After taking a shower, he felt refreshed from head to toe. His wet black hair hung down, and a dark red orb the size of a lychee had appeared in his hand. It was none other than the Eternal Chakra Fruit.
It looked a lot like the Chakra secret medicine created by the Otsutsuki Clan. Well, it should be roughly the same thing.
He shoved it straight into his mouth and swallowed it without chewing. He had eaten one before, and the flavor wasn't exactly pleasant. It should taste a little better than a Devil Fruit. Eating a Chakra Fruit felt like eating canned herring; Devil Fruits supposedly tasted like shit.
Lao Ba's secret recipe... Ahem.
The Chakra Fruit melted in his mouth. The Chakra he had spent during the battle was instantly replenished, and his total Chakra began to increase.
If his Chakra had been equivalent to 0.5 Kakashis before, it was now 0.8 Kakashis.
As everyone knew, Kakashi was a unit of Chakra measurement.
Chakra was the physical energy in every cell of the body combined with one's spiritual energy, which could then be released through hand seals to perform ninjutsu. Rodney felt that he was incredibly strong now.
Of course, that was just an illusion. There were plenty of people stronger than him on the sea.
Develop quietly and keep a low profile.
The only thing that annoyed him was that because Kuro the Hundred Plans had faked his death, even if he took him to the Marines, he couldn't exchange him for a bounty. Kuro's wanted poster had already been withdrawn, and the records listed him as dead. If Rodney brought him there, the Marines would only think he was trying to swindle them out of a bounty.
He opened the shop. He now had 510 Mission Points, so he could finally exchange for the thing he had always wanted.
"Forbidden Jutsu: Multiplying Explosive Tag! Exchange cost: 500 Mission Points."
Multiplying Explosive Tag was a Forbidden Jutsu masterwork, an A-rank ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage that could create countless Explosive Tags through infinite summoning with a single Explosive Tag, triggering a chain of explosions. One tag alone was enough to make an enemy unable to escape.
The prerequisite was having enough Explosive Tags.
That was why an A-rank Forbidden Jutsu was so cheap.
Because it cost money to use!
Its power was still considerable, though. As long as he had enough Explosive Tags, he could achieve unlimited bombardment.
It was originally a ninjutsu meant to be used together with Impure World Reincarnation, but he could substitute Water Clones. As long as he stuck one tag onto the enemy, he could complete the bombardment and kill them.
Considering the physical strength of the people in this world, he would probably need a huge number of Explosive Tags. Moreover, if he entered the New World, where everyone knew Haki, this Forbidden Jutsu wouldn't be all that practical.
At least in the East Blue and the first half of the Grand Line, it could be considered a divine technique.
After exchanging for Multiplying Explosive Tag, the method of using it and the corresponding summoning formula immediately appeared in his mind. Since it had been developed by the Second Hokage, the ninjutsu emphasized practicality and speed. It could be activated with just one hand sign and the corresponding Chakra, and its Chakra consumption was very low.
However, summoning each Explosive Tag required Chakra, making it a continuous-consumption ninjutsu.
What it consumed wasn't merely Chakra, but money!
After eating a meal on the island, he heard the news that Kaya's butler, Kuroobi, had been abducted by pirates. The restaurant owner was still lamenting the tragic fate of that good-hearted man. When it came to acting, Kuro could win an award for Best Actor. Unfortunately, there was always someone better—someone even stronger than him!
That someone was Blackbeard!
"I'll exchange for Yin Healing Wound Destruction next. Let me see... Tsk." When he saw the Mission Point cost of Yin Healing Wound Destruction, a full five thousand points, he clicked his tongue. As expected of an A-rank Forbidden Jutsu; it was on a completely different level from Multiplying Explosive Tag.
Too expensive!
Forget it. He would think about it later.
With no missions, Rodney still decided to leave the island. Syrup Village was too small and its pace of life too slow. He would be better off resting in a large city like Loguetown.
The little boat left Syrup Village. He rowed through the waves and reached the open sea. Although he didn't know where he was, he could simply drift along with the current.
Food wasn't a problem. His backpack contained Soldier Pills, which cost one thousand Berries each. Eating one provided a day's worth of basic energy.
If he wanted to be more extravagant, he could eat Ichiraku Ramen. It cost two thousand Berries per bowl, but only filled his stomach and accelerated Chakra recovery. It tasted pretty good, too.
Water wasn't a concern either. He had Water Style Chakra and could create fresh water to make up for the water his body consumed. Unfortunately, the system stated that water created with Chakra couldn't inflict the sea's curse on Devil Fruit Ability users.
Since it was created from energy, replenishing his own water content was already quite good.
Moreover, if he used Water Style, seawater would contain Chakra, reducing its suppression of Devil Fruit Ability users and weakening the sea's curse.
Seawater that would normally make Devil Fruit Ability users lose their strength would only make them weak. With good luck, they might lose their abilities, but they would retain their physical strength.
There was no doubt that Water Style had been weakened.
He had originally planned to hit a Devil Fruit Ability user with a Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave the moment he encountered one, but the system had poured a bucket of cold water over his head.
The little boat drifted and drifted across the sea. He raised the parasol on board and put on sunglasses to avoid being scorched by the sun and losing his body's moisture.
After drifting at sea for a while, a huge creature suddenly burst out of the seabed and shot out of the water.
The part of its body above the surface was over twenty meters long. It had a rhino's head, but its body was covered in blue-green scales. It was a vicious beast of the sea—a Sea King.
"Roar—"
The Sea King roared loudly at Rodney, proclaiming its might!
"Why are you shouting so loudly?" Rodney took off his sunglasses, stepped off the little boat, and charged across the surface of the water toward the Sea King.
"Huh?"
It had never seen a human who could run across the surface of the sea before. But in its eyes, this fellow was just a snack. It opened its huge mouth and lunged to bite him.
Shadow Leaf Dance!
He kicked the Sea King in the chin. The tremendous force flipped it over and sent it falling backward, kicking up waves, while Rodney himself bobbed up and down with the waves.
Oh no, I've screwed up today!
The Sea King had a certain level of intelligence. The prey was too tough—run!
Unfortunately, it had run into Rodney. It was already too late to escape.
"Heh heh, free labor has arrived."
Not long afterward, a Steel Wire was tied to the horn of the Rhino Sea King, which had a red lump on its head. The other end was fastened to the bow of Rodney's little boat.
The boat's speed immediately picked up, turning the Sea King into Rodney's towing beast.
Sea Kings moved incredibly fast in the ocean. The Sea Kings of the East Blue were especially easy to bully. He really didn't know how Red-Haired had managed to lose an arm.
They rode the wind and broke through the waves. Whenever the creature tried to drag him into the sea, it received a vicious beating, so the chastened Sea King naturally didn't dare try again. It was ordered to take him to the nearest island.
Damn you, wretched human! Once I grow stronger, I'll definitely eat you!
It endured the pain and tears and pressed onward with all its might. Because it was moving too fast, Rodney, in the rear, felt as if he were on a roller coaster. Before long, he was sent flying by the speed, then fell back down, flew up, and fell down again!
It continued like that, over and over!
"Bastard, slow down!"
The bully behind it threw something that struck its head. It hurt a little!
Waaah!
This was bullying a Sea King!
It slowed down, and soon a ship appeared ahead. The Sea King ignored it and charged straight ahead.
After teaching the Sea King a lesson, Rodney paid it no further attention. He lay down and enjoyed life.
Boom!
A splash rose beside him.
Boom!
Another wave splashed up!
A tiny black dot grew larger before his eyes. It was a cannonball!
Rodney: "..."
"Whoa!" The cannonball passed right beside him and punched through the bottom of the ship behind him.
Seawater immediately poured in.
Rodney: "..."
He made a snap decision, jumped off the little boat, and came to the top of the Sea King's head.
Before him was a warship.
Rodney: "..."
He stomped on the Sea King's head. "Bastard, what did you do?"
The Sea King whimpered several times. It hadn't done anything! It had merely moved closer to that side.
Rodney saw an old, strongly built man wearing a coat of justice on the ship's rail. He was holding a cannonball and threw it toward them.
Although it was propelled by the old man's arm, the cannonball's speed rivaled that of one fired from a cannon.
And its target was him.
How did I run into this old man?
Had they mistaken him for a pirate? He dodged the cannonball, only to see more and more cannonballs flying toward him.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" One small fireball after another shot out, colliding with the cannonballs and triggering explosions.
Taking advantage of the opening, Rodney ran across the water, leaping several times until he reached the warship.
"Stop! I'm not a pirate!"
"Hey! Brat, take this old man's punch first!"
Bang!
Rodney was down for the count!
Before you continue