c 5 – Advanced
"Sorry."
Ed's expression turned cold, eyes sharpening with focus. Though Rhodes' results seemed suspicious, Ed knew better than to take any combat lightly. In the Revolutionary Army, underestimating an opponent even one with suspect credentials was foolish.
After the officiating Revolutionary Army officer signaled the start of the duel, Ed charged at Rhodes without hesitation.
Whoosh!
Ed wielded a regulation practice knife. Holding it with both hands, he rushed forward and brought it down in a powerful vertical slash. A sharp crack echoed with the force, causing a few of the spectating recruits to nod in muted approval.
The slash had weight. The energy was fierce and disciplined.
Yet, in the ring, Rhodes didn't move. He didn't even blink. As the blade descended, he casually brought up his wooden practice sword
There was no noise from his swing. No shout. No stance.
Only a single, silent arc.
"Chi!"
In the next instant, Ed's practice knife shattered.
The same standardized, battle-tempered wood used for years in Revolutionary training snapped cleanly in two and clattered to the stone floor.
Ed froze, staring in disbelief.
The entire square went silent, as if time had stalled.
All eyes landed on the broken training blade lying limply by Ed's feet.
"Th-this..."
Recruits like Leif, who had been preparing to challenge Rhodes next, were speechless.
Everyone knew how tough the Revolutionary Army's practice weapons were. They were crafted to withstand years of intense sparring, often enduring even Haki-enhanced strikes. Zoro had once trained with similar wooden swords under Koshiro's guidance, cutting through boulders only after years of disciplined practice.
And now, one strike from Rhodes had cleaved through such a weapon.
"It's definitely a swordsman-level slash," Kerla muttered, her tone betraying her surprise. She squinted at the clean break in Ed's weapon, lips twitching. "He meets the technical standard, at least. Though I'd wager he's still the weakest swordsman I've ever seen physically speaking."
Indeed, Rhodes had cleanly bisected the weapon, but his physical stats especially speed and endurance were far from impressive.
Still, a slash like that…
Rhodes lowered his blade and regarded Ed with calm indifference.
"Do you still want to fight?"
He smiled. To him, the question was light-hearted.
But to Ed, that smile was demonic.
Shaking with disbelief, Ed grasped the broken hilt tightly. His pride refused to let him concede. With a roar, he raised it again.
Yet, before the shattered blade could descend
Rhodes casually stepped forward.
The tip of his practice sword pressed gently against Ed's throat.
Clack.
The broken knife slipped from Ed's fingers and landed beside its other half.
Ed stood paralyzed. The chill from the blade's touch made him feel like he'd fallen into an arctic trench. His eyes reflected fear, confusion… and awe.
The officiating officer, watching from the sideline, let out a soft sigh and raised a hand.
"Rhodes wins."
Rhodes retracted his sword with the same calm grace he'd shown throughout the match. Then he glanced at the row of challengers still waiting their turn.
"You…"
"Still want to go next?"
His voice was quiet. But somehow, the simple sentence sent shivers down the spines of the others.
Leif and several others instinctively stepped back, no longer making eye contact. Their confidence had vanished.
Someone crouched beside Ed's fallen blade, studying the cut.
"This... this is cleaner than anything I've seen. It looks like the edge of a Supreme Grade blade."
A blade like Yoru, wielded by Dracule Mihawk the strongest swordsman in the world could cut ships and frozen tsunamis alike. Though this was just a practice sword, the precision and control displayed here shocked even the Revolution's senior trainers.
Leif and the others couldn't fathom the kind of technique needed for such a strike. Even Reiz, a senior trainee with a Dao Strength of 387, furrowed his brow. He could tell Rhodes lacked speed and power but that sword technique?
That cut… he couldn't have stopped it.
"Tch."
Reiz scoffed, feigning nonchalance. Despite his bravado, his eyes never left Rhodes.
Seeing the rest of the challengers clearly losing their nerve, Rhodes sighed and shook his head.
"What a shame."
The sensation of cutting cleanly through his opponent's strike it was addictive. Like Zoro chasing the path of the sword, Rhodes was beginning to crave that state of singular focus.
"But in a real battle… I won't always have time to prepare."
"There won't be a delay or signal."
Rhodes returned to the crowd, hands in his pockets, already deep in thought.
He needed to reach the breath of all things at will anywhere, anytime. Zoro had done it instinctively against Mr. 1 in Alabasta, finding harmony in chaos. Rhodes aimed for the same.
As he walked back into the formation, Leif and the others exhaled in relief. They resumed their challenges, but most duels ended in quick defeats.
The few who managed wins earned respect—but Rhodes had stolen the spotlight.
Still, those who lost weren't disqualified. They just left with bruised pride.
"All right, that's the last of it."
Kerla smiled and addressed the crowd. "After evaluation, 31 of you have qualified as reservists. Reiz, Rhodes… Barry congratulations on joining the Revolutionary Army reserves."
Cheers erupted across the square.
The successful candidates wore proud smiles. Even those who failed applauded, understanding what an honor this was.
In Baltigo, the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army, becoming a reserve wasn't just a career step it was a badge of strength and potential.
And among them all, Rhodes drew the most attention.
His swordsmanship had left a deep impression.
The whispers of awe didn't stop.
Rhodes, however, remained expressionless. He'd long outgrown the age of getting carried away by praise.
This was merely the first step.
Compared to the heights reached by figures like Mihawk, Rayleigh, or Dragon himself this position was still far from the summit of the world.
---
Later that night.
After finishing logistics and briefings, Rhodes returned home.
While the sensation of concentration was still fresh in his body, he sat down, determined to fully internalize it.
With a habitual mental flick, he summoned the system's interface.
Level 1: Book of Knowledge (Advanced condition met)
Attribute: Intelligence +1
Energy: 100/100
Rhodes frowned slightly. There didn't seem to be any visible change.
He reached to dismiss it.
But then
His eyes widened.
"Wait…"
"This is the advanced condition?"
He stared in disbelief, his heart racing with surprise—and confusion.
Why now?
Why this moment?
It didn't make sense.
Not yet.
He began to reflect on everything that had happened today, searching for the reason why the advancement condition had finally been fulfilled.
Fighting?
No that couldn't be it. He'd fought before. Sparred, trained, even bled. Yet none of those encounters had triggered anything.
"Then… could it be because I became a reservist?"
That felt anticlimactic.
Just being a Revolutionary Army reservist? It didn't seem worthy of triggering a system upgrade. After all, becoming a regular would follow soon enough would that be another advancement?
If so, this evolution felt almost trivial.
Still, that didn't matter now what did matter was the advancement itself.
The next moment, as if responding to his thought, the empty inner world unfolded before him once more. In the center of the dimension floated the mystical tome, The Book of Knowledge its cover glowing faintly, still etched with ancient lines that pulsed like living veins.
Rhodes didn't hesitate.
He chose to advance.
Hum!
The air rippled.
Suddenly, this translucent space was overcome with an extraordinary change celestial silhouettes and god-like figures surged forth, phantoms of dragons and serpents weaving through the void, surrounding the suspended book like mythical spirits.
Blinding divine light poured into the book, as if imbuing it with the essence of the world.
Under the pressure of that brilliance, the pages pulsed and shivered. Ancient power flowed freely.
Gudong...
Rhodes swallowed hard, unable to contain the awe in his chest.
Even Luffy had needed a moment of clarity like during his two-year training under Rayleigh to comprehend the depth of power lying dormant inside himself.
Rhodes was no different. This moment demanded reverence.
Hum!
As his gaze remained locked on the transformation, the divine radiance gradually faded. The luminous aura surrounding the floating tome dimmed, settling back into a soft glow.
There weren't any explosive changes to its appearance but now, mysterious new glyphs and runes were etched along the cover, symbols that seemed to whisper secrets from an ancient world.
Barely restraining his excitement, Rhodes summoned the attribute bar again.
---
Tier 2: The Book of Knowledge
Attributes: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +1
Talent: Swordsmanship Specialization, The union of man and blade. Your comprehension of swordsmanship has been deeply enhanced! (An additional talent may be drawn.)
Energy: 0/1000
---
The Intelligence +2 was not just a number it meant Rhodes' cognitive capacity now surpassed that of the average person by a significant margin. This level of intellect was on par with acknowledged prodigies in the One Piece world perhaps comparable to Nico Robin's childhood genius or Dr. Vegapunk's raw intellect, albeit still far less developed.
His memory retention, processing speed, and deductive reasoning had all improved. If this were the world of entrance exams, he'd effortlessly pass into elite institutions like Tsinghua or Peking University.
Alongside it came Wisdom +1 a subtler but equally important attribute. It wasn't raw intelligence, but awareness, insight, the ability to perceive patterns and read emotions. In One Piece terms, it was the kind of clarity that leads to awakening Kenbunshoku Haki observation based not just on instinct, but intention.
"Combat or training generates energy... and status triggers advancement."
"But judging from the steep increase in energy required this time, the next condition might demand a much higher title or achievement maybe becoming a full Revolutionary Army cadre, or even a commander of one of the Four Armies. Or... could it be on par with a Shichibukai, like Crocodile or Doflamingo?"
As his thoughts raced, Rhodes began to understand what might have triggered this advancement.
Status wasn't just a title it represented acknowledgment, both by others and the system. His swordsmanship had reached a level that merited formal recognition. That might have been the real trigger not merely the title of reservist, but the peerless execution of technique.
As for the perception of his new attributes he felt no drastic difference yet.
That wasn't surprising.
Attributes like intelligence and wisdom had more indirect effects. They didn't give you more muscle or make you faster they shaped your thinking, timing, strategy. But Rhodes had yet to master the sensory capabilities that would fully utilize them.
"To master the state of concentration more deeply... that's the key."
"If only there were bonuses to strength or agility," he sighed.
He understood now mental stats alone wouldn't win battles. You needed Haki, instincts, raw combat ability. Zoro hadn't grown strong just by being smart he'd honed his instincts through blood and battle.
These new boosts were tools but without the ability to feel them, like sensing Kenbunshoku, they were just numbers for now.
Still deep in thought, Rhodes noticed something.
His eyes landed on a new entry in the talent section just beneath the Swordsmanship Specialization.
"Additional Talent Draw: Available."
His heart skipped.
"Another talent…? Let's try it."
---