Naruto: From Konoha to One Piece

Charlotte Pudding lay sprawled out on the deck, as limp as the peculiar slime creature beside her.

"I'm so exhausted… I can't even lift a finger," she muttered.

This was the main drawback of the rapid exercise method. While it consumed physical strength at an astonishing rate, it drained energy so intensely that one was left in a near-paralyzed state of fatigue, significantly more than with standard training.

"Pudding, are you okay?" Violet asked, looking down at her friend, who seemed almost like a puddle on the deck.

"Do I look okay? I feel like I'm just one breath away from death—the captain is a devil!"

Just then, Shin, who had just enjoyed a large meal, strolled over, still picking his teeth. "Didn't you say you want your body to exercise on its own? I've simply helped make that wish come true."

He continued, "Besides, the chip I installed in you is no ordinary tool. It essentially grants you the highest level of life-return techniques. Even if you lose consciousness in an emergency, it can perform essential first aid to keep you going."

"Even an ordinary person could reach a Marine Headquarters Colonel's level with this chip's assistance in just a year or two. Its value is incredible."

"Wow, but exercising like this is so uncomfortable," Pudding moaned. "I don't even feel it when I'm training!"

Shin gave her a look. Actually, it wouldn't be hard to arrange. By using the implanted chip to block pain signals to the brain, she wouldn't feel a thing—but doing so would cut the effectiveness of her exercise in half.

After all, in this world, training involves more than just physical strength. There was also haki, a force that combined willpower and ambition. Painful, grueling exercise was one way to enhance this spirit. With chip-assisted training already reducing the mental strain, further removing pain would likely hold Pudding back from advancing her haki.

Before Shin could continue, Ulti's voice came from the doorway: "What are you even complaining about with such a powerful tool? Are you really a pirate?"

Ulti stepped onto the deck, looking eagerly at Shin. "Captain, if Pudding doesn't want her implanted chip, I'll take it. I'm not afraid of hard work."

Trained in the Beast Pirates, Ulti valued physical power above all else. She could instantly recognize the immense potential that the implanted chip offered for training and combat.

With an implanted chip, she could have dominated among the Beasts Pirates, perhaps even reaching the rank of Emperor's deputy.

At Ulti's comment, Charlotte Pudding, who had looked half-dead moments ago, shot to her feet. "Who said I'd give up my implanted chip? You brute! I was just complaining. I'll work out every day!"

"Is that a challenge, Three-Eyes?" Ulti shot back, grinning.

"Haha! You're just realizing this, Hammerhead?"

"You better watch out, or I'll thrash you!"

"Remember last time you fell for my illusion and jumped straight into the sea?"

As their bickering escalated, Shin interrupted with a sigh, giving them the famous "Fist of Love.". "Enough, both of you! There's no need to argue. I have plenty of implanted chips for everyone."

For reasons unknown, Ulti and Pudding were polar opposites, which made every encounter a potential showdown. Pudding, soft on the outside but cunning, usually managed to gain the upper hand, using illusions to prank Ulti until she lost her temper. But Ulti occasionally got the best of her, like when she beat Pudding blindfolded, using only her intuition. Since then, Pudding had picked up some ninjutsu techniques from Shin and evened the score a bit.

"It turns out you had a stash of implanted chips all along, Captain," Ulti commented, rubbing her head after Pudding's teasing.

Having eaten the Ancient Zoan-type Devil Fruit, Pachycephalosaurus, Ulti's head was nearly indestructible, and Pudding's physical resilience wasn't much lower. Still, both of them now sported identical lumps on their heads, showcasing Shin's precise control over his strength.

Shin rolled his eyes. "Do you want the implanted chip or not?"

"Of course! I'll even take one for Page One. Violet, do you want one? We should give one to Kyros too."

The implanted chip also contained a self-destruct function, which Shin had initially designed as a last resort. Even without this, the mere ability to manipulate the human body through an implanted chip was formidable, which is why Shin hadn't distributed it earlier.

But these subordinates seemed fearless and loyal, implicitly trusting Shin's leadership. Looking at their eager faces, he realized he might have been overthinking.

Shin soon found that it wasn't only Ulti who coveted an implanted chip. Page One, Kyros, and Violet were all keen to have one. Even Charlotte Pudding, despite her complaints, hadn't once suggested giving hers back. These individuals had been through intense battles and carried a strong hunger for power. Even artificial Devil Fruits with unpredictable side effects had many eager takers in this world. So, it was little surprise that something as revolutionary as an implanted chip would attract such interest.

Once everyone had their implanted chip installed, they wasted no time testing its effects through exercise and combat drills.

Kyros, Ulti, and Page One, who trained regularly, had already achieved a basic level of life return. With the implanted chip's help consolidating their energy, their strength increased by three or four times.

Violet and Charlotte Pudding, who were less focused on physical training and relied mainly on their auxiliary skills, saw their strength nearly double.

At first, they had been skeptical of the implanted chip's impact, but after testing it, they were amazed by its power.

As they continued training and adjusted to their enhanced abilities, the silhouette of the Red Line came into view on the horizon.

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