Upright and Honorable

On the boundless sea, a Navy warship sailed slowly onward. A gentle breeze blew, and the seagull-shaped flag fluttered in the wind.

Unlike ordinary Navy warships, the top of this vessel bore the image of a hunting dog with a bone in its mouth. Though it looked somewhat comical, this ship was the nightmare of every pirate on the Grand Line.

Because the appearance of this warship meant those pirates would encounter the most terrifying existence of all—the legendary Navy soldier, Monkey D. Karp.

Yet at this moment, the hero of the Navy was completely unaffected by his own reputation. He lay comfortably in a deck chair, his hands behind his head, and shouted at the boy some distance away.

"You're too slow, Long Yi! This is disgraceful! Another two hundred shuttle runs!"

"Yes, Master Karp!"

If he had to find an adjective to describe Long Yi's current feelings, it would definitely be "better off dead."

Hearing Karp's reprimand, the sweat-soaked Long Yi did not dare voice even the slightest complaint and could only answer loudly. At that moment, he finally understood how Luffy had felt when Karp personally threw him off a cliff.

Compared to this, the training at the Navy base had been nothing more than children playing house. Karp clearly had no intention of considering a minor's physical condition. He simply trained Long Yi to the brink of death according to his own methods.

"If you want to break through the limits of the human body, this should be easy! Pick up the pace!"

Karp roared at Long Yi as he began another set of shuttle runs, spittle flying everywhere.

Meanwhile, the Navy officers standing watch on the ship gathered in small groups and quietly discussed it among themselves.

"Mr. Karp is really strict. Long Yi is still just a child."

"Yeah, it's already been a week, hasn't it? It's amazing that Long Yi has managed to endure it."

"Mm. No matter what, Long Yi is Mr. Karp's disciple. It's only natural that he can manage this much, right?"

"Oh? Easy for you to say. Why don't you try it?"

"Uh... I'll pass."

Since boarding the ship, Long Yi's efforts had been witnessed by the Navy officers. This black-haired boy had quickly earned everyone's respect with his extraordinary willpower and perseverance.

The rustling whispers were like countless mosquitoes buzzing around his ears. Karp looked at the idle Navy officers and sneered before saying maliciously.

"Hey, do you lot want me to train you too?"

Hearing Karp's words, the Navy officers hurriedly shook their heads and scattered like frightened birds, vanishing without a trace. In the blink of an eye, they had escaped Karp's sight.

"Hmph! Bunch of brats."

A faint smile tugged at Karp's lips. He no longer paid attention to the officers on the ship and merely fixed his gaze on Long Yi in the distance.

"Break through the limits of the human body..."

With only those words filling his mind, Long Yi gradually forgot everything around him.

As he ran back and forth across the deck without pause, his strength gradually drained away, and his mind reached its limit. Yet his body showed no sign of stopping. After such prolonged, mechanical movement, he had already grown accustomed to the motions.

Watching Long Yi sweat profusely, Karp's eyes gleamed. If he wanted to master one of the Six Powers within two weeks, this sort of training was unavoidable.

The faint cries of seagulls drifted over. Karp looked up, narrowing his eyes slightly as his thoughts suddenly returned to that day.

One week earlier, in Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office.

"Long Yi, is what you said true?!"

Long Yi's affirmative answer delighted the bald old man. With the burden in his heart lifted, this member of the Five Elders tightly gripped Kitetsu in his hand, feeling more relaxed than ever before.

"Hahaha, wonderful news! Wonderful news!"

Sengoku clasped his hands and laughed. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes behind his lenses. He too was pleased by Long Yi's decision. After all, Long Yi belonged to the Government Navy. The stronger he became, the stronger the Navy's power to protect the seas would be.

"Hmph! You bald old man, let me make this clear first! Long Yi has acknowledged me as his master. He's already my disciple! If your Yatogami Family dares bully him, these fists of mine won't stand for it!"

Karp glared at the delighted bald old man with an iron-dark expression and spoke in a deep voice.

Though he could be absentminded, he was exceptionally protective of his own. Since he had already regarded Long Yi as his disciple, no one but him was allowed to bully Long Yi.

"What?! Long Yi, you actually took a brute like him as your master? Sigh... forget it. As long as you study swordsmanship properly in the future, you'll naturally forget someone like him."

After Long Yi agreed to join the Yatogami Family, the bald old man's attitude toward him became countless times more affectionate. It would not have been an exaggeration to say he treated him like his own grandson. Pushing up his round glasses, he ignored Karp's iron-faced expression and spoke kindly to Long Yi.

"Hold it right there! What do you mean, brute?"

Karp could not pretend he had not heard someone insulting him to his face. Just as the hot-tempered man was about to reason with the bald old man using his fists, Long Yi grabbed him with a wry smile.

To be honest, both Karp and the bald old man had treated Long Yi very kindly. Long Yi could clearly feel that their concern came from the heart. Thus, when the two were about to clash, no matter how unwilling he was, he had no choice but to stand between them and patiently dissuade them.

"Then, Lord Taizo, does Long Yi also need to enter the family according to the Yatogami Family's rules, like everyone else?"

At that moment, Sengoku, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing the word "rules," Long Yi's heart stirred, while Karp and the bald old man naturally calmed down and returned to normal.

"Hmph! There's no need to go through so much trouble. Long Yi is the heir I personally accepted into the family, the young master of the Yatogami Family personally designated by me, Yatogami Taizo. Who would dare object!"

The bald old man's expression turned serious, and a cold smile curled his lips. His plain white kimono stirred without wind, overflowing with imposing presence.

"Wait, what are the Yatogami Family's entry rules?"

Curiosity was human nature. Having heard something concerning his future, Long Yi could not help but ask for clarification.

Hearing Long Yi's question, the bald old man hesitated. After mulling it over repeatedly, he finally told Long Yi the truth.

As a renowned swordsmanship family, the Yatogami Family received countless people from all over the world who had come to learn swordsmanship.

To avoid trouble, the Yatogami Family had established a rule. Only those who had accomplished something were qualified to undergo the Yatogami Family's assessment and be considered for admission into its outer branch.

However, Long Yi's situation was different from everyone else's. He was the heir personally appointed by the current head of the Yatogami Family, Yatogami Taizo. Given his strength and absolute authority, surely no petty figures would dare gossip behind his back.

After hearing the bald old man explain the Yatogami Family's rules, Long Yi sank into thought. Under the gazes of the three old men, he pondered for more than ten seconds before finally making his decision.

"In that case, please allow me to undergo the entry ceremony according to the Yatogami Family's rules. At my age, eliminating a notorious pirate from the North Blue should count as sufficient merit, shouldn't it?"

Hearing Long Yi's words, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's heart stirred, and he asked with some uncertainty.

"Long Yi, you mean...?"

"Belik the One-Eyed!"

Facing Sengoku's question, Long Yi answered without hesitation.

For the past two years, he had suffered from hatred every moment of every day. His obsession with revenge against Belik had already been carved into his bones. He could use this opportunity to settle an old score as well.

"You need to think this through! If I remember correctly, Belik the One-Eyed is a vicious pirate with a bounty of 20 million berries. With your current strength, I'm afraid..."

Though Sengoku did not finish his sentence, everyone present understood what he meant. A third-class seaman challenging a pirate with a 20-million-berry bounty was no different from smashing an egg against a rock or trying to stop a chariot with one's arm.

"A challenge is what makes it an achievement, isn't it? Since I've decided to join the Yatogami Family, then I'll enter it upright and honorably!"

Long Yi smiled lightly. Sengoku's warning not only failed to shake his confidence, but instead stirred the fighting spirit in his heart.

The bald old man parted his lips as if he wanted to dissuade Long Yi, but before he could utter a single word, Karp's hearty laughter interrupted him.

"Hahahaha! Good! Just as expected of my disciple! In that case, I'll take you back to the North Blue myself. But if you want to improve your strength and keep your life, you'd better prepare for hellish training during these two weeks on the way there."

A trace of delight appeared on Long Yi's face. He nodded without hesitation and answered loudly.

"Yes, Master Karp!"

The master and disciple were so fired up that Sengoku and the bald old man could not get a word in.

After exchanging glances, the two suddenly fell silent.

"Keep going! Don't stop! Long Yi, go faster!"

His thoughts returned to the present. Karp's harsh reprimands still echoed across the warship's deck, while Long Yi, who had been repeating the intense exercise without pause, wore a somewhat unusual expression.

Seeing the confusion in Long Yi's eyes but also seeing his speed exceed its previous limits, Karp nodded lightly and thought to himself.

"Not bad. At Long Yi's rate of comprehension, in another week, he should be able to touch the threshold of Soru."