Rocks Band: I have 48 Imperial Arms.

A job? Denzel raised an eyebrow. Are you kidding me? We don't have time to find you a job; we're all in a lot of trouble ourselves.

"So, can I help?" Locke offered his solution: "Maybe I can solve your problem, and then you can help me find a job."

Solve the problem? Denzel frowned. "Can you do it?"

"I can try," Locke said. "If I fail, you can simply ignore me."

"Alright, since you're so eager to try, then go ahead and give it a shot." Denzel nodded. "I have a task for you. If you complete it, then we can talk about other things."

Please speak. Locke listened patiently.

"This task is simple. I want you to take down a hotel owner's signboard," Denzel said.

Remove the nameplate? Locke was puzzled. Why?

Because he bullies us poor people! One of them joined the conversation.

He sells counterfeit alcohol.

Locke frowned after listening, but nodded nonetheless. "Alright, I'll go and do the task." "However, simply removing the sign doesn't solve the problem; I feel we need to find a better solution," Locke said.

You're right, but this is the first step. Denzel explained, "We need to let this boss know that he can't bully us anymore."

"Okay, I understand," Locke said, turning and leaving.

Chapter 312: A Chance Encounter with Rayleigh, the King of the Underworld!

When Locke arrived at the hotel, he found a sign on the door that read "No Entry." He looked around and saw that no one was lingering nearby. He went to the door, took a deep breath, and boldly began to smash the sign.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a tall, middle-aged man stood in the doorway, clearly the hotel owner. He looked at Locke, his brow furrowed. "Who are you? Why are you smashing my nameplate?"

Locke, not to be outdone, looked directly into his boss's eyes and said, "I'm here to deliver a gift to you. I saw that your sign says 'No Entry,' so I was wondering if I should break down the door to deliver the gift?"

The shopkeeper frowned but didn't say anything. Seeing Locke holding a gift box, he became curious and let him in.

413

When Locke entered the hotel, he saw people drinking noisily. The guests seemed to be rude and ignorant, and the owner a heartless man.

Locke took out a gift box and handed it to the boss, saying, "This is a gift for you. I hope you like it."

The hotel owner was surprised to receive a gift. He opened the gift box, inside which was a card and a bottle of fine red wine. The card read: "You are a very capable hotel owner, but your wine isn't good enough. This is a bottle of top-quality red wine for you to try."

The shopkeeper glanced at the card, then at Locke, and his attitude began to change. He realized his wine was indeed not good, but this young man had good taste.

Thank you, young man. The boss thanked him.

"You're welcome. I just hope you can improve your wine." Locke said, walking to the door and leaving.

When Locke returned to Denzel's location, a group of people were waiting for him. Denzel saw him, smiled, and asked, "Did you complete your mission?"

"Yes, but I think I did something else," Locke said. "I sent a bottle of top-quality red wine to the hotel owner so he could improve his wines."

Denzel and the others stared at him in surprise; clearly, no one had expected him to do such a thing. But they also realized that it might be a good idea. They couldn't just resort to looting and vandalism; they needed to find a better solution.

As the Denzel brothers' reputation grew, their business flourished. Many pirates began trading with them, including a portion of Roger's crew. Locke realized this was indeed a good place; if he could delve deeper, he might discover even more opportunities.

So he decided to do what he had done before: to reach out to people around the Denzel brothers through various means and look for opportunities.

One day, he met Rayleigh, the first mate of the Roger Pirates, at the dock.

This was an extremely dangerous opponent, and he only showed interest in truly powerful individuals. Nevertheless, Locke decided to try and make contact with this legendary first mate.

He followed him and watched him walk to the entrance of a tavern. Locke hesitated at the door for a moment, thought for a moment, and then followed him inside. The tavern was filled with smoke, and hoarse voices and loud cries for help echoed through the air.

Rayleigh sat at a corner table, surrounded by a group of pirates drinking and chatting. Locke pulled up a chair and sat opposite him, hoping to impress the legendary first mate with his wisdom and courage.

Chapter 313: Rayleigh's Test!

"Rayleigh, I have something I'd like to tell you in person," Locke said cautiously.

"Who are you?" Rayleigh, the King of the Underworld, glanced at him indifferently.

"I am Locke. I helped some people recently and have already acknowledged my contribution to you." Locke said defiantly.

"Alright, let me hear it." Rayleigh gestured for him to continue.

Locke looked at him solemnly and slowly uttered a few words: I want to become your disciple.

Rayleigh ignored his tone and attitude; his cold expression remained unyielding.

"Rayleigh, I know this won't be easy, but I believe I have the talent and courage to become your disciple," Locke emphasized.

"So what kind of person do you think you are?" Rayleigh asked without looking at him.

"I am a courageous and persevering person, and I am willing to strive for my goals," Locke replied resolutely.

But you are just an ordinary person, and not the only one with courage and perseverance in this sea. So, why do you think you are qualified to become my disciple? Rayleigh asked calmly.

"Because I believe I possess a unique quality that no one else has," Locke said, reflecting deeply on his past mistakes.

"Then tell me, what is this quality of yours?" Rayleigh asked calmly.

Locke pondered for a moment. He believed his unique quality lay in his unwavering commitment to his beliefs and goals. He wanted to share his understanding with Reilly.

"My unique quality is my unwavering determination. I have a clear goal, and I will not give up, even in the most difficult times. I have the conviction that I can achieve everything I set my mind to. This is what sets me apart, and I believe it is why I am qualified to follow you," Locke replied confidently.

Rayleigh remained silent for a few seconds, observing Locke. He had always trusted his intuition, and when Locke answered, he sensed his genuine sincerity and conviction. He began to acknowledge Locke, but he still wouldn't readily accept him as a new disciple.

"Your answer has indeed left some impression on me. However, you must face the final test to prove you are qualified to become my disciple. In this sea, there is a powerful demonic beast. If you can defeat it, it will prove you have the ability to control your own destiny and the potential to become my disciple," said Rayleigh, the King of the Underworld.

·· ······Requesting 0 flowers ······

Thank you for your test; I will do my best to complete it. Locke's expression was firm, and he accepted without hesitation.

.... . . .

A few days later, Locke found the monster in the sea. It was extremely powerful, possessing ferocious attacks and strong armor.

Locke and Rayleigh approached the terrifying sea monster together. The monster's enormous body towered into the sky, and inside its huge mouth, one could see many fishermen's boats and shark fragments.

Upon seeing this ferocious sight, Locke's heart tightened. Although he had seen many ferocious magical beasts before, this one was clearly much larger and more powerful than any of the ones he had encountered before.

"Locke, just say so when you're ready," Rayleigh declared expressionlessly.

Locke felt a sudden surge of tension, but with all his might, he nodded.

Chapter 314: A Beginner's Guide to Advanced Observation Haki!

Then, gritting his teeth, he charged towards the monster step by step. He moved with great speed, his body strong and agile, every muscle trembling with the determination in his struggle.

Every punch he threw was precise and powerful, hitting the monster's body accurately, even gently pushing it back a step. However, every defense was a fierce attack, and eventually, his "413" body began to tire.

At this moment, Locke no longer wanted to use his fists. He reached into the blood-soaked lips of the monster and began to seek the magic he had always trusted. During his time at sea, he had mastered some powerful spells that allowed him to better control the battlefield.

Locke focused his mind, raised his arm, ignited an invisible energy, and aimed at the monster's body. Instantly, his palm emitted a bright glow, directly striking the monster's body.

The monster's body blared like a horn, then it was sent hurtling towards the ground as if struck by a massive bomb. The sound of its three impacts into the sea, accompanied by deafening, chilling thunder, was deafening. A wave surged from the surface, and Locke's strength was once again completely exhausted.

Locke, panting heavily, recalled Rayleigh's kind advice. He understood his limitations and was constantly working to overcome them. He remembered trying to attack with magic, but only managing to hit the monster twice.

Then, Rayleigh signaled Locke to approach the monster with extreme caution, while avoiding unnecessary attacks.

This made Locke realize that he couldn't attack the monster right away; he had to get close to it, figure out its attack patterns, and then find a better route of attack. So, he did his best to approach the monster and patiently learned about its attack patterns.

Locke stared intently at the sea monster before him, silently calculating the best attack route. At Rayleigh's signal, he cautiously approached the monster, but its attack range seemed to have widened considerably.

Locke was startled, but he resolutely approached the monster, carefully observing its attack patterns. At first, the monster's attack routes seemed relatively simple, but gradually, he discovered that the patterns were becoming more complex.

At this moment, Locke's initial mastery of advanced Observation Haki came into play, and with his keen observation and predictive abilities, he successfully avoided an attack from the magical beast.

But the monster's attack speed was very fast, and Locke had to do everything he could to keep up. In the fierce battle, Locke increasingly realized his own limits.

His breathing grew increasingly rapid, his blood surging through his veins. But even as he grew exhausted, Locke had no intention of stopping. He knew in his heart that this was a life-or-death duel, and only victory could bring rebirth.

Just then, Rayleigh's voice reached Locke's ears: You've done very well, Locke. I'm quite satisfied with you, you can stop now.

Locke could no longer hear Rayleigh's words; his mind was only focused on defeating the monster.

He carefully observed the magical beast.

Locke knew this moment was crucial. Just as he took that step, he suddenly felt a certain ability within him gain some insight.

That's the essence of the initial stages of advanced Observation Haki—prediction!

Chapter 315: Thank you for your guidance, Lord Hades!

This time, he successfully predicted the monster's attack, thus easily avoiding the opponent's surprise attack.

However, the intense battle and the strain on his physical strength had begun to gradually deplete Locke's energy.

Just when he was at his limit, Pluto intervened and saved him. It was at this moment that Rayleigh saw Locke's outstanding talent and knew that he would be a strong contender for the future Pirate King.

This was a life-or-death struggle, a test of body and mind, but also a journey of growth for a warrior. During this process, Locke realized his shortcomings and began to work even harder to break through his limitations.

He may not have been the strongest warrior, but through his unwavering perseverance, he ultimately triumphed in this battle. 27

Finally, Locke defeated the monster. Having mastered advanced Observation Haki, he was virtually unharmed. He succeeded, proving his strength and worth.

Rayleigh observed the entire battle from a short distance. When Locke finished fighting, Rayleigh walked over and looked at Locke.