Days of Training

Though Zephyr had spoken of "targeted adjustments" in a gratified tone, Ron still shivered as he walked through the passage behind the fortress. He was not afraid of Garp and the others learning about his body's peculiarities. After all, this was the One Piece World; even ordinary members of the Human Race could grow three or four meters tall, so nothing was too strange.

However, one thing had caught Ron by surprise. Back on Earth, his Self-Healing Ability had never been this fast. Minor scrapes and cuts were one thing, but once actual tissue damage was involved, he had only recovered ten days or half a month faster than an ordinary person. Yet this time, even with his arm burned black, it had healed overnight. The only explanation Ron could find was that as his physique grew stronger, the mysterious energy within him that fueled his self-healing had also increased, accelerating his recovery.

"Everyone's out to get me!"

After shivering, Ron stopped suspiciously and looked around like a thief, making the patrolling soldiers give him a careful once-over before suddenly realizing who he was.

"Oh, so it's this kid..."

The ordinary soldiers did not know exactly what had happened last night, but that did not stop them from knowing that Vice Admiral Garp had landed in prison with someone for violating regulations. That morning, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had announced the matter during his routine address. While emphasizing discipline, he had also roasted Garp mercilessly... Heaven knew what had gone through their minds when they heard Garp had been thrown into jail!

As the Hero of the Marines, Garp's influence at Marine Headquarters was especially terrifying. As a result, even Ron, who was merely a newcomer, had been remembered by many people.

"But... shouldn't he be in a cell? How did he get out?!"

Could he have escaped?!

The patrolling soldiers immediately turned serious. They exchanged looks, nodded, and said, "You over there... yes, you. Come here!"

"Me?"

Ron scratched the back of his head in confusion. Just as he was about to approach, someone else called out to him.

"Recruit Ron! Instructor Shuzuo wants you at the New Recruit Camp immediately... Huh, what's going on here?"

It was the Colonel who had conducted his test yesterday. Upon approaching and seeing the patrol soldiers standing at the ready, he froze for a moment before realizing what was going on.

"You don't need to worry about him. The Fleet Admiral pardoned him and released him from prison."

"I see!"

The patrol squad sighed in relief...

The Colonel had overseen the New Recruit Camp for many years, and several people in the patrol squad had trained under him. Since he had vouched for Ron, they only needed to verify it with the prison. They immediately nodded, saluted, and resumed their patrol.

After dealing with that, the Colonel patted Ron on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"Come on! Don't keep Instructor Shuzuo waiting..."

Shuzuo...

Ron abruptly snapped to attention, having nearly forgotten about that... Yesterday, he had defeated Shuzuo through the trickery of Elementalization and lightning-fast speed. Shuzuo surely would not let it go, yet now he was supposed to train under him. The outcome would be...

Ron twitched wordlessly and looked up at the sky.

This time, I was totally screwed!

After passing the Test Field, the two arrived before the main building of the New Recruit Camp, where there was a broad open area.

The place was already packed. Under the guidance of their respective instructors, recruits were training across the vast field.

The New Recruit Camp was clearly tailoring instruction to individual strengths. Those running in formation for marathons were visibly less built than those pounding sandbags. Those skilled with swords faced one another, hacking at each other with unsharpened iron swords to hone their technique. A small number of Devil Fruit Users had been assigned to another open area, continuously releasing their Fruit Abilities until they were drenched in sweat... Among them was a Zoan user who repeatedly switched between half-beast form and human form, looking utterly ridiculous.

Even so, they all shared one trait.

Even the most ordinary runners among them brimmed with vitality! They could feel themselves growing noticeably stronger through these seemingly mundane exercises!

This was the life I wanted!

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Ron followed the Colonel into the building behind the field and stopped in a spacious classroom without any seats.

"Reporting! Instructor Shuzuo, Recruit Ron has arrived!"

"Mm, thank you for your trouble..."

With his back to them, Shuzuo nodded at the words. "The Seventh Squad's sparring session is still short one supervisor. Go over there first..."

"Uh..."

The Colonel glanced at Ron and gave him a look that said, "Good luck." "Yes, sir!"

With that, he strode away without looking back.

Ron remained where he was, swallowing dryly as he looked around for an escape route. But at that moment, Shuzuo, who had been observing him with Observation Haki, spoke. "No need to look... As an important building of Marine Headquarters, the walls and the layers inside the iron doors of the New Recruit Camp are mixed with Seastone powder. Your lightning can't blast through them."

Then Shuzuo turned around, stared at Ron with a fierce expression, and sneered. "And this glass is specially made, incredibly tough... It can even withstand my fists!"

Gulp...

"Hahaha, Instructor Shuzuo, what are you talking about? Why can't I understand you?"

"Hmph! Stop playing dumb!"

Seeing Ron laugh, Shuzuo immediately remembered the face he had seen through the gap in the steel before passing out yesterday. His teeth began to itch with anger. But soon, he sighed and waved dismissively, his spirits low. "Don't overthink it, Ron. I'm not that petty. A loss is a loss. There's nothing to complain about..."

A soldier's defining trait was that he only looked at the result, not the process!

Excuses and reasons were the feeblest words in the military.

Of course, as a brigadier general stationed at headquarters, being defeated by a newcomer whose Doriki Value was dozens of times lower than his was a hurdle Shuzuo would never clear in his lifetime. He could only say he did not care and try not to think about it; he could not truly let it go.

Shuzuo's expression did not seem fake. This villain from the original story who had appeared only in a movie possessed such an easygoing air that Ron was briefly stunned.

"Uh... Brigadier General Shuzuo? Are you serious?"

Seeing Ron's dumbfounded expression, Shuzuo's eyelids twitched wildly. He nearly lost control and rushed over to punch him. Fortunately, he remembered his current position. If he beat someone up in private, Zephyr would tear him apart. He immediately flung out a form and threw it at Ron.

"Of course I am! Take this... Now get out!"

Seeing Shuzuo lose his temper, Ron swiftly picked up the form and slipped away. He had no desire to stay near a monster who could crack a three-meter-thick iron ball with his fists. Watching Ron flee in a panic, Shuzuo's expression shifted repeatedly.

There was speechlessness, anger, and anticipation...

Remembering Zephyr putting on reading glasses and handing him the form last night, Shuzuo lowered his head and muttered, "Don't disappoint our teacher, Ron..."

As the New Recruit Camp of Marine Headquarters practiced "tailored instruction," every recruit had different courses, and none were fixed. They would be gradually adjusted according to the actual circumstances. The form Shuzuo had given Ron was the schedule for his training in the days ahead.

Marathons, weighted runs, hundred-meter sprints, push-ups, sit-ups... At a glance, it was nothing but physical conditioning training.

It really gave off intense sports academy student vibes!

Ron gave this fair assessment.

But he also understood that compared to humans native to the One Piece World, he, who had come from Earth, was innately lacking in physical strength. Even if his body possessed unusual talents and astonishing self-healing, it could not change the fact that he was weak.

He obediently followed the schedule to the first station. The instructor immediately threw a pile of weights at him, veins bulging in his neck as he roared, "You have thirty seconds to put them on, soldier! Then start running!"

That was damn terrifying!

Ron immediately put on the weights with nimble hands and feet. When the main marathon group passed by, he pushed off the ground and joined them.

Thanks to reader Song Wenci for the 500 reward!

Yesterday's chapter had an incorrect character name, which has now been corrected. Legitimate readers only need to add the book to their bookshelf again; as for pirated readers... there was nothing that could be done.