Sea Calendar 1517, February. Black Fish Waterfall.
After nearly a month of arduous training, Bellamy's crew had made significant gains. The waterfall training was so effective that, in the end, even Bellamy and Drake, the two Devil Fruit users, tied themselves to large rocks and subjected themselves to the pounding current.
If the high-pressure water was this effective, then the crushing pressure and intense gravity of the deep sea would surely be even better. Unfortunately, aside from Fish-Men, a naturally aquatic race, humans couldn't survive in the deep sea.
No wonder the physique and strength of Fish-Men were more than ten times greater than humans'. Besides the difference in race, Bellamy believed it was largely a matter of their living environment.
The month-long wilderness training was about to end; the cannon ammunition had long since been depleted. In the end, the two ladies had avoided getting shot, much to Bellamy's disappointment. Furthermore, he still couldn't grasp the concept of Life Return, which was causing him some frustration.
Aside from that, most of the other goals had been achieved. This included Ross and Drake's Paper Drawing training, Muret and Mia's Iron Body training, and his own mastery of all Six Powers.
In terms of raw power, Bellamy was now probably only one level below an untransformed Lucci. That is, the man known as the strongest in CP9's 800-year history, the cold-blooded "killing weapon," Rob Lucci, with a Doriki of 4000.
As for who was actually stronger, that would only be determined in a real fight. Paper stats and actual combat couldn't be equated.
Talent, after all, could be divided into learning talent, combat talent, research talent, and so on. Being able to take a beating could be considered a talent, and being able to eat a lot could also be considered a talent.
Luffy, for example, was exceptionally gifted in this regard. No matter how severe his injuries, he could recover quickly after a large meal. If Bellamy had that ability, his training regimen would be even more insane.
Our Devil Fruits are similar; my stomach can also expand! It was a shame, really, that this kind of thing couldn't be learned. No matter how much Bellamy forced food down, if he was full, he was full. If he forced it, he'd just throw it all up the next second.
Bellamy's appetite was completely unworthy of his strength. He'd taken down a half-ton wild boar last night, and he'd only eaten half of it before getting full. Such a small appetite was truly embarrassing.
"Captain, could you leave a little for us?"
Lunchtime. The self-proclaimed small-eater Bellamy was currently devouring his food. There were only ten roasted fish in total today, and within three seconds of the meal starting, they were gone. Mia looked at the fish tail she'd barely managed to grab and the pile of fish bones on the ground, and her heart felt weary.
"Would you eat slower, dammit!" The cook's anger was starting to boil over.
"The chef's angry!"
"How scary, her teeth have even turned pointy!"
"There's actually fire coming out of her head!"
"Shut up, all of you!"
Mia produced a soup ladle from who-knew-where and swung it at everyone's heads.
Thump, thump, thump...
A large bump appeared on Ross's head.
"Huh, did a mosquito just bite me?" Bellamy was lost in contemplation of Life Return, completely oblivious to what had just happened. Even if he had noticed, he would have just laughed heartily and mocked Mia for her weak strength.
"Damn it, I'm so pissed!" The iron ladle had bent instantly upon contact with Bellamy's head. Mia was stomping her feet in frustration, but she was utterly helpless against her captain.
"Waaah, I'm the only one who got hurt." Ross clutched the large bump on his head, looking sorrowfully at the other two. They had all been complaining.
Drake glanced at Ross expressionlessly and continued to compete with Bellamy for food at an accelerated pace. Please, his physique was even stronger than Bellamy's. As for Muret, how could she hit her best friend with any real force?
After lunch, the cook made a solemn announcement: the stored supplies were depleted. If they wanted to eat, they'd have to fish and hunt for themselves.
"That's a pain. Didn't I bring back game every day?" The training plan was nearing its end; even if they stopped now, it wouldn't be a big deal. But Bellamy disliked abandoning things halfway. Since the plan was for a month, they would train for the full month.
"You shut up! You're the one who eats the most." Just mentioning this topic made Mia want to bite him.
"Don't be ridiculous, my appetite is so small." Bellamy picked his nose and let out a satisfied burp. "That guy Drake definitely eats more than I do."
Hearing this, Drake's mouth twitched. "My appetite is big, but I can't out-eat you during meals, you bastard!" This guy Bellamy really had no self-awareness.
"The Captain's getting more and more obnoxious. I really want to hit him." Everyone was gritting their teeth in frustration.
But when Bellamy heard this, his eyes lit up. "You want to hit me? Okay, come on, come on!" He could test out his new technique.
"Iron Body: Steel Balloon!"
The inspiration for this Iron Body modification, Steel Balloon, naturally came from one of the Four Emperors, Big Mom.
A body like steel, a form like a balloon. It could withstand the cuts of sharp weapons and absorb the impact of blunt weapons. It perfectly combined the characteristics of hardness and resilience. That was Steel Balloon.
Bellamy was a man of action. As soon as he heard his crew wanted to spar with him, he immediately brought out his new technique.
Upon activating Steel Balloon, his body swelled up dramatically. His stomach protruded outward, while his limbs contracted slightly. This posture resembled that of a pot-bellied general from ancient times.
"Come on, everyone, hit me. Let me test out the effectiveness of this improvement." Bellamy patted his large belly, urging them on.
"You asked for it."
"Finger Pistol!"
Mia had been fuming for a while, and hearing him say this, she immediately launched a Finger Pistol at him.
"Careful, don't use so much force!" Seeing her rashness, Drake couldn't help but warn her. He knew better than anyone how monstrous this guy was. Moreover, the Iron Body modification he was using now clearly incorporated the characteristics of the Spring-Spring Fruit.
What was the most obvious characteristic of a spring? Rebound.
Sure enough, Mia's finger slammed into Bellamy's belly, and she saw the skin slightly indent. Then, an immense force rebounded from the point of impact.
Mia's expression changed drastically, and she quickly retracted her force and retreated. Just then, the rebounding force, following her retreat, sent her flying backward.
Bellamy smiled and rubbed his belly. "When you hit my Steel Balloon, however much force you use, that's how much force will be reflected back. How about it, Drake, want to give it a try?" He suddenly shifted his gaze to Drake.
To test the upper limit of this technique's force absorption, Drake was the only one here with the necessary strength.
Drake was naturally tempted by Bellamy's challenge. But he knew very well that he was no match for his captain right now. So, he hesitated.
Bellamy saw Drake's hesitation, and this attitude displeased him. "Drake, what are you hesitating for? Hit me with your full strength." Bellamy pointed at his belly. "If you can even break the skin, you win."
He narrowed his eyes, concealing his displeasure. "If you're scared, I can deactivate Iron Body and let you hit me?"
Hearing this, Drake exploded in fury. "Who are you looking down on, you bastard?!"
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