Chapter 253: Version Update

Reiatsu?!

Adrian paused in his steps, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes as he looked at the newly unlocked skill name. When his Intelligence attribute broke through the thousand-point mark, he unlocked a new skill, Ghostly Energy. The skill descriptions for Ghostly Energy and this new Reiatsu skill were not just similar—they were identical.

"They just changed one word!"

"What exactly is this Reiatsu? And why is it another skill without a level?"

Adrian closed his eyes, silently experiencing the newly unlocked ability.

Suddenly, an immense, intangible pressure erupted from Adrian's position, spreading outward like a tsunami and covering several kilometers in an instant. The deep-sea giants floating around the Sea Forest were hit with an unprecedented shock under this vast and terrifying pressure.

In unison, the Sea Kings' eyes rolled back, exposing the whites, and their massive bodies simultaneously toppled downwards.

Adrian abruptly opened his eyes.

"Is this Reiatsu? Or perhaps—Conqueror's Haki?"

The brief manifestation of the new ability gave Adrian a strong sense of déjà vu.

The next moment, Adrian moved swiftly, becoming a shadowy blur as he ventured deeper into the Sea Forest.

Once he was well beyond the boundaries of Fish-Man Island, he stopped.

Finding a clean spot, Adrian sat cross-legged and used a nearly forgotten Devil Fruit ability.

Astral Projection! (Level 4)

His soul, identical to his physical form, separated from his body and floated into the air.

Reiatsu!

Adrian's eyes narrowed as he unleashed the full effect of his Reiatsu.

A mighty, overwhelming pressure surged from his soul, sweeping across the area like a suffocating gale. The scenery around the Sea Forest changed, tinted with a pale color by the endless Reiatsu.

Even Adrian's (in soul form) surroundings were emitting a faint, incandescent light!

At this moment, Adrian clasped his hands together and then abruptly spread them apart. A pale sword of light, formed by Reiatsu, appeared in his right palm.

Resisting the urge to swing the sword, Adrian dispersed the Reiatsu blade. His soul returned to his body, and he stood up.

"That was probably the full extent of my current power."

"Of course, that's just in terms of Devil Fruit and swordsmanship."

"If I combine it with my physical strength and various skills, I should be even more powerful."

"Seems like I need to find a good opponent to test my limits."

"Reiatsu… heh!"

Adrian raised his hand, and wisps of pale energy floated between his fingers—semi-materialized Reiatsu.

It was different from the pure soul-based pressure he had initially imagined.

Reiatsu felt like an upgraded version of Ghostly Energy.

And it bore a strong resemblance to the special abilities of the "Shinigami" from the Soul Society in Bleach!

"What is this?"

"Does mastering the Ghost ability eventually turn one into a Shinigami?"

Adrian muttered a complaint.

When a thousand points in Intelligence unlocked Ghostly Energy, and two thousand points unlocked Reiatsu, what new abilities would three thousand, four thousand, or five thousand points unlock?

'Ghost', 'Spirit', 'Fruit'.

If the first two words were split into skills, would the latter two form a new ability like Chakra Fruit?

That doesn't seem right either.

Chakra is a fusion of mental and physical energy.

But the Ghost Fruit only affects the spirit.

So...

Mental Tree Fruit?

Or Fruit of the Tree of Might?

"That's just too ridiculous."

Adrian couldn't help but shake his head.

"Jumping from One Piece to Bleach is barely acceptable."

"But jumping to Dragon Ball? I'd get blasted through a planet by a Kamehameha!"

With his thoughts in order, Adrian retraced his steps back to Fish-Man Island.

The island was peaceful.

Adrian had been careful to restrain his Reiatsu, so aside from the Sea Kings around the Sea Forest, no other creatures were affected.

Some alert individuals on Fish-Man Island might have sensed the powerful aura from the Sea Forest, but they wouldn't alarm all the island's residents.

"So, Mr. Adrian, are you sure you didn't encounter any strong opponents?"

Queen Otohime, with a sincere expression, asked Adrian. As someone naturally gifted with special Observation Haki, she was the most perceptive on the island and had noticed the overwhelming aura from the Sea Forest.

Connecting it to the previous actions of White Ghost, Queen Otohime quickly deduced the source.

Adrian glanced at the notice board outside the Mermaid Cafe and responded seriously.

"Queen Otohime, rest assured, I'm fine."

Inside the Mermaid Cafe, several young and mature mermaids winked at Adrian, pointing to a notice board at the entrance.

It read:

"The first cup of mermaid milk tea in autumn."

"Buy one, get half off."

"1-2-3-4-444"

As players immersed themselves in their daily virtual gaming, an official update announcement suddenly appeared on the forum and was instantly pinned to the top.

The unexpected announcement caught players off guard.

In less than a minute, the post's replies exceeded ten thousand and continued to climb at a crazy pace.

"First!"

"Saving for future generations!"

"This game has a company? (LOL)"

The official announcement stated that the game's version 1.0 update would commence at midnight, five days later in-game time. During this period, player accounts would be inaccessible. Players were advised to log off at least five minutes before the update to avoid any unnecessary losses.

The announcement did not detail the content of the next version's update.

Players flooded the comments with complaints.

"I knew this game doesn't have a company!"

"I bet they don't even know the game's plot! At least, not as well as I do!"

"Locking level caps! Damn it! Refund! Give me my money back!!"

"To be fair..."

"Honestly..."

The 1.0 version capped player levels at 20, even though they could enhance their strength through secondary professions and skills.

But the game's most thrilling "level-up" experience was brutally taken away.

Countless players vented their frustration on the official forum, but the developers remained indifferent, adopting an "if you want to play, play" attitude.

In any other game, this approach would instantly lead to mass player departures.

But One Piece...

"You think locking the level cap will make me quit? You succeeded!"

"I wanted to tell this trash company."

"But... this game is just too good..."

At this moment, despite the lack of details about the next version, the official announcement ignited players' anticipation.

A level 20 Garp was enough for sailing within the Four Seas.

Most players had already explored the starting and nearby islands, ready to venture into broader oceans or other seas.

One of One Piece's biggest draws was its unrestricted freedom of exploration.

("You're lying! It's past version 1.0, and I haven't even taken off my pants!" —Golden Spirit)

Most players remained captivated by the game. To them, the realism of this ocean world was on par with real life!

Even seemingly trivial side quests could develop into more intricate, engaging stories with a strong sense of immersion.

The unknown new version content sparked various speculations among players.

While not all were reliable, and some were pure guesses, they continuously fueled players' enthusiasm.

For now, their main task was to find a suitable safe zone.

And log off!

======================

Express your Like, comment and rate