Chapter 117: Promoted to Chunin, Under Everyone’s Watchful Eyes [Third Update]

“I really want to love her.”

It was as if the system had altered the text. Shu Mingyuan saw that the words in the rank column had changed from “Genin” to “Chunin.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. Wasn’t a host’s advancement supposed to come with some blindingly dazzling, wildly over-the-top, earth-shattering transformation? Instead, he had simply been promoted in the most ordinary manner imaginable. System, shouldn’t you come out and give me a reasonable explanation?

“Host has successfully advanced to Chunin. System reward has been delivered. Please check your rewards.”

The system’s mechanical voice slowly rang out. Shu Mingyuan stood there in a daze, but he quickly recovered.

“WTF? That’s it? Where’s my reward? You said there’d be a reward, so give it to me! Don’t think changing two words counts as a reward. I’m telling you, this isn’t over!”

Shu Mingyuan raged beside the ship. He had thought he would receive some incredible ninjutsu, but instead, all he got was a completely useless sentence. His hopes had been raised for nothing. He was practically on the verge of tears. The system had given him absolutely nothing, yet still told him to check his rewards. Check your sister!

Unfortunately, no matter how long he cursed until his mouth went dry, the system never spoke again. In the end, he could only accept reality.

“Forget it. If there’s nothing, then there’s nothing. It’s not as if I ever expected anything.”

He was already extremely satisfied with what he had gained this time. Leaving aside the Lightning Release secret art, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit alone was enough to create an invincible powerhouse.

He took off his clothes and carefully wrapped the Rumble-Rumble Fruit inside them. The thing was far too conspicuous. If anything went wrong, it could easily trigger a war. A Logia Devil Fruit was enough to make anyone green with envy, let alone one of the very best among them—the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

After slinging the bundle over his back, he brushed the dust from beneath his feet and walked toward the Ark Maxim.

The final storm of thunder and lightning had sent the Ark Maxim crashing to the ground, but thanks to the extraordinary toughness of its hull, its overall structure had suffered little damage.

What was he supposed to do with such a gigantic ark, one capable of flying all the way to the moon?

The Ark’s power came from Enel’s enormous electrical energy. Without someone possessing the powers of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, there was probably no one in the world today who could make it move.

Shu Mingyuan climbed aboard the Ark Maxim. This empty ship, built with a vast quantity of gold, was worth an astronomical sum on its own. After wandering around for quite some time, he finally found the central engine room.

The entire room was cast in gold, allowing the kinetic energy generated by Enel’s electricity to reach its maximum potential. Golden conduits stretched throughout the ship, giving it the ability to sail through the sky.

It was a pity that such a magnificent vessel had no one capable of using it. Shu Mingyuan could not help sighing over the loss.

As he explored the room, he suddenly noticed a spherical recess in its exact center. Acting on a strange impulse, he untied the bundle on his back, took out the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, and placed it inside.

Crackle!

A tremendous current erupted at once. Arcs of electricity danced along the golden conduits before surging toward every part of the ship.

Boom!

A sound like a machine starting up rang out. The Ark Maxim suddenly let loose a thunderous roar, and Shu Mingyuan clearly felt an immense force of gravity pressing down on him.

“The Ark Maxim is moving?”

Shu Mingyuan was stunned. He rushed outside the cabin and saw that the Ark Maxim was slowly rising into the air.

He had only been trying his luck. He had never expected it to actually work!

Since Enel had been able to provide an empty ship with the energy needed to move, then the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, as a source of lightning itself, should naturally be able to do the same.

Once the Ark Maxim reached a certain altitude, it stopped climbing. Shu Mingyuan took the helm and, with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit continuously supplying it with electricity, guided the empty ship slowly toward Angel Island.

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit not only provided the Ark Maxim with electricity, but also constantly drew additional energy from the atmosphere. It was practically a perpetual-motion machine, with no need to worry about its power ever running out.

Using a mighty Logia Devil Fruit as the energy source of a ship—perhaps only Shu Mingyuan in the entire world could afford such extravagance.

...

On the coast of Angel Island, the descent of the countless thunderbolts had finally ended. The strange spectacles filling the sky and the immense thunderclaps had also fallen silent.

They had already guessed that some peerless powerhouse must have been battling God Enel. They simply had no idea how the confrontation had ended.

With anxious hearts, countless inhabitants of the sky islands began returning to their homes. When they saw the devastation before them, everyone burst into grief-stricken sobs.

Enel had been far too ruthless. By destroying their homes, he had effectively destroyed the very foundations of their lives. They were left without shelter, without anywhere to go. There was scarcely a word more fitting than misery.

A tremendous roar rolled across the sky. A vast airship, its entire body gleaming golden, slowly entered Angel Island from the sacred land of Upper Yard. On both sides of the hull, enormous characters proclaiming “God” had been painted in bold strokes.

“Did Enel win in the end after all?”

Bitterness filled the people’s hearts. To them, the man who wielded lightning had long since become synonymous with invincibility. They could not imagine who in the world could possibly stand against Enel.

The enormous hull of the Ark Maxim cast a vast shadow over the ground. Everyone on Angel Island tilted their heads upward to stare at the flying ship that symbolized divine authority. Their faces were pale, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

The immense pressure radiating from the Ark Maxim suppressed them so thoroughly that not a single person dared to speak.

Enel’s power had loomed over them for far too long. His brutality had been etched into countless hearts. No one dared make a sound at such a moment, terrified that they might anger God Enel and bring down divine punishment upon themselves.

Standing at the bow, Shu Mingyuan looked down upon the countless people below. The sensation nearly gave him the illusion that he could summon clouds and rain with a turn of his hand, controlling the fate of all beneath the heavens.

No wonder so many people liked to call themselves gods. The feeling of holding absolute power over the lives and deaths of others was indeed intoxicating.

Sharp-eyed people below spotted Shu Mingyuan’s figure, and an uproar immediately swept through the crowd.

The person standing aboard the divine ship was actually that man from the Blue Sea—not Enel.

Could it be that he had defeated God?

Shu Mingyuan guided the Ark Maxim downward at a slow pace and then leaped from its deck. Looking at the desolate scene before him, he felt an inexplicable surge of anger.

Fortunately, he had already succeeded in killing Enel. At least that meant the people of the sky islands had been avenged.

“A friend from the Blue Sea, forgive my boldness, but may I ask why you are standing aboard the god’s vessel? Where is Enel... where is God Enel?”

Shu Mingyuan looked at him with an ambiguous smile before shrugging.

“Enel was killed by me. Naturally, his ship belongs to me now. Is there a problem?”

The man’s heart jolted. Just how terrifyingly powerful must someone be to defeat Enel?

He gave an awkward laugh, but wild joy soon appeared across his face.

“No... no problem. Thank you, benefactor, for saving us from this catastrophe.”

Enel had been defeated!

Once the news was confirmed, the entire crowd erupted. This was the man who had defeated the cruel and arrogant God Enel!

Every inhabitant of the sky islands knelt before Shu Mingyuan. Once again, he became the focus of everyone’s attention.

In truth, that man had not been wrong. If Shu Mingyuan had not defeated Enel, then given Enel’s temperament, he would surely have slaughtered every last inhabitant of the sky islands before heading for the Infinite Earth.

In that sense, Shu Mingyuan had once again become a savior without even realizing it.

P.S. The Chunin reward definitely exists. Why not take a guess at what it is?

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