[TIOP] Chapter : 130

"It’s incredible in there!" Fukuro exclaimed between bites of the roasted fish Jabra had handed him. "But Miss Lena seems to have improved. She went deeper into the cave—I couldn’t keep up, so I stayed near the entrance to train."

Despite the powerful benefits of training inside the cave, it drained stamina quickly. Fukuro had barely emerged before devouring half the fish in one sitting.

"Ahh, I’m stuffed! Time to head back in and give it another shot!" He declared, stretching and preparing to move—only to be stopped by Jabra.

"Our lord said that proper rest is essential for good training. Pushing yourself while exhausted won’t help," Jabra said with a light smile.

Fukuro froze mid-step, then gave a sheepish nod and went to lie down nearby. Meanwhile, Jabra instructed some marines to carry extra provisions back to the ship. He figured they'd need to take the warship out farther to catch bigger fish—especially if Lena emerged hungry.

Just as Jabra finished preparing supplies, Lena stumbled out of the cave, her uniform torn and streaked with fresh wounds.

"How was it? How far did you manage to get?" Jabra asked with curiosity.

"A bit farther than the marker you left behind," Lena replied, shaking her head and catching her breath.

Jabra stood stunned. He’d been training in that cave with Jack for nearly a month, and yet Lena, on her first attempt, had already surpassed him. He could hardly believe it.

"Chababa~ Miss Lena’s a genius, remember?" Fukuro chimed in from his resting spot. "She awakened her Observation Haki at just twelve! If not for our lord’s overwhelming presence overshadowing everyone, she'd probably be one of the Navy’s rising stars by now."

"Come on," Lena waved him off modestly. "Compared to Jack-sama, what kind of genius am I?"

"Food’s ready—eat and rest up. You can head back in once your body’s recovered," Jabra said, handing Lena a meal before turning toward the cave again. He couldn’t accept being left behind so easily.

"This really is an incredible place for training..." Lena murmured later, as she woke from her nap to see Jabra dragging his tired body out of the cave. Fukuro was snoring softly beside her, utterly spent.

Several days passed like this—rotating training, rest, and meals—until finally, Jack reemerged from the cave. He found Lena and the others waiting just outside.

"Hey there," Jack greeted casually, heading straight for the food they had prepared. "So, did you all give it a try?"

"We did! It’s amazing in there!" Lena answered excitedly.

"Oh?" Jack smiled. "Have you tried using slashes to cut down the wind blades?"

At that, Lena, Fukuro, and Jabra all perked up, their eyes lighting with curiosity. Both Fukuro and Jabra, being adept in the Navy’s Six Styles, were capable of producing slashes.

"We didn’t think of that!" Lena admitted, then paused. "But... wouldn’t our attacks damage the cave? It’s not exactly reinforced."

That thought quickly dimmed the excitement in their eyes. She was right—this was just a naturally formed cave. One reckless strike could destroy its unique training environment.

"Don’t worry," Jack said, chuckling. "Once I fully understand how this cave works, we’ll recreate it at the G1 branch."

"Wait—did you finally reach the end?" all three asked in unison, eyes wide with anticipation.

Jack shook his head slowly. "Not yet. But I feel like I’m close. There’s something deeper in... something calling to me." He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "Animals have sharper instincts than humans. Maybe they sensed that pull—and that’s why so many charged into the cave in the first place."

The others exchanged glances. None of them felt anything unusual—no mysterious pull or strange energy.

"Lena, contact Fleet Admiral Aokiji," Jack said casually as he ate. "Tell him what we’ve discovered here, and have troops sent to secure the island. This sacred training ground must not fall into the wrong hands."

"Yes, sir!" Lena nodded, ready to leave.

"No need to rush just yet," Jack added with a wave of his hand. "On your way back, have Kaku, Kalifa, and the others come here first. We can make the most of this place before it’s officially occupied."

"Understood. But… won't your long absence raise concerns, sir?" Lena asked as she sat down again.

"I’ll return after I finish exploring the cave’s depths," Jack replied with a faint smile. "Once I’m done, we’ll have Issho brought in as well."

At this point, Jack’s personal gains from training in the cave had plateaued. His agility had reached its peak.

Yet something still drew him forward—a curiosity about what lay in the deepest reaches of the cave. He wondered if it might be possible to replicate this mysterious training environment and relocate it to Navy Headquarters as a permanent asset.

It took Jack nearly a month to reach the bottom. At the end of the narrow, winding path, he discovered a strange vent. Once he passed through it, he emerged into a cavern resembling a subterranean magma chamber.

No wind blades howled here. Jack stood at the mouth of the chamber, surveying the area with sharp eyes. It wasn’t large—just a small space filled with bubbling magma, broken up by scattered stone platforms rising from the molten floor.

"Huh? Is that... a Devil Fruit?" Jack murmured, squinting.

Amidst the magma, nearly camouflaged by its surroundings, was a fiery red plant. Small and easy to miss, it bore a fruit—bright crimson, the size of an apple, with unusual patterns etched into its skin. It didn’t quite resemble a Devil Fruit, but it gave off an undeniably strange energy.

As Jack moved closer for a better look, a wave of danger swept over him. His instincts screamed, and he instantly leapt back. It was his Observation Haki at work.

"ROAR!!"
A monstrous creature burst from the magma, unleashing a deafening roar.

It was guarding the plant. Its sharp gaze locked onto Jack with hostile intent.

"Is that... a dragon?" Jack muttered in disbelief.

The beast had massive wings, stunted forelimbs, and a crocodile-like snout—eerily reminiscent of a western dragon from ancient legends. Jack had never seen such a creature before. Kaido’s dragon form was the product of a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. And while the Navy’s scientists had pieced together their own artificial dragons, Jack had never been impressed by their strength.

This, however, was something different.

"RRAAGH!" the dragon bellowed again, this time unleashing a torrent of fire—an unmistakable dragon’s breath.

"Heh... looks like things just got interesting," Jack smirked.

With a flicker of motion, he vanished—and suddenly, three versions of him appeared around the beast.

This was the fruit of his relentless training: his speed had increased so drastically that afterimages followed him, appearing like clones. Unlike true shadow clones, these illusions couldn’t move and only lasted briefly—but they were enough to confuse enemies.

The real Jack crouched into a stance, eyes locked on the dragon.

"Let’s see what you’ve got."

Still, it was enough to confuse the creature before him. The dragon-like beast clearly fell for the illusion. Though it couldn't understand how one person had suddenly become three, it didn’t hesitate—it opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of dragon breath, engulfing all three afterimages in flames.

Unseen behind it, Jack crouched on a small stone platform, watching the display with a faint smile. The beast roared triumphantly, convinced it had wiped out its target.

“Let’s test how tough you really are.”
A glint sparked in Jack’s eyes as his right arm became fully coated in Armament Haki.

“Bang—!”

The unsuspecting beast took the full brunt of Jack’s sneak attack. With a solid strike to the back of its head, Jack sent it crashing into the magma below. A surge of molten rock erupted from the impact, splashing across nearby platforms and shrinking several of them.

“RRAAAHHH!!”

Moments later, the creature burst forth again, unscathed—save for the fury in its eyes. It hadn’t been seriously injured, but it was definitely provoked.

“Heh, not bad,” Jack chuckled and stepped forward, launching his next move.

“FInger bullets barrage!”
As he closed the distance, he jabbed his index finger at the beast, unleashing a concentrated strike of Haki and chakra.

The dragon hissed—some instinct had warned it. Its scales shifted and hardened in response.

“Clang—!”

The blow landed with a metallic ring, deflecting harmlessly off its shimmering armor, throwing up a few sparks.

Seeing minimal impact, Jack wanted to try something and took out Ryuuma's sword, Shisui and coated it with Emission Haki.

This time, the dragon sensed real danger. Rather than taking the hit, it twisted midair, trying to dodge.

But it was too late. The sword struck its shoulder.

“Aaarghh—!”

A cry of pain echoed through the chamber. Though the blow hadn’t pierced all the way through, it had clearly inflicted damage. Jack could hear it in the beast’s roar.

“Impressive defense, solid speed... not bad at all,” Jack muttered, appraising the creature calmly. “Its attacks are limited, though. I wonder—can it fly?”

“RRAAAGHH! RRAAGHHH!!”
The dragon let out a furious roar, then suddenly dove back into the magma, vanishing beneath its surface.

But Jack could still feel its presence—Observation Haki confirmed it hadn’t left. It was lurking just beneath the molten surface, eyes locked on him, waiting to strike if he got too close to the mysterious plant.

“Little guy, you can hang onto that for now,” Jack said, backing away with a wry smile. “This really isn’t the best place for a fight. If that wind vent gets damaged, I won’t know how to get out.”

He cast one last look at the strange red plant glowing faintly in the magma's glow. He had initially thought that by locating the source of the wind blades, he could understand their origin. But now, he wasn’t so sure. The phenomenon seemed completely unnatural—as if the wind had manifested from nothing at all.

With that thought, Jack turned and left the magma chamber.

Back outside the vent, he was greeted by the arrival of Kalifa, Kaku, and the others. They had already begun their training near the entrance. The G1 Division, now under the command of Fujitora, supported by Lena and three elite HQ Vice Admirals, had everything under control.

There was nothing to worry about—for now.