At four o'clock in the morning of the second day, the sky was not yet fully bright, covered by a thin layer of mist, and the distant sea level faintly glowed with a light blue luster.
The bonfire under the barbecue grill was still burning, and the occasional flickering sparks were particularly striking in the silent night.
Zoro leaned against the rock, opening his eyes, his sharp gaze devoid of any sleepiness.
He stretched, then turned to Sanji beside him: "Get up, it's time to train."
Sanji still clutched a leftover grilled fish bone in his hand; he tossed it into the bonfire, dusted himself off, and a smile played on his lips:
"Of course, I wouldn't fall behind."
Due to their prolonged rigorous training, their bodies had long developed a biological clock, waking them at four every morning to practice the Body Tempering Technique.
Their attitude was extremely serious; Zoro and Sanji were also immersed in the thrill of rapidly improving their strength, finding that diligent training was truly addictive.
The two stood up, their gazes simultaneously sweeping towards Luffy, Usopp, Nami, and Vivi, who were sound asleep not far away.
Zoro grinned, walked over, and gave Luffy a hard kick to his waist.
"Stop sleeping! After all this time, you still haven't gotten used to it?" Zoro's tone carried undisguised disdain.
"Hiss—" Luffy clutched his stomach, rolled over to sit up, rubbed his messy hair, and yawned, "Sorry… it's just that last night's grilled fish was too delicious…"
"Less talk, get up!" Zoro grabbed Luffy and pulled him to his feet, "With your lazy attitude, you still want to get stronger?"
Kai stood by, watching this scene with a faint smile in his eyes.
He didn't say much, but instead walked to the shore first and began his day's training.
After a morning of exercise, the sky was already bright, and everyone had regained their energy, ready to set sail.
The going merry rested by the shore, its sails gently swaying with the wind, making a "rustling" sound.
Zoro and Sanji stood on opposite sides of the deck; Zoro skillfully raised the anchor and secured it to the railing, his movements swift and decisive.
"Ready, get on board," Zoro called out to Kai and Luffy, who were standing on the shore.
Sanji stood on the deck, lit a cigarette, slowly exhaled a smoke ring, and turned to Nami and Vivi: "Where did Young Miss Vivi go?"
Nami was organizing the nautical chart, saying without looking up: "She went to find her duck, Karoo."
Just then, Vivi rushed back, her face full of anxiety: "Strange, it always comes when I whistle, but this time it didn't appear!"
"Is this him?" Zoro casually raised a hand, pointing to a giant yellow duck beside the cabin.
Karoo was leisurely standing on the deck, his plump body looking comical and cute in the sunlight.
"Quack!" Karoo stretched his wings as if greeting them, his black eyes darting around, full of innocence.
Vivi took one look and immediately broke down: "Karoo! You've been on the ship all along!"
Sanji put a hand to his forehead, his tone full of helplessness: "He's been on the ship since early morning…"
Karoo seemed to understand their words, letting out a few cheerful quacks and flapping his wings against the railing.
Zoro folded his arms, looking completely unconcerned: "He's been here all morning, I don't know what you're panicking about."
As everyone boarded, the going merry slowly pulled away from the shore, its sails billowing with the breeze, the hull cutting a graceful arc across the calm sea.
Vivi stood at the stern, watching the gradually receding shore, and said softly, "There's a tributary along the way, we can enter the route earlier."
Luffy stood at the bow, his face full of excitement: "Yay! We're off!"
Zoro slowly walked over to Vivi, a hint of doubt on his face: "Vivi, how many of those Baroque Works assassins will actually pursue us?"
Vivi paused, then lowered her head and said in a low voice:
"I don't know… there are over two thousand members in Baroque Works, and I heard there are several strongholds nearby, just like here."
Nami heard that number and was so shocked she almost dropped the nautical chart in her hand: "Two thousand people?! Are you kidding me?!"
But soon, Nami ran a hand through her hair, revealing a confident smile:
"But it doesn't matter, with Kai and Luffy here, no matter how many people there are, it won't be a problem."
After so many days together, Nami now had great faith in the combat strength of Kai and the others.
Vivi looked at Nami's expression, feeling a sense of relief, but still couldn't help but urge, "No matter what, we should leave quickly."
Just then, Luffy, standing at the bow, suddenly shouted: "Wow! It's getting foggy!"
Nami looked up and saw that a thick fog had already spread across the sea; she sighed slightly: "Yes, it seems like dawn is breaking."
Suddenly, a clear and intellectual female voice came from the deck: "Be careful, don't hit any hidden reefs, okay?"
Nami subconsciously replied: "Don't worry, just watch me…"
Mid-sentence, she suddenly froze, looking around: "Who said that just now?"
Zoro's lips curled into a cold smile; he leaned against the railing, clutching his sword: "Only just noticed? She's been on the ship for a while."
Everyone followed Zoro's gaze and saw a young woman sitting on the railing above the cabin.
She wore a wide-brimmed hat, its brim slightly lowered, obscuring half her face.
Smooth black hair fell over her shoulders, gently swaying with the sea breeze.
A faint smile played on the woman's lips, her rosy mouth slightly pursed, exuding confidence and composure.
She wore purple shorts with an exquisite belt cinched at her waist, accentuating her elegant figure.
Her legs were crossed, casually propped up, her straight and rounded legs appearing exceptionally long and captivating.
Her tanned skin radiated a healthy glow, and her deep blue pupils were as unfathomable as the ocean, revealing a calm and mysterious aura.
She rested her chin on her hand, her gaze lazy and somewhat appraising as she looked at the people on the ship, saying softly, "This ship isn't bad."
Nami narrowed her eyes, her tone carrying a hint of wariness: "Who are you? When did you get on the ship?"
Zoro looked at the woman, his tone somewhat disdainful: "Don't be nervous, she's been on board for a while, you just didn't notice."
Kai stood by, his gaze sweeping over her, a red light flashing in his pupils: "Interesting!"
Kai's Observation Haki had long detected an uninvited guest on the ship.
Absolutely confident in his own strength, Kai didn't make a fuss; he was more curious about the mysterious woman's intentions.
At this moment, Vivi nervously clutched Karoo's wing, her eyes showing a hint of panic as she saw the woman:
"Why are you here? Miss All Sunday!!!"