"Arm yourselves comrades!" Waldstein announced, planting a barrel full of rifles in the center of the deck.
I ignored my fellow hunters declaration as I took position at the very aft-most part of The Marjhan. I won't be needing one of those rifles.
I brought my own.
Reaching into my [Inventory], I withdrew a small project I had been fiddling with while we were moored in Centaurea...a minor experiment if you will.
Now I've seen plenty of rifles in this world that have come with a glass reticle. Even spotted two or three cannons with them added on. But what's bizarre though is that I have yet to see a single proper scope. Or any device that actually provides amplification for lining up your shot. The closest thing that comes to mind is Van Augur's unique eyepiece, but I'm not sure if that monocle actually does anything besides provide the man a pair of cross-hairs. I can only imagine it'd be massively disorienting to magnify your vision in just a single eye all day.
I'll admit what I'd thrown together was..crude. Basically just a miniature spyglass I had affixed atop the gun barrel.
But even though my device is far from perfect, it does allow me to make out the vague contours of pirates aboard the Bloody Jewel...as well as combo well with a certain [Skill] of mine.
Firearms Mastery Lv. (6/10)
-Your ability to accurately use pistols, rifles, and portable cannons. Current Accuracy: 49.5%. Accuracy % is equal to [Firearms Mastery Level x5 + ¼ INT]. Note: Due to the conditions of the storm your accuracy is receiving a -10% penalty. (49.5%) → (39.5%)
See I've gotten some good practice under my belt with this [Skill] now and I've picked up on a pretty significant detail of how it operates. The percentage it presents to me isn't a measure of 'did my shot hit the target?'. No. It's a measurement of 'did my shot go exactly where I intended it to go?'
Yes, its still affected by outside forces -such as this storm- and I doubt I'd be able to land a hit on a Haki user even if I had 100% accuracy, 'Fingers crossed that I never encounter one', but the end result of this important distinction is this.
If I line up the sights with a silhouette on the enemy vessel and I intend it to be a headshot…
I depressed the trigger twice in quick succession and the shadowy figure crumbles. +70 Exp!
Then it's a headshot.
Bullet Time Skill Active!
-Time is being slowed for you by 6%.
And with this, combat is officially initiated. 'Now let's go again.' I think firing the rifle twice more.
+25 Exp!
'Only 25? I almost feel bad taking out a mook so low.'
+45 Exp!
'Forty-five. That's a bit more average.'
A series of flaps opened on the Bloody Jewel's bow and a triplet of 'long nines' rolled into view.
'Oh that's not good.' "Incoming!" The cannons roared to life, spouting fire and smoke, and at the same time I felt our ships newest addition, Yukimura, glide up next to me.
The swordsman's grip tightens over his hilt and he bends slightly at the waist. "One-sword style..." I hear him mutter under his breath.
I fail to suppress the slight internal cringe. 'Have I really hit the stage where people around me are going to start 'announcing' their attacks?' Don't get me wrong. It can be good fun to watch someone on the computer screen pull off a big finisher or a special technique...but seeing it in real life just hurts to look at.
"Snapdragons bite!" The man finishes, swiping his sword out in three separate arcs, causing the cast iron cannonballs to detonate well before reaching The Marjhan. '...though it is hard to argue about the results...how many levels in [Bladed Weapon Mastery] do I need before I can pull that off?'
I peer through the sights once more and notice that the metal chains that had been attaching the creature hauling their ship have gone slack. The blue spines have disappeared and the -whatever it was- that was pulling them along has vanished beneath the deep.
Ding!
New Quest Alert!
Quest: Defeat Slinn Voda!
Reward: 15,000 Exp. [ACCEPT/DECLINE] 'Wha-? Fifteen thous- Who the fuck is Slinn Voda?' That's when the gunfire started. A titanic red serpent had emerged off The Marjhan's starboard side and towered over the ship like a demon straight from a storybook nightmare. It's body was a deep red, spiny electric blue frills ran all the way down its spine and it's crimson eyes were filled with hate. Bullets bounced pathetically off its scales and even though I couldn't see its health yet, I simply knew they weren't doing a single point of damage.
And above it's head, a simple title. The same size that it would be for anyone else.
Slinn Voda, Lv. 8
'Come on [Game]...' I whined. 'I'd really rather not...'
Wait. Calm down. Maybe this isn't as bad as it seems. It's only Lv. 8 and Luffy took down one of these things in like chapter one! It even looks like a similar species to the 'Lord of The Coast'. It's got a thick hide sure, but how tough could this thing actually be?
'Oh? Are we comparing ourselves to Luffy now?' A mocking voice rang in my head.
'Shut up voice. It's only Lv.8. I've got plenty of help. [Observe].'
I skimmed over the page that appeared and felt my stomach plummet as I reached an important conclusion.
Sea Kings are not operating on the same level scale as humans.
Slinn Voda, Lv. 8
Slinn Voda is an adolescent Scaled-Eel Sea King who is currently bewitched by the South Blue pirate captain 'Red Witch' Mira-Jane via some unknown mechanism. Although he is small in comparison to most of his fellow Sea Kings he is still plenty large enough -and certainly aggressive enough- to swallow a man whole.
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