Don had always paid close attention to his innate talent.
Back in Shimotsuki Village, after a year of training, the duration of Indomitability had risen from its initial ten minutes to fifteen.
However, the most crucial factor—the cooldown time—remained unchanged at twenty-four hours.
This time, though, perhaps due to his body breaking through a limit, his physique's improvement had caused the cooldown to drop from twenty-four hours to eighteen.
Although the gap between duration and cooldown was still vast, this change proved something important: as his strength continued to rise, Indomitability might one day achieve a perfect balance.
If that day came, he would truly wield an immortal body.
By then, everything external would pale in significance.
In fact, judging from the current trend, if he ever reached that state, even outside the Indomitability state, he might already be invincible.
At his side, Robin rested her cheek against Don's shoulder, her eyes tilted upward, catching the thoughtful expression on his face.
She didn't disturb him, though curiosity flickered in her gaze.
The merchant ship sailed on, giving Don and Robin a rare moment of peace.
Since arriving in this world, Don had never really experienced such quiet.
Now, with a beauty by his side, food far richer than anything he had eaten while voyaging alone, and a moment to breathe, he finally felt at ease.
Taking advantage of the lull, Don examined his own strength more clearly.
Indeed, after constant battles, rest was necessary.
[Body Data]
[Current Physical Age: 15]
[Physique: 137 (continuously evolving due to certain effects)]
[Health: 100% (recovering; meals accelerate recovery)]
[Innate Talent – Indomitability: When struck by a fatal attack, enter a brief state of empowerment; all attributes increase tenfold; health no longer decreases; all negative states are removed. Current Duration: 30 minutes. Cooldown: 18 hours.]
[Abilities]
[Flame-Flame Fruit (Fully Mastered): Development 59%]
[Swordsmanship (Fully Mastered): … You have grasped a sword style uniquely your own.]
[Observation Haki (Fully Mastered): … You seem to have mastered advanced applications.]
[Armament Haki (Fully Mastered): … You have learned the art of flowing Haki.]
[Conqueror's Haki (Proficient): … You've begun to glimpse advanced techniques.]
[Flame (Black Blade): Under the influence of your Haki, your sword is evolving toward a Black Blade. Progress: 29% …]
[Bājíquán Essence (Basic Mastery): Knowledge from an unknown world. You have learned a unique explosive-force technique that enhances control over your body. You've grasped some of its hidden secrets.]
…
Every one of his abilities had advanced. Even his blade's evolution toward a Black Blade had surged, his mastery of the three colors of Haki deepened, and now he had also taken hold of the explosive power techniques of Bājíquán.
At first, Don had only experimented.
Yet with his precise control over his body, learning the method wasn't especially difficult—but the results were extraordinary.
What's more, the technique could even be applied in swordsmanship.
Truly worthy of his ancestors' legacy.
Even across worlds, it still proved invaluable.
"Close-body strike!"
Robin called softly, lunging against Don's chest.
But his body didn't budge in the slightest. Instead, Robin herself nearly bounced back.
Don caught her with one arm.
"Forget it—you won't get much out of this kind of training."
Robin, already used to being blocked this way, sighed in mild frustration.
"There you go again, saying that!"
Don let go, eyeing her sweat-soaked blouse with a teasing smile.
"Well, what can I say? I'm the boss here."
"My age is still older than yours!"
Robin shot back, a little defiant.
So unlike the composed, mature woman she would one day become.
Even then, Robin's thought process could sometimes be quirky—but right now, she was just a girl in her early twenties.
A little playful silliness was only natural.
Don rubbed his chin, looking at her with an odd expression.
Which only made Robin squirm under his gaze.
"I'm taking a bath!"
She spun to leave.
"Want me to join?"
Don asked casually.
"Sure!"
Robin turned, eyebrow raised in a playful challenge.
"…!"
Don opened his mouth, stunned.
"No peeking. And you'd better not use your Observation Haki either!"
Robin added with a laugh as she disappeared into the cabin's bathroom.
"It's not like I haven't seen before…"
Don muttered under his breath, leaving the cabin himself.
The merchant ship was fairly luxurious, with its own guards.
On the way, they'd run into some pirates, but Don hadn't needed to act—the guards had handled them easily.
Ordinary pirates were nothing compared to these well-trained men.
"Mr. Don!"
Some fellow passengers greeted him warmly, and Don returned the gesture with a smile.
"Mr. Don, we just hauled in a Jewel Fish. Would you like to try it? A delicacy, though… the price is steep."
The merchant captain's eyes lit up when he spotted Don.
"Of course."
Don agreed without hesitation.
This had happened several times already.
Money came too easily for him to care, and so the captain had marked him as a top customer—always offering rare delicacies, though at inflated prices.
Later, in the ship's dining hall, Robin arrived freshly washed, spotting Don seated at a table overflowing with dishes. She slipped naturally into the seat beside him.
"Not wearing your hat today?"
Don asked, surprised to see her barefaced.
"I've realized… hiding won't solve anything. And now, I'm traveling with a strong man, after all."
She smiled lightly, picking up her utensils.
"Fair enough. You look beautiful this way."
Don nodded.
Robin's presence drew many eyes, her beauty stunning the onlookers. But when they saw her sit beside Don, they quickly looked away.
"Seems the East Blue has birthed another giant."
A voice suddenly rang out across the dining hall.
"After the Pirate King Roger, after the Navy Hero Garp… at last, another great figure has appeared."
The speaker's tone carried excitement—and the loose edge of drink.
END OF CHAPTER
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