Perhaps because this template didn't have the same negative backlash as the Sharingan—
The Character Template: Third Brother fused directly into Ren's body.
Yet, no matter how much he examined himself from left to right, he couldn't find any visible change.
"Seems like... I need to switch modes?"
Realizing something, Ren flipped the mental switch in his mind.
The character template shifted into the Third Brother form. Golden light engulfed his body, sending waves of warmth through him—but as the intensity of that heat increased—
It was like molten magma roared through his veins, tearing at his muscles and bones as if his very body were being reforged.
The searing pain made Ren clench his teeth to stifle a scream, but the agony soon receded like an ebbing tide.
Before he could fully sense what had changed, a light screen appeared abruptly before his eyes.
[Name – Ren]
[Age – 18]
[Race – Celestial Fragment / Human]
[Strength: F++ (You are an immensely strong human capable of pinning a Bear to the ground and rubbing his face into it.)]
[Agility: F (A speedster among ordinary humans.)]
[Constitution: F++ (Tough vitality—enough to survive multiple gunshots.)]
[Luck: F (Due to the template, your luck has once again increased.)]
[Charm: E+ (Your aura has become purer, enhancing your natural charm.)]
[Traits: Wanderer Between Worlds / Fate's Chosen Tidebreaker, Indestructible Vajra Body]
A shocking improvement—nearly every attribute had risen by an entire grade.
Though the jump from G to F might seem minor, the "+" modifiers created vast gaps between each level.
Ren vaguely sensed that every rank represented a distinct boundary.
Rank I was the lowest of the low—when applied to Luck, it practically meant death was imminent.
H represented someone weaker than the average adult—crippled, blind, or deaf, for example.
G was the baseline for a normal, healthy human.
But the "+" signs pushed those limits further—trained marines or fitness enthusiasts who'd worked out for years probably sat around G+ or G++.
An F rank, by his estimation, was roughly equivalent to a low-ranking marine officer—or a pirate with a bounty between a few hundred thousand and one million Beli.
Of course, that was just his personal theory.
In truth, his full strength now likely reached E in both Strength and Constitution.
Ren suddenly clenched his fist, letting his energy circulate through his body.
[Strength +3, Constitution +2]
The numbers shifted again—
[Name – Ren]
[Age – 18]
[Race – Celestial Fragment / Human]
[Strength: E (You can easily lift a two-meter boulder and wield a hundred-pound mace as if it were weightless.)]
[Agility: F (A speedster among ordinary humans.)]
[Constitution: E (Your endurance rivals that of a dinosaur—you could take dozens of flintlock shots without dying.)]
[Luck: F (Your luck has once again improved due to the template.)]
[Charm: E+ (Your purified aura enhances your charm.)]
[Traits: Wanderer Between Worlds / Fate's Chosen Tidebreaker, Indestructible Vajra Body]
"Damn."
Sometimes, when words fail you, one "Damn" says it all.
Ren could feel raw power coursing through his body like a surging tide.
With the Indestructible Vajra Body enhancing him, his Strength and Constitution had both jumped to E rank.
While it was only a single-grade leap on paper, the increase wasn't linear—attribute boosts worked by points, not ranks. The gap between F++ and E was vast, which explained why the display showed only one step up.
Judging by the description in parentheses, he was already absurdly strong.
If he had to compare, he'd say his strength now matched a pirate worth several million Beli—someone like Alvida.
Such power in the East Blue placed him among the elite.
If Zoro hadn't joined the crew yet, and Ren had to face the Navy alone, he probably wouldn't lose.
His strength alone would see him through.
Of course, he also knew that someone like Alvida was still small fry on the world stage.
But considering he'd left the Marine town barely over a week ago—back when he'd been too weak to even face a regular marine soldier—
This rate of growth was downright terrifying.
So this is what pay-to-win feels like?
At this point, he could proudly call himself a "whale player."
Ren tightened his fists, savoring that intoxicating feeling of power far beyond what he once knew.
He almost felt like he could lift a mountain—or shatter one with a single punch.
Of course, that was probably just the illusion of newfound strength.
Still, when he casually picked up a flintlock from Jick's treasure room and twisted it—
The steel barrel folded in half with a crisp metallic crack.
Granted, the metallurgy of this era wasn't advanced and the material wasn't especially tough—
But for a human to bend it by hand? That was sheer brute force.
And this new power had visibly altered his appearance as well.
After switching to the Third Brother template, Ren's skin took on a faint golden hue. The energy of the Indestructible Vajra Body added a second layer of golden radiance.
The overlapping glow produced a mysterious effect—a faint, enlarged golden figure shimmered around him, as though an ethereal monk statue hovered at his back.
He looked like one of the Eighteen Arhats come alive from a temple fresco—yet the sharp edges and flickering light made him resemble a golden-armored warrior more than a monk.
He was impossible to ignore.
His aura had changed too—cleaner, purer, giving off a serene and radiant presence.
It probably had something to do with that "Celestial Fragment" listed under Race. His increased charm might be tied to that as well.
Ren didn't dwell on it for now. He decided to think about it later.
For the moment, he was just relieved that when he switched templates, his clothes hadn't transformed too.
He definitely wasn't eager to wear anything resembling the Calabash Brothers' wild tribal outfits.
That was an absolute dame da yo.
Then—
Ding!
A notification from the Dimensional Roulette popped up.
[You have reached 100 total spins. The Dimensional Roulette has unlocked the Advanced VIP Wheel. Each spin now costs 1,000,000 Beli.]
"…That's… expensive."
Ren fell silent. His bad premonition had come true.
Every tier of the Dimensional Roulette increased its chip cost tenfold. Now, the Advanced VIP Wheel required one million Beli per spin.
And if he wanted the jackpot… he'd need a full hundred spins.
Ten million Beli minimum—ideally a hundred million.
He suddenly felt grateful that Nami had stolen his gem pouch earlier. After all, it gave him a righteous reason to "retrieve his lost property" and demand compensation.
Half of that missing hundred million could probably be recovered from her.
As for the rest…
Ren's gaze darkened with intent.
The Bloodhand Gang was hosting its annual meeting soon, gathering wealth from all nearby branches.
As the saying went—"No man grows rich without risk, and no horse grows fat without night grazing."
This time, whether he could fill the remaining gap depended on how generous the Bloodhand Gang turned out to be.
After all, collecting "donations" while offering some… warmth in return—wasn't that perfectly reasonable?
He glanced at his balance:
[Chip Balance: 12,030,000 Beli]
(End of Chapter)