Three days later.
On the vast, windless sea, a strange sight appeared.
A massive Navy warship was flashing forward in a leaping motion, as if a high-frequency warrior in a lagging video game.
The gigantic warship skipped the usual sailing process altogether, abruptly reappearing on the sea surface every two to three hundred meters.
It would pause for three to five seconds, then vanish into thin air, accompanied by a hemispherical barrier descending, flashing forward another two to three hundred meters.
Onboard the ship.
"Quick, quick, quick! Keep up with the food! Chop this meat into smaller pieces and mix in some porridge or grains so he can absorb it faster."
Rorschach took the food from a few panting soldiers and handed it over to Law, whose eyes were bloodshot, steam rising from his body, and physique noticeably swollen.
The warship suddenly halted, landing on the sea and rocking uncontrollably.
Seizing this brief moment of rest, Law quickly grabbed the food Rorschach had given him and devoured it in an instant.
Three to four seconds later, he gasped for breath and spread his five fingers once again.
A swirling air current instantly formed, and a transparent hemispherical barrier materialized, enveloping the warship.
"ROOM! Baton!"
Swish!
The warship vanished in an instant, surging forward another two hundred meters before crashing heavily onto the sea surface.
"Huff... Huff..."
Large beads of sweat dripped from Law's forehead. His entire body was drenched, as if he had just been fished out of water.
But his face had an unnatural flush, his whole body steaming like a boiled lobster, his skin burning red-hot as heat radiated outward.
His breathing, like an overworked bellows, echoed continuously.
Since morning, Rorschach had arranged this inhuman training routine, which had continued intermittently for four hours now.
Throughout the process, Law kept eating and repeatedly using his Ope Ope no Mi powers.
Rorschach, on the other hand, kept shoving small thunder spheres into Law's chest, forcing him to deplete his stamina over and over again.
The feeling was as if three hundred strong men had taken turns pummeling him for four to five hours straight.
It was pure torture.
On the first day, Law almost broke down.
At night, his muscles twitched involuntarily in response.
He was plagued by nightmares the entire night—so much so that he nearly saw his great-grandmother.
On the second day, during the latter half of training, Law completed it while crying.
He was truly on the verge of collapse.
He wanted to give up, to just lie down, have a glass of juice, and relax his utterly exhausted mind and body.
He even thought about leaving this warship.
What was the point of being a Marine? Working himself to death like this was way more stressful than when he was a doctor.
Was this even worth it?
Did he truly want to be a Marine who upheld justice?
Wasn't his goal all along just to avenge Corazon?
There were many ways to become stronger.
Did he really need to push himself this hard?
Perhaps he could just grow stronger over time instead of forcing it so intensely.
These thoughts constantly tempted Law to compromise, to stop this brutal, inhuman training.
But every time he saw Rorschach standing there, tirelessly training the Marine soldiers with electric currents—
And using his own devastating, thunderous power to temper his body—
Enveloping the entire warship with an ocean-like Armament Haki, engaging in monstrous training of his own—
Law would grit his teeth so hard his gums bled, his red eyes fixed forward, refusing to quit.
And so came today. The same exhaustion, the same total collapse—every cell in his body screaming in agony.
Law had no idea how he was still standing.
His mind was only capable of two thoughts: using his ability and eating.
Everything else had faded from his consciousness.
But now, he truly felt like he couldn't hold on any longer.
The power inside him was fading.
No matter how many thunder spheres Rosha used to stimulate him, it was no use.
Because Law had been under extreme mental tension for three days, he was already on the verge of collapse.
"Continue!"
Rorschach's emotionless voice rang in Law's ears.
"Huff... Huff... I... I can't do it anymore. I need to rest. Tomorrow... I'll continue tomorrow!"
Law panted heavily, struggling to speak.
"Continue!"
Rorschach handed over a large bowl of Sea King meat porridge.
"Get lost! I said I need to rest! I'll continue tomorrow! I won't give up, but... I really can't go on!"
Law roared with bloodshot eyes, slapping the bowl out of Rorschach's hands.
Rorschach crossed his arms, looking down at Law from above with eyes as cold as a blade, filled with undisguised contempt.
"Hey! What's with that look in your eyes?"
Law glared up at Rosha, his bloodshot eyes burning with rage.
"Trash!"
Two sharp words came out of Rosha's mouth, completely snapping the last thread of Law's fragile nerves.
"What did you say, you bastard?!"
He suddenly reached out and grabbed Rosha by the collar.
"Major!"
Bepo and the others gasped in shock.
"I said, you're trash!"
Rorschach stared down at Law with utter disdain, speaking words sharp enough to make Law grit his teeth until they nearly shattered.
"If you can't even endure a bit of mental and physical suffering, then forget about ever becoming strong!"
"You're tired, so you want to push today's task to tomorrow?"
"And when you get tired tomorrow? You'll push it again?"
"Tomorrow and tomorrow again—how many tomorrows will there be?"
"Think about your dream! Think about Rosinante, who died a miserable death! Think about Doflamingo, the man who personally shot his own brother!"
Rorschach's words were like knives stabbing into Law's heart, making him clench his teeth so hard that his gums bled, his eyes turning even redder.
"If you stay weak, the next person Doflamingo kills might be Bepo, or Penguin, or Shachi—it could be anyone you care about!"
"Stop making excuses about being 'just an ordinary human'! The weak only know how to complain, but the strong never make excuses for themselves!"
"Instructor Zephyr graduated from the recruit camp at eighteen and entered real combat in the Navy. He went through countless life-and-death battles before finally becoming a Navy Ensign at twenty-eight!"
"Was that because of talent?"
"Tell me, what kind of 'talent' takes ten whole years just to reach the rank of Ensign?"
"If you want to give up, then go ahead! Go take a nap and sleep it off! From this moment on, I won't force you anymore!"
"But… don't let me look down on you!"
"Law!"
By the time Rosha finished speaking, he was almost shouting at Law.
His booming voice echoed across the warship, making every Marine soldier on board feel their blood surge with energy.
At the same time, everyone's faces were filled with passion.
"Big Bro Rorschach!"
On top of the lookout tower, Hibari bit her lip anxiously as she watched the tense standoff below.
"If you want to become strong, if you want to protect the people you cherish—then throw everything away and train with your life on the line!"
"Brother!"
Rorschach's silver hair danced wildly in the wind as he extended his hand toward the furious, trembling Law.
Law gritted his teeth so hard they creaked, veins bulging on his forehead as if they were about to burst.
A deep, hoarse growl, like a beast's roar, rumbled from his throat.
"As you wish!!"
"Buzz!"
A transparent sphere suddenly expanded outward. As Law's overwhelming aura erupted, the barrier spread rapidly in all directions.
In an instant, the transparent sphere extended over a thousand meters.
At the same time, an abyssal black sheen surfaced on Law's outstretched right hand, dramatically enhancing his physical strength.
Armament Haki!
Awakened!
In the next moment—
"Swish!"
The warship beneath them flickered and vanished, leaping seven to eight hundred meters before crashing down from the sky with a thunderous boom!
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you want an early access join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"