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The Strongest Frost Loli (23)
🕑 Added 2024-03-30 14:28:01 +0000 UTCChapter 23 - Captain's Log
(I've never written in a diary style before, so I thought it would be okay to write something like this. I'll probably never write again.)
Month X, Day X
Since the Log Pose takes a whole year to set on Little Garden, I've decided to keep a captain's log to pass the time. I've never been one to stick with things like this for long, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try.
It's certainly useful for organizing our plans. So, I'll record the decisions we made tonight about our future course of action.
First: Train the crew to a basic level of combat readiness while the Log Pose sets.
Second: Explore the island to find food, water sources, and plants with medicinal properties.
Third: Consider plundering any ships that arrive on the island for medicine and other supplies.
The first two are essential if we're to spend a year on this island. Especially the second – neglecting it could be fatal.
As for the third, it's unavoidable. We can't afford to die because we're squeamish about piracy.
The conditions for pirates or even ordinary travellers (though I doubt such peculiar individuals exist) to reach this island after Whiskey Peak are incredibly harsh, so it's not something we need to dwell on.
According to Dorry and Brogy, the last ship to arrive before us was several years ago. And like many others, they perished on this island.
Month X, Day △
We started early this morning. Securing food and water went smoothly thanks to Dorry and Brogy's cooperation.
For medicinal plants, Sukura leads the search with at least one combatant as an escort.
The island is vast, but we should be able to cover it thoroughly within a month. I've assigned Scotch to map the island. While the compass is useless, calculating directions based on the sun's position and marking them down shouldn't lead to errors. At the very least, the island's shape is accurate since we confirmed it from above.
Dorry and Brogy fight each other every time the volcano at the island's centre erupts.
They've forgotten the reason for their battle and now fight for their pride.
Warrior's pride and convictions are foreign to me, but I understand them. I, too, have fought for something I couldn't compromise on.
Their battles are fierce. Every blow is potentially lethal, dodged and parried by a hair's breadth. It resembles a choreographed dance, but both are genuinely trying to kill each other.
Exchanging blows with such force should exhaust them quickly, but they are, after all, the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates. They seem to be using Armament Haki to minimize weapon degradation.
Their fight remains a stalemate because they can predict each other's next move with Observation Haki. It's baffling that they haven't reached a conclusion after nearly seventy years.
Speaking of Haki, the Haki Zen used was slightly different from what we know. I wonder what it is.
Month X, Day □
Most of the crew is being drilled by Junshi's boot camp. Physical training never hurts, so I'll let them continue as long as they don't overdo it.
I asked Zen about his Haki.
He says it's a type of Haki called "Ryuo."
It's the name and application of Haki in “Wano Country”, a land in the latter half of the Grand Line, the New World.
Intrigued, I decided to learn it.
Unlike regular Armament Haki hardening, it doesn't seem to strengthen one's body. It's more like Haki that you wear, I suppose.
It also excels at controlling and releasing impact for destruction. My ice spear, enhanced with Armament Haki, was shattered with a single blow. I stubbornly tried several times, but each attempt was met with the same result.
...That probably wasn't just Ryuo's power.
He must have used Observation Haki to pinpoint the weak points in my hardening. Armament Haki hardening is fine when focused on a single point, but full-body hardening is inefficient and uneven.
I need more training.
Dorry and Brogy are at it again today, energetically trying to kill each other.
He offered to help with my training, so I took a blow with enough force to avoid killing me. I was sent flying to the edge of the island and nearly fell into the sea.
Taking that head-on would be fatal. Even for a Logia user like me, it's unavoidable when clad in Armament Haki.
Month ×, Day ●
Junshi reminded me about the captain's log. I got bored with it after three days.
That said, it's hard to say how things have changed in a month.
We have a stable supply of food and water, and the mapping, which doubled as fieldwork, is mostly complete.
As expected of an ancient jungle, there seem to be quite a few rare plants, and Sukura is having a blast examining them. He's surprisingly fit from his time working at the hospital and is enduring Junshi's training well enough.
Though Junshi seems to be going easy on him since overdoing it would be problematic.
My Haki hasn't progressed much.
Zen didn't expect immediate results either, and he advised me to continue training patiently.
The Rokushiki techniques used by CP-0 were easy to understand after seeing them once, but Ryuo is on a whole different level of difficulty.
It seems there are different ways to use Observation Haki, so I'll start from scratch and retrain myself.
Dorry and Brogy are still going strong today.
They don't seem to fundamentally hate each other, and when I asked them to train Feiyun a bit, they readily agreed.
They seem to be quite fond of her as a fellow giant child. They're teaching her the mindset of a warrior and how to fight.
I wish she had some kind of weapon, but given her ability to enlarge her body, focusing on physical training might be more effective than relying on weapons.
Month ×, Day ◇
While training my Haki, I'm also honing my Rokushiki techniques.
Since I haven't formally learned them, there's a risk of developing bad habits, but they're still useful. I've mastered five of them so far.
I'd like to learn Kami-e eventually, but I don't feel it's necessary, so I'll consider it if the opportunity arises.
I'm trying to refine my Haki through light sparring, but it's difficult since everyone except Junshi and Zen is no match for me. Facing Dorry and Brogy is quite challenging, and I need to find a way to improve.
Samuel's physical abilities have improved since becoming an ability user, but he's still lacking something.
Feiyun is probably the one who's grown the most during our stay. Perhaps learning combat techniques from fellow giants has paid off, as her movements have become much more refined.
When I think about that enormous body, which I have to crane my neck to look up at, unleashing such techniques, I feel like I might have created a monster.
Month X, Day 〇
Samuel collapsed with a fever.
Apparently, he was wandering around the jungle shirtless and got bitten by a venomous tick called "Keschia," leading to a bacterial infection.
I'm truly grateful to have Sukura on board. His medical knowledge is astounding.
He says it can be cured with antibiotics, but we're running low on supplies. We need to set up a production facility.
We have the equipment, but I don't know if we can find the mold that produces the antibiotic on this island.
Month X, Day ☆
Samuel's condition has stabilized considerably.
It seems to be a very painful illness with multiple symptoms, but Sukura's medicine is working.
We found the mold that produces the antibiotic effective against the Keschia bacteria surprisingly quickly. He apparently had a hunch where to look.
I'm glad we did the fieldwork. Scotch's mapping is also proving useful.
Month ◇, Day ●
Samuel collapsed again.
This time, he seems to have eaten something strange and gotten food poisoning.
Considering his attempt to eat that brightly coloured fruit on the first day, I'm not surprised. That idiot will never learn.
Kuro looked puzzled, saying he wasn't getting any stronger despite training.
I think it's just that everyone else is getting stronger, so he seems relatively the same.
Besides, his ability is unique. He can catch any ability user off guard at least once.
It can be a one-hit kill against Logia users, so I want him to practice with George and the others.
Month ◇, Day X
Junshi and Zen had a fight to the death.
They said practice is the best way to train Haki, so they went at each other with full force. Perhaps they were inspired by Dorry and Brogy.
I was prepared to stop them if things got too serious, but they ended it just before someone died. They were definitely seriously injured, and Sukura treated them while fuming.
The way they were laughing while fighting was somewhat morbid, but Kuro told me I'm no different.
I don't understand.
Month ◇, Day ☆
I'd fight to the death all the time if it guaranteed Haki improvement, but that's not how it works.
When skills are evenly matched, it's hard to reach a conclusion, but this time Zen came out on top. It seems they both saw some areas where they were lacking, which is good. They're like Saiyans.
I want to properly master Ryuo soon, so I'll challenge Dorry and Brogy.
Month ☆, Day 〇
I've mastered Ryuo.
I nearly died a few times...no, more times than I can count on both hands, but there's truly nothing like actual combat for Haki training.
Zen uses it to concentrate impact for offense, but I'm focusing on dispersing impact for defence.
It doesn't manifest visually like Armament Haki hardening; it's more like wearing weightless armour. It's also easy to "repel" attacks.
This was the only way to avoid being blown away by Dorry and Brogy's attacks. It's still relatively easy to tell where their attacks are coming from since they're giants, but preparing to receive them after they've started moving wouldn't be fast enough, so I had to train my Observation Haki as well.
Hesitation meant death. With that mindset, I was able to use it almost unconsciously, so this method is indeed the best.
As a bonus, I can now see a few seconds into the future. I suppose that's a lucky break.
However, this Ryuo, perhaps because it's a technique for releasing unnecessary Haki from the body, makes me feel like I can replicate the technique Sengoku used.
Month ☆, Day △
Sengoku's shockwave is proving quite difficult. For now, it's best to focus on training to use Ryuo at a higher level.
I've sparred with Junshi and Zen several times, but I'm still lacking. Using it solely for defence won't win fights, but neglecting defence means certain death.
Only Junshi, Zen, and I can use Haki on this ship, so it's difficult to expand our training options.
Feiyun can use it too, but only Observation Haki, so it's probably time to teach her Armament Haki.
Her Observation Haki is innate. She seems to have talent, and with a little training, she should be able to use it at a higher level.
Month △, Day △
Half a year has passed.
We're halfway there, but thinking that we still have another half year makes me want to sigh. It's good to be free from the Navy's pursuit, but staying in one place for so long is dull.
I asked Dorry and Brogy if there was anything interesting to do, and they told me a story about a "monster" living in the East Blue.
Out of curiosity, I took Feiyun and Zen to see it, and we found a giant goldfish.
It suddenly appeared while we were walking on the sea, so we were surprised, but I managed to freeze it before it could eat us.
They call it the "Island Eater."
It grows by eating islands, due to its size. Is it a type of sea beast? Or a Sea King?
I'm not particularly interested in its classification, but what does it eat to grow so large? It couldn't have been eating islands from the start.
When I told Dorry and Brogy about the goldfish, they laughed and told me about a "barren island," but it wasn't something I wanted to write in my log. I'll just keep it in the back of my mind.
Month △, Day ☆
A ship arrived, which is rare.
A pirate ship. There were about forty or fifty of them, with two seeming particularly strong. I don't recognize them, but they seem to be bounty heads.
They're apparently big-time rookies with bounties of 15 million and 12 million, but they calmed down after I punched them a few times. I'm surprised they survived this long without being able to use Haki.
One seems to be an ability user, the other not. George said they were notorious for their cruelty for a while. Apparently, they're from the South Blue.
Looking at them kneeling with their faces swollen from my punches, I can't see any cruelty in them.
The ability user is a bomb human who ate the Bomu Bomu no Mi, and his specialty was a counter-attack that explodes upon contact. He was shocked when I used Ryuo to deflect the entire force of the explosion.
Anyway, they're not much of a threat.
They seem to have neglected training in favour of their abilities and don't even use their abilities effectively. The whole "walking bomb" thing wasn't that powerful.
It was apparently their first time seeing giants, and they fainted at the sight of the three giants.
We just took the liquor and medicine from their ship and left them alone. I have no intention of taking their lives, and besides, they seem to be broken after being beaten up by a girl like me.
Month Γ, Day ◇
The pirates who arrived on the island a few days ago seem to have been wiped out.
They apparently went upstream from the river near our campsite, and Sukura and the others found them all dead when they went looking for medicinal herbs and food.
There were many mangled bodies, and since leaving them there could cause an epidemic, they were gathered and cremated, according to the report.
The only survivor was the ability user, and even he is badly injured.
I'll hear his story when he wakes up.
On a separate note, Samuel has finally managed to use Armament Haki.
It's still rudimentary, but now that he can use it, hardening shouldn't be far off.
Feiyun is almost there too.
Month Γ, Day 〇
The Roger Pirates' activities were reported in the News Coo newspaper.
It seems they have returned to the Grand Line, the great ocean route, and were featured in the news after causing an incident shortly after their return.
As the ones who saved my life, I may get to meet them again before too long. Though their area of activity is the latter half of the sea, the New World. So it's just a possibility that we'll cross paths someday.
The bomb human has awoken.
He is thirty-four years old. After many years of piracy, he challenged these seas with his gathered crew.
But they were wiped out on the second island they came to. Not even anything worth calling belongings was left behind.
Writing it out, it seems quite pitiful, but that's the terrifying part of this sea - the same could happen to me.
I told him if he still has the will to live, I'll let him aboard my ship. But if he's lost that will, I'll put him out of his misery. Let's see what he chooses.
He'll have to stay here for nearly another half year anyway, so I told him to ponder it thoroughly.
Month ÷, Day Δ
Feiyun has mastered using Armament Haki.
The martial arts imbued with Haki unleashed from that giant body are quite formidable. She may not be on par with Dorry and Brogy, but she has certainly become quite capable in battle.
I too can now finally exchange blows properly with Dorry and Brogy.
But I have to concentrate intensely on each strike, or I'll instantly be blown away, so it's quite draining.
After each battle, they give me strange looks for some reason I can't fathom. I'll have them train the others too since it's very effective training.
Month ÷, Day ◇
Challenging Dorry and Brogy was too much for the others.
Everyone who tried was blown away, with only Zen and Junshi barely managing to hang on.
When I said their training was lacking, they told me "You're the weird one."
Even if they call me weird, I need this level of training to be able to fight Navy admirals properly. Especially Junshi needs to be trained thoroughly.
As for the bomb guy from before, he seems to have chosen to live for now.
His name is David, and he begged me to let him work as a crew member.
I permitted it, but when I told him my bounty was 380 million, he fainted. To faint just from the bounty amount - even George wouldn't do that.
Month 〈, Day ÷
I decided to train David too while I was at it.
He's better than those who can't use Haki, but without his ability, even Samuel could shut him down completely. He must have been slacking off on training while relying too much on his ability.
An ability grows more potent in proportion to the user's strength, allowing them to utilize it more powerfully.
At this level, even I could have beaten him a couple years ago.
Sukura was researching and made some strange stuff.
It was a drug that only affects Devil Fruit ability users. When he fed it to Samuel, he went through a bizarre transformation unlike any of his usual three forms.
At the same time, he went berserk, so I had to punch him a few times to calm him down, but he was still trying to rampage.
I had no choice but to drop him in the sea to forcibly sedate him, but I wonder what that was about.
I understand Sukura's desire to create drugs for ability users, but causing them to go berserk is concerning. Since Samuel is durable, it's fine to use him for clinical trials, but safety needs to be ensured first.
Month Φ, Day Ψ
About three more months to go. It's been quite long.
As usual, it's just been training day after day, and I'm starting to get bored. With no luxuries on this island, I've resorted to re-reading finished books.
The monotonous days leave me with nothing to write in the log. The men were even lamenting not being able to sleep with women.
I don't mind if they peek at my bath, but if they try anything, I'll turn them into ice sculptures.
They understand that breaking discipline is a serious crime on my ship, so none of them would go that far.
Month Ψ, Day ÷
Living on this island, I turned another year older.
I don't mean to boast about being a beauty, but the blossoming age of sixteen. It's lamentable to spend it on the run from the Navy.
They seem to be seeking information about me lately, even putting wanted ads in the newspaper. The Navy is getting desperate, likely due to their reputation.
Unfortunately for them, I still can't leave this island, so it will be a while before I resurface. But I'm confident I could fight Sengoku properly now.
At the very least, I won't embarrass myself like I did in Kano Country.
It would be foolish to keep buying newspapers as a substitute for luxuries every day, but I have quite a sizable amount of funds. Most of my earnings as a merchant ship went to paying off the debt from buying the Galleon, but I also hunted pirates and stole valuables.
Since my homeland is gone, it was good that I took all my assets with me.
...I don't want to call the island where my orphanage was my homeland. I discarded that original name too.
Month ξ, Day 〇
"Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin, "Golden Lion" Shiki, "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate.
Roger seems to be treated equally to the above three.
It makes sense, as they are among the few pirates still alive despite being pursued by the Navy's hero Garp. To pirates, Garp is like the grim reaper even though he's a hero to the Navy.
Roger and his crew have been causing incidents wherever they go, never failing to make headlines.
Just yesterday, they reportedly clashed with the World's Pirates and left the country that was their battlefield in devastating ruins, according to today's paper.
They certainly are flashy with whatever they do.
Month Θ, Day □
For a change of pace from the usual training stories, Dorry, Brogy, and Feiyun told me something different about their home village of Elbaf today.
It involved Charlotte Linlin, whom I had written about previously.
Apparently, she used to live in Elbaf Village but was exiled after a certain incident.
She killed "Waterfall Beard" Jorul, one of the giants' greatest heroes, leading "Mountain Beard" Jarul, another giant hero, to exile her.
Feiyun was reluctant to talk about this, but Dorry and Brogy insisted on telling me the story.
The two of them were speechless afterwards.
For the long-lived giants, the warriors place great importance on their "manner of death." They shed tears and paid respects for the way their hero Jorul died - while simultaneously expressing blatant hatred towards Charlotte Linlin.
It's not something I want to record in detail, but Linlin has committed atrocities related to a woman called Mother Carmel.
Dorry and Brogy couldn't leave this island due to their duel, so they somehow accepted that "Mountain Beard" Jarul, whose comrade was killed, only exiled Linlin from the country...but their anger did not subside.
If I ever go to Elbaf Village and happen to oppose Charlotte Linlin, the giants could become allies.
Month γ, Day ×
The log has piled up.
As I think about finally leaving this island tomorrow, I feel profound emotions, but as a final training session, I've decided to have one last armed bout with Dorry and Brogy.
It's a gesture of gratitude for their hospitality this past year and a farewell to my teachers.
I've finished packing up the campsite too, so we should be able to depart the island tomorrow.
We've run out of alcohol, but I've decided to have one last boisterous feast. This cycle of encounters and partings is part of the joy of adventure.
The two of them never reached a conclusion to their duel while we were here. I wonder when they'll finally settle it.
