"A gun isn't like a sword," Beckman explained to Luffy. "It's not just about wielding it with your hands. A gun relies on both the firearm and the bullet working together. Even if you aim perfectly, factors like wind speed and the gun's quirks can make a bullet stray off course…"
He lifted a rifle, standing beside Luffy, and took aim. With a steady hand, Beckman fired, and the bullet struck dead center.
The loud shot made Luffy rub his ears.
"When you shoot," Beckman continued, "keep your mind calm, calculate the trajectory, and aim carefully. A skilled marksman needs lots of practice—and don't worry, we have plenty of bullets and different types of guns for you to try."
Luffy gripped his handgun, firing several rounds in rapid succession. After wasting about a dozen bullets, he managed to hit the target.
Beckman nodded in approval. "Not bad, Luffy—you've got talent."
"Beckman, what if I come across someone who can dodge bullets?" Luffy asked, picturing the experts who could either evade or even cut bullets in mid-air.
Beckman laughed, shaking his head. "As I said, many marksmen just rely on their weapons and don't train their bodies, so they end up turning firearms into toys."
He continued, "For those who dodge bullets, they're reading your movements and predicting where you'll aim. The key is to fire quickly, lower the muzzle, and minimize movement to make your shots unpredictable."
"And then, there are those who are fast enough to track bullets and can cut them out of the air," he said, his voice serious. "If you run into someone like that, it's not the weapon that's the problem—it's your training. You need to be stronger than your gun."
"Watch closely, kid. This is the same gun you were using." Beckman took Luffy's pistol, loaded a few rounds, and took aim—not at the target, but to the left of it.
Bang!
Luffy watched in amazement as Beckman fired, only to see four holes appear in the wall.
Curious, he ran over to the wall and peered through the holes to see what lay beyond. Outside, some of the pirates were cheering as they hauled up a massive sea creature, its body riddled with four gaping wounds.
"Did those bullet wounds…come from one shot?" Luffy exclaimed.
"That's right," Beckman replied, casually blowing smoke off the barrel of his gun.
"That's so cool!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled in admiration. From that moment on, his training schedule included target practice with firearms.
Beckman didn't tell Luffy the secrets behind his technique. Luffy didn't ask, either. He knew such advanced skills were for experts, and he was just getting started. For now, mastering the basics was enough.
With a full afternoon's practice, Luffy was able to hit the target with nearly every shot. He'd become a beginner marksman.
Next up: moving targets, greater distances, and adapting to varied conditions…
---
At dinner that evening, Shanks turned to Beckman. "So, you've been teaching Luffy to shoot?"
Beckman chuckled. "Just the basics, but he's a natural. By the end of the afternoon, his accuracy was already impressive—probably thanks to his lineage, huh?"
Luffy, happily digging into his meal, didn't seem to care much about the praise. But he did feel a sense of accomplishment. While his heritage might play a role, he believed his hard work had a part in it too.
"Beckman, if Luffy's got so much talent, maybe you should teach him swordsmanship instead," one of the pirates teased. "Or are you just trying to get him hooked on guns?"
"It's not like that," Beckman retorted. "With his potential, Luffy might be able to unlock something special if he sticks with guns."
"Really? Are you serious?" The other pirates exchanged glances, surprised by Beckman's statement. They looked at Luffy, this small, slightly scruffy kid who didn't look particularly extraordinary—yet he already had Conqueror's Haki, and he'd awakened it at just seven years old.
"What's that?" Uta asked, poking Luffy's cheek as he continued to munch away.
"It's a power hidden in everyone," one of the pirates explained. "It's called Haki, and it comes in different types. Besides Conqueror's Haki, there's also Armament and Observation Haki."
After dinner, the pirates lined up their chairs, waiting for Uta's evening performance. While Luffy had been practicing shooting, Uta had been working on a new song, which she now performed for the crew—a nightly tradition and a treasured moment on the Red-Haired Pirates' ship.
Luffy listened quietly, entranced by her voice. Her singing was mesmerizing, and there was no denying her talent.
When the performance ended, Uta came over to Luffy. "Hey, Luffy, let's play a game of checkers!"
"Alright!" Luffy agreed, only to promptly thrash her in every round.
After their game, Uta took it upon herself to teach Luffy to read.
"Enemy sighted! Another pirate crew spott
ed!" came a shout from outside, but within minutes, the noise died down.