Chapter 5: 5. Three Months

'The Death of the Golden Lion and Byrnndi World' After much deliberation, the World Government decided to publicize Alex's crimes through a new bounty notice. Once an obscure prison guard, Alex became infamous across the seas in a single day when his story hit the newspapers. Known as "The Corrupt Jailer," Alex was accused of poisoning over ten fellow guards and escaping after slaying both the legendary Golden Lion Shiki and the infamous World Destroyer Byrnndi World within Impel Down. Rumors circulated that he possessed the ability to fly, and his bounty was set at 170 million Berries. In a time where major incidents shook the world, Alex's feat of defeating the Golden Lion still sent ripples across the seas. To incite the public, the World Government crafted a narrative that cast Alex as a menace to society. By presenting him as a hardened criminal, they drew attention to his defeat of a notorious pirate, distracting people from the fact that Alex had once been just another prison guard. Many across the world were startled, mourning the Golden Lion's mysterious end in prison. Others were astonished that a low-ranking jailer dared to stand up to such infamous figures. Some were even angered and vowed to remember Alex's face from the bounty poster, determined to make his life difficult. However, only a select few noticed something familiar in the bounty image. As they studied the figure standing in mid-air, memories of the Golden Lion resurfaced, casting an eerie resemblance between Alex and the pirate of legend. Yet, with no concrete evidence, these thoughts lingered as mere speculation. What was undeniable, though, was that Alex's name was now burned into the minds of these people. Three months passed as the incident simmered in the minds of the public, but with the onset of new crises in the Great Pirate Era, Alex gradually faded from memory. --- Present Day - A Remote Island in the Calm Belt Under the canopy of a colossal tree, its trunk tens of meters thick, the sharp sound of slicing wind echoed through the forest. The trunk was covered in rough, jagged sword marks, the scars of three months' relentless practice. Standing before it, Alex took a steadying breath, his energy centered and concentrated. With his right hand gripping a wooden sword he'd crafted himself, he readied for the next strike. "Hah!" He exhaled, his focus unyielding, and swung the wooden blade. It cut through the air with a crack like thunder, striking the tree with explosive force and leaving a fresh mark, seven or eight centimeters deep, across the trunk. Alex's expression remained calm as he immediately readied his stance and swung again. Drawing on the swordsmanship instincts inherited from the Golden Lion, he unleashed a fluid sequence of precise and powerful strikes, each move building on the last as he honed his technique. Chop, chop, pick, stab... One strike after another, relentless as a storm, Alex unleashed his blows. The sound of crackling explosions filled the air, clear and sharp, echoing through the forest. This continued for hours. Finally, with a final horizontal slash, Alex embedded his wooden sword deep into the cracked surface of the log, signaling the end of his grueling training session. Drenched in sweat, he caught his breath, reflecting on his progress. Though he possessed powerful Devil Fruit abilities and natural talent, Alex knew he still lacked the experience and discipline to fully wield them. After each session, the exhaustion he felt reminded him of the need to strengthen his body if he wanted to maximize his powers. Determined to convert his raw talent into true strength, Alex threw himself into a rigorous regimen: practicing Haki and swordsmanship during the day, followed by fruit ability and physical conditioning at night. He continued until fatigue overtook him, then used his powers to find a safe place to rest, pushing himself to his limits daily. Strangely, over the past three months, Alex noticed something unusual. Even after pushing himself to exhaustion by midnight, he would awaken the next morning feeling surprisingly rejuvenated—often recovering more than half his energy overnight. Each morning, he sensed tangible improvements over the previous day, though he wasn't sure if this was due to honing the skills of Shiki, or simply a side effect of the unique food sources on the island. Either way, with no signs of adverse effects, Alex intensified his training further. Three months passed. While his swordsmanship hadn't yet reached mastery, he had begun to grasp the basics of Observation Haki and Armament Haki. His physical growth was even more noticeable—his stamina and strength had increased tenfold since his days at Impel Down. As he wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling his breath come short, Alex silently cursed his limited stamina. He pulled his wooden sword free from the log, examining its cracked surface from countless impacts. This sword was destined to join the growing pile of split wooden blades around him. In moments like these, he regretted not taking Shiki's Oto and Kogarashi, legendary swords that might have propelled his skill to new heights. While a true swordsman like Dracule Mihawk could hold his ground with even a small blade, reaching such mastery—where simplicity could resist Zoro's Three-Sword Style—was a realm far beyond his current abilities. However, wielding a famous sword might bring him closer to the true depth of swordsmanship. After a short half-hour break, Alex tossed aside the wooden sword and prepared for the final physical training session of the day. He ate a hearty meal of fish, the catch of the day being a massive specimen over two meters long, and began his night training. Lacking access to systematic physical training methods, Alex relied on his rough memories from another life. He engaged in push-ups, long-distance running, weighted exercises, and any activity that pushed him to his limits. Step by step, he broke through his boundaries, continuously improving. Not only was his physical strength increasing, but his body and spirit were growing tougher through sheer force of will, honed by the relentless, day-by-day challenge to his limits. Each day, he could feel a difference—a slight but steady advancement. The physical changes and resilience he was building pushed Alex to grit his teeth and endure the grind of daily training. Fueled by progress, he tackled each monotonous session with determination, shaping himself one step at a time.