After finishing the paperwork to finalize Michael's official enlistment as a God's Knight recruit under his squad, Shamrock was called into the office of Figarland Garling, the Supreme Commander of God's Knights. As Shamrock entered, Garling, who had been reading a newspaper, set it aside and looked up at him.
"He shows great potential, with strength that does not match his age. He is incredibly adaptable to his enemies, a rare attribute. More than that, he is cold, like someone who has seen the harsh truths of the world without ever stepping outside the confines of Marijoa. He is a great addition to our militia, Father. If he had been trained earlier, he would already be stronger than a CP0 agent," Shamrock said.
He spoke without waiting for Garling to ask, already knowing why he had been summoned to the Supreme Commander's office in person rather than contacted via Den Den Mushi.
"Good. It seems that our union with the Shepherd Family not only expanded our connections but also gifted us a noble carrying two of the purest bloodlines among the Celestials. It also seems that Saint Ju Peter has been raising that brat properly," Garling said, feeling proud of himself. After all, it had been his idea to propose the alliance between the Figarland and Shepherd families, an alliance solidified by blood ties and the promise of a proper heir to the Shepherd name.
"With Elder Ju Peter's strength, I think it would be more surprising if Michael turned out to be weak. I don't think he would've lived this long without the Elder being certain that his grandson would not drag his reputation through the mud among our people," Shamrock replied.
The two spoke about Michael for a while longer before Shamrock decided it was time to leave, as he still had other matters to attend to. Garling, curious about the strength of his son, decided he would observe Michael's training tomorrow. For now, however, the thought slipped to the back of his mind as he was busy dealing with some minor pests among the Celestials.
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Back with Michael, after his spar with Shamrock, he kept replaying the fight in his mind, simulating how his muscles should have reacted. He began overworking his body, focusing on the muscle fibers he could sense. Then, he started compressing each muscle fiber against the others, strengthening their bonds.
The entire process took Michael a long time, but once he finally achieved maximum efficiency, he moved on to his next objective.
Michael then began meditating, absorbing more and more of Cain's experiences to fully embody his past life. He sought to achieve the Breath of All Things through sheer will, as he had not yet faced a true life-or-death situation in this new existence.
Through Cain's memories — memories forged in countless life-or-death struggles — Michael witnessed all the victims who had fallen by Cain's hand, seeing the murders through Cain's own eyes. Undeterred, he continued meditating, steadily assimilating Cain's knowledge of the intricate workings of the human body, further refining his muscle control.
It took Michael three hours to review all his memories, focusing only on those involving murder. The memories he revisited further desensitized him to killing and the sight of blood, bringing him one step closer to becoming a completely apathetic person.
When Michael opened his eyes, he slashed toward the tree in front of him, not to cut the tree itself, but to strike a caterpillar crawling up its trunk. After swinging, he saw that the tree didn't have so much as a scratch, while the caterpillar had been cleanly sliced in half.
Michael stopped his physical training, shifting his focus to mental simulations — replaying his fights against Shamrock over and over in his mind. Even while eating, he continued trying to enhance his control over his Devil Fruit, aiming to eventually match or surpass the strength of his opponents.
At one point, he began slicing through everything near him in a frenzy of precision training. His efforts lasted another four hours before he finally decided to call it a day, grabbing a meal before heading to bed.
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Earlier, before Michael was officially accepted into God's Knight, in the office of the 5 elders.
"How is your Grandson? Shepherd, I heard he was joining the God's Knight today," Saint Warcury asked his fellow elder, curious to see how strong his great-grandson is.
"Yes, but I do not doubt that Michael would pass and be accepted, the only worry I have is that if Garling took things too far, you know how he tests everyone that shares his blood, as he expects only the most perfect beings," Saint Ju Peter answered.
"That is a valid concern. We have seen Garling take things too far before, but in my opinion, this will only make Michael emerge even stronger — if he survives the challenges ahead," Saint Ethanbaron said, easing Saint Ju Peter's worry. The other Elders nearby nodded in agreement.
"I suppose it will be a great challenge for him. I did raise him right — unlike those other nobles who have sullied the name of our great lineage," Saint Ju Peter said, recalling how he had ensured Michael received the best education possible from the moment he could speak.
"Agreed. Only a few families have preserved their honor — and even fewer individuals are worthy of occupying higher positions," Elder Marcus Mars said with a trace of disdain.
They remembered the golden age of their families, when almost every member possessed the strength to rival their enemies. But now, they were forced to employ outsiders, swallow their pride, and even allow the children of slaves to rise into important positions. Worse still, even within the Marines, many had begun to openly oppose their authority.
"You don't have to worry. Vegapunk has completed his project, and that will mark the end of this so-called golden age of piracy. No one will be able to defy us any longer," Saint Saturn said, fully confident in Vegapunk's genius, who had been researching an alternative power source to fuel one of their most powerful weapons.
"Yes. The moment Vegapunk fulfills his purpose, we will further solidify our control over this world, crushing every enemy of our god, quelling every spark of rebellion instantly. The World Government will reign forever under the banner of our divine lord," Saint Warcury declared, as the other Elders nodded in solemn agreement.