Training the Body in Syrup Village

"1050,"

"1051,"

On the deck of the merchant ship, Luffy and Zoro, wrapped in paper bandages, were doing squats with weights, grunting with effort. Nami, who was also exercising nearby…

"Why do I have to join too?!"

Facing a tearful Nami, Roman, standing by the helm, lifted an eyelid.

"You want to fight me too?"

"If you win, you don't have to listen to me—"

"Forget it, I'm training from the heart…"

Even the violent duo of Luffy and Zoro had lost, so Nami felt it was better not to ask for trouble. However:

"Roman, don't you need to train?"

"Who says I'm not training?" Roman waved his hand. Beside him, on the ship's helm, a pair of white 'paper hands' were steering the ship forward.

"I'm training my Devil Fruit ability. If I can create 'paper clones' that can act independently, it will greatly alleviate our shortage of manpower…"

Well, because many of Roman's ideas require precise 'control,' he was genuinely 'training' right now.

"Roman, I can understand you hurting me with a sword."

Luffy, once again wrapped in 'paper bandages,' grumbled while exercising.

"Why can your shield also hurt me~~"

"Is that what you call that 'Haki' thing?"

"Dream on," Roman couldn't help but retort. "If I knew Haki, I would have gone to the 'New World' to mess around already!"

"In my opinion, Haki is an extension of the 'soul.'"

"Observation Haki represents 'perception,' Armament Haki represents 'will,' Conqueror's Haki represents…" destiny? Temperament? Or something else… Roman shook his head, that stuff was too mysterious, he didn't know either.

"In short, I don't even know the specific training methods for Haki, how could I possibly use 'Armament Haki'."

As he spoke, Roman summoned, and a white 'paper hand' floated out from the cabin, holding a katana in its hand. It wasn't Zoro's beloved treasure, but 'cargo' from this merchant ship.

Although Roman and the others hadn't paid much attention, in the cabin below the deck, there lay a huge fortune: it was crates and crates of swords and flintlock guns!

"I just attach small triangular 'paper' to the edge of the shield, just like I'm doing now."

As Roman deliberately 'magnified' his ability, jagged 'sawtooth' patterns of paper appeared on the edge of his fingers, which were like knives.

"Then, I make them move at high speed."

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz~~~

With a low hum, these 'sawteeth' moved rapidly over Roman's body, forming a hazy chainsaw! Then he aimed at the katana floating in front of him and brought his hand down sharply.

Clang!

Sparks flew, metal clanged.

The sheathed katana was instantly cut in half!

"Tch, relying on Devil Fruit abilities, you're not a true swordsman who can cut iron."

Facing Zoro's displeased words, Roman shrugged. "Come on, I'm a Devil Fruit user. I'm not a swordsman…"

If Luffy facing Roman's sword and shield was like facing two high-speed cutting chainsaws, basic touch would cause injury, and contact would lead to bleeding. Forget fighting, just dodging was extremely embarrassing.

Then, Zoro facing Roman was like encountering an iron fortress. He was constantly hitting iron, dealing continuous minor damage, and finally collapsed from exhaustion.

"If you could cut steel, perhaps you would have a chance of winning."

But clearly, Zoro didn't have that strength now.

Facing Roman, who was clad in 'Paper Dance - Iron Armor' and also carrying a shield, Zoro, after unleashing a flurry of sparks, was helplessly knocked to the ground. —His attacks couldn't even penetrate the armor, how could he win?

Although it was true that with enough force, even without penetrating the armor, one could still 'injure' someone through impact.

Although it was true that if Zoro charged up and used skills like 'Onigiri,' he could barely break through Roman's 'Paper Dance - Iron Armor,' but…

Don't forget, even without his Devil Fruit abilities, Roman's own strength was no less than Zoro and Luffy's! So, it was only natural that the sparring ended with their defeat.

Speaking of which, against an ability user like Roman with 'full body armor,' heavy weapons would actually deal more damage. But Roman was already very agile, and the 'armor' and 'weapons' made of paper weighed almost nothing, which made his speed truly like the wind.

In short, a bet is a bet.

Luffy and Zoro had to sweat profusely and start training, bidding farewell to their usual 'fooling around,' which gave Roman a lot more peace.

"Too careless~~"

?

"This is a merchant ship, isn't it?"

After a comfortable hot shower to wash away the sweat, Nami, sitting on a paper chair, began to talk business with Roman. As for Luffy and Zoro? They were already fast asleep on the deck nearby.

"Although this merchant ship is quite good, it's not suitable for sailing, is it?"

Merchant ships, as the name suggests, are used for carrying cargo. They are large and stable, but their drawbacks are slow speed and poor firepower. If you're heading to the Grand Line, you need a vessel that is lightweight, fast, possesses decent long-range firepower, and can maneuver freely amidst surrounding enemies.

"So, we need a specialized ship. And—"

Nami, drying her hair with a towel, asked with confusion, "Is it really okay to waste fresh water like this?"

Taking a hot shower... was an extreme luxury for any crew member of a sailing vessel. Even though this merchant ship had enough cargo space...

"Ah, that. Don't worry about it."

Roman waved his hand.

"I can provide a large amount of paper as 'fuel,' and the fresh water is just a product I filtered from seawater."

"Eh, eh, eh?"

"Because my paper has 'biological' characteristics to a certain extent, if I wish, I can make these things..." As he spoke, a piece of white paper appeared in Roman's hand.

"Possess the cell wall function of a living organism, and then through the 'reverse osmosis principle,' I can purify fresh water from seawater..."

"I'm sorry, I understand every word you're saying, but when you put them all together—"

Nami, who had been scrutinized by Roman with a look of 'ignorance,' clenched her fist, feeling incredibly annoyed! If our strengths were swapped, I'd definitely show you what cruelty is!

"In short, just consider this one of my Devil Fruit abilities."

Roman stroked his chin.

"Let's call it 'Paper Dance - Pure Water'."

"Whatever makes you happy."

"Getting back to the point, before we enter the Grand Line, we should switch to a better ship."

Roman nodded in agreement with Nami's suggestion. Just like the 'Wave Rider' he had been on before, the Silver Light Pirates had managed to escape danger multiple times thanks to that high-speed vessel.

Unfortunately, no matter how fast it ran, it was ultimately destroyed by their own people.

Roman sank that ship to the seabed, which served as the final resting place for the 'Silver Light Pirates.'

"Well, our next destination is called 'Syrup Village.' It would be best if we could get a new ship there..."

Facing Nami, who was seriously looking at the sea chart, Roman rubbed his temples.

Syrup Village...

Usopp's hometown, and also the place where the Straw Hat Pirates acquired their first ship, the 'Going Merry.' I remember that Usopp's childhood friend's family had a pirate mole known as 'Hundred Plans,' what was his name... Nock? Or Kuro?

Roman recalled for a long time, only remembering the opponent's signature move of pushing up his glasses with one hand, and the long blades on his ten fingers... It seemed like he was just a minor character.

Great, I'll just beat him up there and get the ship as a reward...

Wait!

Roman rubbed his temples, wondering if he had been with Luffy for too long, his intelligence had plummeted to such a degree! Is there really such a simple and straightforward thing in the world? Just go beat someone up and get a reward... Is this a game? And I remember it was when the opponent's secret talks were overheard by Luffy and the others that...

Never mind, since I know who the problem is, things are very simple.

Roman's eyes flickered. Being a 'bad guy,' that's what he was best at~~