Five days later, both Jack and Kadun had their bandages removed and were able to walk around. Two more days passed, and aside from some scarring, there was no sign they had ever been injured.
Originally thinking he could finally take a break, Weiss found himself standing silently on the deck. Without a word, he kicked both of them straight into the sea, one after the other, ordering them to swim alongside the ship as it continued toward its destination.
Weiss dragged a lounge chair to the back of the ship and watched the two floundering in the water. He didn't really need to monitor them constantly while they swam—unless, of course, a sea beast suddenly appeared and swallowed them whole before he could intervene. That was the real reason he kept watch.
This was only the first phase of training. Once they had enough of swimming, there would be many more types of training awaiting them onboard. This time, Weiss intended to train them within an inch of their lives—as long as it didn't actually kill them.
Karina approached in a light, breezy outfit, carrying a glass of juice. The juice had come from a navy warship, along with a supply of leafy greens.
"Weiss, I think our ship looks way too plain. We should decorate it a bit," she said, leaning against the railing and gazing at the two figures below.
"I think it's fine. What's so plain about it? Isn't this what a ship's supposed to look like?"
Apart from Weiss's lounge chair and sunshade, the only things on the deck of the Chris were the two cannons Jack had hauled aboard later. For such a large deck, it was practically barren.
Compared to the original Straw Hat Pirates, their ship felt empty. No grassy lawn, no orange trees, and even the training equipment was stowed inside the ship's cabin.
"That won't do," Karina said with conviction. "If we don't plan on changing ships later, then we should take care of the Chris properly. When people are stuck in a dull environment, their mentality gradually changes—eventually becoming withdrawn."
Weiss pointed at the two people in the water.
"Then look at those two—do they seem like their mental states are deteriorating?"
"Hmm... they're different. One plays with his gun every day, and the other buries himself in navigation books. How could they get bored? Not everyone's as freakishly intense as you guys."
"Exactly. If someone's mindset goes bad, it's just because they're idle and start overthinking. They're burning up their limited energy for nothing," Weiss said with a glance at Karina. "Fine, decorate it however you like. There's plenty of empty space anyway."
Karina gave a happy cheer. Life on the ship was just too monotonous. Everyone else seemed to have something to focus on, but aside from cooking, she didn't really have much to do.
It wasn't like in other pirate crews, where you could scheme to steal treasure from the ship. On the Chris, the only way to loot it was to wait until everyone disembarked—then sail it away.
But then she thought of Weiss's strength and felt a pang of sadness. She didn't know if that opportunity would ever come.
Back in the water, the two swimmers were slowing down. After moving for so long, their splashes had become noticeably smaller. This wasn't a diving competition—less splash didn't mean a higher score.
Out here, fewer splashes just meant one thing: you were running out of strength—and about to sink.
Kadun was the first to struggle. After all, he wasn't a dedicated fighter. Even with his East Blue training, he was no match for Jack.
"Oh? Already struggling, Kadun? Want me to pull you up? Just say the word!" Weiss called from the deck.
"Don't listen to the captain, Kadun!" Jack shouted. "You're about to hit your limit—just hang in there a little longer! You can break through it!"
"As if! You think I'm the kind of guy who gives up that easily? I've survived two complete wipeouts!" Kadun gritted his teeth, taking in mouthfuls of seawater and ignoring Weiss completely.
After suffering so much at the hands of pirates, he had sworn to himself—he would train harder. Not just in navigation, but in combat too.
He never wanted to feel that helpless again.
Fifteen minutes later, after non-stop swimming, Kadun had used up every ounce of his strength. He couldn't even speak to Jack anymore. The only reason he was still afloat was sheer willpower.
Just as Kadun was about to give out, a new surge of heat rushed through his body. His limbs felt reawakened, his strength returning.
He felt like he could keep going.
At that moment, Weiss threw down a rope from above and called out to him.
"Grab on!"
Kadun grabbed the rope and was hauled back onto the deck, leaving Jack alone to keep swimming.
Collapsing like a dead fish, Kadun lay flat on the deck, barely able to move. That rush of newfound strength now felt like an illusion. His chest rose and fell like bellows, gasping for air.
"Good. You broke through your limit on your first swim. That proves two things," Weiss said, crouching beside him.
"What things, Captain?" Kadun asked, curious.
"First, you still have room to grow. Second, you're so weak it's laughable. I'm starting to think you didn't train at all in East Blue—just hid away studying charts and books."
"Hey! That's slander! I trained while reading, okay?" Kadun protested, agitated. Wasn't Weiss just dismissing all his effort?
"Alright, alright. I believe you trained—just not effectively. Now rest for 15 minutes. Then give me 3,000 push-ups." Weiss handed him a glass of water.
Thirty minutes later, Jack was pulled back up too, only to start a new round of training after a brief rest.
"From now on," Weiss declared, "every morning you two will swim fifty laps around the ship. Then push-ups. Then use every single piece of training equipment on board before you're allowed a break."
"Next comes combat training—ten minutes of surviving against my sword. Don't worry... I'll be very gentle," Weiss added with a smile.
That smile sent a shiver down both their spines.
"And finally," Weiss said, "I'll drop you off on an island. Your job? Break through it using your own strength."
"That's your training plan."
He didn't care whether they were still listening or not. But Karina, who was nearby and had been listening, gave the two poor souls a look of sympathy.
They were lucky to have a captain like Weiss—he was the only pirate she had ever met who actually cared about improving his crew's strength. Most pirates didn't care who lived or died—replacements were always easy to find.
So in a way, they were lucky.
But also... cursed.
Under this kind of hellish training, they'd be pushed to their absolute limits—physically and mentally.
Weiss saw it differently: a bit of suffering now was far better than losing their lives later.
Logically, if they followed this regimen, their strength would significantly increase in six months. After all, look at Koby three years after meeting Luffy—after just a few months of Navy training, he had changed dramatically.
There was no reason these two couldn't do the same—especially since Jack was already in the middle of a major growth spurt in power.
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