บท 103: 101. A Ship of Admirals!

Al's natural talent hasn't changed much, but it's still impressive.

He's mastered Conqueror's Haki and the Rokushiki, reaching the pinnacle of his abilities.

His Devil Fruit powers have also reached an advanced level.

In swordsmanship, Al simply adds a stroke before his name to become a formidable swordsman!

However, modifying abilities comes at a cost. Despite having six magic strokes at his disposal, the more powerful the modification desired, the greater the energy required.

Transforming Robin's Devil Fruit awakening nearly depleted half of Al's strokes.

If Robin needed to adjust as many attributes as Al, it's clear that modifying all of them would be impossible.

When Al attempted to modify Nami's attributes, his initial plan was to awaken her Devil Fruit abilities. However, the original values remained intact, and he found himself on the brink of exhausting his chalk.

"Looks like I'm running low on chalk after all!"

Al let out a deep sigh. If chalk consumption didn't align with the modifications made, he truly wished he could replenish everyone's attribute panels!

Let's assemble the ultimate pirate crew!

But hold on, these are just ideas!

Creating such a crew would likely cost a significant amount of chalk from the value bar.

And each piece of chalk in the system store goes for a whopping 9 million EP!

Unfortunately, Al's current finances simply can't cover that expense.

With a tinge of disappointment, Al finished adjusting his own attributes.

He stowed away the last remaining piece of chalk in his system backpack, then exited from the virtual realm back into reality.

Upon returning to reality, Al immediately sensed something different in his body.

"Why don't I feel any different? Didn't I finish editing myself? What's happening?"

Al was taken aback by the lack of sensation, unaware of any alterations to his being.

Filled with uncertainty, Al quickly retrieved the magic chalk from his system backpack and examined its description.

"Tom's Magic Chalk: Allows modification of all values."

Al froze in place upon reading this brief yet impactful description.

Indeed, it allows modification of all values?!

Al remembered how intuitive it felt when he last adjusted his talent.

Just as he pondered this, he noticed a tiny word, "[expand]," in the lower right corner of the item description.

Al blinked, his expression puzzled.

Upon closer examination of the small text on the page, Al was left dumbfounded!

Simultaneously, he understood why there had been no change in his body despite modifying the values!

"If this item modifies character values, it needs to be used alongside fitness equipment for enhanced results!"

"This blasted system is truly wicked!" Al couldn't help but grumble.

Then it dawned on him why his talent value was displayed as 999 followed by an ellipsis.

It was because he hadn't exercised with the fitness equipment!

Due to the side effects of Tom's fitness gear, Al had only dared to use it twice.

After clearing his mind, Al promptly retrieved Muscles' fitness equipment.

Gazing at the five barbells, each no larger than a thumb, Al was taken aback.

"Are they expecting me to exercise with my fingers using these tiny things?"

Taking a deep breath, Al silently summoned the item's introduction.

This time, Al took his time, not rushing to read through the item introduction.

Instead, he scrutinized the equipment carefully, keeping an eye out for any hidden buttons, especially after his experience with the magic chalk. Al didn't want to overlook anything important.

After a thorough search and confirming the absence of any suspicious buttons, Al focused his attention on the item introduction.

"[Muscles' Super Fitness Equipment]: After use, it can temporarily push the body beyond its limits, with a duration of two days.

[Note: Effect is enhanced when used in conjunction with magic chalk!]"

Without a hint of hesitation, Al placed one of the barbells on his index finger.

With a subtle motion, a warm sensation surged through his body instantly.

Feeling the noticeable changes within himself, Al grinned.

"If this trend continues, when the fitness effects wear off, my values should align with the modifications!"

Imagining Nami's transformation into Thor, exuding heroism and showcasing her prowess in the Summit War.

And Robin activating her demon form, portraying a cool and explosive image!

Al couldn't help but anticipate the impact their presence would have on the Summit War!

Of course, the most crucial aspect for him was earning EP.

That was the primary reason for his involvement in the battle.

If compared based on the values he had modified, his strength would rank at least second only to that of an Admiral!

However, Al acknowledged that this was just a conservative estimate.

After all, the power scaling in the original story was notoriously ambiguous.

The power scaling is so vague that only terms like Emperor level, General level, and the like can be used to summarize it.

Furthermore, between the Four Emperors and Admirals, there are strengths and weaknesses, with no absolute values.

So, as long as you can use the fitness equipment to reach the modified values, your strength will undergo a qualitative leap!

It's worth noting that Al not only maxed out his Conqueror's Haki, but also reached the pinnacle of Rokushiki!

And the Devil Fruit abilities are on par with Nami and the others, all upgraded to an advanced level!

Moreover, Al has elevated his swordsmanship to the level of Hawkeye!

What does this all mean?

It's likely only clear after a formal contest with those top powerhouses!

With this thought in mind, Al promptly approached Nami and the others, distributing the remaining four barbells.

Observing the mini barbell handed to her by Al, Nami asked suspiciously, "Captain Al, what's this thing?"

Facing Nami's inquiry, Al proceeded to explain the function of the fitness equipment to everyone.

When Robin heard that she could gain strength just by exercising her fingers, she displayed an incredulous expression.

Even Vivi's eyes were filled with doubt.

Though they had used fitness equipment with similar effects back at Sky Island, the mini barbell in front of them seemed less credible.

However, after listening to Al's explanation, Nami and Carina immediately wore expressions of concern.

It appeared that the side effects of this mini barbell might be more potent than Tom's fitness equipment!

Sensing their unease, Al swiftly reassured them:

"Don't worry, there haven't been any side effects found so far," Al reassured them.

As he spoke, Al slowly raised his right hand, revealing a barbell affixed to his index finger, swinging up and down effortlessly.

Nami and the others exchanged glances before each taking a mini barbell from Al's hand.

Robin placed the mini barbell on her middle finger and began swinging it.

Observing this, Nami, Carina, and Vivi followed suit, sticking their mini barbells onto their index or middle fingers respectively, and commencing their exercises.

Just as everyone began their exercises, a potent aura surged from beneath their feet like a tidal wave.

Under this intense aura, Nami and the others' hair stood on end, blown straight by the force.

This spectacle reminded Al of a Super Saiyan!

"If only there was some glowing light around their bodies, it would be even more like it!" he quipped.

With a jest, Al then utilized the abilities granted by the Float-Float Fruit to command the Black Pearl, slowly ascending into the sky.

With less than three days remaining until the outbreak of the Summit War, preparations were in full swing.

Al realizes he needs to exercise as well, especially considering his limited proficiency with the Fruit.

With only a few people on deck exercising, the aura emanating from their bodies grows increasingly intense.

This draws Tom's attention, who watches Nami and the others with wide eyes, rubbing his eyes to ensure he's not dreaming.

Tom retrieved a hairdryer from behind and aimed it at his chin, silently flicking the switch on.

*Hu~hu~hu~*

After mimicking for a while, Tom couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Even with the hairdryer set to maximum power, there was no way he could achieve the same effect as Nami and the others.

After pondering for a moment, Tom produced a rope from behind and proceeded to tie himself up.

Then, to the shock of everyone watching, he leaped off the boat!

Upon witnessing Tom's bizarre behavior, Spike quickly popped his head out to observe.

Tom, tied with a rope, swayed back and forth in the air before eventually clinging to the ship's side and passing out.

Spike hurriedly pulled Tom back up, fearing the rope might snap.

Tom's hiccup didn't disrupt Al's workout.

In fact, as they exercised, smiles spread across everyone's faces.

"Yeah, Captain Al, this little thing is incredible!"

"Now I can sense my strength improving rapidly!"

And it wasn't just Robin who felt this way.

Nami and the others were astounded by the effects of the fitness equipment.

"How did Captain Al manage this? It feels even better than the bulky gym equipment we used before!"

"Absolutely! With that small barbell, you can sense a tremendous surge of power coursing through your body just by moving your fingers!"

"This is truly remarkable!"

"I can even sense my mastery of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit improving significantly, which is simply unbelievable!"

Although several of them had used Tom's fitness equipment before, the difference in effectiveness this time was staggering!

The intuitive sensation they experienced was described as the most intense, especially the impact it had on their hearts.

After hearing Nami's remarks, Al chuckled and retrieved the magic chalk from the system backpack.

As soon as he held the chalk, Al's surroundings instantly transformed into a virtual realm.

Glancing at everyone's panel values, he confirmed that they were all rapidly increasing.

A wide grin spread across Al's face.

"Let's go, to Marineford!"

As the Black Pearl sailed, Al glanced down and spotted Luffy's Thousand Sunny docking at the port of the Sabaody Archipelago.

"In light of the Sky Island incident, the timing of the Summit War has been significantly accelerated," he mused to himself.

"We won't get to witness the infamous scene where Bartholomew Kuma sends you flying one by one..."

"However... with the Summit War drawing nearer, I wonder if Boa Hancock, the world's most beautiful Pirate with a bounty of 1,659,000,000 in the future, will heed the mandatory summons of the Shichibukai to participate."

"With the title of the most beautiful woman in the world, it would indeed be a shame to miss out on her presence..."

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