Ryokugyu's Dugong!
Three days passed in a flash. Vidal left Blair and the others behind and walked alone under the scorching sun on the boundless desert, with Forest City nowhere to be seen behind him.
Vidal is returning to Erumalu, but he doesn't seem to be in a hurry, taking his time as if he were taking a stroll, because he feels this is a rare opportunity for reflection.
Imagine a vast, cloudless blue sky, a scorching yellow desert, and a man draped in Justice Coat walking step by step through a light sandstorm. Wouldn't it be incredibly beautiful if someone could take a picture of this scene from a distance?
Vidal was lost in thought, enjoying the freedom of his mind; it made him feel free.
"Looking back, the first cohort of Zephyr Training Camp students, Sengoku's disciples, the popularization of the Three-Three System Tactics and Konoha Style Kicking Techniques, coupled with their victories over Bondi Byrnndi World and Gecko Moria, have laid a solid foundation in terms of naval background, experience, and prestige. Now, all they need to do is steadily reap the benefits."
"As for the government, my persona of being greedy for money and power should be established. Coupled with the three-pronged policy of opening up roads, Road Sealing, and Imperial Way, as well as the 'Bible Future' initiative, I've certainly garnered a lot of goodwill from Mary Geoise."
In the vast desert, Vidal muttered to himself without restraint, his favorite way of thinking, speaking aloud as he pondered.
But usually, they can only keep it to themselves.
"But my penchant for extravagance doesn't seem to have been showcased well."
He thought about it and realized that even Vice Admiral Garp would be followed by a long line of naval officers of all ranks no matter where he went in the future. He felt that his current practice of going alone was a bit too low-key.
If we're talking about being high-profile, it seems like only during my first visit to Alabasta.
He did indeed neglect this aspect; to put it bluntly, his acting skills were insufficient, and he subconsciously revealed his true nature, which is a very dangerous thing.
"Therefore, my upcoming trips must maintain a rather extravagant and high-profile style at all times. When traveling by ship, I can't just bring one Oxhead Battleship; I must bring an entire fleet!"
"Once we arrive, have my marines clear a path and Road Sealing road. Oh, and I can also create an Imperial Way for myself, but I'll have to change its name and the wooden carvings on it!"
Before he knew it, he found himself at the edge of a river. He was certain it was a river because he could see the desert on the opposite bank when he looked up.
It seemed he had gone the wrong way. Vidal looked around speechlessly. He remembered that Erumalu was downstream of the Sandora River, so he just needed to keep going along the river.
"Huh?"
Just then, he pulled back his foot, because he saw an interesting scene on the riverbank: hundreds of Kung Fu Dugong shells and wearing green hats, were leaping along the river in neat rows.
Yes, they jump because they have no feet and their lower bodies are like a seal's Leopard Tail.
"It looks like they're training." Vidal observed the group of Kung Fu Dugong with great interest from above.
He had once heard a saying that these Kung Fu Dugong were as talented as those that Mimic Baboons, except that the former specialized in physical skills while the latter specialized in swordsmanship or the use of various weapons.
What's most remarkable is that both the Kung Fu Dugong and the Mimic Baboons possess intelligence comparable to that of a human teenager. They can fully understand human speech, yet they lack the complex and dark thoughts of humans and have extremely simple personalities.
At this moment, the group of Kung Fu Dugong stopped, then faced the surging waves of the Sandora River, and, with the only manatee standing outside the group, meticulously raised their fists, their anthropomorphic little faces filled with seriousness.
This made Vidal very curious: why were they so obsessed with practicing boxing?
He felt that just thinking about it was pointless, so he chose to jump.
[Bang.]
The moment the dull thud echoed, the hundred or so Kung Fu Dugong all turned to look at Vidal, a sight that made him smile somewhat awkwardly.
"Hello, I'm Vidal, can we be friends?"
He knew they could understand, which was a magical thing, but that's just how magical this world is; there's no logic to it.
"Wow--"
"Wah wah! Wah wah! Wah!" Just then, the manatee leading the boxing practice jumped over and yelled at Vidal.
Unfortunately, he couldn't understand what they were saying.
But it's okay!
Vidal knew their rules.
"Are you challenging me?" Vidal asked with a smile.
"Wow!" The manatee nodded emphatically.
"If I win, you'll have to become my disciple, leave this place, and come with me. Are you willing?" Vidal asked again.
The manatee hesitated for a moment, then looked back at its companions. They all nodded at it, their support evident in their eyes, though they didn't yell.
"Wow!" The manatee made up its mind and nodded again.
"Alright, let's go."
Seeing Vidal beckon to him, the Kung Fu Dugong clenched his fists, leaped up, and pounced at incredible speed.
"Wow!!"
Vidal was somewhat surprised, because his small fist was actually emitting a faint whooshing sound. Although it wasn't very obvious, he could hear it very clearly with his strength.
"No wonder Cobra said that even many soldiers in the Royal Army couldn't beat these Kung Fu Dugong."
[Bang!]
"Wow?!"
The manatee, leaping into the air, stared in shock at the slender fingers that had caught its full-force punch, and the spot where the fingers had struck it still stung.
"You're still a long way off." Vidal chuckled, his finger flashing out of focus as he flicked the manatee's brow, sending it flying into the river about thirty meters away.
[Thump--]
Waves rise.
"Wow!" The manatees watching the battle couldn't help but exclaim and looked towards the river. Some even jumped out of their ranks, ready to rush over to rescue them.
But before they could get close to the river, another jet of water surged up from the surface. The manatee that had been knocked in earlier, with its forehead still slightly red, quickly jumped back in front of Vidal, then lowered its little green head in a karate salute.
"Wow!"
Vidal still couldn't understand, but that didn't stop him from understanding what the other person meant. This must be a request to become his apprentice. He thought for a moment and realized he didn't have any Poké Balls, so he took a navy hat from the right pocket of his coat and put it on his head.
The navy cap and the Justice Coat were a matching set, but he didn't like wearing hats, feeling they didn't match his thick, long, curly black hair.
Now that's settled, we can just give them this Kung Fu Dugong!
"My name is Vidal, Forrest Vidal. Nice to meet you." Vidal squatted down and tapped the manatee's forehead again.
But this time, a green light emanated from his fingertips, relieving the pain in the warmth. This moved the little manatee in front of him so much that its eyes lit up, and it threw itself into his arms, just like Enel- chan at home, acting spoiled.
This pleased Vidal as well.
"Haha, it's interesting that my 'Ryokugyu' has a manatee as a pet!"
Thank you so much, 2B! You're the one who gave me the 1500 reward!! Thank you so much!