After dinner, while the others were cleaning up, Lucius approached the two newest arrivals. He found them engaged in what appeared to be a familiar argument.
"My kicks would slice through your swords any day, moss-head," Sanji smirked, lighting a cigarette.
"Ha! You couldn't even find your way here without following me," Zoro shot back, polishing one of his katanas.
"Following YOU? I'm the one who spotted the smoke! You were heading toward the ocean!"
"I was taking a shortcut."
"Through the water?"
Lucius cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "I've been teaching your crew some interesting techniques. The Six Powers - ancient martial arts that push the human body beyond its limits."
"Six Powers?" Zoro's interest was clearly piqued, though he tried to hide it.
"Yes. I'm teaching Luffy Iron Body, Nami Paper Art, Usopp Finger Pistol, Vivi Shave, and Karoo Tempest Kick."
"You're teaching a duck martial arts?" Sanji raised his visible eyebrow.
"Actually, Karoo's making remarkable progress," Lucius said. "Speaking of which, Luffy mentioned you fight primarily with kicks, Sanji. There's one technique I haven't taught yet - Moon Walk. It allows the user to kick off the air itself, creating temporary footholds."
Sanji's cigarette nearly fell from his mouth. "Kick off the air? That's impossible."
"No more impossible than a rubber man or a duck learning to slice through air," Lucius pointed out.
Turning to Zoro, Lucius noticed something peculiar. "Those three swords... do you actually fight with all of them?"
"Three Sword Style," Zoro stated matter-of-factly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "One in each hand and one in my mouth."
Lucius blinked, trying to imagine the logistics of such a fighting style. Just when he thought this world couldn't surprise him anymore...
[Student Analysis - Zoro: Unique fighting style may benefit from enhanced physical techniques]
[Student Analysis - Sanji: Leg-focused combat highly compatible with aerial mobility training]
"Interesting," Lucius mused. "For your style, Zoro, perhaps..."
"SENSEI IS AMAZING!" Luffy's voice interrupted, bouncing over with Usopp in tow. "Show them the dojo! Show them!"
"Yeah!" Usopp added. "Wait until you see inside! It's like magic!"
=======================
[Current Student Loyalty Levels:]
[Monkey D. Luffy: 10%]
[Nami: 10%]
[Usopp: 10%]
[Vivi: 10%]
[Karoo: 10%]
[Note: Loyalty rewards pending - minimum threshold not yet reached]
=======================
"Would you be interested in learning?" Lucius asked the two newcomers. "I assure you my only intention is to teach."
Zoro and Sanji exchanged glances, years of fighting together having given them an almost telepathic ability to assess threats.
"Show us this dojo first," Sanji said cautiously.
Leading them to the building, Lucius slid open the door. Both men's eyes widened as they took in the impossibly vast interior.
"What the hell?" Zoro muttered, hand instinctively moving to his swords.
"It's ten times bigger on the inside," Sanji observed, stepping through the doorway. "Is this some kind of Devil Fruit power?"
"Something like that," Lucius agreed, deciding it was easier than explaining the truth. After all, he still remembered the system's warning about returning to the dead if he revealed too much.
"Look! Beds!" Luffy pointed excitedly as several comfortable-looking bunks materialized along one wall.
"And there's more," Lucius added, gesturing toward a newly appeared doorway. "Full bathrooms with running water."
"Hot water?" Sanji asked skeptically.
"See for yourself."
The bathroom facilities were indeed impressive, complete with modern plumbing that seemed completely out of place on a deserted island. For Lucius, who'd been surviving on coconuts and seawater baths for three weeks, it was a welcome sight.
"This is..." Zoro started.
"Suspicious," Sanji finished.
"I understand your caution," Lucius said. "But think about it - if I meant harm, why spend hours teaching your friends? Why provide food and shelter?"
They considered this logic while Lucius finally enjoyed his first proper shower in weeks. The hot water was exactly as he remembered from home, though he tried not to think too much about where it was coming from.
...
The next morning, Lucius gathered everyone in the dojo's main training area.
"Those of you who started yesterday, continue your exercises," he instructed. "Remember - mastery comes from repetition. Nami, work on your weight control. Vivi, practice your footwork. Usopp, finger strength drills. Luffy, stance training. Karoo, kicking precision."
Turning to the newcomers, he smiled. "Sanji, you're first."
=======================
[New Training Session Initiated]
[Student: Sanji]
[Potential Rating: 5 star]
[Selected Technique: Pending]
=======================
Sanji stepped forward, his visible eye studying Lucius with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. Behind him, Zoro leaned against a wall, arms crossed, clearly interested in seeing what this mysterious teacher had to offer.
"Now then," Lucius said, "let's see what you can do with those legs of yours."
Several straw dummies suddenly materialized in the center of the dojo, causing both Zoro and Sanji to tense reflexively.
"Still not used to that," Sanji muttered, eyeing the dummies suspiciously.
"Would you mind demonstrating your fighting style?" Lucius asked. "I need to see how you move to determine the best teaching approach."
Sanji nodded, taking a drag from his cigarette before extinguishing it. He moved into position, his stance fluid and practiced.
"Collier!" His leg whipped up in a precise strike that would have crushed a human's collarbone. "Épaule!" Another kick targeted where a shoulder would be. "Côtelette! Poitrine! Gigot!"
Each kick flowed into the next with deadly grace, targeting different vital points. Lucius watched with professional interest, his teacher's mind analyzing the technique.
'Those names... they're French words for cuts of meat,' Lucius realized. 'But that's impossible. There's no France here... though they are speaking English somehow. Best not to think too hard about that.'
"Anti-Manner Kick Course!" Sanji's final demonstration nearly split one of the dummies in half.
"Impressive," Lucius said genuinely. "Your leg strength and control are exceptional. As I thought, Moon Walk would be perfect for your style."
"You mentioned that technique yesterday," Sanji said, straightening his tie. "The one about kicking off the air?"
"Yes. It would allow you to-"
"QUACK!"
They turned to see Karoo executing a perfect Tempest Kick, the air blade cleaving through a training dummy.
"Excellent form, Karoo!" Vivi cheered.
"Amazing! You're getting so strong!" Nami added, clapping.
Hearts immediately replaced Sanji's eyes. "Nami-swan! Vivi-chwan! Your words of praise are like sweet music to my ears! If only I could soar through the air to protect you both!"
In Sanji's mind, he was already imagining the possibilities:
Daydream
"Oh no! We're in danger!" Nami would cry out.
"If only someone could reach us up here!" Vivi would add.
"Fear not, my lovely ladies!" Dream-Sanji would appear, gracefully kicking through the air like a knight in shining armor. "Your prince has arrived!"
"Our hero!" They would swoon in unison.
End Daydream
"Oi! Pay attention!" Lucius's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Ah, yes! Please, teach me this technique sensei! I must learn to protect the ladies!"
"Very well. Watch carefully."
[Demonstration Mode Activated]
[Moon Walk Technique Enabled]
[Host can temporarily use techniques for teaching purposes]
Lucius focused, feeling the familiar flow of knowledge. With precise movements, he began kicking off the air itself, each step creating small ripples as he ascended. Ten meters... twenty meters... thirty meters up into the vast space of the dojo.
Sanji's cigarette fell from his slack jaw. His visible eye widened in disbelief as he watched Lucius literally walking through the air.
"Impossible..." he muttered, staring upward. "The air itself... becoming solid?"
[Student Interest Level - Sanji: Significantly Increased]
"The key," Lucius called down from above, "is understanding that air, while invisible, has substance. With enough force and the right angle..." He demonstrated by seemingly running through the air in a complex pattern. "You can create temporary footholds."
Landing softly, Lucius continued, "Your kicks already demonstrate tremendous power. Moon Walk takes that power and redirects it to create platforms in the air itself."
"But how?" Sanji asked, his initial skepticism completely replaced by professional interest. "How can air become solid enough to stand on?"
"It's about speed and precision," Lucius explained. "The kick must be fast enough to compress the air before it disperses. Too much force will send you flying, too little and you'll fall. The real challenge is finding that perfect balance."
"And you'll teach me this?" Sanji asked, his mind already racing with the combat possibilities such mobility would offer.
"First, we'll need to work on the fundamentals," Lucius said. "Let's start with the basic kicking form. The initial step is..."