Although the others remained silent, the expectation in their eyes spoke volumes.
Roy paused for two seconds, then slowly spoke.
" Devil Fruit Awakening, simply put, is the process of allowing one's abilities to transcend their original limits."
"No longer confined to oneself, but able to influence the surrounding environment."
Roy raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly curled.
An invisible Telekinesis instantly enveloped the entire conference room.
"For example, within my Telekinesis Domain— "
Everything I say will come true.
He uttered a single word softly.
"Stop."
Everyone present, except for Bullet, Hawk Eyes, and Red Count who could barely move, felt their bodies stiffen, as if they were bound by invisible chains!
Bullet's eyes widened as he struggled desperately, only to find he couldn't move at all!
Tesoro even went so far as to transform into elements, attempting to escape as lightning.
But that invisible force could even freeze him in his elemental form!
Golden arcs of electricity danced in the air, yet they could not coalesce into a shape!
A glint flashed in the Red Count's eyes. He activated his Observation Haki to its fullest extent and barely managed to raise his right hand, but then lowered it again.
Hawk Eyes was in the same boat; the Black Blade Yoru trembled slightly, but could not be drawn.
"This..."
Bullet spoke with difficulty.
"This... this is... Awakening?!"
Roy smiled slightly and withdrew his Telekinesis.
That invisible sense of oppression vanished instantly.
Everyone was panting heavily, their eyes filled with shock.
Tesoro returned to human form and slumped into a chair.
"Boss... this is way too insane..."
"In front of you, even elemental transformation is useless..."
The Red Count took a deep breath
" Words Become Law..."
"Is this the power of Awakening?"
Hawk Eyes paused for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"Indeed very strong."
"If a battle were to take place in such a realm, ordinary powerful individuals would have no chance of resistance."
Roy nodded.
"That's right."
"After Awakening, the nature of the ability will undergo a fundamental change."
"It's no longer about 'using' abilities, but about 'controlling' abilities."
"In my domain, I am the rule."
Everyone fell silent, their eyes filled with longing.
Bullet suddenly stood up.
" Roy! How can I Awakening?!"
"I want to Awakening too!"
Tesoro also stood up.
"Yes, yes, yes! Boss! Teach us quickly!"
Roy raised his hand, signaling them to calm down.
" Awakening isn't something you can Awakening just by wanting Awakening."
"It requires accumulation, an opportunity, and a bit of luck."
"That Doflamingo guy broke through at the brink of death."
"And I--"
"He broke through during the time he fought Garp for three days and three nights, and was almost killed by one of his punches."
Everyone fell silent again.
I almost got beaten to death...
"So, don't rush."
"First, develop the Devil Fruit's power to its fullest potential, and cultivate Haki and physical strength to their peak."
"When you've accumulated enough experience, the opportunity will naturally come."
"It can't be rushed."
The group nodded thoughtfully.
Red Count smiled slightly.
" Roy is right."
Awakening is not something that can be achieved overnight.
"Building a solid foundation first is the right path."
Bullet was still somewhat unwilling, but he knew that Roy was right, so he could only sit down dejectedly.
At this moment, everyone's attention finally fell on Lafitte and his two companions.
Bullet sized up Jesus Burgess's muscular physique, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.
"Hey, you're Jesus Burgess?"
Jesus Burgess quickly stood up.
"Yes, yes!"
Bullet grinned.
"You look to be in good health."
Jesus Burgess swallowed hard.
"It's... not bad..."
Bullet stood up, walked over to him, and extended his hand.
"Come on, let's shake hands."
Jesus Burgess was taken aback, and instinctively reached out his hand.
Two hands clasped together.
The next second, Jesus Burgess's expression changed.
A terrifying power emanated from that hand!
His hands were clenched so tightly they were cracking!
Jesus Burgess gritted his teeth, desperately channeling his power in an attempt to resist.
But that force was like a mountain, completely unshakeable!
"Wow... Wow hahaha..."
Jesus Burgess chuckled dryly.
"Senior Bullet, you... you're incredibly strong..."
Bullet released his grip and patted him on the shoulder.
"Not bad, not bad, you've got some skills."
"From now on, follow me and train hard."
Jesus Burgess wiped away a bead of cold sweat and nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes!"
Tesoro then moved closer to Lafitte.
"Hey, are you Lafitte?"
"I heard you can hypnotize?"
Lafitte smiled slightly.
I know a little bit about it.
Tesoro's eyes lit up.
"Come on, try hypnotizing me!"
Lafitte shook his head.
"Mr. Tesoro, my hypnosis has limited effectiveness against strong individuals."
"I can't hypnotize someone as powerful as you."
Tesoro pouted in disappointment.
"All right."
Crocodile's gaze fell on Van Augur.
"Sniper?"
Van Augur nodded.
"Yes."
Crocodile exhaled a smoke ring.
How's your marksmanship?
Van Augur was silent for a second.
"Good."
Crocodile laughed.
"If you have the chance, give me a performance."
Van Augur nodded slightly.
"Good."
Roy watched the interaction among the group, a smile playing on his lips.
"Alright, you all know each other now, right?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Roy looked at Tesoro,
" Tesoro, take them to choose a place to stay."
"Then, take them to see Dr. Gracia."
"Extract gene samples."
Tesoro stood up.
"Understood, boss!"
He walked up to Lafitte and the other two.
"Let's go, I'll take you to choose a room."
"Our Hachinosu may not have much else, but it's huge!"
The three stood up and followed Tesoro out of the conference room.
Roy looked at Bullet,
" Bullet, those three are yours."
"You'll be in charge of the basic physical training and the Awakening of the dual-color Haki."
Bullet grinned.
"No problem!"
"I guarantee I'll train them until they're completely obedient!"
In the days that followed, Lafitte and her two companions gradually integrated into life on Hachinosu.
Dr. Gracia extracted genetic samples from them and began cultivating custom embryos.
Bloodline Transplantation takes time.
Before that, they underwent Bullet's "hellish training".
I have to get up before dawn every day to do weighted running laps, push-ups, squats, and sparring...
Bullet, that guy, never goes easy on new recruits.
At first, Jesus Burgess thought he was strong enough to withstand the strain.
As a result, after the first day of training, he collapsed on the ground, unable to move even his fingers.
"Wow... Wow hahaha..."
He lay on the ground, gazing at the sky, grinning foolishly.
"Senior Bullet... he's a monster..."
Lafitte wasn't much better off.
Although he is quick-witted, his physical strength is indeed a weakness.
Bullet's training was pure torture for him.
But he gritted his teeth and persevered.
Because he knew that only by becoming stronger could he truly establish himself on Hachinosu.
Van Augur is the most relaxed.
As a sniper, Bullet's training requirements were different—more emphasis was placed on endurance, concealment, and adaptability to the environment.
Every day, under extreme Gravity Suppression, he carried dozens of kilograms of weight as he traversed the island, searching for the best sniping spots.
Although it was tiring, it was like heaven compared to Jesus Burgess and Lafitte.
And so, under Bullet's training, the three of them grew stronger day by day.
at the same time,
The news that Roy had sent people to search for lanternfish gradually spread across the sea.