Chapter 21: Training and Daily Life

Setting a course and charting a path doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing.

In fact, most voyages come with irregularities—sudden storms, encounters with enemy or naval ships, even attacks by massive Sea Kings.

These things can happen even outside the Grand Line, the so-called "Great Pirate Route." Considering the destination and the dangers of the sea, it’s not enough to just make plans. You have to anticipate every possible scenario, prepare for them, and train your abilities—or gather the right people and resources—to handle them.

In that regard, I’d say my knowledge base is coming along nicely. I’ve managed to pick up essential skills like navigation, basic medicine, and cooking—all necessary for a long voyage.

Mostly because I spend my free time buried in books. Honestly, apprentice work becomes pretty easy once you get used to it, leaving plenty of downtime. Outside of training sessions and drinking parties, I have all the time in the world to read.

But even on a long voyage, there’s no room for complacency. The seas here are unforgiving. No matter how much time you spend honing yourself, it’s never enough. That’s why I’m always looking for more efficient ways to grow stronger—

"Hmmmm… Any good ideas for getting stronger? What do you think?"

"GAAAHHH!! Don’t ask while you’re twisting my joints!! How the hell should I know?!"

"Big Brother Katakuri’s getting bullied again…"

—And so, with time to spare, I found myself pondering this while playing with the Charlotte children—Katakuri in particular.

Nearby, Charlotte Brulee, the 8th daughter, watched with an unreadable expression. She and her twin sister, Charlotte Broyé, were among the many, many children of Linlin. Honestly, keeping track of them all is a nightmare—especially with all the twins and triplets. Let’s see, quick recap:

First son Perospero, first daughter Compote, second son Katakuri, third son Daifuku, fourth son Oven, second daughter Mondée, third daughter Amande, fourth daughter Hachée, fifth daughter Effilée, fifth son Opera, sixth son Counter, seventh son Cadenza, eighth son Cabaletta, ninth son Gala, tenth son Cracker, sixth daughter Custard, seventh daughter Angel… Uh… Oh! Eleventh son Zuccotto, eighth daughter Brulee, ninth daughter Broyé, twelfth son… uh… Nusstorte, thirteenth son Basskarte, fourteenth son Dosmarche, fifteenth son Noisette, sixteenth son Moscato, tenth daughter Mash, eleventh daughter Cornstarch!

Phew. Managed to remember them all. The early ones are easy, but the later kids? Total guesswork sometimes. Sorry, but I keep mixing up the triplets—Nusstorte and the others—since their names are so similar.

Anyway, Linlin has 27 children in total. No wonder she’s called "Big Mom." She’s even fought battles while pregnant—though "motherly" isn’t exactly the word I’d use for her. Sure, she has her moments, but she doesn’t bother with chores or childcare. That duty falls to her ever-changing husbands, older siblings, or subordinates like Streusen. And, well… me, sort of.

Maybe it’s this upbringing, but the kids are surprisingly mature for their ages. The older sisters still look after the younger ones, so even with 27 running around, I only have to deal with a handful at a time. Right now, it’s mostly the older brothers—especially Katakuri, who loves picking fights with me. Hence the chokeholds.

"If you wanna make it as a pirate, you need strong underlings. So, what do you say? Wanna be my subordinate?"

"Hell no!! You idiot!!"

"So you’re an enemy, then. Enemies get crushed."

"Grr… Damn you…!!"

"Oops."

As I tightened the hold, Katakuri stretched his arm—trying to grab me. I dodged just in time. Close one. Gotta hand it to the Mochi Man—joint locks don’t work well on him unless I reinforce them with Haki or actually try to snap his neck. A few years ago, he couldn’t even slip out like this. Heh, look at him improving.

"Ooh, you got free! Guess that’s game over. —Perospero, tea."

"Who the hell do you think I am, your errand boy—"

"—Tea."

"…Yes, ma’am."

"She’s a full-blown tyrant now…" Brulee muttered.

With our little spar over, I plopped onto the sofa in the kids’ room and ordered Perospero to bring tea. At first, he refused—but one cute smile later, he caved. Katakuri just stared, deadpan. Same as always. Ahh, this tea hits the spot. Nice to take a break from booze sometimes.

"Oh, right—cookies! Want some?"

"…You didn’t poison these, did you?"

"Nope. These are my personal stash."

"Tch. Should’ve brought doughnuts instead!"

Despite his attitude, Katakuri scarfed them down. Huh. Guess he trusts me? You’d think he’d be more suspicious—I could easily lace them with something. Not that I would (mostly because Linlin would kill me, and so would the rest of the crew).

…Well, strategically speaking, it’s an option. But where’s the fun in that?

Eliminating future threats now might be the smart move, but it’s also boring. They’re just kids, still weak—and where’s the thrill in never seeing how strong they could’ve become? Even Kaido prefers keeping potential rivals around. The stronger they are, the more fun they are to fight—or recruit.

Besides, I don’t have a reason to kill people I actually like. Now, if someone pisses me off? Different story. But these guys? Nah.

"WAAAHHH!! IT HURTS, IT HURTS!!"

"Tch… Cracker, you’re such a crybaby~. A real man doesn’t bawl over a little scrape."

"Sh-shut up! I just hate pain, okay?!"

While I was lost in thought, Cracker—one of the other siblings—took a tumble. I teased him a bit as I checked on him. Tough talk, but weak resolve. Tears in his eyes, really? Pathetic. It’s just a scratch—no blood. Hardly worth treating, but…

"Here, take this gauze. Stick it on yourself."

"Guh… Y-you’ll pay for this…!!"

"You mean ‘thank you,’ right? Keep sassing me, and I’ll torture you."

"Eek…!?"

I twirled my trident lazily, and Cracker paled. Hah. Overreacting much? It was a joke, but he looked ready to faint. If I actually tortured him, he’d probably die. Tempting, but… too cruel. Maybe when we’re enemies as adults. For now, he should learn to handle a little pain.

"Anyway, back to the topic—any bright ideas for getting stronger?"

"How the hell should I know?! If you’re so desperate, go pick a fight with Mama!!"

"Already did. Nearly died~. Not much of a fight, honestly. And slaughtering random pirates every day gets old…"

"You… already challenged her…?"

"…You’re a damn enigma, Perorin."

When I casually mentioned it, Katakuri and Perospero stared at me like I’d grown a second head. Can’t blame them. Even I thought I was dead for sure—but thanks to my training (and sheer dumb luck), I survived. Barely. Took months to recover.

I only did it because Kaido was getting wrecked, and I might’ve screamed, "Cut it out, you old hag!!" before getting pummeled. Yeah… not sure how I lived through that. Linlin just… let it go? Or more like she didn’t care. Creepy. For a "normal" human without a Zoan Devil Fruit, she’s more monstrous than I’ll ever be.

But back to the point—if brute force won’t cut it, I’ll have to grind the old-fashioned way: Haki and combat experience. Which brings me to…

"—Oh, time’s up. Gotta go!"

"? You got plans?"

"Training session!! Later!!"

I left the Charlotte kids’ room and headed to the deck. Not quite a daily routine, but close enough.

"—Gotcha!!"

"Like hell you did. And what’s with that weird phrasing…?"

I tried ambushing him from behind—again—but, as usual, he dodged effortlessly. How’s a guy that huge so agile? Above me stood Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate.

Since we weren’t docking today, it was Haki training time. We’ve been at this for three years now, so I know the drill. I thought my Observation Haki was sharp enough to land a hit this time, but…

"Ugh… I predicted your move! Why’d you still dodge?!"

"…Heh. You’ve improved, brat. But you think a few years is enough to touch me? I’ve been honing this for two decades."

"Ooh, rare praise! See? My Armament’s leveled up too—maybe I’m ready to graduate from apprentice?"

"Don’t get cocky, hatchling. Armament isn’t just hardening. Emission, internal destruction, imbuing objects—you’ve got miles to go."

"Ehh?! Most pirates can’t even do that much! I’m already stronger than the average joe—heck, I’ve beaten plenty! Cut me some slack!"

"Quit whining or quit training."

"—Please continue, Sensei!!"

"Tch… You’re hopeless."

Whitebeard sighed, but hey—can’t blame him. I get it, though. He’s warning me against overconfidence. Maybe even… worried? Clumsily hidden concern is his style. Dude can’t lie to save his life.

Probably thinks I’ve got some tragic backstory too. Cute. Not wrong, but still.

---

Training Montage

Three years of near-death spars, and I’ve finally got the basics down. Observation Haki’s always been my forte—range and precision improved. Armament? I can harden my trident now. Not quite "internal destruction" or "emission," but I’m getting there.

Kaido’s already mastered internal strikes, though. Bastard. His hits feel like they bypass armor entirely—I have to block outside my body to counter. At least I’ve got him beat in Observation. Dodging’s my lifeline.

---

Hours Later

"Whew… Good session! But I can keep going—wanna continue?"

"I’ve got my own schedule, brat. Call it a day."

"Muuu… Fine."

The sun dipped low as we wrapped up. Whitebeard studied me, then muttered:

"…Say, kid. You’ve got one hell of a stamina pool."

"Endurance and recovery are my specialties! Still lose to Kaido, though~!"

"Nah… It’s not just Kaido. You two might be—"

He trailed off. Oh, come ON.

"Might be…?"

"…Forget it."

"NO TAKE-BACKS!! That ‘never mind’ crap always means something!!"

"Drop it. …Actually, now that I think on it… You might have Conqueror’s Haki potential."

"That’s not dropping it!! Wait… Conqueror’s?!"

I froze.

…Conqueror’s Haki?

That "one in a million" power to overwhelm others with sheer will? The mark of a king—like Kaido, Linlin, Shiki, Rocks, Roger, Rayleigh…

And now… me?

“Whaaaat!? For real!? I have something like that too—a symbol of a top-tier badass!?”

“Too loud, dammit! …It’s just a maybe. I’m not sure if it’s still there. Sometimes I get that feeling, but it might just be in my head.”

“Ughhh... That’s so mean… I got my hopes up for nothing. I wanna have that fearsome pirate aura too. Hmph, hmph.”

“Not my problem. That’s what you get for jumping to conclusions. …Still, you’ve got talent. Even if it’s not Conqueror’s Haki. If you wanna be a great pirate, train like your life depends on it. That alone’s enough.”

“…You keep going back and forth—complimenting me one second, scolding me the next… Don’t tell me, do you like me? Is this a tsundere thing?”

“Shut the hell up and get moving already!!”

“Okaaay~! I’ll be counting on you again later!”

I made a quick getaway before he could give me another flick to the head. But man, what a tsundere. He could stand to be a little more honest, you know? Not that I blame him—it’s hard to resist this level of cuteness. After all, cuteness is justice.

Still… Conqueror’s Haki, huh? It’d be nice if I had it. Looks super useful when I see it in action, and you can’t go wrong having it. Kaido hasn’t really mastered it yet, but give it time—he’ll get there. As for me, I should focus on training to be useful in other ways. Gotta think things through.

The other thing I could focus on is… yeah, probably honing my Devil Fruit powers. I’ve been trying out different things in mock battles, real fights, even day-to-day stuff. Slowly but surely, I’m getting the hang of it. I’ve picked up a few new moves too. Knowing the general category helps a ton. I’ve got the image of the abilities down. I still can’t pull off the “bow” move at all, but everything else I can manage in a weaker or basic form. I’ve only got four full-power techniques right now, but I’ve been experimenting and adapting. No doubt about it—I’m making real progress.

And then there’s… what was it again? Oh yeah, “Awakening.” I hope I can pull that off someday. It supposedly boosts a Devil Fruit’s powers to a whole new level. If I remember right, Zoan types get insane endurance and regeneration? …If that’s the case, Kaido already seems awakened, but maybe not? Kinda hard to tell. Not like there’s a way to confirm it. But either way, I’ll be training, so it might not matter that much. I just need to work harder.

“Gihaha! What are you up to?”

“! Oh, Captain!”

Just as I was mentally fired up and thinking it was time to head back to the storage deck, Captain Rocks showed up. As always, he radiates this insane aura—like a walking disaster. Total villain vibes. But strangely enough, he’s pretty easy to talk to. I’m used to him by now. As long as he’s not in a bad mood, I can treat him like anyone else.

“Whitebeard’s been training me in Haki. I was thinking about how I can get stronger…”

“Oh? That’s good to hear… Alright, then—why don’t you try a li’l at-tack on me?”

“Huh? Attack?”

That came out of nowhere—and in such a casual tone that I was totally thrown off. Then the captain tapped his left chest and said,

“You can channel Haki into your weapon, can’t you? Try stabbing me in the chest with that spear. I’ll see how far you’ve come.”

“Ehh… Are you sure?”

“Relax. Haki at your level couldn’t scratch me even if I just stood here and took it.”

He spread his arms out wide, practically inviting the hit. Like, seriously, Captain? He’s probably right—my spear won’t pierce him—but if I screw up and somehow do hurt him, I’m dead meat… Even so, curiosity got the better of me. I gripped my spear, infused it with Armament Haki, and—

“Take this!!”

I lunged straight for the captain’s chest with everything I had. But—

“…Hah. Not bad.”

“No way…! It really stopped!?”

My spear didn’t even touch him—it was blocked in midair. Like, what!? Is his body made of armor or something? Maybe Sea-Prism Stone? He’s harder than steel! It honestly hurt me more than it hurt him. And thinking about how Roger managed to wound this guy once… that’s seriously impressive.

“…You’ve got the basics down. Still a long way to go, but not bad. Now keep training and work on your technique.”

“! …Thank you so much!”

“Gihaha, stick around long enough and you’ll brush with death whether you want to or not. That’s how you’ll sharpen your Haki. Get close to dying, but don’t die. Pushing your limits—that’s how strength grows. Not just with Haki, either. I’ve heard Devil Fruits work the same.”

“So basically, the more I nearly die, the stronger I’ll get…”

“If you want a tip—always fight like you’re gonna win. If you believe you can do it, you will. There’s no such thing as impossible in this world…!”

Nodding along, I jotted his words down on a scrap of paper. I’ll paste it in my notebook later. Advice from Rocks D. Xebec himself—the world’s strongest pirate. That’s better than any book or lecture.

But then a question popped into my head. It might’ve been a little bold to ask, but I figured—why not?

“Captain… have you ever been pushed to your limits?”

“…Gihahahahaha…! Now that’s a question, Nue…!!”

Wait, was I not supposed to ask that? Did I just step on a landmine? The pressure around him got a bit heavier. But… he wasn’t angry. If anything, his grin got wider.

“Wouldn’t know. I’ve never hit my limit. That’s why I’d love to experience it someday…!! In a way, I’m jealous of all those weaklings. Life’s boring without a challenge…!!”

“Eh—I’m the one who’s jealous of you, Captain.”

“Gihaha! Damn right you are!! There’s nothing more fun than getting stronger and doing whatever the hell you want!!”

With that, Rocks let out a loud, hearty laugh, like something had struck his funny bone.

Then he reached out and ruffled my hair like crazy.

“Hey!! Captain, don’t mess up my hair!”

“Gihaha, you’re a riot! There aren’t many who can talk to me without flinching. …Anyway, keep at it. There’s not many brats out there as promising as you and Kaido. Train hard—and be useful to me…!!”

And with that, he turned and walked away.

I mean… that was praise, but… hmm. We are planning to go independent someday, so it’s a little awkward. Still, it’s nice to know he acknowledges us. That means a lot.

But really… every time I interact with Captain Rocks, I start to hesitate. Still—I know what’s most important: Kaido and me. Us.

If I wanted to—no, even if I didn’t—I could probably change the course of fate. But in this case, I’ve made my choice: I’m going to let things play out.

Unless it’s something I can change with my own strength—I won’t do anything.

Which means…

If things continue like this, there’s a very high chance Captain Rocks’s ambitions will be crushed.

There’s less than two years left until that happens. And as someone who owes him a lot, I should feel guilty about leaving him to die—but strangely, I don’t. And honestly, I find that a little funny.

Man… I really am a terrible person, huh?