Shanks finally deactivated his Observation Haki. Within a radius of a thousand meters, there was no sign of any threat, and the likelihood of anyone reaching this secluded valley was extremely low.
With the immediate danger behind him, he closed his eyes and slipped into his mental space—a vast, tranquil domain within his mind. At its centre hovered the familiar presence of his system (A spherical white light), along with a projection of his character status panel. The last time he had entered this space was nearly ten days ago, shortly after he transmigrated into this world. Back then, everything had been chaotic, and he hadn't had the time to fully explore the system's capabilities.
Shanks opened his eyes within the mental space and spoke, "System, last time I was in a rush—worried and overwhelmed. I didn't have a chance to properly understand your functions. Can you explain to me exactly what you can do?"
The system responded in its clear, emotionless voice, "As I previously informed you, I am a Red-Haired Character Template System. You've already received your template—Red-Haired Emperor Shanks from the One Piece world. In addition, I possess ten other character templates that can be assigned to your clan members."
Shanks raised an eyebrow. "You mean the children, right? I have a feeling I know what those templates are. But seriously—how are their names the same as characters from other anime worlds? Just like mine—'Shanks'? Is someone playing a joke on me?"
The system replied, "Yes, all the children of the Uzumaki Clan will receive red-haired character templates. Through systematic training, they'll be able to grow strong—potentially even stronger than the characters their templates are based on. As you've likely already guessed from their names, you can infer which characters they correspond to—and just how powerful they might become. In fact, some of their templates belong to characters even more powerful than the One Piece version of Shanks, whose template you currently possess.
However, that doesn't mean you'll be inferior to them. On the contrary, your own abilities—your swordsmanship and Haki—will be elevated to such heights that you'll surpass all of them. You will lead, not follow.
As for your suspicion that someone might be playing a joke on you… even if that were true, ask yourself this: could you defeat such a person? Could you do anything about it?"
Shanks remained silent after hearing the system's response. Deep down, he knew it was right. Even if some powerful being was orchestrating everything as a joke—or merely out of boredom—what could he possibly do about it? Could he rage against the unknown? No. He didn't have that luxury.
He let out a slow exhale and said, "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not strong enough to see that being… and maybe I never will be. But I'll still do everything in my power to uncover the truth."
The system responded, "I wish you success. And don't worry—you have my full support."
Shanks let the weight of the thought drift away and chuckled, adding with a hint of teasing, "You know, you're kind of outdated, aren't you? In all the stories I've read, the protagonist can just pull up the system interface in front of their eyes. They don't have to enter a whole mental space like I do just to view a character panel."
The system responded, "Outdated, am I? Then tell me—can those other systems let their users train through actual combat simulations? I don't think so. True, I can't train you directly, but the character template you've received allows you to spar with the avatar of that character. In your case, you can fight against the Red-Haired Emperor Shanks himself. Through those battles, you'll uncover your weaknesses, learn how to overcome them, and grow exponentially stronger."
"Not just you," the system continued. "All the children who receive a character template will have the same advantage. As long as they train with dedication—building up their physical strength and refining their Chakra—they'll grow rapidly. And as for battle instincts and combat technique, they can learn directly from the characters whose templates they've inherited."
Shanks was genuinely shocked. He had only been teasing the system, never expecting it to possess such a powerful function. The ability to spar with the avatar of his own template? That was more useful than anything he'd imagined.
Admitting defeat with a sheepish smile, Shanks said, "It seems I'm the one who's outdated. My apologies."
"Apology accepted," the system replied simply.
Shanks gave a small nod and turned his attention to his character panel.
----
Name: Shanks Uzumaki
Strength Level: Jōnin
Abilities:
• Swordsmanship (Lv. 3)
• Armament Haki (Lv. 3)
• Observation Haki (Lv. 3)
• Conqueror's Haki (Lv. 3)
• Shanks's Movement Technique (Lv. 3)
----
After reviewing his stats, Shanks took a steady breath and exited his mental space.
After exiting his mental space, Shanks gazed up at the sky, deep in thought.
"The strength granted by the Shanks template is impressive," he mused, "but it's not enough. I need to master one-handed sealing techniques. There should be records of it among the Uzumaki Clan's sealing scrolls."
His eyes narrowed slightly as he considered his next steps.
"My chakra nature is lightning... If I can develop a technique similar to the Lightning Release Chakra Mode of Kumogakure, it would significantly enhance my swordsmanship and close-combat abilities. That level of speed and power would give me a clear edge in battle."
His thoughts then shifted to the children.
"And I still need to distribute the character templates. I'll do it first thing tomorrow morning. That way, their training can begin without delay."
Resolved, Shanks turned his gaze away from the sky, determination burning in his eyes.
----
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