"Here—wipe off first."
The moment Kaito Arisawa landed lightly on the deck of the flagship, Robin was already there with a clean towel prepared.
"Thanks."
Still in high spirits from the training session, Kaito took the towel with a grin and began drying his hair and upper body.
"What you were doing just now… that was physical training, wasn't it?" Robin asked.
Kaito continued wiping himself down, glanced at her, and smiled.
"Of course. Otherwise I wouldn't go through that kind of trouble for nothing."
Robin nodded slightly, understanding flashing in her eyes.
She had already guessed as much.
Given Kaito's personality and long-standing emphasis on strength, there could be only one explanation for dragging an entire ship through the sea for hours.
Physical conditioning.
Still—
It was the kind of "conditioning" that ordinary people could never even attempt.
"Robin," Kaito said after tossing the towel aside, his expression turning serious, "from now on, you need to intensify your training. Not just developing the Flower-Flower Fruit, but also Haki and the Eight-Impact Fist."
"We're at sea now. Eventually, we'll enter the Grand Line. The monsters there aren't comparable to what we've seen in West Blue."
The Flower-Flower Fruit had tremendous potential.
But ability alone wasn't enough.
It required stamina.
It required Haki.
And the Eight-Impact Fist, as a physical technique, not only generated shockwaves but also strengthened the body itself.
Kaito understood clearly that his own growth rate, supported by the Infinite Talent System, would far surpass that of normal people.
Even so—
He had high expectations for Robin.
If possible, he did not want his closest companion to fall too far behind him.
"I understand," Robin replied solemnly. "I'll increase my training hours."
Under Kaito's influence, Robin's attitude toward strength had long since diverged from the original timeline of her life.
Even now, her combat ability already exceeded what she would have possessed two years later under normal circumstances.
With the War Pirates heading toward increasingly dangerous seas, she knew well that the challenges ahead would only grow more severe.
More importantly—
In her heart, she did not want to be left behind by him.
After witnessing the absurd method Kaito had just used for training, she understood something clearly:
If she wanted to keep up—
She would have to push herself relentlessly.
It wasn't only Robin who felt that way.
Mangu did as well.
Not far away, the towering man was practicing the Eight-Impact Fist and Haki with intense focus.
As Kaito's most loyal subordinate, Mangu was quiet, but far from foolish.
The battle against the Eight Treasures Navy.
The ship-dragging display earlier.
Each event had made something unmistakable:
The gap between him and his captain was widening.
And Mangu refused to fall behind.
The moment he confirmed that Kaito was safe, he had immediately thrown himself back into training.
…
Kaito had always maintained strict discipline in his personal cultivation.
Just as he structured his crew like an army, he structured his own growth with precision.
After obtaining the talent panel, he created a revised training schedule for himself.
Except under special circumstances, he divided each day evenly.
From 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.—twelve hours dedicated to training.
From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. — Physical conditioning.
From 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. — Swordsmanship practice.
From 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. — Haki training (Armament and Observation).
From 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. — Eight-Impact Fist practice.
The remaining twelve hours were reserved for rest.
Strength was important.
But life was not meant to be ascetic suffering alone.
Kaito had no intention of turning himself into a monk of cultivation.
Rest and recovery were equally vital.
From the schedule alone, the hierarchy of priorities was clear.
Physical conditioning occupied the most time.
Then swordsmanship.
Then Haki.
Finally, the Eight-Impact Fist.
This order was deliberate.
First—physical fitness.
Its importance required no explanation.
Moreover, since his primary battle state would usually involve Constitution talent concentration, his base physical strength had to be maximized.
Talent concentration acted as a multiplier.
The stronger the base—
The greater the amplification.
Thus, building his foundation was non-negotiable.
Second—swordsmanship.
This was already his strongest field.
Naturally, he would not allow it to stagnate.
Third—Haki.
Haki's importance was unquestionable.
It ranked third not due to lack of value, but because of energy management.
If one distributed effort too evenly, mediocrity was the inevitable result.
Given Kaito's current explosive growth rate, spreading himself thin would be inefficient.
Instead, he chose to focus on swordsmanship as his primary offensive specialization.
Finally—the Eight-Impact Fist.
On the surface, it might seem unnecessary to dedicate time to it.
But after studying it closely, Kaito recognized something unique.
The shockwave generation of the Eight-Impact Fist intrigued him.
Body techniques and swordsmanship were not separate domains.
Especially not in this case.
He saw the possibility of integrating the shockwave principle into blade techniques.
In that sense, practicing the Eight-Impact Fist was not separate from swordsmanship—
It was an extension of it.
Furthermore, it addressed a tactical gap.
Kaito's primary combat style revolved around dual blades.
That meant both hands were occupied.
In close combat, limbs were critical.
With both hands wielding swords, the legs remained his only free weapons.
Though named a "fist" technique, the Eight-Impact Fist was not restricted to fists alone.
Sai had demonstrated this clearly by executing Eight-Impact techniques through kicks.
That observation had sparked inspiration.
Kaito realized he could develop leg-based shockwave techniques to complement his dual-sword style.
In doing so, he could achieve full-body combat integration.
Hands.
Feet.
Blade.
Shockwave.
Everything working in harmony.
For Kaito Arisawa—
Training was never random effort.
It was calculation.
And every calculation was directed toward one goal—
Overwhelming dominance on the seas.
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