I accompanied Koby and Alice to Hector's workshop, our shipwright and former bounty hunter. The man raised an eyebrow when he saw us arrive, his massive arms crossed over his chest, before listening carefully to my request.
"A house?" he repeated, casting an amused glance at the two youngsters.
Alice immediately blushed, while Koby turned red all the way to his ears.
"I-It's not… well, yes… but…" he stammered.
I patted his shoulder with a smile. "A simple, sturdy house. Close to the center, but a bit secluded. With a view of the sea."
Hector gave a faint grin. "Got it. I'll make it right."
Alice gently squeezed Koby's hand, clearly happy, and I left them to their awkward fumbling once the details were settled.
I then joined Nami on the training grounds, where the atmosphere was both intense and strangely peaceful. At the center, Law was training with Charyzax and Luffy. The surgeon used his power with surgical precision, slicing through space to reposition objects mid-motion, while Luffy attacked head-on with his usual energy. Aspida continued to show a certain immunity to Law's abilities, easily dodging his spatial cuts while acting independently from Luffy, providing tremendous support.
"I wonder if Luffy can wield a shield while letting Aspida act on its own," I said to Nami as she watched the scene.
"If it works like equipment, as long as he frees up a slot, he should be able to equip another shield," she replied, and I nodded—even if weapon slots were normally separate from accessories.
Charyzax, standing back, corrected their stances with nothing more than a glance or a sharp word, forcing Law to optimize his movements and Luffy to better control his bursts of energy. Each exchange became more technical than the last, turning their duel into a living lesson.
A little further away, Zoro and Kuina were clashing in a duel of rare elegance. Their blades struck with millimeter precision, every movement a perfect answer to the other. No words—only the sound of steel and the wind. Their synchronization was so perfect it looked like a deadly dance, where each step could decide the outcome. At times, sparks of Haki appeared, making their blows heavier, sharper.
Off to the side, a completely different atmosphere reigned. Sanji and Kazuki had prepared a full feast, the smell of freshly cooked food drifting through the air. Once they were done, they had changed into swimwear and stepped into the water. Kazuki, focused, resisted the weakness imposed by the sea, trying to push her limits, while Sanji accompanied her voluntarily. Though he wasn't truly affected thanks to his isolated Heartless, he weighed down his own body to simulate the constraint and strengthen himself, occasionally casting a careful glance toward her.
Not far from them, Elise, Nojiko, and Lami trained together under Charyzax's guidance. Elise manipulated her honey with increasing precision, shifting between liquid forms and hardened structures. Nojiko worked on her coordination and reflexes, compensating for her lack of experience through strict discipline, while Lami followed with admirable determination, repeating every movement until she mastered it. Their trio was evolving quickly, each learning from the others' strengths.
Finally, a bit further off, Usopp and Kaya had turned their training into a game… at least on the surface.
"Catch me if you can!" Usopp shouted as he stepped back, firing harmless paint pellets with growing accuracy.
Kaya, in her rabbit form, dodged with impressive agility, bouncing in every direction with a smile that was almost… unsettling.
"Too slow!" she replied, abruptly changing direction.
Their "game" was actually intense Observation Haki training. Every shot, every dodge pushed them to anticipate more, to feel intent before it even manifested. Little by little, their pace increased, their movements becoming almost impossible to follow for an untrained eye.
As for Charles, he was stuck in a far simpler—but brutally demanding—routine. He swung his mace while increasing its weight, training to chain combinations while strengthening his body. His own body had taken on an additional 200 kilograms to reinforce all his organs, like a form of gravity training. He wouldn't repeat Machvise's mistake of simply throwing himself at enemies and injuring himself in the process. His body was progressing the fastest, even if it came at the cost of refined techniques or Haki.
As I watched all of this alongside Nami, I let out a faint smile.
The crew was progressing at an incredible pace… but in my eyes, something was still missing.
A bit of pressure.A bit of competition.
Without warning, I raised my hand and condensed a fireball that I launched into the sky. It exploded into a burst of multicolored flames, like a firework, instantly drawing everyone's attention. The fights stopped immediately, all eyes turning toward me as the light slowly faded.
Beside me, Nami crossed her arms, watching me suspiciously.
"…I don't like that smile."
I shrugged slightly, amused.
"We can take a break. I've got a little proposal for you… during the meal."
Curious looks immediately spread across the group.
I then turned toward Law.
"Sorry, Law, but this is internal crew business. After the meal, you can go take a walk with Lami and Nojiko."
He simply nodded, not the least bit offended.
"That works for me."
Very quickly, everyone gathered around the feast prepared by Sanji and Kazuki. The atmosphere became light, filled with laughter and lively conversation. Taking advantage of the moment, I dropped my little bomb.
"By the way… Koby found his other half."
Silence.
Then—
"OOOOOOOH!"
The reactions exploded immediately. Luffy burst out laughing, Usopp jumped to his feet shouting, and even Zoro let out a faint smirk.
"Finally!" Sanji said, raising his glass.
Luckily for them, Koby and Alice weren't there to endure the teasing.
After the meal, Law, Lami, and Nojiko got up and left together, probably to meet Belmere and finalize the story of Flevance before publishing the newspaper. I watched them go for a moment before refocusing on the crew.
I took on a more serious tone.
"You'll notice a new island has appeared to the northeast, about fifteen kilometers from here."
Luffy tilted his head.
"Huh? An island?"
"Yeah. It's the reward for completing Wonderland's Master mode."
I didn't get to say more.
"Wait…" Luffy cut in, frowning. "Weren't you only supposed to do Expert mode?"
I immediately saw that Sanji and Zoro were thinking the exact same thing.
I sighed lightly.
"It's… a bit more complicated than that."
I took a few seconds to organize my thoughts before continuing.
"In reality, when you participate in a dungeon… you unconsciously receive some kind of markings."
Silence fell again.
"For Wonderland, Koby and Nami were marked. And it automatically triggered Master mode."
I crossed my arms.
"If I had to guess… Usopp is probably marked for Deep Jungle. Luffy and Kuina for the Coliseum."
I shrugged slightly.
"As for the others, I have no certainty. We'll have to test it."
They nodded, absorbing the information.
Zoro then rested his sword on his shoulder, a hungry smile appearing on his face.
"So? Was it tough, this Master mode?"
I let out a small laugh.
"Tough?"
I glanced slightly upward.
"I lost almost all my troops."
Silence instantly fell.
"But…" I added with a smile, "the rewards were definitely worth it."
I turned my head toward Nami.
"Nami… show them."
Her silver tiara appeared, glowing softly in the light.
The air around us vibrated.
And in an instant—
An entire army materialized.
The card soldiers took position around her, perfectly aligned. The different units—hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs—formed distinct ranks, their weapons gleaming and their gazes disciplined.
The royal figures appeared as well, imposing and elegant.
Total silence fell over the crew.
Even Zoro stood still.
Sanji's mouth opened slightly.
Usopp took a step back.
And Luffy…
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!" he shouted, stars in his eyes.
I crossed my arms with a satisfied smile, deliberately letting the silence linger to savor their reactions.
"There you go… her reward."
Beside me, Nami lifted her chin slightly, clearly pleased with the attention. Her tiara glowed softly, and behind her, her perfectly aligned army further reinforced her presence.
Usopp blinked several times, still in shock.
"So… instead of the two soldiers we saw before… you got the entire army?"
Nami nodded with a confident smile.
"Exactly. And that's not all. They're immortal… and growth-type."
She crossed her arms, her gaze already turning more determined.
"So I'm going to ask you all to train with them to help me get stronger. And besides…" she added, glancing around at the crew, "they'll make excellent training partners. You'll be able to test your strongest techniques without risking hurting anyone."
Sanji let out a low whistle, impressed.
"Not bad at all…"
Zoro, on the other hand, already wore an eager smile.
"Hm… interesting."
I let a few seconds pass before speaking again.
"Now…" I said, straightening slightly, "since I've lost almost all my troops…"
The tone immediately shifted.
All eyes turned back to me.
"I'm going to start a game."
A smirk spread across my lips.
"With a reward."
Luffy leaned forward, eyes sparkling.
"A reward?!"
"Ten thousand points to spend in the Traverse Town shop," I announced calmly.
"WHAT?!" Usopp shouted.
Even Sanji's eyes widened.
I raised a finger.
"Six thousand for first place. Three thousand for second. One thousand for third."
I shrugged slightly.
"The rest… will have to settle for the accessories picked up during the runs."
The interest became instantly palpable.
Even the calmest among them were now fully attentive.
Sanji crossed his arms, a competitive smile appearing on his face.
"And what's the challenge?"
I turned to them.
"Five rush runs in Traverse Town… and two in Deep Jungle. All in hard mode."
I paused.
"Ranking will be based on time."
I began assigning teams one by one.
"Charyzax and Elise."
Elise nodded with a calm smile, while Charyzax barely reacted, already focused.
"Sanji and Kazuki."
Kazuki hooked her arm around Sanji's with a mischievous grin.
"We're going to win, darling."
Sanji blushed slightly but put on a determined look.
"Obviously."
"Zoro and Kuina."
The two exchanged a glance… then a smile.
No words needed.
"Usopp and Kaya."
"I refuse to lose!" Usopp declared immediately.
Kaya, in her human form, tilted her head slightly with a smile… a little too enthusiastic.
"We're going to have fun."
Usopp paled slightly.
"…I already regret this."
I continued.
"And finally… Luffy and Charles."
Charles flinched.
"Wait, what? Me?!"
Luffy placed a hand on his shoulder with a wide grin.
"Don't worry! We'll charge straight ahead!"
"That's exactly what worries me…" Charles muttered.
I concluded calmly.
"And I won't intervene during the fights."
Silence fell.
"What about me?" Nami asked.
I slowly turned my head toward her.
And stared.
For a long moment.
A very long moment.
Her face started to redden slightly under my gaze.
"…Alright, I might be pushing it a bit," she admitted, looking away.
I smiled.
"It wouldn't be fair. Your spells can wipe out entire areas in seconds."
The others immediately nodded.
"Yeah, definitely."
"Too broken."
Nami puffed her cheeks slightly but didn't argue further.
That was when Kuina stepped forward a bit, her gaze fixed on me.
Clearly…
She had something to say.
"Jordan, some teams have a weakness when it comes to dealing with flying enemies. What do we do?" she asked.
"That's true. I'll handle the airborne elementals for all teams, but the ones on the ground are your responsibility," I replied, and they nodded.
"Alright then, let's get started. Usopp, can you build me a stopwatch?"
He quickly put together a surprisingly solid device, inspired by mechanisms from the Clockwork Island.
(Author's note: and that's it for this week. I know there's not much action, but I promise two chapters next Saturday—scout's honor ^^)