The man's combat ability was basically negligible. All Zhang Da Ye had to do was catch up and knock him out with a single punch. He just needed to avoid the face—too much damage there and the man wouldn't be recognizable.
"Don't worry, just a wanted criminal," Zhang Da Ye casually explained to the bystanders who recognized the man. Then he picked him up like a sack of rice and walked away.
He handed the man over to Rui Meng Meng. "Meng Meng, take him to the Navy base. We'll head back to open the tavern—running short on time."
"Got it." Carrying a full-grown man was no trouble for her, and she knew the way to the base well.
"Oh, and on your way back, buy a few boxes of toothpaste. Every kind."
"I know."
…
For the next several days, their training spot was set at the shore. When Zhang Da Ye said they'd hunt Sea Kings, he hadn't been joking.
Though they were sailing on the Grand Line, Sea Kings weren't actually that common. After days of searching, they'd mostly just run into oversized fish and sea beasts.
During this time, Shark Chili managed to recognize a few more wanted criminals—some passing by on the street, some even brazen enough to stroll into the tavern for a drink and to watch Tom.
It wasn't all that surprising. In real life, even wanted fugitives have been caught attending concerts.
Thanks to them, the group earned an extra twenty to thirty million in bounties over the days.
They didn't dare let Shark Chili deliver them to the Navy base, though—too risky. If some researcher got curious, he might end up cut open for study.
Sure, the island already had rumors about robots, but rumors weren't the same as seeing one face-to-face. And a regular robot wasn't nearly as shocking as Shark Chili.
Meanwhile, one unlucky Navy major was now so sick of running into the tavern's people that he avoided them entirely, muttering about how often they showed up.
On the other hand, Lieutenant Commander T Bone had a rather good impression of them. Every time he ran into the group, he extended an invitation to join the Navy.
Every time, they politely refused.
Once, when T Bone had a bit of downtime, he sparred with Artoria. He threw out all of his best sword techniques, yet she countered them with ease, leaving him deeply impressed.
"Lieutenant Commander T Bone, would you also spar with me?" Zhang Da Ye asked. He wanted to test his current strength.
"Of course." T Bone was the kind who preferred everything straightforward. If it wasn't a difficult request, he had no reason to refuse.
They both took their positions, weapons in hand. T Bone raised his longsword and declared, "I told you already—I hate curved techniques. Right-angle slash!"
He wielded a true double-edged sword. Rumor had it he had once served as a knight in some kingdom.
And when he unleashed his Flying Slash, it lived up to its name. While most slashes curved through the air, his traveled in a perfect right angle.
Facing it felt like someone was truly standing before you, sword in hand. The only options were to parry with technique or to overpower it with raw strength.
Parry, and the slash would be deflected. Overpower it, and the slash would be canceled out.
Sure, dodging was an option—but dodging created openings.
Zhang Da Ye had sparred enough with Artoria to know how to deal with such things. He swung his sword, redirecting the slash and driving it into the ground.
Then he rushed forward to close the distance. But T Bone wasn't about to just stand still. He immediately followed with another move:
"Right-Angle Bird Slash… Big Bone Bird!"
(Don't laugh—that really was the name.)
A bird-shaped slash twisted midair, making a series of sharp right-angle turns before diving at Zhang Da Ye from the upper left.
This time, Zhang Da Ye chose to meet it head-on. He infused his blade with a touch of magic and struck the bird's head directly.
With a metallic clang, the slash shattered. The two men finally clashed at close range.
Here Zhang Da Ye suffered a bit. His own sword was about 1.2 meters long, but T Bone's was closer to 1.8.
Against a nobody, the extra reach wouldn't have mattered. But T Bone was a skilled lieutenant commander in the Navy headquarters, on the verge of promotion to full commander.
That difference was painful. A longer blade was an advantage, and every time Zhang Da Ye tried to close in, T Bone skillfully kept him out. It was enough to make Zhang Da Ye itch to just pull out a streetlamp as a weapon.
After all, T Bone wasn't some random soldier—he was a veteran of countless battles. Without such skill, he'd have been cut down by pirates long ago.
What T Bone didn't expect was Zhang Da Ye's own ability. His speed and strength carried real weight, and the clean, efficient swordsmanship he used felt exactly like Artoria's style.
Dozens of exchanges later, the two clashed again before T Bone leapt back. "That's enough. As expected from someone trained by Miss Artoria. If I wanted to win, I'd have to risk my life."
"You flatter me. Thank you for your guidance." Truth be told, Zhang Da Ye wasn't done yet. It was rare to find an opponent of equal footing, and though it was frustrating to be unable to break through, it felt good to test what he had learned piece by piece.
"No need to thank me. I'm the one grateful for Miss Artoria's instruction." T Bone bowed slightly to her, then excused himself.
…
"Alright, let's head out! It's been a week and we still haven't seen a single Sea King. I refuse to believe our luck is this bad!" Zhang Da Ye ordered, and the group set out again.
Shark Chili dove underwater to scout—he was their main reconnaissance.
Tom and Artoria sat atop a raft. Tom was just lazy, and Artoria preferred not to get wet.
Zhang Da Ye and Rui Meng Meng swam alongside, pushing the raft—they treated it as extra training.
[Tom's Raft: The raft Tom once used while drifting at sea. Tested against storm and waves, remarkably resilient.]
That was why they used the raft instead of a small boat. If they ran into a Sea King or a sea beast, a regular craft might not hold up. A Tom-made raft could be trusted.
Their search range had expanded greatly. As long as the Sabaody Archipelago remained in sight, they circled outward from there.
Thunk. An apple core hit Zhang Da Ye on the head. "Tom, don't just throw garbage anywhere!"
Tom was busy pulling bananas from the basket. He nodded at the words, but as soon as he finished the banana, he casually tossed the peel aside.
Zhang Da Ye could dodge bullets if he had to. But Tom's trash? Completely unreasonable. One careless moment and he was hit again.
"Tom…" came a voice thick with resentment.
Tom turned his head and saw Zhang Da Ye peeling a banana skin off his own face. Startled, the cat bolted.
"Stop right there! I'll show you what happens today!"
Tom swam ahead, Zhang Da Ye chased behind.
If Tom swam in circles, Zhang Da Ye followed in circles.
If Tom swam in waves, Zhang Da Ye followed in waves.
Shark Chili surfaced beside the raft. "What's going on?"
"Just their daily scuffle," Artoria replied calmly.
"But… doesn't it seem like the boss is swimming faster than usual?" Rui Meng Meng asked, puzzled. "He's never this fast."
"That might be Tom's special ability. He seems able to affect others unconsciously." Artoria thought for a moment, then added:
"As Da Ye once put it—he pulls enemies into his own 'style' of battle, then uses his experience to defeat them. He used to tell me all the time, Tom's style is… wrong."
'Used to,' meaning he didn't say it anymore. Because by now, Zhang Da Ye had gotten used to it.
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