Noddis Kingdom

On an ordinary little boat, Dorans is at the helm.

The three prepared to travel to a wealthy kingdom called Nordis in the North Blue.

In the North Blue, a region rife with war, wealth symbolizes power and security... and this kingdom's development is only possible because it is protected by the World Government and is one of its member states. The three of them have been in the North Blue for about a month and have learned some things about the situation North Blue.

Firstly, compared to the other three seas, the North Blue has a relatively colder climate, though temperate or tropical zones are rare. Secondly, there's the anticipated warfare... The only things you'll see on the sea, besides One Piece crews, are various cargo ships transporting supplies and weapons. The One Piece of the North Blue are also quite unique; they're like a pack of cats that can smell blood. As soon as they hear about trouble in a country, they swarm in... trying to squeeze some profit from the capital or forces behind the chaos.

Although they couldn't get a share of the pie, the little bit of profit they made was enough to enrich their families.

And... only after arriving in North Blue did Long realize one thing: the influence of the Donquixote Family here.

For One Piece in the North Blue, Doflamingo even has the aura of an 'idol', with many people regarding him as a hero and worshipping him immensely.

Another thing is the comic book he's holding right now.

Comics are a bit old-fashioned, but they're still very popular after all this time.

Even some adults enjoy watching it.

Germa 66, led by the Vinsmoke Family, adapted the serialized 'Sora, Warrior of the Sea'.

If the Donquixote Family influences the new generation of One Piece in the North Blue, then Germa is the 'brand' of the North Blue.

Everyone knows it.

"It's quite interesting."

Long flipped through the comic book, a slight smile on his face.

"Boss, after we go to Nordis, we..."

Dom stood at the bow of the ship for a while, then turned and asked.

The situation in the East Blue is showing signs of calming down, with major media outlets reporting on it almost daily, so even those in the North Blue are well aware of the situation. After confirming they couldn't find Oboro, the culprit, many forces returned to the Grand Line. However, something interesting happened during this time... the Big Mom Pirates clashed with Kaido's Beasts Pirates. It's said that Admiral Aokiji arrived, and both sides stopped fighting and fled beforehand.

The influx of various forces has also caused some losses to the navy's forces in the East Blue.

"Haven't we already gotten the identity?"

Long lifted her eyelids slightly.

Especially in the unique circumstances of the North Blue, as long as security is guaranteed, relatively stable kingdoms will verify the identities of outsiders; otherwise, they won't be allowed in... for fear that some 'unclean' individuals might infiltrate and trigger a war. However, in a place like the North Blue ... with money, anything can be done, such as altering one's background. The most typical method is having connections with other 'friendly countries,' such as certificates from chambers of commerce, the totems and symbols of a powerful family, etc., all of which can be bought.

"Um."

"Wait a while... If nothing unexpected happens, the World Government will investigate the three seas, including the North Blue. But these three seas are too big, and even the World Government is powerless to do so. So the only thing they can do is to secretly inquire and search, which will take a lot of time."

Long closed the book. "And this period of time is the gap between your growth."

Upon hearing this, Dorans turned around in surprise.

He realized something.

"We've observed for a while now. The North Blue is a great place to profit from war, and we can also make a name for ourselves more quickly by taking advantage of the war. Doflamingo has already given us the answer; we just need to copy him."

"The North Blue is his territory. Once we gain power, he will definitely target us... Given his personality, he probably won't allow others to take away his share. Many of the established forces in the North Blue have intricate connections with the Donquixote Family. The reason these people are allowed to have some benefits is because they have Doflamingo's tacit approval."

Dom frowned.

"That's why I want you to grow up... Don't worry, if you want to make a name for yourself on this sea, you have to take on tough opponents, otherwise... how will others respect you?" Long patted his shoulder.

"I plan to teach you some cultivation techniques and give you some training. When the time is right, we will set sail."

"Yes."

Cultivation?

Dorans's expression froze for a moment.

He thought the captain would grant him 'divine power' directly.

After all that, it turns out I still need to cultivate.

"Disappointed?"

Long noticed his expression.

"No."

Dorans immediately smiled obsequiously and obediently set sail.

Oboro didn't change his clothes; he was still dressed in a suit and tie, wearing a hat... This kind of attire is too common. Not only the Mafia, but many social elites also dress like this. It's not conspicuous, and there's no need to worry about it being exposed in daily life, unless you encounter someone with particularly sharp eyes. As for Dom... he changed his clothes. He was wrapped in black bandages from head to toe. His slender physique made him look like a walking mummy, with only his facial features showing.

His fighting style is flexible, somewhat like an assassin; if he were to wear clothes, it would somewhat hinder his movement.

So... he ultimately chose this outfit, black... which also tends to be more concealing.

It might seem a bit unusual during the day... but there are just too many people in this world dressed in strange clothes...

As for Dorans, no one outside knew of his existence, and he could do whatever he wanted.

A short while later, Dom took out the food he had prepared and began to cook. To be honest, his cooking skills were not very good; it was just enough to fill his stomach. They were still some distance from the island where the Noddis Kingdom was located.

After finishing his meal, Oboro sat cross-legged in the cabin and meditated, focusing his energy.

He has been practicing Qi cultivation without interruption.

In the state of mental introspection, he can see the thousands of blood vessels in his body. In the flowing blood, a large amount of qi is spreading out wherever the blood goes, nourishing the tendons, bones and muscles.

This is the state of perfect breathing.

Absolutely perfect.

After the tempering he experienced during Demon Slayer, in just a few months, in his new life, Oboro could circulate his aura 24/7 without conscious effort, even while sleeping. His aura filled his flesh and blood, and through training, it strengthened his muscles, which in turn nourished even more aura, creating a mutually beneficial cycle. All he needed to do was, once his muscles had a sufficient amount of aura, refine and enhance his physical attributes... and then allow new aura to be born from his transformed flesh and blood.

This makes one's own energy stronger and more abundant.

Under Long's control, a wisp of internal energy stopped at an acupoint on his shoulder and gradually formed a vortex.

The vortex, as if possessing gravity, pulled all the air passing through this part of the body towards it, making it even thicker and more abundant.

This... is precisely the acupoint Qi Vortex.

Evolved from the will of Demon Slayer, the stronger the Qi Vortex, the stronger this part of the body becomes... In short, it's the same as when he absorbed souls through his abilities in the Hunter World; theoretically, it can evolve indefinitely.

This time, however, "infinite evolution" refers to the physical body.

However, the method of Qi cultivation can be seen as a 'perpetual motion machine,' but the prerequisite is that one needs to constantly temper the physical body and relentlessly torment oneself. Otherwise, once one stops, evolution ceases. Because if the physical body is not strong enough, it cannot generate new Qi, which will lead to insufficient Qi volume, perhaps only enough to form Qi Vortex in all the acupoints of the body... but to transform Qi into the dantian and form the dantian Qi sea... is hopeless.

So far, over several months, Oboro has only managed to form more than twenty Qi Vortex.

There are hundreds of acupoints throughout the body.

He is still far from reaching the realm of a terrestrial immortal.

Judging from his fight with that old man Lao G, Oboro could imagine the level of physical strength of the Yonko... Shanks' strength lay in his Haki, swordsmanship, and intellect; his physical strength was probably slightly weaker. As for the other three, Oboro had no doubt that, even in terms of pure physical strength, they could destroy an island or a country.

Given his previous combination of breathing techniques and martial arts skills, it would be quite difficult for him to reach the level of these three monsters in the world of One Piece.

After all, there is the targeting and suppression from the world's will.

Furthermore, One Piece is a dimension that emphasizes the physical body.

There are quite a few monsters here with terrifying physical forms.

But now... there is no such concern.

It wasn't in vain that I spent my time on Demon Slayer.

When Long opened her eyes, the ship had already docked at the coastline of a landmass, and it was already dark.

We've arrived at our destination.