In the courtyard.
Golden sunlight poured down, making the place seem brimming with vitality.
At this moment, Roya's body rose and fell in a steady rhythm. He was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, as though he were about to reach his absolute limit.
He was performing the simplest squat exercise. Sweat soaked the ground beneath his feet, and even as he gasped for breath, he continued silently counting.
2201… 2202…
His legs were already almost completely numb, nearly devoid of sensation. Yet Roya clenched his teeth and persisted, wanting to see exactly where his limit lay.
Indeed, the improvement of the Soul Sword had brought him significant benefits. With his current physique, even if he were placed back in the Marine Headquarters recruit camp, he would no longer be considered at the very bottom.
2353… 2354…
Finally—
He tried once more to stand up, but only made it halfway before collapsing straight down onto the ground, unable to rise again. All he could do was gasp for air.
"So my limit is 2354?"
Although his body was utterly exhausted, perhaps because of the Soul Sword within him—and because his soul itself was stronger than that of an ordinary person—Roya's mind showed no signs of fatigue.
Being able to persist until his physical limit was precisely because his soul was stronger. It made him feel that reaching the body's limit did not require unbearable suffering for him.
Or rather—
That level of pain was something he could endure with ease.
Sitting there, feeling that both legs were completely numb and unable to support him for the time being, Roya turned his head to look at Garp.
In the very next instant, Roya's face darkened with black lines, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Garp was actually standing there asleep!
Letting out a sigh, Roya did not bother to wake him. He figured that even if he tried, it would be difficult to wake him anyway. He closed his eyes slightly, and with a thought, the status panel popped up before his eyes.
Seeing that his enhancement energy had increased by another point, Roya nodded faintly. The status panel dissipated once more, and he began resting.
After a while—
Just as sensation gradually returned to his legs and he was attempting to stand up, Garp finally squinted his eyes and woke up.
Upon waking, Garp showed not the slightest embarrassment over having fallen asleep. He immediately turned his head toward Roya.
The moment he saw Roya sitting on the ground, Garp's eyes widened. He thought Roya had been slacking off while he slept. However, in the next instant, he noticed Roya's clothes soaked through with sweat, the damp patch on the ground, and Roya's trembling legs as he struggled to stand.
At once, the shout Garp was about to unleash got stuck in his throat. His gaze flickered, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
This is…
He actually persisted all the way to his limit?!
In the eyes of a peak powerhouse like Garp, who had almost completely excavated his physical potential, this state—legs trembling uncontrollably—was unmistakable. It was the condition of having pushed oneself to the absolute limit.
Reaching one's limit was not something easily done. At that point, it had nothing to do with physical strength anymore, and everything to do with willpower!
He hadn't expected this kid's willpower to be far stronger than he had imagined.
A smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of Garp's mouth, but it vanished in the very next moment as his expression returned to stern seriousness. He did not reveal his inner satisfaction. Instead, once Roya had recovered a bit of stamina, Garp strictly began the next training regimen.
---
Time quickly passed, approaching a full month.
During this month, Roya was almost constantly drenched in sweat. Nearly every day, he broke through the physical limit of the previous day, continuously excavating the hidden potential deep within the human body.
By the next day, his physical strength would always be slightly stronger than the day before.
Perhaps due to his powerful soul and mental strength, breaking through physical limits was something that came easily to Roya.
And he could endure it with ease.
Over the course of this month, Roya's body underwent considerable changes. Although he was nowhere near Garp's level—covered in bulging muscles—compared to his previously somewhat slender build, his physique had become far more refined, taking on a smooth, streamlined form.
This was a body state that Roya was extremely satisfied with.
Of course.
This was only an external change. The true improvement in internal power was far greater than what appearances suggested.
Over this month, the enhancement of Roya's physical body had even surpassed the gains brought by multiple enhancements of the Soul Sword during the same period!
If one month ago Roya's strength was 30 points, then now, his strength was at least 100 points!
A threefold increase in a single month—simply unimaginable.
Yet this was precisely the result of breaking physical limits and excavating bodily potential!
The only side effect of breaking physical limits was an increased appetite—or rather, the need to consume far more energy.
Only now did Roya truly understand why the protagonist Luffy in the original story could eat so much.
Aside from that, although the enhancement of the Soul Sword during this month could not match the pure physical growth, the effects of multiple enhancements were still extremely significant.
Before Roya's eyes floated the translucent Soul Sword status panel.
[Second Stage: Ancient Soul Sword +6
Attributes: Attack Power +75, Strength +20
Special Attribute: All Things in the Universe, Turn to Ashes: Sword attacks can freely add fire damage
(evolution conditions not met)
Enhancement Energy: 14/70]
After reaching the second stage, each enhancement caused the required enhancement energy for the next one to increase by ten points.
Even so, in just one month, Roya's Soul Sword had already reached +6, and advancing to the third stage no longer seemed far away.
At the same time—
Roya also discovered that the size of the flames added as fire damage was not fixed. Instead, it continued to grow stronger along with the enhancement level.
Initially, the flames added to Roya's sword swings extended at most one meter. Now, with a single slash, the flames could erupt five or six meters outward—almost comparable to a small sword wave!
Although Roya was not even considered a swordsman in terms of swordsmanship realm, these flames were effectively equivalent to the sword aura that only true swordsmen could release—and one imbued with the intent of flame.
Over this one month, Roya's strength had undoubtedly undergone a leap-like increase.
As for exactly how strong he now was, even Roya himself found it difficult to judge. During this period, the only person he could compare himself to was Garp—and Garp's strength was far too monstrous to serve as any kind of benchmark.
Roya clenched his fist, feeling a power utterly incomparable to what he had possessed a month earlier. A slight curve lifted at the corner of his mouth.
"I really want to know what level my strength has reached now."