As the week slowly passed, Darius and Swain continued their routine of swimming and training together.
Each passing day, Swain's improvement became more and more noticeable.
His movements were becoming faster, his endurance stronger, and his control over his newly gained Devil Fruit abilities was steadily advancing.
Swain could now shift between his normal form and his full beast form with relative ease, and recently, he had even started to show progress with his hybrid form — a state where he stood upright on two paws, resembling a human user of a Zoan-type fruit.
In that form, he could access his ice-based powers while keeping a balance between mobility and strength.
During their daily training, Darius also helped Swain explore more about the nature of his Devil Fruit.
They discovered that Swain could unleash an icy breath capable of freezing large areas almost instantly.
The frost it produced reminded Darius of Yamato's power, though Swain's cold seemed denser and far more intense. Even more surprising, Swain was learning how to use his powers over water.
Despite the natural weakness of Devil Fruit users to the sea, Swain could partially counter it by freezing the surface as he ran, forming thin paths of solid ice beneath his paws.
It resembled the way Kuzan once traveled across the ocean, and Darius found it both impressive and slightly concerning at the same time.
Their spars were also becoming more serious as Swain's strength grew. Darius could tell that each battle pushed Swain closer to mastering his fruit.
Whenever Darius attacked, Swain would respond with better coordination and timing, using bursts of cold air or frost-covered claws to counter.
The training sessions had turned into a routine that benefited them both — Swain was becoming stronger, and Darius was gaining better understanding of his companion's new powers.
A week later, Dragon finally returned to Dawn Island. The first thing Darius noticed was the bruises scattered across Dragon's face and arms, like he had just been in a serious fight.
However, Dragon didn't look angry or upset; in fact, there was nothing but satisfaction on his face.
When Darius asked what happened, Dragon explained that he and Garp had encountered an entire pirate crew on their way back.
While Garp could have easily taken care of them alone, he used the encounter as a chance to test Dragon's progress.
Dragon proudly mentioned that he had defeated more than ten fully grown pirates on his own — men who wouldn't have hesitated to kill anyone.
Garp, who was standing nearby, grinned broadly as he patted Darius on the shoulder.
"Seems you're not wasting your time training your brother. You'll make a fine Marine someday," Garp said with his usual confident tone.
Normally, Darius would respond with some form of protest about becoming a Marine, but this time, he just decided to change the subject.
"Pops, do you have a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia? Swain ate a Devil Fruit, and we want to know what it's called," Darius said, pointing at Swain.
Swain was currently in Dragon's arms, happily being hugged while wagging his tail. It was clear that Swain had missed Dragon's company after a week of being apart.
"Hah? Swain ate a Devil Fruit?" Dragon asked in surprise, looking down at the wolf in disbelief. "Then he can't swim anymore, right? That's a shame, I really liked swimming with him."
Swain responded by licking Dragon's face repeatedly, as if to comfort him, while Garp just stood by, observing the whole exchange with amusement.
"Fine, wait here," Garp finally said after a short pause. He pulled out a Den-Den Mushi from his coat and began making a call.
Darius assumed it was Bogard on the other end, as Garp started giving specific instructions.
From what Darius heard, Garp ordered one of his men to bring the available Devil Fruit Encyclopedia from his ship to their location.
Only a few minutes later, a tall, calm-looking figure appeared before them — Bogard.
He carried a thick, well-worn book in his hands, which he handed over to Garp without a word. Garp then passed it directly to Darius.
Darius immediately began flipping through the pages, scanning each entry carefully. He was searching for a fruit with the same pattern and markings as the one Swain had eaten.
After turning through several pages filled with sketches and descriptions, he finally found one that matched exactly.
"Inu Inu no Mi, model: Amarok," Darius read aloud, his eyes narrowing with interest as he started going through the details written beneath the name.
According to the book, this Devil Fruit allowed its user to summon and control ice around their body, produce cold mist, and even devour the souls of the beings they killed, adding them to their own essence.
It also mentioned that users of this fruit experienced physical enhancements far greater than those of normal Zoans or even Ancient Zoans.
Darius glanced at Swain, who was now sitting quietly beside Dragon, still enjoying the attention.
He finally understood what he had sensed during their hunts — that strange energy moving from the creatures Swain defeated into his body wasn't just his imagination.
It was the souls of the beasts being absorbed and fused into Swain's own.
The book didn't specify what this process would lead to, nor what long-term effects it might have, but Darius had a few guesses.
He thought it might be somewhat similar to the Soul-Soul Fruit, though with a different nature and focus.
Still, one thing was certain: Swain's Devil Fruit was a powerful one, and they were only beginning to understand what it was truly capable of.
The next day, Garp left Dawn Island to return to his duties, but before leaving, he made sure to leave the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia behind for Darius to study.
Once Garp's ship disappeared from view, life on the island quickly returned to its usual rhythm.
Darius, Dragon, and Swain went back to their familiar antics, filling their days with exploration, training, and the kind of mischief that had become routine for them.
The three wandered through the forests and fields of Dawn Island, moving from one familiar area to another until they eventually reached the outskirts of the Grey Terminal.
As usual, they searched through piles of abandoned junk and scattered goods, occasionally finding something interesting or valuable to bring back.
Swain often led the way, sniffing around the area and wagging his tail whenever he found something shiny or edible, while Darius followed behind with his usual calm expression.
Dragon, on the other hand, seemed more focused than usual.
After they finished scavenging, the three moved to an open clearing nearby — their usual spot for sparring and training.
Darius was preparing to start another spar when he noticed Dragon doing something different from what he had been taught.
Instead of following the warm-up routine, Dragon stood in front of a massive boulder, his fists clenched tightly. Without hesitation, he began striking the boulder repeatedly with all of his strength.
Each punch landed with a dull, heavy sound, echoing faintly across the clearing. His knuckles started bleeding not long after, but Dragon didn't stop.
He kept going, blow after blow, his breathing steady but sharp, as if he was trying to break through something more than just the stone.
Darius crossed his arms, watching silently at first. He knew he hadn't taught Dragon to train this way, but he also recognized the determination in his brother's eyes — a kind of drive that couldn't be taught.
Swain sat nearby, tilting his head curiously as he watched Dragon's fists grow red with blood.
For a moment, Darius thought about stopping him, but instead, he decided to let Dragon continue.
Sometimes, he thought, there were lessons that needed to be learned through pain and persistence.