Pirates' Magic Odyssey: Unveiling Eight Skills At The Beginning - Chapter 12

“The powerless possess no rights nor options.”

“So, we must become strong, to use our strength to protect the weak!”

A slightly immature voice echoed on the training ground.

Although Smoker and the other newcomers were still young, they focused their attention on the agile and nimble figure before them. 

Despite the significant age difference and the lack of advantages in height and strength, this figure always managed to avoid Drake’s attacks which frustrated him and prevented him from engaging in a direct confrontation.

Only Marshal Warring States, Garp, and Zeff had their gazes sharpened after hearing Yang Ming’s words.

Looking at Yang Ming’s face, which bore a resemblance to his own, Garp couldn’t help but wonder, “Yang Ming, is this the justice you’ve found?”

Zeff crossed his arms in front of his chest, his stern expression softening slightly. Zeff was straightforward by nature, often lacking flexibility in his approach. Despite agreeing to this challenge out of respect for Warring States General and Garp, he still harbored some bias against Yang Ming.

However, after hearing Yang Ming’s words, Zeff’s perception of him had either done a 180-degree turn or become much more favorable.

As Yang Ming felt the significant gazes behind him changing, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Yang Ming was well aware that this world was diseased.

The celestial dragons enjoyed riches and glory, indifferent to the lives of ordinary people. Those ambitious individuals within the Navy who wanted to effect change found themselves powerless against the World Government’s dominance, often becoming pawns for tyranny.

Ordinary people had two choices: accept their fate and continue to be ruthlessly exploited, or take on the immense risks of becoming pirates on the open seas.

Surviving in this warped world was already a challenge, and achieving greatness required seizing opportunities.

Joining the Navy allowed Yang Ming not only to develop safely but also to rally recruits under the banner of justice.

Disguise was a sophisticated art, and Yang Ming didn’t worry about whether he could deceive everyone. After all, with his current childlike appearance, he naturally possessed enough ambiguity.

And then…

“Ding!”

“Congratulations, the host has spoken a classic line from Demon Slayer and earned one lottery chance. Would you like to activate the lottery roulette?”

This was Yang Ming’s primary goal.

Yang Ming deftly maneuvered, narrowly avoiding Drake’s blade.

Drake slammed his blade into the ground, his expression as dark as ink, and coldly said, “You’re just going to keep evading, little brat?”

“You wanted to defeat me, didn’t you? Come on then!”

Yang Ming quickly rolled to his feet, brushed off the dirt from his body, and continued the game of cat and mouse with Drake nonchalantly.

Through this brief encounter, Yang Ming finally realized the value of Garp’s training.

Garp hadn’t taught him specific sword or combat techniques; he had only emphasized evading and exploiting opponents’ weaknesses.

These four simple words were actually quite challenging for most people to achieve.

Drake, the son of a former Navy officer, executed each move with precision, but his techniques were all fixed, lacking unique insights. It was easy for someone to see through his intentions.

When Drake raised his arms, Yang Ming already knew he would perform a downward strike. When he lifted his right arm, Yang Ming knew a horizontal slash was coming.

The Navy’s basic swordsmanship was devoid of flashy techniques; it simply incorporated basic striking and slashing moves.

In battle, one goes in with a white blade and comes out with a red blade.

People with superior strength were more likely to win. While the Navy’s swordsmanship was simple, it was far more practical than many other flashy styles.

Yang Ming glanced at the prize roulette in his mind during a lull. The prizes were divided into three categories: summon characters, Blood Art, and Breathing Techniques.

Summon characters: Kibutsuji Muzan, Tamayo, Hand Demon.

Blood Art: Blood Art Enchantment, Blood Art Line Carve, Blood Art Eye Kill, Blood Art Line Rotation.

Breathing Techniques: Sun Breathing, Water Breathing, Flame Breathing.

Yang Ming teleported, narrowly avoiding Drake’s furious attack. He reappeared behind Drake in an instant.

At the same time, the roulette pointer came to rest on the category of Breathing Techniques.

?Flame Breathing?: One of the five fundamental Breathing Technique schools derived from Sun Breathing. This technique strengthens lung capacity through regular practice and rapidly infuses blood with oxygen during combat, significantly boosting physical abilities for a short duration.

“Huff!”

An imperceptible wisp of white smoke escaped from Yang Ming’s nostrils.

Yang Ming clenched the hilt of his sword, as if he were back in the fiery abyss of uncertainty, surrounded by raging flames. His breath surged within him, rapidly pumping his blood, creating an intense sensation.

Simultaneously, amidst the astonished gazes of Marshal Warring States and the others, a spark of flame blossomed at the tip of Yang Ming’s sword. This crimson blaze enveloped the entire Navy-standard longsword, transforming it into a sword of fire.

Sensing the wave of heat from behind, Drake realized the danger.

Drake, who was deserving of his position among the top-ranking students of this year and swiftly turned around to counterattack.

“Clang!”

Amidst the clash of blades, Drake’s astonished gaze reflected an image of a figure wielding a sword of fire.

What made Drake even more uneasy was that the force transmitted through the blade was no less formidable than his own!

“How is this possible!”

“He was just a brat a moment ago, so how does he suddenly possess such abnormal strength!”

Drake blocked Yang Ming’s flaming sword, feeling a tingling sensation in his arms which caused him to doubt his life choices.

With light footsteps, Yang Ming landed and closed in once again.

Breathing Technique and Six Sensei Thieves formed a strange synergy, causing Yang Ming’s heart, lungs, large intestine, small intestine, triple burner, stomach, gallbladder, and bladder to subtly react.

Vigorous Qi was rapidly being consumed and circulating through his blood, temporarily reinforcing Yang Ming’s bone meridians.

Additionally, it significantly boosted his strength and speed. This enhancement was enough to rival even the new recruits from the Navy Academy.

While facing off against Drake, Yang Ming continued to digest the memories in his mind.

Flame Breathing wasn’t just a set of breathing techniques; it came with a comprehensive methodology.

“Form: Honoikazuchi!”

Yang Ming’s foot stomped the ground, igniting a burst of flames beneath him.

As if propelled by boosters, Yang Ming shot forward like an arrow, the fiery blaze on his sword expanded suddenly, resembling the maw of a fierce beast.

Drake’s pupils contracted sharply. He could only lift his arms in time to block.

“Clang!”

The moment the flaming sword and the longsword clashed, then it was already damaged from the previous collision and now cracked open further and ultimately snapped in two under the renewed impact.

The blade’s tip flew through the air while the flaming blade. Its heat radiating intensely, hovered just an inch from Drake’s throat. A slight advance from Yang Ming, and Drake’s throat would be sliced open.

Drake had once contemplated the threat of his own demise, but he had never imagined he would be threatened by a child.

A suppressed gasp echoed from the onlookers. While this would typically have provoked anger from Drake, at this moment, the fear of death was too strong for anger.

Feeling the imminent danger and the scorching sensation on his skin, Drake’s throat bobbed as he struggled to swallow a mouthful of saliva.

“I… I surrender!”

After uttering those words, Drake collapsed like a deflated balloon and completely drained of strength.

Yang Ming extinguished the flames on his blade, sheathed it, and used the motion to conceal his temporary weakness. 

Flame Breathing could create a short burst of power. But due to the immense energy expenditure, it would leave him temporarily weakened afterward. Yang Ming needed to find the right balance for combat.

“Clap! Clap! Clap!”

Initially, only Warring States General and Zeff clapped sporadically. Soon, the other students caught on, and as the applause grew, it became a roaring ovation.

Even if the students harbored some reluctance, they had to admit that most of them couldn’t perform better than Drake. The ability to instantly move was one thing, but to also infuse flames into a blade was another level of power entirely. It seemed like there was even a method to temporarily enhance strength.

“Could this guy be a monster?”

Tashigi’s eyes widened like koi fish, her cute tongue occasionally peeking out.

Daddy Masterson glanced at Yang Ming, etching this figure deeply into his memory, designating it as someone not to be trifled with.

Jonathan yawned and continued observing the surroundings.

Smoker cracked his knuckles, wanting to step forward for a challenge if the timing were right.

Garp observed the students’ reactions, and just as if he had sneakily eaten his favorite sweets in Warring States’ office, his mood turned quite joyous. Even the wrinkles on his face relaxed.

Zeff patted Yang Ming’s shoulder and said in a deep voice, “Congratulations.”

“Starting from today, you’re a new recruit of the Navy Academy!”

With that said, Zeff turned his gaze to the students.

“You’ve all disappointed me greatly. You can’t even defeat a child. Starting today, all training will be doubled!”

“As long as it doesn’t kill you, train to death!”

“Furthermore, I declare that in two months, there will be a live combat test. You will hunt pirates on the Grand Line. If any of you are afraid now, you can still leave the Navy Academy!”

As Zeff spoke, Yang Ming’s heart sank. As expected, the students wore expressions of frustration and exasperation, directed mostly at the instigator.

Seeing this, Zeff inwardly chuckled, “With Yang Ming’s joining, fueled by the bandwagon effect, this group of students will train even harder!”

“I’ve won again!”