Chapter 227: Life Metamorphosis
Rhodes' body shimmered with silver light, accompanied by wisps of electric arcs.
He extended a long, slender hand and activated an ability related to lightning, yet quite different.
CLANG!
With a crisp sword hum, the Ghost Blade spontaneously unsheathed itself and landed in Rhodes' hand, as if controlled by telekinesis.
"Is this power electromagnetic?"
Rhodes' expression shifted.
Lightning and magnetism were undoubtedly closely related abilities.
Rhodes had previously utilized the properties of electromagnetism; his strongest move, the Sonic Slash, originated from it.
Now, with the advancement of the Book of Knowledge, his application of electromagnetism seemed to have reached a new level, allowing him to remotely control metal—just like Kidd, whom Rhodes had killed.
While this didn't directly increase Rhodes' combat power, it could diversify his fighting methods; with further development, it might become a deadly weapon.
Just then, the Ghost Blade suddenly vibrated with a hum, as if reminding him of something.
"..."
Rhodes remained calm, slowly releasing his grip on the sword blade. His hand stung slightly, but his composed face showed no embarrassment.
After all, it was his first time using electromagnetic control on a sword, and not being able to grasp the hilt properly on the first try was understandable.
Rhodes sheathed his sword and continued to investigate, wanting to know what changes would occur with the Door Power.
"Hmm?"
When Rhodes activated the advanced Door Power, his mental energy began to deplete rapidly, which startled him slightly. However, he quickly calmed down and focused on sensing.
Then—
Rhodes sensed some peculiar spatial fluctuations.
These spatial fluctuations didn't seem to be the same as the ones he experienced when traversing space in the pirate world!
"Could it be..."
An unbelievable guess flashed through Rhodes' mind, and he immediately stopped using this ability.
He felt that with his current capabilities, he was not able to open a spatial gate of this level.
If he forced it open, he would probably suffer mental exhaustion and become a vegetable.
"My initial thought has actually come true."
Rhodes murmured, feeling a surge of excitement.
Perhaps the large-scale depletion of his mental energy in a short period triggered some kind of change, causing turbulence in his soul space.
Rhodes quickly immersed himself in his soul space.
Physical injuries could be treated by doctors, but in the world of One Piece, there was almost no cure for a broken soul.
Therefore, he dared not be negligent.
However, when Rhodes arrived in the soul space, he was stunned by what he saw.
The original soul space was a dark and gloomy void, with only the Book of Knowledge in the center emitting a faint glow.
But now—
Countless golden specks of light, densely packed, swirled and danced around the Book of Knowledge, a breathtaking sight, like a sea of stars.
"The Power of Faith?"
Rhodes' eyes flashed, sensing the essence of these golden specks.
As Rhodes' soul appeared here, this golden sea of stars trembled slightly, then, like fledglings nestling in his arms, rushed in, merging into Rhodes' soul.
This Power of Faith did not arise from nothing.
Faith, in essence, was an emotion—reverence, respect, love, worship, as well as fear and hatred—all emotions could generate the Power of Faith.
With the end of the Marineford War, Rhodes' name spread throughout the world. Although he wasn't yet as widely known as Whitebeard, who was celebrated in children's songs, he was still a well-known figure.
He was mentioned by many, with emotions ranging from envy and jealousy to awe and fear...
All of which gave Rhodes a sliver of faith.
Under the influence of this faith, Rhodes' soul gradually became more solid and pure, emitting a faint glow.
In this state, the soul could even leave the body and survive briefly!
This transformation originating from the soul was not intense, but rather like soaking in a warm, soothing hot spring.
The transformation brought about by the Power of Faith didn't just occur in the soul; it spread from the soul space, merging into every limb, every muscle, every cell, and even deeper levels of the body.
This was an evolution originating from the essence of life—a leap from mortal to divine!
Thump, thump, thump...
Within Rhodes' body, his heart pounded like a war drum, the sound deafening, and his blood surged, rushing to every part of his body.
Later, Rhodes' heartbeat became increasingly powerful. As his faith power was continuously consumed, his entire body underwent astonishing changes, becoming increasingly translucent.
Eventually, his hair began to grow wildly, reaching his waist and emitting a brilliant light.
Rhodes experienced a completely different sensation, as if life itself was evolving—a powerful force emanating from within, from soul to body.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
The heartbeat grew increasingly terrifying, strong and powerful; an ordinary person standing here would be horrified, almost frightened to death.
However, Rhodes felt incredible; his body was undergoing a dramatic transformation, his senses sharpened.
After a long while, this astonishing transformation finally ended.
Rhodes slowly opened his eyes.
WHOOSH!
In an instant, a beam of light, almost tangible, shot out, extending several meters, tearing through the air with a ripping sound.
His suddenly lengthened hair, with a pale golden sheen, began to move without wind, fluttering wildly, making him appear like a god or demon, combined with the beam of light in his eyes.
Rhodes felt completely refreshed; his skin became incredibly sensitive, able to feel every line of his clothes against his skin, and every fine strand of fabric.
He could also distinguish hundreds of faint yet rich scents in the bedroom.
This wasn't the perception of Kenbunshoku Haki, but a subtle yet powerful change in Rhodes' five senses.
"Now, perhaps I can truly be called a divine being?"
Rhodes lowered his head, clenching his fist.
The biggest change in this transformation was, of course, the alteration of his life essence, allowing Rhodes to break through the shackles of humanity and easily live to be two or three hundred years old.
Secondly, there was the improvement in strength and physique.
He clenched his fist, feeling the power surging within his muscles, and estimated it to be about a fifty percent increase.
Moreover, his internal organs were full of vitality; some hidden injuries left by Whitebeard, which could only heal slowly over time, were also rapidly recovering. It seemed that the Power of Faith could heal injuries?
"Fifty percent..."
Rhodes smiled slightly; this improvement was considerable.
At this point, the efficiency of lightning tempering was increasingly low; Rhodes would need at least two months, or even longer, to achieve this level of improvement.
At this moment, a slightly confused yet charming voice suddenly came from behind.
"Hey, Rhodes, what's wrong with you?"
Hancock opened her eyes wide, her beautiful eyes filled with a dazed expression.
What had happened?
How come Rhodes' appearance had suddenly changed so drastically after waking up, becoming even more... attractive?
Hancock thought, blushing.
She sensed a peculiar majesty emanating from Rhodes at that moment. It wasn't Haoshoku Haki, nor was it an imposing aura; rather, it was a heartfelt reverence, like a mortal facing the vastness of nature—a sense of oppression.
However, it was subtle, and because she herself possessed a considerable amount of Haoshoku Haki, she wasn't particularly bothered by it.
Hearing Hancock's question, Rhodes turned around, his gaze falling on Hancock's perfectly sculpted body, radiating natural allure in the sunlight. Suddenly, he felt a surge of vitality, a feeling that came with his recent transformation.
Then—
The palace guards once again heard suppressed sounds slowly emanating from within the palace, causing them to stumble and blush.
(End of Chapter)
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