Cherreads

Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: Gradual Changes

Precision (LV.1) 10/100:

Your attacks have a 10% chance to hit the target with perfect accuracy!

Dodge (LV.1) 0/100:

You have a 10% chance to completely evade enemy attacks!

These were Fang Yi's two current skills—one a divine offensive ability, the other a lifesaving defensive one.

If the probability of these skills ever reached 100%, things would become downright terrifying. No matter how an enemy attacked, they wouldn't be able to dodge Fang Yi's shots, while their attacks would never be able to touch him, even if he just stood there.

That's why Fang Yi was very satisfied with having obtained a skill after spending 20 lottery tickets this time.

In addition, he'd also gained a Skill EXP Scroll, which he immediately used on Precision, boosting its experience by 1 point. Though it wasn't much, even a little was better than nothing—Fang Yi wasn't picky.

Beyond that, the fragments for the Sun-Chaser Bow, Armament Haki, and Byakugan Bloodline Limit were unexpected bonuses. In particular, the Sun-Chaser Bow fragment sparked a new idea in Fang Yi's mind:

What if, instead of using guns, he switched to bows?

After all, it was much easier to imbue a bow with Armament Haki than a bullet. The warriors of Amazon Lily were all natural-born archers—they could all coat their arrows with Armament Haki.

If he could eventually get a powerful bow, he'd be able to fight at long range and in close quarters. That sounded like the perfect setup for him.

However, becoming an excellent archer was much harder than being a sharpshooter with firearms. Archery demanded far more strength and speed.

So, Fang Yi decided to create a strict training plan for himself—he would mold himself into the strongest archer.

But there was one problem—he'd already used up his Weapon Voucher to exchange for a pistol, leaving him without a bow to practice with. Worse still, when he tried coming up with a training regimen, he realized he had no clue where to start. He simply did not know how to create an effective practice routine.

So… Fang Yi went straight to Rayleigh for help.

"Hmm? Archer, you say? Well… I don't know anything about archery!" Rayleigh grinned helplessly, spreading his hands.

"Huh? Then, who on the ship knows how to use a bow?" Fang Yi asked, looking miserable.

"Why don't you go ask Yammon?" Rayleigh replied after thinking for a moment. "I think she's good with bows."

"Big Sis Yammon? There's no one else?!" Fang Yi's face instantly fell.

It wasn't that Yammon wouldn't teach him, but her personality… was simply a nightmare for Fang Yi.

"Yo~ Fang Yi, little brat! You usually go out of your way to avoid me. What's gotten into you today, coming to find me? Gururu…"

When Fang Yi found Yammon, she was drinking. The moment she saw Fang Yi approach, her eyes lit up mischievously.

"Uh… Big Sis Yammon… Do you know how to use a bow?" Fang Yi asked awkwardly.

"Of course I do! I'm a master at it! As a jungle warrior, whether it's a spear or a bow, I'm an expert! Why? Want me to teach you?" Yammon grinned wickedly.

Seeing Fang Yi nod helplessly, Yammon's grin grew even wider.

"In that case… You know what to do." Yammon beckoned him over with a finger, looking exactly like an old madam luring girls into trouble.

Fang Yi wore the expression of a condemned man walking to his execution as he leaned his head toward her.

His dramatic look had the nearby crewmates bursting into laughter.

"Hahaha! You little rascal, all I wanted was to pinch your cheeks! No need to act like that!" Yammon cackled as she grabbed Fang Yi's cheeks and twisted them mercilessly, kneading his face like it was clay.

"Yammon… is that enough yet?" Fang Yi mumbled with great difficulty.

"Hahaha… Relax! As long as you stay this obedient, I'll teach you everything I know!" Yammon let out a loud burp, clearly satisfied.

This was exactly why Fang Yi usually avoided this terrifying big sister. Despite her eccentric personality, Yammon was an extremely powerful jungle warrior—whether it was tracking, setting traps, close combat, or long-range attacks, she excelled at all of them.

Especially in jungle terrain, even Roger and Rayleigh had to be wary of her.

But the most absurd thing about her was that she had zero resistance to cute things. And with Fang Yi's naturally handsome, youthful appearance, he was a walking target for her teasing.

After just a few days on the ship, Fang Yi had already developed a deep-seated fear of her. If not for his desire to learn archery, he would never have voluntarily approached her.

Still, aside from her cheek-pinching habit, Yammon's skills were no joke. In just a few days of training under her, Fang Yi already felt himself improving rapidly.

"Little brat… Don't get too cocky just yet! You're still just starting. Focus on perfecting your fundamentals!"

Perhaps sensing Fang Yi's growing confidence, Yammon immediately ramped up the difficulty and intensity of his training, nearly doubling the time spent on basic drills.

At first, she thought Fang Yi would resist such dull, repetitive training.

What she didn't know was that although Fang Yi looked like a child, his soul was that of a man in his thirties. He fully understood the importance of a strong foundation.

So instead of resisting, Fang Yi diligently completed every task she gave him, without a single complaint.

"This kid's something!" Yammon couldn't help but remark to Rayleigh as she watched Fang Yi practicing archery on the deck.

"Most people can't stand such boring basic training, especially when they know their teacher has more advanced techniques they're holding back. But this kid… He's impressive."

However, Jabba—standing nearby—looked slightly worried as he added, "Though it also means he harbors a great ambition deep inside. If we don't guide him well… who knows what kind of storm he might unleash upon the seas in the future."

"Hahaha! You're worrying too much," Yammon huffed, clearly displeased. "Little Yi doesn't have that kind of darkness in his heart."

Now that Fang Yi was half her apprentice, she wasn't too pleased with Jabba's suspicion.

Jabba opened his mouth to reply, but seeing Yammon's expression, he decided not to press further.

"By the way, Yammon… Isn't this kid also practicing with a dagger?" Rayleigh suddenly asked, as if remembering something.

"That's right. I've already told him it's pointless, but he won't listen." Yammon rolled her eyes. "He insists that as an archer, he can't afford to be helpless at close range."

"Pfft, what's the point? Doesn't he have legs? If the enemy can move, why can't he? As long as you're fast enough, no one can close the distance before you draw your bow! Instead of wasting time with a dagger, he should be focusing on improving his physical conditioning!"

Rayleigh simply chuckled at her words, offering no comment. He turned to Jabba and said meaningfully, "Since you're so worried about him… why not teach him yourself? You're no slouch at close combat, right?"

Jabba was stunned. He hadn't expected Rayleigh to suggest that and hesitated, replying, "Would that be okay?"

"Hahaha! Why not? Wouldn't it be even better if you saw his ambition firsthand?" Rayleigh said, a hidden meaning in his words.

"…Alright then. I'll find an opportunity to talk with him and see if he's interested." Jabba nodded thoughtfully.

Hearing this, Yammon chuckled softly and strolled over to Fang Yi, whispering something to him as she pointed in Jabba's direction. Both Rayleigh and Jabba couldn't help but smile wryly at the sight.

Sure enough, after a moment, Fang Yi walked over, bowed respectfully to Jabba, and asked in disbelief, "Yammon-sensei said… I can learn close combat from you?"

"That's right," Jabba chuckled. "Though I mainly use an axe, which is a bit different from your dagger… I'm not sure if my techniques will suit you."

"They will! They definitely will! Being able to learn from you, Master Jabba, is my greatest honor!" Fang Yi didn't hesitate to claim him as a teacher on the spot.

After all, Jabba was the third strongest member of the crew—his skills weren't much inferior to Rayleigh's.

Having such a master to teach him was an incredible opportunity few could ever hope for.

Thus, under Yammon and Jabba's combined mentorship, Fang Yi continued to improve steadily. Meanwhile, the Roger Pirates' reputation soared as they grew more active in the New World.

And thanks to his time aboard, Fang Yi gained a great deal of experience, even participating in a few battles against the Navy. However, he still hadn't encountered Roger's so-called destined rival—Garp.

"Captain! Enemy ship spotted ahead!"

One day, while Fang Yi was sparring with Jabba to practice his close-combat skills, a lookout's shout rang down from the crow's nest.

"It's a pirate ship!"

Following Jabba up to the deck, Fang Yi also spotted the ship in question. The pirate flag flew, leaving no doubt about its identity.

"That's the Adrelt Pirates. Their captain is Madman Adrelt—he's got a bounty of 180 million berries," Rayleigh said as he appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Advert?" Roger glanced at them and shook his head. "Ignore them. Let's just stay on course."

"Wait! Captain! It looks like they're being chased by something… It's the Navy! It's Garp's warship!"

Suddenly, the lookout shouted down again.

"Garp?" Roger and Rayleigh exchanged a glance, both knowing this meant serious trouble. If Garp spotted them, he'd abandon the other pirates to go after them instead.

"Hard to starboard! Prepare to flee!" Roger turned around, laughing loudly as he shouted to the helmsman.

As Garp's longtime nemesis, Roger knew exactly how troublesome that man could be. If they could avoid him, they absolutely should.

But alas, things rarely went as planned.

The Admiral Pirates spotted them as well and deliberately sailed straight toward them, clearly intending to use the Roger Pirates as a shield to shake off Garp's pursuit.

"Those bastards! They're deliberately dragging Garp to us!" Yammon cursed furiously, her temper flaring at once.

As one of the Roger Pirates' veteran members, she naturally understood just what Garp represented.

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