Rusukaina Floating Island.
Dappled light filtered through the dense primeval forest onto the clearing, throwing Monet's determined, almost stubborn expression into sharp relief.
"Sorry for troubling you at a time like this, but I truly want to become stronger. Please, help me train. I want to do more for you."
Her voice was clear and resolute, carrying an unquestionable determination. The recent battle on Minion Island, where they had failed to completely eliminate the threat of Doflamingo, remained like a thorn lodged in her heart.
She had deeply felt the inadequacy of her own strength, and that sense of helplessness left her unable to eat or sleep peacefully.
Adams looked at the earnest girl before him and spoke casually.
"I don't mind, but why did you suddenly become like this? Wouldn't it be fine to get stronger gradually, step by step?"
He had been planning to stroll back to Kuja Floating Island and fulfill his promise when Monet urgently called him here halfway through. He had thought it was some emergency, only to find that she wanted to train.
To him, this was certainly serious business, but it also vaguely foretold trouble—once Monet started this trend of voluntarily intensifying her training, the other competitive girls in the group would probably immediately follow suit. As both captain and instructor, he feared he would rarely get any peace afterward.
"Progressing step by step is far too inefficient. I cannot tolerate my weak self for even another moment. To become someone valuable to you, I must put in a hundred, a thousand times more effort."
Monet answered without hesitation. Her expression did not waver in the slightest, and her eyes even burned with an almost fanatical fire. After a pause, she continued in a heavier tone.
"I have fully recognized the current situation.