"But the question is, how did Father actually do it?" Patrick asked impatiently.
This question voiced what many of the other trainees were thinking. Indeed, given Vice Admiral Randolph's current standing, it wasn't hard to deduce the fate of the Black Mamba Pirates.
Yet the most fascinating part of the story was not the outcome itself, but how Patrick's father, then merely a Navy Colonel, achieved such a feat.
"Don't worry, I will naturally tell you how Vice Admiral Randolph managed it," Dalmatian said calmly. "After making that daring decision, he came up with an excuse to temporarily separate from his subordinates. He sent them back to Marine Headquarters in Marineford to report the situation, while he himself set out alone in a small boat to pursue the Black Mamba Pirates."
"He disguised himself as a lone pirate trying to join the Black Mamba Pirates, moving swiftly from island to island to track their movements. And yet, the Black Mamba Pirates did not notice anything unusual. You must understand, if they had known the Navy was secretly investigating them, Captain Black Mamba would never have stayed in one place again. He would have immediately changed course, leaving no trace for anyone to follow."
"From this perspective, Colonel Randolph's planning was extremely meticulous," Dalmatian said approvingly. "After finding and catching up with the Black Mamba Pirates, he patiently began executing his plan. He first posed as a bounty hunter, secretly eliminating some ordinary members of the crew with firearms, then spread false information to make the Black Mamba Pirates see him as a clueless bounty hunter who had no idea how dangerous they were."
"Through this disguise, he gradually dismantled and provoked the Black Mamba Pirates without triggering Captain Black Mamba's suspicion or alerting him to any danger. Over the course of several months, he successfully lured the captain into personally confronting this 'ignorant bounty hunter.'"
Dalmatian shrugged lightly. "You can probably guess what happened next. Captain Black Mamba's one-on-one combat abilities were not exaggerated. Although Colonel Randolph's strength at the time was not what it is now, after a fierce battle, he ultimately killed Captain Black Mamba and brought back his head."
"It was because of this achievement that Randolph was promoted from Colonel to Vice Admiral. And from that moment on, he began the career that led to his current accomplishments."
Patrick sat in stunned silence, unable to recover for a long moment. He had never imagined that the imposing, composed father before him had once undertaken such a wildly audacious and dangerous mission.
"Now, do you see your earlier question in a different light?" Dalmatian asked.
"Yes!" Patrick said, sitting up straight. "If Father hadn't learned navigation back then, he could never have piloted a small boat alone to follow the Black Mamba Pirates. His ability to disguise himself as both a pirate and a bounty hunter without being discovered must have relied on the seemingly useless geographic and cultural knowledge he had acquired. And if he hadn't been proficient with firearms, posing as a bounty hunter would have been even more difficult."
"That's exactly right," Dalmatian said, nodding with satisfaction. "To become a Navy elite, strength is naturally essential. To deal with the countless dangerous pirates scattered across the open seas, you must possess combat power sufficient to stand against them."
"But! That does not mean you should ignore these seemingly useless subjects. Knowledge like this may very well be the final straw that tips the scales against your enemy when the moment comes. Do you understand?" Dalmatian's voice roared with authority.
"Yes!" the students replied in unison.
This small interlude ignited a new enthusiasm among the trainees for learning their classes.
Even Rayk had to admit that although he had once considered studying these diverse subjects thoroughly to better understand the world, he had never valued them to the degree he should have.
Under Dalmatian's strict yet fair guidance, every trainee worked diligently. Even normally lazy students were forced to push themselves to improve.
And so, a month passed in the youth training camp.
In the corridor on the third floor, Rayk performed one-handed push-ups, his other hand behind his back, struggling with each repetition. Sweat soaked his body, dripping onto the floor.
"Four hundred ninety-seven… four hundred ninety-eight… four hundred ninety-nine."
"Five hundred!"
He exhaled sharply, slowly rising to his feet and stretching to prevent muscle strain.
"System, display my body stats," he murmured in his mind.
[Host Body Stats]
[Gourmet Cell Awakening Level: 0.32%]
[Strength: 1.7 (Normal adult male: 1)]
[Physique: 1.3 (Normal adult male: 1)]
[Speed: 1.4 (Normal adult male: 1)]
[Abilities: Sonic Manipulation (Basic), Navy Six Techniques – Finger Gun (Beginner)]
The self-assessment feature of the Gourmet System was something Rayk had discovered only recently. It allowed him to clearly understand his current condition and train with targeted precision.
After a month of study and practice, he had not only mastered the beginner-level "Finger Gun" technique from the Navy Six Techniques but had also increased his Gourmet Cell Awakening Level to 0.32%. His physical conditioning had improved dramatically due to both rigorous training and the awakening of his Gourmet Cells.
A month ago, setting aside "Sonic Manipulation," his physical abilities already surpassed those of ordinary teenagers, but he had not yet reached the level of a normal adult male.
Now, in terms of strength, physique, and speed, he had surpassed ordinary adults. His strength alone had reached 1.7 times that of a typical adult male. With the Navy Marine combat techniques, he could easily take on ten ordinary opponents at once.
Moreover, with the addition of his newly learned beginner "Finger Gun" and basic Sonic Manipulation from the Gourmet System, his overall combat capability likely rivaled that of some general-level Navy Marines.
And this was only the result of one month of training. During this time, he had also been learning various other subjects, not dedicating his full focus solely to physical training.