The next day, at dawn when the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Normally, due to the Red Line Continent's towering height of over five thousand meters, the temperature here should be extremely low, making it feel bitterly cold.
However, thanks to the magical properties of the spring region, Mary Geoise remains in a relatively constant temperature state.
[Huff—Huff—Huff—]
Just as the sun was about to rise but hadn't yet, within the social square of Pangaea Castle.
Gion, draped in her Justice Coat, stood on the grass that resembled a battlefield, full of craters. She gripped her Meitō Konpira, slashing forward with each swing, accompanied by sharp whistling sounds. Her movements were repetitive, her delicate face filled with seriousness and determination.
"Oh my, you're really putting in the effort, Miss Marine~"
At that moment, Stussy, clad in a black dress and stockings, walked over with an elegant cat-like stride and chuckled lightly: "The sky isn't even fully lit yet, and you're already out here practicing swordsmanship. Do you have some grand ambition?"
Gion didn't turn her head, maintaining her breathing rhythm as she forcefully swung her sword. She silently counted to two thousand in her mind before exhaling a deep breath and stopping.
"This is my daily training. As for ambition," she turned to look at Stussy, resolutely stating: "I want to become the world's greatest swordsman!"
"But you're a woman," Stussy said with a puzzled expression. "Although I'm not a swordsman, I know that swordsmanship heavily relies on physical strength. We women can't compete with men in that regard unless we consume some powerful Devil Fruit."
"No, I don't want to become a Devil Fruit user."
Gion sheathed Konpira, shaking her head firmly: "I want to reach the pinnacle of strength as a pure swordsman!"
Stussy found it hard to understand why Gion pursued such a goal. What does a woman need to be the strongest for? But she didn't question further, instead smiling coquettishly: "But I've noticed you've been getting more and more into tennis these days~"
"Well..."
At this, Gion's cheeks flushed slightly. She coughed to mask her embarrassment, her gaze shifting toward the gradually rising sun as she replied: "Actually, I've found that playing tennis with Nerona Saint also helps improve my strength, so I've been taking it seriously as part of my training."
"????"
Stussy's expression turned strange, her eyes clearly saying, "What nonsense are you spouting?" Playing tennis is just playing tennis; what does it have to do with training?
"Hmph, don't doubt me. I'm serious."
Seeing the look in Stussy's eyes, Gion said with some dissatisfaction: "Haven't you noticed how serving and returning in tennis tests a person's strength, speed, reaction, and eyesight?"
"Think back to the power of those first few serves from Nerona Saint. If one day we can return them, wouldn't that mean our strength has improved?"
"Huh, that's true~"
Stussy was stunned, her mind recalling the first serve from Imu. At that time, she hadn't reacted at all, her Observation Haki failing to sense it in time.
And upon closer thought, although Nerona Saint had restrained his power, even so, after playing against him for a while, she would still feel her palms numb, her back aching, and she would end up drenched in sweat each time.
Fortunately, those maids were incredibly skilled.
Every time I step out of the shower, I always see the freshly washed and dried clothes neatly laid out before me.
"So, starting today, I've decided to ask Nerona Saint to increase the power and speed of the serve to the critical point I can currently endure, to challenge my limits!"
Gion, with a serious expression and her hands on her hips, spoke passionately as the golden sun slowly rose behind her. "Do you want to join me?"
"Uh, no thanks. I'm not interested in being the strongest. I prefer playing normal tennis; it feels more like a game to me."
Stussy didn't want to push himself as hard as Gion. Instead, he was more curious about Nerona Saint, who was incredibly mysterious and powerful.
The key point was that he was also extremely handsome, and these days, there was no sign of a wife or concubines around him.
Apart from his somewhat domineering personality, acting as if he was the only one who mattered and doing as he pleased, it seemed like he had everything going for him! Seeing this, Gion didn't say much more.
But just as she was about to go back to freshen up, she suddenly noticed a group of workers she had seen before, pushing large and small wheeled boxes as they hurried over.
"Aren't they the ones who worked on this tennis court before?" Stussy raised an eyebrow, guessing, "Are they here to fix the grass?"
Gion didn't respond but nodded in agreement, thinking it was very likely. After all, the current state of the court's grass was a disaster. However, the previous times they came to fix it, it seemed they did it while they were asleep, and when they woke up, it was already restored.
But soon, as these workers began their work, the two beauties watching from the side realized it was different from what they had imagined.
These people weren't so much repairing the grass as they were transforming the entire tennis court. They first leveled the uneven ground, then laid down a thick layer of wooden planks, and even sprayed blue paint on them.
"So they're changing the grass court to a wooden court. But what's the point? Even wooden planks can't withstand the balls we hit, and they're harder to repair," Gion asked, puzzled.
The person she was asking was the government official in a black suit leading the team.
"Major Gion, you might not know, but these are Adam Wood planks processed last night. With their extreme toughness and firmness, they can withstand the immense pressure from tennis balls."
"Adam Wood?!"
Gion and Stussy were instantly shocked, their mouths slightly agape. The latter murmured, "So, from now on, we'll be playing on a floor worth one or two hundred million Berries on the black market?"
After introducing the material of the planks, the leader pointed to the vermilion net dividing the court in half and said, "And these are made from the tendons of Sea Kings, also providing impact resistance."
"..."
The two women fell silent for a moment. Then, Gion asked expressionlessly, "What about the ball? What material is the ball made of, and the racket?"
"The tennis ball hasn't changed much; rubber is still the best material. But the racket is new, with the throat, handle, and head all made of Adam Wood."
The leader from the Construction Department explained everything in detail.
"The origin of the tennis strings is unknown to me, but we have tested their strength, and they are several times stronger than the commonly used composite strings. Even when struck by cannonballs, they remain undamaged, while the steel cannonballs are easily sliced apart."
More than an hour later, a brand-new tennis court appeared before Gion and Stussy. It was a court with a blue surface and a red net, with four vermilion rackets placed on a nearby rack.
As the construction workers left, the sun had already risen high in the sky.
The brilliant sunlight shone on the pristine court, making them feel slightly dazzled.
"Don't you think this court looks familiar?" Gion suddenly broke the silence.
Stussy, standing beside her, pursed her lips and softly said, "With the Red Line Continent as the net, the first half and the second half of the Grand Line as the two sides of the court, and the long, deep blue strip between the singles and doubles areas, that should be the Calm Belt."
Gion hesitated as she examined the court.
"For some reason, I don't dare to step onto this court."
"What's there to be afraid of?"
But as soon as she finished speaking, a familiar commanding voice reached her ears. Turning her gaze, she saw Imu, who had taken on the alias Nerona Saint, casually pick up a racket from the rack and step into the half of the court representing the "second half of the Grand Line."
"Come, play a match with me and test the feel!"