Surging Physical Strength

Having temporarily pacified and taken control of the two "golden geese," Dawn returned to the completely renovated residence.

The former rugged style, filled with animal hides and weapon decorations, had been abandoned in favor of a simpler, more comfortable interior.

Stella and Robin were sitting on the sofa, speaking quietly with traces of relief on their faces. They were also wrapped in bandages; they had paid a price in the earlier battle as well.

When they saw Dawn return, the two women stopped talking. Stella stepped forward, her face full of concern.

"Is everything settled? Are those people behaving themselves?"

"They're behaving well enough."

Dawn walked over and sat opposite them, his massive body making the sofa sink slightly.

"Once we've gained a firm foothold, we can practically lie back and collect money."

Robin smoothly picked up the conversation.

"So what are you planning to do next? Keep expanding our power, or recruit people first?"

Leaning back against the sofa, Dawn's eyes glinted with thought.

"I plan to continue expanding our power. But before that, I need to recruit some subordinates who are skilled at gathering intelligence. We suffered this time because of insufficient information. We knew nothing beforehand about Boom's abilities or trump cards."

At that, Robin's gaze dimmed slightly.

"Sorry, I held everyone back..."

She was referring to how she had nearly been killed by Boom. If she had not been so weak, their expansion would not have been hindered.

Dawn reached out and gently rubbed Robin's short hair, his voice softening.

"Don't overthink it, Robin. Everyone has times when they're weak. Just work harder from now on. Before you truly grow strong enough to protect yourself, I'll protect you properly."

Overthrowing the World Government was not something that could be accomplished overnight. He had plenty of time to wait for this sapling to grow into a towering tree.

Feeling the warmth on top of her head and the resolve in his words, Robin's little face flushed slightly as she nodded firmly.

"Mm! I'll work even harder from now on!"

Watching from the side, Stella put on an exaggerated cough. Her gaze shifted between Dawn and Robin, carrying a hint of teasing implication.

"So, are you going straight to recruit intelligence personnel next? Do you already have a target?"

Stella's gaze, practically screaming "perverted lolicon," made Dawn feel somewhat awkward. He subconsciously turned his head away to avoid her eyes.

"I've had a target in mind for a long time. But I don't know the exact situation or defensive strength of that place in enough detail.

To avoid repeating the same mistake, I plan to improve my strength before going. During that time, the two of you need to train with me as well. Strength is the foundation that allows us to survive in these seas."

The two women solemnly nodded in unison. Having personally experienced the helplessness of weakness, they understood the importance of power all too well.

Sea Circle Calendar, Year 1520.

Time flew by, and more than half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Deep within Hardbane Island, a specially cleared training ground was currently hosting a scene akin to war.

"Bang bang bang bang—!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The dense gunfire of flintlocks intertwined with the violent explosions of bombs, playing a savage symphony. At the center of the field, smoke filled the air and flames soared into the sky, nearly swallowing everything.

At the edge of the field, Robin crossed her hands before her chest, her expression focused. With her ability activated, hundreds of arms instantly sprouted around the training ground. Each arm held a flintlock, pouring a barrage of bullets into the center of the smoke.

Stella stood farther away. Before her sat a crate of specially made training bombs. She skillfully lit their fuses, timed her throws, and hurled them one after another into that zone of death.

At the very center of the field, a tall humanoid silhouette flickered in and out amid the smoke and flames. He endured every attack, yet remained as immovable as a reef.

After a long while, the gunfire ceased, and the aftershock from the last bomb gradually faded. The arms Robin had created scattered into petals, while Stella stopped throwing.

The smoke slowly dispersed, and Dawn's figure gradually became clear. After this period of growth, he had reached a height of two meters and eighty centimeters. His bare upper body was charred black, covered in burns and impact marks. In some places, his skin had even split open, oozing tiny beads of blood.

Yet he merely exhaled a cloud of smoke-scented breath and strode steadily and powerfully out of the ruins, as though he had not just endured a rain of bullets and bombs, but only a spring drizzle.

He walked beneath the huge sunshade at the side of the field and lay directly on the prepared bench. Stella immediately approached with ointment and clean water, skillfully tending to his wounds, the distress in her eyes impossible to hide. Robin silently stepped forward as well, handing over clean cloths.

"I know you want to become stronger, but do you really need to train in such... such a suicidal way?"

As Stella gently wiped a scorch mark on Dawn's chest, she could not help complaining.

"For the past half year, I've been on edge almost every day, terrified that one time you might just..."

She did not finish the sentence, but her meaning was obvious.

Dawn closed his eyes, feeling the coolness of the ointment.

"Any David Family member captured by the World Government meets a horrific end. Before they discover my existence, I have to become as strong as possible, or I might not even have the strength to resist when the time comes."

He paused before continuing his explanation.

"Besides, you know what this body of mine is like. Ordinary training methods have negligible effects on me. Only this kind of extreme pressure can effectively draw out my potential. Most importantly, this is the fastest way I can think of to offset the side effects of the Dark-Dark Fruit."

In truth, he believed the World Government most likely did not know someone like him existed at all. The Cipher Pol members who had carried out the purge back then had probably thought they had wiped out his entire family.

The primary purpose of this near self-abusive training was to adapt to the Dark-Dark Fruit's side effects as quickly as possible. Once he got used to pain, so-called doubled pain would naturally become no big deal.

Its secondary purpose was to make better use of Dark Water.

While Dark Water pulled in Devil Fruit users, they could still use their abilities. Moreover, due to the pull, their attacks were almost guaranteed to hit.

His battle with Boom last time had only succeeded because he had seized on a fleeting moment of hesitation. He could not count on having such luck every time.

Furthermore, based on the inference that Haki had a certain restraining effect on Devil Fruits, he suspected that attacks imbued with Haki might not be completely absorbed by Dark Water. Or, if his Haki was of lower quality than his opponent's, its effect might fail outright.

He had yet to systematically master Haki. Increasing his body's strength and resistance to damage was the most direct and effective way to deal with this potential threat.

The use of any Devil Fruit required the user to possess a strong body. Otherwise, no matter how powerful the ability was, its true power could not be unleashed.

Deep down, this special physique, with its extraordinary recovery ability and growth potential, was his greatest reliance.

As Robin handed over fresh bandages, she added without any politeness.

"But your training method has greatly reduced our sales revenue. A large portion of the output from the mines and factories, especially the explosives from the arms factories, has been used up by you. The island's reserve funds have already fallen to a dangerous level."

Dawn raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't the income from our dealings with the Public Employment Center enough to cover the gap?"

The Public Employment Center he referred to was merely the World Government's official euphemism for human trafficking organizations.

Over the past half year, quite a few Underworld forces had come to probe the new master of Hardbane Island. The result, naturally, was that Dawn, Stella, and Robin took turns using them as whetstones to accumulate real combat experience.

Those invaders lucky enough to survive were casually sold by Dawn to the "Public Employment Center." In this world, where slavery was legal, selling captives was an entirely ordinary business.

Robin shot him an annoyed look.

"Our income has increased, but the cost of your training is rising by the day. And do you have any idea how much you eat now?"

Stella immediately chimed in.

"Exactly! If my strength and stamina hadn't improved too, just cooking for you every day would be enough to wear me out!"

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Dawn's face. The harder his special physique trained, the stronger his body became, the more energy it consumed, and the greater his demand for food truly was.

After pondering for a moment, he swept his gaze over the two women.

"Don't worry. With my current strength, I think I should be strong enough to go to that place I had my eye on and recruit intelligence personnel. Once I bring them back, we can begin expanding our power. The funding problem will naturally be resolved."

Worry still filled Stella's eyes.

"Are you sure? That place... nothing unexpected will happen, right?"

Robin also looked at him seriously.

"Are you completely confident?"

Dawn sat up, confidence gleaming in his eyes. His handsome face was filled with certainty.

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen."

Based on his estimates, the chance of that place having an opponent he could not currently handle was minuscule.

Seeing how certain he was, Stella and Robin exchanged a glance and said no more.

Dawn rose to his feet and moved his freshly bandaged body. His muscle lines bulged once more, brimming with explosive power.

"I'll leave in a few days. While I'm gone, I'll leave the island's affairs to you two. Stella, sorry for the trouble, but use your ability to transform into my appearance and show yourself on the island regularly, intimidating any Underworld forces that might still refuse to give up."

Stella nodded. Her Devil Fruit ability was indeed the best choice for carrying out this task.

"I understand. You... be careful in everything."

TO BE CONTINUED