[Pokémon Breeder in One Piece] Chapter 349 (Patreon)

Dak had expected Izuna to lose quickly in his sparring match against Madara. However, upon witnessing their battle, he was utterly stunned.

Izuna displayed remarkable strength, nearly matching Madara blow for blow. While Madara's damage output was lower since he wasn't using a weapon, his 25 years of additional experience made up for it.

It became clear that in terms of talent, Izuna was not inferior to Madara. The disparity in their power back in the Ninja World was due to other factors.

Ultimately, Madara emerged victorious, his decades of experience proving decisive.

As brothers, the two were intimately familiar with each other's moves. Even without the Sharingan, they could anticipate and counter one another effectively. If anyone else had faced them, they would have been thoroughly crushed.

"Not bad, Izuna. It's been a while since we've had such a satisfying fight," Madara said, his voice filled with rare approval.

"Your punches are as painful as ever, brother," Izuna replied, rubbing his abdomen. Both were playing with 100% pain sync enabled.

"Alright, that's enough sparring. Don't you two want to actually enjoy the game?" Dak interjected, sensing that the brothers might start getting too sentimental.

"Where to?"

"Follow me! Wahaha!" Dak chuckled, pulling a map from his inventory.

The map of the third floor had several marked locations. Before entering the game, Dak had logged into his GM: Arceus account to identify spots with guaranteed rare equipment drops or unique hidden quests.

Three Hours Later.

The trio's equipment had noticeably improved.

Madara and Izuna had upgraded their weapons: Madara now wielded a two-handed greatsword, while Izuna carried a lightweight katana. They hadn't bothered with armor upgrades, confidently dismissing the need for defense.

"Why worry about armor? Those clumsy monsters can't hit us anyway," they reasoned, leaving Dak with all the defensive gear they looted.

Dak, now clad in a sleek, shiny black light armor set, had the highest defense possible for his level. His weapon, however, was nonexistent—his basic white sword had broken during a fight, leaving him with a small wooden shield instead.

Their fast-paced grinding yielded this haul in just three hours. Yet, as Madara and Izuna put it, "You can't hit anything anyway, so just tank with the shield."

Dak, feeling wronged, challenged Madara to another duel, this time insisting they both fight unarmed.

He lasted a full 15 minutes before being defeated.

"Honestly, weapons don't make much of a difference to me," Izuna said, resting his hand on his katana. "But this sword skill system is ridiculously clunky."

To Izuna, a skilled swordsman, the predefined sword skills in SAO felt restrictive and awkward, locking him into predetermined movements. Despite the damage bonus these skills offered, he preferred his own fluid fighting style.

Even Madara, though less skilled with swords, agreed with Izuna. For experienced warriors like them, the system felt unnecessary.

"Let's head to the higher floors. The beta players have already reached the 13th floor," Dak suggested after checking their levels—Lv.15, the maximum achievable on the third floor.

The brothers agreed, and the trio used the teleportation gate to travel to the 13th floor.

The 13th floor was bustling with activity. Most players were busy with quests and grinding mobs, leaving only a few scattered around the teleport plaza.

Dak and his companions attracted little attention at first due to their low levels. However, their gear—top-tier for their level—soon drew the eyes of passing players.

"Whoa! Where did you guys get that equipment? Mind sharing the info? I can trade you some hidden quest locations from the 13th floor," an excited player approached them.

"Sure, let's trade," Dak replied nonchalantly, noting that the player's ID didn't appear in the original story.

After exchanging information, the player hurried off, likely eager to scout the third floor.

"Was it necessary to tell him?" Madara asked, puzzled by Dak's decision.

"Sharing this info will make the public release easier for everyone," Dak explained. "In the original timeline, it took players two years to clear SAO. I'm hoping to shorten that time."

The player's shared information led them to a plain inhabited by large wolf-like monsters called "Prairie Wolves." Standing two meters tall, these Lv.25 beasts were strong and fast, capable of taking off a quarter of a player's health with a single swipe.

The area was filled with players, mostly in small groups of two or three, grinding the wolves for experience.

Amidst the crowd, Dak finally spotted someone familiar from the original story—a young Kirito.

During the beta test, Kirito used the ID Kiriko instead of Kirito and appeared as a burly 1.8-meter-tall man, vastly different from his slender figure in the public release. This was a precaution to avoid being recognized by other beta testers during the official launch.

Dak recognized Kiriko thanks to a nickname used by Argo, a well-known information broker in the original story. Argo, nicknamed "Rat," was outwardly profit-driven but secretly helped players by providing valuable guides and information.

Argo was the creator of the free starter guide that helped countless players during SAO's public release. However, she never sold information about the identities of beta testers.

For now, Dak hadn't seen Argo, assuming she was off gathering intel elsewhere.

Madara and Izuna also noticed Dak's focused gaze.

"That person… does he have some connection to this world?" Madara asked, knowing Dak's unique ability to foresee the world's timeline.

"He's talented, with excellent reflexes and a solid foundation in swordsmanship. Among these players, he's definitely at the top," Izuna remarked after observing Kirito's movements.

"In the original timeline, he would become this world's 'hero,'" Dak explained.

Kirito stood out not because of cheats or overpowered abilities, but due to his exceptional reflexes and determination. His legendary "Dual-Wielding" skill wasn't preassigned but granted to the player with the fastest reaction speed in the game.

However, in the current situation, Kirito's chances of obtaining the skill seemed slim, considering Dak's companions.

Madara preferred hand-to-hand combat, and Izuna specialized in single-handed lightweight swords, making "Dual-Wielding" unnecessary for them.

Still, with their expertise, it was clear that they didn't need such advantages to dominate the game.

(End of Chapter)

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