The training ship set sail once again.
Time flew like a white steed passing a crack, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
During this month, the training ship on the North Blue route acted like a massive pirate magnet, attracting wave after wave of foolish scum from the sea.
From the thirty-million-berry bounty "Scimitar" Kaman to the sixty-million-berry bounty "Bone Crusher" brothers, a total of seven notorious pirate crews in the North Blue all saw this seemingly ordinary training ship as easy prey.
Without exception, they all became nourishment for the trainees' growth.
After a month of real combat experience, these young men progressed at an astonishing rate.
Zoro's swordsmanship became sharper, Sanji's kicks grew more lethal, and Ace began showing signs of mastering Conqueror's Haki.
But the one who changed the most was undoubtedly Luffy.
After witnessing pirates burning, killing, and plundering, turning civilian towns into seas of fire, even sparing not even wailing infants—hellish scenes that made his dream about becoming the "Pirate King" gradually blur.
He never mentioned the words "Pirate King" again.
Instead, whenever the lookout spotted a pirate ship, he was always the first to charge out, shouting that he would knock all the pirates flying!
...
A month later, the training ship successfully completed its patrol mission and began its return journey to Marineford.
The sea breeze was gentle, the sunlight just right.
"Let me tell you, when I was in the East Blue, I once caught a Sea King bigger than this ship!"
At the ship's bow, Usopp was enthusiastically boasting to Chopper, his hands gesturing exaggeratedly.
"Really? Bigger than this ship?!"
Chopper's round eyes widened, his face full of admiration, his little hooves covering his mouth to prevent himself from gasping aloud.
"Of course! I am the great Captain Usopp!" Usopp puffed out his chest proudly, feeling like he'd gained another loyal listener among his eight thousand followers.
Just then, a straw-hatted head popped over.
"Wow! Is there something delicious?"
Luffy looked at Usopp's empty fish bucket, then at his gesturing hands, instinctively thinking he was describing some enormous delicacy.
"Idiot! We're talking about fishing!" Usopp smacked him irritably.
"Fishing?" Luffy's eyes lit up as he dashed to the railing, craning his neck to peer into the sea.
"I'll do it!"
Without another word, he swung his arm back forcefully.
"Gum-Gum Fishing Net!"
His arm stretched through the air, fingers splayed wide like an actual net sweeping toward the ocean's surface.
"Hey! You'll scare all the fish away like that!" Usopp started yelling, then suddenly remembered Luffy was a Devil Fruit user and urgently shouted.
"Oh no, oh no! Luffy's head fell into the sea!"
"!!!!"
Zoro, Sanji, Sabo, and Ace, who had been training at the other end of the deck, all widened their eyes simultaneously before flashing over together.
They pulled Luffy's head back and tossed it onto the deck, scolding him in unison.
"Idiot! You're a Devil Fruit user!"
Luffy ignored them, lying on the deck and laughing heartlessly.
After recovering his strength, Luffy nimbly flipped over and sat up, yelling at Usopp and Chopper.
"Fishing, eat meat! Fishing, eat meat!"
Seeing this, the quartet of Zoro, Sanji, Sabo, and Ace felt they'd been meddling unnecessarily and decisively turned to leave.
Just then, Nami, Nojiko, and Koala walked over together.
Nami placed her hands on her hips, watching Luffy having great fun playing with Chopper and Usopp, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Luffy."
"Huh? Nami, what's up?" Luffy tilted his head, rubbing it as he asked.
"You've been acting strange lately."
"I haven't! You're lying!" Luffy immediately retorted.
"You have." Nami walked up to him, her expression unusually serious. "It's been a whole month since you last said you wanted to become the Pirate King."
At these words, Usopp and Chopper, who had been roughhousing, stopped immediately and looked at Luffy in unison.
Luffy froze for a moment, then scratched his head.
"Ah, that..." He grinned, showing a big smile, then suddenly raised his fist.
"I changed my mind! From now on, I'm going to be the man who becomes the King of Adventure!"
Right at that moment, Orion emerged from the cabin, followed as always by Hancock who was carrying his tea.
The deck's noise instantly quieted with his appearance.
"Fleet Admiral!"
The moment Chopper saw Orion, he immediately scampered over on his short legs, his little hooves waving in the air, his expression was extremely anxious.
"Fleet Admiral! There's something wrong with Luffy! He seems sick! He doesn't want to be Pirate King anymore!"
"Chopper, this isn't something wrong—it means Luffy is starting to become normal!"
Orion smiled as he patted Chopper's head, then looked up at Luffy.
"Luffy, come here."
Luffy whooshed over to stand before Orion, standing ramrod straight.
Orion looked at him with a gentle smile on his face.
"Tell me, what made you decide you don't want to become Pirate King anymore?"
Luffy's smile faded slightly.
He reached up and touched the straw hat on his head, hesitating as he spoke.
"I used to... want to become Pirate King because of Shanks." His voice grew quieter. "I thought all pirates were like Shanks and his crew."
"Oh?" Orion blinked. "What kind of person is Shanks?"
Luffy fell completely silent.
He thought about it, but found he couldn't accurately describe Shanks at all.
Was he bold and straightforward? Powerful? Or was it that feeling of complete freedom?
It seemed like all of those, yet somehow none of them quite captured it.
For him, the initial idea was simple: he wanted to find a crew no less remarkable than Shanks and his companions, set sail to find the One Piece, and become the Pirate King!
As for what it truly meant to be a pirate, he had no idea back then.
It was simply because Shanks was a pirate, so he wanted to be one too—not just any pirate, but the King of Pirates.
To put it plainly, it was a child's dream and competitive spirit at work.
He had never deeply considered what the identity of a "pirate" truly entailed.
But during this month of training, he discovered that the pirates on these seas were nothing like the ones he had imagined.
Almost all of them were villains who committed every crime imaginable—burning, killing, and plundering.
These were not the pirates he wanted to be.
Most importantly, throughout their month of training, they had seen Marine warships patrolling the seas, escorting merchant vessels and ensuring their safety.
Just a few days ago, upon entering a town, he witnessed Marine soldiers fighting desperately against invading pirates to protect innocent civilians.
This gave him a new understanding of pirates.
It made him realize that the vast majority of pirates on these seas were criminals who burned, killed, plundered, and committed every evil deed imaginable.
It also made him understand that what he truly yearned for was not the identity of a pirate at all.
Seeing Luffy bow his head and remain silent for a long time, Orion put away his smile and spoke earnestly.
"Luffy, what you truly desire isn't to be the Pirate King or some kind of Adventure King. It's a longing for freedom."
Luffy looked up, blinking in confusion.
"A longing for freedom?"
Unnoticed, all the trainees on the deck had gathered around.
Zoro leaned against the mast, polishing his swords.
Ace and Sabo stood shoulder to shoulder.
Trafalgar Law held his sword Kikoku, and the Vinsmoke siblings had ceased their usual bickering.
After a month together, they had developed a completely new perception of this legendary, iron-willed fleet admiral.
Contrary to their expectations, Orion was not as fearsome as the rumors suggested.
Instead, he made them feel deeply at ease.
There was even a strange magnetism about him that made people instinctively want to draw closer.
Every conversation with Orion left them feeling refreshed and enlightened.
Orion scanned the group before speaking slowly.
"In this world, many people have a very narrow, even extreme, understanding of 'freedom.'"
"Freedom doesn't mean becoming pirates to plunder others' belongings and trample on their lives as you please."
"Freedom doesn't mean becoming human traffickers, treating living people as commodities to be sold across the world."
"Freedom certainly doesn't mean wreaking havoc and throwing the world into chaos."
"True freedom is restrained, rational freedom."
"You can pursue whatever you desire within the bounds of rules. But once your freedom is built upon depriving others of their freedom—or even their lives—it ceases to be freedom and becomes tyranny."
"Once freedom loses restraint and rationality, order collapses, and the world descends into chaos."
Orion's gaze finally settled back on Luffy.
"Luffy, what you should aspire to is sailing freely across this vast ocean with your crew, bringing joy to the people you encounter wherever you go, and sharing your adventure stories with them. Not becoming a 'King' who strikes fear into countless hearts, bringing disaster and destruction."