At the harbor of Shimotsuki Village, Ryukawa saw it—
A massive sailing ship, large enough to carry a thousand people, quietly docked at the shore.
This was the first time he'd seen a ship of this scale in person.
He had to admit, at first glance, even he was a little stunned by its size.
"…So the Revolutionary Army has some money after all?"
He couldn't help thinking that.
But on second thought, he relaxed.
This was clearly a transport ship, used to move supplies. For that role, having a larger vessel made sense.
On the pier—
He spotted Fishman Hack, Sabo, and ten cloaked figures in loose black robes—the Revolutionary Army squad.
"You're here, kid."
Hack was the first to greet him.
"Mr. Hack."
Ryukawa nodded in response.
A quick gauge—
Hack's strength was probably around the level of a 100 million berry bounty.
Yet with his current power, Ryukawa was sure of one thing:
If he wanted to, he could crush Hack with ease.
In fact—
If he really went all out, flattening this entire Revolutionary Army squad on his own…
wouldn't even be that hard.
"So I've already become this strong, huh…"
He sighed inwardly.
Of course, that was only in the context of the East Blue.
He wasn't arrogant enough to forget that.
"Mr. Ryukawa."
Sabo stepped forward, bowing his head with respect.
Ever since that one-sided defeat at the dojo, the boy's heart had been filled with nothing but admiration and awe toward Ryukawa.
Ryukawa was just too strong.
And the strong… naturally draw respect.
"Board the ship!"
Hack barked.
Everyone stepped onto the vessel one after another.
Ryukawa followed, moving up to the deck.
He turned to take one last look—
At the village houses, at the simple streets of Shimotsuki Village.
A wave of emotion rippled faintly in his chest.
"Raise the sails—"
"Set off!"
As the acting leader of the small unit, Hack's orders carried weight.
The sails unfurled.
The sea breeze billowed them full.
Waves lapped against the hull, and the giant ship slowly broke away from the shore, beginning its journey toward the endless horizon.
Gradually—
Shimotsuki Village grew small in Ryukawa's vision.
Smaller…
Smaller…
Until finally—
It vanished.
Only then did Ryukawa turn back, starting to inspect the ship more carefully.
The construction of the vessel was complex but not luxurious—
it had the plain, practical feel of a standard merchant vessel.
The flag overhead was also that of a normal merchant ship—
certainly not a pirate flag, nor anything that suggested a militant organization.
The Revolutionary Army, after all, had no banner they dared to fly in the open.
Once he'd finished surveying the ship, Ryukawa walked up to Hack and got straight to the point:
"I'd like to know—where exactly is our first target?"
Since they were here to deal with a string of disappearances and human trafficking,
they needed a clear destination.
They couldn't just drift aimlessly around the sea.
"Our first stop is Octagon Town," Hack replied after a brief pause.
"The intelligence we've gathered so far points to that place. All four major disappearances occurred in its surrounding waters."
"Octagon Town lies southeast of Shimotsuki Village. It'll take us about half a day by sea. Once we arrive, I'll send a team ashore to investigate any unusual incidents in town over the last few days."
"If something stands out, we can be reasonably sure that the traffickers are using Octagon Town as a temporary base."
Ryukawa nodded in understanding.
The Revolutionary Army's intel network… really wasn't a joke.
"Got it. Call me when it's time to act."
He stretched lazily.
"I'm not good with thinking through all this complicated stuff. If there's someone that needs killing, just point me in the right direction."
"That part's simple. No brain cells required."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Hack stared at his back, expression twitching.
Good grief.
This kid really was something else.
"That bloodlust…"
Hack could practically taste it.
"This kid's hands are going to be soaked in blood someday."
He wasn't wrong.
On the way to Octagon Town—
Ryukawa began his usual routine.
On the wide-open deck, alone under the sky and wind—
He raised his wooden sword.
And swung.
Again and again.
Swing.
Swing.
Swing.
He pulled up his status panel mid-practice:
[Host: Ryukawa]
[Strength: 118 (+7)]
[Speed: 113 (+5)]
[Stamina: 121 (+6)]
[Skills: Swordsmanship Lv20, Iai – One-Strike Draw Lv19 (+1), Armament Haki Lv5 (+4)]
[Total Sword Swings: 9499]
"Three times a day I reflect on myself—
and every time the answer is 'swing the sword.'"
Ryukawa's eyes gleamed.
His entire body hummed with explosive power.
This kind of visible growth, this feeling of becoming stronger every single day—
It was addictive.
He'd grown stronger again.
Stronger than yesterday.
Stronger than the day before.
He could feel it.
Every heartbeat, every breath—
He was evolving.
Not far away—
Sabo watched him from the side, feeling utterly ashamed.
He was the same age—
Yet while he stood hesitating, Ryukawa was working relentlessly, even on the open sea.
Finally, Sabo couldn't hold back the question that had been gnawing at him.
He walked closer.
"Mr. Ryukawa," Sabo said carefully, "do you… have some kind of secret method for getting stronger?"
Ryukawa's sword paused mid-swing.
He thought for a moment—
Then brought the blade down again.
Ding!
[Total sword swings: 9500]
[Reward: Armament Haki Level +1]
"The secret to getting stronger, huh?"
Ryukawa glanced at Sabo's eager expression and smiled faintly.
Since being kind cost him nothing, he saw no reason to hide it.
"The secret—"
"Is to swing your sword."The path is there. How far you go depends entirely on your own resolve and talent.
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