The deployment of the " Purification Field " was like building temporary dikes in the surging demonic tide. Although soldiers still needed to reinforce it with their own flesh and blood, it finally curbed the momentum of the defense line collapsing. In the fierce war of attrition, another key characteristic of the " Power of Fortune " was gradually figured out by the soldiers on the front line.
Initially, everyone focused on the powerful monsters, believing that only by defeating monsters of higher levels could they achieve significant improvements. However, in the ongoing high-intensity defensive battles, facing a massive number of low-level monsters (black and dark purple), the warriors discovered that accumulation was also a viable path.
After a colonel killed dozens of black monsters in succession, although the golden light he received each time was so faint as to be almost imperceptible, little by little, he clearly felt that the bottleneck that had been holding him back for many years was starting to loosen!
A Rear Admiral led his troops to hold their ground. With the help of the " Purification Field," they cleared out large numbers of low-level monsters. Although the individual gains from each monster were minimal, the total amount accumulated allowed his Haki cultivation to steadily improve during the battle!
The data was quickly aggregated and analyzed, and a clearer pattern emerged:
• Killing a monster far weaker than oneself yields a very small amount of Power of Fortune, but it is not zero.
• This small amount of luck can be accumulated, and its total effect roughly corresponds to a simple conversion: the total amount of luck gained from killing about a thousand monsters that are one level below one's own strength (such as Rear Admiral general killing a black-purple monster with the strength of a colonel) is roughly equal to the amount gained from successfully killing a monster of the same level as oneself.
• The accumulated Power of Fortune also possesses healing, recovery, and essential strengthening effects, only the process is slower and more stable.
This news was undoubtedly a huge encouragement to the vast majority of lower-ranking soldiers! Not everyone has the opportunity or the strength to challenge those dangerous and powerful monsters that are far above their level. But now, as long as they stay at their posts and efficiently clear out the low-level monsters that are surging in like a tide, they can also steadily grow stronger! This greatly enhances the enthusiasm and endurance of defensive operations.
"Many drops make a river, many grains of sand make a tower!" Sabo immediately adjusted his tactical propaganda. "Don't aim too high! Holding your ground and killing enemies efficiently is the best way for you to become stronger! Every monster we kill brings us one step closer to victory!"
The morale at the front lines was boosted. The defensive battle was no longer just about passively taking hits, but had become a "training ground" with clear growth rewards. The soldiers cooperated more seamlessly, and the distribution of firepower was more efficient, striving to maximize the damage to low-level monsters during the duration of the " Purification Field ".
This change has also affected high-level strategies.
"The objectives of Operation ' Nail ' need to be adjusted," Long pointed out at the strategy meeting. "Since accumulating fortune is equally effective and less risky, our attacks on the nest should no longer aim for a one-time destruction. Instead, we can shift to sustained, high-intensity harassment and weakening."
He pointed to the nest islands marked as " Nail " on the map. "Dispatch elite troops, under the cover of the ' Purification Field ' generators, to launch attacks on these nests in shifts. The core objective is not to capture or destroy them, but to maximize the killing of the swarming monsters! Turn the areas around the nests into our 'high-level experience zones'!"
"At the same time, this sustained high-pressure attack can restrain a large number of monsters, slow down their outward expansion, and may even force the Rift to invest more resources in defending its nests, thereby delaying the arrival of even stronger monsters."
This is a brilliant strategy that combines "defense" and "growth." By taking advantage of the fact that nests inevitably spawn monsters, the surrounding area is transformed into a "hunting ground" that sustainably generates Power of Fortune.
Ace, Luffy, Zoro, and the others immediately grasped the brilliance of this strategy.
Ace: "I can lead a team to repeatedly clear the field with the Flame of World Purification, it's very efficient!"
Luffy: "Haha! This way I can keep fighting and getting stronger! I love it!"
Zoro: "I'll use them to sharpen my sword."
The new " Nail " operation was swiftly launched. Elite squads, led by powerful warriors and equipped with mobile " Purification Field " generators, began relentless harassment attacks on the selected outer lair. Like skilled hunters, they used the force fields to weaken the monsters before efficiently Harvest the rewards. Although they couldn't penetrate the lair's core, they did create a death zone around it, slaying a massive number of monsters.
The Power of Fortune of the soldiers on the front lines was steadily accumulating at a visible pace, and their overall strength was slowly but surely improving through the tempering of blood and fire.
The Rift Demons seemed to have noticed this change as well, and they began to mobilize more forces to guard their lair, while their attack patterns became more organized. A more intense and protracted tug-of-war ensued around the lair.
The war has entered a new phase: one side attempts to accumulate " Tribulation Power " through devouring and destruction, summoning a stronger being; the other side accumulates "luck" through perseverance and efficient killing, tempering its own edge. This is a brutal competition concerning survival and the right to evolve.
Will the scales of victory begin to tip because of this "accumulated streams into a river" strategy? No one knows. But at least, the Spark of hope burns even brighter through the continuous killing and accumulation.