The bright moonlight illuminated Oni Island.
On the rocky coast behind the mountain, jagged stones pierced the sky as furious waves crashed against the shore.
The metallic clang of steel against steel rang out incessantly, like the sound of a blacksmith at work.
The ground was riddled with cracks, as if ravaged by a burrowing dragon.
Two hours later.
"Huff… huff… I—I can't go on!" Yamato panted, leaning on her spiked club for support.
"Then let's take a break for now," Luo Xia nodded.
With a thought, the system panel appeared before his eyes.
The proficiency of his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic remained stubbornly stuck at 80%, showing no signs of progress.
Meanwhile, his Armor Dragon Slayer Magic had risen from its initial 10% to 15%.
Though it was only a 5% increase, Luo Xia could clearly feel the improvement in his defensive capabilities.
Facing Yamato's Thunder Bagua now compared to three days ago was an entirely different experience.
While the boost in defense was certainly beneficial, it also meant that further progress would become increasingly difficult.
Previously, standing still and letting Yamato whack him for a few hours might have been enough to raise his proficiency by a single percentage point. Now, it would take twice as long.
Ultimately, the current Yamato was still too weak—her Armament Haki was mediocre, she couldn't use Conqueror's Haki infusion, and she was still burdened by the debuff of her Sea Stone Explosive Shackles…
The next time Kaido returns, I'll have to rope him into a few sessions, Luo Xia mused.
"Hey, hey, Luo Xia… why do you like getting hit so much?" Yamato sprawled on the ground in a starfish-like pose.
"Once, when I was wandering around the island, I found a picture book. There was a man tied up, and a woman was whipping him, dripping candle wax on him, and stepping on him… but instead of looking hurt, the man seemed to be enjoying it. The book said people like that were called… uh…" Yamato scratched her head in confusion.
Luo Xia, lying in a similar starfish position: "…"
Girl, was that book even appropriate?
"Yamato, who told you I like getting hit?" Luo Xia felt the need to clarify—otherwise, he'd really be labeled a pervert.
"If you don't like it, then why do you keep forcing me to hit you?" Yamato's tiny brain couldn't comprehend it.
"This is training. You don't need to feel any guilt about it," Luo Xia said seriously.
"Training?" Yamato was even more confused. How could just taking hits count as training?
"It's not just for me—this is training for you too. You want to defeat Kaido, don't you?" Luo Xia said.
"Yeah… but right now, I'm still too weak." Yamato sighed dejectedly.
"Exactly. That's why you need to keep training with me. Your strength has improved noticeably compared to three days ago," Luo Xia stated matter-of-factly.
"Really?" Yamato's eyes lit up.
"Of course. Having endured so many of your attacks, I'm the best judge of that," Luo Xia continued. "And you can keep getting stronger. If you train with me for eight hours every day, within three years, you'll have the power to challenge Kaido."
Listening to Luo Xia's grand promise, Yamato felt dizzy with excitement, as if floating on air.
Three years!
In just three years, she could challenge her bull-headed gorilla of a father!
With that thought, all her hesitation vanished, replaced by boundless motivation.
"Alright, I'm rested. Let's keep going!" Yamato sprang up with a kip-up.
"Good. I can feel your determination," Luo Xia nodded in satisfaction.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal rang out once more.
Two more hours passed in the blink of an eye.
"This isn't right." Yamato sprawled on the ground in a starfish pose again. "Training shouldn't just focus on strength. If my durability and agility don't keep up, I'll probably get one-shot by that bull-headed gorilla of a father."
"So you want to…?"
"Luo Xia, don't just stand there. You need to attack me too." Yamato's gaze was resolute.
"Makes sense!" Luo Xia nodded in agreement.
Though this would slow his own progress, there was no helping it.
After all, he'd just used the excuse of training together to grow stronger.
If Yamato really decided to throw a tantrum and quit, he'd have no way to force her.
In all of Oni Island, there was no better sparring partner than Yamato.
"Bring it on!" Yamato gripped her kanabo, A-Jian, with her right hand while steadying it with her left. "First, let me test your strength."
"Then here I come!" Luo Xia's feet shattered the ground as he shot forward like lightning, delivering a kick to A-Jian.
He didn't wreathe his attack in flames, relying purely on raw physical power.
Even so, this full-force kick was more than Yamato could handle at her current level.
Her feet carved two long trenches in the ground before she finally lost her footing and was sent flying backward, crashing into the coastal rocks and leaving a human-shaped imprint.
"Ugh… cough." Yamato wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes shining brighter than ever, burning with fighting spirit. "Luo Xia, you really are amazing. I can see hope now. If I can spar with you every day, maybe in three years, I'll really be able to challenge that bull-headed gorilla of a father."
With that, Yamato lunged forward, spinning 720 degrees midair before slamming A-Jian down on Luo Xia.
"Hm?"
Luo Xia's brows twitched slightly as he took an involuntary half-step back.
This was the first time Yamato had ever managed to push him back.
Pain and blood didn't weaken her—instead, they fueled her fighting spirit and potential even further.
"Not bad. My turn now." Luo Xia didn't use any techniques, simply charging at her with pure speed.
Bam!
Even with A-Jian raised in defense, Yamato was sent flying again.
"Again."
Her eyes grew even brighter, more determined.
Bam!
Crash!
Thud!
The two exchanged blows—fists and kanabo clashing relentlessly.
By 3 a.m., Luo Xia carried a bruised and battered Yamato back to their new hideout cave. After searching around, he couldn't find any medical supplies.
"It's fine. I'll heal in a couple of days. This is part of the training too." Yamato grinned through the pain.
"Alright, get some rest." Luo Xia nodded, deciding to bring some medicine next time.
Exhausted from the day's ordeal, Yamato quickly fell asleep, murmuring in her dreams.
But this time, unlike before, her expression wasn't one of fear—it was contentment and hope.
...
...
8 a.m.
Splash—
A hundred-meter-long three-masted ship sailed into Oni Island's harbor, its prow adorned with a wrist-dragon figurehead.
"Lord Queen has returned~"
The Beasts Pirates spread the news far and wide.
Soon, a crowd of pirates poured out from the main hall, heading toward the docks.
"Lord Queen, you're finally back! You have no idea what's happened while you were away—"
"That guy's way too arrogant! He's just a rookie, but he acts like he's above us all…"
"Even Lord Jack was defeated by that newcomer. That guy even said he'd take you on if you showed up..."
The pirates chattered noisily, exaggerating the story as they spoke.
"Hey, I say you lot should know when to stop. Brother Luo Xia is a powerful ally brought back by Lord Kaido, the future vice-captain of our Beasts Pirates. Are you looking to die?"
Page One's cold rebuke instantly silenced the troublemaking pirates, who dared not speak another word.
"Muhahaha! Page One, you useless brat, are you betting on that newcomer this time? Don't tell me you actually think that guy could become vice-captain—that's downright hilarious!" Queen the Plague laughed uproariously.
"Don't underestimate me!" Page One roared in anger, transforming into his Ancient Spinosaurus Form.
"Useless is useless. Even eating a Devil Fruit can't change the nature of trash," Queen the Plague grinned, slamming an Armament Haki-coated fist into Page One and sending him flying backward, embedding him into the wall and forcing him to revert to his original form weakly.
"Oooohhh—!!"
"As expected of Lord Queen!"
"Lord Queen is mighty~"
The pirates cheered excitedly.
"Muhahaha! Who's the strongest among scientists? Me! Who's the handsomest among scientists? Me! Who's the second-in-command of the Beasts? Still me!"
Queen the Plague burst into laughter, starting to sing, dance, and rap.
Right at that moment.
"Hey, fatso up ahead, you're too damn noisy."
"Who're you calling fatso? This is called voluptuous!"