February 15, Marine Era 1507.
The moonlight of Mary Geoise filtered through the dome of the training ground, illuminating Cassian’s clenched fists.
Those fists were coated in dense black Armament Haki.
As his knuckles cut through the air, a sharp whistling sound followed before they slammed heavily into a specially reinforced alloy pillar.
A loud bang echoed.
A deep imprint formed instantly on the pillar.
“Whew…”
Cassian let out a slow breath and rolled his shoulders.
Feeling the power surging through his body, a faint smile appeared on his face.
It had been nearly a year since he arrived in this world.
A year was not particularly long, but it was enough to completely change him.
With the advantage of being linked to Imu, his training intensity far exceeded that of any normal person.
Every session pushed his body past its limits.
An ordinary person would collapse within minutes under such strain, possibly suffering lasting damage.
Cassian did not have that problem.
Fatigue, pain, internal strain, all of it was transferred away from him.
He could train continuously for days without rest.
As long as Imu endured it, he would remain unaffected.
Exhaustion, Imu felt it.
Injuries, Imu bore them.
And with her terrifying recovery ability, those effects rarely lasted.
Often, by the time the strain reached her, she had already recovered.
At some point, she stopped reacting to it altogether.
Minor effects no longer even made her frown.
If anything, the absence of them felt unusual.
Under this absurd condition, Cassian’s progress became overwhelming.
Within a single year, he had fully awakened Armament Haki, capable of both hardening and flow.
His Observation Haki had also awakened, allowing him to sense intent and react ahead of attacks.
Even Conqueror’s Haki had surfaced.
That moment had been ridiculous.
Three days earlier, the Gorosei visited him, attempting to persuade him to stop beating Celestial Dragons, claiming it disrupted order.
Cassian had no patience for that.
He slammed the table and snapped,
“Who do you think you are?
The moment he spoke, an invisible pressure exploded outward.
Every glass object in the room shattered instantly.
Even Cassian paused in surprise.
Later, members of the God’s Knights explained what had happened.
Conqueror’s Haki was the manifestation of overwhelming will and presence.
And in Mary Geoise, few could match Cassian in that regard.
He beat Celestial Dragons without hesitation, treated the God’s Knights like subordinates, and spoke to the Gorosei without fear.
That level of defiance made his awakening inevitable.
“What are you thinking about?”
A gentle voice sounded behind him.
Boa Hancock walked in, holding a cup of hot milk.
Her training outfit highlighted her now more refined figure.
Over the past year, with proper care, she had grown noticeably.
The innocence she once had was still there, but now it was layered with quiet maturity.
“I was thinking about when I will leave this place and see the world.”
Cassian turned and took the cup from her.
His fingers brushed against hers briefly.
Hancock’s cheeks reddened slightly, but she did not pull away.
Their relationship had changed over time.
What began as teasing turned into familiarity.
Training together, arguing, small moments like this, all of it built something unspoken.
She no longer reacted the way she used to.
“Who said I want to go anywhere with you?”
She turned her face aside, her voice soft despite the words.
“Koala is waiting.
She wants her story.”
Cassian smiled and lightly tapped her head.
“I know.”
Hancock brushed his hand away, though her expression softened.
Back in the room, Koala sat on the bed hugging a pillow, waiting.
“Brother Cassian, what story today?”
Cassian lay down beside her.
“Today, I will tell you about a loud kid who wants to become the strongest.”
He casually retold the story of Naruto, adapting it as he went.
Koala listened intently before eventually falling asleep against his arm. This story is hosted at g.com.
Late at night, beyond the walls of Mary Geoise, a figure moved silently through the darkness.
Fisher Tiger.
With sharp teeth and red skin, the master of Fish-Man Karate had climbed the Red Line alone.
His goal was simple, to free the slaves taken to Mary Geoise.
He had prepared himself for the worst.
He expected screams, chains, and cruelty everywhere.
But what he found left him confused.
The streets were quiet.
There were guards, but no slaves in chains wandering openly.
The cages that once held them were empty, covered in dust.
Tiger moved through several Celestial Dragon residences.
The slaves still wore collars, but they were clean, properly dressed.
Their expressions lacked hope, but also lacked the terror he expected.
Something was off.
In one instance, he even saw a Celestial Dragon bump into a slave and mutter an apology.
Tiger froze.
For a moment, he questioned his own senses.
Had he made a mistake?
Had he come to the wrong place?
He continued investigating, moving deeper into Mary Geoise.
The result remained the same.
The slaves were still enslaved, but they were no longer openly abused.
It felt as if something was suppressing the Celestial Dragons.
Tiger leaned against a wall, his thoughts in turmoil.
This was not the hell he imagined.
He had come prepared to fight, even to die.
But now, doubt crept into his mind.
Could things change without bloodshed?
The thought surfaced, but he quickly suppressed it.
No.
The nature of the Celestial Dragons would not change.
Even if conditions had improved, the slaves were still not free.
They were still bound.
Freedom was something they deserved.