Chapter 55 - CHAPTER 55 - New Attributes and the Arrival of the Vice Admiral

Physical Enhancement Attributes: Name: Sand Crocodile (Rosen) Ability: Suna Suna no Mi (Unawakened), Intermediate (Proficiency: 710/1000) Martial Arts: Intermediate (Proficiency: 480/1000) Haki: Conqueror's Haki (Awakened) (Proficiency: 20/100) Armament Haki (Proficiency: 10/100) Observation Haki (Proficiency: 10/100) Swordsmanship: Beginner (Proficiency: 140/300) Enhancement Count: 3 Effects: Defense x2, Speed x2, Vitality x2, 1 Experience Pack Next Enhancement Requirement: Defeat a fighter with a bounty of 400 million Berries or more (Strength x2) Random Reset Task: Defeat a fighter with a bounty of 200 million Berries or more (Defense x2) Additional Devil Fruit Slot Task: Current Progress 1/5 (Zou Zou no Mi). Suggestion: To activate safely, body defense should be at least x8. Can be transferred. This time, the changes were quite significant. First, the Vitality x2 enhancement—Rosen felt that it hadn't directly increased his combat power. His Devil Fruit proficiency had increased from 674 to 710, his martial arts from 443 to 480, and swordsmanship had barely improved. However, gaining 36 points in Devil Fruit proficiency was still decent, even if not as much as previous boosts. This suggested that the increase wasn't solely due to the Vitality enhancement but was likely influenced by his breakthrough during the Absolute Sand Death Slash. His martial arts proficiency increased by 37 points, though Rosen didn't feel any immediate difference—perhaps because the improvement wasn't yet substantial. Still, some of it likely stemmed from his battle experience, since life-and-death struggles accelerate growth far more than routine training. He recalled how, despite days of rigorous training, his proficiency had only increased by a few points. But the most striking change was in Haki—Conqueror's Haki! At first, Rosen thought he had misread it. When had he awakened Conqueror's Haki? He had no memory of such a moment. During the battle, he had been fully focused on controlling his Absolute Sand Death Slash and had been completely unaware that his spirit had touched upon this hidden potential. "Conqueror's Haki... so this is the latent potential of this body," Rosen clenched his fist, feeling both surprised and yet somewhat unsurprised. While Conqueror's Haki is an innate trait, it isn't exactly rare. Fighters like Chinjao, Doflamingo, Katakuri, and Ace possessed it. Given Crocodile's potential, it wasn't impossible for Rosen to awaken Conqueror's Haki through his own drive. A man who once dared to challenge Whitebeard certainly had the resolve and ambition necessary. Perhaps his past defeat had shattered his belief in himself, delaying the awakening of his Haki. Of course, that was just Rosen's speculation. What he hadn't yet realized was that his own willpower and relentless mental focus had been the true catalysts for his Haki awakening. Still, the fact that he had finally unlocked Haki was a huge step forward. Through memories from the original timeline, he now had a clearer path to strengthening himself—though it would still require rigorous training and application. Lastly, the new challenge—defeating a fighter with a 400 million Berries bounty—seemed daunting for now. At that level, his opponent would already be on par with the Shichibukai in terms of raw strength. For instance, Jinbei had around that level of power. There were also commanders of the Four Emperors who possessed similar strength, though their bounties were often even higher—some reaching 700 or 800 million. Rosen suspected that bounty values weren't based solely on individual combat power. Instead, they likely factored in threat level, influence, and the scale of their organization. A lone warrior or a small crew would be considered less of a threat than a large pirate group or a nation-backed faction, even if their individual strength was the same. Its level of danger is naturally higher, which means the bounty increases accordingly. Of course, these strengths are also considered part of one's overall power. Rosen also believed that one billion Berries was likely a major threshold. However, for now, that was still a distant goal. In this vast ocean, encountering a 400 million bounty-level fighter wasn't exactly easy. This mission wouldn't be easy to complete, but if he succeeded, Strength x2—this kind of pure, brute-force enhancement—would undoubtedly have a phenomenal effect. What intrigued Rosen even more was the random reinforcement task. It seemed that completed tasks and their corresponding enhancements could stack. More importantly, the conditions to achieve them weren't particularly difficult. A task that was relatively easy to accomplish yet offered significant rewards was Rosen's top priority. "But what exactly is this Vitality x2? My strength hasn't increased noticeably, so could it refer to cell regeneration or healing speed?" Rosen thought. The more he considered it, the more likely it seemed. Based on the ship doctor's reaction, his recovery speed was clearly several times faster than normal. But could it be on the level of Luffy's insane recovery, where even life-threatening injuries could heal within a day or two? If he truly possessed such an overwhelming regeneration ability, it could prove even more valuable than speed or defense—after all, this was an evolution at the biological level. Then there was the new Devil Fruit Capacity Expansion Task—a long and challenging road ahead. "You handle things here. By the way, can the Rear Admiral be saved?" Rosen asked. Right now, his crew severely lacked close-combat fighters—himself included. If Rear Admiral Harry survived, Rosen needed to extract some valuable information from him, perhaps learning Rokushiki techniques or something similar. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered keeping him alive. Saving a life in exchange for useful knowledge didn't seem unfair. "I administered emergency treatment before we got here, but he's still in critical condition. It's hard to say if he'll make it." The doctor wrapped Rosen's injuries in medicated bandages while explaining. "If he doesn't survive, so be it. Let everyone rest up—you too," Rosen ordered. Excited as he was about his attribute changes, he still needed rest to maximize recovery. "Understood, Boss." After cleaning up and dressing his wounds, Rosen laid down to sleep. What he didn't realize was that as he slept, a faint white glow emanated from his body. This was the Vitality x2 enhancement activating at full force, particularly when he was asleep. A rare enhancement, even harder to obtain than Speed x2, was far from useless as Rosen had initially assumed. The soft glow even affected those in the lower floors. "Light?" Robin noticed the dim radiance filtering down from the floor above. It was barely visible, but undeniably there. "Why does my arm feel cool... and why do I feel a strange surge of energy, like I need to release it?" She instinctively thought of poison, but then she noticed that the cuts on her arm were healing at an unnatural speed. A miraculous sight that left her momentarily stunned. Meanwhile, the light continued spreading downward, reaching the rooms of Daz Bones, MR. 5, and other crew members. The effect weakened as it dispersed, but it still accelerated healing and heightened physical energy. "Feeling like a fight?" MR. 5 turned to Daz Bones, suddenly eager to battle. His Devil Fruit powers felt ready to explode. "Fine by me." Daz Bones nodded, his fighting spirit rising. The two headed toward the training area. Even Rear Admiral Harry, who was on the verge of death, regained some color in his face as the glowing particles seeped into his body. —— "That light... coming from the Boss's room... you saw it too, right?" Valentine stepped out of her room and spotted Robin standing outside Rosen's door. But none of them dared to disturb him while he was resting. Still, it was clear that the source was Rosen himself. "This is incredible," Valentine muttered. It was like the very air had become infused with life energy. Yet to their knowledge, the Boss's Devil Fruit ability had never exhibited such an effect. —— Meanwhile, not far from the port of Sake City... Vice Admiral Onigumo and Vice Admiral Doberman were leading three Marine warships toward the harbor. These were two of the most formidable Vice Admirals in the Marines. Had Rosen seen them, he would have immediately recognized them. Vice Admiral Onigumo had been one of the Buster Call commanders at Enies Lobby. During the Marineford War, he successfully ambushed Whitebeard's First Division Commander, Marco, using Seastone handcuffs, nearly turning the tide of battle. Vice Admiral Doberman, another Buster Call commander, was notoriously rigid and unyielding. During the Marineford War, he had boldly confronted Red-Haired Shanks, demanding that Ace and Whitebeard's corpses be publicly displayed to symbolize Marine victory. A man of unyielding conviction and ruthless efficiency. —— Trouble was on the horizon. (End of Chapter) ========================================================= DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).