Dunn: I want to eat fish... oranges!

If it truly possessed the power of the Kyokujitsujin, Dunn could not even imagine the destruction it would cause.

However, the techniques he had just displayed were actually simulated by utilizing the explosive surge of power after activating Indomitable; while they looked somewhat similar, they had absolutely nothing to do with the real thing.

But strength is temporary, while looking cool is forever.

On the ship, Koshiro watched Dunn, who had remained motionless since sitting down, then turned to look at the unrecognizable island.

Even now, he could sense the terrifying power hidden within Dunn's body; once it erupted, it would be just like before—capable of destroying the world.

After a moment of silence, Koshiro composed himself and steered the ship back toward their destination.

Meanwhile, Dunn sat with his eyes closed, contemplating the power within him.

His entire dimension had been enhanced tenfold—not just his physique and Haki, but even his perception of his Devil Fruit ability. He could even feel a special energy surging inside him, and it seemed his fruit ability had undergone a change as well.

However, fifteen minutes is a duration that can feel fast or slow depending on the perspective.

If he were fighting an enemy, fifteen minutes would be enough to kill them hundreds of times over.

Having experimented on the island for a while and sat on the ship for a moment, Dunn felt the power brought by Indomitable fading from his body.

[HP: 23% (Recovering; consuming food can accelerate recovery)]

Indomitable had activated when his HP dropped to a critical threshold, but while it was active, his HP had been continuously recovering, reaching 23% over the course of fifteen minutes.

The effect of Indomitable was simply too powerful.

As Dunn's trump card, it was more than sufficient.

Having tested the power gained from activating Indomitable, Dunn felt even more confident.

"But what about that energy I suddenly sensed?"

After Indomitable wore off, Dunn did not open his eyes, remaining in deep thought as he pondered that peculiar energy.

It was somewhat different from the energy of Armament Haki; it seemed to be a unique form of spiritual energy.

Wait, could it be?

Conqueror's Haki?

Do I have that kind of potential?

Dunn was startled, opening his eyes and looking down at his hands.

Regarding Conqueror's Haki, the descriptions in the original work were very vague.

It was only said that Conqueror's Haki is innate, a form of potential—you either have it or you don't, and it might even be hereditary.

But as a transmigrator, could he also possess this ability?

Or perhaps, Conqueror's Haki itself is a powerful form of spiritual energy, and after Indomitable was activated, he received an all-around enhancement that even included his spiritual energy?

Regardless, he could try to guide it out, and he would know for sure then.

Dunn thought to himself, preparing to incorporate this into his upcoming training plan.

As for the other discovery regarding his fruit ability.

Dunn didn't know if it was an Awakening, but the temperature of the flames he controlled had indeed increased—and by a significant margin.

However, Dunn couldn't determine right now if it was an Awakened ability or if a quantitative change had led to a qualitative one.

Just like with toxins, discussing toxicity while ignoring the dosage is just being unreasonable.

This could also explain why, in the original story, Sabo was able to master such powerful fruit abilities immediately after obtaining and eating the Flame-Flame Fruit in Dressrosa.

But either way, it was good news for Dunn.

The power of Indomitable was so great that it caused a shift in Dunn's mindset; he could feel it, but he had no intention of changing it.

There was one more point: the bonus from Indomitable was based on his own base strength.

In other words, the stronger Dunn was in his normal state, the more terrifying the bonus would be once Indomitable was activated.

"Keep getting stronger!"

Dunn whispered to himself.

Hearing Dunn's voice, Koshiro, who was steering the ship, felt a jolt and turned to look at Dunn, who hadn't even changed his posture.

It seemed to be some kind of resolution.

Koshiro thought to himself, but as he recalled the scene he had just witnessed, he was filled with immense emotion.

He had already imagined Dunn's talent to be extremely high, comparing him to the true monsters of the sea.

But what he had just experienced made Koshiro realize that he had still underestimated him.

The power Dunn hid was too terrifying.

Dunn would undoubtedly become a figure capable of influencing the entire world's situation in the future.

This was what Koshiro thought now.

The ship fell silent again until they neared Shimotsuki Village, at which point Dunn finally stood up.

[HP: 31%]

The rate of health regeneration was extremely fast, which was also a point of the test.

His current recovery speed was much faster than when he had first been digitized; even without utilizing food for rapid restoration, he estimated he would be fully healed in just a few hours.

Zoro and Kuina were already waiting at the port.

Previously, the tremors of the sea could be felt even in Shimotsuki Village.

There was also that mist that had suddenly appeared on the ocean, and the firelight in the distance that seemed to set the sea ablaze.

Seeing Dunn walk off the ship shirtless, the two of them looked him over.

Koshiro looked even more disheveled.

Beyond the damage to his clothes and the scorched marks, even Koshiro's hair was singed quite a bit, turning yellow and frizzy.

However, the two of them were not surprised by this appearance.

Because in the past, when Dunn and Koshiro sparred, most of the time, it was Koshiro who ended up in a more wretched state.

"Who won?"

Still, Zoro couldn't hold his tongue and asked out of curiosity.

Looking at the head-tilted Zoro, Koshiro shook his head and smiled.

"I lost!"

"This battle didn't have a result." Dunn shook his head, and he was telling the truth.

"But I lost nonetheless."

Koshiro said this as he stepped forward and began walking toward Isshin Dojo.

"Dunn, slow down! At this rate, when will I ever be able to catch up to you?"

Zoro said with wide eyes.

"Kid, you're still eight hundred years too early if you want to catch up to my strength."

Dunn hoisted his sheathed longsword onto his shoulder and headed toward Isshin Dojo.

Watching Dunn's broad back, Kuina's lips moved slightly.

"Zoro, we have to work even harder, so we don't let Dunn pull too far ahead."

"Yeah!"

Zoro nodded with a determined expression.

Dunn heard the conversation between the two behind him, and a smile appeared on his face.

Originally, because Kuina died young, it was impossible to know how far she would have gone.

But Zoro had truly become a Great Swordsman; his strength was immense, he possessed Conqueror's Haki, his talent and aptitude were top-tier, and he was also very hardworking.

Knowing all this, Dunn had originally harbored some doubts about whether he would be able to defeat Zoro when the time came.

Of course, beating Zoro up during this time had nothing to do with that thought.

But now? It's a piece of cake!

Carrying Flame, Dunn walked with a light step, his eyes filled with a sense of anticipation.

He had originally planned to train in the East Blue for a few years and wait until his strength improved before entering the Grand Line, but now, it wasn't impossible to move that up a bit.

However, before that, there were some small matters to resolve.

For instance, that fish-man who ran to the East Blue, attempting to occupy it, yet in nearly ten years had only managed to take over twenty villages.

Of course, he certainly wasn't doing it because he wanted to eat oranges.

Actually, for Dunn, these things had nothing to do with him, but who told him to only remember these few specific events?

For example, the death of Kuina, the murder of Nami's foster mother Bell-mère by Arlong, or Red-Leg Zeff using his own flesh to help Sanji survive.

These were the images that left an impression in Dunn's mind.

Coming to Shimotsuki Village perhaps had something to do with this as well; of course, learning swordsmanship was also an important reason, and the results were quite good. But his previous thought of using the Flame-Flame Fruit as his final trump card had changed slightly.

It was truly because, compared to Indomitable, the Flame-Flame Fruit seemed a bit unqualified to be a trump card.

After leaving Shimotsuki Village, Dunn planned to head to Cocoyasi Village.

The current Arlong was nothing in his eyes.

Moreover, if one wanted to go to sea, they needed startup capital.

Arlong's bounty didn't seem low; in any case, the later Arlong was worth even more than the gold-clad Krieg.

At any rate, he was definitely worth more than his startup capital, Doru; perhaps he was worth several Doru.

Dunn sat quietly after returning to the dojo, his fingers tapping on the table in front of him as he pondered his plans after leaving.

Kuina and Zoro honestly served the food they had prepared.

Perhaps because Dunn was about to leave, even the overly lively Zoro had become somewhat quiet.

After his health bar was full, Dunn swallowed the roasted meat in his hand and stopped his movements.

The other three, who were eating quietly, also stopped.

"Time to go!"