Chapter 2

Ahem!

According to the system's information, the professions in One Piece were all sorts of strange and varied things: samurai, ninja, mountain bandits, gangsters, ordinary office workers...

Although no profession was inherently superior to another, some really weren't suited to being a main profession.

Without a doubt, the main profession Adrian wanted most was [Marine].

Was there a cushier profession than [Marine] in this world?

Steady pay, legal pirate killing, a clear path to promotion, and most outrageous of all, freedom to follow your own convictions!

[Lazy Justice], [Unclear Justice]—just listen to those! Was that really the kind of justice a proper Marine should uphold?

Did being a Marine Admiral make you that special?!

Damn it, the more he thought about it, the more envious he became!

But acquiring [Main profession: Marine] required [Enlisting], just as acquiring [Main profession: Pirate] required [Setting sail].

Honestly, obtaining either of these main professions couldn't have been simpler in this world. But for Adrian as he was now, the difficulty was nothing short of a hellish nightmare.

He had to attend CP9's internal training in three days. Yet as someone under the World Government's command, Adrian had practically no chance of successfully joining the Marines within that time.

As for setting sail beside a heavily guarded island of agents, while declaring that he wanted to become a pirate...

He might as well look for another way to get himself killed...

Besides, with formal training starting in three days, Adrian had no choice but to level up.

If he attended training with his current level and attributes, Adrian figured he would die right there on the training grounds.

Leveling up was a must!

But the question was, how could he gain experience?

Fighting monsters was clearly out of the question. Even if this training island had plenty of monsters for Adrian to choose from, at level 1 and without any combat experience, he would only be serving himself up on a platter.

There wasn't much chance of triggering a quest, either. Kumadori Yamamba had already mentioned that all Adrian needed to do now was recover, then take part in training.

He wouldn't be able to pick up quests until he had completed all his training.

What a pain. What should I do?

Adrian rubbed the back of his head, where waves of phantom pain seemed to flare up again.

[Profession] and [Experience] were supposed to be two utterly straightforward things, yet he had no idea where to start.

Couldn't you have put me on an easier map?

Adrian's brain was overheating.

Early the following morning.

The pale light of dawn spread across the horizon, and the morning air was cool and refreshing.

After a simple breakfast, Adrian, whose condition had improved considerably, began wandering around the training base to familiarize himself with his surroundings.

Cipher Pol was a secret intelligence agency directly subordinate to the World Government. It handled security, military strikes, political operations, and various other duties. Most of its members were orphans taken in as children from the Four Blues and the Grand Line.

As he walked, Adrian attracted quite a few curious looks.

His body's previous owner had been practically invisible at the training base and hadn't had any close friends. If not for this recent incident, hardly anyone would have known him.

Of course, all the current Adrian had gained was a reputation as a "survivor." He drew slightly more attention than before, but things would surely settle down again after a while.

After wandering about, Adrian arrived at the training base's library. He wanted to try his luck here and see whether his theory would work.

"An illustrated guide to West Blue marine life," "Basic navigation theory," "A history of the seafaring world," "Principles of meteorology"...

The largest portion of the library's collection concerned navigation, followed by the endless assortment of strange species found at sea.

Adrian pulled "Basic navigation theory" from a shelf. It covered the fundamentals of navigation and was the perfect introductory guide for a novice navigator who had never had anything to do with the sea.

Patiently, Adrian read through the book's first chapter with care.

Just then, a notification suddenly appeared on the system panel.

[Through reading, you have completed one session of basic navigation study. [Basic Navigation] learning progress: 3%.]

"It really works!"

[Apprentice Swordsman]

Adrian's eyes lit up. His theory had been right!

With his system panel, he could indeed acquire skills through reading!

And [Basic Navigation] was the prerequisite skill for the [Navigator] profession!

If navigation could be learned through reading, there was no reason other skills couldn't.

Adrian first returned "Basic navigation theory" to its shelf, then hurried over to the section containing books on swordplay. He picked out a basic swordsmanship book at random and began reading intently.

Time passed quietly, with only the rustle of turning pages remaining in the library.

[Through reading, you have completed one session of independent basic swordsmanship study. Based on your Intelligence, [Basic Swordsmanship] learning progress: 7%.]

[[Basic Swordsmanship] learning progress: 14%...28%...49%...]

Suddenly, the panel chimed with a new notification.

[[Basic Swordsmanship] progress: 100%. You have successfully acquired fundamental swordsman knowledge. Swordsman profession unlocked!]

[You have acquired a new profession—[Apprentice Swordsman]. Stamina unlocked! Stamina increased to a certain extent. Strength +1, Agility +1. You have gained 2 Free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point!]

[You have learned new skills—[Basic Swordsmanship Training], [Basic Swordsmanship Affinity]!]

As a flood of knowledge poured into his mind, a warm current appeared out of nowhere and flowed through his entire body. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Adrian felt that his head injury had improved considerably.

Acquiring the [Apprentice Swordsman] profession, along with 2 Free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point—which could be used to raise skill levels and quickly learn skills—put Adrian in a wonderful mood.

Since it was still early, Adrian retrieved "Basic navigation theory," learned the new skill [Basic Navigation], and unlocked a new secondary profession, [Navigator], along the way.

[You have acquired a new profession—[Navigator]. Stamina increased to a certain extent. Intelligence +1, Charm +1. You have gained 2 Free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point!]

At the same time, his personal panel reflected the corresponding changes.

--

Name: Adrian (Ed)

Race: Human

Template: NPC (Countdown to version 1.0 public beta: three years)

Level: 1

Experience: 0

Main profession: Apprentice Swordsman LV1 (0/200)

Secondary profession: Commoner LV1 (0/50)

Navigator LV1 (0/100)

Personal attributes: Strength 4, Agility 8, Stamina 4, Intelligence 7, Charm 6, Luck 1

(Note: The standard attributes of an adult male in the One Piece world are 5 points, with Luck at 1 point.)

Free Attribute Points: 4

Skill Points: 2

Health: 60% (Head injury)

Physical energy: 100%

Stamina: 100%

Specialties: None

Skills: [Basic Swordsmanship Training] LV1 (0/400)—Perform basic training independently to increase swordsmanship proficiency.

[Basic Swordsmanship Affinity] LV1 (0/1000)—Improve understanding of swordsmanship and slightly increase its power.

[Basic Navigation] LV1 (0/50)—Increase familiarity with the sea and improve ability to operate at sea.

Legend Points: 0

Equipment: None

--

After leaving the library, Adrian picked up a wooden practice sword from the training grounds and returned home alone.

[Basic Swordsmanship Training] had given Adrian extensive knowledge of sword training. Even without any prior experience swinging a sword or a teacher to guide him, he could still train independently.

Standing in the middle of his room, Adrian gripped the wooden sword's hilt with both hands and gently closed his eyes. Knowledge of sword training flowed slowly through his mind, while the text icon for [Basic Swordsmanship Training] glowed faintly on his skill panel.

There were many ways to gain [Experience]. Besides the usual monster fighting and quests mentioned earlier, independent practice and sparring were also important sources of experience. This was especially true for the [Apprentice Swordsman] main profession: only through daily sword training could he grow accordingly.

He pushed aside his stray thoughts, raised his arms, and swung.

The wooden blade cut through the air with a soft swish.

[You have completed one sword training session (basic). Completion: 56%. Experience gained: 28.]

He adjusted the angle slightly, raised his arms, and swung.

[You have completed one sword training session (basic). Completion: 67%. Experience gained: 33.]

[You have completed one sword training session (basic). Completion: 80%. Experience gained: 40.]

Before long, Adrian finished his final swing, bringing his accumulated experience to 200 points.

"Put the experience points into [Apprentice Swordsman]!"

A familiar warm current arose, and a pleasant notification sounded in his mind.

[[Apprentice Swordsman] has advanced to LV2. Stamina increased to a certain extent. Strength +1, Agility +1. You have gained 2 Free Attribute Points and 1 Skill Point!]

Now that's the power of a cheat!

Adrian's unrestrained laughter nearly burst through the door.

Three days later, early in the morning.

Having prepared in advance, Adrian took his wooden practice sword and headed for an enclosed training ground in the northeastern corner of the base.

As he entered, he saw a few children whose faces looked vaguely familiar. Kumadori Yamamba stood at the front of the group, quietly waiting for everyone to assemble.

Hearing someone approach, Kumadori Yamamba glanced toward the sound and spotted Adrian.

Huh? This kid?

His steps were steady and his eyes bright, without a trace of the weakness and confusion he had shown three nights earlier. He was also a far cry from the dull, taciturn boy he had been before that.

Did something happen to him recently? Or is this because he just went through a painful brush with death?

The fleeting questions crossed Kumadori Yamamba's mind.

Noticing Kumadori Yamamba's gaze, Adrian looked over and nodded slightly in greeting. "Good morning, ma'am."

He had already mentally prepared himself to spend a long time developing at this training base. Establishing a good relationship with his immediate superior early on was undoubtedly the right move.

Besides, as long as she kept her mouth shut, Kumadori Yamamba was quite an attractive beauty.

A fleeting sense of regret passed through Adrian.

Just then, Kumadori Yamamba suddenly flashed in front of Adrian. She glanced down at the wooden sword in his hand, then asked, "Kid, did something good happen to you these past couple of days?"

I couldn't even see her move! So fast! Was that Soru from the Six Powers...?

Adrian was startled inwardly, but his expression remained composed as he answered, "No, Instructor Kumadori."

She seems to have noticed some of the changes in me, too!

Over three days, more than a thousand practice swings a day had allowed Adrian to accumulate nearly 150,000 experience points. He hadn't immediately put all that experience into leveling up. That would have been far too conspicuous and could easily have exposed something amiss.

Even so, unlocking two professions in succession and leveling up had already increased Adrian's attributes considerably. His main attribute, Strength, had almost doubled!

I have to be more careful! Until I have the basic ability to protect myself, I absolutely can't let anyone discover what's going on with me!

Adrian silently repeated the warning to himself.