Magic Card: Blank

Even without Luo saying anything, Abel had already considered whether they should join a faction first.

After all, they were far too weak right now and had no real way to protect themselves. A few drifters had nearly driven them into a corner.

If anyone found out they'd escaped from Freyvans, the White Town, they'd have even less chance of surviving.

So if some faction was willing to shelter them, that would actually be a good thing.

Abel had a cheat ability, but making real use of it would undoubtedly require a lot of resources.

He'd gotten lucky this time. Taking advantage of the chaos caused by two pirate crews, he'd gone on a massive spree of looting for free, finally earning himself a four-star review.

But what about next time?

Who could guarantee he'd be that lucky every time?

He also needed a backer who could keep him safe and help him build up resources and strength in the early stages.

Honestly, the first backer Abel thought of that fit the bill was the Marines.

They were the safest option, with plenty of room for advancement and an abundance of resources.

If the World Government weren't so deeply implicated in the destruction of all Freyvans, he might already have been figuring out how to drag Luo into the Marines with him.

But there was no changing what had happened, and there was no point wishing things had gone differently.

After everything they'd been through, Luo had begun to hate the Marines. Abel, too, had lost any favorable impression of them, and even questioned what these people meant when they talked about justice.

If they didn't join the Marines, there weren't many other options, especially here in the North Sea.

Germa 66 was almost the first faction Abel ruled out.

It wasn't because they'd be hard to find, or because Luo had already formed a negative opinion of them.

To be fair, Germa 66 was a powerful force, once the North Sea's dominant power, and it possessed a lot of incredibly advanced technology.

The problem was that Vinsmoke Judge, the man who ruled Germa 66, had something wrong with him. He was also an absolute dictator.

Vain, arrogant, cold-hearted, hypocritical, and selfish—those were all words that described the man.

More importantly, the Vinsmoke Family would never let outsiders into its inner circle unless they married in.

So even if they found the elusive Germa 66, they'd probably end up as disposable soldiers, not people anyone would value.

By contrast, the Donquixote Family had continued to grow rapidly right up until the protagonists came knocking at their door.

Abel figured that under Doflamingo's protection, he could grow in peace and work his way up to becoming an officer. He could use the Donquixote Family's resources to fulfill the system's [Wish Order] and make himself stronger.

If everything went smoothly, it might even be possible for him to replace Doflamingo.

At the thought, the ambition hidden deep within Abel began to stir restlessly.

Compared to the other options, getting involved with the Donquixote Family really was the best choice for his current situation.

Seeing Abel stay silent for so long, his expression shifting back and forth, Luo thought he was struggling with the decision and spoke up. "This is the path I chose for myself. You don't have to come with me."

"Heh, give me a break. You'd be dead without me. Until you've paid back the two lives you owe me, you don't get to kill yourself without asking me first."

"Uh, you mean..."

"I hope the Donquixote Family doesn't have too high a bar for new recruits. And if they provide food and lodging, even better."

Hearing Abel's answer, Luo was suddenly moved. He thought Abel had made the decision entirely for his sake.

He had no idea that, just moments earlier, Abel had already been prepared to go their separate ways.

"Abel, you..."

"Enough. Go to sleep. We'll have to figure out how to get on a ship tomorrow. We can't stay here."

Abel replied gruffly. He didn't want Luo to get the wrong idea, and he didn't want to hear any sappy words of gratitude.

Because that answer really was the result of serious consideration.

Who knew how much time passed? Night had fallen deep.

Abel suddenly opened his eyes and took a deck of playing cards from inside his clothes.

He'd made a point of looking for one on his way back.

Fortunately, plenty of taverns had a habit of playing cards, so it hadn't been difficult to find.

He casually drew the ace of hearts and held it in front of him, then without hesitation used the only skill he had.

Magic Card Modification!

An endless stream of mental energy flowed into the card.

A few seconds later, a soft white light flashed, and the playing card transformed completely.

First, the hearts on the front vanished, leaving a blank card.

Then, the pattern on the back turned into a silhouette.

No matter how Abel looked at it, the silhouette seemed to be him.

Well, that wasn't important.

What mattered was that after using the skill, the card had a new name.

[Magic Card: Blank]

Single-use consumable

Description: A specially modified card imbued with the power of sealing.

Effect: When using an active skill, you can seal that skill's effect inside the Magic Card. (Current maximum sealable skill level: LV1)

Note: Skills above this card's level and certain special skills cannot be sealed.

Turning the new card over in his hands, Abel wore a thoughtful expression.

"This thing's a lot like those magic scrolls in Western fantasy novels. You tear one open and it casts something like Fireball. That's probably how it works."

Abel figured he wasn't bad at understanding things, so it was probably something like that.

Once he learned other skills, he could make them into Magic Cards and let other people use them.

He could even use them to fulfill Wish Orders!

Abel's eyes suddenly lit up. Say someone was in danger, unable to beat their enemy, and a Wish Order appeared. He could simply trade them a card sealed with some "XX skill" to help them get out of trouble.

That would mean virtually no cost, and he'd reap the rewards!

The one catch was that he'd need to learn some genuinely useful and powerful skills first.

Abel glanced at his pitiful skill list, stuffed the card into his clothes, and thought, Damn it, time to sleep!

Anything's possible in a dream!

That night, Abel dreamed he'd learned ninety-nine god-tier skills. He punched Kaido, kicked Big Mom, and descended like a heavenly god to grind that so-called Imu into the dirt.

After wiping out all the Celestial Dragons, Robin, Nami, Hancock, and a whole crowd of beautiful women came running over, begging to have his children.

Faced with that request, of course he agreed without hesitation!

And then—

Then Luo shook him awake.

There was no helping it. If he'd kept dreaming, the censorship gods would've made their grand entrance!