No matter how hard he tried, Sanbes simply couldn't wrap his head around it. How could someone outside the Marines master Rokushiki to such a realm?
"Even I never got to learn it… Where the hell did he learn Rokushiki from?!"
In that instant, Rojen became shrouded in mystery in Sanbes's eyes. But what shocked him even more… were Jason, Trens, and Crocodile.
Everyone knew how difficult it was to train Rokushiki, how many people spent years studying and training before they could grasp even one of the six powerful techniques. And yet, in just a brief amount of time, these three had seen Rojen demonstrate them only a few times and were already able to use them themselves.
"This just isn't possible!"
He stumbled forward a few steps, drawing closer to Jason and the others.
At that moment, the three were still absorbing and processing the new techniques. Some wore frowns of concentration, while others had the look of sudden understanding.
"Soru!"
With a flash, Jason's body disappeared from view, and in the blink of an eye, reappeared at another spot.
"Nice. Got it down!"
A smile broke across his face. Jason was clearly pleased.
When it came to physical techniques like these, it was as if he was born with a natural gift. They came to him easily.
"Tekkai!"
With a loud shout, his entire musculature tightened and bulged, his body turning as hard as iron.
To the side, Trens kicked his feet in rapid succession. His form flickered, rising into the air, cyclones formed beneath him, and the next moment, he landed back on deck, having used Soru as well.
Crocodile's eyes narrowed slightly. His body flickered, and then, he too executed Soru.
In just a short time, the three had already grasped most of Marine's Rokushiki. They could now perform the basics on command.
It was, frankly, monstrous.
Sanbes was completely slack-jawed. He couldn't make sense of what he was witnessing.
"This has to be fake Rokushiki… There's no way it's real!"
Everything in front of him felt like a dream.
"What are you all staring at? Get back to your duties! And if you've finished them, start training!"
Jason, feeling satisfied after mostly mastering the techniques, turned and shouted at the gawking trainee crew, whose faces were full of envy and admiration.
Crocodile also paused his movements and cast a cold glance toward the crowd. Instantly, the crew members shivered and scattered like frightened birds.
"Train! Train! Train!"
Back at their posts, the crewmates began yelling as they grabbed dumbbells, started doing push-ups, looking extremely diligent.
Jason glanced over and saw their awkward postures, his face darkened. He stomped forward angrily.
"What the hell do you call this training? Your form's a joke!"
Smack!
He slapped one crew member, who let out a pained yelp and collapsed flat on the deck.
Crossing his arms and surveying the crew's pitiful "training," Jason's brow furrowed deeply.
Compared to his own cultivation routine, even his older one, these crew members were absolutely atrocious. It was hard to watch.
"You all wait here. I'm going to speak with the captain. At this rate, your strength will never improve."
Meanwhile, in the captain's quarters…
Rojen sat in meditation. During this recent period of cultivation, his Heavenly Star Hole Merit was nearing its final stage.
Of the 365 spiritual acupoints, 363 had already been opened. His true qi surged within his body like a vast, unstoppable river.
Footsteps echoed outside. Rojen didn't open his eyes, but spoke calmly:
"Jason. What is it?"
"Captain, I want to teach the crew the Dragon-Elephant Prajña Merit. Their strength is far too weak." Jason's voice was serious as he spoke.
Rojen opened his eyes slightly.
"The Dragon-Elephant Prajña Merit is extremely precious, and it's difficult to train. Their foundations are far too shallow. I can't teach it to them just yet. However…"
"However," Rojen said, "I do have a simplified version of a body-tempering method, derived from the Dragon-Elephant Prajña Merit. It can serve as a foundational practice for them."
"Then, Captain, please give it to me now!" Jason urged eagerly.
Rojen nodded. "I'll demonstrate it for you now. Afterward, teach it to the others, but remember, don't let anyone else see it."
Jason knew very well just how precious this method was. In the short time since he had begun training in it, his strength had already increased several times over.
Then, Rojen performed the simplified Dragon-Elephant Prajña Merit for him. Jason watched intently, quickly grasped it, and left the room with a broad smile.
Outside, he was immediately greeted by six excited crewmates who were looking at him with glowing eyes. One glance, and Jason understood what they were hoping for.
"You guessed right," he grinned. "Captain asked me to pass down the simplified version of the merit technique. You guys are lucky today."
"Awesome!!" The crew erupted with excitement.
"But listen carefully, you must never teach this to others. Now, follow me."
As he said that, Jason glanced at Sanbes, who was lurking near the ship's helm, pretending not to eavesdrop.
The group quickly left and headed to a spacious area inside the ship.
There, Jason taught all six of them the technique personally, guiding them step-by-step until they had fully learned it. Only then did he walk out.
"Jason Nii San, what's this technique called?" The six crew members asked, full of curiosity.
"Hmm… let's just call it the Dragon-Elephant Merit." Jason replied after a moment's thought.
"Remember: you can demonstrate the physical movements publicly, but you must hide the Dark Vigor. Don't let anyone detect the internal energy flow."
Jason's tone grew serious as he addressed them.
"Yes, Jason Nii San! We promise never to reveal it to anyone!"
The six responded solemnly, faces full of resolve.
They understood the value of such cultivation techniques. In every dojo or secret organization, techniques like this were priceless. Knowledge passed down only from master to disciple, if at all.
Then the six looked at one another, took a deep breath, and made a decision.
"Jason Nii San, we've made a decision, and we'd like you to witness it."
"What decision?" Jason asked, puzzled.
"We've decided to change our names."
"Change your names?" Jason blinked.
"Yes! Since we've learned the Dragon-Elephant Merit, from now on, we'll take 'Dragon-Elephant' as our shared surname."
Jason blinked again, totally dumbfounded.
"I'll be Dragon-Elephant One!"
"I'll be Dragon-Elephant Two!"
"I'll be Dragon-Elephant Three!"
"·····"
One after another, the six adopted new names, Dragon-Elephant followed by a number, deciding their new identities right then and there.
"We've all been orphans since childhood. The people who raised us are gone. Ever since we boarded this ship, Captain, Jason Nii San, Trens Nii San, and Crocodile Nii San… you've all treated us with kindness."
"And now, you've even passed down such a powerful secret technique. From this day forward, this ship is our home."
In history, the secret techniques of powerful martial artists, especially cultivation arts, were the most precious treasures. Often worth more than gold, and impossible to learn without personal guidance from a master.
And yet, they, mere trainee crew members, were taught such a secret technique by Captain Rojen and Jason.
That level of trust, that privilege… was enough to make them willing to give their lives for this ship.
(End Of This Chapter)
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