Chapter 6 : Strength Growth, a Battle of Kings, and a Wise New Ruler!
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Inside the training grounds—
"Hooo..."
Jin was lifting a barbell marked "1T," the sweat tracing the contours of his muscles as he performed his weight training.
Over the past month of pushing past his limits every single day, his growth had been nothing short of explosive. The change was transformative.
His formerly skinny, unhealthy body had become powerfully built.
Beyond the scientific training methods, the most critical factor was that his body had been "altered" by its journey through spacetime.
He was no longer ordinary.
If he were still his old self, he would have struggled to get through a single day of this training, let alone a whole month.
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Warm-up complete.
Time for combat practice.
Jin stepped to the center as the metal walls split open, revealing a cage containing a muscular rabbit.
A Lapahn—Drum Island's unique rabbit species. Pack hunters, carnivorous, highly aggressive, love to fight.
"ROOAARRRRRRR!!!!!"
With its eyes blazing red, the rabbit burst from the open cage, leaping through the air with its claws extended, swiping at Jin with a massive paw.
SWISH!
The air whipped around the blow.
Serious power behind it.
Jin jumped backward, launching himself four or five meters into the air to evade the Lapahn's paw. As he flipped and descended, he lashed out with a sidekick.
THWACK!
A single kick connected with the Lapahn's face, sending it flying.
"GRAAAAH!"
More Lapahns poured out from their cages.
Jin moved with fluid agility, weaving left and right to dodge the ferocious attacks of one rabbit after another before countering with his own strikes.
In the space of a few breaths, all twenty-four Lapahns were down, their faces bruised and swollen, whimpering on the floor.
"Time: 00:00:21!" Ai reported. "Three seconds faster than your last attempt."
Jin's breathing was steady.
He laughed. "Haha! I'm too strong now! Fighting Lapahns is getting boring. I NEED A TOUGHER OPPONENT."
"The lunch menu did not contain any mushrooms," Ai stated flatly. "So what's causing Master's delusions?"
"Data analysis indicates that the world of One Piece has multiple paths to power, including Haki, Devil Fruits, and physical martial arts. Master has not even taken the first step in learning the most basic Haki. In the New World, you would be weaker than a common grunt."
Ouch...
Jin cleared his throat. Lies don't hurt, but the truth is a sharp blade. He rubbed his nose, feeling a bit foolish.
"However—"
Ai continued, "—Based on an analysis of the training feedback data, Master's assessment is also correct. The Lapahns are no longer adequate as sparring partners. The energy dormant within your body requires a stronger opponent to apply pressure and stimulate the release of adrenaline."
Jin clenched his fist. "Run a diagnostic. I want to know what level my body is at right now."
"Understood!"
After a series of tests, Ai presented the data.
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[Name: Jin]
[Height: 183cm]
[Weight: 75kg]
[Body Fat Percentage: 15%]
[Grip Strength: 300kg]
[Bench Press: 5.8t]
[Average Speed: 47m/s]
[0-100km/h Acceleration: 1.5s]
[Composite Doriki: 270-470]
[Analysis: Through training, Master's potential has been activated. You are in excellent health and possess strength and speed far exceeding that of a normal human.]
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Jin noticed the "Composite Doriki" rating.
"A range of 200 points?" he asked, intrigued.
"Doriki is the unit of measurement used by the World Government's Cipher Pol intelligence agencies to quantify combat strength," Ai explained.
"An average armed soldier is the standard, with a Doriki of 10. A value of 500 or more is considered superhuman. Although factors like Devil Fruits and Haki make precise combat calculations difficult, Doriki remains a useful, direct metric, which is why I have included it. The fluctuation in Master's Doriki is due to the different levels of power you can unleash in a normal state versus a peak state—similar to Monkey D. Luffy's Second and Third Gears. Of course, this data is for reference only. The outcome of any battle is dependent on factors such as condition, environment, and luck. Data is a tool for the battlefield, but it is not the whole story."
As a military enthusiast, Jin knew that war games on a sandbox were one thing; a real battle was another thing entirely. The battlefield was in constant flux, changing in a thousand ways in the blink of an eye. Only through countless battles could one hone the sharp intuition needed to survive.
DONG! DONG!!
The sound of a bell began to ring out from the coastline, its chimes carried inland by the snowy wind.
"That sound is..."
Out on the snowfields, Dalton was training with a weapon shaped like a large violin. Nearby, a hundred or so militia members were also practicing.
After taking the throne, Jin had disbanded the former royal guard and had Dalton recruit volunteers to form a new militia.
Hearing the bell, everyone turned to look toward the coast.
"PIRATES ARE HERE!"
"PIRATES ARE HERE...!" someone was shouting.
"Pirates?" Dalton's expression turned grim.
The patrol captain sped back on a sled, bringing a more detailed report. "Dalton! We have to inform the king, quickly!"
"It's Musshuru!"
"Musshuru?"
Dalton's heart sank.
Speak of the devil...
"Yes! Musshuru has landed at the West Port with a pirate crew! They're heading for the castle, shouting about taking back the throne!"
Dalton sighed. He still felt a sense of loyalty to the old king's family, but the safety of the entire country was his primary concern.
"Come, let's see the king."
Dalton and the patrol captain, Jeston, approached the carrier and saw that Jin was already standing at the prow, gazing out into the distance.
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"Your Majesty!" the two men called out, bowing from below and explaining the situation.
Far from being worried, Jin was delighted. He laughed. "Excellent timing."
Dalton immediately proposed setting up defenses and using the terrain to launch a series of ambushes to wear down the pirates' main force. It was the same tactic they had always used against pirate attacks.
"No," Jin refused. "There's no need for defenses. Let them come."
"Musshuru's target is me."
"If you try to intercept them, you'll just scatter the pirates. And if they can't find their target, they'll take it out on the innocent villagers."
"Go tell Musshuru—I'm waiting for him right here!"
Dalton and Jeston exchanged a look. In the past, whenever pirates had attacked, hadn't the king always been the first one to hide in the back?
And now, this new king was so concerned about the villagers' safety that he was willing to use himself as bait. He was...
A WISE RULER!
They were deeply moved.
Jeston felt tears welling up in his eyes.
The contrast was just too stark.
Dalton felt a profound sense of pride, knowing he'd made the right choice. He took a deep breath and bowed low. "Yes, Your Majesty."
He turned and relayed the new king's words to the militia, telling them to spread the message to every town and village.
Everyone who heard was stunned, then moved, many to the point of tears.
The new king was incredible.
In a world filled with all manner of bizarre and tyrannical rulers, a king who was simply decent was a godsend.
"A clash of kings, A battle for the throne—so cool!"
In a tavern, Chopper's eyes were sparkling.
"He's got some nerve," Dr. Kureha commented, taking a sip of her plum wine.
Little did they know...
Jin's real concern was that if Musshuru and the pirates got scattered, he'd have to waste time hunting them all down one by one. What a hassle!
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"Strange."
Musshuru, Razor Dahm, and their pirate crew had been prepared for a fierce fight, but they were met with no resistance at all.
"What's going on? A trap?" Dahm wondered.
"Heh! It must be those peasants," Musshuru sneered. "They heard my name and were too scared to even think about fighting back."
As they crested a snowy hill, Musshuru slowed. He saw Dalton and the militia blocking the path to the castle.
"DALTON! YOU WERE ALWAYS MY FATHER'S MOST LOYAL DOG! ARE YOU GOING TO BETRAY HIM NOW? I AM THE RIGHTFUL KING!"
Musshuru shouted. "Get over here and kneel!"
Dalton looked at Musshuru, who was every bit as arrogant and conceited as Wapol. He raised a hand, and the militia parted to the left and right, as if forming a ceremonial path.
Dalton himself stepped aside. "Musshuru. If you want the throne, then go. Take it back yourself."
"What's the meaning of this?"
Musshuru was confused.
Razor Dahm, more experienced, offered a theory. "Looks like they don't want to fight. Maybe they have no loyalty to this new king of theirs."
Musshuru gazed at the heights where power resided, eyes burning: "Whatever! Help me reclaim my throne now!"
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