Swordsmanship Improvement and Branch Abilities

Afterward, Gawain had the shipwrights who remained behind hide the ship as a temporary base. He then led his subordinates to an open area on the island and had everyone stand in separate groups.

Soon.

Gawain began teaching everyone the most basic Swordsmanship training.

From the initial sword-gripping posture, to how to exert force, how to block an enemy's attacks, and then how to fight and kill more efficiently...

Whether they held real swords or wooden sticks, they were all exceptionally focused, even displaying an unprecedented fervor.

They studied every move with extreme seriousness.

Their diligence was so great that Gawain wondered whether their minds were simply too straightforward.

But in truth, to these people, Gawain's words were indeed no different from eternal truths. He simply had not realized it himself.

Still, it was not a bad thing for him.

Time passed in a flash. The sun gradually set, and the moon rose.

Yet no one felt tired. It was not until late at night that they reluctantly put down their swords and wooden sticks.

"Eh? Why am I not as tired as I imagined after training all day?"

"Probably just your imagination!"

"No, I feel it too. My stamina seems better than before. If it were the old me, I'd be too exhausted to speak after so much exercise, but now my legs are only a little weak."

"That's incredible!"

"Maybe our efforts moved the gods?"

"Heh, the gods are sitting in Mary Geoise. Do you think they'll bless you? We should be grateful if they don't double our taxes."

Everyone chimed in and quickly moved past the subject, assuming it was simply a benefit of their focused training.

But Gawain knew that it was probably the bonus brought by the Captain's Wrath Badge.

Its 20% increase to stamina recovery speed remained effective even during training.

In other words.

It was equivalent to a buff that reduced stamina consumption during training by 20%, along with a buff that increased stamina recovery speed by 20% while resting.

Two benefits from one thing, with double the effect!

But at that moment, Gawain's attention was not on the Badge's effects, but on the System Panel:

Swordsmanship-LV-4: 431/800 --> Swordsmanship-LV-4: 453/800

Physique-LV-3: 357/400 --> Physique-LV-3: 384/400

Just one day of training from those pirates had given him 22 Swordsmanship Experience, while his Physique Experience had increased by 27 points.

Calculated out, one person's training for an entire day could only add a fraction of a point of experience.

For an ordinary person to train their Swordsmanship to Gawain's current level, it would be nearly impossible without decades of uninterrupted Arduous Training.

In stark contrast were people like Zoro and Sanji.

They had spent only two or three years reaching a level close to the strongest in the world. While combat did help people grow faster, more of it came from their outrageous talent.

The difference in natural talent between people was magnified almost without limit in this world.

This body of Gawain's was clearly not possessed by some genius talent. It was merely a level above ordinary people.

But as long as the system could maintain its current efficiency, after a little over a month, these two abilities could gain at least another seven or eight hundred experience points. Swordsmanship would definitely break through to LV-5, and if he worked hard enough, Physique might also reach LV-5.

"I wonder just how much LV-5 Swordsmanship and Physique can improve my combat strength."

"According to the system, every five levels of a skill is a threshold that will determine my future direction."

Gawain muttered to himself.

At that moment, one of his subordinates brought over some fish and wild fruits gathered from the island.

The island's resources were fairly abundant. Wild fruits grew everywhere, and the tubers of many plants could be eaten directly. Together with the fish caught from the sea, it was more than enough to support over a hundred people training for several months.

Gawain reached out and accepted them, then took a bite from a chunk of meat. The meat was dry, tough, and fishy, so it naturally could not be called tasty. But in this environment, there was nothing to be picky about.

After all, for these pirates born into the lower class, this was already a rare delicacy. And sufficient protein and carbohydrates were also of enormous benefit to their training.

Half a month passed in a flash.

During this time, Gawain continued guiding his subordinates in training. Everyone gradually moved beyond their initial sense of novelty and entered a more steady phase, but their growth over these dozen days was very real.

If they had initially been complete beginners who knew nothing about swordsmanship, then now they were Swordsmanship apprentices with a decent foundation.

"The sword in my hand feels completely different now. It's like one of my arms. I feel like I could take on ten of my former selves!"

"Keep bragging."

"But it's true, I can feel my own growth. But don't forget, the captain is the one who brought all these changes!"

"That's right. After what happened with Lancer, the captain completely transformed. He's nothing like before."

"Not just his personality, but his attitude toward us. This captain is the one who can truly lead us to become stronger!"

Gawain watched the scene from afar, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

If these people could continue improving at this rate, then even if not everyone reached Officers-level combat strength, they would have no problem protecting themselves in the East Blue with the swords in their hands.

Then he would not have deceived them after all.

After all, in this world, only the strong had the right to stand and live. The weak could only crawl on the ground and beg for mercy.

"Captain, I injured my arm. I'd like to take two days off."

A pirate wearing a white hat approached Gawain with a slightly apologetic expression. One hand covered his swollen, reddened arm, while unwillingness showed on his face.

Gawain had some impression of this man. His name was Jamila. He had joined the ship half a year ago and was one of the few honest people aboard. Gawain did not make too many demands, merely reaching out to pat his shoulder.

"Rest for a few days first. Don't leave yourself with a permanent injury just because you're trying to tough it out."

"Mm."

Jamila nodded gratefully, a trace of coldness flashing through his eyes almost imperceptibly. He then turned and headed toward the cabin.

Watching Jamila's departing figure, Gawain frowned.

Perhaps it was an illusion.

But on Jamila's chest, he had seen a pendant shaped like a seagull.

Gawain shook his head, then turned to find a quiet place and opened the System Panel once more.

Over the past half month, his Physique had successfully risen to LV-4, and the changes it brought were enormous.

His speed and strength had increased by at least 30%, while his endurance and stamina had increased by nearly 50%. Even his bone and muscle density had noticeably improved.

Yet his physique had not changed much. He was still a well-proportioned man just over two meters tall—slim in clothes, muscular without them.

Not only had the injuries on his body healed, but his resistance to blows had also soared. If he faced Morgans's axe again, he might not be able to withstand it head-on, but he certainly would not be as miserable as before.

And today, his Swordsmanship was about to rise to LV-5.

According to the system, this would be a qualitative transformation that would bring him an unexpected improvement.

Everyone's training ended quickly that day, and Gawain harvested 24 Swordsmanship Experience and 30 Physique Experience as he wished.

Swordsmanship-LV-4: 793/800 --> Swordsmanship-LV-5: 17/1600

The next instant.

A completely new sensation appeared in Gawain's hands. It was as though the sword he held was not an inanimate object, but part of his body.

Countless understandings of swordsmanship, along with all kinds of intricate sword techniques, flashed before his eyes. Yet he completely understood and absorbed them in an instant, able to immediately apply them in battle.

This...

Gawain subconsciously raised his hand and casually slashed horizontally at the stone wall before him.

Screech!

After a crisp sound, the massive stone wall, more than ten meters in diameter, split directly down the middle.

The cut was perfectly smooth, like a mirror.

Gawain's eyes widened instantly.

This is unbelievable!

Could a single level really bring such an improvement?

The previous owner's LV-4 Swordsmanship could cut through stone, but not to this extent!

With this level of Swordsmanship, my combat strength has at least doubled. Combined with my greatly enhanced Physique, my on-paper combat strength has increased by at least three times compared to when I first arrived here!

If I face Morgans again, I'm confident I can kill him within three exchanges!

Gawain recalled the details of his fight with Morgans and ultimately came to that conclusion.

But the next instant, the familiar system notification sounded again:

"Detected that the host's Swordsmanship has reached LV-5. You may select one of the following branch abilities:"

"*Iron Cutting*, *Flying Blade*, *Godspeed*."