Rance: "How are you going to be a cook if you eat all the food yourself?"
Returning her finger to its human form, Fia crossed her arms and looked at Rance: "Commodore Aramaki already said that I could."
This girl, Bill thought, probably refused to remain hungry due to her past. Initially, she wanted to be a ninja to steal food, but now that she had been recruited into the Marines, she decided to become a cook.
Shrugging, Rance said before Bill could respond, "And I have my revolvers and handcuffs."
Surprised by this, Bill looked at them and said, "Listen, regardless of whether you ate the Cannon-Cannon Fruit or not, joining the Marines is dangerous. We're lucky to have a choice. We need to prepare and become as strong as possible.
And do you really think those toy guns will stop a giant? Besides, how are you going to use them to handcuff a pirate?"
After thinking for a short moment, Rance quickly replied, "Well, I can also fight with my legs!"
Bill: "Alright, listen, we need to find someone who can really teach us how to fight. I don't think relying solely on legs in a fight is a good idea! But in any case, we need to do more to become stronger."
For a minute, the three of them fell silent. Bill hadn't seen any dojos or gyms on the island. The only thought was about the stout captain. However, Bill didn't want to return to the captain until he could at least somewhat control his blood.
Rance: "There's Karate Island? I heard you can learn any martial art there."
Nodding first, Bill then said, "Yes, but we don't have any chance of getting there."
Before the group fell silent again, Fia spoke up: "I saw some Marines cutting through boards with just their kicks."
Surprised at first, then triumphant, Rance said, "See? I told you I'd be strong using my legs!"
Rolling his eyes, Bill replied, "I'm not impressed by trained adult men chopping through wooden boards."
Fia: "They cut through boards from ten meters away. Their kicks sliced through the air, I think."
Astonished by this, Bill finally said, "...well, that's REALLY impressive. Alright, let's go and see if we can learn something!"
With these words, Bill led the others to the MCT building.
Passing through the large front doors, they soon saw that Captain Trapan somehow knew of their arrival and came out to meet them.
Trapan: "So you're back already?" The stout captain looked at Bill before continuing, "Hmm, you clearly haven't done what I told you, so why are you here?With a smile, Bill replied, "Didn't you say I could use the equipment here for training?"
Slightly smirking, Trapan responded, "Yes, I did say that, but remember, young man, you yourself said you wanted to learn how to gain true strength. The equipment here won't help you until you do what I told you."
Bill said, "I feel like I'm close. I can sense most movements of my body, but I didn't come here to use weights. I need something else."
Looking at Bill and his friends with interest, Trapan asked, "And what is that?"
Afterwards, Bill explained his intentions and those of his friends to Trapan. He talked about what happened at the beach and how they want to use the remaining few years before conscription to prepare for anything they might encounter at sea.
Bill: "And then Fia said she saw some Marines using leg techniques that cut through the air. So I thought you're our best chance."
The stout captain, as expected, was aware of the beach incident, but he listened silently.
Trapan: "So, you're going to become a strong Marine, huh? I'm sure your father disagrees."
Bill looked at the captain and said, "He was against it, but I told him I know what I need to do. I won't be able to enlist until I'm sixteen, but that's my plan."
In response to his words, Trapan nodded approvingly. He placed a hand on Bill's shoulder and gave him a slight push. "Good job, boy, and your friends too," he said, looking at Fia and Rance before continuing in a more formal tone. "The martial art that this junior sheriff mentioned is called the 'Storm of Legs' and is one of the Six Powers of the Marines.
It teaches the practitioner to deliver a kick with such speed that the air compresses into the shape of a sharp blade. The strength of this blade is proportional to the force and speed of the kick. The practical application of this technique in combat is obvious. Less obvious is the fact that it can be used with any properly trained limb."
Turning to the wall, Trapan looked back at the three and said, "Watch."
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he released a visible whirlwind of air that hissed as it struck the wall.
"Let's take a look," he said, walking towards the spot where it hit, with the children following behind.
When Bill got closer to the wall, he saw a distinct cut. The cut was about as long and wide as a finger.
Amidst the amazed exclamations of "wow" and "ah" from Fia and Rance, Bill looked at the stout captain in a completely new light.