In the Northern Blue, a greenish-blue submarine partially emerged on the water's surface, slowly heading towards a specific destination.
On the outer deck of the submarine, four fishing rods were placed side by side, with long lines dangling into the water.
Several men leaned lazily on the deck, yawning repeatedly out of sheer boredom.
At sea, the most common sight is the endless expanse of water.
At first, the ship's passengers might be amazed by this majestic view, but over time, the mood turns dull and monotonous.
The repetitive scenery can make a person feel restless.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The sound of heavy metallic clanging echoed from behind, adding to the irritation of Drake and his companions who were fishing.
"Hey, Rorshach, don't you ever get tired? You've been at it since morning... Ugh~"
Drake turned around with a bored expression, grumbling, then widened his eyes in shock.
Clank!
A pile of metal equipment, five to six meters high, resembling a small mountain, trapped the silver-haired boy underneath it. He was lifting it with one arm, repeatedly performing lifting movements.
Thick iron pipes bound by massive chains, dumbbells used for training, all clanged against each other, producing a muffled collision sound.
Drake even noticed a large anchor among the metal heaps.
"825."
"826."
"827."
Rorshach was shirtless, his clothes soaked with sweat that dripped from his body.
His right arm, which was lifting the weight, bulged with large veins, the muscles trembling slightly and turning red due to the blood flow.
He didn't know the exact weight of these metal heaps he'd gathered, but he kept adding more iron from the submarine as per his strength limit, tying them together.
Then, in the cramped space on the submarine's deck, he continued his simple weightlifting training over and over.
He paid no attention to Drake's continuous chatter, focusing solely on his training, which caused sweat to pour down his body.
"988!"
"989!"
"9..."
Clank!
The muscles of his trembling right arm began to cramp, and the strained muscles could no longer support the heavy weight above them.
The heavy metal heap fell onto him, creating a dull thud.
Drake shut his eyes, dreading the scene.
At that moment, they heard a low growl from beneath the metal heap.
"Transform into the Blue Dragon Form!"
In the next instant, the entire submarine shook! Boom! The metal heap exploded into the sky, rushing upward with immense force, causing a sonic boom in the air.
The tremendous power scattered some of the metal parts, causing them to fall onto the submarine's deck, and on the heads of Drake, Lou, and Gross, who scrambled and complained.
Lau stood up, shielding his head with his arms, and saw a creature, five and a half meters tall, covered in blue scales with a massive terrifying tail, standing at the entrance of the submarine.
This creature was surrounded by small white electric charges, with swirling air currents around its body, lifting some of the smaller metal pieces into the air.
"This guy..."
Drake and the others felt a powerful aura emanating from Rorshach and swallowed nervously.
Drake sighed bitterly and said, "Is the gap between Mythical Zoan fruit users and ancient races really this vast? He ate that fruit just recently, and he's already this strong?"
In the sky, the sound of the air exploding could be heard, and the metal heap was falling towards them.
Rorshach raised his right arm, his five fingers transforming into black claws.
Boom!
His right arm dipped slightly downward, but he firmly caught the falling metal heap, then embraced it with both arms and gently placed it on the submarine's deck.
As for Beppo and the others, who were standing on the right, they sat down on the ground due to the intense vibrations.
Rorshach looked at his arm, covered in blue scales, with a satisfied smile and said, "I can feel even more power flowing within me."
The feeling of continuous improvement was a wonderful experience for him.
Whenever he recalled the crushing defeat he suffered in Prince's City at the hands of Doflamingo, a burning desire for revenge ignited within him.
In this world, even if you possess immense talent and power, if you don't put in enough effort, you'll remain just a minor character.
Like Caribou, who ate the Swamp Swamp Fruit of the Logia type.
Or like Silver Fox, who ate the Slow Slow Fruit.
Rorshach turned his head towards Drake and the others with a mocking look.
"Hey, what's with that smug look? I'm your captain! Show some respect!"
Drake's mouth twitched.
In reality, Drake and the others had also been engaging in physical training on the submarine.
After all, they were all ambitious young men, and they wouldn't spend their time being lazy and wasting their potential.
But training was one thing, and self-torture was another.
Drake had never seen anyone like Rorshach before, who started his training early in the morning on the submarine's deck, performing intense exercises all day until the stars filled the sky.
Then, he'd have a massive meal, take a bath, and collapse onto the bed to sleep.
The next day, he'd wake up full of energy and return to his intense training.
Seven days had passed since they left Branch 177, and they still had two days left to reach the Calm Belt in the Northern Blue.
On this journey to Marine Headquarters, they wouldn't cross the Reverse Mountain, nor would they traverse the first half of the Grand Line.
Instead, they would directly enter the Calm Belt from the Northern Blue, head towards the Red Line, then use the Sacred Mariejois Elevator to cross the Red Line and enter Marineford.
This journey meant crossing the second half of the Grand Line, known as the New World, the most dangerous part.
But despite the New World's hazardous weather, the submarine they were on was equipped with a large amount of Seastone, allowing it to safely navigate through the Calm Belt.
This area is known for its perpetually calm seas, but its primary threat comes from the massive Sea Kings that inhabit it.
Thanks to the Seastone embedded in the submarine, it emitted the same scent as the sea, making it difficult for the Sea Kings to detect it, allowing them to cross the Calm Belt safely.
At that moment, the submarine's door creaked open, and Kuzan emerged, feeling drowsy, yawning, "Ah, were you training again, Rorshach? I thought the submarine was under attack, which woke me up."
Rorshach replied with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Uncle Kuzan, I didn't mean to disturb you."
(End of Chapter)
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