c 6: Development
When Rhodes chose to initiate the talent draw, a surge of radiant, multi-colored light burst before his eyes. Dozens of words and symbols drifted past, almost unnoticeable at first humble in appearance, yet bursting with latent power.
"F-Fuck..."
With just one glance, Rhodes could no longer hold his composure. His breath caught, and he blurted out in disbelief.
Until now, he had assumed the talents that could be extracted would be limited to physical skills swordsmanship, marksmanship, close combat standard abilities befitting a fighter. But the moment the selection began, he realized the Book of Knowledge was far more profound than he'd ever imagined.
Among the rapid flashes, he caught glimpses of physical enhancements like:
[Rock],
[Divine Power],
[Extreme Speed],
[Toughness]
all powerful body-oriented talents that could drastically augment his physique. These alone could rival the body refinement seen in characters like Garp or Vergo, whose monstrous strength came from sheer durability and raw power rather than Devil Fruits.
But that wasn't all.
What truly stunned him were the elemental abilities that followed:
[Thunder Control],
[Arctic Control],
[Flame Control]
abilities that mimicked or perhaps paralleled the powers of elemental Logia-type Devil Fruits. The concept was incredible—these weren't just passive traits, but actual control over the elements, like the Goro Goro no Mi, the Mera Mera no Mi, or the Hie Hie no Mi.
And even beyond those…
Rhodes caught fleeting glimpses of even more incredible talents:
[Power of Doors]—echoing Blueno's Doa Doa no Mi,
[Power of Faith]—an abstract force that could rival a Yonko's influence,
[Power of Luck]—potentially akin to the unfathomable fate-altering aura of Luffy himself.
Each one seemed absurd in its potential frightening in its possibilities.
As the shimmering list scrolled, Rhodes' heart pounded. His blood raced. His hands trembled ever so slightly.
"These divine talents... just one of them could boost my slashing power severalfold."
"The elementals are crazy too. Even if I can't turn into lightning like a Logia user, just wielding thunder would be insane."
"And the Power of Doors? That's next-level if I had that, there wouldn't be a single place in the Grand Line I couldn't reach!"
MMP! Why can I only draw one?! I want them all...
While he internally cursed the system's stinginess, the golden stream of talents gradually began to slow.
The pace decreased.
One by one, terrifying options drifted past with agonizing suspense.
Slower.
Slower still.
Eventually, the scrolling settled near a line labeled:
[Medical Specialization].
"…You've got to be kidding me," Rhodes muttered, dumbfounded. Was I destined to study medicine in both lives?
But studying medicine won't help me conquer the Grand Line!
Right as despair began to sink in the selection shifted.
The cursor nudged forward one slot.
The talent line changed.
The golden word pulsed, then burst into radiant light like a star exploding in silence and transformed into a cascade of golden particles that spiraled down like a celestial river, finally merging with Rhodes' attribute panel.
---
Tier 2: The Book of Knowledge
Attributes: Intelligence +2, Wisdom +1
Talent:
Swordsmanship Specialization — Unity of man and blade. Sword comprehension is vastly improved!
Thunder Control — The god of thunder descends. You now possess full control over the power of lightning!
Energy: 0/1000
---
"The power of thunder...?"
Rhodes blinked.
He hadn't dared to hope. He thought the Book of Knowledge might offer growth but this? This was the moment his true journey as a warrior began.
Already, with a mind twice as sharp as the average person, his memory and analytical capacity surged. And now with Thunder Control his imagination erupted.
Like a floodgate, inspiration poured in.
He recalled Enel the "God" of Skypiea whose Goro Goro no Mi made him nearly invincible. Not only could he unleash lightning attacks of terrifying scale, he could even use Mantra (Kenbunshoku Haki) enhanced by electromagnetic waves to track enemies.
And beyond One Piece, echoes of other thunder-wielders raced through Rhodes' mind Naruto's Chidori, the Lightning Release Armor that transformed the Raikage into a living missile, the cell stimulation techniques that boosted speed and reflexes through neural acceleration.
Then there was Misaka Mikoto's Railgun, iron sand blades, electromagnetic manipulation, and storm-level attacks.
Countless applications exploded in his mind, and Rhodes could hardly wait to develop them all.
"Breathe. I need to breathe calm down…"
He forced a deep breath.
There was a priority to everything. Even with this gift, it wasn't possible to master everything in one night. He had to advance step by step.
And more importantly, the thunder he controlled now was still too raw, too limited. It wasn't enough to fire off continent-shattering techniques yet.
"For now, I already have my swordsman-level slash for offense. That's more than sufficient for killing blows."
"What I really lack... is strength, speed, and durability."
Rhodes frowned.
The memory of today's Doriki (Dao Strength) test returned to him and with it, embarrassment.
He couldn't help but blush.
A proper swordsman of his caliber should start with a minimum of 1000 Doriki. Even CP9's weakest member, Nero, had over 500. Enel, whose lightning body was pure energy, had physical stats nearly meaningless yet still he overwhelmed opponents with speed and power.
Rhodes?
A pitiful 249.
Practically an idiot in the physical department.
And it all came down to this fragile body.
If this problem wasn't solved, he would never be able to become a true powerhouse in this world.
Bilibili...
Slowly channeling electricity through his body, meticulously regulating the current's strength, Rhodes' body began to emit a faint blue glow. His skin turned a pale, luminescent blue but when he glanced in the mirror, his hair didn't spike upward like Enel's iconic lightning-imbued form.
Staring at the blue-light-cloaked figure in the mirror and sensing the faint, prickling numbness dancing along his skin, Rhodes fell into contemplation.
Using electricity to stimulate cellular activity and enhance physiological function it wasn't just theory. In principle, it echoed the Raikage's Lightning Release Armor technique from the Naruto world, which used high-voltage currents to excite nerve signals and increase speed, reaction time, and muscle output. This was absolutely feasible.
If he could perfect it, this method wouldn't just be useful it would be foundational. It would reinforce Rhodes' base physique, elevate his body's resilience and reaction speed, and when combined with his rapidly improving swordsmanship, just the synergy of these two talents—Thunder Control and Swordsmanship Specialization could give him the confidence to stand before anyone in the world, even monsters like Kaido or Whitebeard.
But the danger was real one misstep could fry his nervous system, rupture internal tissue, or worse.
Unlike the generations-old Lightning Armor secret technique handed down by the Raikage clan refined over decades of dangerous trial and error—Rhodes was flying blind. He didn't have ancient scrolls or clan teachings. He had only the knowledge from his past life, his Thunder Control talent, and his own courage.
Of course, there were physical differences between this world and the one he had known before people in the Pirate World had wildly varying physiology. After all, Zoro had survived massive blood loss, Luffy had eaten mountains of food after near-death, and Garp could crush steel with a punch. Rhodes couldn't pretend he was in Naruto's world anymore.
Still, his control over lightning was absolute. Thunder Control gave him unparalleled precision he could manipulate voltage and amperage down to the micro-level. No fear of accidental overload. No out-of-control electric bursts. He could push his limits, millimeter by millimeter.
Rhodes acted without hesitation.
He crossed his legs on the bed and began by setting the electrical output to the lowest possible threshold barely above static electricity.
Then, directing the faint current, he guided it to flow through his body.
Rhodes had studied medicine. He knew well which regions of the body could endure stimulation, and which were vulnerable. The internal organs were off-limits for now too delicate. But muscle fibers, tendons, bones these were resilient, forged for tension and impact. They would be his test subjects.
It was at this moment that his enhanced perception kicked in.
With a perceptual acuity 1.5 times greater than that of the average person, Rhodes could instantly detect even the subtlest changes tingling, tightness, overheating. That allowed him to make micro-adjustments on the fly.
And his mental concentration trained through swordsmanship and the hyper-focused state of a Kenjutsu master allowed him to maintain continuous control. No wandering thoughts. No loss of focus. The current moved only where he willed it.
Every movement was deliberate.
Sizzle...
The sound was barely audible. Like a whisper from deep within his skin.
He adjusted the flow gradually, feeling each reaction, each slight resistance. The electricity spread slowly, methodically crawling through every muscle strand, wrapping around every bone, carefully avoiding vulnerable internal zones like his heart, lungs, or liver.
Maybe his original foundation had been too weak. Or maybe this current-based enhancement method was just that effective.
But Rhodes could feel it.
The powerful, biting ache as if his muscles were being reshaped. As if his very bones were screaming while expanding. A deep, almost primal tingling spread across his whole body the feeling of growth.
It was addictive.
Far more intoxicating than any wine.
He completely lost track of time, consumed by the symphony of control, pain, and progress.
Outside, the sky had already brightened but his room remained steeped in darkness.
Suddenly, two eyes snapped open in the gloom.
Like twin stars in a blackened sky, they gleamed with clarity and determination.
"Even though the effect isn't that dramatic yet this is only the beginning."
"With better calibration and greater mastery, the gains will definitely increase." Rhodes' voice trembled with excitement.
It had only been three months since he arrived in this world and up until now, he had despised his own physical weakness. When it came to stamina, he had lagged behind everyone even girls his own age.
Do you know what it feels like to be mocked by girls for being physically weak?
Rhodes clenched his fists.
He could still remember the sting of being looked down upon.
And he swore never again.
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