“So this reward is swordsmanship?”
“The combined swordsmanship of Mihawk, Ryuma, and Oden at their peaks?”
Leon could not help feeling impressed when he saw the new check-in reward.
It was every bit as valuable as the supreme physique he had received from his first check-in.
Dracule Mihawk’s skill with a blade required no explanation.
He was the current World’s Strongest Swordsman, standing at the very summit of all swordsmen alive.
His mastery of the sword placed him far above nearly everyone else on the seas.
Then there was Shimotsuki Ryuma, the legendary samurai who had once slain a dragon.
The zombie created from Ryuma’s corpse had eventually been defeated by Roronoa Zoro at Thriller Bark, but that imitation could hardly represent the swordsman’s true strength.
The zombie had possessed Brook’s shadow, techniques, and personality.
It had not retained the full power Ryuma wielded during his lifetime.
The real Ryuma had lived during Wano’s golden age and remained undefeated throughout his life.
His legend was so great that later generations revered him as the Sword God.
At his peak, his swordsmanship might not have been inferior to Mihawk’s.
The same principle applied to the other corpses Moria had turned into zombies.
Captain John, for example, had once served as an officer of the Rocks Pirates.
Yet after his corpse was revived as a zombie, he was little more than another soldier in Moria’s army.
If Captain John had truly been that weak in life, he could never have held an important position aboard the crew once led by Rocks D.
Xebec.
That crew had contained some of the most terrifying pirates in history.
Kaido had still been a young apprentice at the time, while Captain John had already risen to the rank of officer.
The final part of the reward was Kozuki Oden’s swordsmanship at its peak.
Oden had been one of the greatest samurai Wano had ever produced.
He had scarred Kaido and nearly defeated him.
Had the battle not been disrupted by deception, Kaido might not have emerged victorious.
More importantly, the reward was not based on the younger Oden who had been sent flying by Gol D.
Roger’s Divine Departure.
It came from the Oden who had already sailed with the Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates, crossed the Grand Line, reached Laugh Tale, and returned to Wano after years of experience and hardship.
That was Oden at the height of his power.
Each of those three swordsmen had stood among the finest of his era.
Any one of them could reasonably be considered among the top swordsmen in the world.
What would happen when the swordsmanship of all three was fused into one person?
It was almost impossible to imagine.
The reward followed the same principle as Leon’s first check-in.
His original reward had combined the peak physiques of three Emperors, creating a body whose limits could not be measured through ordinary standards.
Now he was being offered the combined swordsmanship of three legendary masters.
The value of this reward was no less astonishing.
“Once I receive it…”
“Won’t I possess both the strongest physique and the strongest swordsmanship in the world?”
Leon’s thoughts began to race.
His body alone was already enough to place him among the strongest people on the seas.
Once he obtained unmatched swordsmanship as well, even he could not predict how powerful he would become.
Kaido?
Mihawk?
Charlotte Linlin?
By then, perhaps a single slash would be enough for each of them.
The strongest physique combined with the strongest swordsmanship.
What kind of monster would that create?
Just imagining it filled Leon with anticipation.
He slowly exhaled and forced himself to calm down.
Leon had always believed that becoming stronger served one purpose above all others—
It allowed him to live more comfortably.
That conviction had never changed.
Had the system required him to train relentlessly and risk his life for every improvement, he would rather have remained in Bread Village and done nothing.
Fortunately, his check-in system asked very little of him.
He only needed to reach the designated location.
There was no endless training, no exhausting set of missions, and no need to push himself to the brink for incremental gains.
The system simply granted him the peak abilities of the strongest figures on the seas.
Leon was extremely satisfied with that arrangement.
A moment later, he returned the Den Den Mushi to Captain Caron.
Kizaru’s persuasion, combined with the new check-in reward, had given him more than enough reason to enlist.
Joining the Marines was not such a terrible idea.
He had no desire to become an Admiral, nor did he intend to spend his life serving the Celestial Dragons.
He would simply become an ordinary Marine who took things easy during working hours and refused to be disturbed once his shift ended.
That was Leon’s new objective.
Collecting a salary without exhausting himself?
It sounded perfect.
“Captain Caron, I suppose I’ll be in your care from now on.”
Leon smiled.
“You’re far too polite, Mr.
Leon.”
Caron responded with equal courtesy.
Once Leon enlisted, he would technically become one of Caron’s subordinates.
That did not mean Caron would ever treat him like an ordinary recruit.
Leon was Admiral Kizaru’s own nephew.
Few people in the Marines could claim stronger backing.
Who would dare look down on him?
Caron took the lead and began guiding Leon toward the harbor.
“To officially join the Marines, you’ll first need to register at the Mushroom Town Marine Branch.”
“Once the paperwork is complete, you’ll be recognized as a full member of the Marines.”
“With Admiral Kizaru supporting your application, you won’t need to take the usual entrance tests or undergo recruit training.
There also won’t be a probationary period.”
“You’ll be formally enlisted from the beginning.”
Caron continued as they walked.
“Considering how much Admiral Kizaru values you, I suspect it won’t be long before he finds a reason to transfer you to Marine Headquarters.”
“When that happens, your career will advance faster than most people could ever dream.”
Caron could not completely hide the envy in his voice.
Nearly every Marine stationed in one of the four Blues dreamed of earning a post at Marine Headquarters.
Caron was no exception.
Serving at Headquarters was entirely different from serving at a local branch in the East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, or South Blue.
Even officers who held the same official rank could possess vastly different levels of status and authority depending on where they served.
A captain stationed at Marine Headquarters carried far more prestige than a captain assigned to a remote branch.
The title might be identical, but the weight behind it was not.
Under Caron’s guidance, Leon followed the Marines toward Bread Village’s harbor.
Along the way, they passed numerous villagers who greeted Leon with warm smiles.
Once word spread that he was leaving to formally enlist, the villagers offered him their sincere congratulations.
“Leon, you can’t keep lazing around once you become a Marine.”
“Put in some effort and follow your uncle’s example.
Maybe you’ll become the next Admiral one day.”
Several villagers laughed as they teased him.
Leon rolled his eyes and did not bother arguing.
Become an Admiral?
Absolutely not.
He only wanted a quiet and comfortable life.
He would report for duty, do as little as possible, collect his salary, and go home on time.
As far as Leon was concerned, vice admiral was the highest rank he would ever consider accepting.
Admirals had far too many responsibilities.
Someone else could have the position.
A vice admiral had much more freedom.
“Take care.”
After boarding the warship, Leon stood beside the railing and looked back at the villagers gathered at the harbor.
He smiled and raised a hand in farewell.
At Captain Caron’s command, the helmsman brought the massive warship around and set sail.
The vessel gradually receded from the villagers’ sight.
Before long, it disappeared beyond the distant horizon.