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"Are you telling me that Hawkeye destroyed your fleet, and now all you have left is this single ship?"
Kaido, in his in-game avatar, stood with a sinister expression as he looked at Don Krieg, who was writhing in pain on the ground alongside his crew, which included Gin, Pearl, and hundreds of nasty pirates from the East Blue.
At that moment, they were in the Grand Line, near the closest point to the East Blue.
"Yes! Yes! It's that man, Dracule Mihawk. He's a terrifying swordsman…"
Don Krieg's golden armor was shattered in several places on his body, evidence of the intense battle he had fought.
"Wororororo! A terrifying swordsman, huh? As expected of the World's Greatest Swordsman."
Kaido laughed. His size was larger than Don Krieg's but still much smaller than his real form.
[Subjugate the remnants of Krieg Pirates… Mission complete!]
[100 EXP gained! 1 skill point earned!]
[Level up achieved!]
Kaido looked at the notifications with satisfaction. He had gained a skill point and leveled up!
'This mission really had massive rewards! Who would've thought that intercepting the defeated Don Krieg's return would bring me such benefits?'
Suppressing his urge to laugh excitedly, Kaido maintained his sinister expression as he kicked Krieg again.
"Alright then, from now on, you're all part of my crew! As cannon fodder! Wororororo!" Kaido laughed.
Hearing Kaido's words, Krieg, Gin, and the others felt a surge of resentment. However, remembering how Kaido had single-handedly crushed them, they could only swallow their anger and remain silent, hoping that their nightmare might eventually bring them salvation.
Kaido glanced at Krieg's level in disdain. A mere level 10 wanted to enter the Grand Line? To his surprise, Krieg's subordinate, Gin, was level 12—higher than his captain.
"How pathetic…"
After rampaging across the East Blue for months, Kaido's level had risen to 24, making him one of the elites in the game world.
"And now, my level is 25! Worororo! With this extra skill point, I'll enhance my Armament Haki to the next level!"
Skill points were a rare resource in the game, only obtainable by chance! Kaido hadn't expected to earn one so easily just by subjugating the remnants of Krieg's pirates, who had been fleeing the Grand Line.
One skill point could upgrade any player's skill by one level! Its effect was remarkable.
Kaido quickly enjoyed the effects of the skill point, which combined with his level-up, made him feel a surge of explosive power at that moment.
"Wororororo! Even if Hawkeye himself came now, I'd defeat him!"
He clenched his fist, and a faint spiritual aura surrounded his arm. It was the Armament Haki he had finally formed with the skill point.
'I've been training hard for months to reach the entry-level of Armament Haki, but now, with just one skill point, I've reached the beginner level… This is truly cheating!'
Unaware of what was happening around him, Kaido didn't notice the change in the expressions of Krieg, Gin, and the others. At that moment, a small boat emerged from the fog, carrying a man with sharp eyes who sat quietly.
"He's here… Dracule Mihawk!" Don Krieg screamed in terror. He hadn't expected this monster to still be pursuing them.
Kaido glanced at the man holding a black blade, ready to attack and slice their ship in two.
"Level 150?"
Kaido's eyes twitched as he saw the dark black level above Mihawk's head.
In the next moment, the ship they were standing on split in half.
"Damn—" Before he could finish his words, his body was sliced in half along with the ship.
[You have died!]
[Game Over!]
…
While Kaido was having a tough time in the game world, others were enjoying a relatively smoother experience.
Imu, who had obtained the Slip-Slip Fruit at the start, was wreaking havoc in the Grand Line, making a name by assassinating dozens of famous pirates in the first half of the Grand Line.
She was now known as the "Queen of Slippery Serpents," with a bounty of 320 million berries! Her actual level at the moment was 35, ten levels higher than Kaido.
At this moment, Imu faced off against Marine soldiers who were bombarding her with all kinds of weapons. However, every attack—be it bullets, swords, or even bombs—slid off her body smoothly, leaving her untouched.
"Fufufu~ Who would've thought there'd be a day I'd fight my own puppets? How interesting… Let's climb even higher."
Imu laughed before ferociously attacking the unlucky Marine soldiers who had crossed her path.
…
In another parallel timeline of the One Piece game world, Shanks walked with a tired expression across a desert island.
"Ugh, I'm so thirsty… Why haven't I found any signs of civilization after all this time? Isn't Nanohana supposed to be nearby?"
Shanks was currently in Alabasta, struggling to survive with his current level and poor navigation skills.
"My supplies of food and water are almost out… I need to reach the nearest settlement quickly to restock and get a new mission…"
His level had been stuck at 27 for a while now.
As Shanks continued trudging through the desert, the sand beneath him suddenly rose, revealing a massive purple scorpion.
Shanks' eyes gleamed as he saw it. "Ooooh, food!"
…
Immediately after finishing the new manga volume, readers rushed back into the game world as soon as they finished their tasks!
In this world, progressing in the game and leveling up like pirates had become a way of life for many—be they authorities, pirates, bounty hunters, or ordinary people. Everyone was eager to return to the game and keep playing.
Even when players found themselves stuck in their respective storylines, they showed no impatience or frustration, repeating their efforts day after day to overcome their obstacles. Many eventually succeeded after dozens or even hundreds of attempts.
The game's difficulty no longer bothered players; instead, it became a beloved feature. Out of this challenge arose countless players with iron wills and unyielding spirits!
There was no shortage of unlucky players like Kaido, nor was there a lack of lucky ones like Shanks!
For example, Roger was currently listening to Mont Blanc Cricket, who was explaining how the Knock-Up Stream worked.
"So, by using the Knock-Up Stream and a sturdy ship capable of withstanding the impact, I can reach Skypiea?"
Roger smiled. He already knew this, but of course, he wouldn't reveal it to Cricket, the kind-hearted man.
"You helped me get rid of Bellamy and his gang, so I'll help you repair your ship and make it fly, Gold…"
Cricket smiled back.
"You told me that the mountain of gold I've spent my life searching for might not be submerged underwater but could instead be up there. You've given me a new perspective, so I'll help you."
[New Mission! Help Mont Blanc Cricket find the ancient city of Shandora!]
'Finally! This mission is here at last!'
Roger smiled and said, "I'll also help clear the name of your great ancestor, Noland."
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 871: Whitebeard Enjoys the World of the Game!
Chapter 872: Shamrock's First Memory!
Chapter 873: Player Mihawk vs. the Shichibukai Mihawk!
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