8 Chapter 8

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Chapter 8 The Road To Monsters

Hearing what Kake said, Flying Squirrel couldn't help but smile and say, "A monster? Maybe... I joined the 321 branch at the same time as Rear Admiral Darren. I clearly remember that on his first day of training five years ago..."

A trace of nostalgia flickered in Flying Squirrel's eyes, which were usually cold and resolute. "At that time, he was very thin and weak. After running 10 laps on the school field, he was completely exhausted. He had to rest for half an hour before he could stand up again. Among the recruits from the same period, his physical fitness was the weakest. But he didn't give up because of it. He insisted on training every day and almost daily challenged his physical limits. It started with walking with a gun barrel and then a canoe. It took three years for Rear Admiral Darren to barely drag this abandoned warship by one meter. Compared to the natural 'monster' of Sakazuki Rear Admiral, Rear Admiral Darren is a monster on another level."

Gion and Kake both fell silent when they heard this.

Bang dang...

Darren threw down the thick iron chain and stood under the scorching sun, gasping for air and feeling the tearing pain in his throat and lungs like a bellows. The muscles throughout his body seemed to be burning with pain. But he had long been accustomed to this pain. He glanced back at the long groove on the ground where he had dragged the warship and roughly estimated the distance.

One hundred and one meters... Well, he had finally broken his own record.

He sensed his body data again:

Physique: 58.106 (+0.03)

Strength: 53.837 (+0.06)

Velocity: 57.539

Fruit: 71.345

His physique had increased by 0.03, and his strength had increased by 0.06. "The growth of attributes is getting slower and slower. It seems that we need to switch to a larger warship," Darren muttered to himself, staring at his "data panel".

For his "perception" talent, this was the best use he had discovered and explored. He used the feedback of various data to judge whether the current training method was effective. The human body has a strong ability to adapt. Using the same weight, external pressure and a similar training method might produce good results initially, but over time, as the body adapts, the effectiveness gradually weakens and finally plateaus. This is the scientific explanation.

Before he had traveled, Darren had a general understanding that professional athletes also constantly change their training plans to continue improving. "Progressive overload" is a very basic principle in kinematics. It means increasing the training load within the body's tolerance to enhance performance.

With his talent for "precise perception," Darren could use data feedback more accurately to judge the effectiveness of his training. Despite experiencing "hell-like" torture and "monster"-like practice every day in the eyes of others, he enjoyed it. He got immediate feedback. Every time he did more weighted push-ups and squats, he could clearly see his "attributes" improving, similar to characters in a game. 

Of course, this world wasn't a game but a real existence. He knew the dangers of the Pirate World better than anyone else. That's why he trained harder than anyone else. Only through such effort could he compete with the real "monsters" at sea! 

With his talent, he firmly believed that with inhuman effort, he would one day rival the strength of Whitebeard and effortlessly intercept a speeding warship with his bare hands.

"Then, let's start physical training," Darren said, his breathing now steady, as he raised his head and waved at Flying Squirrel.

He felt that his body had reached its limit for the day, so he continued with strength training by force. However, this would be ineffective and could even cause hidden injuries, straining his muscles and depleting his body's potential.

"Rear Admiral Darren called me," said Flying Squirrel on the other side of the school ground to Kake and the others, before walking away. Then, he quickly stopped as if he had remembered something, turned around with a smile, and said, "By the way, the next part is exciting. Don't blink."

Kake and Gion were stunned. Flying Squirrel didn't explain further; he just smiled mysteriously. Normally, he didn't have a bad taste, but for some reason, he felt inexplicably happy seeing these two "proud men of heaven" from this department looking like they had never seen the world and being shocked.

"Gather!" shouted Flying Squirrel sharply.

In less than twenty seconds, dozens of Marine soldiers from around the school ground had quickly gathered at the center. They appeared to have been ready for a while and formed two lines. With a crisp buzzing sound, the Marines in the front row drew their sabers at the same time. The Marines in the second row also raised their flintlock guns in unison. They all held their breath, their eyes locked on their target in the middle of the school field, Darren!

"Hey, hey, hey... this is a joke..." Kake, realizing something, looked astonished, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably. Gion swallowed and said with a raspy voice, "This kind of training method... can really kill people..."

Before they could recover from their shock, Flying Squirrel had already issued a command in a severe tone. "Attack!" he ordered, and the Marines in the front row, saber in hand, charged toward their base commander, Darren. The sharp and cold blades showed no mercy as they slashed at various parts of Darren's body; head, face, neck, chest, back, arms, thighs, throat... They spared no area. The sound of metal clashing rang out as large sparks flew from the blades, which then got notches in them.

After a round of slashing, the sabers were ruined, and the Marines in the front row quickly dispersed. The Marines in the second row, ready to go, immediately pulled the triggers of their flintlock guns. A dense shower of bullets enveloped Darren, constantly deflecting and bouncing off, leaving clear craters in the ground.

After firing a round of bullets, the Marines in the second row drew their sabers and rushed toward Darren. Meanwhile, the Marines in the front row regrouped at the back row's position and began to reload their guns.

This cycle of swordplay and shooting continued. At times, Flying Squirrel even dragged out a heavy cannon from the nearby armory and, during the changeover between the two Marine teams, fired a shot at Darren. Swords were broken, bullets were fired, and shells exploded. Black smoke and fire rose on the school grounds, stirring up clouds of smoke, dust, and yellow sand. From a distance, it looked like a small war was occurring.

Kake and Gion on the edge of the school ground watched the horrifying scene of "self-mutilation" in shock. They were transfixed. Darren was not using an Iron Body, nor was he dodging or blocking. This madman was merely relying on his body's defense to withstand such a vicious attack.

"Is this... something humans can do?" Kake and Gion watched the man who was still standing despite the barrage of bullets and murmured with pale faces.