Chapter 33: The Reckoning Awaits

More than two months had passed.

Shin, Ace, and Yamato were training and sparring intensely on a desolate island.

All three wore low-purity sea prism stone handcuffs, which Yamato had brought with her from the Beasts Pirates. The Beasts Pirates kept these special handcuffs for prisoners with Devil Fruit powers, and they always had some in stock for such situations.

Before they left, Shin had casually mentioned to Yamato that these handcuffs might be useful, so she gathered a few to bring along.

Currently, Shin is battling Yamato. Although both wore sea prism stone handcuffs that limited their powers, their fierce clash still battered the terrain, with the ground dented in various spots for hundreds of meters.

"Thunder Bagua!" Yamato swung her weapon, sending Shin rolling across the field. Blood trickled from a cut on his forehead.

Standing up, Shin touched the blood, giving a wry smile. "I'm done. Lost again. The skill gap between our Armament Haki is just too big."

If he hadn't used the Munch-Munch Fruit ability to transform his body to a steel-like form before the fight, Yamato's strike would likely have given him a concussion.

In addition to the Conqueror's Haki, Yamato had also mastered advanced applications like Armament Haki's internal destruction and external release. Her proficiency and sheer quantity of Haki were on an entirely different level.

Moreover, she'd unlocked most of her powerful oni physique, which made her physically stronger than Shin. Naturally, he struggled to match her.

Shin's Munch-Munch Fruit ability could only provide him with potential, and it had been just over half a year since he'd first transformed his body. It would take time for that potential to turn into real strength.

"You're doing great. Now you can last over an hour against me. In the past two months, your progress is nearly on par with Ace's," Yamato said encouragingly.

Shin chuckled, surprised that Yamato would offer words of comfort. But he wasn't downplaying his own skills. He was confident in his growth, knowing he had opened many pathways to power and might uncover even more in the future. He was confident he could eventually become the strongest in the pirate world.

While Shin and Yamato were sparring nearby, Ace was doing push-ups with a massive stone on his back, gritting his teeth.

"These two are advancing so fast. At this rate, I'll lose all credibility as captain!" he muttered, increasing his pace.

There was no denying that training alongside other gifted individuals accelerated one's progress. As Kaido's daughter, Yamato had received brutal, firsthand training from her father and learned a great deal.

Her knowledge of future-sight observation haki, the varied applications of armament haki, and Conqueror's haki had all been invaluable to Shin and Ace in mastering their own haki.

"These guys are insane," one of the Spade Pirates muttered, watching the three from a distance. They observed the island, now a ravaged training ground, with awe.

"Are all Devil Fruit users this powerful? And they're still wearing sea prism stone handcuffs."

"You could try a Devil Fruit too, you know. Didn't Shin bring back a few?"

"Forget it. I don't want to be a landlubber. Besides, those Devil Fruits were zoan, like a bat, a toad, and a honey badger."

"We've met other Devil Fruit users before. It's definitely these three who are insane, not the Devil Fruits," another pirate replied.

"Anyway, we're not joining their training sessions. We have other concerns. We're running low on supplies, and although plants and animals are on the island, those three have practically devoured everything. We'll have to leave this deserted island in a few days."

Meanwhile, Kaido, having finished an expedition, had returned to Onigashima.

After Shin knocked out Black Maria, the remaining members of the Beasts Pirates on the island had informed Kaido of the incident. However, Kaido was locked in battle at the time, so by the time he returned, the Spade Pirates were long gone.

He had been in a grueling fight with Whitebeard, one of the other Four Emperors, which had kept him occupied for days. When he was finally free, he returned with the entire Beasts Pirates crew, taking over a month for the journey back.

Upon returning to Onigashima, Kaido erupted in fury after discovering that Black Maria had been beaten, his "daughter" had been kidnapped, and his treasures had been looted. He immediately commanded the Beasts Pirates and their affiliates to search for the Spade Pirates.

However, during this time, the Spade Pirates had stayed secluded on a deserted island for training. Finding a single ship on an uninhabited island in the vast, turbulent waters of the New World was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

With Kaido's confidence in the explosive sea prism stone handcuffs, he hadn't bothered to get a vivre card for his daughter. The Beasts Pirates could only use brute-force methods to scour the New World without a clear lead.

After over two months with no success, the Beasts Pirates began to suspect the worst—that the Spade Pirates might have perished at sea.

It was only when the Spade Pirates left the deserted island to resupply that they re-emerged on the radar of the Beasts Pirates.

"Boss Kaido, we've received news about Yamato and the Spade Pirates!" Looking like a rotund ball, Queen came rushing in, his agile movements betraying his bulk. "They're on Doloran Island, where the Whitebeard Pirates and the Red-Haired Pirates are rumored to meet."

Kaido, already drinking heavily, broke into a fierce grin. "Finally, they've been found. Those filthy thieves—I'm going to wring their necks."

With that, he transformed into a massive dragon, crashing through the wall as he flew off.

"Seriously, the boss has no patience," Queen muttered, brushing dust off himself. Jack, standing nearby, scratched his head and remarked, "Did the boss just leave without a log pose?"

Queen froze, then shouted alarmingly, "Oh no, the boss has had too much to drink!"

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For each power stones milestone—50, 100, 150, and beyond—I will release a bonus chapter.

I will also release a bonus chapter for every two reviews until it reaches ten reviews.

Review status: [7/10]