** Woohoo!**
Taking advantage of the moment when Beru Mebo lost control of his pterosaur form, he plummeted from the sky.
Another Sea King, shaped like a monstrous centipede, seized the opportunity and lunged, maw wide open, aiming to devour the falling Beru Mebo.
If this continued, Beru Mebo would undoubtedly be swallowed alive by the Sea King.
"He understands how to play to his strengths…"
"He just didn't anticipate the enemy's reaction well."
Observing the entire scene from above, Bai Yu commented to himself, a mix of approval and disappointment in his voice.
Currently, Beru Mebo's pterosaur form gave him an edge in speed—and clearly, he knew that.
Only…
Something went wrong in his judgment of the opponent's defense and attack timing.
"Moonwalk!" (Geppō)
Fwoosh!
The next instant, Bai Yu launched himself through the air, feet stepping rapidly on invisible footholds in the sky.
With a sharp burst of air, he shot downward like a cannonball.
Although Beru Mebo was the one who fell first, Bai Yu reached the centipede-shaped Sea King before him.
"Azure Dragon Slash!"
At that moment, with a mere thought, the Azure Dragon Sword Intent surged onto his flaming blade—the Dragon Flame Katana.
Gripping the hilt single-handedly, Bai Yu slashed downward.
Humm—Boom!
A blazing turquoise slash erupted from the katana, forming a giant crescent of dragon flame.
Squelch!
The fiery slash tore through the Sea King's open maw with terrifying speed, splitting flesh and muscle with no resistance.
The blazing arc cleaved through the Sea King's body—mouth, torso, then tail.
Rrrrip!
A trail of crackling blue flames spread across the beast's grotesque exoskeleton.
A vivid, searing gash remained—a brutal line of destruction etched into its massive body.
With a final tearing sound, the entire creature split in half, both halves crashing into the sea with thunderous splashes.
After dispatching the monster in one strike, Bai Yu reached out and caught Beru Mebo mid-fall with one hand.
His eyes then turned toward another Sea King—a zebra-patterned one—lurking nearby.
Just one glare from Bai Yu was enough.
The zebra-patterned Sea King froze instantly.
Woohoo!
Letting out a strange, trembling cry, it dove in terror, fleeing into the depths of the sea without looking back.
At the same time, Beru Mebo reverted from his pterosaur transformation, returning to his human form.
Blood still trickled from the corner of his mouth, a sign of the damage he'd taken.
"Colonel Bai Yu…"
Still held up by Bai Yu's grip, Beru Mebo lowered his head in shame.
He had thought he could prove himself today.
But in the end, Bai Yu had to save him—again.
"Train harder and stop relying on flukes."
Bai Yu's tone remained flat, devoid of judgment but firm.
"Yes…"
Beru Mebo replied quietly, visibly crushed.
---
[Ding! The host has successfully swung the sword 1,000 times. Reward granted: +1% to Armament, Observation, and Conqueror's Haki proficiency; +5% to Ju-Liū-Lian proficiency]
[+5% to Dragon Force Proficiency]
Just then, the system's voice rang out in Bai Yu's mind.
Even killing Sea Kings helped increase his sword swing count.
But before Bai Yu could mentally move on, another notification followed.
[Ding! Total sword swings: 30,000. Bonus reward unlocked: Thunderclap Dash (10%)]
[Note: "Thunderclap Dash" is an active move. When activated, it grants instantaneous burst speed by channeling electricity into the feet.]
A new technique—Thunderclap Dash!
When used, it would generate electrical energy at Bai Yu's feet.
The lightning would stimulate the cells in his legs, vastly enhancing activity and nerve response.
The result: explosive acceleration.
And as proficiency increased, so would the power and duration of the burst.
Calm like water. Swift as thunder.
Receiving the update, Bai Yu smirked internally.
He hadn't expected that testing Beru Mebo's progress would also trigger such a powerful reward.
With Thunderclap Dash activated, few would be able to escape his pursuit.
---
By afternoon, Bai Yu was already practicing with the newly acquired Thunderclap Dash when one of his subordinates came running over in a panic.
"Colonel Bai Yu!"
"On the return route, we spotted a woman drifting at sea!"
"She's been rescued! Colonel, would you like to see her?"
A woman… rescued from the ocean?
Intrigued, Bai Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Lead the way."
Following his subordinate, Bai Yu and Koby made their way to the bow.
There, a large group of marines had gathered in a noisy circle.
"Ahem! Colonel Bai Yu is here!"
The sailor escorting them coughed loudly, clearing the crowd's chatter.
The marines immediately quieted and stepped aside to open a path.
Bai Yu, Koby, and Beru Mebo approached.
At the center of the circle lay a woman in ragged clothing.
Her hair was sea-blue, and on either side were tied spherical ornaments.
Despite her torn outfit, her exquisite features and stunning figure were impossible to miss.
Even in the world of One Piece, she would rank among the most breathtaking beauties.
Seeing her face clearly, Bai Yu frowned slightly.
Something about her stirred a memory deep within him—faint, yet familiar.
The memory wasn't from this world, but from his past life… before he crossed into the world of pirates.
But he couldn't quite place her.
"What a beauty…"
Beru Mebo muttered.
"Shipwrecked, maybe?"
"Shh! Look at Colonel Bai Yu's face. Something's off," Koby whispered.
"Colonel Bai Yu…"
"Take her to the cabin. We'll dock at the nearest island to recover."
"We'll sort this out once she wakes."
Bai Yu issued his orders after a brief thought.
"Everyone else, clear out."
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers scattered at once.
With no other women aboard, Bai Yu carried the unconscious woman himself into a private cabin.
Still unable to identify her, he didn't return to his training.
Instead, he chose to stay by the bedside and wait for her to wake.
That wait lasted two full hours.
Suddenly, the woman began murmuring in her sleep, voice barely audible.
"…must… stop it…"
"Stop?"
Bai Yu's brows furrowed.
He leaned closer, ears attentive.
"…the Holy Sword… must be stopped…"
"…the full moon… is coming…"
Now more audible, her words sent a chill through Bai Yu.
The Holy Sword? Full moon?
Fragments of memory began to stir in his mind—snippets from the original world of One Piece.
But before he could connect the dots, the woman suddenly bolted upright.
"Ah!"
She opened her eyes wide and gasped.
In that sudden motion, her forehead slammed directly into Bai Yu's.
Bonk!
Splat!
And by some cosmic accident, her lips brushed the corner of Bai Yu's mouth.
His heart skipped a beat.