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Koby and Helmeppo, of course, didn't fully understand.
To them, being summoned to Marine Headquarters was clearly a promotion — an opportunity with endless benefits.
But for Bai Yu, it was a completely different matter.
First of all, Bai Yu didn't need the resources of Marineford to grow stronger.
He had his own unique path to power — a way that involved the blade, the system, and a method that must remain secret.
In fact, the very notion of letting others discover his method of becoming stronger was dangerous.
Secondly, Bai Yu was still secretly hiding the blueprints of the three ancient weapons — Pluton among them.
The closer he got to the World Government's center of power, the more he risked exposure.
And lastly, there was the question of freedom.
If he joined Marine Headquarters, Bai Yu would no longer have the autonomy he currently enjoyed.
He wouldn't be free to move as he pleased, act as he wished — and that kind of rigidity clashed with how his system tasks were triggered.
Judging from past events, those missions didn't often occur in fixed locations.
And each system task meant generous rewards — which meant that if there was even a chance to encounter more, he had to seek it out.
So in truth, Bai Yu wasn't eager to transfer to Headquarters at all.
Fortunately, the letter wasn't a direct order from the Fleet Admiral — it was a personal message from Garp.
Most likely, it was tied to the promise Garp had made him before.
Garp, it seemed, still wanted to ask for Bai Yu's thoughts before making anything official.
"There's another thing," Bai Yu added as he continued reading, "Our application to cross the Red Line was rejected."
As mentioned earlier, in order to reach the New World, one had to cross the Red Line — the massive continent dividing the Grand Line in two.
There were only two ways to get across.
The first — and the route most pirates used — was to reach the Sabaody Archipelago, coat the ship, and dive beneath the ocean.
From there, one would travel through Fish-Man Island, passing through a deep-sea tunnel beneath the Red Line.
The second method was more direct: traveling on foot over land.
That meant abandoning the ship, crossing the Red Line directly, and then finding a new vessel on the other side to sail into the New World.
But there was a major problem.
The Red Line was controlled by the World Government.
Mary Geoise — the Holy Land — stood atop it, the seat of the Celestial Dragons and the heart of the world's ruling elite.
No one could cross by land without the explicit approval of the World Government.
That's why Bai Yu had submitted an application in advance to Marine Headquarters.
Unfortunately, the World Government rejected the request outright.
No permission granted.
"Looks like we'll have to head for Sabaody first," Bai Yu said calmly, waving a hand.
After finishing his explanation to Koby and Helmeppo, Bai Yu returned to the cabin to eat.
At the same time, he sent notice to the rest of the officers onboard: their route was now officially changed — they would head for the Sabaody Archipelago.
And so, Bai Yu and his crew were forced to alter course.
The rest of the night passed quietly.
The next morning, Bai Yu and his team set out early, continuing to sail through the Calm Belt for half a day.
Then, they exited the Calm Belt and re-entered the Grand Line.
Fortunately, with both the Sea Kings and Sea Lions guiding the way, the warship never drifted off course.
Before setting sail, Bai Yu had obtained a permanent log pose for Sabaody from Marine Branch 188.
During the half-day voyage, Bai Yu didn't immediately use the blade to draw system rewards — instead, he devoted time to training with Maya, Koby, and Helmeppo.
Using the detailed system-generated training manual, Bai Yu personally guided them.
The three weren't lacking in talent, and under his tutelage, their progress was rapid.
By afternoon, Bai Yu called the three of them together again.
"You've all made good initial progress," Bai Yu told them. "What you're lacking now… is real combat experience."
"So, I'll be your opponent."
"No holding back. The three of you — come at me together."
"Yes, sir!" the three responded in unison.
They exchanged glances and nodded.
Roar!
Without hesitation, Helmeppo took the lead.
With a single breath, he transformed — his Zoan Devil Fruit power activating instantly.
Whoosh!
Wings spread wide as Helmeppo took to the air in full pterosaur form.
"Soru!" Koby shouted, disappearing with a burst of speed.
In a blur, he rocketed toward Bai Yu using the Marine Rokushiki technique: Soru (Shave).
Above, the pterosaur Helmeppo let out a screech and dived at Bai Yu at full speed.
His razor-sharp claws gleamed, curved and aimed to pierce.
In the blink of an eye, Koby and Helmeppo closed in on Bai Yu from above and below.
Koby clenched his fist, poured all his strength into it, and swung.
The force of the punch howled through the air.
Koby had trained relentlessly under Bai Yu's orders, focusing everything on strengthening his body.
And it showed — his physical strength now stood out among the three.
Watching their seamless coordination, Bai Yu nodded in approval.
Power, speed, precision — both of them had improved dramatically.
But this was Bai Yu they were up against.
He waited until the very last moment — just before the attacks landed.
Snap!
With a subtle shift, Bai Yu dodged Helmeppo's aerial strike.
At the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning.
Smack! — His palm struck Koby's wrist with pinpoint accuracy.
A twist.
Koby lost his center of balance.
His punch veered off-course — redirected directly at the diving pterosaur.
Boom!
Koby's punch smashed into Helmeppo, forcing the airborne warrior backward.
Thud!
Koby landed roughly on the ground, thrown off by the redirection.
Hum!
Suddenly, a sharp, buzzing sound rang out from behind the fallen Koby.
A crimson wave of spiritual energy shot straight toward Bai Yu, moving even faster than before.
"Oh?"
Sensing the incoming attack, Bai Yu raised an eyebrow.
It was Maya's witch energy — a concentrated spiritual blast.
Now it all made sense.
Koby and Helmeppo's attack had just been a feint.
Their real goal had been to distract Bai Yu, buy time for Maya to strike from the shadows.
The instant Bai Yu committed to countering them, Maya had unleashed her attack.
It was an impressive plan — the three of them were beginning to display teamwork.
Whoosh!
Unfortunately, they still underestimated Bai Yu's reaction time.
Just as the red beam reached him, Bai Yu threw a punch.
His raw physical strength shattered the spiritual energy blast on contact.
"Too strong!"
"There's no opening at all!"
The three of them looked stunned, unable to hide their frustration.
Bai Yu chuckled, then beckoned.
"Again!"
Roar!
Whoosh!
Buzz buzz buzz!
Hearing his command, the three of them leapt up again with renewed determination.
And once again, they charged toward Bai Yu with everything they had.
What none of them realized was that in the midst of this intense combat training...
Maya's spiritual energy had begun to stir.
It was faint — but unmistakable.
A sign of awakening.
A sign of growth.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED 30+ CHAPTERS.
Currently at CHAPTER 149 on Patreon.
Two members on my patreon get a free book each month. A lucky draw,it can be you.
Five chapters every two days on Patreon.
One chapter everyday on webnovel.
patreon.com/FrancisMW