After Ari tossed the attacker back to the secret base in the Rum Kingdom, the three of them set off immediately toward the Dominica Archipelago, located north of the Organ Islands.
However, traveling from the Oykot Kingdom to the Dominica Archipelago meant crossing almost the entire East Blue from north to south—a straight-line distance of over 2,400 kilometers. It was going to be a long journey.
Meanwhile, back in the Rum Kingdom, Joseph—who had attended a meeting at Mary Geoise at the end of last year—returned more than half a month ago.
Upon Joseph's return, domestic reforms intensified significantly.
Previously, Uncle Joseph had reservations about some of Noah's ideas. But this time, he became even more radical than Noah. The reason for his change was his recent trip to Mary Geoise.
What Joseph saw and heard there made him realize a harsh reality: this is a dark and bloody world, and the Celestial Dragons are the embodiment of evil.
Even though Noah had repeatedly mentioned the heinous crimes of the Celestial Dragons, Joseph hadn't felt it so directly before. This visit to Mary Geoise had a profound impact on him.
After returning, Uncle Joseph not only called for faster transformation of the Rum Kingdom but also intensified his physical training.
Noah didn't oppose Uncle Joseph's ideas. In the past, Uncle Joseph's physical potential was indeed limited. Even after eating the Silverback Gorilla Fruit, he still couldn't reach the potential of a Marine Vice Admiral.
But now it's different. With Barton—the Card Apostle—around to continuously replenish life force, even if Uncle Joseph trained like crazy, he wouldn't suffer serious side effects or hidden injuries.
As time passed, nearly three years had gone by since Noah was reborn into this world.
Not only had the family members aged by three years, but their strength had also undergone earth-shattering changes.
In the training grounds of the secret base:
Sixteen-year-old Noah had grown to a height of 2.76 meters (about 9 feet). His body showcased streamlined muscles, and he wore his long black hair tied in a simple ponytail.
He had developed his Card-Card Fruit to an extremely powerful level. His mastery of the three types of Haki had reached new heights. He had also mastered a series of Rokushiki extension techniques, including Life Return. His strength was roughly at the level of a Vice Admiral.
Thirty-three-year-old Uncle Joseph hadn't grown much taller, now standing at 2.1 meters (about 6 feet 11 inches), but he had explosive muscles and spiky black hair. His ability was the Zoan-type Silverback Gorilla Fruit. He had mastered Rokushiki and Life Return, could cover his whole body with Armament Haki, and had basic Observation Haki. His strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Rear Admiral.
Thirteen-year-old cousin Joshua had surpassed all before him in height, reaching 2.55 meters (about 8 feet 4 inches), with streamlined muscles and spiky black hair. He didn't have any Devil Fruit abilities yet but was proficient in Rokushiki and Armament Haki. He had an ultra-wide-range type of Observation Haki. His strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Captain.
Fourteen-year-old Lilith had grown to 2.13 meters (about 7 feet). She was a Zoan-type Emperor Butterfly Fruit user, had top-level Observation Haki and basic Armament Haki, knew some of the Rokushiki, and was a top-notch navigator and the family's steward. Her strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Captain.
Eleven-year-old Lillian had grown to 1.82 meters (about 6 feet). She was a Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit user, had top-level Observation Haki and basic Armament Haki, and served as the family's chef. Her strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Commodore.
Twelve-year-old Glenn Mary had grown to 1.93 meters (about 6 feet 4 inches). She was a Paramecia-type Smooth-Smooth Fruit user, had emotion-based Observation Haki and basic Armament Haki, knew some Rokushiki techniques and short swordsmanship, and was the family's intelligence officer and examiner. Her strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Captain.
Fifteen-year-old Anthony had grown to 2.22 meters (about 7 feet 3 inches). He was a Paramecia-type Sound-Sound Fruit user, had intermediate Armament Haki and Observation Haki, knew all the Rokushiki techniques and swordsmanship, and was the family's combatant and chief of staff. His strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Captain.
Fourteen-year-old Tommy had grown to 1.91 meters (about 6 feet 3 inches). He didn't have a Devil Fruit ability yet but had basic Armament Haki and Observation Haki, knew some Rokushiki techniques and marksmanship, and was a family combatant and painter. His strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Lieutenant Commander.
Thirteen-year-old Vic had grown to an impressive 2.91 meters (about 9 feet 6 inches). He didn't have a Devil Fruit ability yet but had advanced Armament Haki and basic Observation Haki, was proficient in Rokushiki and had developed extension techniques, and was a family combatant. His strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Captain.
Thirteen-year-old Ari had grown to 2.11 meters (about 6 feet 11 inches). He was a Paramecia-type Hole-Hole Fruit user, had intermediate Observation Haki and basic Armament Haki, knew marksmanship and some Rokushiki techniques, and was the family's sniper and strategic support. His strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Captain.
Ten-year-old Jay had grown to 1.8 meters (about 5 feet 11 inches). He was a Paramecia-type Graphite Fruit user, had basic Observation Haki and Armament Haki, knew some Rokushiki techniques, and was the family's shipwright and engineer. His strength was roughly at the level of a Marine Captain.
This is the current state of the eleven core members of the Noah family.
Is their strength a bit exaggerated?
Actually, it's not.
Consider Koby, the deserter under Garp, who took only two years to rise from a weak pirate chore boy to an elite Rear Admiral. Even if he had exceptional talent and received guidance and resources from Garp, the members of the Noah family also have considerable potential. Especially after consuming Devil Fruits and having abundant life force to expend. If it weren't for their young ages, their strength wouldn't have stopped here.
Regarding wealth and power, the Noah family has completed its initial accumulation and is now entering a period of rapid development.
The new members secretly recruited in the Rum Kingdom are still in the initial training phase. These newcomers are mainly orphans aged 6 to 12, totaling over 200 people.
Although there are more than 2,000 adult members within the Rum Kingdom, they are all peripheral members who don't even know the true nature of the family.
With over 200 billion Berries left by Barton, plus the continuous tax revenue from the Rum Kingdom and the Rum Trading Company, the family doesn't need to worry about funding issues for at least the next ten years.
Of course, although the Rum Kingdom is currently the family's largest asset, Noah doesn't intend to make it their main base.
On one hand, the Rum Kingdom is a member nation of the World Government, and many things can't be too blatant; only limited reforms can be carried out.
On the other hand, the potential of the Rum Kingdom is limited. After all, its land area is small, and there's the looming crisis of rising sea levels in the future. Therefore, Noah must quickly find a more hidden and secure place to serve as the family's base and backup plan.
He plans to stay in the Rum Kingdom until June 1504—this June—and then take some members to the first half of the Grand Line, known as Paradise.
With the strength he and his members possess, entering the Grand Line is more than feasible.
As long as they don't encounter multiple Admiral-level enemies, they won't face any fatal dangers in the Grand Line.
At sea, forces that can mobilize more than two Admiral-level combatants at once are, besides the World Government, the Emperors of the New World.
At this stage, there's only one Emperor of the Sea: Whitebeard.
Kaido's Beasts Pirates, Charlotte Linlin's Big Mom Pirates, and the up-and-coming Red Hair Pirates haven't yet risen to the top. The New World is still engulfed in chaotic warfare.
Entering the Grand Line now is actually safer than during Monkey D. Luffy's era. As long as they don't rush into the New World, they don't have to worry about suddenly encountering the subordinate forces of the Four Emperors in Paradise.