The items purchased from the trading market could be placed into or taken out of the backpack at any time, which was quite convenient.
Shano first took out the katana "Seijou."
He unsheathed the sword.
The long blade gleamed with a frosty-like luster under the sunlight, maintaining a surprisingly delicate curve.
He held it up before his eyes and carefully examined it.
The blade, as thin as a cicada's wing, gradually changed color from deep indigo at the hilt, like the color of the deep sea, to a nearly transparent pale white at the tip.
He finished the remaining cola in one gulp, tossed the empty can up, and with a quick motion, sliced it into pieces without any hesitation.
The afterimage of the blade's tip swept through the air, leaving behind a silver trail, like fireflies in the night.
"Good sword," Shano remarked with admiration.
It was perfectly balanced, with an excellent feel in his hand.
The blacksmith shop in the neighboring town of his hometown had a bit of fame in the nearby islands. During his days of training in swordsmanship, he had once excitedly visited it. But no matter which blade or sword he saw there, the difference between them and this one was like heaven and earth.
He sheathed the sword.
The long blade wasn't a problem; his body was only just entering the developmental stage. Once he grew taller, it would become the perfect sword for him.
He placed it back in his backpack and opened the two secret manuals for the Six Styles.
As soon as they opened, the random dice selection completed, and the results displayed were "Shave" and "Iron Block."
"Good luck."
The boy's mood lifted further. These two body techniques—one focused on movement, the other reinforced defense—were exactly what he needed at the moment.
His thoughts shifted, and he opened the Iron Block manual first.
Secret manuals worked like a system panel, unfolding in front of him with a thought. It was similar to an e-book format where he could flip through pages with his mind.
The text was extremely detailed, even breaking down each move and technique in depth.
In some of the more difficult-to-understand parts, a blurry, ghostly blue figure would appear, demonstrating the techniques with precision, which made things very intuitive.
The reason he had been able to quickly master "Breath Fist" was partly due to this type of teaching method.
"The entry threshold is not high, but mastering it proficiently will require a lot of hard work."
After briefly flipping through both manuals, Shano's eyes gleamed, estimating the results.
His current physique was vastly improved compared to when he first trained in Breath Fist. Plus, the unique effect of Breath Fist, which could quickly alleviate muscle fatigue, would accelerate his progress in these body techniques far beyond normal people.
Even conservatively estimating, he would be able to fully master these two techniques within a year.
"A year, huh..."
Shano shook his head slightly. If it were before, he would have been satisfied with this speed.
But now, with a giant stone like Arlong weighing on his heart, he had to move faster—much faster!
Fortunately.
This time, his luck had been excellent, and he had acquired items that would assist his training.
His gaze fell upon the last item in his backpack, his eyes filled with anticipation.
He had never had any auxiliary training items before. All the strength he had now was gained through hard, solitary training.
Now, it was time to experience the feeling of an acceleration boost!
...
Half an hour later.
In the spacious underground chamber.
Shano surveyed the surroundings, nodding in satisfaction.
This was originally a backup armory. Due to the relative safety of the Gart route in recent years, it had been left empty and unattended, with dust and cobwebs everywhere.
When Shano found Gart and requested a room for physical training, the old man immediately remembered this place. He ordered people to clean it up and brought in a few sandbags and some discarded wooden materials, tying them into rudimentary wooden posts with hemp ropes.
He even made sure that mirrors, water, and towels were ready, and prohibited any other crew members from disturbing him. Shano couldn't help but feel a bit touched.
"Let's begin."
Shano carefully placed the statue of Heracles in the corner, then let out a long breath and began warming up with a slow jog.
After the warm-up, he did not immediately begin practicing the Six Styles. Instead, he chose to continue practicing "Breath Fist."
After all, the bottleneck of this technique was already becoming apparent.
If he could break through it and master it completely, the combat power it provided would far exceed the entry-level Six Styles.
...
Time passed swiftly.
Six days later, the Gart ship sailed steadily through the ocean under the afternoon sun. The route was indeed safe, and there had been no accidents or pirate ships with skull flags.
In the underground chamber.
The sound of punches and kicks echoed continuously as a strong figure weaved in and out between the wooden posts and sandbags. The wooden floor was covered with sweaty marks everywhere.
"One thousand nine hundred ninety-nine... Two thousand, stop!"
The counting echoed through the confined space. The boy's spine arched like a taut bowstring. The moment his fist struck the teak post, he suddenly withdrew his force, and an invisible wave of energy permeated the post, causing it to crack with a loud pop.
"Ha..."
Shano raised his head sharply, his eyes bloodshot. His entire body emitted white steam, and his breathing was heavy, like a bellows.
Each time he inhaled, his diaphragm sank twice as deep as a normal person's, and the muscles between his ribs bulged like sails. When he exhaled, his throat trembled, and the pressure from his expanding lungs was visibly pushing outward.
He closed his eyes to adjust his breathing, slowly calming down after some time.
When he took a dry towel to wipe his sweat, hot steam kept rising from the towel's crevices.
Shano gulped down water, finished it, tossed the empty bottle aside, and wiped his mouth with vigor.
"Ah, that feels good!"
The deep, hoarse sound from his throat made him feel strange. It was no longer the youthful tone he was used to; it felt like his voice had fully transitioned into that of an adult.
"Six days. It only took six days!"
Shano stepped up to the mirror, the wooden floor creaking beneath his feet. He looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face. He grinned, his eyes filled with delight.
In these past few days, he had spent over twelve hours a day in this room, enduring hardships and sweating. Aside from himself, perhaps only the silent statue in the corner knew the effort he had put in.
But the results of the training would eventually prove everything!
Today, on the sixth day, he had finally broken through the bottleneck and fully mastered "Breath Fist."
The barrier that had previously restricted his physical limits had shattered like a fragile glass container, and the pieces broke apart, only to expand and reshape, now far exceeding its previous capacity. He felt as though he had transcended into a new being.
The change in his voice was just one of the most insignificant changes brought by the breakthrough.
Shano studied his reflection in the mirror.
His face was still handsome, but his eyebrows had thickened significantly, and his jawline had become sharper. His black hair, which had once stopped at his ears, had grown long enough to cover his shoulders.
His height had increased by at least ten centimeters!
His muscles were thick and powerful, his shoulders like battering rams, and his latissimus dorsi muscles stretched out so much that they covered half the mirror.
The most shocking change was his spine. The thirty-three vertebrae under his skin seemed to writhe like living creatures. When he slightly arched his back, the entire spine was like a taut crossbow, making a creaking sound that sent chills down his spine.
The body he had six days ago seemed fragile in comparison.
Standing in front of the mirror for a long time.
He admired himself, as if he were an ancient artisan admiring his masterpiece, unable to tire of it.
Bang!
He kicked up two wooden posts with his foot, then struck them with his hands. With a slight effort, the posts shattered into countless fine pieces, scattering to the floor.
The boy stretched his arms wide, reveling in the newfound strength coursing through his body. Unable to contain his joy, he threw his head back and laughed out loud.
"Hahahahahaha!!!!"
His laughter shook the ceiling, causing dust to fall, all the way down to the deck.
...
On the deck.
Gart, leisurely leaning against the railing and smoking a pipe, felt the vibrations under his feet. Remembering that Shano had been in the underground chamber for the past few days without coming up, he couldn't help but feel a little worried.
After some hesitation, he walked down the spiral staircase, heading to the backup armory. He slowly raised his hand to knock.
Creeeak~
Just as he was about to knock, the door was suddenly flung open from the inside with great force, causing him to instinctively step back.
"Hm?"
The person inside looked down, noticing him and letting out a small noise.
Looking up, the familiar face greeted him, but Gart noticed something odd—the boy had grown taller! He used to be shorter than him by a head, but now, he needed to look up to meet his gaze!
"Mr. Gart, what brings you here? What a coincidence." Shano, now wearing his bulky outer clothes, scratched his head, smiling shyly. "I haven't eaten for a while and was heading to the dining hall. Would you like to join me?"