Seven whole days passed.
On the first floor, the specters at the edge of Death Island could no longer satisfy the players' hunting progress, so they began to venture deeper.
More and more players started encountering red-clothed specters.
"Gum-Gum: Mind Drive!"
Luffy shook his arm, took off the Straw Hat on his head, and slammed it straight onto the ground.
A slight tremor spread out.
Centered on the Straw Hat, a special green energy array spread across the ground within five meters in all directions.
All specters were stiffened in place by the shockwave.
Under the enhancement of the green energy array, Luffy's fists became even more aggressive and swift, continuously pounding the specters until their health bars were depleted.
"What a powerful move!"
Zoro opened his eyes, staring intently at his captain hunting specters.
This was a drop they had just gotten from hunting a red specter, a blue skill called [Mind Drive].
It allows one to plunge their giant weapon into the earth, creating a [Giant Weapon Force] effect around them, slightly increasing critical damage, and, after being mind-driven, a heightened sense like a sixth sense, allowing for more precise hits on enemies.
But then, on second thought,
Zoro felt that [Mind Drive] wasn't quite suitable for him. He was destined to become the World's Strongest Swordsman; he couldn't just plunge [Wado Ichimonji] into the ground and engage in close-quarters combat like that brute Luffy, could he?
"If we keep going, we should be close to the center of the island. I wonder how strong the Tower Lord is, and if he's worth drawing my sword for!"
Zoro's gaze was sharp.
Behind him, wisps of black mist rose, and the Ghost God phantom gradually solidified and descended.
This was a new skill that appeared after [Ghost Affinity] was upgraded to Lv.5.
The system prompted that he could spend eight thousand reward points to improve the skill quality. After Zoro somewhat blankly signed a bond, [Ghost Affinity] upgraded into a new skill.
[Kajja of the Afterimage]: Borrowing the power of the Ghost God to entwine oneself, enhancing critical damage and movement speed, and making slashes imbued with Ghost Qi.
"The power of the Afterimage!"
Zoro bit down on his sword hilt, held his swords with both hands, and stomped his right foot hard on the ground, sweeping past several specters at extreme speed.
The specters' claws fell, but they were blocked by the afterimage around Zoro, as if passing through an illusory shadow, causing him no damage whatsoever.
Rip.
The purplish-black Ghost Qi slash tore open the specter's chest.
This Ghost God originated from a guardian of the Shadow Labyrinth on the Arad continent. He was a Shadow Demon Swordsman in life, and after death, he still refused to dissipate, relying on his strong will and spirit, eventually transforming into a Ghost God.
"If I fall on the path to becoming the World's Strongest Swordsman, perhaps my unwilling resentment will also turn me into a Ghost God wandering the world."
Sheathing his sword, and feeling the Afterimage Ghost God surrounding him, Zoro thought silently.
Whether it's specters or pirates, no one can stop me from becoming the strongest swordsman. I will cut down all obstacles in my path!
"Smoker, that idiot, how dare he openly poach from the Navy?"
Navy Admiral Sakazuki, who always had zero tolerance for insubordination, slammed the conference table repeatedly in anger, exclaiming, "Navy funds, he actually used them for upgrades, giving them to the Game Merchant who poses a great threat to the Navy. Does he want to betray the Navy?"
Inside the visual Den Den Mushi,
Smoker hadn't signed a bond yet, but instead generously pulled out Navy funds to upgrade his Lv.5 Poison Mastery.
[Poison Blood]: A Street Fighter, through the cultivation of poison, imbues their blood with extremely lethal toxins.
This was a core ability of Street Fighters.
Aokiji calmly said, "Smoker is also doing this for the Navy. The stronger he gets, the more intelligence he can gather on the Game Merchant, and the better he can protect the World Nobles."
Seeing that the two were about to argue again, Sengoku quickly intervened.
These days,
All high-ranking Navy officers, after finishing their tasks, had to attend meetings. The content was to analyze and observe the game content transmitted back by the visual Den Den Mushi.
There were two layers of objectives:
First, to investigate the mystery of the Game Merchant's abilities so that Vice Admiral Tsuru could better respond.
Then, to try their best to help the Navy personnel who had landed on the first floor of the Trial Tower, to find the weak points of Death Island, and to enable the Navy to become the victors in killing the Tower boss as much as possible.
Sengoku said with a headache, "Some Navy personnel have already signed bonds and received reward points from the Game Merchant."
Bonds.
They didn't sound like good things, implying that the Navy personnel who signed them would need to continuously hunt these specter monsters to repay reward points to the Game Merchant.
No one knew what the consequences of default would be.
If the consequences were severe enough to endanger lives, it would be like a chain, binding the Navy personnel who signed the bonds. It wouldn't be surprising for those with weak wills to betray the Navy just to survive.
A note was handed to Sengoku by a Navy soldier.
Sengoku's face changed drastically after reading it, and he cursed, "Garp, that idiot! I clearly told him not to act rashly, yet this guy dared to directly become a contract player and secretly land on the island?"
"Vice Admiral Garp also became a contract player?"
"Nonsense!"
The Navy generals were immediately in an uproar.
A Navy Headquarters Vice Admiral was a top combat force of the Navy, not to mention that he was [Hero Garp], who had always refused promotion for some reason, and whose true combat power was already on par with a Navy Admiral.
He was the man who had once chased the Pirate King's ship, repeatedly pushing Roger to the brink, and was already regarded as the face of the Navy by ordinary citizens.
If anything happened to him, the Navy would suffer enormous losses.
This was not comparable to a few East Blue Branch nobodies defecting, or Smoker dying.
The visual Den Den Mushi's snail eyes spun frantically, and after several minutes, it finally located Garp.
"Kebi, if you're so timid, you'll never become a Navy!"
Garp punched the pink-haired dwarf on the head, looking at Kebi, who was cowering in fear from the specters, and was angry at his lack of fighting spirit.
He had received Sengoku's instructions and arrived at the East Blue Trial Tower area.
On the way, he met Kebi, who was rowing a boat alone, felt he was a good prospect, and prepared to recruit him into the Navy.
However, after a few days of interaction, he found Kebi too soft.
Perhaps he should hand him over to Sakazuki for some training, to temper his willpower?
Bang.
Garp's swinging fist was as hard as steel, tearing through the specter's body like cotton.
He was a man standing almost at the pinnacle of the Pirate World, with no Devil Fruit ability, pure Haki and combat skills, not weakened by age, but rather becoming more refined.
He hadn't brought much money with him when he came to the East Blue this time.
But it was enough to unseal his real-world abilities. Lv.5 Armed Haki, although only rated as a blue quality skill by the Reincarnation Game, was enhanced by combat techniques, making his specter hunting speed quite fast.
"What a satisfying fight!"
Garp laughed heartily, swinging his fists continuously, each blow powerful and heavy.
The figure wearing a dog-head hat moved back and forth among the specters, each punch taking down a specter.
"What's going on? They're all Lv.5 Armed Haki, but Vice Admiral Garp's punches are stronger?"
The Navy personnel accompanying Garp showed puzzled expressions.
They were all strong enough to fight alongside Garp, and Armed Haki was an essential skill for traversing the Grand Line and the New World.
To keep up with Garp and Bogado, they all signed bonds and unsealed their Armed Haki after receiving reward points.
But despite having the same Lv. level, they didn't have Garp's power.
"Perhaps it's because my Armed Haki skill has comprehended an affix?"
"Affix?"
The Navy personnel all looked confused.
Garp directly displayed his skill bar, where a section of text, an affix, had appeared at the bottom of his [Armed Haki] skill.
[Armed Haki Lv.5 (Blue)]: A special ability of the Pirate World, when released, it can greatly enhance defense and attack power.
Lv.5 Affix: Increases fist penetration by 15%.
The Navy personnel looked at each other and quickly opened their skill bars.
After some research,
They found that skill affixes needed to be comprehended independently, or purchased from the Store's Enlightenment Pills.
One Enlightenment Pill cost five thousand reward points, and it didn't even guarantee absolute success in comprehension.
A-Fu looked at the newly listed item and asked, "Master, will anyone really buy Enlightenment Pills?"
Affixes.
Simply put, they were different effects extended from the same skill due to varying levels of comprehension by each player.
Just like the divine martial arts manuals in the Wuxia world, or the secret arts and battle auras in the fantasy world, the effects cultivated by each person were different.
Players with stronger soul potential had deeper insights and understanding of skills, allowing them to exert greater power even at the same level.
And these subtle differences were fully presented by the Master in a game format.
"Of course they will buy them."
Fang Yi's lips curled slightly as he said, "Can't you see the envy in the eyes of those Navy personnel? Why is your power stronger when everyone's skill levels are the same?"
A-Fu said matter-of-factly, "That's because Garp has a stronger comprehension and understanding of Armed Haki, blending his own methods, which leads to his Armed Haki having greater power in terms of fist penetration."
This had a lot to do with soul potential.
Although the Reincarnation Game was entirely a game construct, its essence was still a real world, and talent advantages could not be completely ignored.
Just like Mihawk and Zoro, their soul potential was strong enough that they naturally had a unique comprehension of swordsmanship.
Even in a world without magic, some people could apply knowledge flexibly, while others, even if they memorized it by rote, couldn't draw inferences from it.
"So, this is the reason for the appearance of Enlightenment Pills."
Fang Yi looked down from above at the continuous stream of players entering the first floor of the Trial Tower and said, "The purpose of the Reincarnation Game is to change everyone's destiny and fulfill all wishes."
"Players with high soul potential are indeed the vanguard and elite force for hunting pollution sources, but we also cannot ignore our largest base."
"That is, ordinary players."
"Why, after becoming Reincarnation Game players, can't they have the ability to change their fate? With the same level and equipment, Mihawk can reach a Lord-level strength, while I, Pirate Palu, can only be an elite monster?"
"The appearance of Enlightenment Pills is to tell ordinary players that as long as they have enough willpower and can desperately hunt pollution for reward points, they can catch up to those favored by heaven, the children of destiny, and even trample them underfoot!"
"This is the true meaning of the Reincarnation Game."
After hearing this, even A-Fu felt a surge of excitement.
Her small fists clenched involuntarily. Destiny was in her own hands!
Immediately after, she felt something was off and asked, "But Master, isn't the price of Enlightenment Pills too high? The same amount of reward points would be enough to upgrade skills, wouldn't that make one even stronger?"
That was the problem.
The attribute increase from skill upgrades far exceeded the small attribute gain from affixes.
But Enlightenment Pills, which could comprehend and change affixes, were even more expensive than the reward points for skill upgrades. Would there really be such a sucker to buy them?
Fang Yi showed a relieved expression and said, "Pirate players might have to wait a bit longer, but Ninja World players are already unable to resist. Let alone five thousand reward points, even fifty thousand reward points, people will try."
"How is that possible? If it were me, I definitely wouldn't buy it!"
A-Fu shook her head repeatedly.
Although players were usually easily fooled by her Master, they couldn't be that foolish to spend a large amount of reward points on Enlightenment Pills.
Just for that small attribute bonus?
Take Garp's [Lv.5 Affix] for example: 15% fist penetration. The skill power was indeed stronger than the Armed Haki of ordinary Navy personnel.
But instead of spending five thousand reward points to buy an Enlightenment Pill and gamble for the Lv.5 fist penetration affix, it would be better to just upgrade the skill directly.
Even a Lv.10 Armed Haki without an affix could easily crush Garp's Lv.5 Armed Haki with an affix.
This was the power of levels.
Even a Lv.1 purple skill's power could not be greater than a Lv.10 white skill's.
Fang Yi sneered, "That's because you underestimate players' demand for perfect builds."
Back when he was a game designer,
He had seen too many players who already had top-tier gear, but would still spend insane amounts of money for single-digit stat increases.
Equipment grade adjustment boxes, affix reroll scrolls, refined attribute modification pens, all just to pursue the ultimate.
"Perfect build?"
A-Fu didn't quite understand the term.
Fang Yi pondered for a moment, then asked, "What's the maximum attribute for a skill's five-level affix?"
A-Fu thought about it and replied, "Twenty percent, or twenty attribute points."
Fist penetration, sword critical hit chance, break attack power, shadow attack power, physical evasion, defense...
The attributes that affixes could provide were strange and varied.
But they all had attribute limits.
Just like how a sword technique in the Wuxia world, no matter how fierce, and no matter how strong the wielder's comprehension, could not exceed the limits of that sword technique.
20%.
That was the maximum attribute amplification a five-level skill affix could provide.
Fang Yi smiled and said, "Do you believe that even if someone reaches a 19.9% attribute bonus, they will still be unable to resist buying more Enlightenment Pills to pursue the ultimate 20% attribute?"
"Impossible!"
A-Fu shook her head repeatedly.
While players were usually easily swayed by her Master, they couldn't be that foolish.
"Then let's wait and see."
Not now, of course.
Pirate players' equipment and skills hadn't been optimally upgraded yet, but when they were like the Ninja World players, ready to start attacking the New World.
Enlightenment Pills would begin to sell like hotcakes.
Fang Yi looked at the players in the Trial Tower as if he were looking at a new crop of golden leeks, about to ripen and ready for harvest.
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