The clash between Kael and Roger left no visible scars on the Oro Jackson's deck only an invisible mark, a seed of longing that took root deep within the hearts of two young boys.
After the duel, the crew went back to their usual chaos: some drinking, others bragging. Roger, meanwhile, got his ear twisted by Rayleigh, who scolded him for using Divine Departure on the ship a move capable of tearing the deck apart.
Roger defended himself shamelessly. "That wasn't a move, it was just a normal swing!"
Standing nearby, Shanks and Buggy stared up at Kael, their eyes gleaming with pure admiration.
"Kael!" Shanks blurted out first. "That move just now it made the air explode! That was amazing! Can you teach me how to do it?"
Buggy, on the other hand, wasn't marveling at the power. His eyes were locked on Kael's polearm leaning against the railing, his mind racing with greedy calculation.
If he could learn that technique, wouldn't that mean he could blow open treasure chests with one hit? Forget picking locks the gold would just fly right out!
"You want to learn?" Kael asked lazily, wiping down his blade without even looking up.
"Yes!" they shouted in perfect unison, nodding furiously.
Kael finally paused, turning to face them with a slow, calm smile.
Unlike Roger's fiery grin or Rayleigh's wise gaze, Kael's expression was deep and unreadable like the still surface of an ancient well. It made both boys feel an unfamiliar chill crawl down their backs.
"Tell me," Kael said softly, "why do you want to become stronger?"
"I…" Shanks puffed out his chest and shouted with all the courage he could muster, "I want to be as strong as Captain Roger! I'll find the world's greatest treasure no, I'll go on the greatest adventure of all time!"
Kael nodded, then turned to Buggy. "And you?"
Buggy licked his lips and answered without hesitation, "I'll learn the strongest techniques, crush anyone in my way, and take all the treasure in the world! I'll be the richest pirate alive!"
Good. Very good. The enthusiasm was there just pointed in opposite directions.
"Excellent," Kael said with a faint, unreadable smile. "But Roger and Rayleigh won't teach you."
"Huh?" Shanks blinked, confused.
Kael folded his arms. "If you ask Roger, he'll laugh and say something like 'Kuhahaha! Just swing like this and shout really loud!' then he'll drag you off to drink. And if you ask Rayleigh, he'll give you a long, complicated lecture that you won't understand a word of."
The two boys exchanged nervous glances. He wasn't wrong. That was exactly what had happened every time they'd tried to get advice.
"So," Kael said, leaning forward slightly, "you want me to teach you instead?"
They nodded eagerly.
"Alright then," Kael said, surprisingly cheerful. "Leave it to me."
That easy agreement made both boys' hearts skip a beat. Something about it felt… ominous.
"But," Kael continued, his smile turning ever so slightly dangerous, "my way of teaching is a little… different."
A flicker of nostalgia crossed his mind back to when he first boarded this ship. Back then, he'd been young, scrawny, and full of hope. Then Roger and Rayleigh handed him a training schedule so brutal it could've been used as a Marine interrogation manual. He somehow survived.
Ah, the memories. My lost youth.
He'd once been drenched in the rain now it was time to tear someone else's umbrella to shreds.
"Come with me. Choose your weapons."
Kael led them into the ship's armory.
Shanks didn't hesitate. He went straight to a rack of Western longswords and picked one similar in length and style to Roger's Ace. He swung it twice, mimicking Roger's movements, his face glowing with admiration.
Ah, the future heir to Roger's will.
Buggy wandered restlessly between the weapon racks. Long swords were too heavy, axes too crude. His eyes eventually landed on a row of sleek daggers.
He grabbed two and weighed them in his hands, grinning in satisfaction.
Easy to hide, fast to use perfect for sneak attacks, hostage threats, or quick getaways.
Ah yes… the future schemer in the making.
"You've chosen?" Kael asked.
"Yeah!" both replied.
"Good," Kael nodded. "Training starts tomorrow."
They looked at each other, sparks of excitement lighting their eyes.
They imagined heroic sword lessons, cool techniques, and flashy attacks.
Reality had other plans.
Before dawn, as they still dreamed of glory, a sharp, vibrating hum pierced straight into their skulls. It wasn't loud but it felt like their brains were punching each other.
"Who the hell ?!" Buggy groaned, clutching his head.
Shanks blinked awake to see Kael standing beside their beds, smiling darkly.
"Hehehe… five minutes to report on deck. Every second late doubles your training load."
Then he turned and left, leaving the two bleary-eyed boys shivering in dread.
When they finally stumbled onto the deck, what greeted them wasn't swordplay it was Kael's cold, merciless voice.
"Warm-up: a hundred laps around the deck."
Thirty-seven degrees Celsius, yet his words were ice-cold.
"One… one hundred laps?!" Buggy's eyes nearly popped out. "We'll die!"
Kael simply raised one finger and flicked.
Buzz!
A faint ripple of energy struck Buggy's backside. The boy shot forward like he'd been kicked by an ox.
"My butt!!!"
Shanks immediately started running, terrified of suffering the same fate.
And so, that morning, the Oro Jackson witnessed an unusual sight two small boys sprinting madly around the deck while their "instructor" reclined under the mast, sipping orange juice and occasionally flicking a finger at whoever slowed down.
"Kael, you monster! This is child abuse!" Buggy wailed mid-run.
Another flick. Another shockwave.
"Hahahaha! Funny, that's exactly what I told Roger once then he hit me with Divine Departure! If you can still yell, you're not done yet!"
"Uuuugh… Shanks, slow down…"
"Can't! If we stop, he'll hit us again!"
Crew members trickled out one by one, laughing at the sight.
Gaban walked over and chuckled. "You're really going hard on them. They're just kids."
"So what? The sea doesn't care how old you are," Kael replied calmly, sipping his juice. "Besides, I went through worse."
By the time the hundred laps were done, both boys were sprawled on the deck like two salted fish, barely breathing.
They thought it was over.
"Rest five minutes," Kael said, glancing at the hourglass. "Then frog jumps. Fifty laps."
"…"
"Push-ups one hundred. No dinner until you're done."
"…"
"Now, lift the anchor. Ten minutes."
"…"
By sunset, Shanks and Buggy had endured the most brutal day of their young lives.
Kael had given them a masterclass in pure torment enhanced by his Wave-Wave Fruit powers to ensure not even a second of rest went unpunished.
When night fell, the two finally collapsed in the mess hall, trembling as they tried to lift their spoons.
Buggy ate through tears, glaring at Kael across the room, who was calmly playing chess with Rayleigh.
Shanks ate in silence. His body was wrecked, but deep in his eyes, a new kind of determination flickered stronger than before.
He could feel something awakening within him, a spark buried under pain and exhaustion.
"How do you feel?" Roger suddenly appeared, plopping down beside them with a massive platter of grilled meat.
"Kael… is a devil," Buggy mumbled through his food.
Roger burst into hearty laughter. "Kuhahahaha! You call that tough? Back in the day, our training plan for Kael made that look like a vacation!"
He stuffed a slab of meat into Shanks' mouth and clapped him on the shoulder. "Listen, kid if you can't handle a little pain, you'll never catch up to me. Adventure isn't for the weak."
Shanks chewed the meat with fierce resolve, as if devouring his own exhaustion. He looked up and nodded heavily.
Kael, pretending to focus on his chess match, caught it from the corner of his eye.
He placed his final piece, cornering Rayleigh's king, then lifted his glass of orange juice.
"Tomorrow morning weighted running."
Across the room, a metallic clang echoed as Buggy's spoon slipped from his trembling fingers.
"Noooo…"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to add this story to your Library, drop a review, and leave a Power Stone if you enjoyed it!