Opportunity Arrives

"No, I have to go. In the eyes of those Celestial Dragons, my 'value' is still quite high." Bartholomew Kuma spoke seriously.

He understood his identity. With that status, he was bound to be a prized target in the Celestial Dragons' eyes. Killing him would earn them higher points.

If he acted as the bait, they would surely gain something unexpected.

Seeing the determination in Bartholomew Kuma's eyes, Jin An knew that nothing he said would change his mind.

So he nodded and agreed to Bartholomew Kuma's proposal, then gathered his thoughts and focused on the system he had just obtained.

A screen visible only to Jin An appeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations, Host, on binding with the Auxiliary Cultivation System. This system is designed to assist the Host in completing missions and obtaining greater power.]

He glanced through the system menu and discovered that it also had a character status panel.

It clearly listed his current physical condition.

[Host: Jin An (physically healthy, but still a rookie)]

[Physique: 5 (Although you have trained before, you are still weaker than even a child in this world. Please keep working hard.)] (Average adult male in the pirate world: 20)

[Mental Strength: 25 (You have read extensively, making your mental strength slightly greater than that of an ordinary person.)] (Average adult male in the pirate world: 20)

[Swordsmanship: 30 (Your foundation in swordsmanship is fairly solid. Keep up the good work.)] (Average adult male in the pirate world: 0)

[Armament Haki: 0, not awakened]

[Observation Haki: 0, not awakened]

[Conqueror's Haki: 0, not awakened]

[Final conclusion: The Host is merely an 'ordinary person' with a combat power of five. Keep working hard and do not give up.]

"..."

Silence was Cambridge tonight.

Jin An knew that the body he had directly transmigrated into would naturally differ somewhat from the natives of this world, but the gap was far too great.

He sighed, stopped dwelling on those depressing matters, and looked at the rest of the system.

[Mission: Replace Bartholomew Kuma as the bait.]

[Reward: Permanent +5 to all attributes (including the three types of Haki); unlock the shop.]

[To ensure that the Host survives the first mission, a beginner's gift pack is now being issued: Physique +50, Mental Strength +40 (limited to 24 hours), Swordsmanship +50 (limited to 10 hours).]

Jin An's eyes widened slightly.

Well, damn. He had thought this mission would be fraught with difficulty, but there were beginner benefits too.

With a thought, he immediately used both trial cards. The two cards instantly turned into light and merged into his body.

Once he had received everything, his consciousness returned to reality.

The time his consciousness spent in the system space was negligible in reality, and no one before him noticed anything unusual.

As his consciousness returned, the first thing Jian Jin'an felt was that the world seemed to have changed.

No, his senses had simply become sharper. Things he had failed to notice before were now crystal clear.

Even when he merely clenched his fist lightly, he could feel that his current strength was far beyond what it had been before.

"..."

"Hee-haw!!! You two are incredible!" Emporio Ivankov was astonished. He had not expected two people to step forward voluntarily for something like this.

"But I won't let you be killed!! We'll leave God Valley together!!!"

Jin An and Bartholomew Kuma exchanged smiles and shouted, "We'll definitely survive!!! (We'll leave this place together!)"

"..."

"Boom!!!"

At that moment, a tremendous explosion rang out from afar, and the ground trembled with it.

Jin An turned toward the direction of the explosion and smiled.

"Looks like our chance has arrived!"

Waters outside God Valley.

One familiar pirate ship after another was rapidly approaching without end.

These pirates had begun making the long journey from the New World to this remote corner of West Blue two weeks ago.

By now, the first group of pirates had arrived.

Amid the roar of cannon fire, a booming voice suddenly rang out.

"Marines, feel fear! Rocks Pirates, follow me!"

The voice undoubtedly belonged to the captain of the Rocks Pirates—Rocks.

At his command, the many officers of the Rocks Pirates appeared along the shore, each holding their weapons as they stared menacingly at the flustered Marines.

The pirates infamous throughout the New World each had their own thoughts, but they all shared the same goal.

To cause havoc in this place where the Celestial Dragons had gathered, spread their names across the world, and... seize the astonishing wealth on the island.

Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, picked up the naginata resting beside him.

"Rocks, don't speak to me in that commanding tone."

Before he could finish speaking, he realized that Rocks was already nowhere to be seen.

"Does that guy remember the main reason we came here? We should first confirm—"

Whitebeard followed behind Rocks and charged into the island.

Behind them, the others were also speaking their own minds. They had joined the Rocks Pirates only because there was profit to be made.

When there was profit involved, they could obey orders a little, but most of the time, they only cared about their own interests. Everything came down to money.

"Why are all of you acting like you're dreaming? I just want to quietly take what I want and leave."

Charlotte Linlin acted as though it had nothing to do with her. She cared about nothing and simply turned a deaf ear to Rocks' orders.

"It seems Roger has made his move too. Only that thing..." Kaido turned with a grave expression. "Big Mom, it isn't much use to you. Remember to keep an eye out for it for me."

"Now that we're on the island, may the best person win."

Big Mom did not answer directly. She waved a hand and vanished into the dense forest.

The Celestial Dragons, who had been playing their game, were disturbed and looked thoroughly annoyed.

"What are those Marines doing?! They can't even handle something this minor! If anything happens to us!!!"

A Marine hurried over from the distance and ran before the group of Celestial Dragons.

"Reporting!"

"Pirates have invaded from every direction of the island!"

The Celestial Dragons and Marines descended into chaos.

The pirates' purpose was unknown, and what was happening here was supposed to be top secret.

"The Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates have already infiltrated every part of the island. God's Knights are currently fighting them."

"Please proceed to the safe zone."

Within the bushes near the island's central region.

His ears were filled with shouts of battle, curses, and pleas for mercy, yet Jin An remained intensely focused.

Because the plaza before him held the target of their journey.

The entire plaza was covered in dazzling gold, silver, and treasures, glittering with captivating light. Compared to the other areas filled with blood and flesh, this place was like paradise.

Six treasure chests stood in a row amid the riches, declaring their value.

Jin An and the others were only one step away from success. One thought led to heaven; another led to hell.

"Bartholomew Kuma, get ready. What comes next will decide whether we live or die."

If they failed to obtain that fruit, only death awaited them.

Moreover, the pirates were after these treasures as well. If they did not hurry, they would lose their chance.

Jin An swept his gaze around and quietly arranged their plan.

"The situation here is different from what we expected. There are far fewer guards. They were probably all sent to protect those pigs. I'll go out first and draw the guards' attention. You move toward the chest at the very center as quickly as possible."

Then, before Bartholomew Kuma and the others could react, he took a step and instantly shot forward.