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[ A Day Later... ]
Inside the training room aboard the ship, Toshi was alone, his heavy breathing the only sound cutting through the quietness. Sweat dripped from his brow, pooling on the floor beneath him as he lowered himself into another push-up. His arms trembled, gritting his teeth as he rose back up.
" 40...50...60...70...80 " Toshi kept at it, his arms trembling with each rep. It didn't help that yesterday he had his ass beaten to pulp by Troy. Toshi was utterly sored and completely bruised. His body ached as he finished each rep, his arms, legs, and his entire body felt sore. Sparring with a monster like Troy was a mistake he wouldn't make again.
' The bastards been holding back... ' Toshi grunted, as he winced at his wounds. Comparing when he first started sparring with Troy and now, his punches hurt way more.
Even as Toshi tried to reminiscent about the day before, he got literal flashes of Troy's punches slamming into him. The pain that rattled his entire core, how could someone get so strong? Was it a goal he could reach with his own two hands? If he gave it his all will he one day reach their?
All these thoughts flooded his mind as he kept performing pushups. He then pushed up off the floor, grabbing a wooden sword from the racket beside. Sweat ran down him like a waterfall, he was completely shirtless his upper body completely littered with scars.
Despite the pain that pulsated through him, he tightly gripped onto the handle of the wooden sword. Stepping back into the middle of training room he started swinging...and swinging. Flashes of sweat flying off him as he did each swing.
Shoulder width apart and one foot forward, he raised the wooden sword above his head and brought it down in a vertical swing. Toshi's form was improving little by little, but it was little too slow. With the way he is now he could get beaten by a fly.
*CREAK* *CREAK*
Slowly, the door to the training room creaked open, the sound cutting through the silence like a blade. Ragnar stepped inside, his heavy footsteps echoing against the wooden floor. His legs, burly and thick as tree trunks. He stopped just a few feet away, his gaze settling on Toshi for a moment too long before letting out a heavy sigh.
"Dragon has called for you," Ragnar said, his deep, gravelly voice rumbling through the room. Toshi, mid-swing, froze awkwardly with one arm still raised. "Uh... called for me? Like, to his office?" He lowered his arm slowly, his expression shifting. "Did he say why?"
Ragnar shrugged, folding his massive arms over his chest. "Didn't ask. Didn't care. Just passing along the message."
Toshi scratched the back of his head nervously. "Right... okay. Guess I should, uh, go then."
Ragnar's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable. "You should," he said simply. Then, after an uncomfortably long pause, he added, "Don't keep him waiting."
"Yeah, yeah, of course not. " Toshi muttered, scrambling to his feet. He glanced at Ragnar, hoping for some kind of reassurance, but the man's stoic face didn't help.
He awkwardly placed the wooden sword back onto the rack, then slowly shuffled toward the door. He hesitated for a moment. "Uh... thanks for letting me know?"
Ragnar raised an eyebrow. "It's not like I had a choice."
Toshi reached for a dried shirt hanging on the door, slowly pulling it down before draping it over his shoulder. "Right. Of course. Thanks anyway," Toshi replied awkwardly, slipping out the door and leaving Ragnar to shake his head with a low grunt. Conversations between Ragnar and Toshi was almost always like this.
Ragnar was a man of very few words, the only time he'd get a few words out of him was when he was training. But even then most of time it was eerily quiet.
Toshi as he walked down the hallway slowly brought the shirt overheard and quickly fitted it on. As he turned a few more corners he finally came across a large set of double doors.
Taking a deep breath, Toshi pushed the door open, peeking through the narrow crack he made. He spotted Dragon sitting at his desk, papers in hand, focused in his work. Gathering himself, Toshi fully opened the door and stepped inside.
"You called for me...?" Toshi asked, approaching the desk. Dragon's focused gaze shifted from the papers to meet Toshi's.
"Yeah... take a seat," Dragon said, gesturing to the chair in front of him. Toshi nodded and complied, sitting down without hesitation.
Dragon leaned back slightly, setting the papers aside. "I'm assuming you already know that we're stopping by an island to gather supplies," he began, pausing momentarily to let the information sink in.
"Yeah..." Toshi replied slowly, piecing together what Dragon was implying.
Dragon continued. "Under normal circumstances, we could dock at the shore without a problem. But this is Loguetown. After Roger's death, the number of Marines stationed there has skyrocketed. It's not exactly a welcoming place for people like us."
Toshi scratched his chin thoughtfully. "If that's the case, can't we just go to a different island?" he asked. He wasn't opposed to going to Loguetown, but logically, another island seemed like a safer option.
Dragon sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I thought about that too," he admitted. "But reaching another island could take weeks. We don't have enough food to last that long. With the number of recruits and soldiers we're carrying, it's already hard enough to stretch what little supplies we have for a few days, let alone weeks."
Toshi shrugged. "I guess, but what does that have to do with me?" he asked.
Dragon gave a subtle smirk. "We're sending out a team to gather supplies from Loguetown while the main ship stays at a safe distance. If the Navy tries to attack us, we can escape without any issues," he explained, pausing for emphasis. "The reason we need you is that you're from Loguetown. You have a rough understanding of the layout, so it'll make things easier with you there," Dragon said bluntly.
Toshi nodded, understanding the reasoning, though his brow furrowed in confusion. "How'd you know I'm from Loguetown?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
A subtle smirk spread across Dragon's face. "Weren't you the kid who asked Roger where the One Piece was?" Dragon said, clearly amused.
Toshi let out an awkward laugh. "Hehe, yeah..." He scratched the back of his head, realizing it wasn't exactly one of his finer moments. ' So that meant he was there too?... '
Toshi hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Yeah, I'll do it," he said firmly. Though the mission was about gathering supplies, his reasons ran deeper. He needed to see if something...no, someone...was still there.
Dragon studied him closely, a knowing glint in his eyes. He gave a subtle nod, "Perfect." He didn't press further, as if he understood there was more to Toshi's choice than he was willing to share.
*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
Then a sharp knock from the door broke the moment. "Dragon, it's time," a voice called from outside.
Dragon rose to his feet, gesturing for Toshi to follow. "Let's get going. Time to meet your team," he said, walking out of the room.
Toshi trailed behind, watching the green cloak on Dragon's shoulders sway with each step. They moved through the narrow corridors of the ship, the wooden floor creaking faintly beneath their feet. After a few turns and quiet footsteps echoing in the hallways, they reached a flight of stairs.
Climbing the steps, they came onto the deck. Toshi instantly squinted as the sunlight hit him, momentarily blinding him as he stepped onto the deck. The salty tang of the sea air filled his nose, and the heavy heat instantly clung to his skin.
Dragon led Toshi across the deck, his green cloak fluttering in the breeze. The ship's mast loomed above them, its sails furled, and the faint sound of waves slapping against the hull.
Dragon led him to a group of three standing near the railing. They were waiting, but not exactly welcoming. They looked more frustrated than anything. Dragon gestured toward them with a tilt of his head.
"Toshi, this is your team," he said simply.
The first one, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a shaved head, looked up briefly. His expression didn't change...calm, almost unreadable, but then he gave a subtle nod. "Bastian," he said, his deep voice barely louder than the sound of the waves, before turning his attention back to the water like Toshi wasn't worth another second of his time.
Next to him, a woman with eyes and a permanent scowl didn't even bother to straighten up. She was leaning against the railing, one hand resting on the pistol at her side. "Kaya," she said flatly, her gaze flicking over Toshi for less than a second before she turned back to whatever had caught her attention.
The last one, a boy just about Toshi's age with messy black hair, gave a half-hearted wave, his grin looking more like a shrug in facial form. "Finn," he said, then immediately crouched down to adjust some supplies at his feet, humming to himself.
Toshi stood there awkwardly, shifting his weight. "Uh… nice to meet you guys," he offered, his voice trailing off when no one bothered to respond.
Dragon's lips twitched, just barely, like he was holding back a smirk. "They'll get the job done," he said. "Don't take it personally."
Toshi gave a simple nod, unsure how else to respond. Dragon didn't wait for more. He gestured toward the small caravel at the bottom side of the ship. "Get moving. You've got a job to do."
The four of them boarded in silence. Bastian took his place at the wheel, a compass in hand. Kaya leaned against the bow, her arms crossed as her eyes looked ahead, giving no sign she planned to make small talk. Finn kept himself busy checking the supplies, muttering under his breath about something while occasionally swatting at his hair as the wind tossed it in his face.
Toshi found a spot near the edge of the boat, settling in with a quiet sigh. Slowly they started to push off the boat and slowly sail toward the loguetown in the distance, its size the size of a rock on the horizon.
As they sailed away, Toshi glanced back at the ship. Its massive shadow still loomed over them, stretching far across the water even as the distance grew. Only now did he fully grasp its sheer size. It was massive...easily the size of the Titanic, perhaps even larger. "Holy shit," he muttered under his breath, his eyes widening in slightly.
No one said a word, and Toshi didn't try to break the silence. It wasn't like he needed them to like him. He was here for a reason, one that had nothing to do with earning their approval.
His gaze then drifted to the horizon, where Loguetown waited. Whatever they thought of him didn't matter. He wasn't going back to loguetown just to follow orders. He had something, or someone...he needed to find.
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As they sailed time passed in silence, the only sounds coming from the creak of the ship and the soft splash of waves. As they sailed, the sight of Loguetown grew larger on the horizon, while their ship seemed to shrink in comparison. Hours slipped by before they finally reached the port.
Ships crowded the docks, masts swaying gently in the breeze. The boat rocked as it eased into position, waves lapping against its sides while shouts and chatter echoed in the distance.
Toshi took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the familiar, salty air. It was a scent he hadn't realized he missed until now, a mixture of sea and city. A quiet smile tugged at the corners of his lips, unbidden but welcomed.
Loguetown....It was the town he'd left behind, yet it felt like nothing had truly changed. The streets would still be crowded, the markets still noisy, and the scent of food and fish still thick in the air. Everything was the same, but at the same time, it felt like it had grown, expanded, as if it had a life of its own that he'd missed during his time away.
...He Was Finally Home...
TO BE CONTINUED.
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