Step by step!
High above the ground, a green figure flashed up the final step, landing with a firm stride on the marble floor of the Celestial Gym.
Zoro scanned his surroundings and quickly noticed the vast, open space around him. Far ahead, about a thousand meters away, stood a majestic, enormous building. Surrounding it, a lifelike carving of a five-clawed dragon seemed to watch him intently, its bright red eyes gleaming as if it had been waiting for this moment.
Before Zoro could take a closer look, a voice resonated in his mind, sounding as if it came from the depths of his soul.
"Come to the main hall."
Recognizing the familiar voice, Zoro's eyes narrowed. "Sir Leo?" he murmured in confusion, then quickly straightened up. Not knowing what awaited him, he started walking forward.
But suddenly, an invisible force pressed down on his shoulders like a mountain, bringing his advance to an abrupt halt. His steps became heavy, as though his feet were weighed down by lead.
"What... what's happening?" Zoro struggled to keep moving, refusing to be crushed by this sudden force. Confusion filled his thoughts.
Just then, Leo's voice echoed in his mind again:
"This is the second test, the gravity field."
"I've placed a special force on the path from the entrance to the main hall. The gravity you're experiencing is precisely the maximum limit your body can endure. Only by withstanding this pressure can you continue forward..."
"And if you wish to speed up, you must break through your limits continuously."
"You can choose to advance slowly, at a pace that matches your body's adaptation, or you can attempt to push beyond your limits and accelerate."
"In the end, the person who reaches the hall the fastest will receive a small gift from me."
"So... Come on, young man."
The voice in his head abruptly ceased, but Zoro, now under immense gravitational pressure, understood clearly.
"Enduring the limits of the gravity field to progress?" Zoro marveled at Leo's abilities. "Sir Leo, you can even create something like this?"
With unyielding determination shining in his eyes, Zoro thought, "If increasing speed can help me break through my body's limits, then this test is a perfect training ground!"
Zoro, who had spent years honing his body, found this immense gravity challenging, but not insurmountable. He even had time to ponder.
After lightly licking his lips, Zoro realized he was beginning to enjoy this place. No need to spend a fortune on custom training equipment—just moving normally in this environment would yield the results of intense practice.
"Where else in the world could you find such a perfect training ground?" Zoro mused.
He took another step forward. Although it was only a short distance of less than half a meter, it was enough to make Enel, who was monitoring alongside Leo, stand up in astonishment.
"He... he…" Enel stammered, pointing at Zoro, who had just taken a second step. For a moment, words failed him.
You see…
When Leo first constructed the Celestial Gym, Enel had been the initial test subject for its training facilities. Back then, it had taken him over a minute just to adjust to the gravity and take a tiny step forward.
This test wasn't just about physical strength; it also measured resilience and talent.
As someone recognized by the dimensional merchants, Enel had always considered himself among the world's elite in terms of talent.
But now, this green-haired youth was accomplishing feats that left Enel, who had just been basking in his own superiority, reeling.
Meanwhile, Leo, with a faint smile, waved a hand and said calmly, "Don't be so surprised, Enel."
"Roronoa Zoro is someone destined to climb to the very peak of the world. It's only natural for him to possess such potential."
After all, Zoro was a man who would grow strong enough to challenge Kaido by the age of 21.
Whether by the favor of the world's will or by Zoro's own relentless efforts, his future was bound to astonish many.
"Roronoa Zoro..." Enel murmured the name, as if committing it to memory, while his eyes remained glued to Zoro, who had taken yet another step forward.
Time ticked by slowly.
After Zoro, Sanji, equally endowed with physical prowess, also reached the entrance of the Celestial Gym. The same voice echoed in his mind, explaining the rules of the gravity field ahead.
"Gravity field?" Sanji's gaze hardened as he saw Zoro already several meters ahead. Ever since Zoro had bested him last time, Sanji had harbored a grudge. From that moment, he had forsaken his cooking to focus solely on training.
For reasons unknown, Sanji always felt the need to compete with this weirdo in front of him. Every time he saw Zoro, an uncontrollable anger surged within him.
"Damn moss head!" He spat the cigarette from his mouth onto the ground, crushing it beneath the sole of his intricately patterned shoe as if it were Zoro himself.
With a swift step forward, Sanji's black leather shoes landed firmly, though slightly slower than Zoro's pace. Nevertheless, his decisiveness in action left Enel, in the monitoring center, stunned once more.
Feeling guilty, Enel avoided Leo's gaze, worried that his underperformance might cost him his position as a dimensional merchant's assistant.
Fortunately, those who arrived later allowed Enel to breathe a sigh of relief. Neither Nami nor Usopp showed any remarkable feats, merely advancing bit by bit under the oppressive gravity.
This eased Enel's anxiety considerably.
More people arrived at the Celestial Gym, but none performed particularly well. Soon, noon arrived, and the last of the trainers reached the entrance, panting heavily.
"Phew... phew... I'm exhausted."
As a nobleman accustomed to a life of luxury, Viscount Kevin felt he had done a year's worth of exercise in a single day. But despite his weariness, his good diet and physical strength helped him reach the entrance of the Celestial Gym.
However, as soon as he looked up, he saw a large crowd ahead, their expressions strained as if they were all suffering from constipation.
It didn't take long before Viscount Kevin found himself joining their ranks, struggling under the same pressure.
...
Time continued to pass.
"Enel..." In the monitoring center, Leo watched Zoro and Sanji leading the group, a look of admiration on his face.
"If I remember correctly, it took you three hours to complete this path, right?"
"...Yes…" Enel replied, his tone tinged with shame.
The results were indisputable, and Enel couldn't deny them.
"I see..." Leo chuckled, but his eyes remained fixed on Zoro, who was nearing the end of the test.
Two hours had passed since the gravity test began.
In that time, Zoro had broken through his own limits three times, each time increasing his speed.
And now, Zoro was just one-fifth of the way from the main hall.
If Zoro maintained this pace, he would reach the hall in two and a half hours—thirty minutes faster than Enel!
And if he managed to break through one more time, his final result would be even more astounding!
What made it even more incredible was that right behind Zoro, a blond youth was following closely, moving at a pace that left Enel bewildered.
Barring any unforeseen events, this blond youth, Sanji, should be able to complete the test within three hours.
Is this the vast world that Sir Leo spoke of?
Although Enel had begun trading with the people of Blue Sea, most of his traders were wealthy merchants. Judging by his performance, Enel had been quite successful.
But for those who traded with Enel, their achievements often reached their peak here. Unless they invested more resources into Pokémon, their progress would likely stall.
This was the case for many of those facing the gravity field today.
Leo's goal was to reignite the spark of potential in those who had reached a plateau.
Points were important, but being able to reshape the world's perception through Pokémon was what Leo truly aimed for!
...
...
"It's... almost there..."
In the gravity field, Zoro's eyes were drenched with sweat. Through the blurry, refracted light, he could just make out the door to the main hall right in front of him.
But that last step felt as impossible as climbing a mountain!
After pushing his limits so many times, Zoro felt as though he was carrying several massive mountains on his back. Moving even a single centimeter was an immense struggle.
The air around him seemed to thicken, making it hard for him to draw breath.
In truth, if Zoro simply maintained his current pace, he was certain he'd reach the end.
But...
He refused to settle!
He couldn't let this perfect opportunity slip away. Even though he'd surpassed his limits time and again, it still wasn't enough!
He had to be faster! Stronger!
A new era was dawning, with countless powerful individuals ahead of him. How could he be satisfied with where he was now?
Kuina, from the underworld, was watching him!
Boom!
Suddenly, a burst of hot steam erupted from every pore in Zoro's body.
Zoro felt a surge of excitement.
This sensation was all too familiar!
He had experienced it several times already.
This feeling of his blood vessels expanding...
There was no doubt about it!
He had broken through again!
A triumphant grin spread across Zoro's sweat-soaked face.
And he had every right to be proud!
Step!
His dark green boots moved forward again.
This time, his steps were a bit faster than before.
...
...
Meanwhile, in the monitoring center...
"He's... broken through again?"
Enel stared at Zoro, who had just broken through once more, his eyes wide with disbelief.
At this rate, Zoro might finish in under 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Having experienced the crushing pressure of the gravity field himself, Enel knew all too well just how terrifying Zoro was for being able to do this!
Earlier, Enel might have thought Zoro's talent was slightly above his own...
But now, Zoro, who had broken through yet again, had completely left him in the dust.
Before Enel could fully process his feelings, a flash of red caught his attention.
...
...
Boom!
A searing heat filled the entire gravity field.
"Huh?"
Leo's eyes lit up. With a wave of his hand, the heat in the gravity field dissipated, slowly gathering around a single figure.
That figure was Vinsmoke Sanji, who was closely trailing behind Zoro and possessed the bloodline factor technology in his body!
Although Sanji vehemently denied his family heritage, the power of Vinsmoke's scientific research undeniably flowed within him.
And now, under this immense pressure, that power had finally awakened!
"Ah!!!!"
A roar, as fierce as a raging fire, erupted from Sanji's throat.
Seeing Zoro speeding up ahead of him, a surge of determination filled Sanji.
When he had first arrived, Zoro was only a few meters ahead of him.
But now, the gap had widened to nearly fifty meters.
Sanji didn't want to admit weakness, but compared to the green-haired swordsman in front of him, he felt utterly defeated.
Watching Zoro break through his limits repeatedly, Sanji finally realized...
A normal human body could never catch up to that green-haired freak.
So, he...
Decided to stop being a normal human!
At that moment, the "blood factor" hidden within his body fully activated.
Endless energy surged through every cell in Sanji's body.
An incredibly strong exoskeleton, superhuman resilience, and the unique power of fire...
All the powers that had been dormant for so long finally emerged under this relentless pressure!
Though he knew this power likely came from Vinsmoke, under the intense pressure and his rivalry with Zoro, Sanji could no longer afford to care!
Step!
Jet-black leather shoes suddenly stepped forward!
Immediately, Sanji seemed to evolve, moving forward with increasing speed, faster and faster.
This astonishing sight left Enel stunned once more.
Sanji's speed had now surpassed Zoro's.
The gap between them was closing.
And it seemed Zoro sensed the fiery presence behind him.
As the finish line neared, his speed increased once again!
At this point, Enel didn't know what to think anymore.
Whatever.
Let it all be destroyed.
He began to wonder if Leo's previous praise had been a ploy to make him an assistant.
Watching the extraordinary talents emerge one after another, Enel felt, for the first time, just how ordinary he really was.
Leo, sensing Enel's troubled gaze, merely smiled.
His eyes were filled with awe as he watched Zoro and Sanji, who were about to reach the main hall.
Although he knew they would be strong, their repeated breakthroughs, reaching levels even he found surprising, made Leo reconsider...
How much of the world's original power do Zoro and the other protagonists hold?
Like Bailey and Devil Fruits, people in the world of pirates are also carriers of the world's original power.
Some people possess very little original power.
Others possess an astonishing amount.
In the world of pirates, the amount of original power a person holds doesn't necessarily dictate their future strength.
It only means that the world has greater plans for them.
But if they were to travel to other worlds, free from the constraints of the pirate world...
The original power within Zoro and the others would become entirely their own!
This power wouldn't make them instantly stronger, but it would transform into talents, hidden within Zoro's body.
For example, in the world of Naruto, with the blessing of original power, Zoro would become a super genius, mastering all sword techniques at a glance and growing stronger with every battle!
Sanji might become a taijutsu prodigy as well.
"Thinking about it, it does seem rather interesting," Leo murmured with a smile.
"When the opportunity arises, I could arrange a time-travel mission for them."
Just the thought of it made Leo feel like it could be the plot of an online novel.
The title: "The Story of a Pirate Character Traveling to the World of Naruto and Becoming Invincible!"
...
...
Plop!
As Leo was contemplating future plans, the sound of a body collapsing to the ground reached his ears.
Leo snapped out of his thoughts and noticed that Zoro had unknowingly walked out of the gravity field and was the first to reach the main hall.
Time taken: 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Sanji, who followed closely behind, had put on a strong finish and was even faster than Zoro in the final stretch, but he had fallen too far behind earlier.
He finished the test in 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Like Zoro, Sanji, having unleashed his full potential, collapsed the moment he reached the main hall, too exhausted to even speak.
It seemed that while the blood factor had enhanced his physical abilities, the strain on his mental energy was immense.
Leo looked ahead and estimated that even Usopp, who was in third place, would need at least 4 hours to complete the challenge.
Leo waved his hand and said,
"Take them to rest. When they wake up, bring them to me."
"As you command, Sir Leo!"
Enel responded instantly, his expression complex as he used electromagnetic power to control two stretchers, lifting the two men and carrying them to the rear lounge.
Suddenly, Zoro, lying on the stretcher, seemed to regain some strength. He slightly opened his mouth and murmured in a small yet resolute voice:
"I... am the first!"
(End of this chapter)