Chapter 4: The Cloud-Based Training Cheat
Waves surged, carrying the wind and time with them.
Three days later, in the ship's training cabin.
This room, devoid of elaborate equipment, served as both Ross's personal training area and the dojo for his disciples. The only things present were a wide, empty space—and clouds of various forms.
"Sakazuki, your training starts today." Ross squinted and smiled as a serpentine cloud coiled around his arm like a living creature. It hissed and opened its mouth as though to speak on his behalf.
"Are you ready?"
"Always." Sakazuki kept his words few and precise. In the past three days, his physical transformation had been remarkable thanks to proper nutrition. Energy coursed through him like never before.
During this time, he'd also familiarized himself with his newfound family aboard the ship. Despite being only thirteen, the others warmly referred to him as "Second Brother," showing him genuine affection and respect. This unexpected bond sparked a powerful sense of responsibility within him—he wanted to protect these little brothers and sisters who called him "Second Brother" with such heartfelt trust.
But to protect... he needed strength. The kind of strength that wouldn't leave him helpless as loved ones perished before his eyes again.
Ross gave an approving nod. When it came to the hunger for power, only his past self—freshly arrived in this world—could compare with the intensity radiating from Sakazuki now.
Ross possessed a unique form of Observation Haki. While it wasn't as advanced as some innate techniques like "hearing the voice of all things" or "empathic resonance," his version—perhaps due to being a transmigrant—let him faintly sense people's emotional states. Right now, Sakazuki's yearning to become stronger burned like a cold sun in the dead of night.
"Good momentum. We'll begin with physical conditioning." Ross waved his hand, summoning a white cloud to his palm and activating his Devil Fruit powers. The cloud expanded rapidly.
"This is a Shock Cloud—an invention of mine based on a rare shellfish that can absorb impact and release it in bursts."
As he spoke, the cloud pulsed violently in his hand, vibrating at a frequency so intense that the average person would find it overwhelming. Lifting it with pride, Ross declared:
"I've refined this ability to produce high-frequency vibration clouds. The damage they inflict is minimal, but the oscillations trigger muscle activity across the entire body—making them the ultimate substitute for tedious physical exercises."
Ross credited this invention as one of the key reasons behind his own rapid growth despite not having a mentor or endless battles to hone his skills. This cloud-based method saved him nearly 70% of the time needed for physical training, freeing him to focus on mastering Armament and Observation Haki.
But such a cheat device came with a cost.
"Don't celebrate just yet." Ross glanced at the eager Sakazuki. "A normal person wouldn't last a full minute in this thing."
"You've got talent, Sakazuki, but if you can't endure this, we'll have to start with the basics."
Clouds might look fluffy, but they were composed of high-density solid matter under Ross's control. At such frequencies, they could easily tear through an untrained body. Ross wasn't reckless—he simply wanted to see if Sakazuki could handle it. If he could, then unnecessary training regimens could be skipped entirely.
Maybe—just maybe—he could forge Sakazuki into a monster before the boy ever joined the Navy.
"Understood!" Sakazuki's face turned serious. Even if Ross wouldn't let him die, the pain would be real—and intense.
But this… was the price of power.
And if he could endure it, he'd soon be strong enough to protect others, to take charge.
His eyes hardened with resolve. Breath steadying, his stance rooted deep, Sakazuki resembled both a crouching tiger and an unyielding mountain.
Ross smiled.
Teaching a genius was always the easiest job—because they came with the right mindset.
"Vision Cloud."
The snake-shaped cloud on Ross's arm slithered into the vibrating Shock Cloud, transmitting his Observation Haki into the structure. This technique was akin to Enel's "Mantra," except Ross used solid-state clouds as conduits instead of radio waves—far more difficult to master.
To conserve energy, he limited his Haki usage, embedding a small portion into the medium. Where Enel was a living radar, Ross was more like a cloud-based surveillance camera—though in actual combat, he could unleash his monitoring clouds indiscriminately.
Soon, the vibrating cloud wrapped itself fully around Sakazuki, leaving only his head exposed.
Sakazuki didn't scream as Ross expected, but his face twisted in sheer agony. His jaw clenched, sweat streamed down his face, only to be whisked away by the cloud's breeze.
"It hurts… every inch of me is trembling, like my whole body is being torn apart and rebuilt!"
He gritted his teeth, body shuddering.
Had he been able to see himself from the outside, he would have noticed how his muscles rippled like waves, how even his bones were beginning to quake. Each microscopic vibration burrowed deeper, approaching the bone.
And he wasn't wrong—had this continued without rest, his bones would have shattered.
Yet it was precisely this extreme pressure that was transforming him. Muscles hardened. Bones strained, cracked slightly, but then fused tighter than ever before. His body was evolving—not broken, but reborn.
Pain—yet exhilarating pain.
That was all Sakazuki could feel.