I'm Done Being a Ninja

Loguetown

Smoker, two cigars clenched between his teeth, glared at Rodney, who had delivered the Buggy Pirates to Loguetown. Although the man had brought the pirate Buggy here and turned him over for arrest, he had also tricked them out of the Seastone Handcuffs.

Those things were worth even more than the pirate Buggy.

"Hey, hey, hey, Colonel Smoker, don't look at me like that. I'm not some beautiful woman. You'll make me shy if you stare at me like that. Besides, I'm a man who likes women." Noticing Smoker's gaze, Rodney quickly backed away and crossed his hands protectively over his chest.

Hearing that, Smoker reached for his Jitte, his expression turning vicious. "Bastard, say one more stupid thing and I'll kill you!"

"You've got some nerve saying that. How dare you put out a warrant for my arrest?"

"Huh? You took our Seastone Handcuffs. I haven't even settled accounts with you yet!"

"Oh, those? Vice Admiral Garp already took them back." Rodney kept his eyes straight ahead.

Ha, how could he possibly return a strategic resource like the Seastone Handcuffs? They're a rare commodity in the East Blue.

"You pocketed them, didn't you?"

"How could I? Do I look like that kind of person? Don't underestimate me! I'm determined to become a Friend of Justice!"

Smoker gave a scornful laugh and said disbelievingly, "You? A Friend of Justice?"

"What? You don't believe me?"

"No."

"Oh my, Mr. Smoker and Mr. Rodney have such a good relationship." Tashigi smiled from the side, completely unaware of the tension between the two men.

"Heh heh heh." Rodney maintained a polite smile that did not reach his eyes. Suddenly remembering something, he turned his gaze toward Tashigi and asked, "Ensign Tashigi, where's my bounty?"

Buggy's bounty was also over ten million. That could buy quite a lot of things.

"Here it is. Please take it." Tashigi took the bag containing the bounty from one of her subordinates and handed it to Rodney.

Rodney grabbed it without counting the money. Smoker and Tashigi were not the kind of people who would line their own pockets.

"All right, Buggy's been handed over to you. That's that." Now that he had collected the money, Rodney's business here was over. There was nothing else worth his attention, so he walked to the door. Then, remembering something, he asked, "Have all the houses that were destroyed when we captured Ace last time been repaired?"

Tashigi answered, "Yes. They've been mostly restored. They'll be able to resume business after a little more time."

"I see." After thinking for a moment, Rodney took out several Berries from the bag and tossed them to Tashigi. "Take this as compensation for last time, though it isn't much." After all, he had destroyed other people's homes. He had to give them some sort of explanation. Everyone had to make a living.

"Huh? But the Marines already paid compensation."

"No. This is my apology."

At that moment, Smoker asked, "Why did Fire Fist Ace enter the Grand Line? Rodney, don't you think you owe us an explanation?"

Ace was currently the brightest star on the Grand Line. Few pirates of the same generation could match him. With his outstanding Taijutsu and stamina, terrifying Logia Fruit, and crew of capable sailors, he had few rivals in the first half of the Grand Line.

"Oh? That? Don't ask me. Go ask Vice Admiral Garp." Rodney immediately shifted the blame onto Garp.

"Weren't you the one who guaranteed that nothing would go wrong?"

"Huh? Did I?"

"You look like you need a reminder of what happened then." Smoker once again reached for the Jitte on his back.

"Heh heh heh. I already told you, it had nothing to do with me. Keep this up and I'll report you for slander and disturbing the peace!"

"Hmph, I'm a Marine!" Smoker exhaled a cloud of smoke. From the way he looked, anyone who didn't know better would think he was a pirate himself.

"Forget it. The matter concerning Fire Fist Ace has nothing to do with me. Maybe the old man just felt sorry for his grandson." Rodney shook his head, washing his hands of the matter completely.

None of my business!

"Ding!"

A mission.

"Sorry, I need to use the bathroom. Excuse me." He grinned mischievously, then turned and left.

"Chunin Ninja Exams unlocked! Accept? Accepting will begin them immediately. Rejecting will postpone them for one year, after which they will begin again!"

Huh? The Chunin Ninja Exams? They're starting already?

Isn't this too fast? It feels a little abrupt.

He had been a Genin for a year at most, and he was already being promoted to Chunin after one year?

Wait, I don't want to leave this invincible level yet.

Just think about Genin from Konoha fighting. They were ridiculously powerful, the kind who could destroy heaven and earth. Then think about two Konoha jonin fighting: pots, pans, and everything else went flying in a chaotic mess, as if they were just playing around. He still did not want to advance.

The Chunin Exams had begun without warning, but once the time came, promotion was naturally going to start.

Rodney confirmed his participation in the Chunin Ninja Exams on the system panel.

"Ding! The host has accepted the Chunin Ninja Exams.

"Mission begins immediately!"

"Chunin Ninja Exams Mission: Hunt down the Arlong Pirates

Mission Rank: C+

Mission Rewards: Obtain the Summoning Slug, Byakugou Seal, Creation Rebirth, and Strength Task Points: 1,000."

Rodney sucked in a sharp breath when he saw the generous rewards.

The Summoning Slug was the summon of one of Konoha's legendary Three Great—Tsunade's slug. Although its combat ability was average, it possessed astonishing medical abilities, requiring only that its user provide enough Chakra.

Moreover, the slug was enormous. Unlike the toads of Mount Myōboku and the snakes of Ryūchi Cave, which lived in groups, the slug was a single creature. The slugs summoned were all her clones, and almost no one could summon her entire body.

The Byakugou Seal involved pouring a massive amount of Chakra into the Yin Seal on the forehead, then releasing it when necessary so that the vast Chakra stored within the Yin Seal could be used freely. It allowed the user to perform ninjutsu and forbidden techniques with high Chakra consumption, enhanced Taijutsu and Strength, and could be combined with the slug for group healing. By summoning a larger slug, the user could achieve seamless self-healing in battle and improve their overall abilities.

In short, it was a hidden reserve of energy—or a power bank. One accumulated energy during normal times, then released it when necessary, erupting with immense power and providing an all-around enhancement. It even allowed one to recover health while fighting.

The technique could also preserve one's beauty and youth. It was the ninjutsu countless young girls dreamed of. Tsunade truly was Tsunade.

As for Creation Rebirth... honestly, Rodney did not particularly want it. It was indeed an exceptional Medical Ninjutsu, and when combined with the Byakugou Seal, it could instantly heal injuries. But... this thing shortened one's lifespan!

Creation Rebirth stimulated cells with Chakra, accelerating cell division to rapidly heal wounds. It could even heal severely injured internal organs. But human cells had a limit to how much they could recover. Accelerating cell division was, in essence, shortening one's own life.

Strength was an incredibly practical skill. It was an ability used by the Senju Clan. The user had to control Chakra precisely, concentrating it throughout the body and covering themselves in Chakra, thereby unleashing tremendous power.

Those skilled in it included the First, the Second, Tsunade, and Sakura...

Well, it truly was a practical skill. Once he obtained it, his strength would increase dramatically. His current strength was still far too weak in this world filled with monsters.

I need to turn myself into a tank.

It was better to have a sturdier build in the One Piece World. Not everyone could become Gandalf, max out their close-combat abilities, and casually learn a single spell like Lumos.

Take the three Grand Caster mages from the neighboring Fate world, for example.

Merlin bit his tongue while chanting spells, was skilled at stabbing people with a sword from the shadows, and had swordsmanship that crushed the Knights of the Round Table. He was known as the Sword Saint of Avalon.

The Axe King of Uruk replaced magic entirely with wands from the Gate of Babylon, then simply used an axe to hack people apart.

The Fist King of Israel was a dignified Grand Caster and Magic King. Normally, he used the Ten Commandments to put on a show, then maxed out his buffs and brought out the brass knuckles!

With all these excellent examples before him, how could he fail to learn from them? He would max out his close-combat abilities, stack every possible buff for strengthening, healing, and mana recovery, and then pound his enemies with his fists.

As everyone knew, landing punches that truly connected was the romance of a real man. A glass cannon with high attack and low health had no future.

Rodney: "I learned a lesson during my brief life as a ninja: the more one studies ninjutsu, the more one feels its limits. Ninjutsu has limits!"

System: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Rodney: "I'm done being a ninja. I'm going to surpass ninjas! I'm going to become a tank!!"