Check out more new books and chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V
---------------
"The first level is as strong as an elite Vice Admiral from the Marine Headquarters. If he waits until level 18, he can bring Guyer and Janna with him."
"Wouldn't that mean he could defeat Im-sama and the so-called Uranus in one strike?"
"We have a god-level hero with SS-level potential in our hands."
"In this world of pirates, who could possibly match you?"
"Who else?"
Duke looked at the dog-headed figure and Guyer in front of him with excitement. After a few minutes of being thrilled, he quickly calmed down.
Once Nasus the Desert Shinigami, along with Janna, Guyer, and the others, reaches their full potential, Duke will naturally become unbeatable.
But right now, the problem is that Koto and Guyer are only at level one. Even Star Mom and Janna's progress has slowed significantly.
To gain experience, heroes need to train, fight, and kill!
Battles to the death with strong opponents, and defeating them, provide the most experience.
For heroes with low potential, it's manageable. You can hunt down pirates with bounties in the tens or hundreds of millions, defeat them, and level up quickly.
But for god-level heroes who start as strong as a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral—or even an elite Vice Admiral—it gets much harder as their level increases.
At first, fighting weaker pirates can still provide some experience.
But once those high-potential heroes reach S- or even S-level, their growth slows down a lot.
The main issue is that in this world of pirates, there aren't many enemies around A-level strength to fight. Sure, you can find some, but...
For opponents stronger than Emperor's Lieutenant rank, they're rare. You could search the entire sea and still find only a handful.
Especially the powerful Yonko-level pirates—they're truly gone once you defeat them. They don't respawn.
Each one is a valuable and limited resource.
This forces Duke to carefully consider his strategy when fighting these powerful pirates to level up his heroes.
Should he just defeat them outright for a huge boost in experience, or let them go for now and slowly gain more benefits over time?
Maybe those big pirates could even serve as training partners, helping to level up while providing steady experience?
For example, Gangplank was already at level 15 when he defeated Big Mom. But even after another battle with Kaido, reaching the maximum level—without counting equipment—would still take a lot of experience.
And with no more "monsters" to fight, just self-training alone won't be enough to reach full level quickly.
You can't just constantly pick fights with the other Yonko, right? That would throw off the balance of the New World and disrupt Bilge water's money-making plans.
"Hold steady and never let go!"
"As long as you hold your ground, victory will come naturally."
"Why would you throw it all away by being reckless?"
Duke spoke firmly, fully committed to sticking with his cautious strategy until the very end.
Time was always on Duke's side.
After completing a streak of four SS-level draws, Duke calmed himself, glanced at the 12.3 billion wealth points remaining on his system panel, and decided to act while luck was on his side.
"System, give me a twelve-draw pull at S-level!"
In the blink of an eye, powerful additions like the Desert Shinigami and Guyer—already strong enough to dominate the pirate world—were drawn!
But Duke's forces weren't complete. He still needed more heroes and equipment to strengthen his position.
[System Messages:]
Spent 1 billion wealth points: Congratulations!
You won an A-level reward: Equipment - Pickaxe!
Spent 1 billion wealth points: Congratulations!
You won an S-level reward: Hero - Radiant Girl, Lux!
Spent 1 billion wealth points: Congratulations!
You won an S-level reward: Equipment - Shipbreaker!
Spent 1 billion wealth points: Congratulations!
You won an S+ level reward: Hero - Trickster, LeBlanc!
Spent 1 billion wealth points: Congratulations!
You won an A-level reward: Equipment - Dexterous Cloak!
Spent 1 billion wealth points: Congratulations!
You won an S-level reward: Wild Beast - Sky Dragon Yalong!
Spent 1 billion wealth points: Congratulations!
You won an S+ level reward: Hero - Soul Warden, Thresh!
A series of notifications flashed through Duke's mind.
Finally, he examined his haul: three S-level heroes, three advanced pieces of equipment, four smaller items, an elemental dragon, and an S+ hero skin. His face lit up with joy.
"The road ahead is clear," Duke declared with confidence. "Our future will shine brighter than ever!"
Lux, the Radiant Girl, twirled her staff with grace, radiating a warm, youthful energy that seemed to brighten the entire room.
On the other hand, LeBlanc, the Trickster, exuded a mysterious, alluring presence.
"Everything is but an illusion," she said with an elegant smirk. "The Black Rose will bloom again under your command!"
LeBlanc, one of the founders of the enigmatic Noxian organization known as the Black Rose, stood as a powerful figure. Like Vladimir, the Scarlet Reaper, she had unlocked forbidden knowledge and was on the verge of surpassing the limits of humanity.
But LeBlanc and Vladimir weren't just ordinary heroes nearing the human-god boundary. They had the potential to go beyond it entirely!
Thresh, whose entire being radiated an aura of death and terror, looked as fierce and menacing as a demon. He was no longer an ordinary being; he had already stepped onto a path far beyond normal humans.
"The meaning of life lies in its ultimate end," Thresh said, his voice cold and raspy. "But your life will never reach its conclusion!"
[Soul-Locked Warden, Thresh:]
Level: 1
Strength: B
Physique: B
Agility: B
Spirit: A-
Potential: S+ (SS)
Abilities: Hell's Curse, Death Sentence, Pendulum of Doom, and more.
Equipment: None yet.
Overall Rating: B+
Thresh was once a mere mortal. Through the influence of a mysterious power, his body dissolved, leaving him as a terrifying ghost. He feeds on souls for strength and finds pleasure in inflicting pain. Every soul he claims makes him stronger.
One day, Thresh will grow so powerful that no one can stand against him. However, for now, there is still a noticeable gap between him and the gods.
"A god-level hero like Thresh is only considered an S+ prize?" Duke laughed, his voice full of excitement. "Hahaha! Is it because he hasn't absorbed enough souls yet?"
"Either way, this draw was an incredible win!"
Duke's excitement grew as he looked at the five heroes standing before him. Without wasting time, he began to assign them their roles.
Angel Guy remained stationed on Sky Island. His task was to peacefully expand the faith of both himself and Janna, strengthening their influence. Meanwhile, they would continue developing Sky Island into a powerful base.
By working alongside the Sky Dragon, xiao Yalong, Duke planned to conquer other islands floating in the sky.
xiao Yalong, with its unparalleled flying ability, was nearly unbeatable in the skies. Its Divine Dragon's Blessing could also permanently boost a person's agility, making it a key asset to Duke's plans.
In fact, when fully leveled, even Kaido in his dragon form would struggle to keep up. Against xiao Yalong, Kaido could do nothing but eat its dust—or, perhaps, its farts!