NOVEL WEB Chapter 78: Chapter 78
According to the system's detailed data, Bai Yu's swordsmanship at this point—
Had already reached the level of a top-class swordsman in the Pirate World!
His mastery of single-handed sword combat was now so refined that few could compare.
"Worthy of being a cheat system!"
After a long while, having fully digested the inherited swordsmanship techniques, Bai Yu couldn't help but inwardly praise the system with admiration.
Unlike those who honed their swordsmanship through years—if not decades—of sweat and blood, Bai Yu had gained the equivalent of twenty or more years of combat experience in a matter of hours.
It saved an unfathomable amount of time.
"I wonder how I would fare if I fought Mihawk with my current sword skills…"
A silhouette suddenly flashed through Bai Yu's mind. He muttered softly to himself.
Dracule "Hawkeye" Mihawk.
The strongest swordsman in the world, revered across the seas.
As a fellow swordsman, Bai Yu had always aimed to one day cross swords with Mihawk. Unfortunately, such a battle had yet to materialize.
"The only thing holding me back is my physical ability."
Shaking himself free of idle thoughts, Bai Yu glanced once more at his system panel and sighed helplessly.
Now, he had swordsmanship.
He had sword techniques.
He even had ultimate skills—destructive finishing moves capable of deciding battles in an instant.
But what he lacked… was the physical foundation to match them.
After all, every move's effectiveness—every slash, every leap, every parry—ultimately depended on the user's physique.
A swordsman's power came not just from technique, but from speed, strength, reflexes, and endurance.
Bai Yu reflected that had he possessed an S-rank physique during the battle with Doflamingo, he might have suppressed the Warlord without even tapping into the power of the Dragon transformation.
And with S-rank physique as a base—combined with Dragon Force, Ben Lei, and other enhancements—
He might have even finished Doflamingo off entirely!
"But the system's rewards work like a gacha draw… You never know when you'll land that physique upgrade."
Bai Yu sighed inwardly.
Then, with a casual wave, he dismissed the translucent system panel from view.
---
From morning till dusk, Bai Yu and his team—Maya, Keby, and a handpicked unit of elite marines—traveled to the warship dock at Marine Branch 188.
The soldiers accompanying them had been carefully selected by Bellumebo. All of them had strong individual combat abilities and excellent seamanship.
"Keby, what happened to you?"
"Did you fall face-first into a pit?"
At the front of the lineup, Bellumebo chuckled at Keby's bruised face and swollen eye.
"Mind your own business!"
"Besides, I'm not behind you anymore!"
Keby snapped back, lifting his chin with uncharacteristic pride.
"…"
"What do you mean by that?!"
"Don't tell me Brigadier General Bai Yu gave you a little 'lesson'!"
Bellumebo's face twitched with disbelief.
"Alright, you two."
Bai Yu turned around, interrupting their quarrel with a calm voice.
"It's almost time."
"We set sail now."
"Yes, sir!"
At Bai Yu's order, the group responded in unison.
They began moving supplies and luggage onto a medium-sized warship moored at the dock.
Because the squad was small in number, Bai Yu didn't choose a large warship.
While medium warships didn't have the firepower or defense of their larger counterparts, they offered greater speed, which was what mattered most right now.
Soon, all supplies were stowed.
Bai Yu and his companions boarded the warship.
"Set sail!"
At his command, the vessel began moving, cutting across the sea.
Their destination: The New World.
---
The next day.
Bai Yu and Maya were on the deck, going through their usual morning training routine.
It had to be said: Maya, heir of the priestess clan, possessed exceptional talent.
In just a short time, she had already internalized the system's training manual Bai Yu had passed to her.
She had mastered several defensive and healing techniques based on spiritual energy.
This was a great relief to Bai Yu—since they had no official ship doctor, Maya's abilities filled a critical void.
Now, even minor wounds could be healed in moments through her spiritual energy, ensuring the team's endurance during long missions.
Coo-coo!
A sudden cry from above caused everyone to look up.
A news-coo, a trained seagull used by the Marines for delivering reports, swooped overhead.
Thwip!
With practiced motion, it dropped a sealed document from its harness.
Reacting quickly, Bellumebo dashed forward and caught the document mid-air.
On the surface was the unmistakable seal of Marine Headquarters.
"Brigadier General Bai Yu!"
"It's an urgent communiqué from HQ!"
Bellumebo handed the envelope over with solemn expression.
These sorts of documents—bearing the 'important' classification—were restricted to high-ranking officers.
Maya and Keby, curious, walked over and halted their training.
"Got it."
Bai Yu nodded, tore open the envelope, and scanned its contents carefully.
And then—his expression changed.
A name printed boldly on the first page instantly stirred his memory.
Golden Lion Shiki!
Captain of the Flying Pirates.
A Devil Fruit user who had eaten the Float-Float Fruit (Fuwa Fuwa no Mi), allowing him to levitate objects—and even entire ships—at will.
Shiki had once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with legends like Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard Edward Newgate.
He had single-handedly stormed Marineford, laying waste to much of the Navy's headquarters.
If not for the joint efforts of Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Garp the Hero, Shiki might have escaped unscathed.
According to this report, Shiki had escaped Impel Down far earlier than recorded in the original timeline.
Now, he was active in the New World.
And had publicly declared his intention to wipe out the entire East Blue!
In response, Marine HQ had ordered all branches to be on high alert. If any sightings of Shiki occurred, they were to be reported immediately so that a Marine Admiral could be dispatched.
Given Shiki's power and infamy, HQ took the threat extremely seriously.
The document sent to Bai Yu was one of many distributed in bulk across the Grand Line.
---
[Ding! Side quest triggered — "Crusade Against Golden Lion Shiki"]
[Type: Random Combat Encounter]
[Objective: Capture or kill Golden Lion Shiki to receive major rewards]
[Note: Failure to defeat or locate target will forfeit rewards]
As Bai Yu finished reading, the system's prompt rang out in his mind.
Golden Lion Shiki… a living legend.
"It seems this journey won't be as smooth as expected."
Bai Yu accepted the quest and narrowed his eyes in thought.
The system wouldn't randomly assign targets. If a mission had been issued—
Then the probability of encountering Golden Lion Shiki was high.
And Shiki wasn't just strong—he was an apex predator of the sea.
Just imagining that clash made Bai Yu's blood surge with anticipation.
"Before that—time to max out every move I have!"
He spoke quietly to himself again.
If he's coming, I'll be ready.
The rewards from defeating Shiki would undoubtedly be immense.
At the very least—before that moment arrived—he needed to push all his signature techniques to full proficiency.
Ju·Liulian.
Dragon Force.
Ben Lei.
Now that they were approaching 50% mastery, the increase in speed and strength they granted was already impressive.
But that wasn't enough.
To challenge a legend—he'd need nothing less than perfection.
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