The Most Talented Pirate Hunter - Chapter 40
With the fall of the Explosive Wolf family, the capital city of Providence Kingdom experienced a temporary peace.
For the past ten days, Hermes hadn’t met with Elisabello II. He patiently waited, eating, sleeping, and focusing on developing his Devil Fruit abilities, Haki, and Rokushiki techniques.
It was a fulfilling time.
Hermes was right to suspect that the World Government valued the Province Kingdom highly. They even sent a CP0 agent to lead the negotiations, but Hermes wasn’t present during them.
He had developed a slight paranoia.
It couldn’t be helped.
His days of wandering left a deep impression, likely something he’d never outgrow.
Caution was his ally in survival.
Two days later, the CP0 agent finally left with their entourage.
Late at night.
Hermes sneaked into the palace undetected and headed straight for Elisabello II’s quarters, hoping for a pleasant surprise.
He didn’t expect to get all the Rokushiki techniques, but even one or two would suffice.
“Wake up.”
Elisabello II jolted awake. Seeing Hermes by his bed, he sighed in relief, thinking it was an assassin at first.
Hermes’ ability to appear and disappear was terrifying.
The guards outside hadn’t even noticed.
This was dangerous.
“Mr. Jormungandr.”
Elisabello II suppressed his thoughts, putting on a smile.
“Where’s my stuff?”
Hermes didn’t waste any time. He had waited long enough, and despite maintaining a calm facade, he was excited.
“This deal cost me a lot. The heavenly tribute Prodence Kingdom pays yearly will double, and we’ve agreed to expand the Marine base. We might even become a supply station for the World Government in the New World if needed…”
Elisabello II got out of bed and walked to his study. The negotiations had cost more than expected. Just the doubling of the heavenly tribute could spark a rebellion in Provence Kingdom.
These costs would ultimately fall on the citizens.
The expansion of the Marine base and becoming a supply station had both pros and cons, depending on one’s perspective.
Elisabello II was also gambling. He wanted a long-term partnership with Hermes, valuing his immense strength.
Initially, he had thought about subduing Hermes, but the deaths of Scythe Killer, Explosive Wolf, and others had made him reconsider.
It was wiser to continue this partnership.
Elisabello II was smart, a difference marked by experiencing life and death. Hermes, when he first arrived, was naive, but now, his rough edges had been smoothed out.
“You didn’t disappoint. Here’s all of the Rokushiki techniques.”
In the study.
Elisabello II retrieved several sheets of paper from a drawer. They detailed the Rokushiki techniques, including Shigan and Tekkai.
Hermes took the papers, maintaining his calm demeanor.
Without hesitation.
He pulled up a comfortable chair and started reading. The more he read, the more excited he became.
This was the Rokushiki.
It was astonishingly easy to obtain all of them.
Since consuming the Mini Mini no Mi, Hermes felt destiny was on his side. From awakening Observation Haki, Armament Haki, Shigan, and Tekkai, everything had gone smoothly.
Of course, it had involved many life-threatening encounters and injuries.
Success requires effort.
Hermes had earned everything through his own efforts, with a bit of luck but not much!
The best decision he ever made was risking his life to seize the Mini Mini no Mi.
That was the turning point of his fate.
“Elisabello, you’ve done well.”
After reading the papers, Hermes pocketed them and looked at Elisabello with satisfaction.
“Mr. Jormungandr did not disappoint me. I won’t disappoint you either. I hope we can continue to cooperate.”
Elisabello expressed his desire clearly.
“No problem at all. I’ll protect Prodence Kingdom from now on.”
Hermes was in a great mood and made a promise.
If he ever wanted to be a king himself, he wouldn’t hesitate to overthrow Elisabello. After all, their initial agreement included the entire kingdom.
In fact, from the moment Elisabello became king, the Prodence Kingdom had essentially been Hermes’ domain.
“Would you be interested in becoming the Great General of the Kingdom?”
Elisabello wanted to bind Hermes permanently to the kingdom. Hermes’ strength made him perfect for the role and a formidable deterrent.
Hermes was slightly taken aback, then looked at Elisabello with a peculiar expression. Had he forgotten something?
“Remember, I, Hermes, am in this for the money, not the person.”
Hermes smirked, and Elisabello’s face stiffened, quickly covering it with a smile.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Without further conversation, Hermes quickly left the palace to study the Rokushiki techniques.
“Shigan involves rapidly striking the air tens of times in an instant, using the explosive reaction to achieve high-speed movement. It requires strong legs.
Rankyaku involves rapidly contracting and extending the leg muscles, creating kinetic energy. Then, with a quick kick, the air is compressed to create sharp airwaves. Like Shigan, it requires strong legs.
Geppo involves kicking the air to stay aloft, moving through the sky like climbing stairs, though it can’t be sustained for long.
These three require strong legs, but learning one makes mastering the others easier.
Kami-e involves relaxing the body like paper to control it in battle, adapting to various situations freely.
Since I’ve awakened Observation Haki, this should be easier.
With time, mastering all the Rokushiki shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Back at the inn.
Hermes contemplated the papers, stroking his chin. The main challenge was developing his legs properly.
If only foot baths were effective.
Days passed.
Hermes tirelessly trained, starting with Shigan.
It was a close-range combat skill.
Learning it would greatly enhance Hermes’ combat abilities.
The training was tougher than expected. Every day, Hermes lost sensation in his legs, requiring frequent, costly massages to recover.
Training was important, but so was enjoyment. Hermes understood the balance of hard work and relaxation.
Boom, boom, boom.
One day.
In the outskirts.
Hermes did his usual warm-up: 5,000 squats, 5,000 push-ups, sit-ups, weightlifting, and then began training Shigan.
Progress was slow, making Hermes impatient.
He focused on rapidly tapping the ground with his right foot, aiming for ten taps in an instant. The difficulty was high, and he usually achieved seven or eight taps.
Today, he managed nine taps occasionally.
Victory was near.
After numbing his legs, Hermes continued developing his Devil Fruit powers and training his Haki, Shigan, and Tekkai.
He was incredibly busy.
Days passed.
The sea was turbulent, with various powerful individuals writing their legends. The strong gained all the fame, power, and wealth, while the weak became forgotten bones in history.
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