Seraphel Dawn — the newly crowned Supreme Admiral — wasted no time.
The Navy was reorganized the moment he seized power.
A new hierarchy.
A sharper blade.
At the very top stood the Supreme Admiral, absolute authority over the seas.
Below him were the Seraph Admirals — the strongest living navy soldiers. Each commanded massive fleets, entire regions of the world trembling under their presence.
Then came the High Dominion Generals — veterans of endless wars. Old war machines. Brutal. Strategic.
Their role was simple:
Crush uprisings.
Shatter pirate alliances.
Conduct public executions to maintain fear.
Below them were the Captains, each granted a ship and crew.
Then the Paladin Soldiers — elite warriors trained specifically for Anti-Necklace combat and boarding operations.
And at the bottom…
The standard naval troops.
The countless lives fed into the machine.
Inside Navy Headquarters
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Otone Jerome's fist slammed into the iron pole again and again.
"I'm still not strong enough," he muttered.
THUD!
"Two hundred times harder isn't enough."
THUD!
"I'll train three hundred times harder."
His knuckles screamed. Blood seeped through the bandages.
THUD!
"No… four hundred times. Five hundred, if I have to!"
The iron pole rang with every strike.
Finally, his legs gave out.
Otone collapsed to his knees, gasping. His hands trembled violently — knuckles split open, skin torn, bandages soaked red. The pain was unbearable.
Still… he forced himself back to his feet.
His fists shook.
His teeth clenched.
From the front of the training hall, a figure had been watching silently.
A tall man stepped forward.
A High Dominion General.
Virex De Montclair.
"You're making good progress, young man," Virex said calmly, his voice steady and cold.
"But this… won't be enough to make you strong."
Otone looked up, eyes burning with desperation.
"Then what should I do?" he asked.
Virex's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Learn Mantra," he murmured.
Otone blinked.
"…What's Mantra?"
Virex turned slightly, his shadow stretching across the floor.
"Mantra is spiritual energy," he explained.
"A force channeled within the body through mastery — wielded for one's own benefit."
He continued, his voice heavy with history.
"Humanity was born with it. But it took decades to realize what they were capable of."
His eyes settled back on Otone.
"Even now, most people can't use it."
A pause.
"…Or rather, they don't even know it exists."
Virex met Otone's gaze.
"Just like you, young man."