Chapter 138: Battle with Doflamingo, Xia Nuo Emerges

It was seven in the morning, and the sun had already risen.

Gray-white fog, however, still shrouded Kuraigana Island.

Thump, thump, thump!

Jack, drenched in sweat, sprinted through the forest with his hulking frame, each step causing the ground to tremble.

He had just finished his morning training and was preparing to return to the castle for breakfast with the others.

Suddenly, he sensed something and paused.

"ROAR!"

A deafening roar erupted from the side, and a massive black shadow lunged out of the thick fog!

It was the Humandrill King!

It gripped a massive broadsword resembling Mihawk’s Black Blade Yoru, baring its fangs in a fit of rage as it swung down at Jack’s back!

"You never learn, do you?"

Jack grinned, not bothering to dodge. He raised his right arm, letting the sharp blade strike him.

CLANG!!!

The sound of clashing metal rang out, and the Humandrill King’s broadsword was sent rebounding.

On Jack’s arm, only a faint white mark remained, which quickly vanished.

"Didn't expect that, did you!"

Jack turned around, proudly thumping his chest. "With this level of strength, even without transforming into my Mammoth form, you can't do a thing to me!"

His arms, chest, and entire body were now covered in a layer of pitch-black Armament Haki, thick as ink.

"Except for Internal Destruction, which is a bit hard to learn and I haven't mastered yet... I've mastered all three other techniques: Flow, Hardening, and Emission! You’d better go all out!"

"ROAR?!"

You learned that too?

The Humandrill King’s eyes flashed with shock.

But it quickly adjusted its stance, roared, and swung its blade again!

This time, the strike was sharper, faster, and most notably, the blade was coated in that same dark luster!

It, too, had mastered Armament Haki!

However—

SWISH!

Jack’s figure blurred, and the Humandrill King’s blade sliced through empty air.

"Where are you looking, idiot? Over here!"

Jack’s voice came from the side; he displayed an agility that defied his massive frame, dodging with ease.

"ROAR, ROAR, ROAR!!!"

The Humandrill King was utterly enraged, swinging its giant sword in a frantic, storm-like assault.

But Jack seemed to see through every move, dodging and weaving effortlessly, occasionally blocking with Haki to land a counter-punch.

"Haha, this is fun!"

Jack grew more excited; the fruits of his two months of grueling training were finally being put to the test!

When he first fought this giant ape, he couldn't even fight back without transforming into his Mammoth form.

But now...

Having mastered both types of Haki and significantly improved his physical techniques, he could toy with the Humandrill King even in his human form!

The battle continued for a long time, and before they knew it, the sky had brightened.

Jack was completely unscathed, while the Humandrill King was bruised and battered. It wanted to cry, finally realizing that this foolish human was far from what he used to be.

It tried to flee, but Jack used "Shave" to suddenly appear in its path.

It tried to fight, but Jack played with it like a child, not bothering to end the fight, just teasing it...

It was torture!

Just then, a low, calm, mature female voice drifted down from above:

"Haven't you played enough, Jack?"

The next instant, pink flower petals danced on the ground, and a giant human hand sprouted, instantly coated in a layer of black, slapping the Humandrill King with force.

"Tres Fleurs: Gigantesco Mano... SPANK!"

THUMP!

The Humandrill King had no chance to resist; it shrieked as it flew high into the air, becoming a shooting star on the horizon.

From the sky, a graceful figure with wings sprouted from her back descended slowly.

As she touched the ground, the wings made of countless hands vanished.

"Sister Robin." Jack scratched his head. "Why, why did you come over?"

"What do you think?"

Robin glanced at him calmly. "Breakfast is ready. We waited half an hour, and everyone thought you were in danger. I came over to check, only to find you playing with a monkey like a three-year-old."

"Eh? Half an hour already!"

Jack was horrified. He had kept his seniors waiting so long. He scrambled to run. "I'll be there right away! Thanks for the reminder, Big Sister!"

Watching Jack’s retreating back, Robin pondered.

"Haki and physical techniques... what enviable talent."

She felt she had been left far behind.

Memories from two months ago flashed back—

"Hey, Robin."

That night at dinner, the black-haired boy sitting across from her, his cheeks stuffed with food, suddenly looked up.

"Do you want to learn Haki too? I can teach you while I'm training Jack."

"Haki?" Robin tilted her head, intrigued.

"Yeah! Don't you think your Devil Fruit development is a bit... off?"

The boy grinned. "It's too flashy! It looks nice, but in my opinion, it's better to improve your Haki and physical skills. Direct and straightforward is more powerful!"

"The Flower-Flower Fruit can sprout hands anywhere you can see. Think about it: if someone like Garp ate your fruit, what would happen?"

Let the Marine hero Garp eat the Flower-Flower Fruit?

"...Ah, that sounds terrifying."

"Exactly! The Flower-Flower Fruit is perfectly suited for physical combat! I can teach you all of this. Once you master it, if the World Government tries to corner you, even CP0, you could knock them all out in a few moves!"

"Of course, it's up to you. You're an archaeologist, not a frontline fighter. We've got everyone else to stand in front!"

"That's right! Sister Robin, as a crewmate, I'll protect you!" the orange-haired girl raised her hand.

"Tch, with your amateur skills, forget it, Nami. Sister Robin is much stronger than you. Once we enter the New World, any random guy with Haki could knock you out in a few hits."

"Waaaaah! Damn it! I'm a Logia user too, why are you acting like you're so much stronger than me, Nojiko!"

"My bounty is only ten thousand times higher than yours, so I'm not much stronger. I've already mastered Armament Haki, and I'm working on Observation Haki."

"Forget the rest, why did you have to mention the bounty... Damn it! If I'd known, I would've practiced martial arts when I was a kid. Big Brother, include me in the lessons, I'm starting Haki training too!"

"That's the spirit."

Xia Nuo glanced at her, mercilessly adding, "But with your pathetic physique, you aren't qualified yet. If you want to get stronger, start with the basics."

The group burst into laughter.

SNAP!

The flashback ended, and her thoughts returned to the present.

Infected by the laughter, Robin couldn't help but smile. She looked up at the castle looming in the mist.

Yes, since even the lazy Nami had decided to start training, how could she fall behind? She had been inspired and started practicing martial arts and Haki with Xia Nuo.

By now.

Although she hadn't made much progress with Observation Haki.

She had mastered the two most practical Rokushiki techniques, "Shave" and "Moonwalk," and had learned the basics of Armament Haki—Flow and Hardening.

Combined with the unique nature of the Flower-Flower Fruit, her strength had increased significantly.

However, compared to Jack, there was still a gap.

That simple boy seemed to have put all his talent into physical combat, making him the fastest-improving member of the crew.

Among the crew now, except for the Vice-Captain Kuina, almost no one was 100% confident they could beat Jack in a one-on-one fight.

"Keep working hard."

Robin wasn't discouraged. Regardless, if she went to the New World now, she wouldn't be a burden to everyone.

SWISH!

Guessing Jack was almost there, she sprouted wings again and flew toward the castle.

When Jack reached the castle gate, a familiar figure sat cross-legged on the second-floor balcony.

—The Vice-Captain of the Lullaby Pirates, Kuina.

The young swordswoman was meditating, Wado Ichimonji resting on her knees. The morning breeze blew through her bangs, but she remained undisturbed.

"..."

Jack froze, a cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Aside from Big Brother Xia Nuo, she was the one he feared most. Kuina was usually cold and silent, and her swordsmanship was unfathomable. Even though he had improved rapidly over the past two months...

Every time the crew sparred, he was still easily defeated by her.

That sharp, gale-like swordsmanship was perfected; a single swing felt like it could cut through everything, and even his Mammoth form couldn't take more than a few hits.

Jack had developed a bit of a psychological trauma and didn't dare spar with Kuina anymore.

"Damn, I hope she isn't mad..."

Jack swallowed, slowed his pace, and tried to sneak inside, fearing he would disturb the person on the second floor.

However—

"Jack."

A cold voice came from above.

Jack stiffened and slowly looked up, meeting Kuina’s calm, water-like eyes.

"V-Vice-Captain Kuina..." he chuckled nervously. "Good morning..."

"During our closed-door training, everyone has a set schedule for meals. Violators will be punished accordingly. You haven't forgotten, have you?"

Kuina said coldly.

"No..." Jack hung his head in defeat.

"You're half an hour late. Your training plan for today is doubled, and you must finish before bedtime. Also, you are responsible for all cleaning for the next two days."

That's it... nothing else?

Jack grinned again. He could totally accept that level of punishment!

"You had a foundation in Armament Haki before we landed, so I'm not surprised you mastered it to this level."

Kuina glanced at him and continued, "I didn't expect that even after not sparring for ten days, your Observation Haki would be so proficient. That Humandrill King’s swordsmanship was quite high-level, yet you predicted every attack and it couldn't hit you."

"Hehe, you flatter me..."

Jack was flattered, but suddenly realized something and stared at Kuina in shock. "Eh? Sister Robin hasn't returned yet, how did you know... Hiss, is it Observation Haki?!"

"Of course."

Kuina remained calm. "My Observation Haki isn't as strong as Big Brother Xia Nuo’s, which can easily cover a metropolis like Water 7, but for a small place like Kuraigana Island, I can easily sense any movement."

You're too humble, Vice-Captain Kuina!

Sensing the battle deep in the forest from so far away...

Her mastery of Observation Haki was terrifying, far beyond his own!

Jack’s pride vanished, and he looked at Kuina with awe.

The young swordswoman stood up, vaulted over the railing, and pushed open the castle gate.

"Come in. Big Brother Xia Nuo contacted me via Den Den Mushi last night and gave some instructions. I’ll hold a meeting during breakfast to relay them to everyone."

"Yes, Vice-Captain!"

Shortly after.

Robin returned, and all the crew members lined up along the long table. Everyone was present, except for the figure in the main seat at the front.

"Vice-Captain, you said Big Brother Xia Nuo contacted you via Den Den Mushi?" Jack couldn't help but ask. "Is he still in the deep sea?"

Counting from the day they landed on Kuraigana Island, they had been training here for 70 days.

For the first 40 days, Big Brother Xia Nuo lived, ate, and trained on the island like the rest of the crew, spending two hours a day guiding them.

For the last 30 days—exactly a month ago—Big Brother Xia Nuo seemed to have mastered his new techniques and began focusing on his physique.

Normal environments no longer provided enough pressure.

So, Big Brother Xia Nuo took the Poneglyph, along with enough water and dry rations, to the deep sea, nearly 10,000 meters down, to eat, sleep, and train.

He entrusted the responsibility of supervising the crew’s training to Kuina.

This way, he could use the immense pressure of the deep sea to temper his body and train without any distractions.

But to be in closed-door training for a whole month... isn't that too terrifying?

Living in the sunless deep sea for 10,000 meters... Jack shivered just thinking about it, even as a Fish-Man, he couldn't handle that.

"Yes."

Kuina sat in the seat closest to the empty main seat, picked up her knife and fork, and cut her fried fish fillet.

"However, it’s almost over. Big Brother Xia Nuo expects to emerge tomorrow. That means by tomorrow night at the latest, we have to leave this island. That’s why I called this meeting."

She turned to Nami. "The Log Pose is fully charged, right?"

"Yeah, it’s been ready for a while, Sister Kuina."

Nami smiled and raised her fair wrist, showing the glass sphere. "It’s been full for about ten days."

Compared to 70 days ago, she had developed some muscle tone from training. Although she wasn't qualified for Haki training yet, she had put effort into physical training.

Now, her basic stats had improved, and she had learned "Shave" and "Moonwalk" from the Rokushiki.

"Good."

Kuina nodded and looked to her right. "Smoker."

"So we're leaving in the next few days? My intuition was right."

Smoker had finished eating and put down the Iceburg notebook he was holding. "I understand what you mean. Don't worry, I took the time yesterday to perform a full inspection of the Lullaby."

He had mastered two types of Haki, but because he had been stuck in the East Blue, he had gotten rusty. Over the past two months, he had practiced daily and regained his edge.

He spent his spare time studying the shipwright notes left by Iceburg.

After two months, he had upgraded from a novice to a reliable shipwright.

THUMP!

A fist slammed into his head.

"OWWWWW!!!" Smoker clutched the three-layered bump on his head, tears welling up. He turned around, furious. "What was that for, Nojiko!"

"What do you think? No smoking at the dinner table, have you forgotten!" Nojiko roared.

He had just gotten carried away by habit... Smoker couldn't argue, so he obediently put out his cigar, but felt aggrieved as he touched the bump.

That was a heavy blow, like a female Tyrannosaurus. Her martial arts and strength had improved so much in this time.

And she had actually mastered Observation Haki, plus her increasingly proficient Snow-Snow Fruit ability. He didn't know who would win if they fought now...

"Zeff the old man knows how to pull his punches when he kicks me."

Smoker muttered, then suddenly realized something and looked up in shock. "Wait... who did you say?"

Rice Cake?

Shouldn't it be Gin?

Since when did that little furball like strawberry milk?

"That’s why I said, you’ve been too immersed in your books lately, you didn't even notice Rice Cake evolved again."

An old voice came, and Zeff placed a large basin of strawberry milk under the stool at the end of the table. Behind him followed a small white dog wearing a golden collar.

[Image]

As soon as the milk was placed, the small white dog barked excitedly and began lapping it up.