Chapter 49: I'll Take Three of Them!

Chapter 49: I'll Take on Three of Them!

Everything felt as natural as water flowing into a channel.

Treze stared with absolute concentration at his right forearm, which had been dyed a pitch-black hue by [Armament Haki]. He stood completely still, like a statue lost in silent contemplation.

The next second.

Treze moved abruptly.

He bent his legs slightly, and an immense force erupted from beneath his feet, propelling him directly into the high air. His right forearm, coated in Armament Haki, was raised high before plunging down like a shooting star.

Boom!

Treze's fist slammed heavily into the earth of the Temptation Forest.

The fist, armored with Armament Haki, collided with the ground stuffed with dense chunks of meat. A deep crater several meters wide was instantly blasted into the earth, accompanied by a deafening roar as minced meat splattered in all directions like raindrops.

"Merely the most basic 'Armament Hardening', yet it has amplified my physical strength by about twofold!"

Treze stood up from the ground, gently rotating his wrist as the pitch-black Armament Haki slowly receded from his forearm.

"On paper, my physical strength attribute is currently C-rank. But in reality, having mastered the technique of Armament Hardening, the power I can unleash is definitely not limited to C-rank!

"The power of Haki has given me the true capital to fight above my rank!"

After conducting a brief test of his newly acquired [Armament Haki] ability, Treze felt thoroughly satisfied.

He knew very well that the potential of [Armament Haki] went far beyond mere "hardening."

The two primary application directions of [Armament Haki] were "hardening" and "infusion."

When developed to an advanced stage, it could even achieve "ranged attacks" and "internal destruction"!

Much like [Monkey Technique], the power of [Armament Haki] required continuous, in-depth development.

Both were abilities with enormous potential, promising great things for the future.

Treze waved his hand to dismiss the Armament Haki and looked up at the sky. Seeing that it was almost time for dinner, he simply harvested some food right where he stood.

He still had another new ability he hadn't had the chance to test yet!

[Food Honor]!

Treze placed the food before him, closed his eyes, and silently experienced the "gratitude toward all things in the world" contained within [Food Honor]. As he did so, his focus and concentration continued to heighten.

Through the aid of [Monkey Technique], Treze could clearly feel that as he gradually entered the mental state of [Food Honor], his energy consumption was steadily decreasing, and his previously exuberant aura gradually settled, becoming peaceful and natural.

"Truly a most miraculous ability..."

Treze opened his eyes and partook of the food before him in an orderly fashion.

As the food was continuously swallowed into his stomach, Treze's movements became precise and minimalist, without a single shred of wasted energy.

When dinner time concluded, Treze roughly calculated his food consumption for the day.

"Normally, I would need to eat at least fifty servings of food just to ensure I'm full.

"And now, after eating only about forty servings of food, I've absorbed sufficient nutrients that would normally require fifty servings."

Treze rubbed his lower abdomen, a faint sense of satisfaction rising in his heart.

This was not merely because his stomach was filled, but also due to the mental fulfillment brought by the state of [Food Honor].

"The shock absorption of [Monkey Technique], the hardening of [Armament Haki], the mental cultivation of [Food Honor], the techniques of the [Six Powers]..."

Treze's mind flashed through his numerous current abilities one by one.

"In terms of comprehensive evaluation, I am perhaps only C.

"But in terms of comprehensive combat power, I can probably reach the C+ rank!

"Tomorrow, I might go look for Smoker, Vergo, and Pacifista... no, Sentomaru—those three, and try out a brand-new combat style!"

...

Sunset and moonrise, moonset and sunrise.

Boin Archipelago welcomed the tranquil morning once again.

Out of respect for the survival trial, and also out of confidence in their own strength, Smoker, Vergo, and Sentomaru did not live in the same area as Treze, but instead dispersed to various corners of the Temptation Forest.

Early in the morning.

Treze left his treehouse and first went to check on the growth status of the [Dim Sum Tree Seed].

Originally, he had thought it would take at least two more days for the [Dim Sum Tree Seed] to sprout.

However, when Treze walked over to the spot where he had dug the hole and planted the seed the day before, he discovered that a small tree about the thickness of a finger had already burst forth from the meat-filled ground, standing a full calf's height high.

"This growth rate... exactly as I hoped!"

Treze checked the growth condition of the [Dim Sum Tree Seed] once more. Finding nothing amiss, he immediately headed toward the temporary outposts of the other three individuals in the Temptation Forest to gather these three elite marines together.

Ever since Smoker, Vergo, and Sentomaru entered the Temptation Forest, Treze had practically changed up his routine every day to "challenge" the three marines, harvesting D-grade bait from them in the process.

Smoker and Sentomaru were relatively pure-hearted marines. Even though they knew they were no match for Treze, they never refused his "challenges."

Moreover, battling Treze allowed them to constantly hone their combat techniques and thereby elevate their overall strength.

Therefore, every time they fought, Smoker and Sentomaru could be said to be "suffering happily."

As for Vergo...

Vergo was a battlefield brother who had experienced "life and death" alongside Treze!

How could he possibly refuse Treze's "request for combat sparring"?

Besides, although this fellow Vergo was a marine undercover agent, his dedication to studying his own strength was second to none among the marines.

Not to mention, he still harbored thoughts of turning Treze into an undercover agent for the Donquixote Family within the Marines!

Facing Treze's visit, none of the three marines felt any surprise.

"It's my turn to fight you today, Treze!"

The tall and sturdy Sentomaru stepped forward, crossing his arms with a posture that looked exceedingly confident, though his deeply vigilant eyes betrayed his true mindset.

"Let the man with the tightest lips in the world handle this! I certainly won't tell you that I only mastered a new Six Powers technique yesterday!"

Smoker: ......

Vergo: ......

Although they had been training camp companions with this fellow Sentomaru for nearly a year, the two of them still couldn't quite get used to Sentomaru's constant boasting.

Especially since this kind of "boasting" had zero factual basis whatsoever!

Just as the entire training camp knew Smoker was a chain smoker and Vergo was a slob.

Who didn't know that your lips, Sentomaru, were looser than Big Mom's underskirt?

Treze felt quite helpless as well.

Among the four people on this Boin Archipelago, he was the only normal person; the other three all had some degree of issues.

"But you've already exposed your own intelligence..."

Treze shook his head and skipped over this meaningless topic.

"However, that doesn't matter. Sentomaru, I'm not looking to 'challenge' just you alone today."

Sentomaru rubbed his watermelon-like haircut, failing to react in time.

"What do you mean? Not fighting today?"

"No."

Treze raised his fist, pitch-black Armament Haki erupting from within his body to dye his forearm black.

"Today, I'm going to take on three!"

"Nani!?" x3

Smoker, Vergo, and Sentomaru were simultaneously startled, especially when they caught sight of the pitch-black luster symbolizing Armament Haki.

Young Master Treze struck a pose and flashed a grin, his white, fine teeth gleaming with a chillingly cold light.

"I'm going to take on three of them."