After his intense battle with Hawkeye, Black had been frequently dueling Red Earl in the card space over the past several days.
The reason for choosing Red Earl was simple: his strength was relatively higher than the others.
Among the remaining cards, Golden Lion and Red Earl were the strongest, two masters fully realized in their adult stage.
Compared to Golden Lion, Red Earl wielded an umbrella as a weapon, aligning closer to Black's One-Sword Style.
He truly lived up to his reputation as one of the New World's top masters, and with Black's current power, he could only maintain an undefeated stance briefly.
Even with the Iron Balloon talent allowing him to endure countless attacks, victory was far from assured.
"It's such a disadvantage not having Conqueror's Haki Infusion!" Black muttered, leaving the card space with a sigh.
Logically, with the intensity of his Haoshoku, mastering Conqueror's Haki Infusion shouldn't be difficult.
Yet Black had never faced a life-or-death struggle.
Battles in the card space allowed him to exert fully, but death was impossible.
Thus, he lacked the stimulus needed to break through his limits in a true life-or-death situation.
Finding a worthy deathmatch opponent in the New World? Preposterous!
If he could grow steadily without risk, why force acceleration at the cost of years of careful progress?
Even if he could comprehend Conqueror's Haki Infusion now, Black knew it would be reckless.
Besides, there was no opponent demanding immediate defeat; slow and steady growth sufficed.
Time had quietly reached year 1501 of the Sea Calendar, and the sanctuary had already entered the Calm Belt.
Olvia was finally freed.
Black could see she hadn't given up her quest for the poneglyph, but she dared not show it.
He wasn't concerned; her inner thoughts didn't matter—opportunity wouldn't favor her.
Over the past months, Black's luck in ability cards had been poor: only a few trivial cards appeared.
Body Physique *1
Mob Swordsmanship *2
Mob Armament Haki *1
Mob Observation Haki *1
Black intended to give them to Mandy when she disembarked.
Combined with her previous Master Swordsman Level Swordsmanship, Mandy's strength would surge to a Navy Vice Admiral level.
Defeating Crocodile in the Alabasta arc would be effortless.
Compared to an elite Vice Admiral like Onigumo, she lacked only combat experience and physical conditioning.
A Vice Admiral could secure any region in the seas outside the New World.
After lunch, Black lay under his parasol as usual.
Nearby, Rami was integrating into the group.
Since leaving Flevance, Victor and Aria hid in the back cabin, researching treatments for lead rot disease.
Black provided guidance from his prior knowledge, recalling anime from his previous life and reading about lead poisoning.
Lead rot disease existed in reality too.
Beyond isolation from pollution, treatments included intravenous calcium disodium edetate and oral dimercaptosuccinic acid.
Though Black didn't fully grasp the chemistry, he explained all he knew.
Victor and Aria consciously avoided Black's presence.
Law, though only five, displayed remarkable maturity. Having read medical texts, he assisted his parents.
Rami, on the other hand, socialized with girls her age.
Black was pleased, planning to send Victor and Aria to Waruburukku while Rami remained by his side.
Her weak physique limited her to quietly watching Stella play.
On deck, Koala spun a lifeboat on one finger, while Perona secretly set up a fishing line behind her.
Afterwards, Perona feigned surprise:
"Wow! There's a dancing dolphin!"
Koala ran excitedly toward the railing, tripping into the pool with a splash.
Rami, nearby, got drenched but laughed along.
Black pressed a hidden button beneath the lounge chair, activating a fountain in the center of the deck.
Perona, caught off-guard mid-prank, stumbled, drenched.
"Twenty hidden water guns on this ship when we return to the Holy Land," Black muttered.
Soaking wet, Perona approached angrily, hands on hips.
Seeing Black ignore her, she reached for a cake plate.
Just as her fingers touched it, Black snatched her up:
"Fourth time sneaking sweets today; don't cry over a toothache tonight."
Perona pretended to be startled, slipping the cake onto Black's face.
Robin quipped from the side:
"When the master is attacked by food, the Slave should… take a commemorative photo?"
She pulled out a camera.
Black flicked the cake from his face, landing perfectly on Robin.
"Exactly! Now you can take the picture."
He tossed Perona. Robin, obstructed, didn't notice, and the two collided, rolling into a heap.
Rami giggled, then coughed.
Mandy silently handed her a bottle of medicine.
Rami drank, smiling:
"Thank you, Big Sister Mandy."
Mandy nodded, then guided Koala to train.
Stella placed the last cream flower on the cake, pushed the food cart to Black, and offered a warm cup of tea:
"Your Highness, I tried a new recipe today; please taste it."
Black pulled Stella close as he lay on the lounge chair.
Though he had said maids could do such tasks, Stella treated him as a lover, pleased he would taste her creation.
Her thoughtfulness warmed Black's heart.
Nearby, Koala trained, eyes determined.
"Breathe steadily; imagine power as flowing water…"
She struck the strength tester. Numbers surged then went black.
"Huh?"
Koala shook the machine:
"Broken again?"
She looked at Perona, who had climbed free from Robin's grip and positioned her before the screen:
"Tell me! Did you pour water into the sensor again?"
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