Magic Card: Blank

Even if Luo hadn't said it, Abel had already considered whether to find some faction to join first.

After all, they were far too weak right now, with virtually no ability to protect themselves. A few random vagrants had nearly driven them to a dead end.

If anyone found out they had escaped from the White Town of Freyvans, there would be no way for them to survive at all.

So if some power was willing to take them in, that would actually be a good thing.

Although Abel had a golden finger, truly putting it to use would undoubtedly require a massive amount of resources.

He had gotten lucky this time, taking advantage of the chaos stirred up by two pirate crews to pull off a serious zero-yuan shopping spree, finally snagging a four-star review.

But what about next time?

Who could guarantee they'd have that kind of luck and coincidence every time?

So he also needed a backer—one that could protect his safety and help him accumulate resources and strength in the early stages.

To be honest, when it came to a "backer" that fit these conditions, the first thing Abel thought of was the Navy.

Safest, plenty of room for promotion, extremely abundant resources.

If it weren't for the fact that the entire destruction of Freyvans was inextricably linked to the World Government, he might already be figuring out how to drag Luo into joining the Navy by now.

But unfortunately, there were no ifs, and what had already happened couldn't be changed.

After going through all this, it wasn't just Luo who had started to loathe the Navy—even Abel had lost any goodwill toward those two words, and he questioned what kind of justice these people were even talking about!

If not the Navy, then there weren't many options left, especially in the North Sea.

Abel almost immediately ruled out Germa 66.

Not because they were hard to find, or because of Luo's preconceived attitude.

To be fair, Germa 66's influence wasn't small either. They were once the overlords of the North Sea, and a lot of the high-tech they controlled was seriously impressive!

But the problem was that the man ruling Germa 66, Vinsmoke Judge, had a screw loose and was a downright dictator.

Vain and arrogant, cold and ruthless, hypocritical and selfish—those were all labels stuck on this guy.

More importantly, the Vinsmoke Family would never accept outsiders into their core unless it was through marriage.

So even if they found the elusive Germa 66, they'd probably just be turned into cannon-fodder soldiers, never getting any real attention.

On the other hand, the Donquixote Family had developed very rapidly, right up until the protagonist group came knocking on their door.

During that time, Abel felt he could not only grow safely under Doflamingo's protection but also climb the ranks, strive to become an executive, and use the Donquixote Family's resources to complete the system's [Wish Order] and strengthen himself.

If everything went smoothly, even directly replacing Doflamingo wasn't entirely impossible.

Thinking this, the ambition buried deep within Abel suddenly stirred restlessly.

Comparing the two, approaching the Donquixote Family really was the most suitable choice for his current situation.

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

"Ha, give me a break. Without me, you'd have been dead cold by now. Until you've paid back the two lives you owe me, even if you want to kill yourself, you've got to ask if I agree first."

"Uh, you mean—"

"Hope this Donquixote Family's recruitment bar isn't too high. If they throw in room and board too, even better."

Finally catching Abel's answer, Luo was a little moved. He thought Abel had made this decision entirely because of him.

He had no idea that in the middle of that very thought process, Abel had already been prepared to part ways with him.

"Abel, you—"

"Alright, go to sleep. We still have to figure out how to sneak onto a ship tomorrow! We can't stay here anymore."

Abel said irritably, not wanting Luo to misunderstand, nor wanting to hear any sappy thanks.

Because that answer just now was indeed the result of his serious consideration.

After who knows how long, the night grew deep.

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

He had gone out of his way to find these on his way back.

Luckily, a lot of taverns had card games, so it wasn't hard to come by.

He casually drew a Ace of Hearts, held it up before his eyes, and without hesitation used his only skill.

Magic Card Modification!

Instantly, a steady stream of mental energy poured into this card.

A few seconds later, as a soft white light flashed, the original playing card had completely transformed into something different.

First, the heart pattern on the front had vanished entirely, leaving a blank card.

Second, the original pattern on the back had turned directly into a silhouette.

No matter how Abel looked at it, he felt that silhouette was himself...

Well, that didn't really matter.

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

[Magic Card: Blank]

One-time consumable item

Description: A specially modified card imbued with sealing power.

Effect: When using an active skill, the user can seal that skill's effect into the Magic Card. (Currently sealable skill level: LV1)

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

Fiddling with this brand-new card, Abel wore a thoughtful expression.

"This thing is a lot like those magic scrolls from Western fantasy novels—tear it open and shoot a fireball, something like that, I guess."

Abel figured his comprehension wasn't bad; it should be about that kind of deal.

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

Or even—use them to complete Wish Orders!

Abel's eyes suddenly lit up. For example, if someone was in danger, couldn't beat their enemy, and a Wish Order popped up, he could just trade them a Magic Card sealed with 'XX Skill' to help them through the crisis.

That way, the cost was nearly zero, and he'd rake in rewards without lifting a finger!

But there was one prerequisite: he had to master some really useful, badass skills first.

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

Dreams have everything!

That night, Abel dreamed he learned 99 god-tier skills, then punched Kaido, kicked Big Mom, and descended like a god to grind that so-called Imu into the dirt.

After wiping out all the Celestial Dragons, beauties like Robin, Nami, and Hancock came running, begging to have his babies.

Faced with that request, he naturally agreed without hesitation!

And then—

And then Law shook him awake.

No choice—if he kept dreaming, the Harmony God would show up and lay down the law!