East Blue, uncharted waters.
The blazing sun hung high in the sky. The sea breeze was no longer gentle, but carried a dry, scorching heat.
It had been exactly three days since they departed Cocoyasi Village.
The Going Merry sailed alone across the endless sea. Aside from the occasional flying fish leaping from the water, there was nothing in sight.
Yet the atmosphere on deck was even hotter than the sun overhead.
"BAM—!!!"
A dull, heavy impact shattered the calm of the ocean.
A figure in a white shirt flew like a kite with its string cut, skidding several meters across the deck before finally crashing into the main mast.
"Cough… cough…"
Sanji curled up in pain. His once-pristine, well-pressed shirt was now smeared with dust, and dark bruises marred his handsome face.
He gasped for air, sweat dripping from his blond bangs and spreading into a dark stain on the wooden deck.
"Get up, Sanji."
Ronan stood with his zhangba iron spear in hand, posture straight as a pine tree, his breathing steady—as if he were merely taking a stroll.
He looked at Sanji without the slightest hint of sympathy, his gaze as cold and strict as a drill instructor's.
"Observation Haki isn't something you think your way into.
It's something your body hears."
"When pain shuts down your five senses, your sixth sense is forced to awaken."
"If you fall at this level, then forget about ever learning Observation Haki."
"Sh-shut… shut up!"
Sanji gritted his teeth and shakily pulled himself upright using the mast for support.
His hands trembled as he braced against the deck, struggling to push himself up.
He gulped in air, his lungs burning like fire—but the eyes visible beneath his fringe burned with fierce defiance.
Ever since witnessing Ronan, Luffy, and Zoro's inhuman "Thirteen Guardians Horizontal Training," the proud cook's competitive spirit had been fully ignited.
He didn't want to be the weak link on the ship.
And he absolutely refused to lose to that damn green-haired swordsman.
So he had joined this hellish training as well.
"Again!"
Sanji roared, slamming his polished shoe into the deck as he burst forward, unleashing a sharp "Concassé" kick at Ronan.
Ronan didn't move.
Only when Sanji's foot was a mere three inches from his cheek did Ronan flick his wrist.
"Explosive force."
The spear shaft bent instantly—then snapped straight like a released spring.
The side of the iron spear smashed directly into Sanji's shinbone.
"SMACK—!!!"
Ronan used refined force—agonizing to the bone, but not enough to break it—perfect for stimulating muscle and bone to their limit.
"AAAAAAH—!!!"
Sanji let out a pig-slaughtering scream. The pain twisted his face and shattered his attack instantly.
Before he could recover, the spear's butt swept sideways, slamming into Sanji's waist and sending him crashing back onto the deck.
"Too slow."
Ronan withdrew his spear and commented calmly.
"Your kicks are flashy, but the moment you attack, your killing intent is obvious."
"In front of Observation Haki, that's the same as telling your opponent exactly where you're going to strike."
Under the shade of the orange trees, Nami and Usopp watched with numb expressions.
"T-this is brutal…"
Usopp swallowed hard, feeling phantom pain in his own bones.
"Is Ronan a demon? Sanji's a cook! What if he breaks his hands—?"
"Relax. Ronan knows what he's doing. He avoided vital points and his hands."
Nami said it calmly, but still shivered and sighed.
"The men on this ship… are all incurable masochists."
At the center of the deck—
Ronan looked down at Sanji, who lay there panting heavily, then nodded.
"That's enough for now."
"Observation Haki doesn't come in two or three days. Luffy and Zoro both needed a full week."
"Your body's at its limit. Push further and you'll damage your foundation."
He pointed toward the kitchen, his tone softening.
"Rest properly. Circulate the Thirteen Guardians breathing method."
"In half an hour… go cook. Everyone's hungry."
"..."
Sanji's body stiffened slightly where he lay.
Nearby, Usopp's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
"Hey! That's way too cruel! He's half dead and you still want him to cook?!"
Yet to everyone's shock—
Sanji actually struggled to his feet.
"Tch… didn't need you to tell me."
He brushed the dust from his clothes. His steps were unsteady, but his eyes were resolute.
"Letting the crew go hungry… is a cook's disgrace."
Dragging his battered body, he limped toward the kitchen.
At once, the already-impatient Luffy and Zoro rushed over.
Luffy cracked his neck, joints popping loudly, grinning with excitement.
"Ronan! Our turn! Our turn! Sparring with Zoro just doesn't cut it—your spear hurts more. Faster growth!"
Zoro, loosening his shirt to reveal his toned muscles, sneered at Sanji's retreating back.
"Hey, curly-brow. How's it feel? If you can't handle it, cry it out. No one'll laugh."
Sanji instantly exploded.
He spun around like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, pointing furiously at Zoro.
"Damn moss-head!! Don't get cocky just because you started earlier!"
"Just watch—I'll master Observation Haki tomorrow! No—tonight! Then I'll kick you into the sea!"
"Hah? Wanna fight, spiral-eyebrow?!"
"Anytime!"
Watching the two erupt again, Ronan could only shake his head helplessly.
This was daily life on the Straw Hat ship—chaotic, noisy, yet brimming with vitality.
Just as a new "battle" was about to break out—
"EVERYONE—!! COME LOOK AT THIS!!!"
A sharp, shocked cry rang out.
Nami came leaping down from the railing, waving a fresh newspaper and a wanted poster.
"This is huge news!"
Ronan, Luffy, Zoro—and Sanji, who had just reached the kitchen door—all rushed over.
"What is it, Nami?" Luffy asked curiously.
Nami slammed the wanted poster—bearing Luffy's face—straight onto his chest.
"Look at this!!"
Everyone stared.
It was a standard bounty poster.
The photo showed Luffy grinning idiotically as always, the background clearly the ruined battlefield of Arlong Park.
And beneath the picture—
A number so large it made their heads spin.
"F-fifty million?!"
Usopp counted the zeros, his eyes bulging.
"Ten… hundred… thousand… ten-thousand… million…
It's really fifty million beli!! Luffy—you're a super wanted criminal now!!"
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