Ye Yu and the others walked toward the shore, and Xia Ling was visibly delighted.
"Captain, there's some good news," she said.
Ye Yu was curious. "Good news?"
"Yes, it happened while you were in the Mystic Realm. You'll see when you get on board. It's very beneficial for our cultivation."
This piqued Ye Yu's interest. What could it be? But since she said he'd know once he boarded the ship, he didn't press further.
Meanwhile, in one of the Cultivation Chambers aboard the Tyrant Feather Pirate Ship, Sun Long was rigorously training.
Outside, Zhao Zhong, the Ability User of the Weight Augmentation Fruit, looked smug.
"Sun Long, how does it feel?" he asked.
"Amazing!" Sun Long replied, clearly excited.
Zhao Zhong explained, "This newly developed ability not only increases the weight of objects I touch, but I can also apply it to a small space, increasing its weight for three hours. After that, the effect disappears, and I need to reapply it to maintain the Gravity Chamber."
Sun Long marveled, "You've turned this Cultivation Chamber into an exceptional training ground."
Zhao Zhong nodded. "Yes, Vice Captain Xia Ling has already instructed me to create more Gravity Chambers. This one is my current limit—a space with a thousand pounds of weight. To allow all crew members to train, the other chambers will naturally have lower weights."
Sun Long praised, "A thousand-pound weight space, and if you wield heavy weapons here, the difficulty multiplies. This is excellent."
As soon as Sun Long entered, he felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on him. His body sank instantly, and every step felt like wading through mud, making progress arduous.
Even though he was accustomed to intense training, this level of gravity was enough to make him frown slightly and grit his teeth.
Sun Long took a deep breath, his eyes sharp as they locked onto a pair of specially made dumbbells on the ground. These dumbbells were massive, each weighing a thousand pounds. For an ordinary person, even approaching them would be difficult, but in Sun Long's eyes, they were stepping stones on his path to becoming the greatest swordsman.
Ye Yu's swordsmanship was too strong, and if Sun Long wanted to become the number one swordsman, he had to surpass Ye Yu's skill.
Sun Long stepped forward steadily, gripping the handles of the dumbbells with both hands, his palms tightly pressed against the cold metal. At first, the dumbbells didn't budge, as if rooted to the ground.
Sun Long snorted, summoning all the strength in his body. His arms, chest, and back—every muscle was awakened, surging with power that converged in his hands.
"Up!" he growled.
With a low shout, the dumbbells slowly lifted off the ground. Sun Long's arm muscles tensed, veins bulging like furious dragons writhing beneath his bronze skin. He began to swing the dumbbells, his movements slow at first, each swing overcoming the immense gravitational resistance. The sound of the wind whipped through the narrow chamber.
Moving in this space wasn't too difficult, but wielding thousand-pound dumbbells made it exponentially harder, as the dumbbells in this space were far heavier than their original weight.
One swing, two swings… Sweat poured from his forehead, instantly blurring his vision, but Sun Long seemed unfazed. His gaze grew more determined, his mind focused solely on Ye Yu's terrifying, unadorned slashes. At the very least, he needed to close the gap in swordsmanship with Ye Yu.
Every time he lifted and swung the dumbbells, it felt like he was delivering a strike, driven by an unyielding resolve.
Time passed quietly, and the oppressive feeling within the gravity space grew heavier. Sun Long's movements gradually slowed, his breathing became labored, and each gasp seemed to tear at his throat. Sweat poured down like a waterfall, soaking his clothes and clinging to his body, outlining his sculpted, muscular frame. His arms burned with pain, every muscle protesting, nearing their limit.
But how could he stop? The flame of surpassing within his heart burned brighter and brighter, consuming fatigue and dispelling weakness. Even as his legs trembled and his steps faltered, he mechanically swung the dumbbells, launching wave after wave of assaults against his own limits.
A full hour passed. When Sun Long mustered the last of his strength and slammed the dumbbells back to the ground, the entire gravity space seemed to tremble with him. He could no longer hold on, his legs giving way as he collapsed forward, gasping for breath, sweat pooling beneath him like a small ocean.
Ye Yu had arrived some time ago and watched with admiration.
"Impressive. In terms of effort and perseverance, he's no less than Zoro from the Pirate King series. Having such a crew member is excellent. He's bound to become an extremely powerful figure in the future."
Even Ye Yu couldn't help but feel a sense of respect.
Now, he understood what Xia Ling had meant by "good news." Indeed, with such a gravity training space, anyone's self-improvement would be significantly enhanced, making the process much more efficient. Even he himself found it very appealing.
Sun Long didn't ask for his crewmates to carry him out. Instead, he struggled to his feet, weak and unsteady, and walked out on his own, offering a faint smile.
"Captain, hello."
Ye Yu praised, "Very good. I'm glad to have a crew member like you. I'm confident that with your determination, you'll surely narrow the gap in swordsmanship between us."
Ye Yu didn't say he would match him, let alone surpass him, after all, he was an existence akin to a cheat.
Sun Long might surpass Hawkeye Mihawk from the Pirate King series, but he couldn't surpass Ye Yu, who had stacked so many advantages.
Naturally, Ye Yu wouldn't say it was impossible. He wanted to give Sun Long hope.
Sun Long lay on the ground, feeling much more relaxed. He raised his head slightly, a stubborn smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"My goals are high, so this little hardship is nothing."
Though his voice was hoarse and weak, it carried an undeniable firmness, echoing in the confined space as if it were his strongest declaration to the world—a path of breaking through his cocoon.
Later, Ye Yu entered the space to begin his training.
Xia Ling asked with concern, "Won't you rest for a while? After all, you just came out of the Mystic Realm not long ago."
Ye Yu shook his head, "It's fine. The earlier battle didn't consume too much energy."
Once inside, Ye Yu also felt the gravity, struggling just as Sun Long had. However, those watching from outside were shocked.
Xia Ling asked in astonishment, "Did the Captain remove his weighted gear?"
Zhou Xing shook his head, "I didn't see him take it off, so…"
Instantly, everyone was stunned. Sun Long looked over in awe, his admiration growing. Truly, this was his Captain. Even in such a gravity space, he still wore his weighted gear.
The Captain was already so strong, yet he still pushed himself so hard. This only deepened everyone's admiration.
Xia Ling was somewhat worried and wanted to comfort Ye Yu. Although starting from level thirty, one might gradually fall behind, there was no need to push so hard.
After some thought, she decided to bring it up later.
Ye Yu took a deep breath, his eyes instantly sharp as an eagle's. He began with basic physical training—push-ups. But these were no ordinary push-ups. Under extreme gravity and with an additional thousand pounds of weight, each bend and stretch of his arms felt like lifting a small mountain.
Soon, sweat poured from his forehead, blurring his vision. He gritted his teeth and persisted—three hundred, three hundred and one...
The veins in his arms bulged like angry little snakes, intertwining with the sweat on his skin, etching a pattern of determination.
For Ye Yu, it was all quite challenging, but that was the point. Only through difficulty could he truly temper himself.
Ye Yu's resolve was firm: "Although I am already strong, and no one can defeat me in a one-on-one fight, I must set my sights further and see my enemies more clearly. In three years, the Navy's forces will descend upon us. Three years is neither short nor long, so even I must strive to improve. In three years, not only the Navy but also the World Government's forces and the Celestial Dragons will come. Therefore, I must become strong enough—strong enough to rival an Admiral, to protect myself, and to make the Navy fear the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew."
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