On the route to Water 7, a small naval battleship sped ahead.
As the view drew closer, three figures could be seen training continuously on the battleship's deck.
It was Hyaku, Coby, and Helmeppo.
Under their Captain's guidance, the two young boys underwent rigorous physical training. To master the basic Rokushiki, physical conditioning was essential.
As for Hyaku, he was doing his daily sword swinging practice.
"1997... 1998... 1999... 2000!"
He kept swinging his heavy Katana, Ryūka. Soon, his swing count reached 2,000.
〘 Ding! Host Successfully Swung the Sword 1,000 Times! Reward: Azure Dragon Sword Intent Proficiency +5% | Three Colors of Haki Proficiency +1% | Rokkōgiri Proficiency +5%! 〙
〘 Ding! Host Successfully Swung the Sword 2,000 Times! Reward: Azure Dragon Sword Intent Proficiency +5% | Three Colors of Haki Proficiency +1% | Rokkōgiri Proficiency +5%! 〙
The proficiency of Azure Dragon Sword Intent and Rokkōgiri both increased by 5%. In comparison, the Three Colors Haki progressed more slowly.
But Hyaku wasn't in a hurry. After all, this was still the early timeline of One Piece. There weren't many people who could skillfully use Haki yet.
"Captain Hyaku!"
After collecting his rewards, Hyaku took a brief rest. Coby and Helmeppo immediately ran over.
"Captain, I see you only practice sword swinging every day, never anything else. Like sword techniques... Can you really get stronger this way?" Helmeppo asked curiously.
"When you take one thing to its absolute limit, it can become unstoppable." Hyaku responded with feigned profundity.
Though internally he was protesting: You think I enjoy such monotonous sword swinging? It's all for the system rewards!
"Besides, don't underestimate my sword swinging. Neither of you could probably manage even ten swings right now." Hyaku said seriously.
"No way! At the very least, we can definitely do ten swings." Coby retorted defiantly.
"Yeah! Captain Hyaku, you're really underestimating us." Helmeppo agreed.
"You can try it. If you succeed, your training will be halved for today. If not, it doubles." Hyaku showed a sly smile as he told them.
"Why do I feel like Captain Hyaku is setting us up?"
"Whatever, it's just ten swings, should be fine."
Though that smile seemed suspicious, the two couldn't resist the temptation of halved training.
"Then let's begin."
Seeing their agreement, Hyaku immediately pointed his Katana downward, thrusting it into the deck.
Bang!
The next moment, Ryūka was embedded in the deck.
The heavy pressure created a tremendous sound. If Hyaku hadn't been holding it carefully, the floor might have split open right there.
"This...?!"
Seeing this scene, Coby and Helmeppo, who had been so confident moments ago, were instantly dumbfounded.
They thought to themselves, just how heavy must that sword be to make such a sound!
Gulp!
The two instinctively swallowed nervously.
"I'll go first!" Coby, refusing to believe it, walked up to the Katana first, "Huff..."
Taking a deep breath, he gripped the sword's handle with both hands. Using all his strength, he tried to pull it up.
Crack!
However, despite his full effort, Ryūka barely moved. It only made a cracking sound, then nothing more.
"..." Watching Coby from the side, Helmeppo was speechless and urged anxiously, "Come on, pull! Use your strength!"
"I'm... using all my strength!!" To everyone's surprise, Coby's face had turned red from exertion, but he still couldn't lift the Katana.
Thud!
Finally, he collapsed onto the deck, panting heavily.
"Move aside, let me try." Seeing this, Helmeppo licked his lips and approached Ryūka.
But the result... was nearly identical to Coby's.
They even tried pulling together, but still couldn't move the Katana an inch. Instead, they both ended up exhausted and out of breath.
"Captain Hyaku, is this the same weird sword you used to defeat Crocodile?" Coby asked afterward.
Hyaku nodded.
To be precise, the sword was a Beginner's Tachi back then, relatively lighter.
"Captain... you're absolutely brutal!"
After getting his confirming nod, Coby and Helmeppo gave him a thumbs up. That was all they could say after such effort.
"If you've rested enough, get back to training. Don't forget your training load is doubled today." Hyaku reminded them.
Then, he effortlessly pulled out and lifted Ryūka. He began swinging it repeatedly.
Seeing him lift the Katana so easily, Coby and Helmeppo exchanged glances.
They trained even harder. That reality check was too direct!
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Time flew by, and afternoon arrived.
Originally thinking it would take most of the day to reach Water 7, they were surprised when, with the battleship at full speed and favorable winds, Hyaku and his group arrived at the Capital of Water ahead of schedule.
Water 7, true to its name, had an intricate network of waterways, with channels running from the highest points down to ground level. The entire city was essentially built surrounded by water.
Due to this environment, the local residents kept creatures called "Bulls" — horse-like fish resembling hippocamps. These served as water transportation and could even help with moving houses.
As Hyaku's group approached Water 7's shore, they witnessed this bustling scene.
Soon, under his orders, the battleship docked. After dropping anchor, Hyaku, Coby, and Helmeppo disembarked one after another.
"Aren't those Marines?"
"How come we've never seen them before?"
"What are Marines doing here?"
"And that one in front — such a young officer!"
As soon as the three stepped off the ship, they sparked discussions among the onlookers.
While surprised by Hyaku's youth, the locals also recognized that these three weren't Water 7's regular Marines.
Whoosh... Whoosh... Whoosh...
Just then, a sudden gust of wind came from above. Hearing the sound, the three instinctively looked up.
High in the sky, a figure was soaring with outstretched arms. Noticing the newly arrived Hyaku, the figure lowered its head slightly and began descending rapidly.
Thump!
The figure made a graceful landing before everyone's eyes.
"Welcome to Water 7, Marine officers. Does your battleship need any repairs? We offer discounts for Marine vessels, you know."
The person said with a polite smile after landing.
✣✣✣
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