Shift in the Situation

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"It's a bit different from how it is in the game. Has it been modified to this form?"

Looking at the skill description at the bottom, Shanuo pondered for a moment before a satisfied expression appeared on his face. "But, well, it doesn't seem too bad."

This passive skill was actually quite strong. It might just become the key to him maneuvering freely among a group of enemies in the future…

Shifting his gaze, Shanuo's eyes fell on the Hero Level section above.

Compared to the newly acquired skill, what had been on Shanuo's mind for a while was figuring out how to gain experience and increase his Hero Level. After all, based on the experience he had from the game, leveling up as a Hero could very likely enhance both his Strength and Agility attributes simultaneously.

And in a way, basic attribute values were even more important than the level of swordsmanship.

After all, sheer power could overwhelm any technique. Basic attributes determined so many things. No matter how skilled a "bronze-level" player was, they wouldn't be able to defeat an "eighteenth-level" champion Yasuo with sheer technique… right?

"No wonder the experience bar hasn't moved this whole time. Turns out you only gain experience by defeating enemies. That's a bit of a lousy rule…"

Recalling the system prompt from earlier, Shanuo squinted his eyes and held back his urge to complain.

Damn it… This broken system is so useless. Everything has to be figured out by trial and error. Unless you stumble upon a relevant event, you can't even count on it to provide hints. With this level of development, it'd be better to switch to a system where I can just buy upgrades…

Looking again at the progress bar of the Wind Swordsmanship skill in the middle, Shanuo felt some relief. After all, after so much effort, he had finally broken through to the beginner level…

However, upon clearly seeing the series of zeros following the "1" on the progress bar, Shanuo's lips twitched slightly, and the good mood brought by the breakthrough in swordsmanship quickly dissipated.

"It seems that if I want to level up a few more times and improve my strength within my lifetime, I'll need to engage in more battles and fights…"

He sighed softly, closed the attributes panel, and turned to look down from the railing. According to his calculations, the battle at the port should be wrapping up by now.

And sure enough, that was the case. A single glance revealed that most of the Silver Shark Pirate Crew was sprawled lifelessly on the ground. Only their captain, Vitt, and a few officers were still stubbornly holding on, but they were clearly at their limit.

"It looks like it's about to end… Hmm, should I jump down and lend a hand to finish them off?"

Sweeping his eyes over the dying pirates on the ground, Shanuo suddenly felt tempted. After all, these people were vicious pirates, and there was a high chance Biggie and the others would just finish them off on the spot. Instead of letting that happen, why not take action himself and gain some experience?

Speaking of which, if he could manage to take down Vitt with one strike, the experience he would gain should definitely surpass what he got from killing Sam earlier. That way, he could smoothly level up to level two.

As he hesitated, Shanuo unconsciously rested one leg on the railing, ready to jump down onto the deck at any moment.

But just then—

Bang!

A gunshot suddenly rang out from a nearby alley by the port, startling Shanuo so much that he nearly lost his footing and fell into the water. Immediately afterward, the sound of shouting and killing surged like a tidal wave. A large group of pirates, wielding various weapons, rushed out from the street corner, surrounding the entire Tado Pirate Crew in a massive circle.

"What's going on?"

After regaining his balance, Shanuo quickly scanned the scene below with wide eyes, his face filled with uncertainty.

The Tado Pirate Crew members below also stopped their attacks in confusion. Biggie and Kailar exchanged a glance, then withdrew from the fray, gradually regrouping with their comrades. They stood in a tight circle, warily facing off against the newcomers.

A quick count showed that there were over a hundred pirates—nearly five or six times the size of the Tado Pirate Crew. Most of them wore black accessories resembling cat ears on their heads, making them stand out.

"This is… the Black Cat Pirate Crew?"

Noticing this detail, Shanuo froze momentarily before recognizing the identity of these pirates. His expression changed slightly, and he glanced at the corpses lying on the deck.

"So, this guy's appearance here wasn't a coincidence…"

With his brows furrowed tightly, Shanuo thought for a moment before turning his attention back to the shore.

At that moment, two oddly dressed figures emerged from the Black Cat Pirate Crew's ranks. One wore a purple suit, kept adjusting a wide-brimmed hat with his hand, and walked as though he were moonwalking. The other was tall and fat, with sharp fangs at the corners of his mouth. His black cloak and half-face mask gave him an oddly bloated Batman-like appearance.

As these two stepped forward, the other pirates fell silent, turning their attention to them with deference.

"Zango, the deputy captain of the Black Cat Pirate Crew, and one of the Cat Brothers… Buji…"

In an instant, Shanuo recognized the two figures and narrowed his eyes slightly. He realized that the Black Cat Pirate Crew must have been plotting this for a while and were planning to target the Tado Pirate Crew. Sam was probably sent onto the ship to gather information, which explained why he had been acting so shifty earlier.

Onshore—

Watching Zango approach, Kailar's expression darkened. He lit a cigarette and took a drag before speaking coldly: "The Black Cat Pirate Crew? This fight has nothing to do with you, does it? What are you doing interfering here?"

"Nothing to do with us?"

Zango's moonwalking steps finally came to a stop. He looked up, revealing a face largely obscured by heart-shaped sunglasses. After sizing up Kailar, he chuckled and said, "Oh, isn't this the famous swordsman of the East Blue, the 'Ghost Sword' Kailar? With your insight, how can you say such a thing…"

His gaze shifted to the battered Vitt in the distance. Adjusting his hat, Zango sneered and said, "We and the Silver Shark Pirate Crew are allies. They're our friends. If they're in trouble, isn't it only natural for us to come to their aid?"

"Allies?"

Kailar and the others were stunned. The Silver Shark and Black Cat Pirate Crews were both well-known in the East Blue. The idea of these two infamous pirate groups forming an alliance was something they had never heard of before.

"So that's how it is."

Blowing out a smoke ring, Kailar cast a cold glance at Vitt, then spoke in a mocking tone: "That explains why you dared to show up with so few people, coming here to court death. Turns out you had an ally waiting in the wings. Though, it seems they're a bit late…"