Nao had no idea how much buzz he was stirring up, but he didn't care. His mind was laser-focused on earning battle merits—jumping from ship to ship, barely spending a moment at G2.
He couldn't help but notice that the female Marines aboard were staring at him with growing intensity—admiration, flirtation, just like back at HQ. It was pretty annoying.
Still, it all felt worth it. That same day, he completed both the "Thousand Hearts" side mission and the upgrade conditions for his twin blades—a sweet payoff for his recent grind.
That night.
After a slow goodbye with Shia, Nao strode into the training room, shut the door, and calmly seated himself on the floor. He carefully laid his twin swords in front of him and braced himself.
He summoned the system panel with a thought and opened his weapon tab:
[Wind Blade / Azakana Sword— Upgrade requires Blood of the Wicked: 1,000 — Condition Met]
[Spend 50,000 points to upgrade?]
No hesitation—he tapped "Yes."
[You spent 50,000 points. Upgrading… please wait.]
An animation of forging and tempering appeared, with a long "Loading" bar creeping across the screen. Nao stared at it at first… then nodded off, leaning against the wall in meditation.
Time passed. When he opened his eyes, the bar had reached the end.
[Upgrade complete.]
[Your weapon has gained new traits.]
[Weapon: Wind Blade / Azakana Sword— [Current Grade: Great Grade Sword] [Upgradeable (Next Grade: Supreme Grade Sword)]
[Next Upgrade Requirements: 300,000 points; Blood of the Wicked 10,000; Advanced Swordsmanship skill.]
[New Trait (Wind Blade): Gale's Breath — When drawing this sword in iaijutsu, speed increases by 20%. This bonus increases further at higher grade.]
[New Trait (Azakana Sowrd): Devil's Fright — Against Devil Fruit users, deal 20% extra damage. This bonus also increases at higher grade.]
"Both swords got new traits?" Nao's surprise was genuine—a double bonus wasn't expected. "And both actually look useful…"
Gale's Breath was straightforward. Devil's Fright? That meant extra damage to Devil Fruit users—huge in the One Piece world.
Curiosity piqued, Nao glanced out the window. Should he call Shia in to test it now? Hmm, maybe not.
There was no need to rush something like this. He hadn't gone completely insane yet.
Besides traits, the swords' visuals also improved.
The Wind Blade shimmered with an even sharper chill, like a blade of rushing wind. The Azakana Sword's dark-red steel gained a deeper, more ominous aura—as if touching it with his fingertips would chill him to his bones.
Nao gazed at the two swords with adoration, his mouth practically splitting into a wide grin.
As everyone knew, for a swordsman, a sword was almost no different from a wife.
And in this world, what could be happier than both your wives becoming stronger and sharper together?
After a long while, Nao snapped out of it, set down the two swords, and turned his attention back to the system panel, looking at the quest tab.
[Side Mission: Thousand Hearts— Completed]
[Reward: 130,000 points; 3 × A-rank gift box; 1 × random stat point — Delivered]
[Notes: None]
He paused—no notes? Odd.
He checked his total points—130k from the reward, minus 50k spent, left him with a healthy 220k. Rich again.
Then came his favorite part: box opening.
"Random stat point… or A-rank boxes?"
He considered—random point was probably charm. He opted for the three A-rank boxes.
His fingers danced expertly. The first box opened, revealing a swirling blue die with six outcomes: Stat Point, Consumable, Weapon, Skill Scroll, Armor, or Egg.
[A-rank box opening…]
[Rolling…]
He stared as the die spun, wishing—for the love of Double-Sword skills like "Lunar Eclipse" again.
[Roll end — Gift Type: Skill Scroll]
"Ha! Got one!" Nao punched the air, excitement blazing as the screen showed:
[New Skill: Iron Head (Beginner)]
[Type: Passive Talent — Upgradeable]
[Effect: Your head becomes exceptionally durable. Attacks aimed at the neck or above are reduced by 20%, with a small chance to reflect and disarm the attacker. Upgrade boosts reduction to 30%. Cost: 30,000 points.]
Silence fell.
"I clearly wished for a sword technique..."
He stared in disbelief at the skill scroll. Another tanky skill? Last time it had been similar. "I just want to be a badass two-sword style great swordsman!, Why am I getting more meat-shield traits?"
He shook his head.
"But it is useful. At least Kaido won't break my head with a club."
The second box promptly opened.
[Roll end — Gift Type: Armor]
"..."
Nao narrowed his eyes, his mind full of question marks.
So, it really was going to make him a full-on tank, huh?
The gift box opened, and amidst the dazzling golden light, an icon of somewhat familiar-looking armor slowly emerged.
[New Equipment: Thornmail]
[Type: Armor]
[Description: "Sunfire, Thornmail, Liandry's—hitting me is hitting yourself."]
[Effect: When equipped, enemies attacking any part of your body below the head take 10% of their own damage as reflected recoil.]
[Note: No need to materialize. Using it from your inventory automatically equips it.]
He'd officially gone full tank.