Ryan lowered his head and answered with some shame.
"Sir, my Armament Haki can only cover my fists. I still can't harden my entire body, and I can't maintain it for very long."
"Same here, sir. If I lose focus during a fight, my Haki dissipates," Bakel added, scratching his head.
"That's precisely the problem." Lorne's expression was serious.
"In the New World, not knowing Armament Haki is the same as putting your life in someone else's hands."
"Starting today, your daily training load is doubled."
"Yes, sir!" the marines answered in unison. Though they wore wry smiles, their eyes were full of fighting spirit.
Masha came out of the kitchen carrying a platter of sliced fruit and offered it to Lorne.
"Have some fruit. Don't spend all day lecturing them with such a stern face. The children are already working very hard."
"Mom, I'm doing this for their safety." Somewhat helplessly, Lorne took the fruit and popped a piece into his mouth.
"I know you care about them, but you need to balance work and rest too." Masha smiled gently, then offered the platter to Ryan and Bakel.
"Here, have some too."
"Thanks, Auntie Masha!" Bakel grabbed a large piece of apple with a cheeky grin.
"Thank you, Ms. Masha." Ryan was much more polite.
The atmosphere on deck lightened for a while.
Meanwhile, the light was somewhat dim in the Fearless's lower hold.
Seastone chains rattled against the walls.
Jack leaned in a corner, his massive body cramped inside the narrow cell, looking rather uncomfortable.
Though his wounds had stopped bleeding, the weakness brought on by the Seastone made even lifting a finger feel difficult.
In the neighboring cell, Smoothie slowly opened her eyes as well.
She looked at the chains on her body, then at Jack beside