A few days later, Water 7 — aboard the Flame Fang.
Bang bang bang bang bang!
Rapid knocking echoed through the corridor, drawing Riberra Sami's attention as he passed by.
"Sakins! Get out here! You've been in there for almost two minutes already!"
Aldo stood with his hands on his hips, shouting at the tightly shut bathroom door.
Riberra Sami stepped out from the training room behind him, his body drenched in sweat as he wiped his wet hair with a towel.
"Aldo," Riberra Sami said, still slightly short of breath from training, "haven't you been pushing him a bit too hard this past month? Can Sakins even handle it?"
Aldo scratched his head, but his expression remained serious.
"Boss, I have to push him! The ship's finished now. Next stop is the New World, right? With his current level, I really can't feel at ease. Once we get there, I might not be able to watch over him anymore."
Riberra Sami sighed and wiped his face.
"Fine… you two are willing—one to push, one to endure. Just keep it within limits. Don't train him into the ground."
"Don't worry, Boss. I know what I'm doing."
Aldo turned back and started banging again.
"Sakins! You hear that? Hurry up—training starts now!"
Riberra Sami shook his head and walked toward the kitchen.
After such intense training, he needed to replenish his energy.
As he stepped aside, the lively scene inside the training room came into full view.
A large number of crew members—including the combat team—were sweating profusely.
Some were lifting weights.
Some were doing squats.
Others were sparring with blades.
Shouts and the clanging of equipment filled the air.
Although Riberra Sami hadn't officially announced their next destination, everyone already understood—
The New World was next.
Facing that legendary sea, many felt pressure.
Even sailing in the first half of the Grand Line was already full of danger—let alone the far more brutal latter half.
Because of this, the rare period of calm had turned into a time of relentless self-improvement.
Of course, not everyone focused purely on combat.
Crew members like Hans were busy familiarizing themselves with the Flame Fang's systems.
They moved between decks and compartments, repeatedly testing the ship's functions and controls.
Everything seemed to be progressing in a positive direction.
And yet, Riberra Sami still had reservations about heading straight to Sabaody.
That suspicious call from Jillian a few days ago lingered in his mind.
The problem was—
He knew almost nothing about Sabaody.
Jillian had been his only contact.
Now that connection couldn't be trusted.
He was effectively walking blind.
In Riberra Sami's view, Jillian was in one of two situations:
Either he'd been caught for slave trading and was trying to redeem himself…
Or the Marines had uncovered their transactions and were setting a trap.
Either way—
Sabaody was unavoidable.
Only there could they coat their ship and descend into the deep sea.
Only there could they reach Fish-Man Island.
Only there could they enter the New World.
As the crew grew more familiar with the new ship and supplies were fully prepared, the timing seemed right.
At last, Riberra Sami decided to gather the core members in the Flame Fang's meeting room.
"Everyone," Riberra Sami said, looking around the long table, "now that we have the Flame Fang… I think it's time to set sail for Sabaody Archipelago."
"Haha! Captain, I've been waiting for this!" Marcus grinned.
Most of the others nodded in agreement.
The new ship had boosted their confidence immensely.
This was the perfect moment to depart.
However—
Aldo, seated to Riberra Sami's left, frowned slightly, clearly hesitant.
Riberra Sami noticed.
"Aldo, you've got something to say. Go on."
"Well…"
Aldo hesitated, struggling to find the words.
Deep down, he felt conflicted.
Heading to the New World now felt too soon.
That place was full of danger.
Even though he was among the strongest on the ship—
In the grand scheme of the seas, where did he truly stand?
At best, he could match Marine officers.
And Sakins?
He had only trained for a few months.
If they encountered true monsters in the New World, Aldo might not even be able to protect him.
That was why—
He selfishly wanted more time.
For Sakins.
For himself.
For everyone.
But saying that outright—
Especially in front of Marcus—
Would definitely earn him ridicule.
The two of them had always been competing for the title of second strongest.
Just as he racked his brain for an excuse—
A flash of inspiration struck.
"Oh! Boss!"
Aldo's eyes lit up.
"We can't go to Sabaody yet!"
Riberra Sami and the others looked at him in confusion.
"Why not?"
Aldo quickly replied:
"Did you forget the bet we made back on Jaya? That small-time pirate—we promised we'd come back with proof that Sky Island exists and shut him up! You said that yourself!"
Riberra Sami froze for a moment—then slapped his forehead.
"Ah, right! I almost forgot about that!"
He looked at the others.
"What do you think? Should we go back to Jaya?"
The group exchanged glances—then nodded.
"Yeah, we should," Henry said. "That wager is why we stayed in the Grand Line so long in the first place. We went through all that trouble just to find Sky Island. Now that we succeeded, we should go back and finish what we started."
Marcus grinned.
"Time to wrap up that adventure properly."
Seeing everyone agree, Aldo quietly let out a breath of relief.
Perfect.
A completely reasonable excuse… and it even preserves the captain's dignity.
Besides… I'm doing this for everyone's sake, right?
Giving us more time to grow…
Man, I really carry this team on my back…
Riberra Sami nodded.
"Aldo's right. Then it's decided—our next stop is Jaya Island."
He leaned back slightly, a faint smile on his lips.
"Let's show them that the world is far more fascinating than they imagine. People who never leave their little corners will never see its true beauty."
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