Two days passed in a blink.
Noon, inside the training chamber.
Cold air flooded the room. More than a meter of densely compressed snow covered the ground.
This was a buffer layer specially created by Nojiko using the Yuki-Yuki no Mi (Snow-Snow Fruit).
With it, the Poneglyph could be kept perfectly stable under Shanu's relentless physical impacts, preventing even the slightest shift.
It also reduced the vibrations transmitted to the ship and suppressed noise. One setup, three benefits.
"Hah"
Shanu stood before the stone tablet, eyes gleaming as he exhaled a deep breath.
After a brief rest, his fists clenched with a crisp crack. Thick jet-black Armament Haki surged out like a tidal wave.
"Again!"
He growled low, his right fist smashed forward!
BOOM!!!
The instant his knuckles struck the Poneglyph, a terrifying shockwave exploded outward. Snow burst into the air, the blast surging across the entire training hall.
The Poneglyph didn't budge. Its surface remained smooth and flawless.
"Tch. Still not enough…"
Shanu curled his lip, flexing his numbed fist. His knuckles tingled sharply.
These past few days, the stone monument remained untouched, yet he could clearly feel his Armament Haki growing denser and more refined with each impact.
Like steel tempered again and again under crushing pressure, slowly transforming.
He continued.
Adjusting his breathing, his fists didn't pause. Punch after punch rained down like bullets.
Boom!
Boom!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
The heavy impacts echoed nonstop. He wasn't just training his fists, he cycled through every attack he could muster:
Fists, elbows, knees, legs, his torso , even his head…
Every inch of muscle became a weapon, slamming into the ancient stone.
This was full-body forging.
"Not enough! Far from enough!!!"
His strikes grew increasingly violent. His eyes reddened from excitement, lips curling into a savage grin. Sweat steamed off his body the moment it emerged, turning into mist around him.
His skin cracked under the recoil, blood seeping out, only to close immediately thanks to his crazy regeneration.
Pain?
Just fuel for growth.
Entering this self-tormenting training state, pain simply ceased to exist.
"More! MORE!!!"
He roared with manic laughter, his voice nearly drowning out the detonating impacts.
For an instant, he was transported back to that small island in East Blue, long before Arlong came.
A nameless boy.
Punching a mountain day after day.
Pure. Wild. Unyielding.
That was the real him, the one who first set foot on the path of strength.
On the deck.
Feeling the faint tremors through the wooden planks, Smoker looked back, eyelid twitching.
"…One wrong punch and he'll blast a hole clean through the ship…"
He lit two cigars but didn't put them in his mouth, frowning in thought.
"No reason… Why did the captain suddenly raise his training intensity so drastically?"
The Shanu he'd seen on the ship always balanced training and leisure.
Actually, that might've been follower-filter bias.
Most of the time, the black-haired kid just lounged on a deck chair enjoying the sea breeze and sunshine…
Fought Nojiko over oranges…
Or kicked Gin off the ship when bored.
Hardly the intense-training type.
Even Kuina, who lived and breathed swordsmanship, trained more.
Nojiko during her early Haki learning spurt trained harder too.
He was maybe… slightly more diligent than Nami, who slacked 24/7.
"It's been a while since he's been like this. But that's because you don't know him well enough."
Nojiko walked over with an orange soda, grinning.
"For a very, very long time before this, he was exactly like that, a total training maniac. That's his real nature."
She listened to the distant booms with a soft smile.
"Whenever he feels danger… or feels he's not strong enough… or finds a new way to train , he goes nuts. Trains like he wants to die."
Not strong enough?
Smoker froze.
Was this still human speech?
Where exactly is he not strong enough?
He'd seen the kid:
Kill Crocodile like swatting a fly.
Beat a 500-million berry dinosaur pirate like it was a sandbag.
Even Admiral Akainu failed to take him down…
"And he thinks that's not strong enough?"
Smoker's temple throbbed. "Then what about the rest of us, should we just die?"
Across the whole Grand Line, no, the whole world. Who the hell is this strong at eighteen?!
Nojiko was about to tease him, but something on the table caught her eye.
Messy mechanical sketches. She picked one up.
"…You're trying to modify the stern, adding a row of flame-propulsion vents using Nami's Mera-Mera no Mi flames?"
Smoker scratched his head awkwardly.
"Yeah. Saw that cola-powered mini-ship during maintenance the other day. Got inspired."
"Oh, that one."
Nojiko laughed. "That's from Kuina's family. Nami stole it years ago and it stayed on the ship. Heard it was made by Tom the Shipwright."
"Tom? The man who built the Pirate King's ship…?"
Smoker nodded. "No wonder."
He pointed at the papers.
"In theory, if this works, converting Mera-Mera flames into propulsion could double the ship's speed."
"Not always necessary, but in emergencies, storms, whirlpools, running from Marines, crossing the Calm Belt… It'd be clutch."
"Great idea!" Nojiko's eyes sparkled. "Have you made one yet?"
"Only a prototype."
He pulled a small device from under the seat. "Tiny, but enough to test using Nami's flames."
"Then go call her! Let's test it!"
"…You know where she is."
And indeed, Nami sat in a corner, red-eyed, frantically flipping through a newspaper, grinding her teeth.
"…Headline isn't updated. No new bounty yet?"
Nojiko handed her the drink.
"No!!"
Nami wailed, shredding the newspaper. "It's the third day!! What is Morgans DOING? Why isn't he publishing it?!"
"Why hasn't the Navy updated the wanted posters?!"
Nojiko and Smoker exchanged a silent stare.
This had become her daily meltdown.
But…
This time did feel strange.
"Four days with no update… maybe the World Government is suppressing the news again? Like Whiskey Peak?"
"No, unlikely."
Smoker shook his head.
"Last time the Navy wanted to save face before hunting us down. But after what happened at Tor Island, they know that won't work anymore."
He exhaled smoke.
"And tens of thousands witnessed the fall of the Hazna Pirates. Information like that cannot be suppressed."
"Then why, "
"Two possibilities."
Smoker narrowed his eyes.
"First, the Navy gathers overwhelming force, more than last time, multiple Admirals… and plans to erase us."
"But that's unlikely."
"Agreed. Then the second?"
"I KNOW!!!"
Nami suddenly jumped up, eyes shining.
"They saw my true power!! They don't know whether to set my bounty to 200 million or 300 million, so they're STILL ARGUING!!! Wahahaha!!!"
"…"
Nojiko and Smoker stared at her.
Nojiko hugged her sympathetically.
"I'm sorry I ever made fun of you…"
The child was clearly broken.
Smoker cleared his throat.
"The second possibility is that the World Government bypassed the Navy entirely, and wants to recruit the captain… as a Shichibukai of the Sea."
Nojiko blinked. Makes sense. If Shanu accepted, his bounty would be removed entirely. That explained the delay.
But…
Would he accept?
Meanwhile, on the upper deck.
Robin leaned on the railing, listening to Smoker's analysis drifting up in the wind. She smiled softly.
"As expected of a former Marine. Very sharp."
"I heard."
Kuina said calmly without looking up, absorbed in the sword manual Shanu had given her.
"In my view, the World Government should've offered long ago. Shanu-sama joining the Shichibukai wouldn't honor him, It would honor the entire system."
…Robin was speechless.
Who knew this cool, stoic swordswoman was Shanu's most devoted fan?
After days of observation, it was undeniable.
Robin left for the library. Kuina gazed at the Yasuo sword manual, full of reverence.
Shanu had given her something truly priceless. Even top swordmasters would bid fortunes for this.
But since it was entrusted to her, she would master it. Every page. Every technique.
She stood, drew her blade, and faced the training dummy.
Time to begin practicing the first technique:
Steel Tempest.
Marineford, Headquarters.
In an office beneath the plaque "Reigning Justice."
Sengoku ended a call.
"Target location confirmed. Continue searching. The envoy will depart soon."
He turned to the old man stuffing his face with senbei.
"Garp, the Elders decided, you'll handle the Shichibukai negotiation."
"PFFT, !"
Garp spat senbei everywhere.
"What?! I'm on vacation! Why send ME? They always sent some random Vice Admiral before!"
Sengoku shoved the senbei away and slapped a document on the desk.
"This order comes directly from the Five Elders. Stop complaining. Go get Shanu to sign."
"Get lost! I'm not, wait…
Who?"
"Shanu. Your East Blue hometown kid. Your good student. Ring any bells?"
Sengoku glared.
"You were the one who suggested recruiting him last time!"
"Bahaha! So it's him! Why didn't you say so earlier? I'll go!"
Garp laughed loudly.
"I told you that kid's got good character! Why keep chasing him around like a criminal? Making him a Shichibukai is the perfect solution!"
Sengoku nearly ripped out his own beard.
Good character?!
He killed two Vice Admirals.
AND two Shichibukai.
But the Elders' orders left him no choice.
To avoid immediate conflict, Garp was the safest envoy.
Half an hour later, the dog-headed battleship sailed out at full speed toward Alabasta.
Standing at the bow, stuffing donuts into his mouth, Garp bellowed:
"Shanu, you little brat! Haven't seen you in years, old man Garp is coming!!!"