Chapter 102: The Sparring Sessions (V)
Goku stood still, his arms lose, as he looked at the crew in front of him. The memory of their last battle flashed in his mind—the one where he had taken them all on at once, fighting with just one hand, gauging their skills before they began their training in earnest.
Back then, they had struggled. Zoro's swordsmanship had been predictable, his speed and precision needing refinement. Sanji's kicks were powerful but lacked proper aerial control. Gin had relied too much on his tonfa instead of his natural combat instincts. Nami and Usopp had barely lasted, their physical weaknesses making them easy targets.
But now?
They had changed.
He could see it. Feel it in the way they stood. Their stances were sharper. Their breathing more controlled. And most importantly, their Ki no longer flickered uncertainly—it was stable. Strong.
And now, he would be their final test.
The air tensed as the crew took their positions.
Zoro stood in front, his swords at the ready, their steel shimmering with the faint glow of Ki-enhanced sharpness.
Sanji cracked his neck, his hands in his pockets, his legs subtly glowing, charged with stored Ki, ready to explode into motion.
Gin adjusted his stance, his fists wrapped in a thin layer of Ki, the absence of his tonfa forcing him to fight differently.
Nami stood slightly behind them, electricity crackling at her fingertips, her Ki taking on a unique storm-like quality.
Usopp was the farthest back, his hands coated in a faint shimmer of Ki, his stance light and elusive—ready to strike from unexpected angles.
Goku smiled. This was going to be fun.
He spread his arms, completely relaxed.
"You've all improved," he said. "But now, I want to see everything you've learned."
He lifted his hand and beckoned.
"Come at me."
BOOM.
The deck shook as Zoro launched forward first, moving at blinding speed. His Wado Ichimonji cut through the air, glowing with Ki, the strike faster and sharper than anything he had used before.
Goku tilted his head—the blade passed inches from his cheek.
Sanji was already behind him.
"Party Table Kick Course!"
Sanji spun rapidly, his legs blurring as he delivered a chain of lightning-fast kicks, his entire lower body coated in Ki to enhance his speed.
Goku raised one hand, his palm catching Sanji's shin, stopping the motion instantly.
A shockwave burst outward from the impact.
Gin exploited the moment—his fist shot forward, aiming for Goku's kidney with brutal force.
Goku smiled. "Nice teamwork."
Then he twisted his body at the last second, dodging the punch by a hair.
CRACK.
Gin's fist hit nothing but air.
And suddenly—
Nami attacked.
"Thunder Lance!"
A bolt of Ki-infused lightning shot forward—Nami's control over her energy sharper than ever.
Goku saw it coming. He moved to dodge.
But—
Usopp had planned ahead.
From the side, Usopp fired a precise Ki blast, forcing Goku to halt his movement just for a fraction of a second.
And in that moment—
Nami's lightning struck him.
BOOM!
A crackling shockwave exploded, sending sparks flying across the ship.
The crew didn't hesitate.
Zoro spun, slashing downward.
Sanji launched forward, aiming a spinning heel kick.
Gin threw a precise elbow strike.
All three attacks came at once.
Goku grinned. "Nice."
Then he vanished.
Before they could react—Goku reappeared behind them.
"Still not fast enough."
WHAM!
Zoro's legs buckled as Goku tapped his knee from behind—just enough to force him to stumble.
Sanji turned—Goku gently flicked his forehead.
Sanji's body flipped backward uncontrollably before he caught himself mid-air.
Gin tried to counter, but Goku sidestepped, placing a palm on his shoulder.
Then he pushed him downward.
Gin hit the deck with a grunt.
Usopp and Nami hesitated for half a second.
That was all Goku needed.
"Too slow."
Usopp fired rapidly, his Ki-enhanced shots aimed at Goku's blind spots.
But Goku?
He weaved through them effortlessly.
Dodge. Twist. Pivot. Move.
Not a single shot landed.
Nami clenched her fists. "Damn it—STOP MOVING!"
She slammed her hands together, sending out a massive electrical wave, forcing the entire battlefield into a charged storm.
Goku's movement halted for a fraction of a second.
Nami and Usopp rushed in.
Usopp threw a Ki-infused uppercut.
Nami fired a point-blank lightning strike.
For a moment—
It looked like it would land.
But Goku simply raised a hand.
And caught both attacks.
The energy dissipated in his palm.
Goku smirked.
"Better."
Then he tapped their foreheads.
And they both fell backward.
Goku stepped back, looking at all of them.
Zoro was on one knee, gripping his swords.
Sanji was panting, his legs burning.
Gin was glaring at him, fists clenched.
Nami and Usopp were still recovering from the last attack.
They had lost.
Again.
Goku exhaled, shaking his head. "You guys improved. A lot."
He smiled.
"But you're still missing something."
Zoro frowned. "What?"
Goku crossed his arms. "Your teamwork is messy. Your attacks are powerful, but you're not thinking about how they work together."
Sanji clicked his tongue. "Tch. So what do we do?"
Goku looked at each of them.
"First, tell me—how do you feel?"
There was silence.
Then—
Zoro clenched his fists. "...Stronger. But still not enough."
Sanji exhaled. "Ki feels more natural, but it's still not instinctive yet."
Gin nodded. "It's there. But I'm not flowing with it."
Nami wiped sweat from her forehead. "...I feel like I have more control."
Usopp grinned tiredly. "I feel like I just fought a hurricane and lost."
Goku laughed. "Good. That's exactly where you should be."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"Now, let's fix your teamwork."
He raised his hand.
"This time—attack me together. No hesitation. No wasted movement."
The crew tensed.
The ocean breeze carried the scent of salt as the Going Merry sailed steadily across the Grand Line. The crew, still recovering from their last fight, stood tense, sweat dripping down their faces. Their breath came in heavy pants, muscles aching from the intensity of their previous battle.
And now…
It was about to get even worse.
Goku cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders as he faced them once more. His tail unwrapped from his waist, flicking lazily behind him. This time, there was no smile. No lighthearted energy.
Only battle-readiness.
"I'm done holding back," Goku declared, his voice steady, firm. "This time, I'm fighting back."
The crew audibly swallowed.
Sanji wiped the sweat from his brow. "Tch. Like you weren't already toying with us."
Goku smirked. "Oh, I was. But this time? I'm putting effort in."
He turned his head slightly, his sharp Saiyan eyes locking onto Chopper, who was standing near Vivi and Karoo, watching the training session from the sidelines. The small reindeer blinked in confusion.
"Chopper."
The young doctor stiffened. "Y-Yeah?"
"Get ready for some patients."
Silence.
The crew visibly tensed.
Usopp gulped audibly. "H-Hold on… What do you mean by 'patients'?"
Zoro clenched his jaw. "Damn it…"
Gin exhaled, flexing his fingers. "Well… this is gonna hurt."
Sanji lit a fresh cigarette. "I'm not dying before I cook a perfect meal for the All Blue, dammit."
Nami scowled. "I swear, if you break any of my bones—"
Goku chuckled. "Relax. You'll still be able to walk."
That did not make them feel any better.
"Besides," Goku added, "we'll be reaching Alabasta in two days. We're about to fight a Warlord of the Sea."
The crew fell Into dead silence.
"Two days," Goku repeated, his voice firm. "That's all the time you have left to prepare for one of the strongest pirates in the world. So if we're doing this—"
His stance lowered, his muscles tensed, and his tail flicked behind him.
"—I'm making sure you're ready."
Sanji exhaled a thin stream of smoke. "Well, shit."
Usopp looked like he wanted to jump overboard.
Zoro tightened his grip on his swords. "No choice, then. Let's go."
Goku smirked.
"Come at me."
Zoro moved first.
His Wado Ichimonji gleamed as he dashed forward, his entire body surging with Ki-enhanced speed.
Sanji followed immediately, his legs glowing, while Gin dashed to the opposite side, flanking Goku with an attack from behind.
It was a perfect three-pronged attack.
Zoro's sword slashed from the front.
Sanji's leg came from the left.
Gin's punch shot toward Goku's ribs from the right.
A perfect trap. No room to dodge.
But Goku didn't dodge.
He moved into the attack.
At the last second—
He ducked.
Zoro's sword whizzed over his head—so close that it sliced off a few stray hairs.
Sanji's foot smashed into the air where Goku's ribs had been just a moment ago.
Gin's fist missed completely.
And before they could react—
Goku struck back.
A palm to Zoro's stomach.
A heel kick to Gin's shin.
A backfist to Sanji's ribs.
All three of them were sent flying.
They crashed into the deck, groaning in pain.
Goku shook his head. "Too predictable."
Nami lunged forward, her hands glowing with Ki-infused electricity.
She threw a bolt of lightning straight at Goku's chest.
Goku smirked. He lifted a hand to deflect it—
But it wasn't real.
The second his hand moved—
Nami vanished.
She reappeared below him, her leg sweeping for his ankle.
Goku's eyes widened slightly.
'Clever.'
But—
Too slow.
Before her leg could connect, he stomped down, trapping her foot beneath his.
Nami gasped—
And then Goku's palm lightly tapped her forehead.
A pulse of Ki sent her crashing backward.
She tumbled across the deck, groaning. "Owww…"
Goku grinned. "Nice trick. Try it faster."
From the shadows—
A shot fired.
A burst of Ki-enhanced energy rocketed toward Goku's blind spot.
But Goku?
He turned his head just slightly.
The shot passed harmlessly beside him.
"Usopp," Goku called casually, "you're gonna have to try harder than that."
Usopp grinned.
"Okay. Try this."
From three different angles, Ki bursts shot toward Goku simultaneously.
Goku frowned. 'Three shots at once?'
He leaned back, twisting his body to avoid the first—
Tilted his head to dodge the second—
Then raised a hand to slap the third away.
But the moment he touched it—
BOOM.
It detonated in his hand.
Goku's eyes widened slightly. "Whoa."
The moment the smoke cleared—
Usopp was already attacking again.
A spinning kick toward his ribs.
Goku smirked.
"Better."
He caught Usopp's leg—
Then gently flipped him over his shoulder, sending him face-first into the deck.
Usopp groaned. "Ow…"
Goku grinned. "That was clever. You almost got me there."
Usopp, despite the pain, smiled. "Heh… I'll take 'almost.'"
Sanji appeared in front of Goku—
Gin appeared behind him.
They attacked at the same time.
Sanji's kick shot toward Goku's face.
Gin's blazing fist aimed for his spine.
Goku had to admit—
They were faster than before.
But—
Still not fast enough.
With one hand, he blocked Sanji's kick.
With one foot, he intercepted Gin's punch.
Both of them were frozen mid-attack.
Goku smirked.
Then he countered.
A flick of his wrist sent Sanji spinning backward.
A simple step forward made Gin stumble, losing his balance.
They both crashed hard..
For the final time—
The crew attacked together.
Zoro. Sanji. Gin. Nami. Usopp.
All at once.
Blades. Kicks. Lightning. Bullets.
And Goku—
Met them all.
Every attack. Every movement.
It was a battle of speed, precision, and instinct.
And in the end—
Goku still won.
As the crew lay sprawled out, groaning, Chopper rushed in.
"O-Oh my god—what did he do to you guys?!"
Goku laughed. "They're fine. Just… broken."
Chopper growled. "You're insane!"
Goku grinned.
[A/N: Can't wait to see what happens next? Get exclusive early access on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels. If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see more, don't forget to drop a power stone! Your support helps this story reach more readers!]