Chapter 58
"This upgrade quest was triggered because we entered the Grand Line. Does that mean that after the new job reaches its maximum level, subsequent upgrade quests won't be available until the latter half of the [New World]? I wonder what the names of the subsequent job upgrades will be..."
"This [Wind Tamer] is quite a nice name. Let me see what the rewards for the Profession Upgrade Quest are..."
[Quest Reward: [Navigator] class upgraded to [Wind Tamer], with the [Sensitive Skin] Specialty!]
"New Specialty bonus!"
Adrian's spirits lifted, and he lightly clicked on the panel to view the Specialty descriptions.
[[Sensitive Skin] - Specialty: Sensing the flow and humidity of the surrounding air through extremely sensitive skin, and using this to predict the weather.]
"While this is indeed a remarkable and highly practical Specialty for Navigator... why does it feel so familiar?"
Adrian frowned slightly, searching his mind for any bits and pieces of information about the original work.
"It seems... that Nami Cat Burglar, possesses this talent, right? It seems to be an innate ability?"
"Tsk! The main characters are amazing, there isn't a single one with weak talent. Even Usopp, who seemed the most cowardly and unreliable at the beginning, has an exceptionally superior bloodline!"
"My Pops is Jesus, and my son is God! I can't really describe how I feel..."
After a brief complaint, Adrian refocused his attention on the newly acquired Profession Upgrade Quest.
Although both are B-level missions in difficulty.
However, the Navigator had only asked them to complete one of the four major voyages to the open seas, but this time the task assigned to the Wind Tamer has clearly increased in difficulty to a higher level.
There are at least four Paradise routes.
It's obvious that we'll need to sail back and forth through the first half of the Paradise several times; otherwise, it would be impossible to complete this task.
However, Adrian was still somewhat relieved, at least the panel didn't require him to complete all the Paradise routes, which would have been far too time-consuming!
Furthermore, the mission requirements specifically emphasized [driving a ship].
The attempt to speed up mission completion by using Ghostification flight is clearly not feasible!
What kind of operation is it to complete a [Navigator] upgrade quest by flying?!
Adrian wasn't particularly excited about the unexpected trigger of the Wind Tamer upgrade quest.
The upgrade quests for [Wind Tamer] are not as demanding as those for [Supernovas].
The mission requirements for [Supernovas] are simple and clear.
It's quite obvious that the upgrade quest for Wind Tamer is just like that of the Navigator back then; it's extremely time-consuming and laborious, and you can't rush it.
After quickly composing himself, Adrian continued to follow the direction of the Eternal Pose he had obtained from Crocus, heading towards the first stop on the Grand Line — Drum Kingdom!
The Grand Line is one of the most mysterious and dangerous sea routes in the world. It cannot be predicted using the common sense of the Four Blues. The weather and climate changes here are also completely unpredictable.
One second it might be a clear blue sky with bright sunshine, and the next second several dazzling Inazuma might suddenly strike the sky;
Yesterday it might have been a mild, breezy late spring day, but tomorrow you might open your eyes to find the small boats and sampans covered with a thin layer of snow.
Without the help of Log Pose or Eternal Pose, even Fisherman who has lived at sea for decades could lose his way in an instant.
Compared to the almost universally known name, "Paradise."
In fact, the first half of the Grand Line has several even more terrifying and sinister codenames: [Pirates Graveyard], [Monster Realm]!
Several days later.
Just as his homemade boat was about to fall apart completely, Adrian finally saw the outline of the snow-covered island.
Drum Island is a typical Winter Island, with snow falling all year round. It is named after the shape of its mountains, which resemble towering drums.
"We've finally arrived!"
Looking at the coastline of Drum Island, covered with a layer of white frost, Adrian felt utterly exhausted.
If it weren't for the need to advance the Wind Tamer's mission, he would have flown straight to the Drum Kingdom the very day he left Twin Capes!
In just a few days.
Adrian experienced a series of terrifying weather phenomena, including deep-sea whirlpools, giant rocks and hail, and water splashes with Inazuma. He even encountered giant Sea Kings hundreds of times the size of a small boat on several occasions!
I deeply felt the Grand Line's warm welcome to Rookie Pirate!
If it weren't for their own superior skills, coupled with the help of [Advanced Navigation], the small boat would have capsized long ago!
"If there's a next time, I'm definitely going to build a big ship with a roof!!"
Filled with deep resentment, Adrian casually moored his small boat at the edge of the shore, quickly gathered his essential belongings, and trudged through the deep snow towards the interior of Drum Island.
Despite being a small island nation with a small population, the Drum Kingdom is an ally of the World Government and has participated in Reverie on numerous occasions throughout history.
The reason for all this lies in the unique and advanced medical technology possessed by the Drum Kingdom.
At present, the Drum Kingdom is still a "medical superpower" that values talent and medical technology.
It wasn't until more than a decade later, after the old king died and the new king Wapol ascended the throne, that the Drum Kingdom became a mere shell of its former self.
Especially after the "Doctor 20 Plan" was ordered to be implemented.
Select the 20 best Doctor in the country who are willing to submit to the king's rule, and then kill or banish all others who claim to be Doctor...
Honestly, Wapol deserved to be killed by Blackbeard a hundred times over!
However, Wapol was just a child a few years old at the time, not the later king with a screw loose.
Adrian was somewhat concerned about the "Munch-Munch Fruit" that Wapol would eat in the future. It was also a Paramecia Fruit with many mysteries, and it seemed to have a deep connection with Blackbeard's special physique.
However, the original work does not explain the origin of the Munch-Munch Fruit, and Adrian does not know when Wapol ate this Paramecia fruit. He only intends to keep it as a matter for observation.
Adrian's main purpose in coming to the Drum Kingdom was to see if he could trigger the upgrade quest for the [Doctor] Secondary Profession!
[Chapter 107. Bandages and Doctor]
The thin sunlight shone on the snow, reflecting a slightly dazzling light.
After leaving the coast, Adrian continued walking slowly.
At this moment, he was dressed in black from head to toe: a heavy black wool cloak, a black coat and black trousers, Yubashiri and a short knife tucked diagonally at his waist, and a pair of high-top black leather riding boots. This outfit was extremely conspicuous in the pure white snow.
Along both sides of the road, the biting cold wind howled through the sparse trees.
Ahead lies the Kaisda Town.
This is a small town located in the northern part of Drum Island; it is quite small in size.
The residents' daily water supply comes from a nearby freshwater lake. There are several other small towns like Kaisda Town around this settlement.
Adrian stepped through the snow, expecting to be greeted by a peaceful and serene winter village, but the scene that came into view made him fall slightly silent.
The pristine earth was torn apart by the hooves of unknown beasts, rye and corn were trampled into the filthy Dirt, and the scimitars and arrows stuck in the ground were stained with scarlet blood, like terrible crops that had been watered in the winter.
Some of the injured were groaning, some were praying, but most lay silently on the ground, their eyes wide open, their bodies already cold.
The town was ablaze, with wisps of black smoke billowing and rising into the azure sky.
Adrian saw a man in a black cloak rushing toward the lake, but a tall, mounted warrior blocked his path, forcing him to turn back.
The others, like sharks that have smelled blood, swarmed around, surrounding the man in the black cloak.
The lead soldier raised his leather whip and lashed the face of the man in the black cloak, causing him to cover his head and flee in all directions.
Another soldier, who looked like a guard, rode forward, ran behind the man, and relentlessly whipped his back until blood gushed out, staining his thighs red.
Another man brandished a whip, hooking it around the black-cloaked man's ankle and causing him to fall to the ground.
In the end, the man in the black cloak simply continued crawling, still making no move to resist.
This attitude seemed to have bored the guards. The warrior who had initially led them picked up the longbow slung across his horse, seemingly preparing to shoot the man to death.
Adrian snapped his fingers, and just as he was about to intervene, the long-silent man in the black cloak finally erupted.
One after another, white bandages darted out from the man in the black cloak like serpents, and like spider silk hunting prey, they precisely wrapped around the mounted soldiers beside him, turning them into giant white cocoons in just a few seconds.
"Devil Fruit User? This should be the Paramecia - Bandage-Bandage Fruit? Or maybe the Cloth Fruit? Anyway, something like that."
Adrian, who had been secretly observing from the sidelines, temporarily suppressed his intention to help. He never meddled in the affairs of those who were capable of saving themselves.
Surprisingly, the cloaked man, who had been quick to act, did not make any further moves after using his abilities to restrain several mounted soldiers.
Completely lacking the precision of before, the man in the black cloak conjured up some more bandages, haphazardly wrapping them around his body several times to slightly stop the bleeding, before preparing to continue his escape.
Just then, the leading mounted warrior finally used his dagger to cut open the bandages on the man's body, his face filled with immense frustration, and roared angrily at the retreating figure of the man in the black cloak:
"Hey! Sliver! You Monster!"
"Don't think you can get away with these little tricks! We already know how to deal with you!"
"King Swallow has ordered your execution. You Monster will not escape the judgment of the Drum Kingdom!"
"You bandaged Monster! Prepare to die!"
After speaking, the mounted warrior drew an arrow from his quiver, coated the metal arrowhead with a thick, oily black substance, and lit it with the help of a nearby fire.
The bow was drawn and the arrow, glowing with a fierce fire, left a trail of wisps of smoke in mid-air.
Then, the arrow pierced straight through the back of the Devil Fruit User named "Sliver".
In just a moment, the fire spread, igniting Sliver like a lit candle, turning him into a giant, walking human torch.
"Aww--"
A heart-wrenching wail escaped from Sliver's mouth as he collapsed to his knees, his body, shrouded in firelight and smoke, completely unrecognizable.
In extreme pain, this weak-willed man finally snapped!
Hiss--
A dense network of white bandages pierced through his body, carrying intense pain and rage, and wrapped around the neck of the mounted warrior who had fired the arrow.
"No— Sliver! You can't kill—"
The mounted warrior's face showed extreme terror, but he didn't have time to finish speaking.
Click--
A crisp cracking sound of bones breaking.
The cavalryman's neck snapped like a straw by the furious bandage, and his head, still bearing an expression of disbelief, fell askew at that moment.
"Sliver!! How dare you kill the captain!!"
"You Monster! Aren't you afraid we'll kill you?!"
"King Swallow will definitely not let you get away with this!"
The captain died instantly, and his group of soldiers panicked and started berating Sliver without thinking.
The kingdom's soldiers never expected that the man who had just appeared so cowardly under their whips and swords would possess such terrifying strength!
However, Sliver's revenge did not stop.
The bandages, still glowing with flickering fire, continued to surge towards the group of kingdom soldiers. This time, instead of simply binding them as before, they strangled them all!
Even after killing all the soldiers, Sliver continued to unleash his abilities.
A steady stream of white bandages poured out from his body, completely extinguishing the remaining flames and binding him up like a mummy, concealing the scorched scars and black charred marks left by the flames.
After everything was done, Sliver completely lost his strength and collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
A moment later.
Adrian slowly walked to Sliver's side, looked at the ability user at his feet who had completely lost consciousness, and couldn't help but shake his head.
"You find it ridiculous?" A figure slowly emerged from behind a distant ice peak. "He's clearly Devil Fruit User, yet he's being bullied to this extent by a bunch of ordinary people. That's probably what you're thinking... But, Sliver used to be a Doctor who only knew how to heal people with bandages!"
[Chapter 108. The Witch (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)]
Adrian looked in the direction of the sound.
What came into view was a "lady" with long, light blonde wavy hair. She was carrying a bottle of alcohol and wearing a short-sleeved crop top that went against the cold climate of Drum Island. She even had a rather unique gold navel ring.
Although she was dressed and made up to look very young, the "woman's" face was covered with deep wrinkles.
Both her appearance and voice subconsciously evoke images of a "witch" or "spirit witch".
The visitor was none other than Dr. Kureha!
A real old hag who just celebrated her 118th birthday this year!
He will also be the medical teacher of Tony Tony Chopper, the Straw Hat Pirates' Ship Doctor!