He had his own plans in mind — to obtain the Pluton blueprints first.
On the surface, Hyaku crafted an excuse.
"I'm planning to go to Water 7. You know my sword has undergone changes, and there's a blacksmith I know well there. I want him to examine my sword's condition." He explained to Garp, using his prepared excuse.
"You kid, always obsessing over swordsmanship. Wouldn't training with this old man for a year be better than fussing with swords?" Hearing this, Garp immediately got fired up.
Such a promising seedling, yet wanting to learn something he wasn't skilled at — how could he not be upset?
'Who has time to train with you for a year!' Hyaku laughed inwardly.
He had a cheat system, after all — why would he need to spend that much time?
"You're not thinking of going back on your word, are you?" Hyaku put on a look of contempt.
"Get out of here! This old man needs to head back now, go forge whatever sword... Hurry up and take your ship and go!" Unable to bear Hyaku's provocative gaze, Garp responded impatiently.
"Thanks, old man." Hyaku chuckled.
Without another word, he headed to the small battleship Garp had arranged for him.
Since this involved new recruit training and wasn't an official mission, there were only about ten people on the ship. They were responsible for steering, navigation, and confirming routes.
"Set sail! To Water 7!"
Under Hyaku's orders, the small battleship began to move.
Accelerating toward their destination: Water 7.
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A while later.
It had been over half a day since the battleship departed.
〘 Ding! Host Successfully Swung the Sword 1,000 Times! Reward: Azure Dragon Sword Intent Proficiency +5% | Three Colors of Haki Proficiency +1%! 〙
〘 Ding! Host Successfully Swung the Sword 2,000 Times! Reward: Azure Dragon Sword Intent Proficiency +5% | Three Colors of Haki Proficiency +1%! 〙
On the way, Hyaku kept swinging his sword on deck.
After his Beginner's Tachi evolved into the Katana Ryūka, its weight nearly doubled, causing his sword-swinging speed to decrease.
Despite this, in just half a day, his technique proficiency had improved significantly.
His Azure Dragon Sword Intent reached 55%, while Three Colors Haki increased to 20%.
"Reporting, sir! We'll reach the next island in half a day. Should we make a stop?" A nervous Marine soldier approached, his eyes fixed on the ground.
"What's the next island?" Hyaku asked.
He had received an eternal pose from Garp that pointed directly to Water 7, allowing them to sail straight to the Capital of Water if needed.
"Sir! The next island is... Jaya Island!" the Marine soldier replied quickly.
Jaya?
The name sparked Hyaku's memories of the original story.
Jaya was the skull-shaped island that had broken off from Skypiea. More importantly, it contained historical texts about the Void Century and Poseidon — one of the three Ancient Weapons of mass destruction.
This was also where Luffy's group had first met Blackbeard.
"Since we're here, might as well take a look."
While Skypiea didn't interest Hyaku much, Blackbeard's presence made this stop worthwhile.
The system had revealed that sword swings in battle counted toward his total, with more significant opponents yielding higher counts. A single swing against an important figure could count as ten or twenty normal swings.
And Blackbeard, being a major antagonist of the One Piece world, would certainly qualify as significant. Capturing him now could prevent countless future problems.
"Pass down the order — we'll stop at Jaya for supplies before continuing our journey." Hyaku commanded.
"Y-yes sir!" The soldier nodded vigorously in response.
He was about to turn and leave.
"Wait! Raise your head and let me see." Hyaku noticed something and called out to the Marine soldier.
The soldier trembled, nearly losing his balance.
He turned around slowly and lifted his gaze to meet Hyaku's.
"S-sir... did I do something wrong?" He asked fearfully.
"Coby?" Hyaku's eyes widened in recognition.
It was indeed Coby, a recent Marine recruit!
To think this young recruit would end up on his battleship as a handyman... What an interesting twist of fate...
"Sir, you know who I am?" Coby asked, bewildered.
"In a way. And Helmeppo — he must be on this ship too!"
Coby's expression grew even more puzzled at Hyaku's knowledge of Helmeppo.
Just then, a system prompt appeared in Hyaku's mind.
" Ding! Special Mission detected - Cultivate Loyal Subordinates "
" Mission Description: Host can choose whether to take Coby and Helmeppo as loyal subordinates for guidance! "
" Hint: This is a long-term task, host will receive corresponding rewards as the two improve in strength! "
Special mission triggered... Cultivating loyal subordinates.
As Hyaku rose through the Marine ranks — which he inevitably would — he wouldn't be able to manage everything alone.
Having loyal subordinates would serve two purposes: establishing his own faction within the Marines to strengthen his position, and delegating tasks he couldn't personally handle.
'But I don't know how to teach...' Hyaku pondered after receiving the system's information.
Since his abilities and techniques came instantly from the system, he had never learned them the conventional way.
Teaching others would pose a real challenge — being skilled at something doesn't automatically make someone a good instructor.
〘 After host accepts subordinates, they will receive corresponding quick training manuals, no need to worry! 〙
The system swiftly addressed his concerns.
While his potential subordinates couldn't instantly acquire skills like he did, the system would create personalized training manuals to help them develop their abilities efficiently.
Given the system's generous offer, how could Hyaku say no?
Plus, there was an extra reward in it for him — it was a win-win situation.
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