Thirteen Protectors Hard Qi Training

Ronan took a deep breath, sank his qi into his Dantian, and the air around him abruptly changed, becoming heavy and ancient, like a bronze bell tempered by the baptism of years.

"This technique is called—Thirteen Protectors Hard Qi Training!"

Ronan had never practiced this technique in the Dharma-ending age of his previous life.

It was simply too difficult. Not only did it place extreme demands on one's physical talent, but one also had to be soaked in medicinal baths from childhood.

And if one's qi went even slightly astray during training, it could injure the internal organs. In peaceful times, it was utterly useless, while also costing a fortune.

But in this world of the Pirate King, everything was different.

The physical constitutions of humans here were practically a bug.

Luffy's recovery was astounding; there was no injury a big meal could not fix.

Zoro possessed an even more monstrous physique—he could sleep once and return at full health.

On top of that, this world had all kinds of miraculous beast meat and ingredients. It was practically paradise for Hardening Techniques!

And Ronan himself possessed the [Perseverance] system panel.

As long as he trained, he could grow stronger. There were no bottlenecks and no limits.

This hard qi training, known as a "fool's method" in his previous life, was destined to shine with terrifying brilliance beyond the original in his hands.

"Are you ready?"

Ronan unbuttoned his shirt, revealing lean, well-defined muscles.

Under the moonlight, his muscles brimmed with explosive power.

"Come on!"

Zoro stripped off his shirt, exposing his sturdy upper body, then casually tossed his wine cup aside.

Luffy also lowered his Straw Hat, grinned, and assumed a fighting stance.

"First, memorize this breathing method."

Ronan began to demonstrate.

His chest rose and fell violently, while his throat released a low growl resembling the Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound.

With every inhale, his abdomen sank deeply inward.

With every exhale, every muscle in his body instantly tightened, like an iron plate.

"Let your qi circulate through the Ren Du channels, and focus your intent on the Dantian. The instant an attack reaches you, hold your breath and push your muscles outward!"

"Now, close your eyes! Feel my attacks!"

Ronan shouted.

The next moment, the deck became a training ground.

Ronan did not use his iron spear. He used only his fists.

His figure became an afterimage under the moonlight, his fists howling through the air as they mercilessly struck toward the vital points of the two men.

"Left!"

Zoro kept his eyes closed, his brow tightly furrowed as he tried to catch that faint trace of wind.

He suddenly twisted to the right.

"Bang!"

A muffled sound rang out.

Ronan's fist did not come from the left. Instead, it slammed solidly into Zoro's right shoulder.

"Ugh!" Zoro groaned in pain, staggering from the blow, but he immediately followed Ronan's instructions, tensing his muscles and forcibly enduring the strike.

Although the sharp pain pierced his heart, he could feel that force shaking his skin, as though it were hammering a piece of raw iron.

"It hurts! But... it feels so good!" A trace of madness flashed through Zoro's eyes.

"Luffy, your turn!"

Ronan turned and whipped out a sweeping kick.

Luffy closed his eyes, his ears twitching as he abruptly ducked on instinct, relying on his beast-like intuition.

"Whoosh—"

The kick skimmed past Luffy's scalp.

"I dodged it! Hehehe!" Luffy was just about to gloat.

But Ronan's follow-up move was unbelievably fast. His leg dropped, changing directly into a chopping kick that smashed viciously into Luffy's back.

"Smack!"

"Ow! It hurts, it hurts!"

Even though Luffy was a rubber man, Ronan's deliberate use of Penetrating Force still made him bare his teeth in pain.

"Stop whining! Use the breathing method! If you don't want it to hurt, use Observation Haki to dodge!" Ronan barked. At that moment, he was every bit the strict demon instructor.

"Again!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Under the moonlight, a special kind of "group beating" unfolded on the deck of the Merry.

Ronan played two roles by himself, serving both as their Observation Haki sparring partner and as the hammer for their Hardening Technique training.

His fists and kicks fell like raindrops, mercilessly pounding Luffy and Zoro.

At first, the two of them were almost completely being beaten one-sidedly.

The dull sounds of flesh colliding echoed across the silent sea, making Nami and Usopp, who stood nearby, shudder in alarm.

But gradually, the situation began to change in subtle ways.

Bruises began appearing all over Zoro's body, yet his ability to withstand blows visibly improved.

His breathing grew steadier and steadier, and his muscles instinctively hardened the instant they were struck. It was accumulation transforming from quantity into quality.

As for Luffy, his beast-like instincts began to awaken.

With his eyes closed, his body unconsciously began making bizarre, twisted evasive movements.

Out of ten attacks, he had gone from being hit by every one to occasionally dodging one or two.

And Ronan himself, though he did not receive the outrageous fivefold boost of Deathmatch Mode, thoroughly enjoyed the threefold boost of battle mode.

Sweat poured down like rain.

Steam rose from all three men's bodies. Under the cold moonlight, they looked like three statues of war gods being forged in blazing fire.

Nami pulled her blanket tighter around herself. As she watched those three tireless figures, the disdain in her eyes gradually turned into admiration.

"They really are... a bunch of monsters."

The sea wind grew stronger, fluttering the brand-new skeleton flag with a snapping sound, as though it were accompanying this special training session.

The Grand Line lay ahead.

And they were forging their bodies into the strongest weapons capable of conquering that Great Sea.

East Blue, an unknown Sea Area.

The first pale light of dawn had just appeared on the horizon, and a thin layer of morning mist covered the sea like a mysterious veil.

The Merry swayed gently with the currents, occasionally letting out creaks as its Wooden Planks pressed together, breaking the silence before dawn.

Yet the deck had long since become solemn.

"Breathe in—breathe out—"

Three figures stood side by side, their legs slightly bent and planted firmly on the deck like old trees rooted in the earth.

Ronan stood in the middle, with Luffy and Zoro on either side.

As the first golden rays of sunlight pierced the clouds above the horizon and fell upon their Bare Upper Bodies, all three men's chests rose and fell almost at once. A deep rumble emerged from their throats, followed by a slow exhalation of concentrated white vapor, sharp as arrows.

The white vapor did not disperse in the chilly morning wind, extending several feet away.

Ronan slowly stopped practicing, and a string of crisp crackles like popping beans sounded from the joints throughout his body.

Beside him, Zoro ended his stance. Fine sweat droplets covered his bare upper body, glistening with an oily sheen in the morning light.

The lines of his sturdy muscles were clearly defined, trembling faintly with each breath and filled with explosive power.

Zoro lowered his head to examine his arms, then reached out and squeezed them hard. His skin actually made a tough sound like cowhide paper being rubbed together.

"Hey, Ronan."

Zoro raised his head, unable to conceal the excitement in his eyes.

"That Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Refinement thing we practiced yesterday... I think it's really useful."

"After just one night, I already feel like my skin has become incredibly tough. It's like... like I'm wearing an invisible suit of leather armor."

Luffy grinned beside him and pulled at his own cheek.

"Yeah, yeah! Even though I'm a rubber man, it feels like my skin got thicker! I accidentally ran into the mast just now, and it didn't hurt at all!"