He casually retrieved his life force from the chair; after all, Shaq’s body was still very weak, and it was not suitable to keep consuming his own vitality to activate his ability.
Of course, when he became stronger later, such a tiny amount of life force would be negligible, and perhaps there would even be a way to avoid using his own entirely.
“Pops, train me!” Shaq, having initially adapted to his ability, said seriously to Newgate.
“Gurararara, you said it yourself.
I’m not gentle when it comes to training don’t go crying halfway through.” Newgate laughed and agreed.
“Hmph, I’m a man who will carry the name of Whitebeard, so don’t underestimate me, you damn Pops!” Shaq declared with high spirits.
Since arriving in this world, Shaq had no intention of living an ordinary life.
He would never accept fading away without leaving a mark, like in his previous life.
He wanted to become strong strong enough to stand on the seas alongside his Pops.
“Good!
That’s how my son should be!
Gurararara!
But before training begins, tell me what kind of power rules the seas?”
Without waiting for an answer, Newgate continued,
“Devil Fruits?
Swordsmanship?
Physical strength?
Those matter but none of them stand at the top.”
“What truly decides everything… is Haki!”
“Only those who master Haki can stand at the peak of the seas!”
Hearing this, Shaq nodded internally.
In this world, true monsters were defined by their Haki.
Whether it was the overwhelming presence of monsters like Roger, Whitebeard, Garp, and others or the strength of powerful fighters across the seas Haki was always the foundation.
Even entering the New World required at least a basic grasp of Armament and Observation Haki.
Seeing Shaq nod in understanding, Newgate smiled slightly.
“However, with your current body, trying to train Armament Haki is meaningless.”
“If you force it, you’ll only hurt yourself.”
“So right now, you focus on three things your body, Observation Haki, and mastering your Devil Fruit.”
As he spoke, Newgate reached down, grabbed another jug of sake, and took a large gulp before continuing.
“Also, brat… how do you plan to fight?
Bare hands?
Or a weapon?”
Regarding this, Shaq had already made up his mind.
Compared to hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship felt more fitting and far cooler.
So he answered without hesitation,
“Swordsmanship!
I want to become a great swordsman known across the seas!”
Hearing this, Newgate laughed loudly, then said in a more serious tone,
“If that’s your path, then walk it properly.”
“But don’t neglect other forms of combat.”
“A true strong man has no weaknesses.”
Newgate himself had experienced countless battles and understood this truth deeply.
Shaq nodded seriously.
“Gurararara… good.
Then let’s begin.”
“Hell starts now.”
…
Night fell.
On the deck of the small sailboat, Shaq, shirtless, was drenched in sweat as he struggled through push-ups.
“101… 102… 103… 199… 200…”
After reaching 200, he collapsed onto the deck like a lifeless body.
“Huff… huff… Pops… I’m still… too weak…”
“Gurararara, don’t rush it, Shaq.
You’ve already improved a lot.”
“From barely managing 20 to 200 what more do you want, greedy brat?”
Newgate tossed him a towel and handed over freshly grilled meat.
After catching his breath, Shaq grabbed the meat and devoured it hungrily.
In no time, another massive portion disappeared into his stomach.
Strangely, his body quickly returned to normal.
It seemed that after eating the Life-Life Fruit, his recovery speed had drastically improved.
His stamina returned rapidly, and his physical strength was increasing at a visible rate.
But the price was equally terrifying
His energy consumption had skyrocketed.
In just one afternoon, Shaq had eaten an absurd amount of food, nearly exhausting all the supplies on the ship.
Newgate began to wonder if raising this son might become… expensive.
Still, being able to eat was never a bad thing.
“Pops… we’re out of food.
What now?”
As night deepened, Shaq stopped training.
Without proper recovery, continuing would only harm his body.
“Gurararara… don’t worry.
We’ll figure something out.”
Newgate looked at him with a strange glint in his eyes.
He clearly had an idea.
“…Why do I feel like you’re planning something bad?” Shaq shivered.
“You brat!
How dare you doubt your old man?!”
“Take this fist of love!”
*Bang!*
Another solid punch landed on Shaq’s head, instantly raising a fresh lump.
“Ow!”
Rubbing his head, Shaq let out a silly laugh.
This fruit really was strange even getting hit didn’t feel as painful as before.
Seeing him laugh like an idiot, Newgate frowned.
“…Did I hit him too hard?”
He raised two fingers in front of Shaq.
“Hey, Shaq… how many fingers is this?”
“Abba… abba… hehe… I… don’t… know…”
Shaq deliberately acted dumb, eyes clear but expression foolish.
Newgate paused then immediately understood.
“Hmph.”
“You dare mess with me?”
“Take another one!”
*Bang!*
This time, the lump stacked on top of the previous one.
Shaq instantly regretted it.
“So this… is father’s love…”
“Gomen nasai…!”
“Gurarararara!”