The first morning of training with Yamamoto started before dawn had even broken.
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! THE SUN HASN'T RISEN BUT YOU SHOULD ALREADY BE RUNNING!"
Yamamoto's thunderous voice woke the entire hideout. Sabo and I leapt from our beds with eyes still half shut.
"Move it! Five minutes to get ready! If you're late, no lunch AND no dinner!"
That threat snapped us fully awake instantly.
Five minutes later, we were standing outside in training clothes—shorts and worn-out shirts. The morning air was bitterly cold. Our breath came out in clouds.
"Good. On time," Yamamoto stood with his arms folded across his chest. "Today we begin with the most fundamental foundation—stamina."
"Stamina?" Sabo asked.
"Yes. Before we talk about Haki, Devil Fruits, or any technique at all—you need strong bodies. Bodies that can endure a long fight. Bodies that don't tire easily."
He pointed at a narrow trail climbing up the mountain.
"See that path? You're going to run it back and forth. Five full laps before breakfast. Go!"
"FIVE LAPS?!" Sabo shouted in shock. "That's so far!"
"Six laps if you complain again."
Sabo snapped his mouth shut immediately.
"Ace? Do you want to complain too?"
I shook my head quickly. Was he joking? I had no desire to add more laps.
"Good. START NOW!"
We ran.
The first lap was still manageable—bodies fresh, spirits high. The second lap started feeling heavy. The third lap and our legs were aching. The fourth lap and our lungs felt like they were on fire. The fifth lap...
I nearly blacked out.
"DON'T STOP! IF YOU STOP, YOU START OVER FROM ZERO!" Yamamoto shouted from below—he wasn't even running with us yet somehow looked perfectly merciless.
"A-Ace... I... can't anymore..." Sabo gasped beside me.
"Hold on... just a little more..." I was gasping just as badly.
By some miracle—perhaps sheer willpower or perhaps the terror of missing meals—we managed to finish all five laps.
And immediately collapsed on the ground.
"Good. Neither of you vomited. That's good for day one," Yamamoto remarked casually while drinking water.
"Go...od...?" Sabo stared at him in disbelief. "We... almost... died..."
"If something like this is enough to nearly kill you, how do you plan to become strong pirates? Weak pirates are just food for sea monsters."
Brutal words. But true.
"Rest for ten minutes. Then the next exercise."
"THERE'S MORE?!" we shouted in unison.
"Of course. The morning is still young. We have plenty of time before sunset."
I stared at the sky that was only just beginning to brighten. This was going to be a very long day.
The next exercise: push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and various other basic strength drills.
"One hundred of each! Begin!"
"ONE HUNDRED?!"
"One hundred and fifty if you complain again."
We learned quickly—never complain to Yamamoto.
Push-ups I could still manage—maybe twenty or thirty before my arms began shaking. Sit-ups were slightly easier. But squats? My legs gave out at fifteen.
"DON'T GIVE UP! KEEP MOVING!"
"I... can't..."
"YOU CAN! Your body is stronger than you think! What's weak is your mind! Defeat your weak mind!"
Somehow those words pumped something into me. I remembered why I was doing this—to protect Luffy, Sabo, Dadan, and everyone I cared about. To change fate.
I couldn't give up on the very first day.
With renewed resolve, I forced my body to keep moving. One squat. Two squats. Three squats.
Beside me, Sabo was struggling hard too. His face was red, sweat pouring down, but he didn't stop.
Finally—after what felt like an eternity—we finished everything.
And collapsed again.
"Not bad. Better than I expected," Yamamoto commented. "You both have a good foundation. Especially you, Ace."
"Huh?" I lifted my head with great effort.
"Your body responds to training faster than normal. Maybe because of the Devil Fruit. Or maybe innate talent. Whatever the reason—it's a major advantage."
Innate talent. That was because I was Portgas D. Ace—the son of Gol D. Roger, who carried extraordinary genetics.
"Rest for one hour. Then we start the basics of Haki."
Finally. What I had been waiting for.
The one-hour rest was spent eating breakfast—rice, eggs, and meat. Large portions for recovery. Dadan had cooked extra knowing we would need the energy.
"Are you two alright?" she asked with concern watching us eat like we hadn't seen food in days.
"We're... fine..." Sabo answered with rice spilling from his mouth.
"Yamamoto is harsh but he knows what he's doing. He was a Marine Captain before... well, he had problems with his superiors and ran."
A former Captain. No wonder his techniques were so structured.
After breakfast, we returned to the training area. This time Yamamoto was sitting on a large rock with his eyes closed.
"Sit in front of me. Cross-legged. Backs straight."
We followed his instructions.
"Now close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Feel the air entering and leaving your lungs."
This was... meditation?
"Haki isn't only about physical strength. Haki is the manifestation of will. A strong will requires a calm mind. A calm mind requires control of the breath."
I had done this before—meditation practice from my past life. But Sabo was visibly struggling—his body restless, his breathing uneven.
"Sabo. Calm down. Don't force it. Let your body find its own rhythm."
Slowly, Sabo began to settle.
"Good. Now—while keeping your eyes closed—I want you to FEEL your surroundings. Not see. Not hear. But FEEL."
"Feel?" I opened my eyes briefly.
"Keep your eyes closed!" Yamamoto corrected. "Yes, feel. Every living creature has a 'presence'—an existence. Observation Haki is the ability to sense that presence."
Ah. So this was the beginning of Observation Haki.
I closed my eyes again. Focus. Feel the surroundings.
At first there was nothing. Only darkness. The sound of wind. The sound of birds.
But slowly... there was something. Like a faint vibration. Impossible to describe in words but... there.
"I think... there's something to the left..." I whispered.
"Good. That's a squirrel in the tree to your left. You sensed it."
Sabo's eyes flew open—still closed but somehow visibly startled. "For real?! Ace can sense a squirrel?!"
"Concentrate, Sabo! If you can focus, you can do it too!"
We trained like that until midday. Sitting with eyes closed, trying to sense our surroundings. At first it was extraordinarily difficult—like trying to see in complete darkness. But little by little, sensitivity began to grow.
I could sense Sabo to my right. Yamamoto in front of me. Even the trees around us seemed to carry a faint 'presence,' however weak.
"Enough for today. Tomorrow we repeat. And the day after. And every day after that until you can sense even while your eyes are open and you're moving."
"How long does it usually take to master?" Sabo asked.
"Depends on talent. Some people a year. Some ten years. Some never manage it at all."
Sabo's face went pale. "Ten years?!"
"But there are also geniuses—those who manage it in a matter of months. Ace seems like that type."
I shook my head. "Not a genius. Just... had similar training before."
Yamamoto looked at me strangely. "Similar training? You're three years old. When did you have time for that?"
Damn. Spoke too much.
"I-I mean... I meditated a lot on my own. Just playing around with mental focus..."
"Hmm. Perhaps natural talent then. Good. Keep sharpening it."
That afternoon, after another round of physical training (running, push-ups, and various other tortures), we were finally permitted to rest.
"Tomorrow we begin basic Armament Haki. But that's enough for today. You both worked well."
The first praise from Yamamoto. It felt like receiving a gold medal.
Sabo and I shuffled back to the hideout on aching legs. Every muscle screaming in protest with every movement. But there was a strange satisfaction in it—the satisfaction of knowing you had pushed yourself past your limits.
"Ace... I'm not sure I can get up tomorrow..." Sabo complained while walking like a zombie.
"We have to. If we don't, we start over from zero."
"Hikss... why did we choose to live this hard..."
Because we want to be strong. Because we want to be free. Because we have a dream.
But I didn't say that—too dramatic for this particular moment.
"Because we're idiots," I answered with a grin.
Sabo laughed—exhausted but genuine. "Yeah. We really are idiots."
Back at the hideout, Dadan had prepared hot water for bathing and warm food.
"You did well to survive day one," she said while helping us sit down. "A lot of people quit on the first day of Yamamoto's training."
"We're not quitting," I answered firmly.
"I know. That's why I wasn't worried."
Luffy crawled over and hugged my leg. "Aaa! Aaa!"
"Yeah yeah, big brother's home," I lifted him despite my trembling arms. Luffy grinned widely and pressed his head against my chest.
Moments like this made every bit of today's pain worth it.
To protect this smile.
To ensure there would be no tears in the future.
I would become strong.
As strong as it takes.
The flame of destiny kept burning.
And nothing could put it out.
TO BE CONTINUED