Ryan suddenly stepped forward and shouted, "Reporting, Rear Admiral! As long as I have a breath left, I can fight! The Navy doesn't need wounded men hiding in the rear!"
"Very good."
Lorne turned to face the surging sea.
"Weigh anchor! Set sail!"
"Destination: the Calm Belt!"
At Lorne's command, the warship slowly left the harbor. The enormous steel behemoth cut through the waves toward that forbidden sea whose very name struck terror into countless navigators.
The sun rose, and the temperature over the sea climbed rapidly.
On deck, special training had already begun.
"Run! Don't stop!"
Lorne sat on the railing at the bow, holding a thick iron chain as he watched the soldiers sprinting around the deck with a cold, sinister gaze.
Every soldier carried a block of pig iron weighing a hundred kilograms on their back. Sweat streamed down their cheeks, leaving wet trails across the deck. Kuina was no exception. She carried the same weight, and with every step, her knees creaked under the unbearable strain.
"Kuina, your footwork is slipping."
Lorne suddenly spoke and swung the iron chain in his hand.
Crack!
The chain flew past Kuina's ear and slammed into the deck, throwing up a shower of sparks.
"If that had been an enemy's blade, your head would already be in the sea feeding the fish!"
Kuina clenched her teeth, her nails digging deep into her palms. She forced herself to steady her balance and charged faster with a roar.
"Ryan! Bakel! What are you two useless idiots dawdling for?"
Lorne jumped down from the railing, and a terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire deck.
It was the savage aura he had accumulated through years of fighting, combined with a faint pressure of Conqueror's Haki, making the surrounding air seem thick and viscous.
The