One Piece: New Century Hextech Warriors

Somewhere in the Grand Line, a burning pirate ship slowly sinks to the bottom of the sea.

Sith stood on his warship, listening to his adjutant's report beside him:

"Reporting to Colonel Sith, the Black Beast Pirates have been defeated, and 9527 million Berries have been recovered. Our ship was undamaged, and there were no casualties!"

"Following your order to leave no survivors, a total of 38 pirates, including the captain, were annihilated..."

"stop!"

Sith suddenly reached out and stopped his adjutant's report, and slowly said:

"How come there are only 38? If our allies find out, they'll think we can't afford to kill pirates."

"We had 112 marines on board, so we reported killing all 112, one per person!"

The adjutant was taken aback, then his face lit up with joy and he saluted:

"Yes, sir!"

Sith gave his final instructions:

"The stolen goods will be handled according to the old rules. Just say that most of them have sunk into the sea, and that only a few million pegories remain to be handed over to headquarters."

"Oh, right, remember to write in the report that the warship suffered severe damage and needs to apply for repair funds."

The adjutant's eyes lit up as he listened, nodding repeatedly, filled with admiration for his superior.

The navy rewards soldiers based on the number of enemy kills they take; the more kills they take, the more bonuses they receive.

The Sith's men were already familiar with their superior's routines and quickly began writing reports with proficiency.

While on his way to Marineford to find Zephyr, Sith also wiped out several small pirate crews.

What are pirates? They are the Navy's bread and butter, their source of income!

The money looted from pirates will be redistributed by the Marine Headquarters to its subordinates as wages and operating expenses.

But after these funds were siphoned off by officers at all levels, the rank-and-file marines barely received any money.

So Sith cut out the middlemen, kept some for himself, and gave the rest to his subordinates, getting everything done in one go.

However, he never made money off the poor. Once, one of his subordinates secretly preyed on the common people, but the Sith treated him to seaweed and egg drop soup, the kind without cauliflower soup.

"Phew, finally I can level up."

Sith looked at the system balance and slowly exhaled.

The Devil Fruit that Dragon and Kuma gave him was worth over a billion, and Sith used it to unlock a slot, bringing the total number of Hextech Runes that could be loaded at the same time to seven.

Then, using his remaining balance and the money he swindled from pirates, he scraped together 500 million Berries and looked at the [Ocean Dragon Soul]—

【Ocean Dragon Soul LV1: Deals damage to enemies and slightly restores health. Upgrade requires 5 million Berries】

Sith is about to receive special training from Zephyr. Although he doesn't know what the training will entail, he imagines it won't be comfortable, so he's thinking of upgrading his healing abilities so he can heal himself when the time comes.

It's a pity Zefa isn't a woman, otherwise it would have been much easier for him to use the "Kitten Looking for Mom" ​​feature.

With a thought, Sith instantly cleared 500 million Berries, and the attribute of [Ocean Dragon Soul] changed accordingly.

[Ocean Dragon Soul LV2: Increases HP regeneration, making movement in the sea more agile. Upgrade requires 7 million Berries]

"Any special effects?"

Sith was pleasantly surprised to see that the LV2 [Ocean Dragon Soul] allowed him to move nimbly in the sea.

In a world that is mostly seawater, this ability is incredibly useful.

However, seeing the remaining Pelé made his heart sink.

"My balance has dropped below 100 million again. I urgently need to think of a way to make up for it."

Seven slots have been unlocked, and he only needs three more to upgrade the system, which means he needs at least three billion Berries.

However, he had already come up with a way to make money.

"Dover!"

Sith licked his lips, a glint of green light flashing in his eyes.

After I finish training with Zefa this time, the time should be around the time of the Minion Island incident.

If he doesn't take the opportunity to rip off Dover, he'll make Dover take his surname!

Two days later.

beep--

The Sith's warships sounded their horns and slowly came to a stop in the harbor of Marineford.

Zephyr was already standing on the dock waiting, followed by several hundred navy personnel, ranging from vice admirals to privates.

Everyone was there to watch the spectacle. Zephyr's fame goes without saying, and Uriel Sith is also a rising star. The two had attracted a large audience when they practiced their duel in Marineford.

The opportunity to witness a former admiral spar with a current naval genius is rare; even if it means dying, it would be worth it!

Sith was already used to this sight. He disembarked and approached Zephyr, smiling as he said:

"Professor Zephyr, why did you come to pick me up in person?"

According to the plan, he should first go back to his dormitory at headquarters to rest, and then go to see Zephyr in the afternoon.

Zefa's dark lips parted in a grin, revealing his snow-white teeth.

"The plan has changed a bit; that should start soon, the next wave won't begin until the day after tomorrow. Let's start training first!"

Sith was taken aback. What? It's about to start?

Just then, Zephyr's Den Den Mushi rang, and Sith saw it transform into Kizaru's appearance.

"Hey, Professor Zephyr, the marine geologists from the science unit just told me that they've detected some activity, and it's estimated to start in about an hour."

Zefa nodded and smiled:

"Thanks, Borsalino!"

The Den Den Mushi's voice suddenly became quieter:

"Is this really okay? Won't that kid die?"

Zephyr lowered his voice and answered:

"Don't worry, I've observed him. He's tough and won't die."

Sith, listening nearby, broke out in a cold sweat. What? He was about to die?

He spoke with a heavy heart:

"Professor Zephyr, just say you want me dead."

Zefa waved his hand and smiled:

"What are you saying, brat? You're my only disciple, how could I let you die!"

After saying that, he turned his back on him.

"Um, Borsalino, can the science unit revive someone who's just died?"

This is practically asking me to die!

Sith's lips twitched violently. If he hadn't believed that Zefa would never harm him, he probably would have turned and run away.

Zephyr spoke a few more words with Kizaru, then finally hung up the phone and laughed:

"Don't worry, Sith, there won't be any problems. Let's begin right away!"

Since he was already there, Sith had no choice but to agree.

Zefa then took out two helmet-like objects, all white, without face shields, seemingly designed to completely cover the head; it was unclear what they were for.

"A portable coating device, a gadget from the science corps, that can coat the head directly, making it convenient for diving."

Zefa explained something and handed it to Sith.

"Coating?"

Sith knew about this amazing coating technology; some skilled shipwrights could cover a ship with a layer of transparent bubble, so that the ship could withstand water pressure and go to the deep sea.

However, shipwrights who know how to apply coatings are few and far between, mostly concentrated in the Sabaody Archipelago, and they charge exorbitant prices. Usually, only ships passing through Fishman Island need this service.

It's surprising that the Navy's scientific unit has mastered portable coating technology. No wonder it's a team led by Begabank.

Following Zephyr's instructions, Sith put on the coating device and heard a "buzz" sound, as if his ears were being blocked by a thin membrane.

Before he could react, Zephyr had already removed the coating device for him.

Sith then realized that his head was covered by a bubble, which shimmered with iridescent colors under the sunlight and was quite beautiful.

"Teacher Zephyr, are we going to train in the sea?"

He had a vague idea of ​​what was going on.

Zephyr poked himself and his coating to make sure there was no damage before saying:

"Yes, follow me!"

After saying that, he jumped into the sea, and Sith followed.

The crowd did not disperse; instead, it grew larger and larger.

The Navy has various training methods, but this is the first time I've seen anything like it!

Under the sea.

"Kid, are you alright?"

Zefa's voice came through the bubbles, sounding somewhat muffled.

He held a green glowing stick in his hand and swam slowly ahead to lead the way.

"fine."

Sith nodded, while simultaneously channeling Armament Haki to cover his entire body.

They were already more than 300 meters underwater, and it was pitch black. Only Zefa and the glow stick in his hand illuminated the small area around them.

But the most terrifying thing is not the darkness, but the water pressure.

At over 300 meters, it's considered deep sea, with immense pressure. Every centimeter of his skin is equivalent to bearing 30 kilograms of pressure. Even in a world where everyone has a lot of blood, it's a place that ordinary people would find difficult to set foot in.

However, Sith probably guessed what Zephyr was planning.

He's honing his Armament Haki in this way!

Although Sith possesses a formidable physique due to the "Tank Engine," the physical pressure in this place is still immense. His bones and joints crack and pop from time to time, requiring him to exert all his strength to utilize his Armament Haki to resist. It is indeed a good place for training.

But he wondered, since the water pressure is always there, is it necessary to time it down?

Unless a real cultivation program hasn't appeared yet.

Seeing that Sith looked relaxed, Zepha smiled with satisfaction:

"Good lad, I knew you'd be fine. Continue!"

As he spoke, he kicked his legs hard and sprinted down dozens of meters.

After swimming downstream for a long time, Sith estimated that they had reached a depth of 1,000 meters.

He felt as if an elephant was standing on every pore of his body. Fortunately, his LV2 [Ocean Dragon Soul] greatly improved his adaptability in the sea; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to move a finger.

Although this place can't compare to Fishman Island, which is 10,000 meters underwater, it is still an absolute no-go zone for humans!

Fortunately, Zephyr finally stopped, took out several thicker glow sticks and threw them down, instantly illuminating the dark seawater.

Upon seeing the scene before him, Sith's mouth dropped open.

Below them lay an ancient city, with numerous buildings and wide streets. Although the paintings and carvings on the walls had been eroded by the sea, their original exquisiteness was still faintly discernible.

"Professor Zephyr, where is this?"

"Sith asked in surprise."

Zefa gazed silently at the ancient city, and said thoughtfully:

"I don't know. It's said that this was there when the headquarters was established. It's probably a relic of some ancient civilization."

Sith continued to observe the ancient city without saying anything more.

Zephyr had never been exposed to the Poneglyphs, so he didn't think much of it, but Sith was different. He was almost certain that this was some kind of ruin of the Great Kingdom!

Many years ago, a massive war took place in this world, after which most of the region was submerged by the sea, and this place was probably one of them.

It's a pity Robin wasn't around, otherwise she would definitely have fainted from excitement.

"Professor Zephyr, you didn't bring me here just to admire the historical sites, did you?"

"I asked jokingly."

Zefa laughed heartily:

"Of course, this is where I often came to cultivate when I was young."

"I owe my level of Armament Haki entirely to this!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Sith heard a rumbling sound coming from the ancient city, as if a thousand troops were galloping by.

Could there be any living people here?

The next second, a cloud of smoke exploded on the seabed and rushed towards the two of them.