"We'll do rounds, one team at a time. I'll start with Charyzax and Elise," I announced, crossing my arms. Everyone immediately nodded, understanding the rules without question. Around us, the space cleared as the others stepped back, while Nami was already summoning her card soldiers to continue their own training on the side.
Charyzax let out a faint sigh as he rolled his shoulders. "Even if I'm not a fan of fighting… since it's training, I'll do my best."
Elise immediately clung to him, wrapping her arms around him with a gentle but determined smile. "We'll try to win… but I mostly want to see how we do together." Her tone was light, almost affectionate, drawing a small smile from Charyzax despite himself.
Without wasting time, I brought them into the Traverse Town dungeon. The environment shifted instantly around us, the familiar streets reforming beneath our feet. As soon as I started the timer, I took to the air and decided to test my new ability.
A surge of green flames burst from my hands.
Not just a simple attack.
A true blazing tsunami that swept through the streets, engulfing the elemental Heartless in seconds. In less than twenty seconds, everything flying in the sky was reduced to ashes, their silhouettes vanishing under the sheer force of the attack.
I frowned slightly.
Despite its monstrous power, this green fire didn't respond to my will like the Red Nocturnes' flames. Impossible to shape it, to guide it precisely… but its sheer scale more than made up for that flaw.
I then lowered my gaze to the ground.
Charyzax was already deep in combat.
He had adopted a pure martial style, chaining punches, elbows, and evasions with impressive fluidity. Every strike was precise, every movement optimized. The soldiers didn't last more than a single hit against him.
Elise, on the other hand, crushed the Large Bodies under massive formations of hardened honey, ignoring their resistance through sheer pressure.
The first area was cleared in two minutes, the second in one minute thirty, and the last in forty-five seconds, as Charyzax took down each Guard Armor in a single blow.
Charyzax obtained the Guard Armor gauntlets (can detach his arms to extend attack range, greatly enhances defense of covered limbs).Elise gained an additional equipment slot.Jordan gained 600 Soldiers, 120 Large Bodies, 120 Red Nocturnes, 120 Yellow Operas, 120 Blue Rhapsodies, 120 Green Requiems, and 4 Guard Armors.
"Congratulations, you clocked 4 minutes 15 seconds," I announced, glancing at the stopwatch Usopp had built for me.
Charyzax stretched his neck slightly before cracking it, releasing the tension. "That felt good…" he said with a faint smile on his usually neutral face. "Letting loose without holding back… I think I'll ask for sessions like this from time to time after all."
Beside him, Elise didn't hide her joy. She immediately clung to his arm, beaming. "We were good, right?" she said enthusiastically before rising slightly to plant a small kiss on his cheek. Charyzax looked away slightly, but his smile remained.
We exited the dungeon in a flash of light and reappeared on the training field. Without waiting, I conjured a small flame at my fingertip and approached a large stone block set there for the occasion. With a precise motion, I engraved their score into the still-warm rock:
4:15 – Charyzax & Elise
Around us, the crew hadn't been idle. Most had already resumed training, sparring against low-rank card soldiers in controlled bouts to conserve energy before their turn. The sounds of weapons, impacts, and footsteps echoed again, giving the place a lively, dynamic atmosphere.
I straightened up and turned toward the group.
"Next. Sanji, Kazuki, you're up."
The moment I finished speaking, the two rushed toward me.
Sanji appeared first, his movement almost invisible thanks to the speed he had gained through intense training. He stood upright with elegance, a confident smile on his lips.
"4 minutes 15…" he murmured, looking at the stone. "Not bad… but we can do better."
Kazuki arrived just behind him, carried by a current of air she controlled with impressive ease. She landed lightly beside him, her hair still drifting around her.
"We're not aiming for 'not bad,'" she said with a mischievous smile, crossing her arms. "We're aiming for first place."
Sanji turned his head toward her, determination flashing in his eyes.
"Then let's show them what a real team looks like."
Kazuki nodded, focused.
"No holding back. We sync from the start."
They cast one last glance at the score carved into the stone, then took their positions, ready to enter the dungeon.
The moment we stepped inside, I immediately took to the air and unleashed my technique. A wave of green flames swept across the sky in about twenty seconds, wiping out all the elemental Heartless before they could even organize. Meanwhile, Kazuki sprang into action. With a fluid motion, she channeled air currents around Sanji, launching him forward with incredible precision.
"Hold on!" she called out.
Sanji grinned, his body already engulfed in flames.
"Leave the rest to me."
What followed was brutal.
A red streak tore through the area at insane speed. Without my Observation Haki, I wouldn't have been able to track his movements at all. Every pass Sanji made left explosions of dust behind, Heartless vanishing one after another, unable to react.
In barely ten seconds, the ground was cleared.
The first area was finished in 30 seconds, the second in 25, and the last in 20. And even then… I was the one slightly slowing things down by maintaining my usual twenty seconds to clear the skies.
When everything stopped, the contrast was stark.
Sanji and Kazuki…
Were completely exhausted.
Sanji dropped to one knee, panting, steam still rising from his body.
"Damn… it's been a while since I pushed myself like that…"
Kazuki could barely stand, her control over the wind slowly fading.
"We… gave it everything…" she breathed, smiling despite her fatigue.
The message appeared immediately in my mind:
Sanji obtained 2 potionsKazuki obtained 2 ethersJordan obtained 600 Soldiers, 120 Large Bodies, 120 Red Nocturnes, 120 Yellow Operas, 120 Blue Rhapsodies, 120 Green Requiems, and 4 Guard Armors
I looked at them with my arms crossed.
"1 minute 15… that's seriously impressive."
They were still breathing heavily, proof that they hadn't held back at all.
"On the other hand…" I added, narrowing my eyes slightly, "it looks like since you've already cleared this dungeon, the rewards are less interesting… or maybe it's just become too easy for you."
Sanji barely lifted his head.
"Easy?… You want me to do it again?"
"No thanks," I replied with a light laugh.
We exited the dungeon, and I carved their score beneath Charyzax and Elise's:1:15 – Sanji & Kazuki
The moment they stepped out, the two collapsed onto the grass.
Sanji grabbed a potion immediately.
"I'm taking this right away…"
Kazuki did the same with an ether.
"Same… or I'm not moving."
Gradually, their breathing stabilized, their bodies slowly recovering.
I straightened up.
"Zoro, Kuina, you're up!"
The two stepped forward calmly, their gazes falling on Sanji and Kazuki sprawled in the grass.
Zoro raised an eyebrow.
"Your stamina's that bad, cook?"
Sanji grunted without even getting up.
"Do better… then we'll talk…"
Kuina didn't react. She simply looked at the times carved into the stone before leaning slightly toward Zoro.
"We're not playing for pure speed. We optimize," she murmured, adjusting her grip on her sword, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
Zoro simply nodded, a faint smile forming on his lips.
"Got it."
Without another word, I brought them into the Traverse Town dungeon, the environment reforming around us in a deceptively calm silence. As soon as the timer appeared, they moved.
Their approach was completely different from the previous teams.
No explosive speed.No rushing.
Just absolute efficiency.
Zoro advanced at the front, carving a path with powerful, precise strikes, breaking enemy lines in a single motion. Behind him, Kuina followed immediately, exploiting every opening he created, eliminating remaining targets with remarkable fluidity. Then their roles switched without even a glance.
They didn't speak.They didn't need to.
Every move was calculated.Every step optimized.Not a single unnecessary motion. Not an ounce of wasted energy.
Their advance was smooth, almost silent, contrasting sharply with the usual brutality of combat. The Heartless fell one after another, unable to keep up with such perfectly controlled tempo.
The first area was cleared quickly, without issue. The second followed the same pattern, their synchronization sharpening even further. And in the final zone, even the Guard Armors couldn't withstand that surgical precision for long.
They weren't fast.But they never stopped.
The timer finally stopped at:3 minutes 30.
A solid time. Stable. Clean.
A message immediately appeared in my mind:
Zoro obtained 2 potionsKuina obtained 1 Shell NecklaceJordan obtained 600 Soldiers, 120 Large Bodies, 120 Red Nocturnes, 120 Yellow Operas, 120 Blue Rhapsodies, 120 Green Requiems, and 4 Guard Armors
I crossed my arms as I observed the results.
"Looks like the rewards won't be very interesting…" I thought, slightly disappointed on the surface.
But internally, my focus was elsewhere.
"…But for me, what really matters…" I continued mentally with a faint smile, "is that my army keeps growing."
Without waiting any longer, we left the dungeon, a soft light bringing us back once more to the training grounds. I walked over to the stone block and carved the new score beneath the others, the surface still warm under my fingers. As soon as I finished, I called the next team.
"Kaya, Usopp, you're up."
The two stepped forward, carefully observing the recorded times. Usopp narrowed his eyes, clearly focused, while Kaya tilted her head slightly, already eager.
"Kaya, leave the Soldiers to me," Usopp said, grabbing his bow and checking the tension of the string. "You handle the Large Bodies."
Kaya nodded with an almost playful smile.
"Alright… but don't slow me down."
Usopp let out a nervous chuckle.
"Don't worry… you'll be the one trying to keep up."
Without delay, I teleported them into the dungeon.
As soon as the timer appeared, I took to the air and cleared the sky as usual, wiping out the elementals in about twenty seconds. Meanwhile, I kept an eye on the duo.
Kaya immediately entered her hybrid form, her body becoming more agile, faster. She leaped between enemies with unsettling ease, almost vanishing from sight before reappearing behind a Large Body.
"Too slow!" she called, slicing the creature cleanly before it could react.
On his side, Usopp… was unrecognizable.
He fired.Again.Again.Again.
His magical arrows shot out like a machine gun, each one hitting its target with impressive precision.
"One, two, three—" he muttered as he kept firing. "No time to mess around!"
Each arrow brought down a Heartless. No waste. No unnecessary shots.
Their coordination was rough… but effective.
The first area was cleared in 1 minute 10. Kaya handled the Large Bodies perfectly while Usopp cleared everything moving from a distance.
In the second area, they sped up.
"Left!" Usopp shouted.
Kaya reacted instantly, leaping to intercept a group before it could even gather.
"Got it!"
Result: 50 seconds.
The third area started at the same pace… until a small issue arose.
Silence.
Usopp frowned.
"…Wait, one's missing."
Kaya froze for a fraction of a second, her ears twitching.
"I felt it."
She snapped her head to the side.
One Soldier had gotten stuck in a recess, perfectly hidden.
"Seriously…" Usopp sighed.
Kaya vanished.
Then reappeared behind the creature.
"Found you."
One motion.
And she cut it down instantly.
The timer stopped.
50 seconds.
I watched them silently for a moment.
"Looks like hard mode… isn't really a problem for you anymore."
Even the Guard Armors—capable of giving Marine commodores trouble… were now nothing more than a minor obstacle for them.
The message immediately appeared in my mind:
Usopp obtained 1 Apprentice RingKaya gained the Heal skillJordan obtained 600 Soldiers, 120 Large Bodies, 120 Red Nocturnes, 120 Yellow Operas, 120 Blue Rhapsodies, 120 Green Requiems, and 4 Guard Armors
"YES!!" Kaya shouted, literally jumping into the air, unable to contain her excitement.
She landed lightly, her eyes shining with joy.
"A healing skill!"
I smiled faintly as I looked at her.
"Congratulations on your advancement in your nursing career."
She shot me a quick glance… then almost deliberately ignored me and threw herself into Usopp's arms.
"We did it!"
Caught off guard, Usopp raised his hands for a second before awkwardly patting her back.
"Y-Yeah… we handled it."
I shrugged slightly, amused.
She's still a bit mad at me…
We left the dungeon, the light bringing us back once again to the training grounds. Without wasting time, I carved their score into the stone: 2 minutes 50 – Usopp & Kaya, just beneath the others.
I straightened up, crossing my arms.
"Last group. Luffy, Charles."
Luffy immediately stood up with a big grin, already eager to enter the dungeon.
"Finally!" he said, stretching.
Next to him, Charles nervously adjusted his gear, glancing at the times carved into the stone before sighing.
"…I have a feeling this is going to be rough."
I didn't reply and teleported them directly into Traverse Town. From the very first seconds, the difference compared to the other teams was obvious.
Luffy wasn't serious.
Not really.
He moved with effortless ease, dodging attacks from the Soldiers as if they were happening in slow motion. From time to time, he threw a punch or a kick, blowing apart a Large Body or sending a group of enemies flying… but he never tried to optimize or speed things up. He was just playing, deliberately leaving openings.
Charles, on the other hand, didn't have that luxury.
From the start, he was overwhelmed.
The Soldiers advanced in formation, trying to trap him. And behind them, the Large Bodies absorbed the hits, moving forward slowly but steadily.
"Behind you!" Luffy called out.
Aspida, the floating shield, instantly moved to block an attack an Shadow had launched at Charles from behind.
"Thanks!" Charles replied, immediately pivoting and striking the Shadow before it could sink back into the ground.
At first, his movements were hesitant.
Too rigid.
He hit hard… but poorly positioned.
Then, gradually, something changed.
He started observing.Understanding.
He lured a group of Soldiers toward him, then stepped back slightly to line them up before striking in a wide arc. He avoided a Shadow by shifting sideways instead of retreating unnecessarily. He circled around a Large Body instead of stubbornly attacking it head-on.
His decisions became faster.More efficient.
"Think!" Luffy called with a grin, jumping over a group of enemies without even looking at them. "You're surrounded… but not trapped!"
Charles took a deep breath.
Then completely changed his approach.
He moved.Repositioned.Strike.Pivot.
He used the Large Bodies as cover, forced the Soldiers to group up, then struck at the right moment.
All the while, Luffy only intervened when necessary.
Aspida blocked a dangerous attack.
The dungeon took time—much longer than the others.
The zones were cleared slowly, methodically, each wave demanding real effort from Charles.
The timer finally stopped at:
10 minutes.
When the last Heartless fell, Charles remained still for a moment, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. He was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, his body clearly exhausted.
But something had changed.
His gaze no longer panicked when facing multiple enemies.
His understanding of group combat had clearly improved. He managed distances better, anticipated Shadow attacks, knew when to ignore Large Bodies and when to strike Soldiers… and above all, he no longer got overwhelmed.
Luffy stretched lazily, as if he had just finished a casual walk, cracking his shoulders before letting out a carefree yawn.
"Not bad, right?"
I crossed my arms with a faint smile.
"Congratulations, Captain. You really helped Charles improve."
Still catching his breath, Charles lifted his head toward Luffy, genuine sincerity in his eyes.
"Thanks… really. Without you, I would've been overwhelmed from the first area."
Luffy simply shrugged, flashing his usual wide grin.
"That's normal. You help your crewmates."
Those words made Charles falter for a second. His gaze wavered slightly, as if he was fully realizing what that meant… him, who still doubted his future in the Marines after sailing with us.
Luffy obtained 1 potionCharles gained an additional accessory slotJordan obtained 600 Soldiers, 120 Large Bodies, 120 Red Nocturnes, 120 Yellow Operas, 120 Blue Rhapsodies, 120 Green Requiems, and 4 Guard Armors
We exited the dungeon, and without wasting time, the next sessions followed one after another. The fights almost became routine, each of them trying to optimize their performance, shave off a few seconds, refine their coordination.
But one team stood out in particular… for a completely different reason.
Sanji and Kazuki.
With each run, their time didn't go down.It went up.Again.And again.
The first run had been explosive.The second… already slower.The third… clearly affected.
Sanji wiped his forehead after a particularly exhausting session, his breathing heavier than usual. He glanced at the score carved into the stone, then toward Zoro.
"…We're slowing down."
Zoro, leaning against a barrel, let out a small chuckle.
"Yeah. Big time."
Sanji narrowed his eyes, slightly annoyed.
"Got something to say?"
Zoro shrugged.
"You're going too fast. You burn everything at the start… then you drag at the end."
Kazuki sighed, placing a hand on her forehead, still slightly out of breath.
"He's not completely wrong…" she admitted. "We give too much in the first zone… and after that, my wind control gets less precise."
Sanji clenched his teeth.
"We can't hold back either… if we slow down too much, we lose time."
Kuina crossed her arms, calmly observing the situation.
"You need balance. Speed… and endurance."
Sanji exhaled, frustrated but aware.
"…Yeah."
Kazuki placed a hand on his shoulder with a small smile.
"We'll adjust on the next run."
Meanwhile, Usopp was staring at the ranking with stars in his eyes.
"Wait… we're first?!"
Kaya, still euphoric, nodded proudly.
"And we're staying there."
Sanji immediately turned his head toward them, a spark of challenge in his eyes.
"Not for long."
Zoro snorted lightly.
"That's if you can last until the end."
Sanji gritted his teeth.
"I'll adapt."
The atmosphere instantly filled with competitive tension, everyone staring at the scores carved into the stone, analyzing, comparing, mentally adjusting their strategies.
I took a step back, watching the scene with a satisfied smile.
Perfect…
This was exactly what I wanted.
When the final session ended, I straightened up and announced the results:
"Final ranking for the five runs of Traverse Town."
Everyone turned toward me.
"Last place: Luffy and Charles… with a total time of 43 minutes."
Luffy raised his fist, laughing.
"We weren't trying to win!"
Charles scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.
"…That shows."
I continued.
"Fourth place: Charyzax and Elise, 28 minutes 52."
Elise clapped softly.
"We'll do better next time."
Charyzax simply nodded, wrapping an arm around her from behind.
"We had fun, that's what matters."
"Third place: Sanji and Kazuki, 18 minutes 38."
Sanji stared at the score for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"…We shot ourselves in the foot."
Kazuki nodded softly, still slightly out of breath.
"Too much power at the start… and not enough control afterward. We burned out too fast."
"Second place: Zoro and Kuina, 18 minutes 25."
Zoro showed a faint smile, clearly satisfied.
"Consistent."
Sanji immediately looked up at him.
"Thirteen seconds…"
Zoro met his gaze calmly, then a provocative grin spread across his face.
"And without ending up out of breath." He paused, then added in a falsely innocent tone: "Tell me, number 3… is it the same in private?"
The message landed instantly.
Sanji turned bright red.
"Y-YOU—!"
Kazuki stepped in before he could explode, grabbing his arm with an amused smile.
"Personally, I prefer consistency over brute force… especially in my partner."
Kuina rolled her eyes before lightly smacking the back of Zoro's head, her own cheeks slightly flushed.
"You could avoid making those kinds of remarks in front of everyone…" she sighed. "Private matters should stay private. And I have no intention of discussing that here."
Zoro shrugged, barely affected.
"I was just saying."
I continued without dwelling on it.
"First place: Usopp and Kaya, 15 minutes 52."
A brief silence fell.
Then I clapped my hands.
"Congratulations, Usopp and Kaya."
Charles and Luffy immediately followed with enthusiasm.
"Yeah, nice job!" Luffy said.
Usopp jumped in place, unable to contain his excitement.
"WE'RE FIRST!!"
Kaya raised her arms with a triumphant smile.
"Obviously."
Zoro frowned slightly, still analyzing the ranking.
"…They managed their pacing well."
Sanji ran a hand through his hair, frustrated but determined.
"I'll keep improving my body… next time, I'll last until the end."
Kazuki gave him an encouraging smile.
"That's the spirit. And now…" she said, straightening up and regaining her usual energy, "we're going to cook. After all that, everyone must be starving."
A murmur of agreement spread through the group.
I watched them for a moment, satisfied.
The crew was progressing… and I had almost rebuilt my entire army, even though I still needed to avoid using my remaining flying soldiers until I found another dungeon that could provide more, I thought, since my aerial combat capabilities depended heavily on that particular type of Heartless.
(Author's note: here's the first promised chapter. The second will come tomorrow, Sunday. This one is more slice-of-life, so feel free to tell me if you enjoy this kind of chapter focused on dialogue and character progression—I'll try to include more of these moments in future chapters. See you tomorrow ^^)