Chapter 101: The Sparring Sessions (IV)
Nami took an uneasy step forward, her hands tightening into fists.
"…You're joking, right?"
Goku rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. His usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a sharp, unreadable intensity.
"You heard me," he said. "I'm not attacking. You are."
Nami's brow twitched. "And I'm supposed to just… fight you?"
Goku nodded. "With everything you've got."
Nami scoffed. "Oh yeah, sure. That sounds totally fair. I'm supposed to fight someone who—oh, I don't know—punched a Sea King so hard it did a backflip?!"
Goku crossed his arms. "That's the point. You, more than anyone, need to stop thinking fights are unfair. Strength isn't just about power. It's about strategy, speed, and control."
He locked eyes with her.
"And you have something most of the others don't."
Nami swallowed. "…What?"
"You and Usopp control your Ki better than the others."
Nami's heart skipped a beat.
"You don't have their raw strength, but you make up for it with precision. If you use it right, you won't even need strength." Goku's gaze sharpened.
"But right now? You're too hesitant. And that's why you lose."
A slow, simmering frustration built inside her. "Oh yeah? Then let's see if I can prove you wrong."
She took a breath and lowered herself into a stance.
Goku smiled. "Good. Fight."
Nami shot forward.
She wasn't as fast as Sanji. Not as powerful as Zoro. But she had something they didn't.
Control.
Her Ki flared subtly around her body, making her footsteps lighter, her movements smoother.
She dashed to the left, then instantly switched direction, launching toward Goku's blind spot.
Her fist whipped toward his ribs.
Goku simply tilted his torso, letting the strike pass within an inch of his skin.
"Nice feint," he said casually.
Nami gritted her teeth.
She twisted, snapping her leg up in a swift roundhouse kick!
Goku leaned back, the strike grazing the air just before his nose.
"Good follow-up. You're thinking ahead."
Before her foot could hit the ground, Nami focused her Ki, redirecting her momentum—
And flipped mid-air, swinging her other leg at his head.
Goku smiled.
He raised one finger.
Tap.
He gently tapped her ankle, redirecting her momentum—
And Nami suddenly found herself twisting out of control.
She landed hard, tumbling into a roll before stopping herself.
She groaned. "Ugh… That wasn't fair."
Goku smirked. "It was. You let me control the fight instead of you controlling it."
She narrowed her eyes.
'Fine. You want control? I'll take it.'
Nami inhaled.
Then she vanished.
The crew's eyes widened.
Zoro muttered, "She's using her Ki to erase her footsteps."
Goku's eyes tracked her. 'She's fast. But—'
Nami suddenly reappeared behind him, throwing a powerful punch toward his back!
But Goku simply sidestepped.
Her fist barely brushed his shirt.
Before she could retreat, his hand flicked forward—
Not to hit her.
But to lightly tap her shoulder.
And just like that—
Her whole balance collapsed.
She stumbled, barely catching herself.
Goku nodded. "Better. But you're still attacking like you expect to miss. Be sure of your hits."
Nami clenched her fists. "Then I'll make sure I don't miss."
Nami suddenly spread her arms.
Goku blinked. 'What's she—'
A wave of Ki pulsed outward.
A thick, crackling mist of static electricity filled the air.
Sanji's cigarette fizzled out.
Usopp yelped. "Holy crap, I feel like my hair's about to explode!"
Nami's entire body sparked with Ki-enhanced static.
Then—
CRACK.
A bolt of lightning erupted from her palm—
And Goku finally moved.
He tilted his head, the lightning bolt missing him by a hair.
But the moment it struck the ground, it exploded into static, sending out a shockwave of electricity.
Goku's eyes widened.
The field of electricity disrupted his Ki for a split second.
And in that moment—
Nami was already there.
Her knee slammed toward his chest.
Goku—still adjusting—only managed to turn his body slightly.
BAM.
The knee grazed his ribs.
Zoro and Sanji both raised their eyebrows.
Usopp cheered. "SHE HIT HIM! SHE ACTUALLY HIT HIM!"
Goku exhaled, stepping back. He gave her an approving nod.
"Smart. You used the environment to throw me off. That's what I'm talking about."
Nami smirked, still crackling with static.
"Yeah? Then get ready, because I'm just getting started."
From there, the fight only escalated.
Nami used her Ki to accelerate herself, feinting multiple times before unleashing a barrage of rapid punches. Goku dodged all of them, but he praised her increased speed.
She tried baiting him into dodging into a trap, leading him toward a charge of stored static energy. But Goku avoided it at the last moment, countering with a redirecting tap that sent her sprawling.
She switched tactics, using her environment, bouncing off the mast, leaping between barrels, using every surface available. Goku complimented her creativity.
She focused everything into one attack—a thunderous palm strike, meant to release all her stored electricity. Goku let the attack hit, absorbing the force, and simply smiled.
"You're almost there," he said. "But you still hesitate in the last second."
Nami gritted her teeth.
'Then no more hesitation.'
Nami closed her eyes.
She focused.
The crew watched in silence.
Then—
She vanished.
Goku's eyes snapped up.
For the first time—
He couldn't sense her movements.
Then she reappeared—directly above him.
And this time—
There was no hesitation.
Her palm streaked downward, crackling with pure Ki-infused electricity.
It was perfect.
Goku smiled.
And at the last possible moment—
He moved one inch.
The attack missed.
His hand gently tapped her stomach.
And just like that—
Her momentum vanished.
She collapsed onto her knees, panting.
Goku crouched in front of her, grinning.
"You win."
Nami looked up, blinking. "…Huh?"
Goku chuckled. "You lost the fight. But you finally fought without hesitation."
He stood up.
"That's a victory, Nami."
Nami stared at him—then slowly smiled.
"…Damn right it is."
The crew cheered.
Goku stretched. "Alright. Next match."
He grinned at all of them.
"Me versus all of you."
The air was thick with tension. The crew stood in a loose circle around Goku, sweat rolling down their faces, their bodies aching from their previous fights. The setting sun painted the deck in golden hues, casting long shadows across the worn wooden planks.
Goku took a deep breath, letting his gaze slowly sweep across each of them. He smiled—not his usual goofy grin, but a genuine look of pride.
"You've all come a long way," he said, folding his arms. "A few weeks ago, you were still figuring out how to even sense your own Ki. Now, you're fighting like warriors who've been training for years."
Zoro, his arms crossed, smirked. "Feels weird, though. The power's there, but it still doesn't feel… natural."
Sanji exhaled a thin stream of smoke, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah. My kicks are sharper, my movement's cleaner, but it's like my body and my Ki are still… out of sync."
Gin nodded. "Same. It's like my strength and my control are fighting against each other instead of working together."
Usopp let out a dry laugh. "Oh, cool, so it's not just me, then?" He scratched the back of his head. "I mean, yeah, I can control it better than I expected, but… it still feels foreign. Like I'm wearing a new pair of boots that don't quite fit yet."
Nami stretched her arms above her head, wincing as her muscles protested. "At least we can actually use it now." She glanced at Goku, eyes narrowing. "But you're saying we're still not ready, huh?"
Goku nodded. "Ki isn't just something you learn. It's something that becomes a part of you. Right now, you're still thinking about it. You're forcing it instead of letting it flow naturally."
He looked at Zoro, Sanji, and Gin. "For you three, you rely on brute strength. You try to force your Ki to enhance what's already there, but it fights back because you're treating it like a tool instead of an extension of yourself."
Zoro's eyes darkened slightly. "...Tch." He hated to admit it, but Goku was right.
Sanji took another drag of his cigarette. "...So what, we just stop thinking about it?"
"Not exactly," Goku said. "You need to feel it. Let it become as natural as breathing." He turned to Usopp and Nami. "And you two? You have the opposite problem. Your Ki is too controlled. You're scared to let loose because you think you'll lose control."
Nami clenched her fists. "...Because we don't have your raw strength. If we mess up, we don't have the endurance to survive it."
Goku nodded. "That's true. But in a real fight, you won't have time to think. If you hesitate, you lose. You need to trust yourselves—and your instincts."
Usopp swallowed. "So… what's the point of this last fight, then?"
Goku cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders.
"I'm your final test."
They all tensed.
"You've fought each other. You've fought against people on your level." His grin sharpened. "Now? You fight me."
Zoro scoffed. "You realize how unfair that is, right?"
"Completely," Goku said cheerfully.
Sanji exhaled slowly. "...We're allowed to use weapons, then?"
"Yup. Anything goes."
Gin adjusted his stance, gripping the air where his tonfa should've been. "...And we still won't be able to land a hit, will we?"
Goku's smile didn't waver.
"Try."
The air grew heavy.
Zoro's fingers itched for his swords.
Sanji's foot tensed, ready to move.
Gin's breathing slowed, his mind already anticipating Goku's movements.
Usopp and Nami both exchanged glances.
Then—
Goku lowered into a stance.
His Ki surged, filling the air with an almost crushing pressure.
The crew's breath caught in their throats.
This was different.
In every fight before, Goku had been restraining himself. Holding back, moving just enough to dodge, never fully showing them what he was capable of.
But now—he still wouldn't b going all out but…
They could feel it.
The sheer weight of his presence.
Goku grinned, his eyes gleaming.
"Don't hold back."
He raised a hand and beckoned them forward.
"Show me what you've got."
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