Flexibility Technique and Arrival

Sea Circle Calendar, Year 149, September 6.

Inside the round house on the second floor, Reg was alone, bending, folding, twisting, crouching, and more... This series of movements was all meant to develop his body's flexibility.

When he first began practicing, Reg had worried that his muscles and joints were too stiff for all these awkward-looking poses... But he had underestimated how flexible a child's body could be.

Thanks to his long-term physical training, coupled with meditation, Reg was able to quickly begin practicing this set of techniques Granny Nyon called "Flexibility Technique."

Flexibility Technique consisted of eleven poses: Prayer Pose, Raised Arms Pose, Forward Bend Pose, Riding Pose, and so on... It ended with the Prayer Pose, forming a dance-like body technique performed in one fluid sequence.

Learning it alone had cost him countless drops of sweat... It was not until the tenth day that he could barely complete the entire sequence.

Although he had ended up drenched in sweat, with aching bones and massive mental exhaustion... The gains were obvious as well. At the very least, he had become much more proficient in using Paper Art.

Using ordinary training methods, this would have taken at least around 0.

Yet just one sequence of movements had brought such noticeable improvement... It was clear how powerful and complete this inheritance was.

Before leaving, Granny Nyon had said... Once he could perform this sequence freely and effortlessly, the Armament Haki within his body would naturally be guided out.

The children of Amazon Lily began training from an early age... Combined with another body technique, they could generally coat their bodies or weapons with Armament Haki by the age of ten, increasing their killing power.

"What a huge gift... I owe even more favors now."

Sitting on the floor to rest, Reg's breathing gradually steadied... The expenditure was immense, but his recovery was fast as well.

Like meditation, Flexibility Technique... was something that required long-term persistence.

Granny Nyon had left Shakky's place yesterday... A beautiful girl named Violet had come knocking after traveling day and night beneath the stars.

According to Shakky, it was because one of her relatives back home had given birth to a third child... This newborn already had an older sister.

Reg had immediately guessed that she was the eldest of the future Hancock sisters, Boa Marigold... But of course, he would not court death by asking.

"Time to go..."

Reg stood and glanced at the pitch-black night beyond the window... A merchant ship belonging to Shakky's friend would set sail for Water Seven early tomorrow morning.

As his goal drew closer, Reg instead began to feel increasingly anxious... The coming journey to the Sky Island was far too important.

When the moment truly arrived, how many people could remain unmoved by the gulf between heaven and hell?

Creak... Shakky pushed open the door and saw Reg staring out the window.

"What's wrong, little Reg? Don't tell me you've fallen in love with this place?"

Reg turned around and nodded. "Of course... Staying here with you is comfortable and reassuring, Sister Shakky."

"You can stay if you want... But you'll have to wear the clothes I provide." Shakky smiled mischievously.

"I'll pass on that..."

Reg rolled his eyes... That was the painful price he had paid.

A few days ago, Shakky had wickedly produced a pink princess dress and red leather shoes... After dressing him up, she had taken him around the Sabaody Archipelago for several hours under the excuse of buying supplies.

At his height, he could only pretend to be a cross-dressing little girl... That kind of training was simply too humiliating. Back then, Reg had wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it.

"Haha... Looks like it really left you traumatized."

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you... Go pack up your room. I'll go close the shop first." Shakky left in high spirits.

Reg shook his head, clenched his fist, then slowly released it... No matter what, he had to give it a try. Giving up before doing anything at all would be negligence.

Three days later.

Knock, knock... A soft knock sounded within the cramped cargo hold.

Reg, who had opened his eyes inside, made no sound. The person outside did not knock again.

"You two... Come with me. There are some things that need moving over there."

"It's already so late, boss... Let's move them tomorrow."

"Shut up... You lazy bastard."

The curses that followed outside the door reminded Reg... It was time to leave.

Shakky's friend was the head guard of the merchant ship, and no one had noticed Reg boarding.

Over the past few days, aside from taking care of his private needs at night... Reg had obediently remained inside this storage hold, a place no one would come to inspect.

A few seconds later, after confirming that the footsteps of the three men had moved away... Reg, dressed in a black cloak, swiftly opened the hatch and launched himself directly from the merchant ship to the shore with Moon Walk.

"Boss, I think I just saw something?"

"Quit trying to slack off, brat... I'll go take a look."

After scolding the sailor, the man chose to turn back. Reaching the ship's side... he saw Reg's slightly hunched figure beneath the bright moonlight.

"Hmph... What a bold brat."

After muttering that, the man turned and left... Reg swiftly departed from where he stood, vanishing into the shadows of the buildings.

Water Seven was like the Venice Reg had only seen in pictures in his previous life... a "city upon the sea."

From that fleeting glimpse aboard the ship, Reg had seen a hazy outline floating on the water beneath the bright moonlight.

The brightly lit city not far away drifted with the breeze... sometimes carrying beautiful singing, sometimes wafting enticing aromas.

The sound of waves caressed this city of miracles... turn left, an alley, a mask shop, a stretch of canal, a bridge.

Turn right, a stall, an arched bridge... Reg kept moving through the night without slowing, gradually heading toward the heart of the city.

There were seven shipyards in this city... and the competition between them was fierce.

Whether pirates, Marines, or merchants... the seven companies turned no one away. As long as you could pay enough Beli, you could get a ship to your liking.

"Tom's Company hasn't moved to the warehouse beneath the bridge yet... Maybe I'll get to see that thing?"

As Reg slipped through the darkness, he found himself inexplicably looking forward to it... If that was really the case, he would be witnessing a piece of history.

"It's been a long time since I've seen that fish-man Tom, burp..."

"I heard he's over at the scrap shipyard, busy building a ship..."

"Isn't it just a ship for pirates? Does he need to be so sneaky about it...?"

"Haha... We should thank that stupid tanuki. Otherwise, how would we have gotten the chance to build those warships?"

"Shh... Keep it down. You're making our skills sound terrible."

Under the bright lights, the drunken chatter of several men drifted into Reg's ears from the alley.

Reg, who had been disappointed that he would not get to see that goofball Franky at this point in time, immediately stopped moving forward... There was no law in this world that made shipbuilding illegal.

He also remembered Judge Whitebeard on Enies Lobby making it very clear... It was not illegal for shipbuilders to sell ships to anyone.

If Roger and his crew had not meddled with the "Void Century," the World Government probably would not have flown into such a rage that it executed everyone connected to him.

"The scrap shipyard... that's the warehouse beneath the bridge... to the south."

After recalling the map of Water Seven, Reg turned around... and quickly headed for the warehouse beneath the bridge.