One Piece My strange ability

Chapter 12: The Relentless Runner

The sudden shout startled the Marine recruits. Those standing near Karen trembled, their breathing noticeably uneasy.

"What are you doing?"

Rosinante, equally startled, asked nervously.

"Haha, sorry about that. It's a habit of mine. Whenever I'm running, I like to shout out a cheer or two," Karen said, scratching his head and smiling awkwardly. He couldn't help it—his unique technique required him to yell it out loudly.

"Oh... okay. Go for it, then," Rosinante replied, giving Karen a thumbs-up as he gradually understood.

Sure enough, as soon as Karen shouted, his steps felt lighter, and even his breathing smoothed out.

From that point on, whenever Karen felt his stride growing heavy, he would yell loudly once again:

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

"Lingbo Weibu!"

"Lightning steps!"

Although Karen shouted to motivate himself, the recruits running nearby were inevitably startled every single time.

"Hey, could you keep your voice down while you're shouting?" a recruit running ahead of Karen finally turned around to complain.

"Oops, sorry! It's just more exhilarating when I shout it out loud!" Karen replied.

By this point, Karen had thickened his skin considerably after so many experiences.

Helpless, the recruit could only speed up his pace, trying to get away from Karen. If I can't deal with him, I can at least avoid him, the recruit thought.

But Karen was relentless. Seeing the recruit putting more distance between them, he could only turn his attention to another runner and follow closely behind them.

This resulted in a peculiar scene across the training ground. Every time Karen shouted a slogan, the recruits around him would speed up and move away in unspoken agreement.

As everyone sped up, what was originally a normal pace soon became an intense race, with everyone giving it their all.

After switching targets several times, Karen found himself chasing the very first recruit he'd followed.

"Hey, what a coincidence! We meet again," Karen said with a grin.

The recruit, in desperation, turned and picked up speed once more.

Karen smiled knowingly and gave chase. No matter how hard the recruit ran, Karen refused to let him escape.

---

"This kid is interesting," Zephyr observed, watching Karen's antics from a distance.

"Interesting? How so?" asked the instructor standing next to him. He had also noticed Karen's strange behavior but didn't see anything noteworthy.

Zephyr lit a cigar and turned to Rapanui Pasqua, who seemed deep in thought. "You noticed too. Care to explain?"

Rapanui Pasqua nodded, albeit a bit embarrassed. Slowly, he said, "I've been watching him closely. Every time he shouts, his physical condition seems to improve slightly."

Zephyr nodded in satisfaction. "Exactly."

"Could he be a Devil Fruit user?" the instructor speculated.

It wasn't a far-fetched idea. In a world where Devil Fruits granted all kinds of peculiar abilities, such a possibility seemed plausible.

"Maybe," Rapanui Pasqua replied, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "There is a fruit in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia with a similar effect."

"You mean the Kobu Kobu no Mi?" Zephyr guessed.

Rapanui Pasqua nodded.

But Zephyr shook his head. "That's unlikely. As far as I know, someone else has already eaten the Kobu Kobu no Mi."

The Kobu Kobu no Mi, though a Paramecia fruit, was so powerful in its ability to inspire and amplify an army's strength that its strategic value was comparable to a Logia fruit.

---

As the rigorous training session wore on, exhaustion began to take its toll.

One by one, recruits started dropping out. The first shout of surrender was like a chain reaction, loosening the mental resolve of the others.

Karen was exhausted, his legs heavy and his voice growing hoarse. Yet, he kept running and shouting, unwilling to give up.

But eventually, even he reached his limit. His vision blurred, his legs gave out, and he collapsed unconscious on the track.

---

When Karen opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a bed in the infirmary. Groggily sitting up, he noticed the room was crowded with recruits who had also fainted during the training.

Some were awake, while others were still unconscious.

"Guess I didn't make it," Karen muttered to himself. After a brief moment of disappointment, he shook it off. I did my best. There's always next time.

"You're awake. Here, drink some water," a nurse said, handing him a glass.

"Thanks..." Karen croaked. His throat was parched, and his voice sounded hoarse.

"How long was I out?" he asked, forcing a weak smile.

"Just overnight," the nurse replied calmly.

Karen nodded, relieved that his condition wasn't severe. Despite the soreness in his body, he decided he didn't want to stay in the infirmary any longer.

As he was about to leave, the nurse suddenly called out to him.

"Wait! I almost forgot to tell you," she said with a smile.

Karen stopped and turned, puzzled.

"In three days," you have to report to the elite training camp."

******

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