Time flew by in rigorous training, and before anyone realized it, five months had passed.
Cocoayashi Village had endured several cold waves and heavy snowfalls. Winter finally gave way to spring, when warmth returned and flowers bloomed.
The breeze carried a hint of warmth, sprouts pierced through the thawing soil, and the expansion of the orange orchard was gradually completed.
New saplings were planted in batches, with endless tasks like loosening the soil, watering and fertilizing, and pruning branches. Scarface and the others were constantly busy, yet thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Over the past months, they had slowly begun to integrate into local life, and the villagers had gradually come to accept these outsiders.
Compared to the days in the Korbo Mountains, surviving on the edge of death, life now felt like paradise.
If only…
—one particular little rascal weren't so mischievous, it would be even better.
"Hey!"
From behind a coconut tree, a small figure with orange hair suddenly popped out, startling Fat Bull, who was carrying a bundle of orange tree saplings from the ground. He nearly twisted his back.
"Not again, Nami! Always scaring people!" Fat Bull huffed, hands on his hips. "If you keep this up, I'm going to report you to Lord Shanu and see how he handles you!"
The ten-year-old kid was really annoying!
"Nyah-nyah~"
Nami stuck out her tongue, made a face, and ran off. "My brother doesn't have time for you! Catch me if you can, you big dummy!"
Passing by the village entrance, the postman noticed her and brightened, quickly stopping his bicycle and waving.
"Wait! Nami, your package has arrived. It's heavy—probably too much for you to carry alone. I can help deliver it to your home."
"A package?"
Nami's face lit up with excitement. She immediately squatted and began opening it. Inside was a thick stack of books.
The postman leaned down to look.
Titles like Atlas of the Four Blues, Pointer Crafting Records, Advanced Isoline Drawing, Respect for Vegapunk: Seastone Applications and Windless Zone Navigation…
All were massive tomes, and even reading the titles made his head spin.
"These are all for you?" the postman asked, astonished. "Or for your parents at home?"
"They're mine! Well, actually, my brother bought them for me!"
Nami giggled, patting the stack proudly. "There aren't many books in the village bookstore, and I've read them all ages ago. My brother often buys new ones from nearby towns. This batch is high quality—enough for me to study for a while!"
"Impressive, Nami."
The postman gave her a thumbs-up. "At such a young age, to be able to focus on books like these… my daughter just runs around all day. I wish she were as sensible as you!"
Sensible?
"Yes… yeah…" Nami felt a bit guilty and kicked a small stone. "Oh, right. These books are heavy, so it's best if you deliver them."
"Of course, that's my duty."
The postman smiled and led the way.
He had been to Cocoayashi Village many times and knew the terrain well.
Twisting left and right, it wasn't long before a cozy wooden house appeared.
"Here we are! Bellemere and Nojiko aren't home—probably at the orchard."
Nami pointed to the living room coffee table. "Just leave the books here, please."
"Sure!"
As he placed the books down, the postman noticed a pile of hand-drawn nautical charts scattered on the sofa.
Picking one up, he saw that the first was a detailed map of the island surrounding Cocoayashi Village, far superior to commercially available versions.
"Nami, did you draw these?"
The postman was amazed. "Incredible! Your talent is amazing—you might become a great cartographer in the future!"
"Definitely, sir!" Nami said proudly, brushing her hair back. She hadn't washed it for a few days and had to pull her hand out after some effort.
"Anyway, my dream isn't just this. My goal is to sail across the seas using my own navigation skills and create a world map of what I've seen with my own eyes!"
"A world map?" The postman laughed heartily. "That's an incredible dream! But Nami, the world out there is dangerous—many powerful pirates you can't handle."
"I may not be able to fight them, but I'll just follow my brother."
Nami snorted. "He's the most famous swordsman in the East Sea! Any pirate crew, one swing of his sword, and their ship is split in two!"
The young man named Shanu?
The postman paused. He remembered hearing the name about six months ago—it had been famous—but no news had come out since, and it faded from people's view.
Curious, he asked, "Where is your brother? I've been to Cocoayashi Village many times, but I've never seen him."
"He's a training fanatic. Everyone calls him that. You'd be surprised if you saw him during the day. As for now…"
Nami leaned out the window, pointing to the highest mountain in the northern hills. "Hear that coming from the mountain?"
The postman listened carefully.
A low, rumbling sound came from within the mountain, like distant thunder. Smoke spiraled up from the peak.
"I… what do you mean?"
"That's my brother," Nami said cheerfully. "Those sounds are from him messing around. Luckily, the village is further south, so we don't hear it clearly—otherwise, people would have complained about the noise."
Your brother?
The postman's eyes widened. Could a human really make that much noise?
Boom!
A massive rock, five to six meters tall, was pulverized by a single punch.
Smoke and dust cleared to reveal a tall, muscular black-haired youth.
Shanu stepped over the rolling rubble, blue sparks flaring from quartz crushed beneath his feet, and crossed the former location of the rock.
He looked up at the devastated mountainside.
It barely resembled a mountain now.
Everywhere was pockmarked, as if bombarded by meteorites. Countless rock cross-sections were exposed.
A tunnel cut diagonally through the mountain, large enough for several people to pass at once. The walls bore the imprint of countless punches, looking as if a giant drill had carved through.
"The hardness is still too low."
Shanu's expression remained unchanged as he studied the tunnel walls. "The metal content here is the highest on the island, and the inner rock is the hardest—but for me now…"
He shook his head slightly. It was gradually becoming insufficient.
Stepping out of the mountain's shadow, the afternoon sunlight fell on his shoulders.
Now 1.87 meters tall, his muscles twisted like thick tree roots, extremely dense with a cold, iron-like sheen. His broad shoulders appeared like a small mountain to ordinary eyes.
Each step caused the surrounding rocks to tremble slightly. As he passed a tree, he stepped on some mushrooms.
Shanu didn't notice, but the next step flattened them into the ground.
The reason was simple:
His body weight was just 125 kg, but the black training suit added 1.6 tons.
Considering the small surface area of his feet, the pressure exerted on the ground was greater than that of an adult elephant.