Chapter 166: The Jonin Exam
Rodney ruthlessly cleared out the pirates in Mock Town, causing quite a stir in the first half of the Grand Line. Pirates who heard his name turned pale with fear. Now, "Rodney" represented death to pirates – the Grim Reaper of the seas!
For the pirates, that is.
Mock Town had instantly become a forbidden place for pirates, and on the other hand, Rodney found the excellent sniper, Van Augur.
He could hit a seagull several kilometers away with a flintlock, and there was no need to discuss how strong his marksmanship was. Rodney needed a sniper on his ship, along with a navigator and a shipwright, and Van Augur fit the bill perfectly.
Blackbeard's crew?
Who cared? He was Rodney's now.
When Van Augur met Rodney, he had initially refused. He wanted to find someone worthy of entrusting his ambitions and dreams to, and Rodney, a man affiliated with the World Government, was clearly not the person he had been looking for. But under Rodney's iron-fisted persuasion, he surrendered willingly.
No choice, really. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
"So, Captain, what's our plan?" Van Augur hoisted his flintlock and asked.
"Nothing much, I'm going to the sky!"
Van Augur: ??
Is he insane?
Feels like the new captain might have lost his mind today. Van Augur had a sudden urge to run away at night. Rodney asked, "Do you think I'm joking or do you think I'm crazy?"
Van Augur wanted to nod, thinking this guy was insane, but he chose silence to avoid getting punched.
Rodney burst into laughter and said, "Once the upwelling current appears, we can go up to the Golden Land! This time, my target is that chuuni god!"
Ding!
[Jonin Exam Begins!]
Promotion Task: Defeat 'God' Enel
[Task Level: A]
[Rewards: Bloodline Limit - Scorch Release, Bloodline Limit - Storm Release, one Sharingan, Fire Release - Great Dragon Fire Technique, Fire Release - Great Fire Annihilation, Water Release, Giant Water Bullet Technique, Water Release: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade, Water Release: Water Dragon Biting Explosion, Lightning Release: Beam Emission, Lightning Release - Lightning Clone, Earth Release - Added-Weight Rock, Vacuum Serial Waves! Mission Points: 3000!]
[Note: If Enel is defeated within three hours, a random Tailed Beast will be summoned!]
Seeing the rewards for this mission, Rodney couldn't help but take a sharp breath. Not only was it an A-rank mission, but it was also a promotion to Jonin rank from Chuunin. This was no easy task, and it had taken quite some time to come by.
Defeating Enel within three hours would summon a random Tailed Beast? He didn't know which one it would be, but it would undoubtedly be challenging.
However, the rewards this time were incredibly rich. The Scorch Release, which could evaporate the moisture inside a person's body, the Storm Release even more powerful than Lightning Release, a spare Sharingan, and powerful ninjutsu for attack – these rewards were a must-win for him.
Regardless of whether there was a Tailed Beast or not, he was determined to claim victory this time.
So, how to get to Skypiea?
Moon Step could work, but Moon Step had its limitations when it came to long-distance flight. Although it used up less stamina with each step, enabling sustained flight, flying continuously upwards was a different matter. He would have to contend with gravity. While he didn't usually respect a certain ox-named scientist, the guy's power could sometimes prove troublesome.
He could carry Robin for ten thousand meters without breaking a sweat, but flying ten thousand meters into the sky with just himself was feasible. However, with Robin, it was another story. The energy required, not to mention the inertia, made the task challenging.
He needed to get Robin up there.
Subconsciously, he touched his eye socket and found the contract for that eagle-like summoning beast in the system's store.
He purchased it outright for five thousand mission points.
Rising up the upwelling current was too dangerous. He believed it was safer to let the eagle carry him up.
After Giant Eagle, he acquired his second summoning beast.
"Summoning Technique!"
A slap on the ground and black runes crawled out under his hand like a spider's web.
Boom!
A white mist appeared, and then a giant eagle, about four to five meters tall, materialized before their eyes. It had chestnut-colored feathers, folded its wings, and called out to Rodney. It approached and nuzzled him affectionately.
"Captain, what is this...?"
Van Augur pointed at the sudden appearance of the giant eagle.
"This? This guy is named Hast. I came up with the name just now."
He stroked Hast's feathers and chuckled, then leaped onto Hast's back. Hast spread his wings, flapped them, and effortlessly carried them to several hundred meters in the sky.
Summoning beasts' bodies contained chakra, making them much stronger than ordinary beasts. While they might not compare to the world's dominant flying creatures, they could easily ascend to ten thousand meters with two people.
"Well done, Hast. I'll be counting on you in the future."
Hast let out a call and then chose to descend. He disappeared with a bang.
These summoning beasts weren't suitable for long-distance travel, but flying up ten thousand meters into the sky was a piece of cake.
With this problem solved Rodney was quite pleased. He let Van Augur move freely and found Robin.
"Captain, have you found a way to get to Skypiea?"
"Found it. We're flying up."
"Flying up?" Robin looked at him in confusion, thinking that the captain's mind had gone haywire again.
"Yes, flying up." He repeated, "Robin, are you ready? We're going to fly up."
Saying that, he released Hast and reached out to her, saying softly, "Hast, you deserve it. Well, Robin, are you ready to board?"
Looking at the magnificent Hast, Rodney smiled, extending his hand towards her. Both their palms met.
Rodney burst into laughter, pulling her into his embrace and lifting her in a princess carry.
"Hast, let's go!"
Hast flapped his wings, soaring into the sky. Rodney, his foot planted firmly on the ground, shot upward.
Holding Robin securely, he landed smoothly on Hast's back, sitting down comfortably. Robin leaned against him, enjoying the moment. She suddenly felt that the night she had sought him out in Alabasta had been the right decision. However, it seemed like she had also become entangled with something troublesome.
Really... quite troublesome...
She squinted her eyes, sniffing the scent of the man on her. There was no sweat or any other odor as if the wind had blown it all away.
The physical laws that dictated temperature dropped as altitude increased didn't seem to apply here. No matter how high they climbed, the temperature remained the same, with no significant variation. The wind blowing against them wasn't cold but rather refreshing.
Robin looked up at the man who was curiously observing their surroundings. She had never seen him exhibit such curiosity about anything related to flying before.
What a surprise, at this moment, he looked like a child curious about everything.
She chuckled softly, leaning closer into Rodney's embrace...