Chapter 9: Golden Talent

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Did you lose your pirate ship?

Are you kidding me?

I think it's you who's lost!

"I'm sorry, but I don't know where your ship is," Noir said with an embarrassed yet polite smile.

"Alright, I'll take you to shore first," Shanks sighed, grabbed Noir with his arm and jumped into the sea.

Damn! Even someone as strong as you have to swim?

But Noir underestimated Shanks. With a light tap of his long, hairy leg on the water's surface...

A massive wave exploded beneath him, propelling them forward with tremendous force.

With each step, a wave rose behind them. Noir watched the scene in disbelief, his eyes almost popping out of his head.

Was I the fool all along? Have I been living under a rock?

Despite his shock, Noir didn't forget to use his talent probe on Shanks.

Name: Shanks

Sovereign's Presence: Gold Quality - Born with an extraordinary aura, Shanks's mastery of Haki is rapid. He is destined to awaken Conqueror's Haki at seventeen. Each victory in battle randomly enhances one of the three types of Haki.

Ocean's Pride: Gold Quality - The freest and broadest-minded person on the sea, Shanks is highly likely to encounter fortuitous events while travelling. His charisma significantly increases, allowing him to make the best decisions in critical moments. His willpower and Haki's strength increased by 10% during naval battles.

Will of the Heir: Red Quality - As the inheritor of the Pirate King's will, Shanks bears a significant responsibility. His determination is unwavering, reducing his Haki consumption in battle by 60%. After passing on his will, this effect changes to a 30% increase in overall Haki capacity.

Haki Swordsmanship: Purple Quality - Deeply versed in swordsmanship, Shanks's skills are enhanced by Haki, increasing their power and lethality. Training in swordsmanship also randomly boosts one of his Haki types.

Oh, my goodness—

A golden legend—

No wonder Shanks became one of the four strongest pirates in the New World at such a young age.

Four talents, with two golds, one red, and one purple. No wonder he's so powerful.

On shore, Noir lay exhausted on the ground, chatting intermittently with Shanks, who gazed at the distant sea.

"My name is Noir. What's yours, big brother?"

"I'm Shanks, a pirate and the captain of a pirate crew!"

Curious, Noir asked, "How did you lose your pirate ship?"

Shanks grew angry at the mention of this, fuming as he explained, "It's all because my crew is too foolish. I just napped on the shore, and the ship was gone. I don't know where my crew wandered off to."

Hearing his predicament, Noir fell silent momentarily before saying quietly, "Do you think...maybe, just maybe, your crew might have left you behind?"

A deathly silence fell.

It bothers me that you didn't think of that possibility, did you...

Noir silently mocked in his mind.

"Don't be sad. Your crew is probably just playing a prank on you. They'll be back to get you soon," he comforted Shanks, who had suddenly become despondent while plotting how to copy Shanks's talents.

He was out of red copy cards but still had a gold one. He didn't want to waste the purple one either; both could be used on Shanks.

However, the system required physical contact to copy talents.

And Shanks, a master of all three Haki types, could probably kill him before he managed to touch him with the copy card.

Noir held the two cards in his hand, his brain racing.

Slapping the card on Shanks wouldn't work. He needed a reason, a way to do it subtly...

"Hey, what's this?"

Like discovering a new continent, Shanks snatched the cards from Noir's hand with lightning speed. The gold and purple cards melted and disappeared almost instantly.

Ding! The purple talent 'Haki Swordsmanship' has been successfully copied. Multiple gold talents detected. Please choose one.

Noir: ???

Well, that was simpler than expected, Noir thought.

He quickly explained to Shanks that the cards were just trinkets, like toys.

Shanks didn't pay much attention, feeling no discomfort anyway.

Noir breathed a sigh of relief and began choosing from Shanks's gold talents. It didn't take long for him to decide.

"Sovereign's Presence" and "Ocean's Pride" were excellent. The first would give Noir an innate aptitude for Haki, ensuring mastery of all three types, with a particular advantage in training Conqueror's Haki.

The second would make Noir an exceptional captain and increase the strength of his Haki by 10%. This 10% boost could turn the tide of a battle, especially for someone at the level of the Four Emperors.

But for Noir, the first talent, "Sovereign's Presence," was more appealing. He had shown great talent so far but couldn't predict the future. This talent would secure his Haki training, a crucial power system in the world of pirates.

Moreover, Arlong's pirate crew would arrive in two years, and he needed significant power boosts.

The 10% boost from "Ocean's Pride" couldn't compare to the potential growth from "Sovereign's Presence" after two years of training.

I've made my choice!

Ding! Your talent slots are full. Please choose an existing talent to replace them.

"Replace 'Stamina Boost'!" Noir had long found that skill useless.

With the gold and purple talents now part of him, Noir quickly felt changes within himself.

First, his swordsmanship. His understanding of swordsmanship grew immensely. His skill level jumped from 150 to 206 points, a massive increase.

He had trained for seven years to reach 150 points, but now, with this talent, he had gained over fifty points instantly.

Next, Noir felt a mysterious power close yet elusive.

"Hey! Over here! I'm here!"

A pirate ship approached from the distance. Noir squinted and saw it was Shanks's crew.

Shanks happily patted Noir's shoulder. "Thank you, Noir. They came back for me!"

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