041 Integration

"Shave..." Sand and wind flew, a fleeting shadow vanished swiftly.

"Heavy Fruit. Force of a thousand pounds."

A young man, his face resolute, his right hand plain and unadorned, gently pushed forward. Yet, a weighty power surged forth, astonishing all who witnessed it.

On the coast, aboard the warship, Xuan Ye lounged on a deck chair, cradling a glass of fruit wine, watching Pakas and Little Gold's figures on the beach with keen interest.

Little Gold—that was the simple, unpretentious name Xuan Ye gave the monkey.

Ever since that night, Pakas seemed to have been deeply affected; whenever he could, he would drag Little Gold into a bout. In the past four days, he had challenged him twenty times, failing each time, always ending up battered and bruised. Yet he persevered relentlessly. Since Xuan Ye bestowed him with the Devil Fruit, Pakas had vowed to follow him for life.

However, he knew that without strength, even if Xuan Ye did not abandon him, he would eventually fall behind, fading into obscurity.

Thus, apart from training desperately, Pakas spent most of his time sparring with Little Gold, losing every match.

"Squeak, squeak..." Little Gold grew impatient, holding a banana in his hand, his expression full of disdain.

Seeing the heavy fist approaching, Little Gold glanced aside, then clenched his own fist and struck straight ahead.

"Bang..." Flesh met flesh, winds swept the sand, Little Gold stood unmoved while Pakas was sent flying, his face full of unwillingness.

Over this period, Pakas had not only mastered Shave but also Moon Step; most importantly, his Armament Haki had begun to awaken, though sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

"Squeak, squeak... You're no match for me. If you want a challenge, try that guy. I don't want to play with you anymore." Little Gold lifted his head arrogantly, pointing unhappily at Xuan Ye, who was enjoying himself on the warship.

"The Major is busy. Only you can help me here. Five crates of bananas—is that enough?" Pakas stood up, tempting him with a dull offer.

"Gulp, gulp..." Those golden eyes spun cunningly. Little Gold spat, looking utterly dissatisfied—a secretive smirk hidden in his demeanor.

"Ten crates." Pakas' lips twitched; he saw through Little Gold's scheme immediately—it was too obvious.

"Squeak, squeak... I won't be bribed by you." The monkey stuck out his tongue, eyes shining, golden tail swaying back and forth. Clearly, his mood was elated.

"Fine, then I won't bother you anymore." Pakas feigned sadness, turning away and walking off, muttering under his breath, "Five, four, three, two, one..."

"Squeak, squeak... Don't go! Let's talk—how about fifteen crates?" A golden flash blocked Pakas.

"No, I only have five crates."

"Squeak, squeak... Didn't you say ten crates?" The golden monkey was upset, jumping around, feeling betrayed—it was an insult to his intelligence.

"Only five crates. Take it or leave it." Pakas closed his eyes, nostrils flared, finally his turn to boast.

"Squeak, squeak... Five crates it is." The monkey grumbled, plotting revenge in his heart.

This scene was so familiar, not only to Xuan Ye but to everyone else as well. It had happened countless times during the past four days. The key was that the monkey fell for it every single time, making Xuan Ye worry for his intelligence.

Even before it began, Xuan Ye could guess the outcome; Pakas would surely crawl back to the warship once more.

What delighted Xuan Ye most was that, while teaching the other trainees the Six Powers, the golden monkey showed keen interest. In just one day, he had already mastered the basics of Shave and Moon Step.

This phenomenon thrilled Xuan Ye; as long as the monkey learned all Six Powers, he would have another sparring partner.

Frankly, Little Gold's intelligence was equivalent to an ordinary fifteen- or sixteen-year-old child. He often chattered away, gesticulating as he spoke, almost like a regular person.

His three heads and six arms were indeed the result of eating a Devil Fruit, which was why Xuan Ye shamelessly recruited him.

Night fell. Starlight spilled, turning Fierce Beast Island into a cauldron of wild energy—countless roars echoed, shadows flitted everywhere.

On the coast, several bonfires illuminated the beach. Hundreds of youths sweated, pushing their limits in battle.

"Pakas, add another five tons to this training equipment," called a slender figure by the shore, carrying a massive iron plate on his back, sweat pouring as he trained relentlessly.

"Major, this iron plate already weighs five tons, and my ability can only add two tons. Sorry to disappoint you," Pakas replied.

"Never mind. Just add the two tons," Xuan Ye said, breathing heavily as he did push-ups.

"Yes, sir." Pakas stepped forward, placing his right hand on the iron plate on Xuan Ye's back. With a surge of power, the plate's weight instantly increased from five to seven tons.

"Ugh..." As the weight grew, Xuan Ye nearly collapsed, but managed to rise, gritting his teeth and continuing his training.

"Pa...kas... Spend more time developing your ability. This is a fine fruit, and it helps my training."

"I understand, Major. Rest assured, I won't let you down."

"Good," Xuan Ye grunted.

"Squeak, squeak... Add weight for me too!" Nearby, the golden monkey protested, rolling his eyes and glowering fiercely at Pakas.

Ever since Xuan Ye began training hard, he not only inspired everyone, but also caught Little Gold's attention. Determined to surpass Xuan Ye, the monkey pushed himself to the limit.

Whatever Xuan Ye did, Little Gold imitated. Surprisingly, his strength actually improved because of it.

On the entire island, including the warship, if Xuan Ye was the top fighter, Little Gold was second—and could even exchange a hundred moves with the first, under Xuan Ye's full suppression.

The first time Xuan Ye and Little Gold sparred before the others, everyone was stunned. Afterwards, Little Gold's strength earned their admiration. Whenever Xuan Ye was away, this fellow became king of the mountain, bossing everyone around.

He especially knew how to enjoy himself. If Xuan Ye went to train in the sea behind the island, Little Gold would swagger about, interrupting everyone's training, ordering them to pick fruit, cook delicacies, and even demanding leg massages. At first, the trainees protested, but under the golden iron fist, they soon yielded, battered and resigned.

Xuan Ye remembered returning one day to witness this scene, his heart ablaze. That time, man and monkey battled together, but Little Gold ended up worse for wear.

Yet, the monkey never changed his ways. Calling him stubborn would be generous; to Xuan Ye, he seemed utterly foolish and reckless.

Whenever Xuan Ye left, Little Gold revived with full vigor. Though he didn't boss everyone around, he still managed to harass seven or eight. Xuan Ye turned a blind eye to this.

Thus, on the warship, Little Gold became the second-in-command, with Pakas as the third. Sometimes, though, the trainees felt Pakas was the true second, and the monkey the third, for Little Gold had suffered losses at Pakas' hands so many times, even he couldn't count.

Another thing: the monkey was mischievous—familiarly known as "Number Two."

He loved playing tricks. During training, he'd fart in front of you, the smell so potent some trainees nearly died. Sometimes, he'd grab your rear or other sensitive parts, leaving everyone mortified.

He'd throw tantrums, strip his pants, make faces—during training, the mere appearance of the monkey filled everyone with dread.

Yet despite all this, no one disliked him. He was truly lovable and infuriating in equal measure.

Many times, during island trials, trainees faced deadly danger, but the monkey always rescued them in the end. It could be said that everyone had been both teased and saved by him.

As such, their feelings for the monkey were a true blend of love and hate.