The voyage from that point on was smooth sailing. Compared to the chaotic nightmare of the Grand Line, the weather in the East Blue was downright ordinary.
Li Ke didn't let up on his training for a second. Whenever he had a spare moment, he was diving into the ocean to swim laps, pushing his physical limits. In the eyes of this world's powerhouses, he was still pathetic, and he knew it.
But he had one other priority on his list.
"Eat up. Every single bite!"
Li Ke glared at Nami, watching her scarf down sea king meat with a dead-serious expression.
"Every gram of protein you swallow is going straight to your tits! So keep chewing!"
He wasn't joking. After consulting a doctor, Li Ke's suspicions were confirmed: Nami's current physical condition was nowhere near ready for the "intense exercise" he had planned. In the original story, Nami's health was always precarious until Chopper joined the crew. While Luffy, Zoro, and even Usopp could shrug off most injuries, a simple bug could leave Nami bedridden. Her foundation was weak.
Because of that, Li Ke was obsessive about her diet.
"Who the hell eats with that kind of motivation?!" Nami muttered under her breath. Still, she had to admit the perks on this ship were leagues better than what she was used to. The food was top-tier.
The woman named Rouge was incredibly gentle and a fantastic cook. And then there was Robin—she looked cold and distant, but whenever Nami reached her limit, Robin would always step in to shoulder the burden of Li Ke's bottomless lust.
Nami knew they were in the same boat; both needed Li Ke's power to bring back their mothers. But unlike Nami, Robin had her own strength and seemed to be more of a partner to Li Ke. Their relationship was... different.
Li Ke mostly just used Robin's mouth lately. It had been awkward and uncomfortable at first, but Nami was gradually getting used to the routine. Even if the "aftertaste" was always strange and lingering.
"Can't be helped. You belong to me now, Miss Nami," Li Ke said, watching her pout.
He realized he had a real taste for bullying girls like her—especially when she looked so reluctant yet did exactly what he told her with such serious focus. It was a massive turn-on. But pragmatism came first; Nami was too damn skinny. If he really went to work on her now, he'd just be hitting bone, and that was a total mood-killer. He had to fatten her up first.
"You're such a prick... but seriously, can you guys actually take down Arlong?"
Nami looked at Li Ke with a flicker of genuine worry. Over in the corner, Roger—who had been minding his own business with a bottle of booze—perked up. This girl was constantly freaking out over some guy named Arlong, and Li Ke had specifically asked him to deal with the guy.
Was this Arlong actually worth a damn? Roger wondered.
"Li Ke, is this Arlong guy actually strong?"
Roger was genuinely clueless. Back in his day, he'd never even heard the name Arlong.
"Well, he's not exactly a monster, but if I fought him right now without using my abilities... it'd probably be a fifty-fifty toss-up," Li Ke said after a moment of thought.
Calling Arlong weak was true enough in the grand scheme of things, but the shark-man's raw physical stats were still miles ahead of Li Ke's current foundation.
"So... he's a grunt?"
Roger scratched his head, looking unimpressed. In his eyes, Li Ke's current level was basically "fodder" status. Of course, if Li Ke pulled out his extra-dimensional abilities, it changed things slightly.
He'd go from "low-tier fodder" to "high-tier fodder."
The kind that gets one-shotted instead of... well, getting one-shotted.
Li Ke wanted to curse him out. Roger was the pinnacle of power in this world; to him, anyone below Admiral level was basically a background character. The only real distinction was whether they could stand up to his Conqueror's Haki or not. If you didn't pass out, you were an elite grunt. If you did, you were just trash.
"I know! You don't have to keep reminding me! I'm working on it!"
Annoyed, Li Ke shoved the last hunk of meat into his mouth and dove straight into the ocean to get back to his physical grind.
Training in this world was surprisingly addictive, especially that visceral sensation of feeling yourself get stronger bit by bit. It was a high he was currently obsessed with chasing.
"He's got the spirit, at least."
Roger chuckled, adjusting his hat as he watched Li Ke start towing the ship manually. Over the past few weeks of observing the kid, Roger had started to sense something different about him. Deep within that body was a dormant, bone-chilling potential.
The only problem was that Li Ke had started way too late. If he'd been training since he was a brat, with this kind of growth rate... Roger suspected even he wouldn't have been able to keep up.
Thinking of this, Roger's eyes sharpened. His decision to send Buggy to Rayleigh wasn't just about training; it was about protection. He'd picked up on the fact that Li Ke didn't exactly like Buggy. He could guess why with his eyes closed, which was exactly why he'd cut his reunion with his old subordinate so short.
To call Roger "bold yet meticulous" would be an understatement, but—
"Eh, this monster's a headache for the living. Why should I care?"
Roger downed the last of his rum with a carefree grin. Honestly, drinking like this brought back memories. Toward the end, he'd actually quit booze just to spend a little more time with his wife. A pirate who didn't drink...
It was pure torture.
Time blurred as they sailed on. Under Nami's growing anxiety, they soon neared the waters of Cocoyasi Village. As she scanned the horizon, terrified that the Sea King from Arlong Park would ambush their ship, Roger noticed her distress.
"Don't sweat it. Li Ke can handle this. Look—he's already started."
Nami followed Roger's gaze and immediately spotted Momoo, the colossal sea beast that had crushed countless Marine ships! Its cow-like appearance might have looked cute to some, but it was a literal monster that had sent hundreds of sailors to the bottom of the sea and leveled entire villages.
The massive creature was currently charging full-tilt toward Li Ke, who was still busy towing the ship. It looked like he didn't even see it coming!
"Look out, Li Ke!"
Nami screamed in terror, but Roger just smirked. As a top-tier Haki master, he could sense exactly what was happening to Li Ke's body while he was focused on his swim.
"Now that I think about it... the kid's got a real knack for Observation Haki."
Just as the words left his mouth, Li Ke, still mid-stroke, felt a sudden shift.
It wasn't just a sense of danger; it was an absolute awareness of something approaching. It was a bizarre sensation—he wasn't using his eyes, nose, or ears, yet he "saw" it anyway.
He hadn't actually seen its color, but he knew the hue of its skin.
He hadn't seen the physical beast, but he knew its silhouette and the exact vector of its attack.
He hadn't heard a sound, yet every vibration it made was crystal clear in his mind.
He hadn't smelled it, but the scent of sea brine and the savory aroma of raw meat told him exactly which cut of the beast would taste the best!
"This is..."
Following that instinct, Li Ke manipulated the currents around him. Just as the massive sea beast lunged for him, the water erupted into a violent whirlpool. Under his command, the raging surge propelled his body upward, launching him high above the sea and clear of the monster's gaping maw.
Standing on the water he controlled felt like treading on solid rubber. Using the rushing current as a springboard, Li Ke launched himself directly onto the monster's head.
He swung his arms, flowing into a Tai Chi stance straight out of the Waterbending scrolls. The torrent that had lifted him into the air answered his call instantly, coiling around the massive sea beast like a liquid vice. Following the arc of his strike, the water surged upward, wrenching the creature's head back!
The crushing weight of the seawater amplified Li Ke's raw power. At the same time, he triggered a Blood Secret Technique, putting the full force of his vitality behind the blow!
His fist slammed into the Sea King's skull with a dull, heavy thud. The impact was so violent it scrambled the beast's brain, leaving it dazed and unable to process how its dinner had suddenly turned into a predator.
Li Ke didn't give it a chance to recover. His second punch was already on the way.
As the beast let out a terrified, muffled cry, the currents surged again, perfectly syncing with Li Ke's strike. His fist crashed into the same spot with bone-shattering force.
This time, the sea beast couldn't take it. Another heavy impact echoed across the water, followed by the faint, sickening crack of a splintering skull. The creature lost consciousness instantly, its massive body bobbing lifelessly on the surface.