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[ .A Week Later. ]
Aboard the ship, Toshi stood shirtless in the training room, his torso on full display. His skin was a canvas of scars, jagged lines crisscrossing his chest and sides like something straight out of a horror movie.
Sweat poured off him, glistening under the dim light as it pooled at his feet. He adjusted his grip on the sword and thrust it forward, the blade slicing cleanly through empty air. A deep breath followed, and he shifted his weight, planting his foot firmly before twisting into a diagonal slash.
The motion felt smoother now, more instinctive. If he compared it to where he'd started weeks ago, he'd improved. He let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head. "Shit turning into slightly less shit is.... still shit," he muttered under his breath, wiping his face with the back of his hand before resetting his stance.
The sword came up again, and he moved through the motions, faster this time. The rhythm, the sweat, the pain in his muscles—it was all familiar now. Somehow, it felt like progress, even if it was slow. Maybe, just maybe, he'd turn that "less shit" into something worthwhile.
He knew he still had a long way to go...mountains to climb, oceans to cross, all the melodramatic stuff...but seeing even a little progress? That was enough to keep him swinging. His Improvement was slow and stubborn, but it was happening, and that counted for something.
Sweat sprayed off his skin as he brought the wooden sword down in another swing. His hands, now rough and calloused, looked like they'd gone toe-to-toe with a cheese grater. They throbbed constantly, but he wasn't about to stop.
"300... 310..." he muttered under his breath, his voice rasping between gasps. His lungs felt like they were waging war against him, but he kept going.
A month ago, he was just a scrawny kid who couldn't have swung a sword without it looking like a tragic accident. Now? Now he wasn't scrawny anymore. His arms were thicker, his chest broader, and his overall build...well, let's just say if he squinted hard enough, he could almost believe he'd wandered out of one of those ridiculous workout montages.
"Damn," he said, glancing down at his torso. "Five more months of this and I might actually scare myself."
He adjusted his grip on the sword, rolling his shoulders as if testing his newfound physique. Sure, he wasn't ripped enough to intimidate anyone with an actual weapon, but compared to the bag of bones he used to be, he might as well have been a gym poster boy.
Considering how much muscle he'd packed on in just a month, it was impressive. But muscle alone didn't mean much, when his combat proficiency was still leagues behind where it needed to be. If Biastian hadn't been there for him, he might've died that day. Or worse, back when Dragon saved him from that death arena.
Toshi knew the harsh truth...if he was going to survive in this godless, cruel world, he couldn't rely on others to keep saving him. He needed to be strong enough to stand on his own, to fight without dying in the blink of an eye or depending on someone else to bail him out.
Mid-swing, he froze, the wooden sword poised awkwardly in the air. Sweat flung off him, splattering into the growing puddle on the floor. His jaw tightened as a thought crept into his mind, one he couldn't shake. ' If I'd just been a little faster, I could've helped Finn. '
It wasn't exactly his fault...he knew that. But being part of a team meant something, didn't it? He should've acted quicker, moved sooner, done something to prevent Finn from getting hurt. But instead, he'd hesitated. Not for long...just a fraction of a second.
But in a fight, a fraction of a second was all it took for everything to go to hell. Maybe, within that fraction of a second, things could've gone differently. Maybe Finn's outcome would've been better.
Toshi sighed heavily, lowering the wooden sword and resting it against the rack. He grabbed a towel off the floor and dragged it across his sweat-soaked skin.
At least Finn didn't die. That was the one silver lining. But the guy was still stuck in the medical room, bedridden for weeks. Every time Toshi thought about it, that pang of guilt resurfaced, gnawing at him.
After wiping himself off completely, Toshi exhaled and tossed the towel aside. ' I should check on Finn, ' he thought, rolling his shoulders as he grabbed his shirt from the bench.
Toshi slipped his shirt on, and left the training room. His steps were slow as he made his way to the medical room, the weight of the moment pressing on him.
When he arrived, he stood for a second, staring at the door in front of him. He took a breath, pushed it open, and stepped inside.
The room was quiet, save for the faint creak of the door and the steady sound of Finn's breathing. Finn lay on the bed, his torso swathed in layers of bandages, making him look more like a mummy than a man.
Hearing the door, Finn turned his head slowly. When his eyes landed on Toshi, a weak but genuine smile tugged at his lips. "Hey," he murmured, his voice soft and a little hoarse.
Toshi stepped further into the room, his hands shoved awkwardly into his pockets. "Sorry, I didn't get to bring flowers," he said, his voice low but with a hint of dry humor. "Figured I'd spare you the cliché hospital visit."
Finn let out a weak chuckle, though it came with a wince. "Yeah, thanks for that. Don't think I could've handled the overwhelming scent of roses right now."
Toshi's lips twitched in the faintest smile before it quickly faded. "Hey... about what happened," he began, glancing at the floor. "I'm sorry. If I'd been faster—if I hadn't hesitated—"
"Stop." Finn cut him off, his voice firmer than Toshi expected. "You don't need to apologize." He adjusted himself slightly on the bed, wincing again as the movement tugged at his bandaged torso. "You still got the guy who tried to kill me, didn't you? That's more than enough."
Toshi opened his mouth to argue, but Finn kept going. "If anyone should apologize, it's me. When we first met, I treated you like you didn't exist. Hell, I didn't even bother learning your name at first. I was a jerk, plain and simple."
Toshi blinked at him, then let out a weak laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Well, you're not wrong. You were kind of an ass."
Finn smirked faintly. "So, we good?"
Toshi nodded. "Yeah, we're good."
Finn extended a hand, though it trembled slightly. "Let's start over. Name's Finn."
Toshi took his hand, shaking it firmly despite the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Toshi. Nice to meet you, Finn."
"Nice to meet you too." Finn grinned, the exchange lightening the air between them, even if just a little.
They continued to talk, the conversation flowing more easily with each passing minute. It wasn't anything deep, just small talk—getting to know each other a little better. But it felt good. For the first time in a while, Toshi didn't feel that familiar, gnawing weight on his chest.
Just as they were settling into a comfortable vibe, the door creaked open, and Kaya walked in, her pink hair a striking contrast to the bouquet of red roses she held in her hands. Her green eyes lit up when she saw Finn awake, and her lips curved into a wide, genuine smile.
"Finn..." she said, her voice almost bubbling with excitement.
Finn's eyes shifted to her, and he gave her a gentle, tired smile in return. "Hey, Kaya."
Toshi chuckled softly to himself, recognizing the moment. ' Alright, that's my cue to get out of here. '
He stood up from his chair, stretching slightly. "Alright, I'll leave you two to chat," he said with a lighthearted grin. Finn gave him a quiet nod, his smile still lingering on his face.
With a final glance at the two, Toshi made his way toward the door. He closed it softly behind him, leaving the two to talk about whatever they needed to.
Toshi shoved his hands deep into his pockets, pausing for a moment as he looked down at the floor, thinking. ' What should I do now...? ' The thought lingered in his mind. Today was one of those rare, free days he didn't know what to do with. He wasn't used to having downtime—his routine usually revolved around endless brutal training, pushing himself to the limits until time slipped away unnoticed. But now? He was left standing there, unsure what to do with all this free time.
' I guess I'll go to the deck.... ' he decided with a shrug, deciding to at least get some fresh air.
He made his way slowly toward the deck, his footsteps light against the wooden floor. When he reached the deck, he spotted Troy, Rose, Sogeki, and a few others gathered in a loose circle, their heads bent looking over something.
Toshi's brow furrowed as he approached them, trying to sneak a glance at what they were all so focused on. "What're you guys doing?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice as he leaned in slightly, trying to peer over someone's shoulder.
Troy turned to face Toshi, a frown exaggeratedly plastered on his face, a single tear dramatically rolling down his cheek. "You got a bounty... but—" he started, trying to sound serious.
But the slight twitch of his lips gave him away, and before Toshi could ask, Troy's face cracked. He burst out laughing, doubling over as he held up a piece of paper. "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE THAT?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He flung the bounty poster at Toshi, the paper smacking him square in the face before fluttering to the ground. Troy fell back, clutching his stomach as tears streamed down his cheeks. His laughter was so infectious that the others couldn't help but join in.
Even Rose, who always tried to maintain some composure, failed miserably. She turned her back to hide the grin spreading across her face, covering her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking slightly as she tried to stifle the sound.
Toshi blinked, looking down at the poster now lying at his feet. ' What the hell's so funny? ' He bent down, picked it up, and froze.
Toshi yanked the paper off the floor, his brows furrowing as he scanned the numbers at the bottom. "400,000 beli? That's not—" His words caught in his throat when his eyes drifted up to the name printed on the poster.
"What the?! Scrawny Man?! That's not even my name!" he sputtered. He groaned loudly, running a hand down his face before forcing himself to look at his wanted poster picture.
It was supposed to be him...but what the hell was that?. He looked like he hadn't eaten in a week, his cheeks hollow and his eyes shadowed with dark rings like he hadn't slept in months.
His hair fell awkwardly over one side of his face, making him look like a malnourished emo kid. Toshi glared at the paper as if it had personally wronged him, then flung it to the ground. "What the hell is that?!" he growled, stomping all over the crumpled poster. Each stomp only seemed to fuel the laughter around him.
"You—BAHAHA—you actually look worse in the poster than in real life!" Troy wheezed, rolling onto his side.
Rose finally gave up trying to stifle her giggles, wiping a tear from her eye as she added, "It's not that bad. I mean, they got the hair kind of right."
"Oh, shut up!" Toshi barked, his cheeks now fully red. "Who even made this?!"
The laughter began to subside, leaving only a few chuckles here and there. Then, out of nowhere, Troy burst into a louder fit of laughter, tears streaming down his face. He slapped the ground, struggling to point at two posters lying facedown nearby.
"Oh, you...hah...you've gotta see these!" Troy managed to choke out, his voice cracking with pure laughter.
Toshi narrowed his eyes and walked over, snatching up the posters and flipping them over. His jaw clenched as he saw the faces staring back at him: Kaya and Biastian. Both of them had bounties of 300,000 berries, and unlike his own, their posters were practically magazine cover material.
Kaya's pink hair looked better than in real life, and her face looked like she was a model. Biastian looked every bit the dangerous, battle-hardened warrior, his arms crossed and his face deepened into a scowl that screamed the word...BADASSSSSSS.
The crew exploded into another round of laughter as Toshi's face contorted. Slumping to the floor onto his knees completely depressed. Without thinking, he then threw both posters to the ground and began stomping on them with the same hate he did to his own, but did theirs a little worse.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Toshi fumed, his voice barely audible over the laughter.
*CREAK* *CREAK*
Then the door to the lower deck creaked open, and the laughter died instantly. Dragon stepped out, his gaze sweeping over the group, with Ragnar following closely behind him. The crew snapped to attention, giving him a salute.
Toshi blinked, unsure of what to do, before awkwardly raising his hand in salute as well, falling into line.
Dragon cleared his throat, and the crew fell silent, their attention fully on him as he paused for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts. "I just wanted to say," he began, his voice carrying an unusual weight, "we'll be reaching the Grand Line soon. This is where our journey truly begins. It's not going to be easy... it's going to be dangerous, and there will be moments when it feels like too much to handle. So, I want you to know, if any of you feel uncertain, if you think it's too much... we can always stop by a safe island. You can walk away, no questions asked."
His eyes scanned over the crew, each one standing at attention, their salutes unwavering. But no one spoke up, none of them ready to back down.
Dragon's lips curved into a subtle smirk clenching his fist and thrusting it into the air. "I know we lack the forces right now," he declared, his eyes burning with determination, "but one day, we will strip the government of their grasp on the world. We will root out all corruption!" His words echoed across the deck, catching the attention of every single person aboard.
His gaze swept across his crew once more. "We will save those who are enslaved and oppressed. We will bring the truth to light, and we'll build a world where no one lives in fear or in chains!"
The crew stood frozen for a moment, the weight of Dragon's words settling deep into their hearts. For a brief second, the world around them seemed to pause...like the very sea held their breaths.
Then, as if on cue, they erupted in a unified roar, their voices melding into one.
"FOR A BETTER WORLD!"
There it was again...the same promise that had brought Toshi here. He looked around at the faces of his crewmates, all of them resolute, all of them sharing in this mission. It wasn't just about surviving anymore...it was about changing the world, about making it better for those who couldn't fight for themselves.
With one last look at the crew, Dragon turned, his eyes no longer on them but on the horizon ahead. He walked back below deck, his footsteps slow as a rush of air came from him. As he walked, his voice rang out once more. "Prepare yourselves. What lies ahead will test us all. But together, we'll make it through. And we will create that better world."
As Dragon walked back below deck, one thought lingered in Toshi's mind. ' How strong is Dragon for him to be this confident? '
Curiosity nudged him to lean toward Troy. "Hey, what's his bounty?"
Troy's grin widened. "80 million berries," he said with an almost proud confidence, lowering his salute as Dragon disappeared below deck.
Toshi stood quietly. ' 80 million berries? ' Toshi blinked in surprise, processing the number. He hadn't thought much about Dragon's bounty until now, but hearing that it was twice even quadruple the amount of a regular pirate's made him reconsider just how powerful the man really was.
"80 million berries, huh…" Toshi muttered, more to himself than Troy, as he stared down at his own crumpled poster. His bounty...400,000 berries, seemed laughable now, like a grain of sand compared to a mountain.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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