No Longer a Ninja, But a Meat Shield

Chapter 24: No Longer a Ninja, But a Meat Shield

In Loguetown, with two cigars in his mouth, Rodney stared at Smoker who had apprehended the Buggy Pirates. Although he had managed to bring Buggy to justice, he tricked Smoker into taking away the valuable Seastone Cuffs.

"What's with that look, Captain Smoker? I'm not a pretty lady. It makes me shy when you stare at me like that. Besides, I like women," Rodney said, sensing Smoker's gaze and quickly stepping back while crossing his arms over his chest.

Angrily, Smoker clenched his fists and retorted, "You bastard! If you spout nonsense again, I'll kill you!"

"Are you brave enough to arrest me?" Rodney taunted.

"What? You took away our Seastone Cuffs, and I haven't settled the score with you yet!" Smoker exclaimed.

"Oh, those have already been returned to Vice Admiral Garp," Rodney casually remarked.

Ha, as if the strategic resource of Seastone Cuffs would be returned to him. They were rare in East Blue.

"Did you take them for yourself, kid?"

"How could I be that kind of person? Don't underestimate me. I aspire to be a partner of justice!" Rodney replied confidently.

Smoker sneered in disbelief and said, "Just you? A partner of justice?"

"What? You don't believe me?"

"No."

"Oh, Mr. Smoker and Mr. Rodney seem to be on good terms," Tashigi chimed in with a smile, oblivious to the tense atmosphere between the two.

"Hehehe," Rodney chuckled. Then he remembered something and looked at Tashigi, asking, "Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, what about my bounty?"

Buggy had a bounty of over 10 million bellies, which could buy a lot of things.

"Here it is. Please keep it," Tashigi replied, taking the bounty bag from her subordinates and handing it to Rodney.

They didn't bother counting it. Smoker and Tashigi wouldn't pocket the money for themselves.

"Alright, since Buggy is now in your custody, my business here is done." 

After taking the money, Rodney turned to leave. There was nothing else worth his attention. But then he remembered something and asked, "Have you repaired the houses that were destroyed when I captured Ace last time?"

Tashigi replied, "Yes, they've almost been repaired. We'll be back in business soon."

"That's good." After pondering for a moment, Rodney took out a handful of bellies from his bag and threw it to Tashigi, saying, "Consider it an apology for last time. It may not be much, but let it cover some expenses. Let everyone have a good meal."

"Oh? But the Marines have already compensated us."

"No, this is my personal apology."

As they discussed, Smoker interjected, "Why did Fire Fist Ace end up at the Grand Line? Rodney, shouldn't you explain that?"

Ace had become the most prominent figure at the Grand Line, and there were few pirates at his level. With his exceptional physical abilities, incredible Devil Fruit power, and strong crew, he was virtually unmatched in the first half of the Grand Line.

"Oh? That... Don't ask me. You can ask Vice Admiral Garp," Rodney quickly shifted the blame to Garp.

"Didn't you promise that nothing would happen?"

"Oh? Did I?"

"You guys seem to need a reminder of what happened back then," Smoker said, placing his hands on his back.

"Hehehe, I've already said it all. It has nothing to do with me. If you keep going like this, be careful—I might sue you for defamation and disturbing the citizens," Rodney warned with a smirk. "Hmph, I'm part of the Marine!" Smoker exhaled a puff of white smoke.

Those who knew him might mistake him for a pirate.

"Forget it, let's not dwell on this. The matter with Fire Fist Ace has nothing to do with me. Maybe the old man just loves his grandson," Rodney shrugged, completely disengaging himself from the conversation.

I don't care about their melons in the rain!(1)

{Ding!}

A new task arrived.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom. Please excuse me," Rodney smiled mischievously and then turned and left.

[The Chunin Exams are now open! Will you accept the challenge? If you accept, it will begin immediately. If you decline, you'll have to wait for a year before trying again!]

'Oh? The Chunin Exam? Is this the start of the Chunin Exam? Isn't it a bit sudden? It caught me off guard. It's been almost a year since I became a Genin, and becoming a Chunin in just one year seems a bit rushed. Wait, I don't want to leave this realm of invincibility just yet.

Thinking about the ninja battles in Konoha, they're a bunch of bullies who wreak havoc. Then there are the upper-level ninja battles in Konoha, clanging pots and pans like a joke. I don't want to be promoted just yet. 

The Chunin Exams may have caught me off guard, but when the time comes, the promotion will naturally happen. I'll make sure to accept the Chuunin Exam on the system panel.'

{Ding!} 

[The host has accepted the Chunin Exam.]

The task will begin immediately!

The Chunin Exam Task: Hunt Arlong Pirates.

Task Level: C+

[Task Reward: Obtain (Fragmented) Katsuyu, Strength of a Hundred Seal, Creation Rebirth, Chakra Control​​, 1000 mission points.]

Hiss! 

Rodney gasped when he saw the generous rewards.

Katsuyu is the personal summon of Hokage Tsunade, one of Konoha's legendary gambling addicts. Although its combat abilities are average, it possesses powerful medical capabilities. It can heal injuries by absorbing a sufficient amount of chakra from the user.

Moreover, the slug is quite large. Unlike the toads in Mount Myōboku and the snakes in Ryūchi Cave that live in colonies, the slug is a single entity. All the slugs that emerge are its avatars, and it's rare for someone to summon all of them.

Strength of a Hundred Seal involves injecting a large amount of chakra into the Yin seal on the forehead. When needed, the seal is untied, allowing the stored chakra to be freely used. 

This enables the user to perform ninjutsu and forbidden techniques that require a significant amount of chakra. It can also enhance physical skills and serve as group therapy when combined with the slugs. This allows for continuous healing during battles, improving the user's overall abilities.

Overall, it serves as a hidden reserve of energy, accumulating power over time and unleashing it when necessary to achieve a burst of immense strength and comprehensive enhancements. Additionally, the technique can bring about beauty and eternal youth—a dream come true for countless girls. Tsunade truly lives up to her name.

As for Creation and Regeneration... Honestly, Rodney wasn't too eager to have it. While it's exceptional medical ninjutsu that allows for the rapid healing of wounds and even internal organ injuries, it comes at the cost of reducing one's lifespan.

Creation and Regeneration stimulate the body's cells through chakra, accelerating cell division and facilitating rapid wound recovery. However, there is a limit to the body's cell recovery, and accelerated cell division actually shortens one's lifespan.

Chakra Control​​ is a highly practical skill. The user can precisely control the chakra, concentrating it throughout their entire body and unleashing tremendous power. This skill is mastered by individuals like the First and Second Hokage, Tsunade, and Sakura.

Well, it truly is a practical skill. With this ability, Rodney's power can be significantly enhanced. In a world filled with formidable opponents, his own power is still insufficient.

'I want to become a sturdy shield.'

In the world of pirates, it's better to have some meat on your bones. Not everyone can be like Gandalf, relying solely on magic. If melee ability is lacking, just throw in a lightning spell.

The neighboring world of Fate has perfect examples.

Merlin recites incantations, excelling in swordsmanship and surpassing the Knights of the Round Table. He is known as the Sword Master of Avalon.

Siegfried wields a magic wand, replacing magic with brute force, and then uses his axe to cleave through his enemies.

Iskander, the King of Conquerors, Gilles de Rais, master of majestic magic. Solomon, who relies on his ten rings to boost his powers and make him invincible.

'These excellent role models are right in front of me. How can I not learn from them? Fully enhance melee abilities, restore health, replenish mana, and apply various buffs, then go all-out in close combat.'

As everyone knows, the true romance of a man is to fight with his fists, as a high-damage but fragile character has no future.

Rodney: "I've learned a valuable lesson during my short time as a ninja. The more one learns about ninjutsu, the more one realizes its limitations. Ninjutsu has its bounds!"

System: "What are you trying to say?"

Rodney: "I no longer want to be just a ninja. I want to surpass the limits of a ninja! I want to become a meat shield!"

Ratoon's Note:

I don't care about their melons in the rain!- is an idiomatic expression in Chinese. It is often used metaphorically to convey the idea of being indifferent to or unconcerned about something.