Starting today, Lind planned to fully involve himself in the training of his subordinates—he needed to boost their combat strength as quickly as possible.
Only once they were strong enough could he peacefully focus on his "farming" ambitions.
While thinking about the training plans, Lind made his way toward the conference hall beside the training grounds.
"Axel, Liana, Calvin, Rex, Allison—come to the conference hall. Let's discuss the next phase of squad training."
Without interrupting their training, Lind simply used his telekinesis to notify the five officers.
Soon after Lind entered the hall, the five had all arrived.
Although people in the One-Piece world were generally tall, few reached the monstrous heights of figures like Whitebeard and Charlotte Linlin.
Lind's five subordinates were all around his size—between 1.9 to 2.6 meters tall.
Axel was the swordsman previously seen wielding two watermelon-shaped blades, who had rampaged across the battlefield. He was the shortest of the group at 1.9 meters, resembling Borsalino (Kizaru) with a somewhat sleazy appearance.
Fortunately, he was extremely powerful—the strongest among the five. In fact, within that batch of pirates, only the Oni named Leo surpassed him.
Born from a gang background, he carried two watermelon blades and fought his way from the West Blue to the New World. Using his thug-style swordsmanship, he earned a 90 million Beli bounty.
In an era before inflation, a bounty like that marked him as far stronger than most of the future Supernovas.
Although already 30 years old, Lind believed that under his guidance, Axel still had great potential to grow into a true powerhouse.
Liana was the user of the Black Cat Fruit. At 2 meters tall—same as Lind—she was a stunning and curvy female pirate.
Her long, wavy black hair made Lind reconsider calling her Black Cat Sheriff—no, she resembled Rui (Rui Ai) from the anime Cat's Eye far more.
(Rui is the one on the far right)
Whether she'd age gracefully was uncertain, given how poorly this world treated older women.
Liana—no, Rui Ai—was the only sniper among them, but also quite capable in close combat. With an 80 million Beli bounty, her overall strength was second only to Axel.
At 23, she had great potential, but had already eaten a Devil Fruit—an ordinary Zoan-type—which somewhat limited her future development.
Calvin, standing at 2.1 meters, had a rugged, resolute face and a military bearing in his speech and actions.
He came from the Flower Country in the West Blue and specialized in hand-to-hand combat. During the selection process, he had stood out by relying on powerful Armament Haki and a technique called Five Extremes Fist.
Lind suspected Calvin had once served in the Gojou Navy—though his reasons for joining the Rocks Pirates remained a mystery.
At 21, Calvin was the youngest among them, with a 60 million Beli bounty. He hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit yet, making him the most promising in terms of untapped potential.
Rex and Allison, like Axel, were already 30 years old.
Rex, at 2.6 meters, was the tallest and a mountain of muscle. A brawler-type fighter with a bounty of 70 million Beli, he had a strong background in martial arts.
Allison, at 1.9 meters, was an elegant short-haired beauty. A skilled swordswoman who also had some medical knowledge.
She had previously been a ship doctor—but after accidentally causing her captain's death during treatment, she joined the Rocks Pirates and was eventually recruited by Lind.
With a bounty of 56 million Beli, she was still a formidable female pirate.
Lind looked at the five seated before him, feeling very pleased.
Each one was a talent—future cornerstones of his empire.
"Let's first talk about the squad's progress over the past month."
Once everyone was seated, Lind opened the discussion.
"Yes, Boss."
"Currently, aside from us five, there are 92 members in the squad."
"Thanks to the training methods and equipment you designed, all 92 have now mastered Armament Haki, and over 50 have also awakened Observation Haki!"
"The strength of the 7th Squad is now on par with the average elite core members across all Rocks Pirate divisions!"
"I believe that in another month, when the 7th Squad goes to sea, we'll be able to dominate most pirate and marine units!"
It was Axel who spoke. Though he resembled Kizaru, he shared none of the latter's lazy tendencies.
Over the past few months, he had been fully committed to his duties, handling all kinds of affairs efficiently. Most importantly—he was strong. Right now, he was Linde's most reliable officer.
The other four also trusted Axel, so he naturally took on the reporting role.
"Very good. You've done an excellent job this past month—right in line with my expectations. For the next month, I'll personally lead the training!"
"But your own strength also needs improvement. You five must level up over the next month!"
"This is a miraculous fruit I found on a deserted island. I call it the Dragon Banana. Eating it will enhance your physical stats!"
"Use these Dragon Bananas along with strength training. I guarantee you'll see massive improvements!"
Lind opened the box behind him with telekinesis, revealing a chest full of Dragon Bananas.
These were leftovers from when he left the island. Though a special resin kept them fresh, they were reaching the end of their shelf life.
Lind's own physique had reached a point where the bananas' effects were minimal, so he only ate them occasionally as dessert.
Having barely touched his stock over the past few months, and with the bananas about to spoil, he decided it was time to use them to boost his crew.
The same went for other fruits—many were hard to preserve and nearing expiration. Lind planned to handle them soon too.
Whether he fed them to his crew or made them into dried fruit or canned goods—waste was not an option.
Additionally, Lind planned to return to that deserted island soon and gather up the remaining Shenlong Coconuts.
This time, he'd bring his crew—because the origin of his mysterious fruits couldn't stay secret forever. He needed a source story.
By taking his crew there, he could pass it off as a "gift of nature" rather than a power unique to himself.
As for getting rid of the coconuts—on one hand, his public Devil Fruit ability was telekinesis, and on the other hand, the Shenlong Coconuts were simply too potent.
Even if others couldn't achieve his level of power from them, Lind still wanted to keep them secret for now.
Until he became strong enough, the Shenlong Coconuts would remain confidential—known only to him and the Great Kun.
Seeing the officers' slightly doubtful expressions, Lind added:
"The sea is vast—you never know where treasures lie. Doesn't Sea King meat also boost physical attributes?"
"You'll understand once you try. Besides the box here, I've got more stored in my room—more than enough to raise your strength to the next level!"
Upon hearing Lind's reassurance, the five dropped their doubts and hurriedly thanked him.
"Thank you, Boss! We'll train hard and raise our power to make the 7th Squad famous!"
"Boss is mighty! Boss is the coolest! Boss is invincible!"
"Long live the Boss! Conquer all four seas!"
The five officers chimed in one after another, showering him with flattery as if it cost nothing.