Watching Hawkins walk over and take his place beside Bepo, Arashi once again found himself wanting to laugh.
Hawkins's decision was truly baffling.
The guy had already obtained a Devil Fruit ability. He could have continued charging forward as one of the rising stars among the North Blue's new generation of pirates.
Yet somehow, because of a single tarot reading, he had ended up here and even become possessed enough to take Arashi as his master.
Most importantly, Hawkins had never even witnessed Arashi's strength, yet he firmly believed that Arashi could make him stronger.
It was a completely inexplicable operation.
Still, tarot divination really did seem to have some mystical power. Maybe he should find some time to study it himself.
"Before we begin training, I'll ask you all a question."
Still lying on the grass, Arashi glanced at the group and continued,
"What do you think of Devil Fruits?"
He paused.
"Let's have Law and Hawkins answer first. After all, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi haven't obtained Devil Fruits yet."
Hawkins raised his head and replied in his usual deep voice,
"Before obtaining my Devil Fruit ability, I was just a magician. But after eating a Devil Fruit, I instantly gained tremendous power."
"It's good."
"It's powerful."
"I like it."
Arashi nodded before turning toward Law.
"What about you? What's your opinion of Devil Fruits?"
"Uh..."
Law hesitated briefly before shaking his head.
"I don't really have one."
He genuinely didn't know how to answer.
When he had eaten the Devil Fruit, he had still been very young. If Corazon hadn't told him, he wouldn't even have known what kind of power he possessed.
Even after using his ability to cure his disease, he had spent a long time unaware that his Devil Fruit could be used for combat.
Only after meeting Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi did he realize that his powers could be used in battle as well.
"Master!"
Before Law could continue, Bepo excitedly raised both hands.
"Are you a Devil Fruit user?"
"I'm not."
Arashi smiled and shook his head.
"Although there were plenty of Devil Fruits placed before me back then, becoming a Devil Fruit user was never something I considered."
"In my view, Devil Fruit abilities become nothing more than support tools in the later stages."
"If someone relies too heavily on their fruit and neglects physical training and other forms of cultivation, then as they grow older, their strength will inevitably decline due to the limitations of their body."
"Therefore—"
Arashi sat up.
"Starting today, and throughout the next hundred days, I will teach you only three things."
"Physical combat."
"Swordsmanship."
"And Haki."
"After one hundred days, regardless of how much you've learned or how far you've progressed, I will leave."
He smiled.
"After all, I'm a traveler. Since I've come to the North Blue, naturally I want to explore and experience different places and cultures."
"As for Law's and Hawkins's Devil Fruit abilities, I'll also help you develop them whenever I have time."
He paused.
"How far you can develop them, and whether I can help lay the foundation for your future Devil Fruit awakening, will depend on your own talent and effort."
"Devil Fruit awakening?"
Law and Hawkins raised their heads simultaneously, staring at Arashi in shock.
Although both were Devil Fruit users, this was the first time they had ever heard the concept of Devil Fruit awakening.
"So-called Devil Fruit awakening is a higher level of Devil Fruit power."
Arashi continued calmly,
"However, despite being merely one step higher, very few Devil Fruit users in this world are capable of reaching that stage."
"To put it simply—"
"If you one day awaken your Devil Fruit, your strength won't merely become one plus one equals two."
After a brief pause, Arashi lazily got to his feet.
His gaze swept across the group.
"We'll start with physical training."
"Today's task is simple."
"Run around Swallow Island ten times."
"Begin."
"Huh?!"
The moment Arashi finished speaking, Bepo's eyes widened.
"Ten... ten laps?!"
Even Law and Hawkins blinked in disbelief.
They were already Devil Fruit users.
And Arashi wanted them to do such basic training?
"Got a problem with that?"
Seeing that none of them had moved, Arashi's gaze instantly turned cold.
"N-No!"
Feeling the chill in Arashi's eyes, Bepo quickly lowered his head.
"S-Sorry!"
"Stop saying sorry all the time."
Arashi glared at him.
"Move."
"Start running."
Then he looked toward the hillside behind him, where Perona had appeared at some point.
"Little ghost, you're in charge of supervising them."
"If anyone slacks off or slows down, let them experience the terror of ghosts."
"Okay!"
Perona had originally come looking for Arashi to play.
Instead, she had unexpectedly received such a wonderful assignment.
Back on Ohara Island, she and Robin had always been the ones subjected to Arashi's training.
Now she finally had the chance to torment someone else.
Naturally, she accepted immediately.
The moment she agreed, Perona activated her Devil Fruit powers.
Several ghosts appeared out of thin air and immediately chased after Law and the others as they started running.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
"What are those?!"
"So scary!"
Running at the very back, Bepo immediately began screaming the moment he saw the approaching ghosts.
Despite usually struggling with long-distance running, he suddenly seemed to receive a powerful stimulant.
Whoosh!
He shot forward and instantly overtook Law, who had been leading.
"Horohorohorohoro..."
Perona's trademark sinister laugh echoed through the air.
"Run faster~"
"Whatever you do, don't let me catch you~"
Seeing Bepo disappear into the distance like a rocket, Perona laughed even harder.
The ghosts floating overhead immediately accelerated and began circling above the runners.
Even Penguin and Shachi couldn't help increasing their pace.
Under the supervision of Perona's ghosts, the group quickly completed their first lap around the island.
After just one lap, whether it was Law, Hawkins, or the trio of Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi, all of them felt as though they were on the verge of coughing up blood from exhaustion.
Law and Hawkins had it the worst.
Ever since obtaining their Devil Fruit powers, neither had engaged in any serious physical training.
Being forced into long-distance running now felt more painful than being killed.
However, they also realized just how poor their stamina truly was.
So despite their suffering, they gritted their teeth and continued.
Time flew by.
Before they knew it, afternoon had arrived.
As a Mink, Bepo might have appeared bulky, but he was unquestionably the toughest and most resilient among them.
After seven laps, he still maintained first place.
Penguin and Shachi were also performing admirably, staying close behind without falling too far back.
Law and Hawkins, however, were a different story.
When they reached Arashi's position during the seventh lap, Hawkins, who was running behind Law, suddenly lost strength in his legs.
Thud!
He collapsed straight onto the ground.
Not only that, but he crashed into Law and dragged him down as well.
"Hahaha!"
Watching the two fall, Arashi burst into laughter.
"And you two call yourselves Devil Fruit users!"
He pointed toward Bepo and the others.
"Look at Bepo. Look at Penguin and Shachi."
"They're not even Devil Fruit users, yet their stamina completely surpasses yours."
"What does that tell you?"
"It tells you that ever since obtaining your Devil Fruits, you've relied on them far too much."
He shook his head.
"With stamina like yours, if you enter the Grand Line and encounter those physical monsters, you'll be beaten so badly there won't be anything left of you."
Then Arashi grinned.
"But don't be discouraged."
"Every beginning is difficult."
"As long as you keep persevering..."
His smile widened.
"You'll discover that what's waiting ahead is even worse."
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