As the journey progressed, Lakeman observed the daily routines with quiet satisfaction—by day, watching the relentless training sessions of his confidantes, and by night, indulging in the vibrant, debauched life aboard his luxury vessel. Each evening was filled with debauchery, contrasting the rigorous discipline of the day.
With only a day left before reaching Alabasta, Lakeman's attention drifted to his system notifications, which held an unexpected revelation. Even though he had already awakened his Devil Fruit, the system continued to channel Devil Fruit proficiency points to him, seemingly without end.
"Strange," he murmured, his eyes narrowing as he scrolled through the endless updates. "I've already awakened my fruit. Yet the system keeps adding proficiencies as if… as if awakening is just the beginning?"
Reflecting on the past month, he realized why he hadn't noticed earlier. His focus had been entirely on training, pushing his newly awakened abilities to their limits. Plus, with Hancock, Kizaru, and Robin practicing in sea-stone shackles, his feedback had been largely limited to improvements in physique, resistance, and techniques. The few Devil Fruit proficiencies from Doflamingo had been buried in a sea of notifications.
'If not for the recent pause in training, I would have missed this entirely,' he thought. A maid gently poured him a glass of chilled wine, which he accepted with a slight nod.
"Is something troubling you, Master Lakeman?" she asked, her voice soft and concerned.
Lakeman sipped thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "It's nothing that can't wait," he replied smoothly, feeling the weight lift slightly as he decided to let it go.
'There's no sense in stressing over things beyond my control. If the system wanted to harm me, I wouldn't stand a chance of stopping it. But it's strange… maybe there's a level beyond awakening, a secret I never reached in the original One Piece story.' lakeman thought.
The maid nodded, sensing his need for contemplation, and moved to knead his shoulders as he relaxed further.
His thoughts shifted to the tangible results of his training. The feedback he had absorbed from Hancock, Rayleigh, Kizaru, Robin, Stussy, and others had done wonders for his physique. His body now brimmed with peak admiral-level strength, capable of sustaining a drawn-out, high-intensity battle.
"Master Lakeman," Hancock's voice interrupted his reverie as she approached him, her clothes soaked in sweat, showing her amazing curves, her gaze filled with a mixture of admiration and love. "The training is progressing well, but… if there is anything else you wish of me, anything at all, you need only say it."
Lakeman turned, his blood-red eyes meeting hers. "Just keep pushing your limits. Alabasta is close, and I need all of you at your peak."
"Understood, Master," she replied, a dissatisfied smile at her lips, as she wished to serve him now instead of more training.
As Lakeman continued mulling over the strange behavior of his system, he leaned back, savoring the gentle massage from the maid while watching the distant waves. His thoughts turned inward, speculating about the anomaly he'd observed with his Devil Fruit proficiency.
"So I don't necessarily need to worry about this," he thought, reassuring himself. "There could be a level even beyond Devil Fruit awakening, something that wasn't mentioned in the original story…"
He paused, recalling his memories from his previous life, the episodes he'd watched before his unexpected transmigration.
"Or maybe it'll be revealed much later in the series," he mused. "After all, I only watched up until the end of the EggHead island arc. I never saw what lay beyond."
The thought settled him, easing the slight tension that had built up from his discovery. A wry smile touched his lips as he considered the irony of his situation. Here he was, living in a world he had once only known as fiction, discovering mysteries even the original story hadn't touched upon.
Turning his gaze back to the sea, Lakeman allowed himself to fully relax. As the warm sunlight filtered through the sky and the gentle sea breeze brushed past, he could feel a sense of peace settling over him.
"Perhaps," he thought, closing his eyes, "I'll discover something new, a power that goes beyond any boundaries ever conceived. And if so… I'll be ready."
As his gaze drifted back to the training grounds, he watched Hancock, Robin, and others pushing their limits.
"Who knows," he thought, a new spark igniting in him, "maybe this world holds secrets even I never imagined."
______________________________________________________
The following day in Alabasta's port town, a heavy, almost ominous silence hung over the area. The usually bustling port was eerily empty, save for a handful of guards and a few technicians responsible for handling the docks.
King Cobra, alongside Queen Titi and his royal guards, stood beneath the blazing sun, eyes fixed on the horizon as they awaited Saint Lakeman's arrival.
Queen Titi shifted uncomfortably, her irritation barely concealed.
"Your Majesty, why did you empty the port?" she questioned, her voice laced with disapproval. "I think more people should be present to welcome Saint Lakeman. Leaving it empty might make him feel… unwelcome."
King Cobra kept his gaze on the distant waves, his face shadowed with worry.
" Titi, you don't understand," he replied, his voice steady but tense. "I've encountered Celestial Dragons before. They kill without a second thought, sometimes for the smallest offenses. I'd rather spare our people any chance of inciting his wrath, even over something trivial."
Titi held back a sigh, but her dissatisfaction was evident. "And if Saint Lakeman isn't satisfied with this meager welcome and decides to punish the town anyway?" she challenged, her eyes narrowing. Inside, she thought bitterly, 'You fool. Do you honestly think you can control a Celestial Dragon's whims? If he wants to cause chaos, he will. And what would a weakling like you be able to do about it?'
Cobra's brow furrowed as he sensed her underlying mockery. His patience was wearing thin, and he was about to scold her. "If he dares to kill without cause," he muttered, anger simmering beneath his calm exterior, "I'll reach out to the Five Elders and lodge a complaint against him."
"Hmph "
A faint scoff escaped Titi, barely audible. She thought, 'Naïve. He's delusional if he thinks a complaint to the Elders would matter. How foolish.'
Before Cobra could say more, a loud whistle echoed from the ocean, drawing their attention forward. As they turned to look, their eyes met the sight of an opulent cruise ship flying the World Government's flag, a gleaming symbol of authority and untouchable power. Following closely behind it, a large Marine warship loomed, ready to safeguard Saint Lakeman from any dangers.
As the two vessels glided smoothly into view, their grandeur filling the horizon, King Cobra's hands clenched in a mixture of tension and apprehension. For better or worse, the arrival of Saint Lakeman was upon them.
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