One Piece: Pirate Code

William's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't anticipated that the changes at Destiny Square would allow him to use its unique fate threads to exchange for special skill rewards.

However, the increased slots after exchanging for [Robust] seemed to imply that he would need a greater number of unique fate threads in the future.

With this in mind, William turned his attention to the descriptions of the new skills available.

Under the skill category, his previous [Basic Swordsmanship] had now been upgraded to [Intermediate Swordsmanship].

[Intermediate Swordsmanship]: You are a practitioner of swordsmanship, and your understanding of sword techniques has reached a near-masterful level. In this field, you have entered the realm of the elite. (On your homeworld, Earth, you would undoubtedly be considered a Sword Saint.)

The [Basic Navigation] skill, on the other hand, was the result of William's years of learning.

[Basic Navigation]: You have learned to observe the weather and use tools like compasses and astrolabes. The sea is no longer a completely unknown realm to you.

As for special skills, in addition to [Lightning Reflexes], two new skills had appeared: [Zen Swordsmanship] and [Robust].

[Zen Swordsmanship]: Your swordsmanship now incorporates Zen principles. When wielding a sword, you can effortlessly eliminate distractions, focus your mind, and maximize your swordsmanship abilities. (Quest reward.)

[Robust]: You possess an enviably strong physique, granting you extraordinary strength, endurance, and recovery abilities, as well as superior immunity. (Unique fate thread exchange reward.)

Under the achievements category, in addition to [Overthrow], another achievement, [Moment of Enlightenment], was added thanks to Koshiro's demonstration of swordsmanship.

[Moment of Enlightenment]: Through guidance from a master swordsman, your understanding of swordsmanship has deepened significantly. Your grasp of sword techniques has improved dramatically, making your training far more efficient. (Koshiro's guidance reward.) The Next Day: Maple Village

William, Arkin, Aramis, Edmond, and Tony gathered on the second floor of Tony's tavern.

Around a table sat several people, with a Den Den Mushi resting atop it.

This was a peculiar creature resembling a snail, but by William's standards from his previous life, it was absurdly large—about the size of a palm. Still, though unfamiliar with this world's plot, he was unbothered by such oddities in a fantasy setting.

While it looked like a snail, the Den Den Mushi was far smarter. One side of its round shell featured a numerical keypad, resembling a rotary phone, and its functionality was nearly identical to that of a telephone.

At that moment, Den Den Mushi is connected to Sherlock, who is far away.

"Stop the smuggling operations for now. Given the current turmoil in the Kingdom of Navia, we can no longer gain access. There's no point wasting manpower and resources," William said decisively. "As for the workshop here in Maple Village, it must not shut down, nor can we suddenly dismiss the workers. Otherwise, morale will crumble, and it will be difficult to rebuild. Transition the operations and focus on producing low-cost liquor for legitimate sales."

"Legitimate business isn't so easy. It could lose money," Tony sighed.

"We've made enough over the past year to sustain some losses for now. Once we deal with the current crisis, we'll think of a solution."

These workers, who relied on William for their livelihood, were also crucial sources of resilient fate threads.

At that moment, the Den Den Mushi, named "Watson" by William, spoke in a human voice: "I can't be of much help on my end for now."

Mimicking Sherlock's mannerisms, Watson gave a wry smile. "Using my connections with the Golden Merchant Guild to secure fleets earlier has already caused misunderstandings. Some now believe our business is tied to the guild. I need to disentangle the guild from our smuggling operations and find a way to get my father out of prison. I can't gather more intel for you at the moment."

"Handle your own matters first. Your father's safety is paramount. Let me know if you need anything," William said gravely. "As for 'Redbeard,' we'll deal with him ourselves."

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