In the morning after breakfast all three of us met in the bedroom to talk about Sora's apprenticeship with Master. I was pretty sure Master will take Sora as apprentice but there was still a possibility, which was the cause of my hearts rapid beating.
"I will take her as apprentice." I released the breath I was holding, and took Sora's hand who visibly relaxed after hearing Master's words.
"Great! Now you will start with Haki right?" Sora nodded to this repeatedly which made both me and Master laugh a bit.
She got closer to Sora and held her waist. "Well, I don't know. What should I do?" She leaned towards me. "Maybe I should do it for you." I nodded excitedly. She smiled "But way of the sword has an important tradition I can't just let her learn Haki first, before she masters her sword. "
"But master!"
"... But I will make an exception for Sora."
"Yes! Thanks master. That's great to hear this is the first step towards a threes- I mean to emergence of a legend." I said then smiled innocently. Neither of them bought it though. "How are you going to teach her? Do you have something in mind?"
"Well, normally you close the persons eyes with a blindfold and hit them until they grasp Sense Haki but since you to can learn from books faster.. " She took out a book from her, its title read 'Haki for Happiness' "I wrote this book for Sora and You in my free time while I was in Myrl City." She then gave the book to me. I took it then she said "You are first. I will teach Sora a sword technique while you are at it."
"Okay, call for me when you are done." They took off. I lied down to the bed and started reading.
"Kid, we are done." I looked at the source of the sound and saw Master and a very sweaty Sora. I nodded once and looked out of the window. It seemed to be well past down. "Did it work?"
"Let me see."
Skill Sense Haki 1/100
Increases the range of Sense Haki by (Skill Level)*10m
"Yes, it worked." Then I passed the book to Sora. She took it, sat down on the bed, and started reading.
Master looked at me from Sora and said "Now tell me how much you improved while I am gone." I told them the improvements I made and how I made them. She whistled. "That is a very useful Skill but you said you can no longer use it." I nodded. "Then we will continue the old fashioned way. I need to go to take my things from the ship. Do you want to come?"
I looked at Sora. 'It will be good to see the docks while there isn't an invasion going on. I can't believe for three months I didn't went to see the sea.' "Yes Master. I will be coming." We changed our clothes then took off.
In a few minutes we reached the docks. There was burned buildings, rabbles and blood marks everywhere. 'These pirates needs a better beating.' We walked a little and came in front of a ship. It was so big I felt like an ant while looking at it. 'Are the ships supposed to be this big or is it only this world?' Master motioned me to follow her, and I followed. There wasn't too many people on the deck and they didn't pay us any attention. After a few minutes of walking we reached in front of a wooden door. Master took out a key and opened the door. There were two bags and a bundle of books. I took one of the bags and suddenly a screen popped up.
1.000.000 Beli Obtained
I sling the bag across my shoulders and took the bundle. Master took the other bag and we headed back.
When we were back I took a look at Sora and she was still reading. I turned to Master. “Master, how did your trip go?”
She smiled “As always. I sold the swords and came back. Though I have something to talk to you but its better to wait Sora to finish first. I nodded. Then I took my reading book and started reading.
“Kid.” I looked at Master. She was standing beside Sora. I closed the book and turned Sora. “Did it work?” She nodded. “Can you control it yet?” Here she shook her head. Sigh “Okay, Master. What did you want to talk about?”
She took a deep breath. “I am thinking of moving to Myrl City.”
I looked at her. “Where is Myrl City?” Sora too looked at Master expectantly.
Sigh “Kid, don't you know anything about the world?” I shook my head honestly. “Its the Capital City of Chia Kingdom.”
'Capital means more money.' “That's great Master. When are we moving?”
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
She looked surprised. “Don't you want to stay here?”
“Master, there is nothing here for me. I have no reason to stay other than you.”
She smiled. “Then we are leaving in two months.” I nodded.
Then Sora talked “Ash.” I looked at her though couldn't managed to see anything because of the mask. But my new sense told me she was excited.
“What is it?”
“That man, first mate could resist my power. He said he resisted with Haki. I was thinking that since you have Haki now, maybe you can resist it too?”
“Well, maybe. Lets try.” She then took of her mask. I felt something hit my eyes the moment I laid my eyes on her. I started resisting the power emanating from her for what felt like hours. Then I heard the voice of Master.
“That's enough.” Sora wore the mask and I felt my power leave me. I laid down on my back for a few seconds and sat again.
“Wow. That was something.” I looked at Sora who seemed disappointed. “Sora, don't worry. My Sense Haki Skill is only level one and I could resist your power even if it was for a short while. That means we are on the right track.”
She nodded at me and went to the entrance presumably to swing her sword. I looked at Master, who is as sweaty as me and said “Master, I feel disappointed can we, you know, make an exception to two days rule?”
Master smiled and shook her head. She went out to leave me alone. Then I continued to read my book.
“Kid there is someone that wants to see you.” I looked up from my book. It was master. I gestured for her to wait a second and took a look at the screens.
Skill Reading Leveled Up By 2
I got up and made my way to the entrance. The person that wants to see me was Rodwick. I waved at him. “Hello, Rodwick. How are you?”
He sighed. “Not very good but it will get better. The reason I came her is that we need your help.” He stopped to look at us, I gestured him to continue. “After the fight at the docks most of the criminals have been caught. Today we learned that the ones that haven't caught planning to free their friends and in order to do it they will attack Marine Outpost with all their numbers. While we believe we can manage, we thought it would be best to get your help to limit casualties.
“Why would they make a target of themselves rather then running away? Aren't these people supposed to be selfish or something?”
“We don't quite know the reason but we believe that it might have something to do with their new leader. I think they want to steal the money in Marine Outpost while they are at it, then run away, using the people they freed as distractions.”
I nodded to him then turned to master. “Master, what should we do?”
She took a moment to think. Then turned to me. “You and Sora will go with Rodwick. I will stay here and make sure they don't try to steal the weapons here. I should be enough for them but when you finish, come as fast as possible.”
“Okay, we will.” I turned to Rodwick. “Rodwick, do you have any marines with you, that you wouldn't miss in a fight?” He nodded. “Can you leave them somewhere close to here in order to warn us if they attack here first?” He nodded again. “Good.” I turned to Sora. “We are moving.”
After leaving a marine near forge we took off towards Marine Outpost. On the way there were marines all around, scattered. 'I guess they don't intend to hide the fact that they know. Maybe they suspect a mole among their ranks. Food for thought.'
We reached the Outpost in a few minutes. Rodwick went back to his job, I sat on a corner and started meditating on Brawler Skill and Sora, is probably swinging her sword. After a dozen iteration of Brawler I felt someones touch on my shoulder. “Ash, they are here.” I got up, dusted my pants and wait for Rodwick or anyone with high enough rank to command.
We waited for a while watching the fight unfold, but still, there was no sound from Rodwick. 'Maybe they keep us for the boss fight. Since they don't need us here for now..' I turned to Sora. “Sora, you stay here and guard this place. I will take a look at the shop to make sure. After that, I will attack them from behind alright?” She nodded reluctantly.
“Be careful.”
“I will.” I took off. I started running as fast as I can manage. While running, I saw a fight and changed my direction to there. There was two criminals beating one marine. I kicked one from behind and punched the other on his chin. I held my hand close to marine. When I saw who he was I couldn't help but feel something was wrong. He was the marine we left to notice us. He took my hand and gotten up. When he saw my face, he seemed relaxed.
“They are attacking the forge. They are yet to get in, but there are too many criminals.” He said only slow enough to understand.
“Okay. Take a deep breath. “He did with me. “Now run to your officer and tell him too, okay?” He nodded and left.
There I acted calm but inside I have many feelings trying to take over. Biggest threat among them was fear. 'If fear was to take over, then master will fall I can tell.' I started running faster then before and after a short while I reached to the fight. There were lots of bodies scattered around, broken and bloody. But the criminals ahead still tried to attack Master without hesitation. 'There is somethings wrong here. People shouldn't supposed to act like this. First docks then here.. Their new leader. If I can find them I might be able to solve this problem.'
I circled around the mass of criminals while trying to find anyone that might be their leader. Soon enough, I saw someone out of place. A child. I quickly run beside her. When I got closer, she looked at me and made a gesture with her hand. Suddenly mass of criminals from before split and one half started to run towards us. Now knowing for sure the kid is the source of our troubles I started to run as fast as I can. When I reached the child she looked my eyes and I felt anger flood my mind, for a second I thought every bad happening was the fault of Master, then I shook my head, without pausing. Seeing their power didn't work, she turned around and started to run but they had no chance to run away with those little legs. I reached at her and with a chopping motion hit behind her neck.
The moment she lost consciousness, criminals stopped fighting and looked around for a while then they dispersed in such a coordinated way that it looked like a hive mind. I stopped walking and looked down to my captive. 'There is no fruit for a hive mind right?' sigh While I was thinking about devil fruits and their bullshit powers someone cut my way.
He wore a black shirt, black pants, a black jacked and a black mask. He pointed to my captive and said “She is mine. Give her back and leave with your life intact. If you don't you will die. I smirked at him. He responded by sheathing his sword from his back and started running towards me with an inhuman speed.
He first started with an overhead swing. I dodged and screamed “MASTER!” He stopped on his tracks. He looked at me, to the child then towards the way Master supposed to be.
He sheathed his sword. “You leave me no choice.” He turned his body towards me and put his hand on his sword. There was a good distance between us but still I started to circle him in a way to put the child between us. You may think it inhuman but I knew for sure that he wouldn't harm them. After all, this kind of mind control is without a doubt very valuable. Then we started to play a stupid game. He turned his body to me and I turned around with the child on my arms. Then he turned again, again.. After a while he started to shake. “Why don't you stay still!”
“Why, I was bored waiting you. So, will you come or will you continue to pose like that.” He then swung his sword once on empty air and running towards us again.'Now I did it.' I put the child down gently and got ready.
He, like the first time, started with a overhead swing. I dodged towards the child. He continued with a horizontal slash but I got under it.. We continued like this. He attacked I dodged. Why don't you attack? You may ask, but I don't have my katana with me. Its sadly got lost on the fight at the dock. 'At least its quality wasn't that good.' He slashed again. He fought so single mindlessly that I didn't even have to use my eyes anymore. He slowed down a lot since we started but haven't stopped screaming. “Just stop already!” What can I say, I feel sorry for this guy. Suddenly someone else got in my range. It was master. Black clad figure noticed her too since he turned his back towards me. Then I picked a stone from the ground and threw it with all my power.
It went wide. Luckily master was faster then him. She caught up to him in a minute and knocked him unconscious. She dragged the man towards me and looked at the child on my feet. “Master, this child has the power to control people through their anger. What will we do with her? I don't trust the world government to raise her properly.”
She nodded to me once and put her hand on her chin.”I know a couple. They were pirates. They know Haki so they should be able to raise her well. What do you say?”
“Well, if Master thinks they will be good then I don't mind. I don't think I can raise a child anyway.”
She nodded again. “Then its decided.” She put cloaked guy on the ground and lifted the child on her arms then turned to me. “You take him to the Outpost. I am getting back to shop.” I nodded, took the mans ankle and started dragging him.
When I got closer I saw a picture not too different from the one I saw in front of Blacksmith. There was lots of moaning and screaming. I turned off my hearing(I wish) and went inside the Outpost.