Fists Through Claws

[Name: Beiyuan Heng]

[Profession: CP9 Agent, Marine Headquarters Commodore, Swordsman]

[Traits: Calm (White), Somewhat Famous (White)...]

[Draws: 1]

Several months had quietly passed since Beiyuan Heng arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago.

The turmoil in these waters seemed to have come and gone quickly. The sea gradually appeared to have returned to its former bustle and calm.

Pirates still lurked and wreaked havoc throughout the various regions, while the Marines continued their patrols. Everything seemed to have returned to the rhythm from before his arrival.

Yet for Beiyuan Heng, the changes had never stopped. Instead, they had been steadily accumulating without him noticing.

Compared to when he had first arrived at Sabaody several months ago, the panel only he could see in his mind had quietly undergone a few new changes.

The most obvious was the addition of two brand-new white traits.

The first new white trait was [Calm (White)].

[Calm (White)]: When faced with danger, battle, and all manner of unexpected situations, you can calm down more easily and seize fleeting opportunities more readily.

Looking at this trait, Beiyuan Heng immediately recalled the time he had been surrounded by over a hundred pirate crews.

Back then, he had faced the assault of countless pirates alone without the slightest panic.

This trait had most likely come from the pirates who had surrounded him.

Ordinary civilians had never seen him truly fall into danger, so naturally, they could not have contributed to this trait.

Besides [Calm (White)], an unprecedented comprehensive white trait had also appeared on the panel: [Somewhat Famous (White)].

[Somewhat Famous (White)]: You have begun to step onto the world stage. Your name has spread through a small number of regions. When active in regions where your name has spread, your strength increases slightly. People's awareness of you will rise.

Beiyuan Heng considered this trait carefully and soon connected it to the [Celebrity (Blue)] trait that had long been on his panel.

The two traits overlapped in a sense, as both centered on increasing other people's awareness of him.

However, [Celebrity (Blue)] leaned more toward broad fame and influence, while [Somewhat Famous (White)] placed greater emphasis on recognition in a limited region. It also came with the practical effect of "a slight increase in strength in regions where he was known."

It served as a supplement and extension to [Celebrity (Blue)], further improving the efficiency with which he gained recognition.

Yet the most surprising change to the panel was not the newly added traits, but the change in the profession section.

A new profession, "Swordsman," had appeared in his profession list, standing alongside his original professions of CP9 Agent and Marine Headquarters Commodore.

That truly exceeded his expectations.

After all, his swordsmanship had long reached the proficient level. Whether it was the power and speed of his swings or his understanding and application of sword techniques, he already possessed every trait of a swordsman—and even surpassed ordinary swordsmen by far.

Logically, this profession should have appeared on his panel long ago. It should not have taken until now to unlock.

After pondering for a moment, Beiyuan Heng understood the key.

The agent profession had been directly granted by CP9 headquarters, while the rank of Marine Commodore had been formally appointed by Marine Headquarters. Neither profession required anyone else's recognition; they were identities directly bestowed upon him.

A broad profession like swordsman, however, which emphasized recognition of strength, required acknowledgment and approval from others before it could be formally recorded by the panel as one of his professions.

This "Swordsman" profession had not been unlocked immediately after his battle with Ryan Hunter.

The true opportunity had come after the celebration banquet. While practicing swordsmanship each day in an open area of Region 5, he had encountered a samurai who had escaped from Wano Country.

The samurai was thin, but his swordsmanship was exquisite. After silently watching Beiyuan Heng practice for a long time, he had stepped forward to spar with him. After their exchange, the samurai from Wano Country had lavished praise upon his swordsmanship.

He had declared that Beiyuan Heng "already possessed the potential of a top-tier swordsman." It was precisely this recognition from a professional swordsman that had officially added the "Swordsman" profession to his panel.

"Looks like acquiring more professions is the right choice."

Beiyuan Heng silently thought to himself.

Originally, he had only viewed professions as a means of obtaining draws and had not paid them much attention.

But after unlocking the "Swordsman" profession, he had clearly felt something different.

His understanding of swordsmanship had deepened, and wielding a sword felt increasingly fluid, allowing him to grasp the essence of sword techniques more quickly.

At first, he had thought it was merely the result of practicing swordsmanship for so long that he had suddenly gained insight. He had not connected the changes to the swordsman profession.

It was only after three or four days, when he deliberately stopped practicing and carefully sensed the changes within himself, that he confirmed it. This profound understanding of swordsmanship was the exclusive boost granted by the swordsman profession.

Having realized this, Beiyuan Heng could not help thinking of his other two professions.

Agent and Marine Commodore.

Those two professions had likely granted him corresponding boosts as well. It was just that when he had unlocked them, he had not deliberately paid attention, nor had he noticed those subtle changes.

Thinking back now, during his CP9 training, he had learned the Six Powers far faster than the other agents of his cohort. The "CP9 Agent" profession had contributed to that, improving his physical fitness, reaction speed, and ability to learn skills.

As for the specific boost provided by the "Marine Headquarters Commodore" profession, he had yet to clearly feel it. He had neither noticed an increase in strength during battle nor experienced any convenience while handling Marine affairs.

Still, the boost from that profession was likely similar to the agent profession's, leaning toward subtle, gradual improvement.

In the long run, obtaining more professions was undoubtedly an essential path toward becoming stronger. Not only could they grant him draws, but they could also provide exclusive boosts and refine his overall ability system.

Beiyuan Heng kept this plan in mind and turned his attention back to the number of draws on the panel.

That was the reward he had received after unlocking the swordsman profession.

Perhaps because of his previous experiences drawing traits, he had developed a slight sense of ritual. After thinking for a moment, Beiyuan Heng deliberately got up, went to the bathroom, and carefully washed his hands.

After washing his hands, he still did not feel reassured, so he simply splashed his face with cold water as well.

Only after doing all that did he return to his place, focus his mind, and silently say, Draw.

The next second, a gentle green light flashed across the panel.

A brand-new green trait appeared in the panel's trait section: [Iron Grip (Green)].

[Iron Grip (Green)]: Your grip strength surpasses that of ordinary people. Your hand strength increases, and your hands become tougher.

Though simple, the increase in strength brought by this trait was far from small.

He instinctively clenched his fist and could clearly feel the abundant power surging through his hand.

He already possessed physical qualities far beyond those of ordinary people. Combined with the boost from the previously unlocked "Great Strength" trait, his hand strength had already been formidable.

Now, with the support of [Iron Grip (Green)], both his hand strength and hand durability had risen another level. He could clearly feel that his current grip was enough to deform, or even crush, ordinary-quality steel.

If he had possessed this trait back then, he was confident that he could have crushed the spiked club in Ryan Hunter's hand with a single grip.