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The scorching sun hung high in the sky, baking the sea beneath it. Not a single breeze stirred the air.
The entire Calm Belt was as still as death, without even the slightest ripple disturbing the surface.
Thanks to the Sea Stone embedded in the underside of the giant sea slug, they had managed to avoid attacks from sea kings, leaving an eerie silence that was almost maddening.
"Your Highness, isn't this direction… not the way back to Germa Headquarters?" Law, whose injuries had mostly healed, had returned to training on the deck. Slowly, he began to notice something amiss.
This recent battle had driven home just how lacking his strength truly was.
Geoffrey, a pirate with a bounty exceeding 300 million Berries, had been utterly crushed by this prince. Yet Law himself had struggled greatly against mere officers of Geoffrey's crew, pirates with bounties of only a few tens of millions. It left him seething with frustration.
As soon as his wounds had healed enough, he couldn't resist diving back into training.
"Yi ya yi…"
Beppo, who had been practicing kicks, turned around with a somewhat dopey expression. "Captain, is something wrong?"
"It's rare for someone so absorbed in training to actually notice…"
Standing several meters away, Ichiji was enveloped in dense black smoke, like a miniature black hole devouring all light. As the dark mist gradually seeped back into his body, he turned and gave a faint smile.
Several days had passed since Ichiji had obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Aside from leaving behind hundreds of Germa soldiers to continue searching for the Mythical Zoan fruit on Oblivion Island, Ichiji hadn't lingered in the New World any longer.
Even if they failed to retrieve the fruit, the loss of manpower was negligible for Germa.
"When we came here, crossing the Calm Belt only took about half a day…" Law set down the heavy dumbbells, wiped the sweat from his brow, and pointed at the eerily calm sea. "But now, we've been in the Calm Belt for an entire day. The giant sea slug is moving faster than when we arrived…"
He had some basic knowledge of navigation and could roughly discern their direction. This crossing of the Calm Belt had taken far too long.
"Who said we were heading back to headquarters?" Stretching his limbs, Mike approached. His right shoulder was still bandaged, but otherwise, he was fine.
Over the past few days, he and Law had grown more familiar with each other.
"We're heading to an island located within the Calm Belt—Kerveenya Island."
"Kerveenya?"
Under the puzzled gazes of Law and Beppo, Mike explained directly. "Kerveenya Island is a natural beast-infested island. Germa has established a secret base there!"
"Don't think your current level of strength is anything impressive. On that island, ferocious beasts are everywhere—it's a natural and brutal training ground. If we're talking about pure combat ability alone, there are countless individuals who could surpass both you and me…"
Considering Law's Ope Ope no Mi abilities, which were indeed extraordinary—even capable of bypassing defenses to dissect targets—Mike added, "Of course, since those beasts generally don't use Haki and rely solely on brute force and instinct, your Devil Fruit powers might give you an advantage over them!"
"A place like that exists?"
Law and Beppo were both momentarily stunned.
They had never heard of such a beast-infested island existing within the Calm Belt.
Turning to Ichiji, Law asked, "Your Highness, does this mean we're going to Kerveenya to stay and train?"
Law was beginning to understand. Having only recently joined Germa, he realized how little he truly knew about the organization's deep roots.
An evil organization that had survived for centuries on these seas couldn't possibly be as simple as it appeared on the surface. Especially considering Prince Ichiji's incomparable strength and unfathomable ambition—how could they have gone all these years without preparation? How could they have recruited only him?
"In a way, yes. And in another way, no."
Seated in the chair Isabelle had brought up, Ichiji spoke with a faint smile.
Since obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit, his mood had been exceptionally good. Though the full extent of the fruit's abilities had yet to be unlocked, it was only a matter of time.
"The outside world knows that Germa rarely recruits from the outside. What they don't know is that Germa has undergone some changes in recent years…"
Taking the fragrant tea offered by Wensni, Ichiji sipped it before continuing. "Every year, Germa takes in orphans from across the globe, trains them collectively, and selects the truly outstanding 'elites' for specialized cultivation. Although they're still young now, in the future, they will become the backbone of Germa!"
"And all of this… should have been impossible to hide from the World Government's vast network of spies. But all related intelligence has been 'erased.'"
There were some crucial details Ichiji didn't explicitly mention.
In addition to taking in orphans from around the world—those left destitute and with clean backgrounds—Germa also engaged in certain "transactions" with human trafficking organizations of various sizes. Individuals with exceptional potential were prioritized and purchased at great cost.
"Erased?" Law murmured thoughtfully.
His understanding of Germa's influence deepened further.
To be able to directly interfere with Cipher Pol, the World Government's intelligence agency, and avoid drawing attention—it was indeed astonishing.
"The specially selected 'elites' undergo brutal training on this beast-infested island…"
"The first batch originally consisted of over twenty individuals, but now, fewer than ten remain alive!"
The words of Mike, captain of the Sixth Squadron, sent shivers down the spines of both Law and Beppo.