March, Marine Era 1509.
Morning light bathed Mary Geoise in a warm golden glow, streaming through the tall windows of the training hall and falling across Cassian’s upright figure.
He held the sword loosely, its tip angled toward the ground.
Black Armament Haki flowed across his body like liquid, spreading steadily until it covered him completely.
Even his hair carried a deep, dark sheen.
“Ha!”
With a low shout, his figure blurred, leaving behind a faint afterimage.
In the next instant, he appeared before an alloy pillar ten meters away.
His blade swept forward, carving a dark arc through the air like a silent shadow.
A soft slicing sound followed.
There was no loud impact, yet the alloy pillar split cleanly in two.
The cut surface was so smooth it reflected light like a mirror.
The severed half tilted and fell, striking the ground with a heavy thud.
Cassian sheathed his sword and stood still, exhaling slowly.
His expression remained calm.
Two years had passed without him noticing.
He had now spent three years in this world.
Three years was more than enough for his strength to change completely.
Because of Negative State Transfer, aging no longer affected him.
Imu bore that burden in his place, leaving him with the appearance of a man in his early twenties.
Only his sharper features hinted at his growth.
During these two years, his Armament Haki had reached its peak.
Full-body coating, external emission, and internal destruction, he had mastered all of them.
The density of his Haki was strong enough to endure a strike from Figarland Garling.
His Observation Haki had also advanced to an exceptional level.
Almost nothing within Mary Geoise escaped his awareness.
He could even sense danger moments before it arrived.
His swordsmanship had improved just as much.
Under the guidance of the God’s Knights, he was no longer someone who relied on brute swings.
In his hands, the sword could move with elegance or strike with ruthless precision.
Combined with the abilities of the Inmakorokage, its lethality increased significantly.
The sword itself had also evolved.
Like the weapon of Figarland Shamrock, it could take on an animal form.
A massive black crane appeared, its wings spanning over ten meters.
Its feathers were pitch black, with faint dark red edges.
Its sharp eyes carried a cold, lethal intent.
With a single flap of its wings, it stirred powerful gusts of wind.
Its cry carried a chilling presence.
Cassian watched the black crane circle the training hall once before nodding in satisfaction.
The only thing he still lacked was Conqueror’s Haki infusion.
Among the God’s Knights, only Figarland Shamrock possessed Conqueror’s Haki.
However, even he had not mastered infusion, so there was nothing he could teach.
“It looks like I’ll have to go to Imu.”
Cassian stroked his chin, his gaze drifting toward the depths of Mary Geoise.
Imu had lived for at least eight hundred years.
Her mastery over all three types of Haki had likely reached the highest possible level long ago.
If anyone could teach him, it was her.
As his strength increased over the years, he was injured less often.
Naturally, the damage transferred to Imu had nearly disappeared.
Most of what she received now was simply fatigue from training.
To someone like her, it was insignificant.
In a way, his growth had made things easier for her.
“It’s time to see her.”
Having decided, Cassian put away his sword and walked out of the training hall.
Footsteps echoed lightly in the corridor ahead.
Hancock approached, carrying a tray.
She wore a light purple dress that highlighted her tall figure and graceful curves.
At eighteen, she had fully grown into her beauty, every movement carrying quiet confidence.
(bro’s a ped, wth)
“Finished training?”
She set the tray down, revealing a cup of tea and neatly arranged pastries.
“Yeah.”
Cassian stepped closer, placing an arm around her waist and kissing her lips naturally.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she did not pull away.
Instead, she adjusted his collar with gentle care.
Cassian smiled and lightly pinched her cheek.
“In the past two years, my little maid has become quite devoted.”
“What nonsense are you saying?”
Hancock brushed his hand aside, though her eyes betrayed her amusement.
Over time, she had completely accepted him.
What began as resistance had slowly turned into familiarity, then into something deeper.
Sharing a bed each night had become routine.
Cassian glanced around
“Where’s Koala?”
“In the courtyard.
Cassian walked to the window and looked outside.
In the courtyard, Koala held a small bow, carefully aiming at a target.
Under Lilian’s guidance, she focused with all her strength.
Though still petite, her determination was obvious.
Her face was slightly red from the effort.
Cassian smiled faintly.
“She’s getting tougher.”
Hancock leaned against his shoulder.
“She takes after you.”
She studied him briefly before speaking again.
“You seem a bit different today.
Are you planning something?”
Cassian looked down at her.
“I’m going to see Imu.”
Her expression changed immediately, concern appearing in her eyes.
“Why?
That woman is dangerous.”
Cassian held her hand.
“I know.”
“I want to learn Conqueror’s Haki infusion from her.”
“You understand how important that is.”
Hancock fell silent.
She understood his ambition.
She knew he would not stop where he was.
Still, the thought of Imu made her uneasy.
“I’ll go with you.”
Cassian shook his head.
“No need.
She won’t harm me.”
“If anything happens to me, she suffers too.”
Over the past two years, another person had joined the palace.
Jewelry Ginny.
Cassian had saved her during an inspection a year ago, pulling her away from a Celestial Dragon.
He knew she would one day become the mother of Jewelry Bonney.
Saving her might change the future.
Without Ginny’s suffering, Bonney might never exist as she once did.
But Cassian did not care about preserving the future.
He had no intention of watching someone be destroyed just to maintain events that had not even happened yet.
So he kept Ginny by his side, allowing her to live and work within his palace.