Douglas generated another arrow, focusing first on sending it in a perfectly straight line. Once he had mastered that, he increased its speed—far faster than any ordinary arrow—and then, with growing confidence, began to curve its trajectory in graceful arcs.
Chopper stepped out of the cabin just in time to see Douglas summoning dozens more arrows, each one stacking and intertwining until they formed a solid lattice of vector strips. Then, with a few precise gestures, Douglas wove the lattice into the shape of a large, bird‑like construct.
He hopped onto its back, patting it as if greeting a living creature. Chopper's eyes went wide.
"What are you doing, Douglas?" he asked.
Douglas grinned. "I'm going flying. Want to come?"
Chopper hesitated. "How do we—?"
Before he could finish, Douglas chopped the air sharply. A volley of thin, flexible arrows wrapped around Chopper's torso like a gentle harness, cradling him securely without constricting his breathing. Then Douglas sent a second volley beneath them, forming a sturdy saddle of vector strips that acted like seat belts.
"All set," Douglas said, his hands dancing through the air. The bird‑shaped construct flexed its wings of arrows and lifted them both skyward.
In under a minute, they had swept over the entire island: soaring above Drum's icy peaks, skimming along the forest edge, and banking over frozen waterfalls. Chopper whooped with laughter, clutching his arrow seat in delight.
"Hahahahaha, that's amazing, Douglas! Do it again!" he shouted.
Douglas glanced at the sun, already dipping low. "Remember your study session with Doctor Kureha. Want her to be mad?"
Chopper pouted, then smiled. "Okay… but we'll fly again tomorrow, right?"
"Wouldn't miss it," Douglas promised.
As Chopper trotted back to the cabin to practice medicine with Kureha, Douglas stayed out on the snow, contemplating new ways to apply his Devil Fruit powers. Before the day ended, he'd discovered he could weave subtle vector‑resistance fields around his limbs, adding dynamic weights to his training and making his own body stronger with every movement.
Douglas also began fashioning weapons from his arrows, integrating them into a comprehensive martial arts regimen he envisioned for the future. His mind—supercharged by the Essence of the Scholar—retained every anatomical detail he'd ever studied, allowing him to "see" muscles and bones as though flesh were transparent. Combined with the Essence of the Human Body—granting him mastery over countless fighting styles—he knew exactly where to strike for maximum effect.
In his hands is a sturdy, 28‑inch staff woven from solidified arrows. He chose to practice Eskrima, an art renowned for its fluid weapon work, dirty tactics, and disarming maneuvers. Across an empty snowfield, Douglas sparred with an imaginary Arnis master: each spin, block, and thrust executed with both textbook precision and instinctive ferocity. Like Baki imagining his foes, Douglas drew on his Essence‑granted knowledge, visualizing every sinew and pressure point as he honed a fighting style uniquely suited to the limitless possibilities of the Aro‑Aro no Mi.
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A few months had passed since Douglas began sparring against mental images. He had successfully mimicked Baki's mental training method—so much so that he would actually sustain physical damage from the imagined strikes of his opponents. This phenomenon raised an eyebrow from Doctor Kureha, especially when Douglas would return home with a face full of bruises and the occasional black eye.
Chopper, who was also studying to become a doctor, continued spending time with Douglas. Fascinated by the idea of pushing the limits of his Devil Fruit, Chopper began experimenting, eventually creating the very first prototype of the Rumble Ball. The invention intrigued Douglas, and he eagerly helped refine it, playing a key role in Chopper's early breakthroughs.
But Douglas didn't limit himself to physical or Devil Fruit training—his mind remained just as active. Driven by a desire not just to become a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of all, he dove into various branches of science. He began with machinery, particularly steampunk-style inventions, finding joy in the process of designing and building.
One of his proudest creations was a functional robot powered by a steampunk engine. Built entirely from scrap metal salvaged from the island's junkyard, the robot was programmed to act as an assistant for Kureha. Surprisingly, she grew quite fond of it, often calling it her "second intern."
The robot, though crude in appearance, was efficient—able to carry medical supplies, take notes, and even assist in basic procedures. It quickly became a staple in Kureha's clinic, and a symbol of Douglas's growing brilliance.
When Chopper first saw the steampunk robot, his eyes lit up with excitement. It was a reaction that made Douglas smile—after all, Chopper was still only ten years old, just like him. It was easy to forget sometimes, given how seriously they both studied and trained, that they were still just kids. But moments like this reminded Douglas of their age and the wonder that still filled their world.
Seeing Chopper so thrilled made Douglas think of his own dreams. If I ever saw General Franky in person, he thought, I'd probably freak out too. The towering mech built by Franky was something Douglas admired deeply—a mechanical marvel he one day hoped to match or even surpass with his own creations.
As Douglas spent more time on Drum Island, he decided it was finally time to focus on developing his Haki. Despite having an incredibly strong body and a powerful Devil Fruit, he understood that Haki would ultimately reign supreme in the future. Both Observation and Armament Haki had become essential parts of combat, especially in the Post-Timeskip era.
More than just a power boost, they often served as the deciding factor in high-level battles—something Douglas couldn't afford to ignore. After all, even someone as strong as Kaido could only be hurt by Advanced Armament and Advanced Conqueror's Haki. Knowing this, Douglas resolved to master Haki as part of his training, not just for power, but to ensure he could stand on equal ground with the strongest fighters in the world.