In a nameless sea, an old, worn-out sailing ship was moving against the wind.
By adjusting the angle between the sails and the wind direction, a pressure differential formed on either side of the sails, allowing the ship to move forward—even when sailing into the wind.
However, Magnus was intentionally controlling the angle so that the ship's speed remained incredibly slow, sometimes even drifting backward. And every time it drifted backward…
It was Rocks who suffered the most.
"You damn old man! You'll pay for this!!"
Below deck, Rocks was panting like an enraged bull. On either side of him were extended oars, which Magnus had specially installed for him to row and provide additional propulsion for the ship.
He called it: physical training.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
At Magnus's words, Rocks's face relaxed in relief—he nearly collapsed.
It had been a month since Magnus was ambushed by the Blood Skull Pirates. Over that time, Magnus had passed two islands—two nations, according to the log pose.
Unfortunately, neither of those were World Government affiliates, so turning in Farrell's head yielded no bounty.
And that bounty was worth 170 million berries!
After parting ways with his old crew, Magnus had less than five million berries left. It would've been enough to retire comfortably...
But not enough to make a comeback.
Of course, claiming the bounty would be Rocks's job—he was a brand-new pirate with a clean record. If Magnus tried it himself, the Marines would surround him in minutes.
"Captain, does this kind of training really work?"
Rocks sprawled out on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling of the lower deck. This was a far cry from his dreams of sailing the seas freely and recklessly.
"Of course it works!"
Magnus raised an eyebrow, replying sharply, "At your current level, even a Marine lieutenant commander could beat you. Your physical condition is terrible. Techniques mean nothing without the strength and body to use them."
"Then… when will I be able to use that technique?"
Rocks lifted his sore arm weakly. Magnus knew exactly what he was referring to. But expecting a normal person to use Elbaf's supreme technique without a Devil Fruit?
"At least wait until you've learned Haki first."
Right now, Rocks could only be described as an "ordinary person"—by the standards of this world, of course. Still, he hadn't yet stepped into the realm of what normal people would call a monster.
But even if he wasn't a monster yet, his growth rate might as well be one.
A month ago, he could barely move the extended oars.
Now, he could row continuously for half an hour before getting tired.
The makings of a King—terrifying!
In fact, if Rocks hadn't challenged the Tenryūbito in the future, and fought simultaneously against the Marines, the Celestial Dragons, and the Roger Pirates—there might not have been any Pirate King named Roger at all.
At this pace, Magnus figured it wouldn't be long before Rocks could learn Rokushiki (Six Powers).
Haki was already on the schedule.
And if he awakened Haōshoku no Haki (Conqueror's Haki)...
Whew~
Just thinking about it made Magnus feel the pressure.
He was old now. His potential had long been used up. Even with the system helping him recover his peak, he was still a step behind the future Yonko.
Unless—he could fully master Haōshoku no Haki, or at least learn Haōshoku coating.
In this world, there are three types of Haki:
Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki): enhances perception; at its peak, can even foresee the future.
Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki): strengthens attacks and defense; at its peak, can attack from a distance or destroy internal structures.
Haōshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki): used to dominate the weak and suppress the will of others.
But the true sign of mastery over Conqueror's Haki is impacting the physical world, using sheer will to interfere with reality itself. The mark of a true king.
Haki is a potential power present in all living beings in this world. Anyone can develop Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku, but the highest level of Kenbunshoku and any use of Haōshoku—those are extremely rare.
Before the system appeared, Magnus had no aptitude for Conqueror's Haki.
So now, his opinion of the system had changed.
Sure, the system was glitchy—but if it hadn't glitched, he might never have gotten the chance to gain Haōshoku Haki at all.
Now that he had the aptitude, maybe top-tier Kenbunshoku wasn't far off either?
Magnus chuckled to himself at the thought.
"Captain, how much farther to Elbaf?"
After a short break, Rocks got up from the floor, one hand on his hip. As he ladled water from a barrel, he asked casually.
Even though he was still planning to eventually become a captain and go solo, after witnessing Magnus's power, Rocks had come to a new conclusion:
"This old man doesn't have many years left anyway. I'll stick around, learn everything I can from him, then kick him aside and send him off to retirement."
Rocks knew well—talent meant nothing in this world unless someone taught you how to use it. A good teacher could save you years of detours.
Take this past month, for example—under Magnus's brutal training, Rocks felt like he was dying every day...
But he also felt stronger.
He could beat the version of himself from a month ago ten times over.
"Soon."
Magnus didn't even look up as he checked the eternal pose in his hand.
He had sailed these seas for decades.
If nothing else—
He had a ton of eternal poses. Including one for Elbaf.
As for why he was going there?
"Old friend… thanks for everything these years."
Magnus gently stroked the deck of the Black Pearl. It was a name he'd chosen on a whim—but no one expected this ship to stay with him so long.
The weather in this world was far worse than in his original one, so ships here couldn't last over a hundred years.
Hell, even 50 years was pushing it. A single storm could tear a ship apart if the keel was poor.
But the Black Pearl had lasted forty-five years.
He'd built this ship in his seventh year as a pirate, after finally saving enough money. Its keel was made from a piece of Adam Wood he'd found by chance—the strongest timber in the world, bar none.
Even so, forty-five years was more than enough for this world. Even Adam Wood couldn't escape wear and tear.
The Black Pearl had fulfilled its purpose.
It couldn't accompany him on new adventures anymore.
So Magnus was heading to Elbaf—to build a new ship.
As a great pirate, he wasn't about to settle for some ordinary wood.
If he was going to build, he'd build the best.
Was there a material stronger than Adam Wood?
Elbaf had an Adam Tree of its own.
That was one reason for going to Elbaf.
As for the other—
"At this point in the timeline… Charlotte Linlin, the future Yonko, should have arrived at Elbaf, right?"
Magnus thought to himself with excitement.
(End of Chapter)
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