Chapter 30: Challenging Cadre John

"Wa hahaha! Kid, what's your name?" Rocks retracted his Conqueror's Haki, seemingly pleased with Li Yuan's display of power.

"My name is Li Yuan, the future World's Greatest Swordsman!" Li Yuan, undaunted, withdrew his Haki and boldly declared to Rocks.

"Wa hahaha! Li Yuan, the future World's Greatest Swordsman, welcome to the Rocks Pirates." Rocks, unfazed by Li Yuan's ambition, welcomed him. Before Li Yuan arrived at Hive Island, Rocks had already investigated him and recognized his immense potential. Rocks was known for being lenient with promising crew members, offering protection until they grew stronger. This approach was one of the reasons the Rocks Pirates had become so powerful, with many cadres rising through these ranks.

"Captain, how does one become a cadre of the Rocks Pirates?" Li Yuan asked directly after being acknowledged as a crew member. He had no intention of being an apprentice like Kaido, following a cadre like a subordinate. Except for Rocks, he respected no one else.

"Wa hahaha! Ambitious, I like it!" Rocks laughed, appreciating Li Yuan's audacity. "To become a cadre, you must defeat a current cadre or at least fight them to a draw."

Li Yuan's boldness left the members of the Rocks Pirates stunned. Not only did he possess Conqueror's Haki, but he also aimed to become a cadre immediately. The cadres watched him closely, curious about his choice of opponent.

Golden Lion Shiki, with a fiery gaze, challenged Li Yuan with his eyes, but Li Yuan ignored him. Although Shiki hadn't eaten the Float-Float Fruit yet, his strength was formidable, and Li Yuan knew he wasn't a match for him.

Whitebeard, intrigued by Li Yuan's Haki, was also not an option. In the ranks of the cadres, Whitebeard was undoubtedly the strongest.

Charlotte Linlin's eyes burned with intensity after witnessing Li Yuan's Haki, as if she wanted to devour him. Li Yuan shivered at her gaze, knowing she was interested in his genetics for offspring. He had no intention of getting involved with someone who might bring him countless headaches.

The Kurozumi siblings were also ruled out—they weren't combat members, and defeating them wouldn't count.

Li Yuan's eyes finally settled on Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, and John. Although their strength was comparable to the other top cadres, they were significantly older, with potential nearly exhausted. Whitebeard, Shiki, and Linlin were still young, while Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, and John were in their fifties. Among them, John was known to be the weakest.

"I choose to challenge John!" Li Yuan decided to tackle the weakest of the trio.

"Yo ho ho! Kid, let me teach you that within the Rocks Pirates, you must respect your seniors until you prove yourself," John, who had been watching with a drink in hand, was incensed at being chosen. Li Yuan choosing him implied he was considered the weakest among the cadres.

As John rose, Li Yuan moved to another open area, knowing that the current space was too cramped for combat.

"Moonwalk!!"

"John-senpai, the ground is too small to contain our battle. Dare to fight me in the sky?" Li Yuan taunted as he ascended, using Moonwalk to hover above.

Li Yuan knew he wasn't John's match. John had decades of experience at sea and advanced Haki. Li Yuan's goal wasn't to defeat him but to fight to a draw. Aerial combat was his strength, unlike land battles, where he would likely lose.

Having trained with Moonwalk while wearing weighted armor and carrying heavy stones, Li Yuan had honed his endurance and air combat skills, giving him an edge in the sky and neutralizing John's strength.

"Yo ho ho! Let me show you that a cadre of the Rocks Pirates can crush enemies in any combat environment," John, insulted by Li Yuan's aerial taunt, was furious. A mere kid looking down on him was humiliating!

John, who hadn't consumed a Devil Fruit, relied on his Haki, swordsmanship, and physical prowess to become a cadre of the Rocks Pirates.

"Bam!!!!"

John fired an Armament Haki-infused shot from his flintlock at Li Yuan, who casually dodged it. Taking advantage of the moment, John used Moonwalk to chase Li Yuan into the sky. For a skilled fighter like John, mastering Moonwalk was quick once he decided to learn it.

"Infinite Sword: Mountain-Crushing Slash!!!"

As John ascended, Li Yuan descended with a powerful strike. His sword raised high, unleashing an invisible force like a mountain crashing down, capable of splitting a mountain.

"Clang!!!!"

John, drawing his rapier, effortlessly blocked Li Yuan's attack. To someone of John's caliber, shattering a mountain was trivial.

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-About Haki (Armament, Observation, Conqueror's) levels: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Supreme

-About age and strength: In this story, the physical peak is set at half of a person's lifespan. If the lifespan is 100 years, the peak is around 50. Physical and Haki experts can extend this peak to about 60 years. Beyond 60, physical strength and Haki might not decline, but stamina does. By 80, even the strongest see declines in physical strength and Haki. This is based on characters like Garp, Sengoku, Kong, and Rayleigh from the original series, where Garp was 78 during the Marineford War. Exceptions like Whitebeard and Zephyr are noted. 

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