I went in a little sore from all the training I'd been doing this past week, but if push came to shove, I figured I could still manage to run away.
The herbs Dr. Martinez wanted me to pick weren't too deep in the forest, so I thought I'd be safe this time. It took a while, but eventually I filled my sack with everything pictured in the book he'd given me and started heading back.
That was when I tripped—again—on a damn tree root. I cursed under my breath as my hands hit the ground. Strange… it was wet. Martinez said it hadn't rained in over a month. Something wasn't right. I pulled out the map and realized I had gone the wrong way. To think I used to laugh at Zoro…
Since I was already here, I wandered to a nearby pond and washed my face. The place was beautiful, with a wide clearing just beside the water. "Perfect for training if I get stronger," I muttered, marking it on my map before my stomach growled and reminded me I hadn't eaten.
This time, I actually managed to find my way back. I delivered the herbs to Martinez's clinic, only to get scolded for being late. Later, he sent me home early and told me to prepare dinner since business had been slow.
I cooked, ate alone, and only after everything was finished did he finally come back. I stood and said, "Sorry, sir, I got lost along the way."
"Yeah, yeah, I figured as much. Just don't let it happen again."
Back in my room, I focused on push-ups—taking a break from the other exercises for the night—before showering and collapsing into bed.
That became my routine for the next month: cooking, gathering herbs, and training whenever I could. Slowly, I noticed real changes. My body was stronger. I could even fuse appearances—Reed with Fred, Martinez with strangers I brushed past on the street. Though the fusions looked sloppy and unstable, it was still progress. Pure transformations, however, came easier now. Gender, height, weight—none of it mattered anymore.
But one question gnawed at me: What if I touched someone like Oars? Would I gain his size? His strength?
Tests with my current transformations told me otherwise. No matter the form—tall, short, young, old, male, female—my strength stayed the same. My weight adjusted, yes, but the raw power never changed. Which meant… if I did become Oars, I'd be the weakest ancient giant in history.
Today, however, was different. Martinez finally trusted me to deliver to his customers—wealthy islanders with servants running their errands. I wasn't meeting the masters, just their staff. The issue was the deliveries themselves: drugs.
I couldn't help but wonder if Fujitora knew about Martinez's business. Probably. And if he did, then he tolerated it. The doctor had assured me it was weak stuff, nothing serious. I hadn't tried it myself, but for now I chose to believe him.
I wondered whether the herbs I collected were ingredients for the drugs or whether he used something else entirely. Either way, I kept quiet and did as I was told.
Martinez gave me a few packages and told me if I got back quickly, he'd share a cut of the profits. With my training paying off, I managed all the deliveries in just three hours. He was impressed and even handed me ten percent before changing his clothes.
"Where are you going? The clinic's closed," I asked.
"Heheh. To the casino. Isn't that where a real man spends his money? Want to come, kid?"
"No thanks. I'm exhausted. I'll just read."
"Suit yourself."
After he left, I returned to my room and trained some more. I hadn't told him about my training, but I knew he'd noticed. Better to leave it unspoken.
Later, after a shower and some rest, I lay back and thought: So the old man has a gambling addiction too. No wonder he's friends with Fujitora. Better not get too close… I'll earn his trust, but that's it. And gambling? Forget it. I lost way too much money back on Earth.