Fated Adventure.

Another month passed, and our training only grew more intense. Rayleigh wasn't holding back anymore. If the first month had been about learning the fundamentals, the second was about mastery and endurance. Every day, we were pushed to our absolute limits—and then past them.

For me, it was an endless cycle of refinement. The Marine Six Styles were becoming second nature, and my Haki had reached the point where I could switch between Armament and Observation instinctively in battle. My strength, speed, and durability—already monstrous due to my Heavenly Restriction—only grew more refined under Rayleigh's guidance. The King Piece in my body ensured that I had no limits and progressed at an absurd rate, growing ten times faster than anyone else.

Ace, on the other hand, had fully embraced his Conqueror's Haki. At first, he could only release it in bursts, knocking out weaker opponents, but now he was learning to control it, to direct it at specific targets. Without any Devil Fruit abilities to rely on, his raw physical talent and Haki were becoming his true weapons.

Deuce, though not as naturally gifted in combat as us, was making steady progress with Observation Haki and had started incorporating some of the Marine Six Styles into his movements. He was the strategist of our group, learning how to read our opponents before they even made a move.

Rayleigh watched all of this with an amused but approving gaze. "You three are growing at an unnatural rate," he commented one day as I clashed with him in a test of Armament Haki. Our fists met, sending a shockwave through the training ground. "Especially you, Ryan. It's like your body has no limits."

I exhaled, feeling the energy coursing through my limbs. "That's because it doesn't."

Rayleigh chuckled. "I'm starting to believe that."

But despite my monstrous growth, there was still something missing. I had yet to awaken Conqueror's Haki. Ace had it, and Rayleigh suspected I did too, but no matter how much we trained, I couldn't bring it out.

That changed when Rayleigh decided to push me past my limits.

One evening, after an entire day of brutal sparring, Rayleigh suddenly lunged at me with killing intent. It wasn't a test, and it wasn't training—this was something else.

I barely had time to react before his fist, coated in Armament Haki, slammed into my stomach. I skidded back, coughing as pain surged through my body. Before I could recover, he was already on me again, moving faster than I could track. Another blow sent me crashing into a tree, splintering it on impact.

"Get up," Rayleigh said coldly.

I struggled to my feet, my healing factor from the Fountain of Youth already mending the internal damage, but Rayleigh didn't let up. He appeared in front of me in an instant, fist raised, and I could tell—if I didn't do something now, I would lose.

Something inside me snapped.

A surge of raw willpower exploded from my body, a force I had never felt before. The air trembled, the trees around us shook violently, and a massive wave of pressure swept across the area.

Rayleigh stopped, a grin forming on his face. "There it is."

Ace and Deuce, watching from the sidelines, staggered as the overwhelming force washed over them. Some of the smaller animals in the distance collapsed instantly, unconscious from the sheer weight of my presence.

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding. "That… was me?"

Rayleigh nodded. "Took you long enough." His smirk widened. "You've had it in you this whole time. You just needed the right push."

Ace whistled. "Damn, Ryan. That was intense."

Deuce adjusted his glasses. "So, you had it after all."

I clenched my fists, feeling the residual energy still crackling in the air. Conqueror's Haki. It had finally awakened.

Rayleigh crossed his arms. "Now that you've unlocked it, we're going to teach you how to control it. And believe me, this is just the beginning."

The next few days were some of the hardest training I had ever endured. Awakening Conqueror's Haki was one thing—wielding it properly was another. Rayleigh had me practice exerting my will in controlled bursts, learning to direct the pressure rather than letting it explode outward uncontrollably. It was a slow process, but the King Piece in my body accelerated my growth, allowing me to grasp the basics far quicker than even I expected.

Meanwhile, Ace was refining his control, practicing infusing Conqueror's Haki into his strikes. Every day, we pushed each other to greater heights, training relentlessly from sunrise to sunset.

The real test, however, came when Rayleigh decided to take our training to the next level.

One morning, he stood before us, arms crossed. "You've all improved," he admitted. "But training here, on solid ground, in a controlled environment? That's not enough. You need to experience real combat, unpredictable situations, and pressure that can't be replicated in training."

Ace grinned. "Sounds like you've got something in mind."

Rayleigh smirked. "We're leaving the island. It's time you put your skills to the test on the open sea."

I exchanged glances with Ace and Deuce. This was it—the next step.

We had spent two months refining our bodies and minds, pushing past limits we didn't even know existed. Now, it was time to see if all that training would hold up in the real world.

Our journey was far from over. In fact, it was just getting started.