One week passes by since I officially decided to proceed with the creation of our Divine Sect, and Gigi seems to be supporting me in every possible way. We have been dealing with constant training every day, no breaks and, by the end of each day, everyone is always too tired to appreciate the allocated free time. I keep giving speeches about how this is all normal and, in a couple of weeks, they will actually feel good by exercising their body. I have been training consistently every day since I was reborn in this world, but I have an adult mind and am prepared for it. These kids were not. For now, they all seem motivated to proceed with this training regime, but I should think of a way to change it in the future. I need to find a long term solution.
A new morning comes. We haven't gotten breakfast yet and are still in the middle of the first training session. I see Gigi and it seems he wants to talk about something. He usually wakes up much later, around the time for breakfast. I tell everyone to continue and ask Laxus to be in charge. I walk up to Gigi a little curious and worried.
Me: Gigi… is everything alright? Are there any problems?
Gigi: On the contrary, my dear Z. Everything is just great. I finally convinced Sengoku to send Bogard. He should arrive sometime next month. But Sengoku did mention he would only be able to stay for about 2 weeks per month, for about 2 years. I guess Garp really needs him after all.
Me: Two weeks per month … seems doable. Two years is enough. But remember, as soon as those two years are over, I will need Zephyr and the rest to replace him.
Gigi: Yagagagag. Surely, that seems doable. I will just have to wait for a bit and then I will start annoying Sengoku once again. I can't start right now, after he just fulfilled our wish yagagagaga. Oh right, the changes you asked for are all done. You can use those facilities whenever you want.
Me: Oh really? Nice. Please do show us all of it after breakfast.
Gigi: Certainly!
We finished our first round of training, had breakfast and then, as planned, Gigi showed us all of the changes I had asked for.
We now have a track around the land so it would be easier to run farther distances and have better control on how well we are improving.
We have several special gyms purely for muscle training.
We have another gym full of boxing bags, bamboo sticks, makiwara boards and a lot of other things meant to strengthen all parts of your body.
We have one more gym filled with different kinds of combat rings meant for sparring with limited range.
We have new bathhouses, one for men and another for women, although now only a couple of boys and girls were going to use them, I need to make them big enough to fit everyone that will eventually join us. For that same reason, we also decided to expand the spa.
We modified the Big Yard and now it's meant for all kind of group training and has a lot of different obstacles.
We created a temple and a waterfall for those who needed a calm place to attain enlightenment.
We modified an old building and now it's exclusively meant for all the devil fruits we can find and weaponry.
Seeing this room, I pulled Gigi aside and asked how the search for devil fruits is going. He told me that he had found a lot of Devil fruits but most of them weren't even worth mentioning so he didn't bother informing me. But recently, he found a couple of decent ones. He took me to the science room, another one of my requests, and in there the first thing that caught my attention was an old man.
Me: ahhhhh… Gigi … who is this?
Gigi: Well, this is Mark. He is an exceptional scientist. He is extremely famous in his field. He actually studies robotics and biology, which is what he is mostly known for, but his hobby and passion are devil fruits. He can tell what devil fruit it is and all the effects it has just by looking at it, in most cases. He can probably even help the eater get used to the fruit and create new possible ways to use it. The only reason why I was even able to convince him to join us was because we used to be old friends. I am sure you will like him Z!
Mark: Hmm, well, hello there, young lord. It is a pleasure to meet you.
Me: Hello there, Mark! Since you are now part of the family, there is no point keeping formalities with me. Just call me Zeus or Z, whatever you prefer. For Gigi to complement you so strongly, I have no doubts that you will do great things here.
Mark: Well, I sure hope so, young Zeus. Let's get down to business! Well, this devil fruit seems to be the Bubbles Bubbles fruit. It does not have a lot of offensive power, but it is pretty good to weaken prisoners. By being covered in this type of bubbles, the enemies become weaker and weaker. Well, I can also deduce that it is pretty good to strengthen one's party, as it should help one relax and recover much more quickly. Well, offensively, it is not very strong, but it should be able to make the enemy's territory much more slippery and harder to fight on. Well, that is if one is able to attain long range and better control of the fruit. It obviously is also very good for cleaning large superficies.
Me: Wow … I was already a little familiar with the fruit, but your analysis was so much better than what I was expecting… good job getting him Gigi.
Both the old men looked visibly happy receiving my praise. Dr. Mark continued describing all the fruits Gigi found and their possible uses. In the end we could fill the inventory with quite some fruits.
After his analysis, I remembered something I had heard in the original One Piece: every devil fruit should have its uses as long as it is properly used. For example, the Human Human fruit would be useless in most cases, but it is extremely good if it is fed to a talented animal, such as Chopper. I realized that after Dr. Mark evaluated some of the devil fruits that Gigi had deemed unworthy. Of all the ones that were meant to be sold, the one that would leave the biggest regret would probably be the Inventory Inventory fruit, which should allow one to save anything within certain dimensions in a virtual space. They should also be able to immediately equip any clothing on themselves or summon a stored object. The eater can't, however, equip anyone else immediately, being that the user must summon the clothes in their own hands and later give them to the person in need. This fruit is similar to a giant closet, which might seem useless to a rich person such as Gigi, but it's extremely useful when you are traveling throughout the world. Besides, I remember an anime where a warrior was extremely strong in a world filled with magic and the only thing she could do was summon armor and weapons. It's all about how well you use the devil fruit.
Another fruit was the Webs Webs fruit that allows the user to create webs out of thin hair. After Dr. Mark's explanation it seems like the fruit is really similar to Doflamingo's String String fruit, except it probably wouldn't be able to create clones nor control people. A stronger point is that the webs are sticky and more flexible, being that they can have more uses if the user has a lot of imagination. Although it is not as hard as Domflamingo's strings, Dr. Mark's deduction tells him that the user should be able to change certain properties of his webs, suppressing that weakness.
Gigi was also capable of taking Fujitora's future fruit, Gravity Gravity fruit. Dr. Mark's didn't even need to tell me about his uses because I was so excited I, involuntarily, named them first. Besides its obvious restricting characteristics on opponents, it should also allow its user to fly, either directly or indirectly, perform long range attacks and even train his comrades.
I also got a couple of normal zoans such as the Leopard, Giraffe, Wolf, Wolverine and Panda. They all have pretty similar properties, being the strength and speed enhancements. One might focus more on defense and strength while the other focus more on offense and speed, but they all seem to have pretty good boosts. The giraffe is probably the worst, but it should have a great effect on the individual's reach. After all, Kaku was able to use the fruit to become stronger in the original storyline.
Me: By the way, Dr. Mark, I once was reading a book on strange devil fruits and, among others, they described a Human Human devil fruit. An animal ate it, and, after some experimentations, they figured that with the help of certain substances, they could actually increase the number of transformations they could do. After some years of proper training, he was even able to perform most of the transformations without ingesting the substances themselves. Do you think such a thing is possible for all zoans or do you believe that is something correlated with that specific devil fruit?
Mark: Hmmm. Interesting idea. Do you have any knowledge on what kind of substances were used? And what other transformations could the animal perform?
I didn't know any of the ingredients, but I still told him all I could remember about Chopper and his transformations. The doctor looked really interested in what I was saying and, as soon as I and Gigi turned around to leave, I could hear him doing his calculations out loud. It seems I just gave him an idea for his new project. I should probably ask Gigi for more scientists to help him out.
Gigi: So, are you proud of you grandpa? Didn't I do good?
Me: Yes! You did so well that I am going to need a couple extra favors… I wasn't so sure before but now I know you are more than capable of completing them!
Gigi: … oh …. No problem! Anything for you! What do you need?
Me: Well, first I think we should create an intelligence department. I think it would be beneficial to create our own instead of depending on the government for information. Second, I would like to get a couple more scientists to help Dr. Mark with his research and projects. I would like for some of them to be specialists in different fields. I will probably also need them to teach some things to certain members of my crew, in the same way as the executives will teach us their areas of expertise.
Me: For this same reason I will also need the best cooks, doctors, navigators, shipwrights, boatswains, helmsmen, musicians, barbers, tailors, beast tamers, blacksmiths, archeologists, literature professors and anything else you think might be useful. You don't need to get most of them right away, as we are already full of stuff to do with the way things are, but please try to get the most important ones as soon as possible.
Me: Of course, I will also like for you to do the same for each type of fighter. Like, I want you to get one strong spear user, a hammer user, an axe user, a staff user, a gun user, a commando, a sniper, an archer, a dagger user, a fishman, etc.
That way, when I need to travel, the house can still stay well protected, and I don't have to worry about anyone attacking Gigi when I'm not there.
Gigi: Mhm. You really think of everything, don't you? Yagagaggaga
Gigi: There won't be any troubles with what you just said but you should explain all of that to Tout and Leheim as they are more qualified to deal with that. I can't even remember most of the professors you just asked… Yagagagagaga
Me: Kakakakkakak … don't worry about it, I will talk with them, I only wanted your approval. That way I can even ask them when should we start having those type of classes.
Me: Oh, right. I once heard a story of two strong devil fruits and where to find them. One is on an island 10.000 meters above ground called Birka.
Gigi: What? 10.000? Are you sure it's not just a myth?
Me: I know for a fact that it isn't. It's a sky island, an island that resides in the clouds. Anyway, I don't know exactly where it is, only that it is somewhere over the first half of the grand line. Try to inquire the government or something about the legends of that place, but don't tell them why we are looking for it. Just make an excuse, like I am interested in fairy tales or something like that. I am sure that it will be pretty hard to find both the island and the fruit, and even if we do find the place, the fruit might already be eaten, so don't worry too much about it and just try to do your best.
Gigi: Very well! If there is such a place, I promise you, I will do my best to find it! What about the other fruit? Is it also in such an incredible and unbelievable place?
Me: Not exactly. It should be near Dressrosa, in an island called Green Bit. The only problem about this one should be finding the fruit itself as I am not completely sure, but it's possible, perhaps even likely that the devil fruit is incredibly small and, therefore, almost impossible to find in the middle of a forest. Ask Dr. Mark for a sketch of the Heal Heal fruit and you should use it to have an easier time finding it. You should probably look for the Tontatta, a tribe of small dwarves, and say that if they can find that devil fruit and give it to us then we can try to come to an agreement and we can even provide shelter for them. In order to avoid confusion, tell your men to be careful and to avoid looking menacing. They might be small, but they are dangerous… In matter of fact, as soon as they come into contact with them, your men must call me so that I may try to strike a deal with them and, that way, we would be solving at least three problems at once.
Gigi: Hmm. As you wish. But what do you mean three? Shouldn't it be only one?
Me: Well, if everything goes according to plan then, not only do we get a powerful fruit that will allow us to train with fewer restrictions, but we would also avoid turning them into our enemies, as they are stronger than they look, and, if everything goes correctly, we might just be able to expand our intel force. Besides, we will be freeing innocent people while we do it.
If I remember correctly, most of the Tontatta tribe were extremely gullible so, even if it's not my intention to fool them, I should easily be able to convince them to join me.
It took one whole month for our forces to reach the Tontatta kingdom and I needed to wait another two weeks before finally receiving the much-awaited call.
Den Den Mushi: perepereperepere … perepereperepere … pereperepe _ gotcha
Government agent: Young Lord. We have found what you asked for. The little creatures are here. We were friendly as the Young Lord instructed and the plan went successfully. They wish to speak with you.
Me: Very well. Please pass them your den den mushi.
Government agent: Very well, sir. Hey, buddy, the Young Lord wishes to speak to you.
Tontatta leader: Oh hello? Who is this? Why do you wish to talk to us?
Me: Hello there. My name is Zeus. I wish to make a deal with you. I know that your tribe was in pain for almost a thousand years because you were deceived by a rich man. What I want is to make up for that. My final goal is to make sure nobody has to suffer as much as you have, but to make that happen I still need to become a lot stronger. And that's why I need people like you. I am aware that King Riku has freed you from your burdens not too long ago and you are happy right now. But is that really happiness? I know he did the best he could, but do you really like living in the shadows, having to steal from others to get what you want?
Tontatta leader: Stealing? That isn't stealing! King Riku told us that we could take anything we want!
Me: Well, I guess he did say that but if you have something and I take it... Is that not stealing? It might be justified stealing, but isn't it stealing, nonetheless? And if you try to hear the comments people have about you, the so-called fairies, I am sure they won't be as good as you think. You don't even live in Dressrosa … you live in a deserted island. For how long do you think you can be happy there?
I couldn't see his face but, based on the silence and his heavy breathing, I could tell my words were getting through to him and he was having several doubts about their living situation.
I could tell he was almost convinced so I gave him a little push.
Me: The dwarves used to be a race that loved to travel! The only reason you stopped is because you were being captured and sold as slaves. If you remain there you will have to keep your tribe hidden. But if you join me, not only will your tribe be free, as I would also try to rescue every single other dwarf I find. I promise! And if you are worried about Green bit or Dressrosa, a few of you may stay behind!
I kept talking to him for almost an hour. I probably had him convinced in the first fifteen minutes, but I wanted to make sure they wouldn't have any regrets joining me. I specified what I need them to do: I wanted them to travel with another force of mine all around the world and give me intel. Those that did not wish to do so could stay in our base and help as they could. We would deal with the details once we met face to face. I made sure he understood that all of them were going to be treated well. Nobody would ever be hungry, captured or forced to become a slave. He eventually agreed to the deal and as soon as they could find the devil fruit I was searching for, they would come to join me. I mean them no harm, but they are really gullible to simply take my word for it. I didn't even tell them exactly how much work they would need to be doing … if I had bad intentions, I could easily take advantage of them!
He passed the den den mushi to the agents and I gave them the same instructions I gave to the tontatta.
I am lucky that Gigi was able to make the government officers I had been using in the last months to officially become "property" of the family. Now they no longer have to report to the world government. The government was naive. They assumed that what I would do wouldn't matter much, so they gave us the liberty to "own" them.
Now I just need to make sure their sense of loyalty is directed towards us instead of the government. I would prefer to make them feel like they've become part of the family, but their minds have already been messed with for too long, so it is just easier to try and make them loyal to me. Eventually, they will no longer feel like part of the government and only then will they truly become part of our crew.
Right now, it doesn't matter if they inform the government on what I am doing, but it might bring serious consequences in the future. That is why I plan to send only the Tontatta to Birka. If one of the government agents recognizes a logia fruit, then they might inform the government or try to take it away from us. Apparently, the only reason I was able to keep all the previous devil fruits is because the government still has no idea on how to determine what kind of devil fruit it is and what it does. However, a few logia devil fruits are different. The ones associated with certain elements are much easier to identify because of their appearances, such as Ace or Sabo's Fire Fire fruit. The govermente would probably find a way to take it from me and save it for a future admiral or a strong and promising marine.
It's also much easier to send dwarves instead of actual humans, not only because of their size but also because Tontatta are a race that can get along pretty well with animals. I just need to find a couple of birds that can fly that high and I am pretty sure they can ride those same birds all the way to the island. Besides, it's also easier for the dwarves to travel on the island undetected and find the devil fruit. And I, later, intend to make a sky island my territory. Skypea is in too much of a mess and it would take some effort to make it my living space. If Birka seems too hard as well, I might just ask Dr. Mark to find a new sky island or to do some research on artificial sky islands.
I finally took care of that subject and the fruit should find its way to me. Now I can go back to dealing with simpler things. I can wholeheartedly train and send all of the other problems to the back of my head. In less than two months our forces have become infinitely stronger. Everyone has grown so much in such a shorth period of time.
I guess the ones with the less visible growth were Laxus and Yami. They were already at the top and it's much harder to show great progress just by doing some physical training. Their techniques were already among the best within the group, so they had to focus more on improving their strength and speed. Even so they still become a lot stronger than they used to be. I have grown so much but I still can't get more than 55 to 60 wins against Laxus out of one hundred and, against Yami I can only perform slightly better. My growth was much bigger than theirs, because, unlike them, I was focusing on improving my fighting style and that had much more visible results. Even so, the difference between us didn't move that much. I should be happy to get such strong companions.
Gon and Brolly were definitely the ones with the biggest growth. They used to be simple servants, not ready for combat, but they have improved so much that now they can start training with the "Big class". Due to the very different levels among all of us, I decided to separate ourselves within three groups. I made sure that their positioning wouldn't influence anything on our crew. It was simply a better way to make all of us get even stronger.
In the begining, Laxus, Yami and I were the only ones on the advanced group. In the intermediate group were the rest of the bodyguards: Goku, Vegeta and Killua. And in the Lower group were Brolly, Majeh, Meliodas, Raxel, Alice, Lilith and Erina.
Right now, Gon, Killua, Brolly, Goku and Vegeta have already been able to join the advanced group. This doesn't mean that they reached our level but that, now, they are strong enough to train and practice with us. In the intermediate group remained Majeh, Meliodas, Raxel and Lilith as they can already fight but they might get injured if they practice with us, so they are still in this group. Erina and Alice remained in the lower group.
This division is something I've decided after seeing everyone practice but, after analyzing everyone's reaction and development I come up with a new approach. In the future, the members of the advanced group will be the fire power of our crew. They will be our offensive force and will focus on combat fighting. The lower group shall consist of non-combat elements that will focus more on other fields, such as navigating, medicine, cooking among many other possibilities. The intermediate members shall focus on both combat fighting and at least one specific field they wish to follow. After they become stronger, they may choose to focus only on combat fighting, or they may continue to develop their talents in those other fields.
For now, there are only 14 of us but I hope that one day comes when we can be more than 50. On one hand, I don't want there to be so few of us that we will need to find allies every time we face a big force, similarly to how the Straw Hats needed allies when they were fighting Domflamingo, Big Mom or Kaido. On the other hand, I don't want there to be so many of us that the training no longer becomes effective. I plan to make a team where we are able to focus on everyone's strengths and weaknesses, finding the best people to help them surpass their limits. If there are too many of us it will be hard to pay attention to everyone. That's why, in the future, I plan to have about 50 allies. As they will be joining us progressively, it's easier to pay attention to their strengths and how they can improve. That is also why I am implementing this system, to make it easier to develop your strengths and to promote each individual's talent.
Another thing I realized is that everyone in the intermediate or the lower group was feeling inferior to the ones in the combat group. As such, I am going to change the name of the lower group to Skilled group, the Advanced group to Combat group and the Intermediate group to Mixed group. I want them to understand that a Skilled group member can be just as useful to the crew as a combat member, depending on how far they perfect their skills.
For now, every new member shall start in the Internship group.
If they have great combat ability but no extra talents on other subjects, they will be transferred to combat group.
If they have good combat capability and also other useful talents they wish to hone, then they will become part of the Mixed group.
If they don't have a really good combat ability but wish to follow a certain field then they will go to the Skilled group.
Besides these three, there will be other specialized groups that other members may follow. For now, the only special unit is the Intel Force, which will consist of the Tontatta, the previous government agents and anyone else Gigi can find. Because I wish to make most of my crew Devil Fruit Eaters, I also wish to create a unit that is able to freely move on water, the Dive Force. I had this idea when I was scrolling through a book of animals and beast and found the Kung-Fu Dugong. It reminded me that the animals were willing to follow Luffy and how, one of them, even made his own crew and mastered haki. If I can get that kind of allies, it would be pretty beneficial.
It has been about two months since I came here. Gigi also told me that he should be able to bring the new recruits around this time of the year. Slave auctions don't happen every day, so it takes a while for Gigi to get me the individuals I asked for. But they will come just in time as Bogard should be arriving pretty soon too. He was supposed to have arrived about a month ago, but a dangerous pirate appeared. He was causing trouble and Bogard had to follow him for quite some time. Apparently, the pirate was able to be on the run for quite some time but was eventually caught and imprisoned. According to his last message he was on his way here and should arrive in about a week.
We all finish having breakfast and start heading towards the Big Yard. Just as Gigi had promised, the new recruits had arrived, so he asks me to greet them at the entrance and deal with them as I see fit. I let them rest a little bit before assembling them all in the recently built Big Yard, which is where all the big events will happen from now on.
I looked at the faces of the new recruits and realized they weren't the same as the kids I spoke to two months before. Because my family treated slaves like proper humans, the first recruits only showed respect and awkwardness. They might have showed a little bit of fear, but that was mostly because I was their Boss. A lot of these new kids look either terrified or angry. I saw that they didn't look too good when they arrived, so I asked the maids to wash them and give them new clothes, in hopes of making them more comfortable. It would appear it didn't work as most kids still looked either terrified, desperate or simply angry.
Gigi stopped me first and examined every kid. He told me he would take a while and sent me away, to get everything else ready for them. He decided that before I spoke with them, he would select those that fit my parameters. He wouldn't select them on their physical skills or on how smart they look. Instead, he would try and understand which of these kids had what it takes to try their best and not give up. Which of them could line up with my goals. Which of them couldn't be tempted with riches, promises or anything else that may make them betray me.
Only after 2 hours did he call me back.
This time, at the begining there were about 30 kids. After Gigi "interviewed" them, only 10 were left. Based on what I understood, most of them chose to become a servant and live a more lenient life and only a couple of them had someone to get back to.
Anyway, the 10 that were left seemed a lot more promising compared to the others. Most of them didn't seem that scared and a couple of them seemed like they already knew how to fight. But the weirdest part is only 5 of them are human. There appears to be 3 kids that have big wings on their backs and 2 others that have fins all over their bodies.
The fishman # 1, a.k.a. fishkid, has long diagonal gills on his neck, almost looking like he received 4 small slashes on each side, thin long fins on the bottom part of his arms, and some kind of almost invisible membranes between his fingers and his toes. The maids offered everyone clothes, but I guess both Fishman felt more comfortable without any shoes on. He also has a big fin on his back. I believe he is a human Fishman hybrid because he still has a couple of human-like features and even his skin tone is tanned instead of grey, blue or some other vivid color, like most fishman I have seen in the anime. He has brown dreadlocks that reach the upper part of his neck. He looks really scared, which is understandable since he should only be about 3 years old. He is still hiding behind fishman #2, a.k.a. Octopusboy. This one is already a little older, probably around 6 years old. I think this one is a true fishman. Just like the fishkid, he also has fins along both his arms, membranes connecting his fingers and his toes, and a big fin on his back. There are a couple of big differences between both of them, such as the fins on this one's arms are slightly bigger and thicker, on the outer side of his arms, instead of on the bottom. His membranes are a lot thicker and more evident, which helps me believe the other kid really is only half fishman. His back fin is at least twice the size but a little less curved. His skin is kind of light grey with a hint of blue. He has small, curved gills below the outer corner of his eyes and bigger gills on top of his shoulders. He also has purple-colored dreads on top of his head that move with the wind as waves move with the ocean.
Next to them are the winged trio. The one in the middle looked to be the oldest one in the octopus group, about eight years old. Besides his angel like white wings, he has short blonde hair and a serious look. I could feel he was trying to remain calm but there was this certain fire in his eyes. He looked pretty strong too, probably the strongest of the new recruits. Maybe even stronger than Laxus, Yami or myself.
On his right is the other boy with wings, probably also eight years old. This boy had a really calm look and a shining bald head. He looks so calm that it almost freaked me out. On the other side is the girl with wings. Besides white wings like the other two, she has purple hair that kept moving. There were several times where there was absolutely no wind, but her hair kept moving … is her hair made of snakes or something? Then I recalled that Kumadori dude, from CP-9. He used a technique that allowed him to freely control any part of his body. She may use something similar. Either that or her hair really is alive. There is also the option that she ate a devil fruit and is now able to do such things. Either way, her eyes were full of anger. It looks like the oldest angel boy is holding her arm to calm her down, restraining her as discretely as he can.
On the humans' side we have two huge guys with dark skin and silver hair, one a little smaller than the other. By their side are two medium-sized girls and one small boy on the front. None of them look too terrified but they also don't look very happy. The two big guys looked like they were ready to fight at any moment, but they didn't seem neither angry nor irritated. Then, there were the two girls. One looked normal but the other one looked like she was getting ready for what was meant to come, like her spirit had been broken, which is weird as Gigi should have taken away all the ones that don't have enough will to fight… guess I will just have to trust him and believe in her potential. The last one left is a little boy that only looked like he was lost … whenever I looked at him, I got the feeling he had no clue of what was going on. The image that keeps appearing on my mind is that he was just in the middle of a field trip and suddenly got lost, somehow ending up here, not understanding anything of what is going on. He keeps looking from one side to the other, almost as if he is still searching for his teacher or the rest of his class.
The biggest kid looked like he was only six, but he was already taller than most adults. He has a large built that matched his big size. He has smooth silver hair that goes all the way to his shoulders and dark colored skin. Next to him was the other big boy. Although he wasn't as tall as the other one, he was still pretty big, much bigger than Laxus. The first thing that caught my eye, besides his height, was the big cloak made of black feathers covering his back, neck, shoulders and a small part if his upper torso. It was a weird sense of fashion, but it still looked pretty good. He has short curly silver hair. He kind of reminded me of Archer from an anime I used to watch, except that he seemed much bigger and much more muscular. His muscles were not only much bigger but also almost as developed as mine. At the beginning, I thought their strength was near my level, but, upon a closer look, it might even surpass it as I am not sure I could win a strength match against either one of these two, and that has been my biggest strong point for these last two months! I may be less than five years old, but my strength should easily surpass most adult humans, even in this world.
One of the two girls by their side has long red hair and the other one has short black hair. The read haired girl seems way too normal. Perhaps way too brave is a better explanation, as she looks like she isn't afraid of anything... I am not sure if she can feel that I mean no harm or if she is simply that brave. The other girl has short black hair, looks really skinny and has several bruises on her body, but what really worries me is the vibe she is giving. She seems to have given up on everything. They both are about five years old, but they have completely different vibes to what you would expect of a normal young girl: one appears to be way too brave, serious and bold as the other looks like she can break apart at any moment. Let's just hope she is able to find the strength to change. Neither one of them seems too willing to explain their circumstances, so I should avoid asking them too many questions.
Lost in the middle is the midget white-haired boy with light dark skin. He seems to be about six years, but he is almost as small as the three years old Octopusboy.
Me: Hello everyone! I am Zeus and first of all, I mean you no harm. I know many of you doubt what I say because I am a Tenryubito. You might have heard stories of how awful and depraved we are. How we behave as if everyone is part of our property. Let me assure you, I am nothing like them. This household does not aprove what they do, and no slaves will ever reside here. I wish to eventually become strong enough to change the way the world currently works. Maybe that is nothing but a childish dream, but that… only time can tell. Right now, I will tell you as much as I can about what I plan to do and what I've been doing all this time. If you have any doubts just question either me or my teammates behind me. They were where you are just two months ago. Perhaps, some of them doubted my words as well, but here we are now … and let me make sure you understand. They are not my servants and much less my slaves! I consider every single boy and girl behind me my brothers and sisters of arms and I will try to do anything for them. They all are part of the Black Flame family… I will tell you all what I want to say and then it's your turn to speak. You don't have to be too specific if you don't want to, but I would like to hear every single one of you talk about what happened to you, what brought you here and, more importantly, what your dreams are. Afterwards, I will tell you whether or not I can help you reach that same dream and it will be up to you whether to believe it or not.
Me: Then I will let you choose one of three options:
You either choose to follow me and join our family, becoming my brothers and sisters, trying to be the strongest you, you can be.
You can alternatively choose to stay here and remain as a normal servant, NOT a slave! You shall be treated well enough and live a good life as a normal maid or farmer or some other position you might find more fit for yourself. There are several alternatives as this house needs a lot of work.
Your final option is to refuse my support and simply leave. I will make sure nobody stops you, but I can't guarantee anything after you leave Mariejois. As young and weak as you are, you probably wouldn't be able to do much in the real world but, if that is the path you wish to follow, I won't stop you… As you can see, many of those that came with you have already joined and became servants and, if that's what you truly wish, you can join them or we can even set you free, but the reason why you stand right there is because we believe you have what it takes to join us and become strong!
I continue giving my speech and I realize some of their faces start changing. Some of the kids seem to become more excited, some more intrigued and some simply maintain the same expressions. The blonde angel boy was the one that stood out the most, as he was calm and carefully listening until I mentioned how weak they are to do anything in the real world. The moment I did, he let out his anger and frustration. From that moment on, he remained with anger all over his face, probably itching to prove me wrong and, every time I reinforced how weak they are, I could see his fist clench, as he was having trouble controlling himself. When it's time to speak to each of them individually, I need to make sure I understand what happened to him and that he properly explains everything to me. The depressed girl's vibe seems to have improved, the big boys keep listening as they don't seem as eager as before and the little boy still looks like he's lost and doesn't quite understand what is happening, still searching for his teacher. The two fishmen look at me like they are doubting most if not every single word I say. Especially the older one. The young one still seems to be giving me the benefit of the doubt, but the older one doesn't seem the least bit pleased with my words.
I have improved my speeches by a large amount, meaning that now I am able to pass on most of what I want to. The humans all looked pretty convinced. They didn't pose much trouble when we were talking about their personal situations. None of them seemed too eager to get into the specifics, but from what I could understand, most if not all of them were orphans, either since they can remember or recently. I try to console them and tell them that we are their family now and that there is no point dwelling in the past. It turns out the big guy is unexpectedly really emotional. We didn't discuss anything too intensely, but he still started crying immediately and, unconsciously, hugged me as hard as he could. Right after, he remembered how much strength he has and apologized, but he looked seriously surprised to find out I was completely fine, without any broken bones. I could barely contain my laughter. Truth be told, his strength seemed slightly inferior to mine, which means he still had quite the strength. If I was a normal person, I probably would need quick medical support as he would have broken a lot of my bones, perhaps even my spine. However, even if he was twice as strong as he is now, I still wouldn't have a lot of trouble as I have received a hug from Gigi almost every day, for the last 2 months. In the beginning it felt like my bones were about to break but then, I got used to it and now it's more like an exercise to improve the resistance of my body and my own resistance to pain … I really have turned into a training fanatic…
I send the new recruits to join the old ones and tell them to get to know each other while I talk with the rest. Laxus nods and introduces everyone, taking my place as the lead. As my right hand man, he always tries to do his best so I can always count on him. Ever since I met him, even on day one, he has been doing his very best to help me so I know I can put all my trust in him.
Gon looks at me with a determined aura in his eyes and runs of to help Laxus. He behaves as if he was my disciple, even though I am only about a year older than him, as far as he knows. In my previous life I was a pretty decent martial artist, but by following this world's logic, I am nowhere near qualified enough to be his master. But he keeps following me, trying to learn everything he can from me, so I might as well just do my best to help him. He is extremely sociable so I am sure he will be a great help to Laxus. Laxus is very competent, but I am not sure sociability is one of his qualities. On the other hand, Gon can be pretty nice and charming, so he should be able to make everyone feel much more comfortable.
I move towards the angels and I can see that they are not as pleased as the previous group. Unlike the angels shown in the anime, the three of them had big wings and, by the way they moved, they should be able to use them to fly, as a proper angel would.
I asked them about their story. The blonde guy seems a little distrusting but, fortunately, the bald guy starts speaking and explaining their situation.
Baldy: We used to be residents of an island that resides in the sky. Urek over here used to be the son of the previous Sovereign - as he points to the blonde guy to his side - which from what I understand, would be equivalent to a prince in these lands. He was a strong Sovereign, but he still wasn't able to prevent his defeat.
Blonde Angel: My father was a good man… but he wasn't a good Sovereign! He put way too much trust in everybody, especially those that could cause him the greatest harm. He never even considered being betrayed… which is why that bastard had such an easy time poisoning him.
The blonde angel wasn't able to hold back his anger for a moment and he seemed to be having some troubles moving on, as I could see that the veins on his forehead were becoming more and more visible as he kept talking. As such, the bald angel kept the story going before his friend ended up popping one of those veins out.
Baldy: It is as Urek says, the Sovereign was too trustful and ended up being poisoned by a man he once considered his dearest friend. Surtur was smart enough to slowly poison him for several years and, only when he was at his weakest, did he take the chance to challenge him for the throne. The Sovereign was so weak that he was easily defeated and thrown away, without having anyone to stand up for him. He had so many followers who pretended to always have his best interests at heart, that frequently promised that they would do anything for him but, when the time came, none of them cared enough or had enough courage to stand up for him. Nobody dared to fight against Surtur and the men he slowly persuaded to follow him over several years. He planned everything perfectly and there was nothing the Sovereign could do, as he realized way too late what was going on around him.
Urek: Father didn't noticed what Surtur was plotting until the blade was already cutting his neck … He was growing weak every year and Surtur patiently waited for his opportunity… Brother warned him to be careful but he dismissed his words and kept trusting Surtur almost till his final breath …
Baldy: … Except for a couple of members of the younger generation that were afraid of what the new Sovereign might do, nobody dared to oppose him. The three of us are part of this force but we still don't have what it takes to confront them. In our island, power is everything, so, once you reach the throne, everyone will listen to your orders, no matter how ridiculous or stupid they might sound. In our kingdom, there are no unbroken rules as strength is all that matters, so he can literally do anything he wishes, even if it brings the downfall of our kingdom. By this same logic, that same traitor was afraid that a new force might come up to dethrone him so, in order to avoid a coupe, he immediately sent his men after the two descendants of the previous king and anyone who supported them. We were all persecuted and while we were running for our lives, we separated from the rest of our allies. The three of us ended up falling of a hill, and, like a snowball, we kept rolling down until there was no more island and we were freefalling throughout the skies, at tremendous speed. We were able to use our wings before we reached the sea level but weren't able to prevent ourselves from slamming against the water.
The fact they had wings allowed them to survive such a fall, but the impact was still strong enough to injure them deeply. While they were still trying to recover, they ended up being caught by slave traders. They were sent to the auction house not to long after and were then brought here by Kuromura's people.
The blonde kid finally lost his composure.
Blonde angel: Enough! You said we are free to go … then let us leave! I need to go back to the island … I need to find my brother. If they …. If they are able to catch him, they will rip his wings off as punishment and exile him to the forest! I need to save him!
Me: So, you are from Birka, correct? And your brother should be Eneru right?
Angel boy: How … how did you know? You humans shouldn't have such knowledge about us?
The moment I saw their wings, I believed they should not be from Skypea nor Birka, as they are to different from the original figures. However, it turns out that they really are from Birka … I don't know exactly why they are different but I guess I will question that another time.
Me: Let's just say I read a lot and am well informed …
Technically I didn't lie, since coming to this world I have read a lot of books to pass the time and I do know all of this because I used to love reading One Piece.
Me: Either way. Then it's good that you joined us. You should know you can't do much by yourself. You probably don't even have the strength to go there! And, even if you do go … I am sure you know you would be annihilated.
Angel girl: How dare you speak to his sovereignty like that?
The angel boy stops her. It seems my words brought some reason to him.
Angel boy: You may be right but what other choice do I have? I will not allow that man to kill my brother … he already took so much from me … I can't let him take my brother as well! Besides, are you implying that you humans are stronger than us angels?
Me: You really shouldn't think so highly about yourselves. There probably exists hundreds of humans that should be capable of destroying your island single handily. If you follow me, I will make sure that you will reach unimaginable heights, making such an action almost seem trivial.
Angel boy seems violently irritated at my provocations. His previous anger has come back even worse than before. The veins in his forehead are bulging so much that they look like they want to jump from his forehead and will try to kick my ass.
Angel girl: Cease your deceptions, you measly human. How dare you spout such lies in front of us?
Me: Kakakakaka. Look at your prince, he knows I mean it. That's probably why he's so mad. Because he knows my words are true. He probably already felt the old man's power just now. You really should watch your temper in front of him… I don't really mind your killing intent but him, on the other hand …
As I am laughing, I point towards Gigi, who's in a faraway corner, directing his anger towards the angel boy. As soon as Gigi let's out his blood lust, blonde angel starts sweating without even needing to look where I point. His face loses his previous angry look and now seems a bit more worried.
Angel boy: That … that old man might be incredibly strong, but he can't make me bend down to you.
Me: I don't want you to bend down to me, I want you to be my brother. And the only reason he even showed his face is because you let out your anger… Hey Gigi! Everything is alright! Go back inside! - I scream - Besides, if you really want to test your power, Laxus, Yami or I should be enough. Right now, you should probably be stronger than any of us three, but I am not sure you can win so easily.
I take a deep breath and become a bit more serious. I wasn't exactly making fun of him, but I was talking with him way too relaxed, teasing him whenever I got the chance. I need him to be more emotional so that he wouldn't simply ignore my words. Now that I have his undivided attention, I need to be serious to make him understand.
Me: But that doesn't matter right now. What I meant to tell you was that you can leave everything to me. It's a perfect coincidence, in fact, as I already intended to send my special team to find Birka. I have something I need to get there, so I will simply tell them to help your brother. And it will be much easier to find if you give them some directions. Right now, I don't have the power to simply go there and start trouble but, if you join me, I promise you: I will make sure that traitor suffers! And I will make sure you get to see the look on that vile king's eyes while we take away everything from him.
Angel boy: … How do I know I can trust you … how do I know you will get that power?
Me: First of all, if I wanted to harm you, I would already done so, when you had you shackles on you. But if you are afraid that I could betray you, we can come to a compromise. You will stay here as a temporary member and see how we do things. If you think I am lying or won't have the power to do what I say, then you are free to leave.
Angel boy seems insecure and in deep thought.
Angel girl: If we can leave right now, then let's just go! He said he won't stop us! Besides, our wings may be injured but we should be able to use them to fly away
Bald angel: No, my lord. I disagree. I usually accept any decision you make and don't complain but I must ask you that you listen to this human's words. It would seem this is the right way. I can feel there is no malice in his words.
Angel boy thinks for a little bit.
Angel Boy: You promise you will keep your word and do us no harm?
Me: I promise you. With my word on the line, I would do my best to help you guys.
He nods and shakes my hand. It seems I just gained some temporary allies. Angel girl doesn't look too satisfied, but I am sure time will change that. It's finally time to talk to the last two members. The angel group was pretty hard, but I have a feeling that this one won't be any easier. The fishman and the humans have a difficult relationship. It is already hard for a normal human to befriend a normal fishman, but for a captured fishman to befriend a tenryubito is much harder.
I came close enough to have a conversation with them, still leaving enough distance for them to feel safe, as I didn't want them to feel threatend.
Me: Hello there. Once again, I am Zeus and I just want what is best for both of us. Can you tell me what happened to you and how did you get here?
The older one refuses to talk, just giving me the silent treatment, and the little one seems too scared to even look me in the eyes. I gently lower myself and try to approach the smaller one. He was still hiding behind Octopusboy but, eventually he stopped hiding his face and started looking at me. It takes some time to assure him that I am not a bad person and that I only want to have a talk with them. He eventually stops hiding behind his buddy's back, but he doesn't' move forward too much.
Me: There you go. Now that is a brave fellow. Don't worry, I don't want to harm you. I just want to be friends with both of you.
Octopusboy was still ignoring me, as if this conversation had nothing to do with him.
Me: Go ahead… I understand that you are having a little trouble explaining what happened to you so, instead, tell me a little bit about you.
Fishboy: Ok … Hello, my name is Kenichi and I am 3 years old. I am a half-fishman as my daddy is a human that fell in love with a mermaid. My daddy and mommy love each other so much that they had me. Nobody in the village liked me, daddy or mommy but we were still happy by ourselves. And then … one day … daddy was sleeping in the house when a big fire appeared … My mommy asked the village to help her save daddy, but everyone ignored her … she tried to save him by herself … but … but …
I got the gist of what happened. I opened my arms and the kid hugged me and started crying on my shoulder. I didn't know what to say so I simply remained silent.
The big one still seems a little suspicious of me, but he finally says something.
Octopusboy: The village didn't care about the kid, so they just ignored him. Eventually, a slave trader caught him and took him to the auction house.
Me: In here you would never have to worry about that. We accept all races. From fish people to sky people.
Octopusboy: Hmm! Lies! You humans have never looked at us the same way you look at each other… you always treat us like monsters … like we aren't worth anything. The only reason you want us to join is because you need something from us!
Me: Well, you aren't completely wrong. Indeed, I do not look at you the same way I look at normal humans. And it is also true that I need you.
Fishboy seems confused by my words, as he starts walking back, with an unstoppable stream of tears falling from his eyes.
Fishboy: What?
Octopusboy: See??? I told you humans are all the same …
Me: Now that's where you are wrong. Not all humans are alike. You just need to look around you and even here you will be able to see a bunch of different looks and personalities. And what I meant was that I do look at you differently because you fishman interest me more than normal humans. I think the qualities you are born with are extraordinary. I am guessing the only reason our race acts as the predominant one is because there are a lot more of us compared to other races. Humans' greatest quality is their numbers. That is one of the reasons why we get so many more top experts than the other races. And I did say that I need you. And I meant it. I need you the same way I need all of them. I need you so that I can reach my dream. Reach all of our dreams. I don't care if you are a man of the sea or a man of the sky. A gigantic man or a little midget. As long as you commit yourselves to me, to try your hardest, to become as strong as you can… then I, in turn, shall promise you: I will never abandon you and will do my very best so that all of us can live a rewarding life. What I propose to you is the same I proposed to the angels, stay as temporary members and if you think I am lying to you or that I will never have the strength to fulfill my promises, then you are free to leave.
Fishboy ran towards me and hugged me, once again. He looked at Octopusboy with hopes on his eyes, still waiting for his response.
Octopusboy: Very well … as you wish … we shall stay and see.
The older fishman didn't seem too convinced but he could tell that this was probably the best decision. They were far away from home and, from what I could tell, they might not even have anyone to get back to. It would be wisest to stay here and trust me. Besides, if I wasn't trustworthy in the first place, how could they even tell whether or not I would really free them?
It was already the middle of the day, so I decided that if I still planned on making the race then I should hurry before it gets too dark. Today, I officially decided that the race would be a sort of tradition to the new recruits. Some of the combat class also wanted to participate but I told them that they had a lot of time to compete with each other. I could tell Laxus was itching to show the new recruits that he is the second one in charge, so I told him to calm himself down a little and to help me integrate the new kids into our group.
I told the new members about the naming routine we had previously done and asked if any of them were already named or if they had anything they wished to be called. The Inhumans decided to retain their previous names, but all of the humans decided to let me name them.
The race began and the first one to arrive is Urek, the angel boy. The route that they used this time was actually much bigger than the one used before, being more than double the distance, but Urek was still able to finish in a little over two hours and a half. I could hear Laxus grinding his teeth. Urek probably surpassed his personal best. I told Urek to meet the rest of our group and to avoid causing chaos with everybody else. I did say this, but I am pretty sure that, either voluntarily or involuntarily, he will say something that will annoy Laxus. Just a feeling I have.
I was surprised by who came right after. I assumed it would be the Inhumans or the big guy, but it is actually Heracles, the second biggest guy in the group with the curly silver hair and the black cloak. The reason why I am mostly surprised is because his muscles are very large, so I thought they would be impractical. I approach him, call him by his new name and congratulate him on joining the family, as I present him to the remaining members.
After him comes both the big guy, Ulysses, and the bald angel, Aang. I call them by their names and congratulate both of them on finishing the course and being official members of the Kuromura force, as I take them to the Big Yard.
Thirty minutes pass until Elizabeth, as I nicknamed Erza, and Uriel appear. Erza, the red haired girl, was somehow able to beat Uriel, the angel girl. Fifteen minutes followed and appeared Asta, the midget that always seemed lost. A little bit later appears Merlin, the girl with the short black hair and she seemed like she would pass out at any moment. I do the same routine on all of them, I received them, called them by their new names and send them to the rest of the group for social time.
Most of the things have gone as I expected. The only two things that I predicted wrong were that Heracles arrived earlier than I expected and that the Octopusboy still hasn't arrived. I didn't have to consider what was happening for too long as I immediately saw both fishmen on the far distance. I realized immediately what was happening. Although, fishboy was a half-fishman, he was only three years old, and the rest of the group all had six years or more. Octopusboy realized that and decided to stay back to keep the little kid company. That was actually a really adult and mature thing to do … something I wasn't expecting that from a six year old kid… I look at Octopusboy and give him an approving look and nod at him. He understands, smiles and nods back, somewhat embarrassed.
I congratulate them on their great job, welcomed them to the family and called them by their names, Kenichi, the little fish boy, and Kendrick, the Octopusboy.
And as such, a tradition officially started. From now on, all of this would be part of our initiation process.
Because today is their first day, I decided that we should use it to get along with everyone and to let the new members be more comfortable. I am lucky because we are all still kids… if we were adults, it would be extremely awkward to quickly get close to strangers but, because we are all still so young, it's much easier. It would probably take years for adults to create the kind of bonds we can have in only a couple of days.
Everyone seems to be getting along and it seems that my fears of confrontation were thrown down the window. Unlike what I feared, Laxus didn't take his rivalry with Urek the way I was expecting. I was concerned they would become like Zoro and Sanji but no, they actually seem to be getting along. The rivalry between Zoro and Sanji might seem fun at first, but I think it just becomes troublesome after a few times. I am glad they don't behave like those two.
We all have dinner, and after we are all exhausted from talking, partying and getting to know each other, it's time to go to bed. As part of the tradition, we all come to my room … all 24 of us… and it seems my room still has space for many more …. Why did they build it so big???
The sun comes up and, just as I was expecting, all the old recruits are already up. Only the new ones are still sleeping. I personally wake all of them up. Ulysses and Asta actually took some effort to wake up as I had to slap them awake. We go outside and I teach them how our training system works.
Me: Good morning, everyone! As you probably realized, in our family we all wake up pretty early. Believe me, I would love to sleep in, but to become stronger this is the best way. You will get used to it really quickly, don't worry. First of all, right now, all of our members are divided in to three groups:
The combat group, where are all members that wish to focus on their combat ability;
The specialized group, where are all members that don't have much of a combat orientated persona, so they wish to focus on other areas;
And the mixed group, where are all members that have a good combat ability but also wish to focus in another area.
For now, you newbies are all part of the internship program, but soon, you will decide on which group you wish to join. Let me make one thing clear, I need every single one of you, no matter which group you decide to join. A member of the combat force can be just as useful as a member of the mixed forced or a member of the specialized force, and vice-versa. All I need is for you to focus on your strongest points and make them even stronger. Oh right, Kenichi and Kendrick, I wish you two became the starting point of a new force I plan to make: The Dive force, consistent of all members that can freely move in the water. However, if you do not wish to become part of it, I see no problem in assigning you to a new department.
Kendrick: I don't think that is going to be a problem … I believe we can be much happier that way. Don't you think so too, Kenichi?
Kenichi: Yeah! I love the water!
These two already seemed much more comfortable so I guess I was right to let everyone relax yesterday.
Me: Then it shall be done. Now, let me explain our training regime.
First, we all wake up as soon as the sun rises. It is always summer here, so the sun always rises pretty early. After that, we all have ten minutes to present ourselves in the Big Yard so we can start the training. All members go to the tracks for a morning run.
Me: Combat members must do the full race and, as soon as they finish, they will head towards the first gym, the one with the weights, and exercise until the bell rings, signaling time for breakfast. After breakfast, we all have our general lessons for a couple of hours, where we learn a bit about everything. After those lessons are done, the combat members go back to training, this time in the Big Yard, with some group exercises that will be led by our teacher, who should be arriving in a couple of days. After those exercises, it is time for sparring and it will keep going all the way till the bell rings two times, meaning it is time for lunch. After lunch, we have our chosen lessons for a couple more hours, were we study the subjects we like the most, and, as soon as that ends, it is time to go back to training. We do another run to start it and then we go back to sparring. Before night comes, we all go for a swim at the big pool, which we started calling lake. Then we have dinner and if anyone wishes to train before going to bed, they have 3 options:
They can go to the gym filled with punching and kicking utensils, such as boxing bags and bamboo canes;
They can go to the gym with the weights and do muscle training;
Or they can go to the small pool, from now on called pond, and focus on improving their movements.
There may be days when we do something different but, for the majority of the time, this will be the combat force regime.
Me: Now, for the specialized force, they start the day by doing the race and if they finish quickly, they can go take a swim in the lake until the bell rings. After breakfast they will have general classes with everyone and when those classes are over, they have their private classes all the way till lunch, where they study the fields they wish to improve with more focus and with the help of someone proficient in that same field. Afterwards, they have their chosen classes, same as everyone, and, as soon as those are over, it's their practical time where they can try to experiment what they learned or create a new project or experiment. To be honest, this time has to be adapted to each person as it depends on what they wish to become. Anyway, after dinner, they may do whatever they want.
Me: For the Mixed member it's a mixture of both, meaning that they perform the race and the muscle training all the way to breakfast. Thereafter, they have the general classes and the group training and sparring. Following lunch, they have their chosen lessons and then the private ones. After these lessons are over, they may either join the combat force for sparring and swimming or join the specialized force to develop their own projects.
Me: The internship group will act as mixed force until they have chosen which group they want to be part of. Kendrick and Kenichi, however, will be in a situation a little different as they will immediately join the new group, The Dive force. I still have to figure out some details, but I think we should have you take the same course as the mixed force, except after the chosen lesson, you can go directly to the big lake or the pond to practice. I wished to be able to get you a fishman teacher but that seems pretty hard to come around due to the relationships between mankind and fishmen. However, I do have a new scientist who is very interested in sea related studies, and he seems to have some knowledge on the fishman martial arts. Although, it should be merely theoretical knowledge, it should be better than nothing.
Kendrick: Thank you. That would be perfect. I always wanted to develop my own martial arts anyway so, the theoretical knowledge should be more than enough.
We finally finish with the explanations and can get down to training. We start with the race. I am at the front, running side by side with Urek and Laxus. I can keep this speed for a while, but I am going almost at my max speed. I am giving my 100%, but these two can keep up with me. Laxus seems to be going over his full speed, exerting himself and wasting every single bit of his energy to keep up with us. He usually doesn't behave like this, so I guess he really wants to surpass Urek, or at least not to be left behind. The problem is Urek appears to be holding back, only using about 90% of his full strength. I guess he is trying not to embarrass me, giving me face as the leader … That hurts even more…
Physical strength used to be my best card, but I better start improving on other fields … I don't know for how long I can remain the strongest within the group. The race finishes and Laxus, Urek and I finish tied in first. I am pretty tired, but Laxus looks like he can barely breathe. We take 5 minutes to stabilize and go to the gym together. We start exercising and Laxus and Urek keep trying to keep up with me. It seems I still hold the advantage in upper body strength. It was an extra exhausting morning as all three of us wanted to be on top.
Eventually came time for sparring. I decided to choose the partners so, I went against Urek, Laxus against Aang, Kendrick vs Yami, Goku vs Heracles and Vegeta vs Ulysses. My initial thought wasn't to put the new members against the old ones, but these new guys looked pretty strong and eager to fight so I supposed they can train with us.
Me: Very well everyone! It is finally the time many of you were waiting for. I know you are excited but remain calm to avoid any accidents. I don't want anyone holding back, but I also don't want anyone getting hurt. So, I ask of you, do your best but avoid trying to hurt your opponent.
As soon as I gave the signal to go, Urek sprinted in my direction. At first, I assumed he would take me lightly, similarly to Laxus on his first day. However, it seems he was pretty excited. He started with a fake punch, pretending to go for a fist fight but, the moment I put my guard up, he tried slamming my leg with a strong and fast kick. At the last second, I was able to perceive what he was doing so I jumped backwards and was able to avoid receiving a part of the damage. His kick still hit me, but not at full force due to my movements.
As soon as his leg scrapped me, he did a full spin and sprinted towards me once again. I realized he was more confident in his legs, so I also ran in his direction, trying to close the distance. Even though his previous hit made me a little unbalanced, I was still able to regain my focus and move towards him. As I was getting closer, he stopped and kicked upwards in my direction. To avoid getting hit once again, I slide down the floor, on my knees, and pass under his leg. The moment I am passing under him I realize he is trying to lower his leg, trying to stomp me, so, before he is able to, I cross both arms over my head and throw my upper body upward, towards his stomp. I ended up pushing my whole body against his feet before he got enough momentum. I do this movement so quickly that he doesn't have the time to fight back and ends up losing his balance.
As he is falling backwards, he uses his other leg to push me away. I punch towards the feet moving towards me and we both get sent back a couple of meters.
Urek: I could tell you were pretty strong during today's exercises, but I didn't expect you to be this strong…
Me: Honestly… I was planning on you underestimating me so that I could get the upper hand. But it would seem I will have to go all out to avoid getting embarrassed …
Urek: In my kingdom only strength matters. Age and size don't make a warrior. Besides, I need to know how much power my leader has…
Me: ohhh… So you already consider me your leader huh? Good to know… kakakaka
Urek: It would seem so… but I don't plan on following a weak man, so you better not let me down!
As soon as he finished his sentence he sprinted at my direction. After those words I can't let him down, so I did the same and ran at his direction. This time we were testing each other's strength. I punched his kicks and he kicked my punches. It seems he has stronger legs as I have stronger arms, so this was the way we found to test each other. We kept this up until we couldn't hold back our desire to fight anymore. If one was looking from the outside, he would assume we were trying to kill each other. In truth, you just had to look at our eyes and smiles and you would immediately understand we were communicating through our fists and kicks. I could understand him and he could understand me. We were screaming we wanted to become even stronger with every clashing fist. That's why none of us took even a second to catch our breath. We were using every moment of this fight to become even stronger.
If I was the same me from two months ago, I wouldn't have lasted 60 seconds. I used to depend heavily on my physical strength, but as I kept fighting with Laxus and the other guys, I realized that their strengths were becoming closer and closer to mine. It's much easier to improve your level from 15 to 30 than from 60 to 61. I had to stop counting on my physical strength to win the matches and, little by little, I started improving my fighting style. That is the reason I could currently keep up with Urek. Two months might not seem like a lot, but that is 60 days, with somewhere between 50 to 100 fights per day, depending on our conditions. They weren't fights to the death but if anyone got distracted for even a single fraction of a second, they could get seriously hurt.
It was thanks to those more than 3000 fights that today I can still fight to remain at the top.
Just as my match against Urek was pretty balanced, so were most of the others. Because of my warning, nobody was holding back but they were still careful to avoid injuries. I haven't been giving the time to look around, but I can understand most of what is going on with the use of my haki. Laxus had a significant advantage over Aang, but not enough that he could just play around. He had the better fighting abilities and more strength, but he could still fight Aang without having to hold back. Because the difference in their capabilities was the most evident in all of the fights, theirs took less time than most of the other ones. I could feel Laxus sitting down, looking at my fight, like he was ready to join us at any moment.
Just the same, the other matches had already reached a winner. Yami, Goku and Vegeta had all come out on top, the main reason for their victories being experience. We were all training together, non-stop, for the last two months. That training affected not only me but all of them as well. It was due to that experience that they could act like veterans, even though they were just recently "promoted".
And, just as the lunch bell was about to ring, I send Urek to the ground and put my foot over him. I just realized but this was one very long fight. Unfortunately for Laxus, this meant that we didn't have enough time to switch partners ... the fight he was hoping for would have to be a little delayed.
I tell everyone to gather up and we all have a small quick discussion about each of our own strong and weak points. I congratulate everyone on the good job and send them to the bathhouse for a quick shower before lunch. I start moving towards the bathhouse when I suddenly feel a strange presence. This presence is of unknown origin and seems to have a certain hostility. I can't feel any killing intent, but I can't tell for sure, as the figure seems to be on a much higher level than my own. I can feel its danger … I am not sure if it's better to fight it or not, but I rather try to fight and find out than to regret not doing it, once it becomes too late.
I try to remain calm and warn everyone. We all get ready and simultaneously dash in its direction.
Laxus and Urek are the first ones to arrive, as they each kick at one of his legs, but he seems to be able to block both moves with simple foot movements. Goku and Vegeta both punch at his right side but he blocks both of them with one hand. Yami and Aang both do the same thing to his right side, but he uses his other hand to block them just the same. I let them go before me to try and catch him by surprise, so everything is going similarly to what we planned.
Now, it's my turn to go on the offensive and I decide to go for the head. I jump towards him, moving as fast and unpredictably as I can, but his eyes still seem to be following my movement. This is perfect! We must take this chance!
And, almost as if they had listened to my thoughts, both Ulysses and Heracles punch the mysterious figure. Ulysses punches its chest and Heracles its back. I've seen them training today and I realize those two have the most physical strength in the group. Even when Laxus, Urek and I were competing with the weights against each other, they seemed to be in some sort of competition themselves. Because we were so focused, we didn't even realize, but now that I think about it, their weights didn't seem any less than ours… I know Ulysses is near my level but I think Heracles surpasses us both.
I start smiling waiting to see the figure crumble after the impact, but … it doesn't even move! It seemed like it didn't even feel it and kept its eyes on me. I try not to freak out and punch with all my strength right at his nose. And just as my fist was about to connect, his face dodges it and he headbutts me. I couldn't even tell how he moved so swiftly but, all of a sudden, my fist thrusted through the air and a head was heading towards my forehead. I try to see its face, hidden in the shadows until now, but my conscience seems to be fading away…
…