"Useless."

Princess Anna lowered her head obediently, not daring to respond to Sora's scolding.

After several days of sword training under Sora, her loyalty had already risen to 70. She now generated 7 vitality points for Sora every hour.

Thanks to strict discipline and control, she followed his orders without question.

"Wake her up. Rest for half an hour, then continue."

Sora understood that training couldn't be rushed, so he gave the order to Anna.

"Yes, Master."

Relieved to hear they could rest, Anna finally exhaled.

She and Shalria had been under constant sword training by Sora every night, and physical conditioning during the day.

Sora's stamina was overwhelming—both girls combined could barely handle his "guidance."

This period had been pure torment for them.

Dragging the unconscious Shalria along, Anna headed toward the rest chamber for a well-earned break.

Watching the two girls leave, Sora shook his head.

He wasn't doing this out of cruelty.

According to system feedback, the stronger his crew became, the more feedback experience he earned per hour. That's why he was forcing Anna and Shalria through harsh physical training—to raise their combat strength.

But their foundations were so weak, the pace of improvement was painfully slow.

Sora walked to the bow and placed his hand on the Divine Slave.

Immediately, ropes aboard the ship extended like living limbs, pulling out brushes and repainting the vessel's exterior.

Two hours later, the Divine Slave's hull and sails had completely changed color. Without close inspection, no one would realize it was once the Saint Rosward.

Then a golden dragon-emblazoned flag rose and fluttered loudly in the sea breeze.

Though Sora had eaten some kind of "Pirate Crew System" fruit, he had no intention of being a real pirate—let alone flying a pirate flag.

In his eyes, waving a skull and crossbones to announce yourself was plain stupid.

Wouldn't it be better to sneak up silently and strike hard?

That's why he was modifying the Divine Slave to look like a merchant vessel.

Its new name? Five Seas Trading Company.

After finishing the ship's transformation, Sora grabbed a Germa 66 manga and flipped through it casually while keeping an eye on Anna and Shalria's continued training.

As for why he didn't train himself?

Come on. If lying around could make you stronger, who the hell would bother with training?

Besides, any training that needed doing could be dumped on Anna and Shalria.

A few more days passed.

Bored from being cooped up on the ship, Sora finally encountered another vessel.

"Is that a Germa 66 ship?!"

On deck, Sora's eyes lit up when he spotted the massive snail ship ahead.

He hadn't expected to run into the Vinsmoke family so soon.

Just thinking about their high-tech raid suits and genetic modification technology filled him with excitement.

This was exactly the kind of opportunity that could skyrocket his power.

Without hesitation, Sora turned the Divine Slave toward the Germa 66 snail ship and gave chase.

He still had two uses left on his Swordmaster Experience Card. He needed to milk those for maximum gains and level up fast.

And Germa 66?

Perfect target.

Whether it was Sanji's sister Reiju or Germa's memory-metal transformation suits—they were ideal tools to boost his combat strength.

And since Germa 66 was infamously known as the "Evil Army," Sora had zero moral conflict about robbing them blind.

"Lord Yonji! A large vessel is approaching!"

In the dining room aboard the snail ship, a soldier quickly reported to Vinsmoke Yonji, who was gorging himself on a steak.

"If it crosses into our perimeter, sink it."

Yonji barked the order casually, then took another big bite.

"Yes, sir!" The soldier saluted and exited.

At the table, Reiju silently cut her steak, not saying a word.

Meanwhile, aboard the Divine Slave, Sora saw the enemy raise their alert flags and chuckled.

"Let's see what this ship can really do."

The vessel, stolen from Rosward, was a massive warship retrofitted with dual sail and steam propulsion, capable of housing a thousand people.

Few ships could rival its size or horsepower.

Rosward had even outfitted both sides with 100 heavy cannons—devastating in battle.

Thanks to Sora's unique power, he could control the ship as if it were his own body.

And right now, he intended to have it unleash a full broadside.

"Signal them to surrender," Sora ordered Anna.

Both Anna and Shalria, hearing this, looked stunned.

They knew Sora was strong—but they were only three people on this ship.

And now they were ordering Germa 66, a vessel packed with soldiers, to surrender?

How was that even possible?

Still, Anna followed his command without question.

"Hahaha! They're signaling us to surrender? What a joke!"

Yonji came to the rail and laughed loudly as he saw Anna raise the surrender flag.

The enemy ship looked big, sure—but it wasn't a Marine warship. Against Germa's advanced tech, it wouldn't stand a chance.

"Yonji, I think we should be cautious," Reiju said quietly, holding a newspaper. Something about that ship gave her a bad feeling.

"Bah! Sink them!" Yonji dismissed her concerns.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

From the Germa 66 ship, dozens of cannons extended and fired directly at the Divine Slave.

Sora, calm as ever, placed a hand on his ship.

The Divine Slave twisted and maneuvered like a living creature, dodging every shell with ease. Explosions erupted in the surrounding waves, sending spray into the air.

"Heh… Let's see whose firepower wins."

He immediately kicked the ship into gear.

All sails dropped and adjusted to the wind, maximizing speed.

Steam engines roared to life as coal-fed furnaces surged with power.

The Divine Slave, like a cannonball, shot past Germa's artillery range and rapidly flanked the snail ship.

"That ship's not normal!"

Reiju gasped as she watched its insane acceleration.

"Hmph, so what? I'll—"

Yonji didn't finish.

He froze.

The Divine Slave had pulled up alongside them—and over a hundred cannons had opened along its side, all aimed directly at them.

We're screwed…

Reiju's heart sank. She knew that if they took even one full volley from those cannons, it would be the end.

Sora stood proudly on the railing, bullhorn in hand, and shouted toward the stunned Germa 66 crew:

"You are surrounded—by me alone."

"Surrender now!"

_____

You give me a power stone, and I will give you a mass release deal? And if you like this story, add it to your library and give me a review, and I will reward you with mass release.