Mobius had already made up his mind. He walked over to the metal frame and looked at the wooden stick clamped upright in it. He planted his feet on the frame's two front legs to keep it steady during training.
Three joints in each of his arms had been dislocated—Teach had wrenched them out of place. Some time had passed, and the pain wasn't as intense as before, but when Mobius tried to raise his right arm, a sharp stab of pain shot straight into his brain.
" Hss!" Mobius sucked in a breath, his mind suddenly clear. His awareness of the pain sharpened. He raised his arm slightly and gritted his teeth, swaying as he tried to move it with his shoulder. Then he froze. That wouldn't do—his arm wouldn't get any training that way.
Mobius gritted his teeth, focused on his goal. He had to learn the technique within a month. He didn't know if he could, but he had to—not only to earn Teach's approval, but for his own sake.
"Thump!" Enduring the pain, Mobius swung his arm, snapping it out to the side. He pictured Teach using Snake Hand earlier and tried to imitate him. The image wasn't clear, but the pain kept his mind sharp, and the memory grew more vivid.
Determination shone in Mobius's eyes. Tears streamed down his face, but he didn't stop moving his arm. Like a whip, it lashed from left to right, then from right to left.
A wave of searing pain after another tore through him. Mobius gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep going, tears welling in his eyes.
Gradually, Mobius ran out of tears. His right arm seemed to go numb. The skin on both sides had been torn away by the repeated blows, and blood trickled out in thin streams.
The only sound in the air was the steady "thump, thump!" of his strikes. He didn't know how long it had been; time seemed to stretch endlessly, but that didn't matter. After strike upon strike, the wood finally gave way. Cracks appeared across its surface, proof that Mobius's efforts were beginning to pay off.
The cracks in the wood grew more pronounced, and excitement stirred in Mobius's heart. At last, with a sharp crack, the wood broke.
Mobius lowered his arm and glanced over at Teach. Teach was still training, doing push-ups, his face flushed and his lips pressed tightly together. He was struggling badly now; each push took about five seconds.
Teach still hadn't stopped. Then I can't stop either, Mobius thought.
With difficulty, he removed the broken piece of wood, bent down, and picked up another one. Then he secured it in the frame again.
This time, he switched to his left arm and began training again. He didn't notice Teach behind him, not far away, glancing up at his back. Teach's lips curled into a smile.
The training continued. Mobius didn't know how long had passed. They had started in the morning, and now dusk was falling. Teach kept swinging his iron sword.
At last, another crack rang out. Teach stopped and looked toward Mobius, who had finished training. He checked the time: eight hours had passed since morning, and they had even missed lunch.
Looking at what he had accomplished that day, Mobius collapsed onto the ground, tears of joy on his face. He had done it.
"All right. I'll put your joints back in place, then we'll eat." Teach's voice reached him. Mobius nodded, and his stomach suddenly growled. He had lost track of time, almost forgotten everything while training, and only now realized he was too hungry to move.
Teach worked quickly, giving Mobius no time to react. With a series of "cracks," the joints in both his arms were back in place.
"Mm!" Mobius grunted and slowly raised his arms. They felt as if they didn't belong to him. He rotated his joints, awkwardly, then shook his arms. The sound of his joints moving echoed as he worked them, his body stiff from holding the same position for so long.
Still, he could feel that he seemed stronger. He swung his arm through the air, and it made a faint whooshing sound. Mobius knew it was only his imagination—the temporary swelling of his muscles after training wouldn't last—but it was enough to excite him. It meant the training was working.
Mobius had regained control of both arms. The injuries couldn't be undone, but he felt a sense of relief.
Dinner was brief and relaxed. It was one of their rare chances to rest, but as soon as they finished eating, Teach began training again: strength exercises and swordsmanship, all night long.
Mobius wasn't about to give up so easily either. He began training his strength as well.
Life at sea was terribly dull. This was a well-established route used by many merchant ships, and they hadn't encountered any pirate crews looking to plunder them.
Mobius also noticed that Teach's life was monotonous: train, eat, train. He didn't even sleep. Sometimes he would go outside to get some air and look at the sea.
On the first night, Mobius trained alongside Teach. When he saw that Teach wasn't sleeping, he kept going too. Eventually, he was so exhausted he couldn't move. The moment he closed his eyes, he fell into a heavy sleep.
When he woke in the morning, Teach was already training. It was the same on the first day, the second day, and the third.
Mobius finally couldn't hold back. During a meal, he asked Teach, "Teach, why don't you ever sleep? Don't you get tired?"
Teach kept moving as he listened. "I can't sleep. It's been like this since I was born. When I get tired, I just rest for a while," he said slowly.
"What? How can someone be unable to sleep? That means you have way more time to train than other people!" Mobius exclaimed. He thought of Teach's nonstop training day and night, and felt a little envious.
"Zehahaha! To me, this is a cursed constitution. If I want to train, I can work out for twenty-three hours a day. Then I can rest for the remaining hour, right? But it took away my right to sleep." Teach laughed. He wasn't angry about it; he had come to terms with it long ago.
"The pain of being unable to sleep?" Mobius asked, puzzled. But then he imagined being exhausted and unable to sleep. Just a couple of days ago, he had tried to stay up late, but he had been so tired that he'd fallen asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.
At the thought of being unable to sleep, Mobius felt a chill and shuddered.
He looked at Teach, finding it harder and harder to imagine how he could stand being unable to sleep from birth.
Teach wasn't wrong to call it a curse. But Teach had conquered that curse and refused to yield. That was why he was so much stronger, with a spirit and potential no one else could match. Sooner or later, he would reach the top. It wouldn't be long.
With that thought, Mobius was filled with renewed determination. I can't slack off either. I have to keep up with Teach. I have to get stronger. Otherwise, I'll only ever see his back—if I can even see that much.
In just a few days, Mobius had made obvious progress. His arms had grown much stronger. On the first day, he'd taken a full eight hours to finish his training. On the second, he'd finished half an hour earlier. On the third, it had taken him seven hours.
To build his strength, he saw the bands around Teach's wrists and ankles and made one for himself. Since they couldn't build equipment on the ship, he tied a few stones to his arms to train their strength.
On the fourth day—today—Mobius finished in just six hours, a full hour faster than the day before.
Feeling himself improve was what drove him to train. That was why he threw himself into it more and more. It might be tough at first, but if he held on until the end, all the results would be worth it.
Teach watched Mobius's progress. He was a little surprised, but it was also what he'd expected. He didn't praise or encourage Mobius; he wasn't that kind of person. Besides, it was still early. Training was only beginning, and the one-month deadline was no joke. If Mobius slacked off even a little, he could very well fail.
So far, though, Mobius was doing well. He'd stuck with the first day of training and hadn't given up, and he'd trained hard over the following days.
If Mobius really could master the technique within a month, Teach couldn't say what his future would hold, but it would be promising. With a good Devil Fruit, he could become a strong fighter.
The people aboard the ship had grown used to the two men who never went out except to eat. No one bothered them; they weren't causing trouble. Whenever someone came in to deliver news, they could always see Teach and Mobius training.
That was normal. The New World's magnetic fields were extremely unstable, which was why the weather was so bizarre. This route was long, and it would take at least twelve or thirteen days to reach their destination, not counting any trouble along the way. Since setting out, they hadn't seen a single island. Teach had asked Mobius to check with the crew, who often sailed this route, and they said it would take at least another day or two to reach the first island.
That day, Teach was training when the ship suddenly lurched. The oil lamp on the wall flickered. Teach stopped and looked around. Had something happened outside?
"Everyone, get ready! There's a massive waterspout ahead on our route. We're going to steer around it, so there may be some rough waves. Hold on tight and keep your balance!" The captain's voice came from outside. Quick footsteps sounded across the deck as sailors and guards prepared themselves. They had spent years sailing the open sea and were experienced.
A waterspout was a terrifying natural disaster. If a ship got too close, it could be destroyed and everyone aboard could die. But they were still a long way away, and there were several ways to avoid it. They would just have to take a longer route.
"Whoa! A waterspout! It's huge!" Through the window, Mobius saw the strong winds and could already feel their pull from afar. It was the force of the swirling winds. Shocked, he pointed at the giant waterspout only a few hundred meters ahead. It was at least a hundred meters tall and thirty meters across.
It was undoubtedly a terrifying natural disaster. Suddenly, the merchant ship lurched, and everything in the room began to slide. The entire ship tilted at a thirty-degree angle as it turned and changed course. Beneath the waterspout was a terrifying, enormous whirlpool; they absolutely couldn't let themselves get sucked into it.
Mobius's eyes widened. It was his first time seeing a waterspout, and it was enormous.
"Idiot, you'll get sucked out! No one will be able to save you then." Teach rushed over when he saw Mobius standing by the window. It was extremely dangerous. He slammed the window shut and locked it. Only after hearing Teach's warning did Mobius realize how close he'd come to trouble.
The merchant ship was unlucky. "Hey! Watch out! Keep turning—the waterspout is moving this way!" Teach's voice rang through the entire ship. "What?" The captain's expression changed. He immediately gave the order. "Keep going! Don't stop! Pick up speed!"
He didn't doubt Teach. Why would someone speak up at a time like this if he were lying?
And with years of sailing experience, the captain had quickly noticed something amiss after Teach pointed it out. The waterspout really was moving toward them.
"Quick! Raise the sails! Get us away from that whirlpool!" the captain shouted. They soon found the best escape route. Judging by the waterspout's course, it was coming toward them from the left, so they had to go around it on the right.
"Teach, are we going to be okay?" Mobius asked anxiously. The ship rocked violently as it sailed through the massive whirlpool. The powerful currents had cracked several parts of the hull, and seawater was leaking in.
"Zehahaha! We'll be fine. This captain is a very experienced old hand, and the other sailors have been through plenty too. Weather like this in the New World won't get the better of them." Teach laughed heartily.
Sure enough, under the wise direction of the merchant ship's old captain, Teach watched the waterspout slowly recede behind them. The danger had passed.
In just a few dozen minutes, the captain and crew were exhausted. One by one, they collapsed on the ground to rest. Parts of the hull were damaged, and they needed to find a place to make proper repairs. Water was still leaking into the ship, and though they had patched it up quickly, the repairs wouldn't hold for long.
"Captain, there's an island ahead!" someone spotted it and shouted excitedly.
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