"You bastard!"
Morgan roared, but he couldn't break free from the iron hook that pierced his shoulder.
The repeated severe injuries had already pushed him to the brink of death. The friction between his broken leg bone and the ground was a torture no one could endure.
Gradually, the Navy lieutenant's roars grew weaker and weaker until he finally fell silent.
**[You have killed Navy Lieutenant Morgan.]**
**[Reputation with the Navy faction decreased by 50 points; current relationship: Cold.]**
**[Reputation with the Pirate faction increased by 50 points; current relationship: Friendly.]**
**[Note: Storyline character Monka's favorability toward you increased by 10 points.]**
**[Legendary Trait (Steel Heart) activated, Health +5]**
**[You received a storyline treasure chest (Purple).]**
Only after a series of spatial notifications echoed did Kiba release the trigger of his ODM gear's gas propulsion.
Bloodied and battered, he forced himself to stand and shakily pulled out a piece of steak with sauce, stuffing it into his mouth.
**Health: 18/96 (+26)**
Watching his health slowly begin to recover, he let out a long breath and looked back at the corpse of the storyline character Morgan.
To defeat this guy, he had to pull out all the stops, and in the end, it was only by leveraging his health advantage that he barely managed to kill him solo.
"Looks like this is my limit," Kiba sighed, silently adjusting his original plan.
Among the Reincarnators participating this time, at most five people were capable of solo-killing Lieutenant Morgan. For someone entering the storyline world for the second time, his performance was already quite remarkable.
It was a classic case of the weak overcoming the strong, and the whole process was under Kiba's control. Any slight misstep could have led to a completely different outcome, but even the most critical observers had to applaud his recent display.
Once his health recovered to thirty points, Kiba quickly left the scene. This time, however, he had learned his lesson and avoided using his overly flashy ODM gear.
Only after reaching a secluded residence did he finally breathe a sigh of relief, knowing he was truly safe.
The cooldown time for his giant summoning skill was three hours, so he decided to rest here for a while, waiting until he was back in peak condition before attempting the Black Cat Pirates' trial.
As for now, it was time to enjoy the spoils of his recent battle.
**[You are opening the Storyline Treasure Chest (Purple).]**
**[You received 100 Storyline Points.]**
**[Bloodstained Captain's Cape.]**
**[Morgan's Longsword.]**
**[Strong Rum.]**
A purple storyline treasure chest, after all, couldn't compare to the rewards from a colossal giant.
But thinking about it, it made sense. Morgan was strong, but not strong enough to make him feel utterly hopeless, whereas the colossal giant was something he absolutely couldn't handle.
Forget about fighting it head-on; as long as Bertolt could successfully unleash the power of the giant, Kiba, standing so close, would be instantly killed.
As a result, the rewards would naturally be quite generous.
"100 Storyline Points are nice, but not essential."
**Bloodstained Captain's Cape: A special item that helps Reincarnators quickly establish Pirate faction reputation or allows them to join a pirate crew without fulfilling the usual requirements.**
Not a bad item; with it, he could skip the trial and directly join the Black Cat Pirates.
Of course, if he was confident enough, he could take a gamble; if he passed on his own, this item could be sold to other Reincarnators.
He could make a decent profit, especially since he was short on Storyline Points to upgrade his skills.
The first item was good, but the second one was even better—he had actually looted the weapon of the Navy lieutenant!
**Name: Morgan's Longsword**
**Grade: Extraordinary**
**Type: Sword**
**Attack: 5-8**
**Durability: 55/55**
**Attribute Boost: Strength +2, Agility +1**
**Usage Requirements: Strength 14, Basic Melee LV5**
**Equipment Effect: Full Power Strike**
**Origin: One Piece**
**Equipment Evaluation: There's no enemy it can't kill with one strike. If there is, you better run fast.**
**Full Power Strike (Active Skill): Consumes 2 points of spirit to unleash a heavy strike with 120% of your Strength attribute. Cooldown: 30 minutes.**
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Such a powerful extraordinary weapon could significantly enhance his lethality when wielded.
The key issue was that Kiba didn't have the capability to use it, nor was he likely to prioritize increasing his Strength.
"Sigh, I'll just have to find a way to sell it."
Weapons typically aren't as valuable as skills, but with its excellent quality, it shouldn't be a problem to sell it for eight hundred to a thousand Storyline Points.
When the world difficulty increases, skills and traits retain their original base levels, but only the grade of equipment and items will automatically decrease.
Depending on the quality difference within the same grade, the equipment's grade could drop by about 2-4 levels.
Simply put, a good weapon in the first world might become commonplace in the second world, so the criteria for grade evaluation naturally have to change.
Take Morgan's Longsword, for instance; it's currently rated as "Extraordinary," but in the second world, it would at most be classified as "Excellent," or it might even degrade to a "Common" weapon.
If it were his Black Star pistol, it would likely end up as a gray, defective item fit for a shop's trash bin.
This is why most Reincarnators are obsessed with pursuing skills, as they don't change much with increasing world difficulty.
Lastly, there was the most unique item—a bottle of rum—the only one of the three spoils he could actually use.
**Strong Rum (3/3): A type of alcohol. Drinking it restores 20 health points and grants a temporary Constitution boost of +1 for 10 minutes.**
A very good recovery item. Since he only had one piece of steak left, and was in desperate need of supplies, its arrival was a huge relief.
Two items needed to be sold, while the rum he would keep for himself. The gains from this deadly battle were quite generous.
Three hours of rest passed quickly. The cooldown for the giant summoning spell had ended, and Kiba's health had recovered to 79 points, allowing him to continue his exploration.
"Speaking of which, there was a notification about Monka's favorability, wasn't there?"
Kiba found it odd. After all, he had killed Monka's Navy colleague, yet Monka still seemed to develop a favorability toward him.
This could only mean that there was some kind of deep-seated conflict of interest between the two, perhaps even to a point of irreconcilable enmity.
"Maybe I can use the future Lieutenant Colonel Monka to my advantage."
As he pondered this, he soon reached another hidden coast, where he noticed many pirates eagerly waiting.
Under the bright sunlight, a striking medium-sized sailing ship was docked at the harbor, its unique black cat-shaped prow impossible to ignore.
The ship had a wide body and moderate length, with black as the main color of the hull, resembling a mysterious sea in the dark of night, evoking both awe and intense curiosity.
The ship's masts stood tall, with white sails gently billowing in the sea breeze, creating a stark contrast with the black hull and a strong visual impact.
This was the pirate ship of the Black Cat Pirates, the Black Cat.
Looking from below, he could vaguely make out the busy figures on the deck, pointing and gesturing arrogantly at the pirates below—a posture typical of those in power.
As ridiculous as it seemed, there was indeed a hierarchy of disdain even among pirates, even if the subjects were just a bunch of labor sailors struggling to get by.
With his keen senses, Kiba could clearly hear laughter coming from the deck.
"Who do you think will pass Deputy Captain Zango's trial?"
"Huh? I bet they can't even pass Butchie's test."
"Sam's test is relatively easier, but even if you get on the ship, you'll just end up as a labor sailor like us."
"Yeah, becoming a formal combatant isn't that easy."
Kiba lightly wiped his Black Star pistol, thinking that the trials of the Black Cat Pirates were indeed varied.
It seemed designed to accommodate Reincarnators who followed different paths.
Those with a focus on Strength would challenge the big guy Butchie, while those who followed the Agility path could directly seek out Captain Kuro.
For someone like him, with a specialty in spirit power, perhaps Deputy Captain Zango would be the better choice.
**Zango**, the deputy captain of the Black Cat Pirates, would later, after Kuro's defeat by the Straw Hats, become a new recruit of the Navy Headquarters by sheer coincidence, and transform into a sycophant of "Black Cage" Hina.
He had completely disgraced the pirates.
However, at this point in time, Zango was an outright big-shot pirate with a bounty of five million, enough to terrify ordinary pirates.
"Jason!"
Suddenly, a familiar call rang out. Turning his head, Kiba saw Old Cat in the distance, waving eagerly at him.
This guy had a tough life. Despite his lack of speed, he managed to escape from the Navy's massive encirclement, likely thanks to some unknown trump card.
Beside him were a few other people, and with a quick glance, Kiba realized they were all Reincarnators.
It seemed that the tavern had more than just the two of them. The other Reincarnators might have arrived even earlier, knowing that a famous pirate group was nearby, so naturally, they wanted to try their luck.
However, judging by their dejected looks, the Black Cat Pirates' trials must not have been easy to pass.
"Sigh, don't even mention it." Old Cat scratched his head with lingering fear, still feeling uneasy about what had just happened. "They say the pirate world is full of strong folks; today I really saw it. A seemingly insignificant fat guy almost took my life."
"What was the result?" Kiba asked.
"Barely passed." Old Cat's smile was filled with bitterness, leaving one to wonder what he had gone through.
But it didn't matter. If Old Cat could pass, Kiba should also be able to join the Black Cat Pirates successfully, making the **Bloodstained Captain's Cape** a valuable bargaining chip.
Under the excited gazes of the Reincarnators, Kiba set the item to view mode and explained calmly, "If I pass, this item will be up for sale to you all, highest bidder wins."
The last four words struck like a heavy hammer on their chests. Everyone knew they'd be gouged by this guy, but none of them could refuse this special offer.
To join a faction that required a triggered side quest was usually to join a place overflowing with benefits.
What's the point of the strong Creek Pirates if strength doesn't equate to more benefits? Everyone here was experienced enough to know such a simple truth.
Watching Jason, the Reincarnator, leave, the others silently distanced themselves and began calculating their bids in their minds.
*(End of Chapter)*
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