A few days later, the warship entered the North Blue.
Inside the Thunder Hawk's training room—
"Fifty-one thousand three hundred… fifty-one thousand three hundred and one…"
Sweat soaked the floor as Nao balanced upside down, supporting himself on a single finger. Every muscle in his body was taut like a drawn bowstring, his breathing steady as he silently counted.
The Gravity Field had been raised to its maximum—one hundred times normal gravity. Even so, his face stayed calm, his rhythm unbroken.
Hellish training was torture for most people, but to Nao, it was enjoyment. Despite his high rank, he never abandoned this habit. If he skipped training even for a day, he'd feel uneasy.
When he finally finished one hundred thousand single-finger push-ups, he exhaled softly, flexing his slightly sore right hand. After taking a sip of water, he opened his attribute panel:
[Name: Natsuya Nao]
[Age: 22]
[Strength: 39 (5,000,000 pts per level)]
[Agility: 37 (+3) (2,000,000 pts per level)]
[Stamina: 43 (10,000,000 pts per level)
[Intelligence: 14 (2,000,000 pts per level)]
[Charm: 21 (5,000,000 pts per level)]
[Current Points: 2,906,000]
[Standard Skills: Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Close-Quarters Combat (Master), Two-Sword Style Swordsmanship (Master), Rokushiki (Master), Firearms Proficiency (Advanced), Self-Discipline (Master), Armament Haki (Master), Observation Haki (Advanced), Painting (Advanced), Fishing (Master), Swimming (Master)]
[Innate Skills: Conqueror's Haki, Petrifying Gaze, Adamantine Body, Voice of All Things, Radiant Smile, Craftsman's Spirit, Wind Barrier (Advanced), Thick Skin (Advanced), Iron Head (Advanced), Limb Regeneration, Amphibious Breathing]
[Currently Equipped: Guardian Angel, Boots of Lightness, Thornmail Armor
Special Items: 2× 80% Discount Coupons]
...
Two years of training had paid off—his progress was obvious. Swordsmanship, body techniques, and Armament Haki had all reached Master level, and his base stats had improved across the board. Stamina had even broken the 40-point mark, far surpassing the rest.
He hadn't spent many points since putting a few into Intelligence early on for sword training, so nearly three million points had piled up.
"If I push Observation Haki a bit higher," Nao murmured, clenching his fists, "I'll be almost perfectly balanced."
Closing the system panel, he stepped out onto the deck.
A fresh sea breeze brushed against him. Ahead, a group of Marines were gathered around, cheering loudly.
"Get up, Commodre Onigumo!"
"Come on! This is already your eighth loss this year! At least get a draw this time!"
Another sparring match? Nao raised an eyebrow but wasn't surprised. He made his way through the crowd.
"Vice Admiral!"
"Good afternoon, sir!"
The Marines quickly noticed him, greeting him with respect and clearing a path. Though they admired him deeply, they weren't afraid—partly because of his charisma, and partly because he never acted superior.
"Good afternoon," Nao replied with a smile.
In the open space, Onigumo was kneeling on one knee, gasping for breath, using his sword to hold himself up.
Across from him in the air, Little Luo—now in her White Night Hawk form—hovered lazily, glancing sideways at Onigumo, waiting for his next move.
"Still couldn't win, huh…"
Nao couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head at the sight.
Both of his pets were adults now, though their strength differed quite a bit.
Take Sadaharu, for example—ever since Nao got married and settled down, that guy had gone completely soft. Just like the system once predicted, he'd turned into nothing more than a family pet.
He ate, slept, and napped all day; when awake, he'd either sunbathe by the door or play with Nao's two daughters in the yard.
At this point, he was only slightly stronger than an average Vice Admiral.
Little Luo, on the other hand, was the opposite—always accompanying Nao on campaigns, fighting constantly, and relentlessly improving.
By Nao's estimation, it was already a notch above Onigumo and Momonga. If it kept progressing, it soon reach the average combat power of a Headquarters Vice Admiral.
About a year ago, Onigumo had started using it as his personal sparring partner, challenging it repeatedly.
Unfortunately, he'd never managed a win. Scenes like this had played out so many times that they'd practically become a post-dinner entertainment routine aboard the Thunder Hawk.
"Damn it…"
Amid the cheers of nearby Marines, Onigumo gritted his teeth, forcing himself back to his feet. Using the last of his strength, he disappeared with a Soru, appearing beside Little Luo to deliver a powerful horizontal slash.
Whoosh!
The blade cut through the air—only to strike nothing. Little Luo easily dodged, then smacked him across the back of the head with its wing, sending him flying into a railing several meters away with a crash.
"SCREECH!"
The white hawk proudly lifted its head, transformed back into its white pigeon form, made a cheeky face at Onigumo, and fluttered down to perch on Nao's shoulder.
Onigumo, noticing Nao had arrived on deck, quickly stood up—his face bruised and swollen—and saluted.
"Vice Admiral."
"Lost again?"
Nao patted his shoulder with a grin. "Don't take it so hard. Wins and losses are normal for a soldier. Keep at it, train harder—next time, you'll win for sure."
"You said the exact same thing a year ago," Onigumo muttered gloomily. "But look at me now… Vice Admiral, I just can't accept it. I'm the Thunder Hawk's executive officer, and I can't even rank in the top three onboard. Losing to your pet… it's humiliating!"
"Frustration breeds motivation," Nao replied casually, stroking the little white pigeon on his shoulder. "If it weren't for it pushing you, you wouldn't have trained this hard these past two years. How else are you gonna surpass Shiryu and win back your pride when you return to Impel Down?"
Onigumo thought about it for a moment and glanced at Little Luo— maybe he really did owe the little creature some thanks.
The latter was happily enjoying Nao's gentle strokes. When she noticed Onigumo's gaze, she blinked, then mockingly wiggled its tail feathers at him.
Onigumo's face twitched in rage — yep, I definitely shouldn't have felt grateful!
Damn bird, mocking me like this every time! Just wait until I win one day, I'll definitely wiggle my butt at you for ten minutes straight!
"Vice Admiral!"
Just then, a lookout from the watchtower leaned out and shouted,
"The ship from the Kingdom of Karemia suddenly accelerated and is approaching us! They're sending signal flags — looks like there's some kind of emergency, and they want to speak with you!"
"Karemia Kingdom?"
Nao was a bit surprised. He vaguely recalled that among the seven North Blue nations, Karemia was the poorest one. Its royal delegation consisted only of their sixty-something king — Karemia IX.
The old king was a gentle man, well-loved in his country, and quite unlike the other kings in temperament. Of all seven, he was the only one Nao actually respected.
"Slow down. Let their ship come alongside."
"Yes, Vice Admiral!"
Soon, the Karemia ship pulled up next to the Thunder Hawk. King Karemia IX stepped aboard in a fluster, his expression pale and panicked. The moment he saw Nao, he seized his hand tightly.
"Sir Nao! Please — I beg you! Can we turn back immediately? You must escort us home — the capital, something's happened to the capital!"
"Calm down, Your Majesty," Nao said gently, signaling one of his men to bring water. "Here, have a drink first. I'm here now — take your time and explain."
His soothing tone worked as always. After drinking, the old king's breathing steadied, and he finally managed to tell the full story.
After the king had left for the Reverie, he had entrusted the affairs of the kingdom to his loyal prime minister. But just moments ago, that very minister had sent an emergency transmission — a desperate plea for help.
A pirate crew calling themselves the Iron Hammer Pirates had suddenly launched a fierce assault on the capital. Armed with portable mortars and devastating firepower, they had already captured the outer city.
Hundreds of royal soldiers fought bravely but were overrun and taken prisoner. Now the inner city was on the brink of collapse.
However, instead of pressing their advantage, the pirates had halted their attack. Using the captured soldiers as hostages, they issued an ultimatum: the royal family must abdicate, and their captain would ascend as the new king.
With the city about to fall and many soldiers held hostage, the situation was dire. Yet according to the current escort route, Karemia's royal family was scheduled to be the fifth to return home.
Desperate, the old king had come personally to plead with Nao, hoping he could persuade the other kings to let his ship go first.
"Convincing them won't be a problem," Nao assured him with a small smile. "None of them would dare refuse me face-to-face."
He turned to his adjutant. "If we change course now and head straight for Karemia, how long will it take?"
Momonga had already unfolded a sea chart. After a moment of quick calculation, he looked up and replied in a steady tone:
"It's quite a distance, Vice Admiral. Even at full speed, with favorable currents and winds, it'll take at least three days and three nights."
"Three days and three nights…" Nao murmured thoughtfully.
Nao frowned, while King Karemia IX beside him looked as if struck by lightning. His face went pale, and he staggered back several steps.
The two guards behind him quickly caught hold of the old king, keeping him from falling.
"Three days and three nights?"
The king murmured in despair, "Those pirates won't wait that long. By the time we return, even if the inner city still stands, the captured soldiers will be slaughtered by those enraged bastards…"
"No… this won't do."
Suddenly, as though recalling something, he forced himself upright and took a Den Den Mushi from his guard's hands.
"I have to tell the prime minister to agree to their demands first—"
"Your Majesty!"
The two guards blanched in horror, and a court official hurried forward to stop him.
"You can't compromise now! If you do that, even if we drive them out later, what about the dignity of the crown? Your honor?"
"Dignity? Honor?"
The old king shook his head firmly.
"Those things mean nothing. The lives of those young soldiers are what matter most! They fought and bled for the kingdom — I won't let them die in vain, absolutely not…"
"They won't die."
Nao, who had been silently observing, finally spoke — his calm voice cutting through the tension.
"Eh?"
King Karemia IX froze and looked up at him in shock.
"Three days and three nights — that's for the warship," Nao said in a deep voice, "If you have an Eternal Pose, I can leave ahead of you. I can arrive at the Karemia Kingdom by tomorrow morning at the latest."
"W-what??"
The old king was dumbfounded. He knew this young Marine Vice Admiral was among the strongest in the world — but still, this was the open sea!
Without a ship, how could anyone possibly move several times faster than a warship and cross the vast ocean alone?
"There's no need to worry about that," said Momonga, chuckling at the king's expression.
"Just trust Vice Admiral Nao. For him, something like this is child's play."
"…All right then."
The old king didn't hesitate further. Grateful, he pulled an Eternal Pose from inside his robes with trembling hands. Just as Nao was about to take it, a sudden brr-brr-brr sound echoed — the Den Den Mushi was ringing again.
"It's the prime minister, Your Majesty," the official reminded him.
The king quickly answered, and upon hearing the familiar voice on the other end, his eyes widened. Then his tone turned elated.
"Truly?"
After receiving confirmation, his face relaxed at once. Relief washed over him as he patted his chest and exhaled deeply.
"What is it? Has the situation been resolved?" Nao asked.
"Not yet, Vice Admiral," the king replied, now smiling with relief.
"But it seems you won't have to trouble yourself after all. The prime minister says the World Government has already dispatched powerful agents to assist. They'll arrive before dawn. Those pirates won't stand a chance."
"That makes sense," Onigumo nodded. "Even the weakest World Government agents can easily handle some small-time North Blue pirates."
But Nao didn't speak — his brows furrowed tighter.
Something about this situation felt familiar, yet the details didn't quite match. He couldn't shake off the unease.
"Please, Your Majesty — ask your prime minister the agent's name."
"The name?"
The king blinked, puzzled, but still relayed the question through the line.
A moment later, he hung up and looked back at Nao, confused.
"He said the agent's name is… Rob Lucci.
Vice Admiral Nao, Is there some problem with this guy?"
Author's Note:
The events involving Rob Lucci here take place at a different time and with altered details compared to the original story — think of it as a butterfly effect.