Although reaching level twenty would bring a qualitative leap, getting there would probably be incredibly difficult.
Werther's Swordsmanship and Armament Haki were both at level nineteen.
Hoping he might get lucky, Werther put some of the Life Force he had just gained into his Armament Haki.
A thousand points of Life Force went into it without a trace. Werther's heart sank.
The Life Force needed to raise an ability to level twenty might be far greater than he had imagined.
"Well..."
Werther sighed, silently took a Vitality Crystal from inside his coat, put it in his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed it.
The Black Ring absorbed the Life Force while his body absorbed that strange energy. The Vitality Crystal soon vanished without a trace.
"Werther, you just ate a rock, didn't you? I'm sure I saw that right."
Sugar stared at him in astonishment, wondering when he had developed a taste for rocks.
"Sugar, eating gems is great for you. Want to try one? I'm this strong because I've eaten gems for years."
Werther's mischievous streak resurfaced. He took a sapphire from his Pocket Watch and handed it to Sugar.
Sugar was skeptical, but she envied Werther's strength so much that she actually put the sapphire in her mouth.
"Wurthur, I can't bite through thith thing."
The gem filled Sugar's little mouth, making her words come out muffled.
"You'll manage with practice. That's how I learned."
Werther offered this shameless reassurance. Sugar remained doubtful; the idea that eating gems could make her stronger sounded far-fetched.
But she had clearly seen Werther eat a "green gem" moments ago.
So Sugar gripped the gem in her soft little hand and began gnawing on it.
Ruri Chie snickered beside her, repeatedly giving Sugar meaningful looks.
Seeing Ruri Chie's expression, Sugar finally realized