Unable to actually forge anything, he easily memorized these books over the next few days until he was satisfied that he could reproduce the material verbatim.
Of course, he didn't absorb three years of advanced education in less than a week; at this point, he clearly understood the "why," but not the "how."
It's often overlooked, but production is half science, half art.
After Bill repeated the textbook material, he thought he had grasped it well enough to move on to second and third-year engineering textbooks.
Unlike metallurgy, engineering didn't have a clearly defined path. There were more than ten topics for the second year and roughly the same for the third.
Browsing the extensive list of subjects, all seemed interesting and practical.
In the end, after much consideration, Bill chose his two genuine interests, and the books he picked were titled "Electrical and Instrumentation Engineering" and "Electronics and Communication Engineering."
Interestingly, these areas were direct precursors to higher specializations in the Scientific Division, especially biotechnology and biomedical engineering.
Of course, all fields of study were interconnected. Even if Bill completed the sixth-year courses, he would still have gaps in knowledge in some parts of the manufacturing or computational processes.
But as he sat looking at the textbook titled "Electrical and Instrumentation Engineering," he brushed aside these thoughts and began committing the material to memory.
The next few days passed just like the previous ones, with Bill reading and memorizing the words.
It seemed he could solve all the problems on paper, but he felt like the biggest basketball fan who had never played the game.
Of course, such a fan could tell you what to do and where to do it on the basketball court, but was watching basketball the same as playing it?
Of course not, and this was his problem now.
Thinking about this, Bill went out for lunch, and when he returned to his room, he found a package on his desk.
"Hmm?"
Bill had locked the door, so as he opened the package, he wondered why the administrator hadn't left it outside.
Privacy wasn't a priority in this place, and when he saw the package's contents, everything became clear.
He had been sent a martial arts manuscript titled "Iron Body."
Did this mean that his father had flown from Marineford to Vallipo in under a week? Bill found it unlikely.
He was happy to receive it, but physical training wasn't in his plans.
"Looks like I really won't be getting much sleep," he thought.
But, as before, he didn't get discouraged. As someone who understood the value of youth, Bill knew that these years were meant for hard work.
Looking at his numerous textbooks, Bill began to read them without opening the pages.
Then, a few minutes later, he suddenly stopped out of boredom and opened the "Iron Body" manuscript to memorize it.
As with the textbooks on metallurgy and engineering, simply reading the manuscript didn't make Bill an expert.
But unlike those textbooks, the manuscript provided him with practical lessons to master the martial art.
Becoming proficient in using the "Iron Body" wasn't difficult for someone in full control of their body, but mastering the martial art was challenging.
Mastery of the "Iron Body" would make one's skin impenetrable and bones unbreakable if one had the strength to control their body.
Of course, as with every one of the Six Powers, the ability was only as strong as the user.
Humming to himself, Bill decided he would master this technique, but first wanted to focus on his studies. So, getting up, he left the room to visit Sentomaru again, where he found a large man behind a desk piled high with papers.
It was a strange sight for a Captain, and he was clearly not in the mood to talk, as he chased Bill out of the room.
"Huh? Punk is in his lab... "Lieutenant, go and talk to him yourself!
If he asks anything, just tell him that he's overwhelmed me with work, and I can't handle your issues right now!"
Shrugging, Bill did as Sentomaru suggested and found the old scientist sitting in a large chair in the lab on the lower level of the base.
Standing in the doorway, Bill called out, "Dr. Vegapunk?"
Hearing his name, Punk didn't look up from the document in his hands and simply replied, "Yes?"
Bill knew Vegapunk was eccentric, so he wasn't offended by the old man's attitude. He explained his current problem to him, including the conditions set by his father regarding his release.
Trying to be as valuable as possible, Bill explained his request, stating that his goal was to become Purchasing Captain as soon as possible.
Upon hearing this, Vegapunk looked up from the document and said, "The position of Captain is very prestigious and difficult to attain. Do you think you have the strength for this?"
Hearing this, Bill realized he had piqued the scientist's interest, and now he just needed to build on that success.
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