Teach's Approval

The rain poured down, the wind howled, and lightning snaked through the sky. "Quick, hold on tight, don't get thrown overboard!" Teach steered, shouting loudly. On the sea, waves three meters high continuously crashed down. The thirteen-meter-long single-masted sailboat pitched violently with the swell.

Mobius tightly hugged the single mast in the center of the boat. Wos tied himself to the iron pillar Mobius used for training with a rope, hiding in the corner of the only room that could block the rain. But none of this seemed to affect Pito. The boat's rocking didn't affect her balance at all. She possessed astonishing adaptability and was now curiously hopping around the boat, watching the surging sea and the lightning in the sky. These were all new things, a new world to her.

"This damn weather!" Mobius yelled angrily. Everything had been fine just a few days ago, so how did the sky suddenly turn dark? The strong winds and heavy rain came one after another and had already lasted for more than ten hours. His arms were starting to ache. However, to deal with all this, he used Snake Hand, crossing and intertwining his arms to tie himself to the boat's mast. But compared to Wos, who sat there very calmly, his body was guided by the boat, up and down, unable to control himself.

As if hearing his words, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky with a deafening "BOOM!" that exploded in their ears.

Teach was a bit helpless. Seeing Mobius in so much pain, he pointed to a rope on the deck and said to Pito beside him, "Pito, tie him up." Pito knew who Teach was talking about. "Okay," she nodded, nimbly jumping aside and grabbing the rope on the deck, which was already soaked with rain.

Then she quickly ran over to Mobius, using the rope to tie Mobius tightly to the mast, just like Wos. Finally, she even tied a very careful-looking bow.

"Hey! Pito, loosen it a bit, I can't even move." Mobius's cheek was pressed against the mast. He wanted to look back but couldn't. By then, Pito had already walked away.

Teach watched the waves ahead, which seemed to be calming down, but he didn't relax. This was the prelude to the storm's arrival. Far out on the sea, a thirty-meter-high wave was approaching head-on. "Everyone be careful, there's a big wave ahead. It looks like we'll have to deviate from this course." Teach took out an Eternal Pose from his pocket and checked it. They had already veered off course.

Facing this giant wave, Teach was fearless. "Hahahaha! We're going over it." Teach laughed heartily, gripping the helm tightly. The giant wave ahead grew closer, blocking out the sky, right before their eyes. Pito grabbed Teach tightly. Seizing the opportunity, amidst Mobius's screams, Teach turned the helm to the right, and the boat quickly turned right.

The small boat turned sideways to face the giant wave, climbing it continuously. The hull tilted, approaching ninety degrees relative to the sea surface, even exceeding it. "This is it! The boat will capsize!" Mobius screamed. The world spun around him; he had never experienced anything like this.

"Hahahaha! How could this be? Have some faith in me!" Teach roared with laughter. He suddenly appeared in mid-air, stepping on Geppo, and rushed straight towards the keel on the right side of the boat. He braced his arms against the keel, battling the giant wave and the power of nature. The boat's tilt was held in check by Teach, caught between him and the giant wave. The immense force made the hull creak and groan, but fortunately, Teach had foreseen this, and the boat had been reinforced with steel plates, so it was fine.

The boat continued to rise, gradually climbing to the crest of the giant wave. They made it over. The boat's tilt rapidly returned to normal, and then it tilted to the right. Teach and the others had successfully passed the giant wave. The dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, and the heavy rain stopped. In the blink of an eye, the sea became calm and peaceful.

"Look, there's an island ahead." Mobius held a telescope and spotted the shadow of a small island in the distance. He exclaimed excitedly, "We haven't seen land in nine days. I'm so sick of eating fish every day for the past few days."

"Mmm, I think it's quite delicious," Pito said from the side, chewing on a small dried fish in her hand. Pito liked fish, like a cat. Teach was relieved that she didn't like eating mice and had never eaten them. After all, raising pet cats wouldn't involve them eating mice; it was too disgusting. When Teach had asked, Pito had been a bit curious and wanted to try, but Teach had stopped that terrible idea.

Pito learned to speak quickly, and so did Wos. Now, in just over ten days, they could already say a few simple words.

The four of them had set sail from Pet Island over ten days ago. With a large amount of treasure, they had secretly exchanged some money at the port of Pet Island, bought a twelve-meter-long sailboat, and purchased some food, daily necessities, and training equipment before setting sail.

Although Teach wasn't a navigator, normal sailing was no problem for him. He just needed to sail in the direction indicated by the Eternal Pose.

During the journey, they passed by two small islands, but they didn't stop for too long, just replenishing supplies before continuing their voyage. This voyage had exceeded Teach's expectations. The path to the next target island was very long, and they had encountered a heavy rainstorm, soaking all their prepared food and making it inedible.

Therefore, for the past five days, Teach and the others had survived on fish. Although fish was delicious, eating it constantly, even the silent Wos, felt a bit lifeless, always leaving a fishy taste in his mouth. Only Pito ate with great joy.

Looking at the sea chart, because they had deviated from the course, it would take another two days to reach the target island. He hadn't expected to find an unnamed island along the way where they could rest. So, Teach steered the boat towards the unnamed island.

The island grew closer. Teach steered, then turned to look at Mobius. "Mobius, are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready." Mobius nodded, his gaze fixed on the island. He seemed a little nervous, a little excited, and at the same time, a little confident.

Pito and Wos listened, looking somewhat confused. Seeing their puzzlement, Mobius smiled and explained, "This is an agreement between me and Boss Teach. When I decided to follow him, the Boss agreed. He taught me Snake Hand, a taijutsu, and set a one-month deadline. He said I had to learn it within a month and be able to break a tree with a full-power strike. Only then would Boss Teach acknowledge me and let me continue following him."

"But if I can't do it, I'll have to go back where I came from. However, I'm confident I can do it," Mobius said, clenching his fists with confidence.

As the one-month deadline approached, Mobius's training intensified, becoming increasingly rigorous. He only slept three hours a day, spending all other time training. He pushed himself, constantly pushing beyond his limits, and his progress was incredibly fast. His arm weights had reached fifty kilograms per arm. The iron pillar he used for training had already been replaced twice. The current pillar had uneven marks on both sides from Mobius's strikes.

Now, the one-month deadline had arrived, and it was time to test the results of his month-long training. He would give it his all, for himself.

The ship gradually docked. Mobius had been at sea for this period and hadn't had a chance to test his strength. He didn't know his current level. He had undergone a transformation in the noble district of Pet Island through constant killing, and his strength had been improving daily since then. His mastery of Snake Hand had also become more fluid.

He stepped off the ship and onto the shore, a sandy beach. Beyond that lay a dense forest. Teach casually found a tree and pointed to it, saying to Mobius, "This tree it is. Let's see the results of your training."

"Okay!" Mobius nodded and walked towards the ordinary tree, his gaze fixed on it. He took a deep breath, slightly shrugged his shoulders, and the three main joints in his arms easily dislocated. Now he no longer needed his hands to dislocate his joints. His joints were loose, with excellent flexibility, allowing his arms to twist in any direction.

Mobius spread his legs, bending his knees, a stance similar to zazen. This indicated he was ready. He was about to unleash his full power, his strongest move. His arms extended behind him. "Snake Hand: Twin-Headed Viper Bite!"

Mobius took two steps forward. At this moment, Teach's words when he taught him Snake Hand echoed in his mind: "Hands aren't sharp; it's the body. Snake Hand requires absolute speed and power."

Speed, speed! Mobius muttered in his heart, his eyes shining.

His arms, which had been behind him, suddenly shot forward towards the tree, unleashing incredible speed and power. The sound of air being torn apart could be heard, which made Teach's eyes light up.

His arms struck the tree like snakes, hitting both sides of the trunk with immense force. "BOOM!" The areas where Mobius's attacks landed on the sides of the tree immediately cracked. The sound of "crackling" could be heard, but it wasn't over yet. The Snake Hand coiled around the tree. Mobius exerted his full strength, his arms wrapping around it like a snake, crushing its prey, like bones.

"CRACK!" The tree broke. Mobius gasped for breath, his face flushed red. The tree had snapped under Mobius's attack and, losing its support, the ground trembled slightly as it fell to the ground.

"I... I succeeded!" Mobius's face broke into a joyful smile.

Teach smiled. "Mobius, not bad. With your current physique, you can start learning other taijutsu." He hadn't expected Mobius to succeed. At first, he had just said it casually. However, he had been watching Mobius's progress the whole time. In just one month, he had grown from an ordinary person to this level.

"Really!" Mobius heard that he could continue learning other taijutsu, which meant he had gained Teach's approval and could continue to stay by Teach's side.

In fact, Mobius had already gained Teach's approval. This was merely a formality. Mobius had already shown the potential to follow Teach, and Teach would never let such a talent go.

"Then, let's explore this island for now." Teach said, his Observation Haki already covering the island. It was a small island with a mountain in the center and a mild climate. The island was covered in dense forests. Teach sensed some creatures, animals, and seemed to feel something interesting. Teach couldn't help but smile.

They walked into the dense forest, where the trees grew lush and verdant. The four of them headed straight for the center of the island. There were no fierce beasts on this island; they had only seen small animals along the outer edges. However, as they ventured deeper, Teach and the others gradually discovered that apart from the ordinary trees on the outskirts, all the trees inside were fruit trees: apples, peaches, grapes, bananas, all sorts of them, in clusters.

The sunlight on the island was abundant. Teach picked a peach, put it in his mouth, and took a gentle bite. "CRUNCH!" It was crisp, sweet, and juicy. Seeing Teach eat a peach, the others couldn't resist either. They each picked their desired fruits. Pito was the fastest, leaping lightly onto a tree and picking an apple to eat. This was something she had never tasted before.

"Mmm, so sweet. I didn't expect the fruits on this island to be so delicious. They look much bigger than the ones I've eaten before," Mobius said, in a great mood. After gaining Teach's approval, he felt much more relaxed, with less pressure. He picked a grape, put it in his mouth, and exclaimed.

Teach agreed. The island's unique environment nurtured all sorts of delicious fruits. They hadn't eaten since sailing, so they began to eat heartily. Teach could feel that the fruits on this island contained abundant energy and were very nutritious.

Suddenly, Teach's eyes lit up. He saw clusters of black and red cherries, which immediately caught his attention. He quickly ran to the cherry tree, formed a claw with one hand, and flicked it towards the tree. A flash of sword light passed, and cherries fell from the tree, all caught by Teach. He held them in his left hand and popped them into his mouth one by one. They were sweet and sour, incredibly delicious.