Vivi's situation was manageable. Ron had arranged for her to bring the helmet inside, to see whether the Creator Domain could be used to pull Crocodile out.
One-on-one instruction required some space, but not too much.
Nami and Nojiko were a different matter—one needed a wide area, and the other's sheer size made the issue unavoidable.
There were also others, like Cavendish.
Ron already had plans for him and would need to have another talk later.
First bestow favors, then demand returns.
All things considered, a one-kilometer range felt extremely "cramped."
Fortunately,
There were always more solutions than problems.
Ron planned to use an existence like Chester to attempt some experimental bug-exploiting behavior.
As for the lottery, that wasn't an issue either.
At present, the truly urgent task was spreading Haki Martial Arts.
Haki Martial Arts—
the foundation of Ron's current combat strength.
It combined both types of Haki with the Qi system, then bound them together through the Thunder Breathing Method.
That was what he had used when fighting Vice Admiral Onigumo.
Strictly speaking,
This was Ron's most direct and reliable offensive method.
Compared to his earlier days—when his body was weak and he relied on various special tools and abilities—
Ron had clearly grown stronger.
It was just that his enemies were improving even faster, making him seem unimpressive by comparison.
Through firsthand practice, he had already confirmed the superiority of Haki Martial Arts.
Compared to ordinary Haki training, Haki Martial Arts gained an additional cultivation pathway by integrating Qi.
And thanks to the special nature of Purple Qi from the East, its energy capacity was also enormous.
Put simply,
Compared to pure Haki, Haki Martial Arts was like drawing water with an extra pipe.
And the reservoir storing that water was also larger.
Although it required a fusion process between Haki and Qi, the essence remained unchanged.
Moreover,
After establishing the foundation, it granted two special traits.
[Trait · Foundation Establishment]
Type: Constant Passive
Effect: A meridian network constructed from Qi—both illusory and real—possessing effects beyond ordinary comprehension.
It allows the practitioner to perform basic internal observation of their body. If Qi is used for internal interference, it can, for example, seal blood vessels to stop bleeding from internal injuries, or inject Qi into muscles to stabilize fractures like a splint.
When large amounts of Qi are not being consumed, true Qi accumulates within the meridian network, continuously nourishing the entire body and enhancing base attributes.
Once full-body nourishment is complete, the practitioner gradually undergoes bodily transformation, enabling advancement to the next stage of cultivation.
This trait was a clear passive enhancement, strengthening the body while also granting Haki powerful internal utility.
And it served as groundwork, creating an insertion point for future systems—
for example, the Blood Demon Art Ron had drawn earlier.
The second trait was—
[Trait · Carnivorous Qi Conversion]
Type: Active Skill
Effect: When consuming large quantities of meat, the practitioner may, through conscious intent, activate the stomach's meridian network.
This accelerates digestion speed, digestion efficiency, and absorption efficiency, while converting a portion of the acquired food energy into Qi.
Cost: Stamina
This trait effectively accelerated Qi cultivation.
Part of the energy gained from eating was converted directly, while the remaining energy flooded the body and reacted with the Qi stored within.
In fact, the Foundation Establishment trait's passive enhancement of physical strength was formed through synergy with this trait.
Combined, these two traits gave Haki Martial Arts four advantages over ordinary Haki.
And that wasn't all—Ron also possessed manuals for Phantom Wing Flight and Protective Gang Qi.
Books weren't skills; within the same system, they could be shared.
That was the core reason Ron decided to spread Haki Martial Arts.
One person being strong was inferior to the whole team being strong.
Naturally, this meant resource consumption would skyrocket—but Ron was in no way short on money.
High talent? Fewer pills.
Low talent? Double the dosage.
As long as it was within tolerable limits, the pills would never stop.
As for the Blood Demon Art… Ron hadn't tested it yet.
From the description alone, it was clearly extremely dangerous.
"So that means everyone has to learn this now?"
Cavendish frowned at the two items in front of him—a book and a helmet.
"In theory, yes."
Ron sat at the head of the table and nodded. "Its effects and functionality have already been verified. That's why I'm promoting it."
"I think you're lying. There's no such thing as Haki Martial Arts."
Cavendish looked suspicious. "I've roamed the seas for years and never heard of anything like this.
If it were some sword tradition, my swordsmanship is already good enough."
"You don't have to learn it."
Ron shrugged. "But I can tell you this—one of the reasons I defeated Vice Admiral Onigumo was because of Haki Martial Arts."
"I'LL LEARN IT!"
Cavendish immediately abandoned all doubt and turned to the swordsman beside him.
"Coach! I want to learn this!"
Zoro: "…"
"Although the captain entrusted me with this, I can only bring you to the entry level."
Zoro shook his head helplessly. "I haven't established the foundation myself yet."
He naturally knew the technique—Ron had handed the manual to him early on, hoping he'd grow stronger.
But after using the helmet, he still found much of the content obscure and difficult.
It felt like a gap in cognition, forcing him to stumble forward through trial and error—
borrowing some experience from Ron, then brute-forcing the rest with talent.
"There will be a solution later. That place should be able to do many things."
Ron spoke at the right moment, closing the topic.
His gaze lingered briefly on Nami.
"Got it."
Nami shrank back slightly.
She had also received the manual, but barely practiced.
She wanted strength—but cultivation was far too boring.
Like staring at a giant basin and watching water drip one drop at a time.
"I'll supervise her."
Nojiko stepped in to smooth things over.
Vivi, on the other hand, looked excited.
She knew about this technique, but Ron hadn't said he would teach her, and Nami and Nojiko didn't dare pass it on casually.
Some resources had to follow rules—seniority, order of arrival, contribution.
If a newcomer received the same treatment as veterans, it would inevitably cause murmurs.
Ron had considered this from the beginning, which was why he hadn't promoted it to everyone immediately.
After finishing the spread of Haki Martial Arts,
Everything proceeded step by step.
"The changes here are huge. That looks like ship construction over there."
"Mr. Karasu, prying too much isn't polite."
"Robin, already protecting your team?"
"One needs a sense of belonging."
"…Fair enough."
Amid the conversation, Karasu arrived at Angel Island with Robin.
They were immediately surrounded by Glory Angels.
But once Robin intervened, everything went smoothly.
After delivering her, Karasu didn't leave.
He wasn't just escorting Robin—he had brought matters from the Revolutionary Army.
For example, a trade.
"You mean the Revolutionary Army wants Chester?"
Ron rubbed his chin, surprised yet enlightened.
"Yes. Even if it can only store non-living matter, and each slot can hold only one type of item,
the lack of weight and high capacity alone make it worth serious consideration."
Karasu pressed his loudspeaker, expression solemn. "Any price—within reason—can be discussed."
"One correction: that information is outdated."
Ron spread his hands. "We once tried storing gold inside Chester.
But after loading ten tons, its internal space collapsed and it spat everything out.
So its capacity isn't unlimited."
That was the truth.
Ron had genuinely tested it. That failure was why the gold hadn't been taken.
Tesoro's thirty billion had essentially been ransom money.
The real transaction hadn't even begun yet.
Chester showing limitations wasn't strange—it was, after all, a low-tier prize.
If it were truly limitless, that would've been absurd.
"I see…"
Karasu paused, then nodded. "That's still acceptable.
Ten tons is no small amount—even as weapons.
But the price won't be outrageous. You can state your demand."
"Devil Fruits."
Ron raised one finger. "They don't have to be powerful. One fruit for one unit.
And I can't supply unlimited quantities."
"…I'll need to ask."
Karasu didn't dare agree immediately.
Devil Fruits weren't cheap.
Even at one hundred million each, they were scarce beyond price.
Countless people across the seas offered far higher sums without success.
Even the Revolutionary Army couldn't produce many.
At the very least, he had to consult his comrades.
After Karasu left, the one who stood before Ron was Robin—whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
She seemed to have just returned from a hot region.
She was dressed in denim.
"Not cold?" Ron asked.
"It's fine. And I think it's necessary to show some charm."
Robin openly displayed herself, her graceful figure fully on display.
Ron admired it briefly, then returned to work.
They exchanged updates, after which Robin delivered a batch of intelligence obtained through Revolutionary channels.
There was a great deal Ron cared about.
For example—
the current location of Vegapunk on Egghead Island.