Arrival at Headquarters

It had been about three days since boarding the warship.

One piece of good news was that Dawn didn't get seasick.

Don't underestimate this issue. First, there was the ship itself—even if a Marine warship was large, it was still a sail-powered wooden vessel.

It wasn't like the colossal steel cruise liners of his past life, which could sail steadily across the sea, making you feel as if you were on solid ground.

On top of that, with the unpredictable weather of the Grand Line, the choppy surface rocking the ship, seasickness was perfectly normal.

Still, at least Dawn didn't get seasick or vomit his guts out—that was a decent silver lining.

Otherwise, imagine living in a world where travel relied entirely on ships; he'd probably have to keep throwing up until he got used to it.

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

After resting for a few days, Dawn began training on the deck, joined by the Marines on board. With Aokiji overseeing things and the ship nearing Marine Headquarters, there was little worry about sudden battles or exhausted soldiers.

Dawn's arrangements, however, still set him apart from the other Marines.

After all, he was still a child, so the methods used for adult Marines naturally didn't suit him.

But because he had already demonstrated his value and potential, Aokiji personally tailored a training plan for Dawn.

Since Dawn had already built a solid foundation through extensive basic training on the Boin Archipelago, his current issue was that he couldn't fully unleash his own strength.

This was because Dawn lacked control over his power. So Aokiji started by guiding him in power manipulation.

Thus, Dawn followed Aokiji in practicing techniques for exerting force, striving to bring out the full potential of his strength.

This included the power amplified by his Devil Fruit ability, which Dawn also needed to continuously adapt to until he mastered it.

Otherwise, in Aokiji's view, that power would just be hollow. It might work against weaker opponents, but against someone stronger, failing to control one's own strength could lead to instant defeat.

Because a surge in power brought more openings, and against a slightly stronger enemy, even a single opening could be fatal.

Aokiji also shed his usual lazy demeanor. Besides guiding Dawn in force techniques, he often had Dawn activate his aura and spar with him.

Through real combat and getting hit, Dawn gradually familiarized himself with and mastered his power.

Moreover, training under the aura's boost greatly helped him control his power in normal states.

After all, in the boosted state, both strength and speed surpassed normal levels. If he could grasp even a fraction of that power, his control in the normal state would improve significantly.

For example, if he mastered 50% of 100 units of power, he could master 90% of 50 units—a massive leap forward.

With a stronger grasp of basic power, he could adapt more quickly to the explosive surge during amplification.

And perhaps because Aokiji had once served under Garp's ship, as Garp's devoted fan, Aokiji—despite being a Logia—leaned toward close-combat and a hard-hitting style when teaching Dawn.

That was very Garp-like.

Though this approach of charging head-on and brawling with opponents was reckless, it surprisingly suited Dawn's simple and brutal fighting style.

It seemed Aokiji had designed this training method based on Dawn's ability to amplify his own attributes.

After all, Dawn's displayed abilities all revolved around self-enhancement. So he just needed to master his own power, then crush his enemies with the aura's boost.

And Dawn began to relish the feeling of fist-to-fist combat.

The more he fought and sparred with Aokiji, the more he felt himself gradually breaking away from the monotonous, cookie-cutter world of gears, and the more real his integration into this world became.

Eager to grow stronger, Dawn absorbed and digested these techniques like a sponge, developing his potential.

During these days, with Aokiji's guidance, Dawn made significant progress in both physical techniques and Devil Fruit development.

Under such fulfilling days, time always flew by. Before he knew it, Dawn had been on the ship for over half a month, yet he never felt bored.

After all, on the path to becoming stronger, even the most tedious training was a necessary process in his eyes.

And as long as he could feel himself growing stronger day by day, it would never feel dull—he even found joy in it.

After half a month of sailing, the warship finally reached its destination today.

During those two weeks, Aokiji also taught some basic techniques of the Six Powers. But Dawn's practice in this area surprised Aokiji, since he had already trained in them many times back on the Boin Archipelago.

Dawn frankly admitted that he had learned by watching the Marines train on the ship earlier.

Later, when stranded on the island, to avoid getting fat and being eaten, he used the training methods he had memorized.

This further deepened Aokiji's regard for Dawn.

As the saying goes, a step ahead leads to constant progress. A child who had mastered the foundational training methods for the Six Powers' basics so well—whether a genius or a hardworking ordinary person—was rare at this age.

And that was exactly what Dawn wanted.

Now that he was heading to Marine Headquarters, if he didn't want to fade into obscurity, he needed to fully showcase his value.

Only then could he gain the attention of the Marine high command, secure more resource allocation, and receive guidance from stronger figures.

When the warship came to a stop, the majestic yet solemn fortress came into view before Dawn.

On its towering, thick walls, whether it was the seagull holding a scale—the symbol of the Marines—

Or the massive "Marine" characters written in kanji, Or the countless heavy cannons and densely packed warships on the fortress, the sheer impact of it all left Dawn stunned.

No wonder it was Marine Headquarters—you couldn't feel its oppressive presence until you faced it directly.

A war fortress that exuded immense pressure!

"Haha, impressive, isn't it?" Yukimura beside him, watching Dawn's awe, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Back in the day, the first time I saw Marineford, I was just the same. This is where you'll live and train from now on. Come on, I'll take you to your future quarters first."

With that, Yukimura led Dawn into the fortress.

Step by step, he walked deeper into the stronghold, gazing at the Marine Headquarters before him, and Dawn's heart couldn't help but stir with excitement.

This was the place where he would grow stronger—with the finest teachers and resources.

And this, too, was the first step toward taking command of his own will.