NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: The Red-Eyed Rodney?
Chapter 20: The Red-Eyed Rodney?
Krieg possessed considerable strength and was considered powerful among ordinary individuals in East Blue. He skillfully wielded his big gun, showing no signs of fatigue.
His attacks were forceful and carried explosive power with each strike, though the mechanics behind it remained unclear.
Due to Rodney's high attack but low stamina, he couldn't confront Krieg head-on. Instead, he fought while retreating, and the cannon fodder group dared not step forward to join the battle.
Regarding Krieg's cold-blooded behavior earlier, their intentions were clear. They couldn't afford to offer themselves as easy targets, as this guy would kill them without hesitation, leaving them no room to cry.
Survival became the top priority.
"Asshole! If you're brave enough, don't hide!" Krieg, unable to catch Rodney, scratched his head in frustration in helplessness.
Rodney moved like a nimble monkey, continuously evading his grasp. Not only did Krieg fail to catch him, but the ship's deck was riddled with holes. If this continued, the ship would likely be destroyed.
"Alright!" Rodney threw a handful of kunai, each one affixed with an Explosive Tag.
This time, Krieg had improved his skills. He swung his big gun, aiming to strike the kunai directly. Unfortunately, a shuriken intercepted the kunai, altering its trajectory and causing it to land accurately at Krieg's feet.
Boom!
Once again, Krieg was blown away. His big gun slipped from his grasp and flew off the pirate ship, plunging into the ocean, creating a wave that quickly subsided.
"Krieg, it's over!"
Rodney swiftly decapitated Krieg in the most efficient manner, leaving behind a headless corpse. He pocketed the head, surveyed the pirates around him, and after a moment's thought, affixed a detonator to one side of the mast.
Waving his hand to the group, he smiled and said, "Farewell! Whether you survive or not depends on your luck." He somersaulted backward, leaped off the deck, landed on the sea, and calmly strolled on the water's surface, leaving ripples in his wake.
"Quick, quick, the curse has departed, let's go up!"
"Go up! Those above, throw down the rope!" This was the last remaining boat and the only hope for over a thousand people. If they missed it, they would be left with no way out.
However, Rodney had other plans...
Boom!
An explosion occurred, shattering the towering mast. This blast triggered a chain reaction, causing successive explosions on the ship. Chaos erupted as pirates were blown apart.
Rodney annihilated any hope the pirates had. Once again, the lesson was clear: If one becomes a pirate, they will meet their demise at sea. It was nearly impossible for them to be spared. Evil deeds always come at a price.
Ignoring the wails of the survivors, Rodney had completed his mission, and the rewards were officially distributed.
[Mission: Kill Krieg]
Mission Level: C
Status: Completed
[Rewards: 500 mission points, One Permanent Chakra Fruit, Shadow Clone Technique, Leaf Dragon God.]
Upon consuming the Permanent Chakra fruit, a portion of the consumed chakra is immediately replenished and increased.
Rodney then joined his index finger and middle finger together, crossed his hands into a cross, forming a seal, and exclaimed in a low voice, "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Boom!
An exact replica of himself appeared beside him. Rodney instructed the clone to go to another location and run in a different direction. After a while, the shadow clone dissipated, leaving Rodney with the memories it had acquired.
It felt peculiar, but it was indeed a method of gaining experience in an unconventional way. This technique was actually developed by the Second Hokage and proved to be quite practical.
"Leaf Dragon God!"
Rotating his body at high speed, Rodney condensed a colossal dragon-shaped whirlwind, stirring up large amounts of seawater. Suddenly, a waterspout emerged from thin air on the sea's surface. The waterspout dissipated, and Rodney stood there.
'As expected, he was a ninja who had once been hailed as "Konoha's Strongest Taijutsu Ninja." His Taijutsu skills were impressive.'
The technique was a ninjutsu created by a ninja from Konoha. Although it was originally from a TV series, it had been incorporated into the system. There were still many unrevealed ninjutsu waiting for Rodney to obtain and utilize.
Back on the merchant ship, which continued sailing on the sea, Rodney returned to his room and activated the system.
{Host: Joestar J. Rodney}
Race: Human
Level: Ninja
Attributes: Wind, Fire, Water, Thunder, Earth, Yin, Yang
Ninjutsu: Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu, Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu, Water Release: Water Body, Chakra…
Body Arts: Shurikenjutsu, Shadow of the Dancing Leaf, Leaf Whirlwind…
Bloodline Limit: None
[Mission Points: 760.]
After completing missions for several days, Rodney's mission points had accumulated significantly. It was time to exchange them for a new batch of ninjutsu.
Ah, his strength could grow once more!
"Lightning Release: Wave of Inspiration - 250, Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique - 200, Water Style: Hand of Waves - 300." After all his hard work, he had enough to buy everything he desired.
Thunder Dungeon Appreciation Wave could be combined with Water Dungeon to deal double damage. Of course, he needed to remember how to execute it... Fire Dungeon's Dragon Fire Art attacked in a straight line, boasting impressive speed and power.
As for Instant Water, the user releases a wave of water below their feet to act as jets to increase their speed. It allowed for high-speed movement in the water. It's a practical ninjutsu technique.
With the Krieg Pirates, the largest pirate group in East Blue, eliminated, Rodney's reputation spread throughout the region. He single-handedly toppled a fleet of thousands, and the three strongest members of the Krieg Pirates fell by his hands.
He possessed an unknown Devil Fruit ability, making him an incredibly formidable combatant. Among the remaining pirates, a pair of striking red eyes became a symbol of fear and were associated with demons.
Henceforth, the name Red-Eyed Rodney circulated widely throughout East Blue.
Rodney: "..."
Looking at the newspaper filled with articles about himself, Rodney tore it to pieces.
'Damn those red-eyed labels. What kind of nonsense was this?'
Couldn't the East China Sea Press learn from the way the World Economic News presents articles? Couldn't they write something more positive? After all, he was a decent person, wasn't he? What in the world were those red eyes?
Finding a place to take a break was a rare occurrence. The newspaper was truly ruining his mood. Those guys were completely off the mark. He didn't care about his own reputation but worried about the nicknames given to him by those groups of people.
That's right, if this matter wasn't handled properly, it would stick with him for the rest of his life, and he couldn't let this group of people define him.
'How about…"The Copy Ninja"? No, no, I can't use that name. I'm not the number one technician in Konoha.'
"The Magician Rodney. This name sounds intriguing. Well, let's go with it," he said.
(TL/N: Kinda cringe…but oh well)
He grabbed a pen and paper and swiftly wrote an excellent article. With a quick stroke of the pen, the words appeared on the paper. Then, he found the nearest place to submit it to the East Post Office. Inside, he included a few bellies with a large denomination. It was nothing to him, so he let it go.
On the third day, the article he wrote was prominently featured in East Blue's newspaper.
"...Blooming amidst bloodshed, like the flowers at dawn, Joestar J. Rodney, a man who dared to toy with fate..."
It was a well-written piece that delved into the origin of the nickname, providing personal insights... ahem, reporting truthfully. The name "Fate Master" quickly spread, surpassing the nickname of "Red Eye."
Rodney effortlessly resolved the nickname crisis. In other words, he lost a few tickets...but he wasn't short on money.
Afterward, he went to claim Krieg's bounty and discovered that his worth didn't reach the level of over 10 million bellies. Even if he had a fleet with a significant number of people in East Blue, it still didn't amount to that much. It was probably Smoker and the others who inflated the value. They knew that Krieg had merely gathered a bunch of misfits, right?
Since Krieg was too crafty, they couldn't apprehend him in time. So, Rodney gave them a beating, and he didn't need to worry about how many of the gang members survived.
He continued with his daily life of completing missions. However, on this particular day, he followed the merchant ship and stopped in front of a sea restaurant.
Baratie Restaurant!