A few days later, Rodin's warship was ready to continue its journey. After some quick repairs to a damaged cabin, he unfolded a nautical chart. They were approaching Reverse Mountain and the entrance to the Grand Line.
The journey through the central canal of Reverse Mountain was known to be treacherous, but Rodin had no concerns. With two formidable women aboard, a coffin boat sailor and a sand-based fighter, they had more than enough power to navigate the dangerous rapids and rock walls.
Rodin looked toward the bow of the ship, where Mihoko was "training" Tashigi. After recovering from her injuries, Mihoko had Tashigi as a new student. At first, Tashigi had begged Rodin to let her go, but with her cries going unheard, she had resigned herself to her fate. Now, seeing Mihoko's power up close, she was determined to learn from the world's greatest female swordsman.
"On my ship, you will learn to be beautiful," Mihoko declared.
Tashigi looked puzzled. "It's an honor to be with Ms. Mihoko, but... beautiful?"
Mihoko had changed her clothes and was now wearing a wine-red windbreaker over a stylish outfit she'd found in Loguetown—a suggestion from Rodin. "Call me 'big sister'," Mihoko said. "And what's wrong with pursuing beauty? You need to find the determination to be beautiful, or your swordsmanship will never improve. How else do you think I became strong?"
Tashigi, confused, thought about the strange logic but saw the truth in Mihoko's strength. There had to be a secret, and while the "the more beautiful, the stronger" concept seemed far-fetched, she was willing to listen.
"You are unkempt," Mihoko continued. "Your attitude towards beauty is a hindrance to your progress. And your glasses..." She drew her sword and swung it directly at Tashigi, who stumbled back in surprise. The blade tore a piece of fabric from her blouse, but left her unharmed.
Tashigi, suddenly self-conscious, covered herself with her hands and squatted on the ground, blushing. "What are you doing?!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.
"This is all to make you stronger!" Mihoko scolded. "And you're a woman, what's with the tears? You cover yourself up too much, and it affects your combat and your beauty. There are no outsiders here, so hurry up and practice."
Tashigi was speechless. "But I'm highly nearsighted!" she protested.
"Are you going to be blind forever?" Mihoko asked. "You're a Marine, you should be training to use Observation Haki! Now stop squatting, my sword angle wasn't that wide. Let's go."
Rodin, observing from a distance, subconsciously swallowed. He had never seen such a strict training method. This was reminiscent of Trafalgar Law's "personality transplant" in the original story, but even more extreme. The birth of a beautiful new version of Tashigi was at hand.
"Little Eagle is really my caring little padded jacket," Rodin thought with a smile. He took a sip of his tea and then his eyes lit up. "I see it! Reverse Mountain!"
The time had come for another sign-in.
As Rodin's warship approached the towering, blood-red rock walls of Reverse Mountain, he consulted a nautical chart. The narrow canal at the center was their only path to the Grand Line.
"So, we're going to the Grand Line?" Crocodile asked, her long eyelashes fluttering as she puffed on a cigar. She was already thinking about the possibility of meeting her own gender-bent counterpart.
"Yeah. And you'll soon meet your double," Rodin replied with a slight smile. "You should also work on your Haki before we reach the New World."
Crocodile scoffed. "You don't need to worry about me."
But as she spoke, she found her mouth was empty. Rodin, with a flick of his wrist, had snatched her cigar. At the same time, her fishnet stockings were lightly pinched and then snapped back.
Crocodile's legs trembled as she clenched her fists. "Is this supposed to be funny?"
"Sorry," Rodin said, holding her cigar. "No smoking for girls on my ship."
"You're a man, you shouldn't be smoking!" Crocodile yelled, but she held back from attacking, remembering how weak she felt after fighting Garp. "Just you wait, I'll have my revenge!" A scarlet glint flashed in her eyes.
"You're always so confident," Rodin said, unfazed.
Just then, the warship began to shake violently from the strong currents. "Head to the helm," Rodin ordered, his expression changing. Crocodile nodded and vanished in a whirlwind of sand, and Mihoko stopped her training with Tashigi. The latter, her face still flushed, rushed to the locker room.
"Captain, it seems the Marines aren't trying to stop us from entering the Grand Line," Mihoko said.
"They might be waiting for us on the other side, at the Twin Capes," Rodin mused, sharing Mihoko's suspicion. He knew they could handle one Admiral-level fighter, but two could spell disaster. He also knew he couldn't rely on the Marines making him a Shichibukai.
DING!
The system's voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.
[It is detected that Host is approaching a special area, which belongs to the Red Line's Reverse Mountain! A special check-in is available (rewards are richer than ever), will the Host check in immediately?]
Rodin's eyes lit up. "Special check-in?" he said, then nodded. "Sign in!"
A Special Sign-in
[Ding, successfully signed in!]
[Congratulations on getting the 'Fame Training Card' and a chance to randomly draw a gender-bent character!]
Rodin's jaw dropped. A character draw! And a Fame Training Card! The system had outdone itself.
"System, draw the character now, and give me the details on the 'Fame Training Card'!"
[Random selection... Fame Training Card: This training card can speed up the host's practice (Haki, physical skills, fruit ability) in all directions, without side effects. Note: The higher the host's reputation in the world, the greater the effect of the training card! (Only for one person!)]
[The fame training card is divided into seven grades of color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple. A rank represents a cultivation speed! Your current reputation is in the 'orange' state, and your personal practice has increased by five times!]
Rodin's mind raced. This card was exactly what he needed. One day of training would now equal five. This would help him catch up to the other monsters in this world.
The warship rocked again, but he wasn't worried. With Crocodile and Mihoko at the helm, they would be fine. His attention was focused entirely on the character draw.
"Who will it be this time? Why is it taking so long?!" he thought, growing impatient.