One Piece: It All Started When I Found Shanks' Arm

Chapter 39: Getting Used to Thunder Bagua in Advance

Unlocking the treasures of the human body, enhancing physical strength.

This was exactly what Shane wanted most right now. Hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to his own body. He added it directly to the cart.

As for the last item...

[Peter Griffin's Jeans]

[Type: Equipment]

[Price: 500 Points]

[Description: After wearing, intelligence will be slightly reduced, and there is a chance of increasing your aggro in the eyes of others.]

[Seller's Remark: Also suitable for big eaters.]

The effect of this item was a bit interesting, but the cost-effectiveness was low. After a little thought, Shane shook his head. He still felt there was no need to waste points on something like this.

He submitted the cart and checked out.

There were quite a few desirable items in this refresh. A total of four items, costing 3500 points in total.

His remaining points were 39,525, still quite abundant.

Closing the trading market, Shane opened his inventory and first took out the black training suit with adjustable weight.

The default initial setting was the lowest, 1KG, similar to a normal athletic outfit. It fit perfectly, and while being extremely tough and elastic, it was also quite breathable.

It felt very comfortable. After some simple movements, he immediately began to try adjusting the weight.

"It's better to be cautious and start slowly. Let's try 250KG first..."

THUD!

With a dull thud, the pressure on his body suddenly increased. Shane's body sank slightly for a moment, then he stood firm again as if nothing had happened.

He did a set of inverted push-ups, jogged a lap around the grove, and used "Shave" a few times back and forth between the wooden posts—his landing was still precise, just a little slower.

"Not enough, far from enough."

Shane shook his head. A weight of 250KG might have been a bit of a challenge for him before he went to sea. But for him now, he could adapt quickly, and it wouldn't have much effect.

He continued to increase it little by little.

300, 350... all the way up to 500KG.

Shane finally felt that sense of stagnation, as if every movement required a great deal of effort, like walking through a thick liquid. But it wasn't to the point where his muscles couldn't bear it. It could be said that he had found a perfect balance point.

"Let's set it at this number for now."

Shane was very satisfied with the current effect. In a while, after he had completely adapted to this pressure and could treat it as nothing during training, he would start to increase the weight further.

He then opened the "Copper Head" manual.

After a rough browse, he thought for a while and decided to start practicing it along with Iron Body. Both were techniques for tempering the body and had compatible elements. Practicing them together wouldn't cause any conflicts or delays.

However, in terms of training methods, the two had some fundamental differences.

The name "Copper Head" seemed simple, but the "Flesh-Melting Furnace Art" it belonged to was a proper internal cultivation manual. It focused more on comprehension and technique. While tempering the body with high intensity, one also had to constantly study and understand its mysteries to truly master it.

As for "Iron Body," in comparison, it was a completely external skill, and its training method was much simpler and more brutal. As the only defensive technique among the Six Powers, its principle was to control the flow of blood, concentrating it in the muscles to increase hardness.

To achieve this, besides constantly increasing muscle strength through various daily physical training, the core content was actually specialized anti-impact training!

In layman's terms, it meant constantly beating the body with various hard instruments to gradually increase its resistance to impact.

When the Marines and CP units trained this, they would work in pairs, hitting each other with wooden clubs. When you got tired, it was my turn, and so on.

This meant that to ensure the efficiency of Iron Body training, one person couldn't do it alone; a training partner was necessary.

Fortunately, Shane wasn't short of people right now. The processing workshop wouldn't open until next year. Currently, the refugees he had brought over only had to deal with matters in the orange grove and were relatively free. He could pick a few young and strong ones each day to help him practice Iron Body.

He didn't like to procrastinate. Since he had made a decision, he wouldn't delay.

And so, after a full morning of practicing "Copper Head," when it was time for "Iron Body" in the afternoon—Manba and the "Fatty Bandit" he had once punched into a tree were brought to the training ground. Each held a hardwood club, looking at Shane with apprehension.

"Sir, let me confirm again. I didn't mishear, did I?"

Manba looked at the club in his hand and swallowed. "You really want me to hit you five hundred times with all my strength?"

"Yes. Start with the back. But it's not just five hundred. That's just the first round, in case you get tired and can't use your full strength," Shane said, stretching his back muscles. "After five hundred hits, Fatty Joe will take over. You rest on the side. When Fatty Joe gets tired, it's your turn again."

Fatty Joe was the name of the "Fatty Bandit." His personality was a bit simple-minded. Hearing this, he nodded eagerly. "Okay! Got it, Boss!"

"But..."

Manba was still hesitating.

It wasn't until Shane turned and glared at him that he finally dared not delay any longer. He gripped the hardwood club and slammed it fiercely against Shane's back.

Shane had already taken a firm horse stance, calmed his mind, and, following the tips mentioned in the Iron Body manual, accelerated the blood flow in his back muscles as much as possible, waiting for the blow.

Thud. With a dull sound, Manba's hand went numb from the impact. He immediately felt uneasy again. Did I use too much force?

"Hm?"

Shane turned his head, a look of dissatisfaction on his face. "I told you to use your full strength. Why are you still holding back? Are you trying to tickle me? I don't feel a thing!"

Manba gritted his teeth. This time, he finally used all his strength and slammed down hard. Seeing that Shane didn't turn around, he immediately followed up with another blow, and then another—

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The dull, drum-like sounds echoed endlessly through the orange grove, but they didn't last long. After about twenty or thirty strikes, the hardwood club suddenly cracked with a sharp snap and broke into several pieces.

"Huh?"

Manba held up the remaining half of the club, dumbfounded.

This was from the Colubo Mountains, the hardest wood he could find in the entire mountain range! And it had only lasted this long before shattering?

Shane also sighed and turned his head, looking at the pile of splinters with a headache. His current muscle strength was indeed very high. Hitting his body with a material like wood really wouldn't have much effect.

"Throw the club away."

Shane's gaze turned to Fatty Joe. "Let's try your spiked club."

"Huh?"

Even a simpleton like Fatty Joe was stunned. Manba couldn't help but say, "Sir, Fatty Joe's club weighs sixty or seventy kilograms. It's a real combat weapon."

"It's fine. I like this weapon."

Shane stared at the large spiked club that was almost as tall as he was and grinned. "Let's just consider it getting used to Thunder Bagua in advance."

"Alright, but... shouldn't we blunt the sharp parts a little?"

Manba asked hesitantly again.

Fatty Joe's club had many sharp spikes. If they weren't modified, one or two hits might be fine, but a round of several hundred blows would turn him into a sieve.

Shane nodded. That was a reasonable suggestion.

A moment later, the spikes were modified.

Manba and Fatty Joe took turns, like blacksmiths forging a weapon, continuously swinging the spiked club and smashing it against Shane's back.

Shane's face was expressionless, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Occasionally, when he really couldn't take it, he would grit his teeth, but he would quickly endure it.

Does it hurt? Of course, it hurt. But if he couldn't even endure this little bit of pain, how could he get stronger quickly?

There was an almost crazed anticipation in his eyes. This is it! This is how it has to be!

—Under the buffs of the statue and the training suit, constantly tempering his body with high intensity, day after day. When both "Iron Body" and "Copper Head" were mastered, what level would his physical strength reach?