost have died," he muttered.

Looking at the razor-sharp claws in Sam's lifeless hand, Shanuo frowned slightly, grateful for his luck. If this encounter had occurred before he'd learned iaido, there was no way he could've outpaced the swift and nimble Cat Brother.

The benefits of years of swordsmanship training also became evident. Despite this being Shanuo's first time killing someone, he felt no fear or unease while facing the corpse before him.

The mental clarity from swordsmanship practice allowed Shanuo to remain calm and composed, avoiding the nausea or bloodlust he'd read about in novels from his past life.

Ignoring the corpse, Shanuo glanced at his bloodstained wooden sword. After surveying the area, he tore a scrap of cloth from Sam's clothing to wipe the blade.

At that moment, a series of notification sounds suddenly echoed in his mind, freezing his movements.

"Congratulations! You have defeated a powerful enemy. Wind Swordsmanship proficiency +85!"

"Congratulations! Your Wind Swordsmanship has reached Beginner level. You have earned 1 free skill point!"

"You successfully killed an enemy. Hero experience +20."

"Detecting that you have comprehended Gale Slash. The only skill available for learning is the passive skill [Born to Fight]. Would you like to use a skill point?"

The flurry of system messages left Shanuo momentarily dazed. After processing the information, he hesitated briefly before nodding. "Yes."

"Glory lies in the heart, not in appearances. The path of the swordsman is fraught with peril. To face death is to be reborn."

"You have used a skill point. Congratulations! You have learned the new skill [Born to Fight]!"

"Born to Fight…"

Shanuo repeated the name softly, pursing his lips. Without hesitation, he summoned his status panel.

Name: Shanuo

Hero Level: Level 1 (20/50)

Strength: 12

Agility: 16

Wind Swordsmanship (Beginner): Proficiency 1005/10000

Skills:

[Gale Slash (Level 1)]: A forward slash that unleashes a sharp sword energy, cutting through everything in its path.

• On hit, gains one stack of Whirlwind Slash for 10 seconds.

• At two stacks, Whirlwind Slash creates a gust that knocks enemies back.

• If performed while dashing, the slash forms a circular attack.

[Born to Fight]: In a group battle, each enemy killed restores a portion of stamina, enhancing combat endurance. The path of the wanderer is one of survival through battle. Attack is the best defense.

"Born to Fight…" Shanuo murmured again. After glancing at his new skills, he smirked slightly, his confidence growing.