The rhythmic thrum of the ship's engine vibrated through the steel deck, a constant, low drone beneath my feet. Five hours. Five hours until the island. Five hours until the familiar, brutal training grounds of the camp. Five hours until the real trials began again. The two days of rest, a forced pause, a temporary lull in the storm, had done little to quell the anticipation that coiled within me, a tight, unyielding spring.
I scanned the deck, a silent observer of the shifting atmosphere. The others, once gaunt and hollow-eyed, were now regaining their composure.
The rest had done them good, a visible restoration of their depleted reserves. They looked… refreshed, resilient. A stark contrast to my own state, where no weariness lingered, no fatigue required recovery. "They look like they've been reborn," I thought, "but I feel no change, not a twitch." The simulations, my constant companions, had ensured the trials continued, an unbroken chain of mental and strategic engagement.
Dory approached, his gaze sharp and unwavering, his presence a tangible weight. "Five hours," he stated, his voice clipped and precise, cutting through the ambient noise.
"Five hours," I echoed, my voice flat, a mere acknowledgment of the inevitable.
"Training resumes at dawn, the day after arrival," he continued, his eyes scanning the horizon, gauging the distance, the time. "We cannot afford to lose momentum, especially as the top two strongest." His words hung in the air, a silent reminder of the expectations placed upon us.
"Understood," I replied, my gaze fixed on the churning waves, the relentless rhythm of the ocean mirroring the relentless rhythm of our lives.
"Momentum," I thought, "as if we were machines. But he's right. Stagnation is death."
"They look… ready," he observed, nodding towards the senior recruits, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes.
He paused, a flicker of something that might have been concern, or perhaps a mere calculation, before he simply nodded and turned away, his attention shifting to the organization of the returning recruits, the logistics of their re-entry into the camp's harsh regime. "He's always watching," I mused, "calculating, assessing. He sees us as tools, and perhaps, we are."
I moved to the stern, the wind whipping at my hair, carrying the salt-laced air, a constant reminder of the ocean's vastness. The endless expanse of the sea stretched out before me, a vast, unforgiving reminder of the world we lived in, a world where strength was paramount, and survival a constant struggle. "The ocean never rests," I thought, "neither can I."
First, simulations. They are the key to my progression.
The internal command echoed in my mind, a priority set. I activated the system, the familiar blue interface shimmering into existence, a digital overlay on the harsh reality of the ship's steel. "Show me my profile," I murmured, my voice barely audible above the wind, a request for data, for information, for a tangible measure of my progress.
Processing request!
Ding!
Host Profile
Simulation Points: 180
Name: Lazarus
Marine's Rank: Lieutenant
Attributes: Endurance 100, Strength 200, Agility 200, Spirit 200.
Abilities: Bubble-bubble fruit (Master), Haki: Observation Haki (Novice) and Armament Haki (Novice)
Battle Skills: Sniper (Expert), Six Styles: Moonwalk (Novice) and Finger Pistol (Novice), Hand-to-hand combat (Intermediate)
The interface displayed my attributes, a stark reminder of the unique constraint I faced. My physical attributes, pushed to their current limit, could only be further enhanced through the simulations. Simulation is paramount. Physical training alone will no longer suffice. Without the simulations, further growth would be impossible.
"These numbers," I thought, "they are my prison and my key. I must break these walls."
"Convert 40 points," I commanded, my voice firm, decisive. "Four Bronze simulations. My attributes are at their maximum, and only simulations can push them beyond. I need to break these limits before the physical training resumes."
"System use bronze simulation now"
Ding! Host use Bronze level simulation opportunity, life simulation started.
In your first year, after returning from the mission to eliminate the Blackbeard Pirates, you focused on training, especially Haki.
In your second year, Zephyr's relentless personal training significantly improved your mastery of Haki. While you were the strongest on the ship, your natural attributes remained just above average. Your strength stemmed primarily from your exceptional sniper skills, Haki proficiency, and Devil Fruit abilities. Recognizing this, you focused on rigorous physical training. During a pirate hunting expedition, an unknown pirate attacked Zephyr's ship. However, you and Zephyr swiftly eliminated the threat. Your abilities ensured the pirate's escape was impossible.
In your third year, you graduated from Elite Camp....
In your fourth year, you get promote as Rear Admiral....
In your fifth year, you didn't kill the king of Sorbet Kingdom, you just arrested him, you collected evidence about his crimes with the help of the pastor there. You hand it over to the admiral for justice.
In your sixth year, You focus on training and hunting pirates, especially in the New World...
In your seventh year, you still focus on training and hunting pirates, you receive news that Kuma has become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
In your eighth year, you encountered Kuma in East Blue and asked why he joined the Seven Warlords. Instead of an answer, he gave you a letter to deliver to his daughter, Bonney.
You traveled to the Sorbet Kingdom and presented the letter to Bonney.
In your ninth year, you were promoted to Vice Admiral and became the base commander at a New World outpost. When summoned back to Marineford to combat the Whitebeard Pirates, you were forced to refuse. Intelligence indicated the Beast Pirates were on the move, and you prioritized intercepting Beast Pirates's captain to prevent him from reaching Marineford. Though you successfully stopped him but you tragically lost your life in the process.
Ding!, your Attribute before death: Endurance 229, Strength 322, Agility 270, Spirit 450.
Choose one Attribute retain.
For the first simulation, I chose the strength attribute.
In the second simulation, I retained the endurance attribute, which is 302.
In the third simulation, I retained the spirit attribute, which is 453.
And in the final simulation, I picked the agility attribute, which is 301.