“Alright pair off you two… I need to see how strong you are against each other… Where you both stand in fighting capacity.”

Gobber and Nami are ready to fight… This fight is going to be interesting. Gobber's strange equipment, Nami's strange way of fighting. I watch intently, neither making any sudden movements. Both staring each other down. Nami has been made very clear of her inadequacies lately, Gobber out of practice… This match is intense even without anything happening.

Gobber slowly inches closer, Nami pulls out her belt of shurikens. Gobber doesn't even budge, moving slowly closer inch by inch… It is the same stance Sock had taken against me. Gobber doesn't need any fancy tricks to be threatening, even though he has them. Nami throws a set of throwing stars. Gobber barely flinches, his basilisk plated gear reflecting most, his head poking out over his giant shield. Nami realizes this wont work against him.

She begins to switch up her tactics. The same method she used against me. Going for sneak attacks, she throws a smoke bomb at Gobber, blocking his sight. Gobber once again doesn't panic or rush, slowly moving himself out of the smoke. Nami makes a surprise attack against Gobber but once again he doesn't flinch. Almost sensing it he pivots his body and blocks with his indestructible gauntlet. Her wooden sword breaks from the impact against it. She goes to jump backwards but Gobber doesn't let her go without getting a swing in. She instinctively parries it, Gobber is still a predictable fighter.

Even with that predictability, she might not be able to overwhelm him. They are within a very close range of each other. Nami pulls out her two handed training sword while dodging another attack by Gobber. Blocking, dodging, parrying each others attacks. They are both fighting somewhat evenly, Gobber may be predictable but he has an innate sense of tanking. He is getting pushed back slightly though, a few sword swings have nicked him. Not a single one of her attacks make it through his defenses completely… Even so, Gobber is outmatched for this fight. Getting pushed back even though he is a tank. That is when something amazing happens.

While Gobber had kept his attacks fairly standard, as the fight had gone on, he slowly kept adapting his style. Adding in new attacks, mimicking Nami's style and even improving on it. The fight had started in Nami's favor, then turned into a stalemate, it slowly edged towards one person. It is truly and amazing sight. Gobber is improving before my eyes. Nami knows this.

“What the fuck are you!?”

“I've missed this so much… It feels like a drug… The thrill of fighting… Kite has brought me an amazing opponent to learn from.”

“How is that possible you learn this fast!?”

“I still don't know myself. I'm just… Better when I'm around him. But why are we talking, we're in the middle of a fight!”

Nami is being pushed back now. The fight was barely 20 minutes but Gobber has already improved past Nami. Every single move that had caught me off-guard, Gobber is shrugging off as if it doesn't matter. A pepper bomb was thrown at him and he shattered it as she was throwing it. Knocking the pepper into her own eyes.

Within the span of 21 minutes, Gobber had improved the amount it had taken me weeks of training to do. I don't know if I could beat him... If he kept getting stronger like he did against Nami, he could very well beat me. Gobber had pinned Nami while her eyes were still teary from her own pepper bomb.

What an amazing fight… I'm blown away by how fast Gobber had learned. So was Nami, his improvement was so fast it was amazing to watch. I get goosebumps from watching the fight. What needed to be explained to me was learned through fighting by Gobber. Nami… Actually looks happy to lose… Or just happy that Gobber is on top of her… Wait a second… Now that I think about it.

“Nami… Did you hold back?”

“N-no!”

“You held back because you like Gobber didn't you!?”

“W-w-what are you saying!? Why would I do that!?”

The white fur on her face slowly starts to almost glow pink from her blushing. It is really impressive for her to blush through her fur. I could totally get back at her for what she said about Neko… But that is enough for now.

“Alright, I'll give you a chance to prove how strong you are Nami. We both know you'll go all out against me. I want to see how much stronger I've gotten but the few people I've fought against weren't up to standard. You and Gobber can both fight against me.”

“Even if you've gotten so much stronger… Even if you're twice as strong as you were. I can tell that Gobber is stronger than me. I don't think that you can fight against both of us.”

“I wont be alone…”

I pull out Gear and start filling him with mana. The new improved Gear also needs to be tested. Gobber has already fought against him… If I didn't have him during our first fight, I doubt I would have lasted that long. I start taking the bracers off my arms. Placing them on the ground carefully as to not break them. Nami understood the new enemy but didn't understand why I was taking off clothing.

“Go ahead and pick it up.”

Nami moves over to the bracers I had just taken off. Attempting to pick it up then realizing something was different about it. Forcing her to try much harder to pick it up.

“Each weights 50 pounds.”

I pull off 2 more from my legs. Finally removing the chest piece and back pack, each weighing another 50 pounds. Totaling 300, my body feels beyond light. I had weighed around 500 pounds with all that gear on. I go over the ground rules.

“Alright, so I'll give you two an advantage. I won't go dragon form during this fight. It would be too unfair to fly to the ceiling and breath fire down upon you. I also wouldn't know how to hold back and this is only training. No reason to get burn scars from practice… Besides that, everything goes. If you get knocked below 20% or rendered immobile you're out of the fight. Are we clear? So don't knock me out if you beat me. I'll try to not knock either of you out.”

Both nod, taking up a fighting position. Unlike normally, Nami is hiding behind Gobber at the start of the fight. She isn't a fool to think she would be equals in defensive power as him. It makes far more sense to supplement his attacks with her own ranged attacks. Gear activates, I only added 10% of my mana to him. Enough to maybe last 1 hour, that is far more than I'll need him for.

Stolen novel; please report.

He places the shields in front of me. I throw a gold coin up into the air. The second it hits is the signal for the fight to start. It lands, Gobber's slow approach to Nami is not the same against me. Rushing in with his drill rapier. He activates it, rushing in with his stance changing like it had before. He's trying to end this fight immediately. I yell out.

“Gear! Drill defense formation!”

Gear's shields start spinning like normal. All six catching Gobber's rapier and slowing it down, then stopping it. I pull out my heirloom sword, making it as big as possible. Swinging at Gobber with one hand as Nami approaches my side. Throwing kunai knives at me from her other belt. Eight at a time, very quickly. I cast a wind wall between us blocking them but the distraction is enough for Gobber to jump backwards. Nami is now positioned behind me.

This is normally when I would start panicking. I only smirk this time. Gobber must have noticed because he raised his guard. I'm not going to attack him. I yell out.

“Gear! Boost and detach formation!”

The moment I said that his bottom two shields became his feet as I took off the straps attaching me to him. One of his hands reaches into the void satchel in his chest and grabs out a mana canister. He slams it into himself, the wood drinking it in, his eyes change from pure black holes to glowing blue. I've tested this method and it increases his stats by 50%. 

He is still facing Nami, I summon my 2 shadow clones and take off Aegis from my hand. Throwing him backwards at one of the shadow clones to catch, I turn back and charge towards Gobber. Everything else is charging towards Nami, she must think that because they aren't me she'll be able to skillfully fight against them… She's going to regret coming to that decision. I slow down my pace as I focus on my sensory map, it is more of a feeling than anything else. Once Gear is within 10 feet of Nami, I switch places with him using substitution. Nami lets out an audible “Oh fu-.” Before she is attacked by all three of us.

Aegis' shadow clone is wearing the gauntlet version of himself. While he can lift himself with telekinesis, he cant really hurt anyone with himself yet. And if he was on my hand he would lose a lot of the visual aspects of attaching himself to his own shadow clone. It also lets him strike with the sword he is holding and the gauntlet now. Lust now has the shadow wings. The new perfect combination attack is going to be tested here. I charge at her and drop my sword.

I throw as many claw attacks with numbing poison on the edges of them as I can. It isn't enough she, blocks most of them or just backs up to avoid them, even blocking some of the shadow punches she wouldn't need to. She didn't know that though. Finally my two shadow clones catch up, Aegis sliding across the ground underneath Nami while Lust strikes from above. It is too much for Nami she is WHAM! I get hit in the back.

I had numbed Nami enough to take her out but Gobber had picked up Gear and thrown him at me. One of Gear's arms was broken, another was completely missing… In the same time it had taken me to finish off Nami, Gobber had finished off the empowered Gear. He bought me enough time though. Now it is 3 against 1 for another 30 seconds. I need to take advantage of this time. I go to use another one of my new signature attacks I haven't gotten to practice yet.

Casting levitate and using blood control on myself as I pick up my heirloom sword again, running towards the closest wall. I kick off the wall, I had stolen this move from Lance. The main difference is mine is slightly weaker, needing several skills in combination while he only relies on his jumping ability. I can add a twist to this move though, literally.

I start to build up spinning speed as I turn my own body around in circles. Soon going so fast everything turns into a blur. I slam into Gobber with my outstretched sword. Hitting his shield directly… Cutting through it completely. It takes a moment to rebalance myself, this attack is both dangerous to the enemy and myself as it leaves me open to attacks.

Gobber's shield falls off his arm as I look down, my head still spinning. I had cut into his arm an inch with my sword. I go to call the match but Gobber takes a defensive position, switching the sword to his other hand and using the indestructible gauntlet as a shield now. Gobber has the biggest smile across his face even though he is bleeding from my attack. I call out.

“I… surrender this match...”

Gobber… Almost looks disappointed by my decision. I go over and heal his arm… I know that he was willing to keep fighting but I didn't want anything bad to happen. That attack was so powerful it had broken through his giant shield. A shield that hadn't even been scratched by other attacks yet. It was in its small form as well. So I cut through two layers of his shield… That attack is too powerful to use against my friends… If he had a weaker shield he would have lost his arm… Maybe even worse... I can't test any of my other attacks against him for fear that they might do more than just hurt him.

That was my second weakest attack… My spinning ax kick would end with an explosion, I doubt that shield could stand against it. I doubt that Gobber could take my next attack and still be standing… That is why I called the match. After healing him I head over to Nami. Healing her as well, she wasn't that injured but healing still helps with the numbing effect from my claws.

The shadow clone that had been holding Aegis up had disappeared, he flew in front of me. I grabbed him and slid him back on my hand. It feels weird wearing a comrade… Nami and Gobber were technically fighting against 4 people. Myself, Aegis, Lust and Gear… Now I'll have to make another shield for Gobber, repair Gear and make Nami some new equipment.

I want to try teaching them both awakened classes I know. Perhaps if it is based on determination or a goal you've set, Nami and Gobber might unlock an awakened class themselves… We'll see how it turns out by the end of this 2 weeks.