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The sea breeze gently brushed across the water's surface as the first rays of morning sunlight spilled over the horizon, shimmering on the ocean in a dazzling display. From time to time, fish would leap from the water, only to dive back in with a splash, leaving ripples behind.
A wooden boat floated quietly atop the sea, gently swaying with the rhythm of the waves.
Soon, the rising sun cast golden light over the vessel, bathing it in a radiant glow as light and warmth spread evenly across it.
"Ah~~"
Jason stretched lazily as he stepped out of his bedroom, still bleary-eyed with sleep.
The moment he walked out, he spotted a figure sitting cross-legged at the bow of the ship, facing the sunrise. Purple mist swirled around him, forming strange, whirling cyclones.
Jason stopped in his tracks, stunned.
"Captain..." he murmured.
At that moment, Rojen, aware of Jason's presence, opened his eyes. Instantly, the purple mist surrounding him was drawn back into his body and vanished without a trace.
"You're up, Jason," Rojen said calmly.
Jason nodded blankly, still thinking about what he had just seen.
Eventually, he couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.
"Captain, what was that purple mist around you just now?"
Rojen glanced at him and replied softly, "Internal merit, a type of breathing technique. It's a method that enhances the body's various functions."
He paused for a moment, then added:
"But it's not suitable for you."
"You're more suited to the path of external merit."
Just one look at Jason's physique, and it was obvious, he was a perfect candidate for training in external power techniques.
"I'll teach you a set of external merit techniques. If you cultivate it, your body will become even more formidable."
Rojen didn't hold anything back. He immediately decided to pass on the Dragon-Elephant Prajña Merit to Jason.
"Really?!" Jason said, eyes lighting up with excitement.
He had always thought there was something mysterious about the captain, and now Rojen was actually sharing this secret art with him? Even though he didn't really understand what internal or external merit meant, his instincts told him this was something incredibly powerful.
Taking advantage of the morning clarity, Rojen proceeded to teach Jason the full set of movements for the Dragon-Elephant Prajña Merit.
To Rojen's surprise, though Jason often acted a bit goofy, his talent for martial arts was surprisingly strong. After just a few demonstrations, Jason had already grasped the essence of the technique and began circulating it on the spot.
His veins bulged like horned dragons under his skin. Muscles rippled across his massive frame like granite. At that moment, Jason's expression turned sharp and stoic.
"Ha!"
As he activated the Dragon-Elephant Prajña Merit, his body immediately erupted with a series of sharp cracking sounds, like beans exploding in a hot wok.
"Pi-li-pa-la!"
His tendons stretched and flexed, while the impurities in his body were forcefully expelled through his pores. Jason stomped once onto the deck.
"Boom!"
The ship shook, and seawater splashed up from the side.
"As expected, this technique suits him perfectly."
Seeing Jason's condition, Rojen nodded in approval.
This brawny man had just begun training in the Dragon-Elephant Prajña Merit and had already reached the fifth layer, realigning the structure of his muscles and bones to a more harmonious state.
The human body is like a finely tuned machine, made up of countless components. If these parts could work together in tighter, more coordinated ways, then the body would undoubtedly grow far more powerful.
"Whoo..."
Jason exhaled, and a visible white mist blew from his mouth.
Despite not cultivating internal merit, Jason had managed to exhale the white mist typically only seen from elite internal martial artists, using external merit alone.
That breath of white mist was a phenomenon known as "light born of the void." When internal masters practice advanced breathing techniques, they sometimes emit glowing breath or are surrounded by radiant light as they finish circulating their energy.
"Very good. How do you feel?"
Rojen asked.
"Powerful, Captain!" Jason replied excitedly.
He didn't fully understand the mysterious method of circulation he'd just learned, but after cultivating it, he could clearly feel his strength had become more systematic, balanced, and full of vitality.
"Make sure to train diligently. The merit method has ten layers, I've taught you all of them."
Rojen reminded him.
"Got it!"
Jason nodded seriously.
"Then let's set off. It's morning, onward to Alabasta!"
Half an hour later, the crew of The Logan had eaten breakfast and were sailing toward Alabasta under the morning sun.
Meanwhile, in Alabasta , Nanohana Port City
A ship, its entire front half almost completely dismantled, slowly docked, drawing the attention of onlookers at the port.
"Look at that ship! It's a wreck. How is it even still floating?!"
"Man, that's rough... Did they get caught in a storm, or ambushed by savage pirates?"
"No, it is a pirate ship! Look at that skull pirate flag!"
As people along the harbor recognized the Jolly Roger flying from the ship, their faces turned grave and tense.
"No need to panic. This is Alabasta. Average pirates wouldn't dare cause trouble here!"
"Yeah! Even the Marines can't come and go freely, there's the King's Guard. If any pirates step out of line, they'll be punished!"
"Still... Ever since Roger's execution, more and more pirates have been passing through here."
The crowd murmured among themselves. Although there was tension in their eyes, there was little fear.
Alabasta was currently a strong and prosperous kingdom, protected by the World Government. Ordinary pirates posed little threat.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the battered ship slowly lowered its sails and dropped anchor, coming to a steady stop at the dock. Then, one by one, pirates with miserable expressions jumped ashore.
They looked pale, with swollen eyes and unsteady steps. Their spirits were clearly crushed. What made the crowd's eyes narrow even more, they were all stained with fresh blood.
"They ran into a powerful enemy!"
That thought spread instantly through the bystanders.
As more and more of the crew disembarked, finally, a tall, imposing figure cloaked in black jumped down.
The moment this man appeared onshore, the crowd's expressions changed drastically.
"Crocodile!"
"That's Crocodile! Bounty, 45 million! Recently unstoppable in the Grand Line, one of the fastest-rising notorious pirates!"
"Can't believe it's him!"
Everyone was stunned.
Crocodile had become one of the hottest names among the new generation of pirates, his strength undeniable, his rise meteoric and overwhelming. Yet now, his pirate crew looked like they'd been utterly crushed.
Who did this? What in the world had they encountered?!
Hearing the murmurs from the shore, Crocodile's expression turned even colder.
Leading his battered crew onto land, he swept his icy gaze across the gathered crowd.
He said nothing, but the menacing aura that radiated from him was enough to silence everyone immediately. Conversations died. People scattered in fear.
"That guy's terrifying!"
"Let's go, quick!"
Just then, Crocodile's eyes narrowed again, this time turning toward the back of the crowd.
In that instant, his expression turned ice-cold.
"Was it you people who did this... last night?"
(End Of This Chapter)