Chapter 148: Adaptation!!
On an uninhabited island near Amazon Lily.
Rayleigh held a silver-white sword sheath in his left hand and looked solemnly at Luffy across from him.
"Are you sure about this? This isn't something you can just talk about. One mistake… and you could die."
"Yeah, don't worry, Rayleigh! Don't forget—I can see the future!"
Luffy grinned casually.
Suddenly, a tall figure stepped in front of Rayleigh.
"Absolutely not! Rayleigh, even you can't do something like this!"
"Alright, Hancock."
Luffy stretched out his arm and pulled Boa Hancock gently by the waist, guiding her aside. He smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Just stand a bit farther away, okay?"
"But… I'm worried about you!"
Hancock's eyes were filled with concern. After all, Luffy's plan was…
Yet Luffy only smiled at her.
Helpless, she finally stepped back.
Ten thousand meters away, Trafalgar Law reclined calmly on a giant rock.
Beside him rested the cursed sword Kikoku.
As for Bepo and the others, they had already been sent to the New World.
Meanwhile, Jinbe had taken the Straw Hat Pirates' flag and headed toward Fish-Man Island.
"Let me see it… the true strength of the legendary Dark King."
Law gazed into the distance with great interest.
Ever since joining the Straw Hat crew, he felt as though he had grown younger. His thinking had even become sharper.
"Then you'd better… be careful."
As Rayleigh finished speaking, his right hand slowly gripped the sword hilt.
Crackle… crackle…
Violent black-and-red lightning erupted around his body, swirling like a solidified storm.
The moment his foot touched the ground—
BOOM!
The earth within ten meters shattered instantly, stones exploding into the air.
An overwhelming aura burst forth.
On the blade of his sword, serpentine black-red lightning surged wildly, forming a boiling electric web around him.
—WHOOSH!
Rayleigh shot forward like a streak of light.
Every pore on Luffy's body exploded open in alarm.
This strike carried a terrifying aura—one that even demons and gods would avoid.
Luffy's pupils shrank sharply.
A chilling sense of danger flooded his heart.
He had to block it.
Otherwise—
He would die.
In the next instant, jet-black Armament Haki coated his chest.
CLANG!
A sharp metallic hum rang out.
—RIP!
The roaring sword aura sliced through Luffy's Armament Haki like a crescent moon.
SHHK!
Blood burst from his chest.
"Divine Departure!"
Rayleigh sheathed his sword.
Luffy's body shot backward like he had been struck by a speeding warship, flying like a cannonball and leaving circular shockwaves in the air.
His sandals scraped across the ground as he skidded to a halt.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
He looked down at the slash wound across his chest.
"Divine Departure, huh… That's seriously strong."
The intense pain made him frown slightly.
At the same time—
Physique +0.08
Physique +0.06
Physique +0.05…
Armament Haki +0.08
Armament Haki +0.01…
Worth it.
Every bit of it was worth it.
That was Luffy's plan—
To directly endure "Divine Departure", stimulating his Lineage Factor and improving his physique and Armament Haki.
The effect was immediate.
But the downside?
Conqueror's Haki Infusion was ruthless against anyone relying on strong regeneration.
Just look at Marco the Phoenix—one punch from Garp had him wrapped in bandages for ages.
Luffy bared his teeth as he felt the changes in his body.
At least after one hour… he could take another Divine Departure!
In the distance, Law stared in shock, his eyes wide.
"So this… is the power of the Pirate King's right-hand man?!"
Meanwhile, Hancock hurried over and helped Luffy up, her face full of worry.
His once-white shirt had been dyed red with blood.
Drops fell steadily onto the ground.
"Rayleigh! Couldn't you go a little easier?!"
"Uh…"
Rayleigh scratched his head awkwardly.
Women's thinking was something men simply couldn't understand.
Then he looked at Luffy thoughtfully and murmured:
"A body like Kaido's indestructible physique, huh?"
It was difficult not to be surprised.
After all, Kaido's title as the "Strongest Creature in the World" relied heavily on that nearly indestructible body.
A body that Ryuo barely managed to damage had given countless powerful fighters headaches.
CLANG!
Two figures moved rapidly through the air.
In an instant—blades flashed, each step filled with danger.
"Not bad, kid."
Rayleigh casually blocked a strike and swung his sword without mercy.
—WHOOSH!
The sword slashed through the air.
Intersecting sword lights screamed forward, slicing apart everything in the mountain before them.
A hundred meters away, Law stared at a mountain that had just been cut cleanly in half.
Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
This old man really isn't afraid of killing him…
If he had been just a little slower…
"What are you thinking about?"
A calm voice suddenly rang out.
Law reacted instantly.
Without hesitation, his left hand clenched.
"ROOM!"
A blue domain expanded instantly.
In a flash, Law teleported over a hundred meters away.
—SWISH!
Rayleigh appeared exactly where he had been standing.
Law waved his hand.
Within the domain, rocks and trees shot upward before crashing down toward Rayleigh.
"ROOM: Scalpel!"
BOOM!
Dust exploded into the air, blocking Law's vision.
Suddenly—
A blue sword flash tore through the air.
Law hurriedly raised his blade.
CLANG!
Their weapons collided.
In the next moment, Law was sent flying backward.
"That's enough."
Rayleigh looked at Law's pale face—his stamina clearly exhausted.
Then he began outlining their training plan.
"Trafalgar Law, your swordsmanship and Devil Fruit ability work well together. They can form a complete combat system.
But your physical strength is too weak.
From now on, your training will focus on swordsmanship, Devil Fruit mastery, physical conditioning, and both types of Haki."
He then turned toward Luffy.
"As for you, Luffy—you need to fix your weaknesses."
"My… weaknesses?"
Luffy looked confused.
"Resistance to the sea."
Rayleigh explained patiently.
"This is something almost all Devil Fruit users must train for. (Except for rare monsters like Big Mom.)"
The sea had always been the nightmare of Devil Fruit users.
Countless people wanted the power of a Devil Fruit—but didn't want the ocean's hatred.
How could the world offer such a perfect deal?
But in this sea, countless species and creatures exist.
Whether strong or weak, the fundamental principle behind becoming stronger is the same:
Adaptation.
Survival of the fittest.
Adaptation was something terrifying.
Sea creatures evolved lungs to adapt to land.
Animals evolved thick fur to survive cold climates.
Even the curse of the sea could be adapted to.
Through intense resistance training, even if a Devil Fruit user fell into the ocean, they could still retain some strength.
However—
Very few people were qualified to attempt such training.
Because on the path of evolution, countless individuals are eliminated.
Thus—
A Devil Fruit user might still fear seawater.
But a Devil Fruit user who does not fear seawater…
Is almost always absurdly powerful.
"I see!"
Luffy suddenly understood.
No wonder when he once kicked Admiral Kizaru into the sea—
The man had gotten up completely fine.
Suddenly, Luffy's eyes shone with excitement.
"I want to learn that!!"
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → /Chakraflow789