First Crew Member

The atmosphere in the underground space was so oppressive it was suffocating. The two men panted heavily, their ragged breaths echoing through the empty chamber like the low growls of beasts.

Bart's chest heaved violently. Sweat mixed with blood and slid down from his forehead, carving rivulets across his scar-covered face before gathering at his chin and dripping onto the ground with soft patters.

"You little brat, who do you think you are? How dare you lecture me!"

Bart's eyes were bloodshot as his furious roar echoed through the vast underground space.

Amid the deafening roar, the steel-like skin covering Bart's body darkened further, nearly turning black. This was the result of pushing his Armament Haki to its absolute limit.

"Defeat me first, then talk!" Bart growled.

"You said it. Then don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Lin Feng's lips curled up slightly. There was not a trace of fear on his face as excitement surged within his chest.

"Sun Breathing: Full Concentration: Constant!"

Lin Feng shouted softly, and the air around him distorted. Invisible shockwaves spread outward from his body.

"Sun Breathing: Eleventh Form: Fake Rainbow!"

Lin Feng vanished in an instant. The next moment, he appeared behind Bart, Frost Gale trailing a dazzling rainbow as it slashed toward Bart's back.

"Too slow!"

Bart roared and turned around at the critical moment. His iron fist, coated in Armament Haki, smashed fiercely toward Frost Gale.

Clang!

The blade collided with the iron fist, producing a deafening boom.

Lin Feng felt an enormous force crash into him. His hand went numb, and Frost Gale nearly flew from his grip.

"Sun Breathing: Second Form: Clear Blue Sky!"

Lin Feng drifted backward with the recoil while swinging Frost Gale. Sharp blade light poured down upon Bart like a torrential rain.

"Steel Body: Iron Wall!"

Bart neither dodged nor evaded, forcefully enduring Lin Feng's attack.

Only faint white marks were left on his steel-like skin.

"Hahaha! Kid, your attacks are useless against me!" Bart laughed wildly. "Now it's my turn!"

"Steel Body: Final Form: Overclock Mode!"

Bart roared again. His body expanded, reaching a startling height of six meters. His muscles bulged like forged steel, radiating a terrifying aura.

"This is my final trump card. I hadn't wanted to use it, but you successfully enraged me!"

Bart's voice rumbled through the chamber like muffled thunder. "Now die!"

"Steel Fist: Extinction Strike!"

Bart raised his enormous fist and smashed it down at Lin Feng with the momentum to destroy everything.

It was as though this punch could shatter space itself!

"Sun Breathing: Final Form: Sun Halo Dragon: Dragon Head Dance!"

Facing Bart's world-destroying attack, Lin Feng used the strongest move he currently possessed as well.

A gigantic dragon made of flames coiled around him. It wrapped around Frost Gale and met Bart's iron fist with endless sharpness.

Boom!

After the earth-shattering explosion, the entire underground space shook violently, as if the end of the world had arrived.

Both Lin Feng and Bart were swallowed by the dust filling the air.

The Demon Blade at the center of the altar seemed to sense something and let out eerie hums that sent chills down one's spine.

This sound seemed to foretell something...

The dust gradually settled, revealing the state of the underground chamber.

A massive crater had appeared in the ground, and the stone walls surrounding it were covered in cracks, showing just how intense the collision had been.

Lin Feng knelt on one knee, using Frost Gale, which was embedded in the ground, to support himself. Blood continuously flowed from the corner of his mouth, and his clothes were tattered beyond recognition.

Bart, meanwhile, lay flat on his back, his enormous body completely motionless. The steel-like skin on his body had also lost its luster and returned to its original flesh color.

"Cough, cough..." Lin Feng coughed twice, struggling to stand before staggering toward Bart.

"You... lost," Lin Feng said softly as he looked at Bart.

Bart slowly opened his eyes and looked at Lin Feng, his gaze filled with complicated emotions.

He stared intently at Lin Feng, as though trying to find something in his eyes. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a hoarse, low voice. "You... didn't try to kill me."

"Why would I kill you?" Lin Feng grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth.

"Haven't you already lost to me? Besides, I saw unwillingness in your eyes. I saw longing..."

"Longing?" Bart froze, as though those two words had pierced him. He subconsciously touched the grotesque scar on his right cheek. His gaze immediately dimmed, and his voice carried a hint of bitterness and self-mockery.

"I... am a weapon abandoned by the Marines, a monster who only knows how to kill. What right do I have to speak of longing..."

"Why wouldn't you?"

Lin Feng struggled to straighten himself and walked toward Bart step by step.

"You long for freedom. You long to break free from your past. You long... to be acknowledged!"

"Are you willing to be treated as a weapon for the rest of your life? Don't you want to live for yourself? Is there no one you want to protect? Don't you want to live openly and proudly in this world?"

With every sentence, Lin Feng took another step forward. His words were like heavy hammers smashing fiercely into Bart's heart.

"You... you have no idea what I've been through!"

Bart growled like a wounded beast, trying to hide the turmoil in his heart with a roar.

"You think I don't want freedom? You think I don't want companions? But... but who can I trust? Who else can I trust?!"

"I don't know everything about your past, but I saw your unwillingness in battle. You definitely aren't willing to be a weapon for the rest of your life!"

Lin Feng stared straight into Bart's eyes, his gaze blazing.

"Your eyes tell me that you still have unfinished dreams, things you want to protect! That pocket watch you carry with you—the photograph inside it—is what you want to protect, isn't it?"

Bart fell silent. He lowered his head, his heavy breathing echoing through the empty underground space.

"Join my pirate crew, Bart," Lin Feng said again, his tone firm.

"I won't make you into a weapon, and I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"I'll take you to see a broader world, experience more incredible adventures, and find... what you truly want! I'll show you what true companions are, what true freedom is, what it truly means to be alive. I'll let you know that you aren't fighting alone."

"And you only need to be yourself. That's all."

Lin Feng's words were like a beam of light shining into the dark corner deep within Bart's heart.

"Pirate crew... companions..."

Bart murmured to himself. These two words were both strange and distant to him.

Once, he had also longed for companions, for comrades he could entrust his back to.

But in that sunless laboratory, amid the brutal training and slaughter, amid those cold stares and merciless orders.

That longing had long been buried deep within his heart. Even he himself had thought he had forgotten it.

"I... can really do this?"

Bart raised his head. Complicated emotions flickered in his eyes—confusion, anticipation, and a trace of... barely perceptible hope, along with deep concern.

"Can I... still have companions?"

"Of course you can!"

Lin Feng extended his hand, his face filled with a confident smile.

"I'm going to become the strongest man. My ship can't be without a powerhouse like you!"

"The strongest..."

Bart looked at Lin Feng's outstretched hand. Though it was covered in wounds, it was filled with strength and hope, as though it possessed some kind of magic that drew him toward the light.

After hesitating for a long time, the light in Bart's eyes grew brighter and brighter. Finally, he slowly extended his rough hand—the hand stained with countless amounts of blood, now trembling slightly.

When their hands clasped tightly together, Bart felt as though a warm current flowed into his heart, dispersing the gloom that had lingered there for so long.

"I... will join."

The simple two words seemed to have taken all of Bart's strength, yet they also carried his hopes for the future.

"Hahaha, good!"

Lin Feng tightly gripped Bart's hand and laughed heartily, unable to contain his excitement.

"Wonderful, Bart! I knew you wouldn't disappoint me! From today onward, you're my first companion! Let's conquer these seas together!"

[Ding! Detected that the host has recruited his first companion.]

[Ding! Bart Romanov meets the system's criteria for a bonded individual. Reward: 200,000 Slash Points!]

[Ding! Bond function unlocked!]

[Bond Function Description: A companion's growth will provide the host with attribute bonuses. The deeper the bond between a companion and the host, the greater the bonus. Companions can increase their strength by completing system missions, participating in battles, and other methods.]

[Current Companion: Bart Romanov]

[Strength: Marine Vice Admiral level]

[Devil Fruit Ability: Paramecia: Steel Fruit]

[Loyalty: 80]

[Bond Level: Lv.1]

[Attribute Bonuses: Strength +50, Speed +30, Constitution +100]

[Special Bonus: Steel Body (Passive): When attacked, there is a certain chance of triggering a steelification effect, greatly increasing defense.]

A string of system notifications rang out in Lin Feng's mind, lifting his spirits.

"Hm? The system's reward is actually this generous—200,000 Slash Points."

"Bond function? This is a good thing!" Lin Feng rejoiced inwardly.

"With this function, I'll be able to increase my strength even faster."