Chapter 27: Chapter 27 - Loguetown (2)
"Ah, I see. Well, then you should get stretchers ready. Cause that fucker is going to slaughter your boys." Ronan said in a mocking tone, his words dripping with confidence and a touch of amusement.
Smoker narrowed his eyes at Ronan, irritation flashing in his gaze. "Stop overestimating your friend's abilities," he retorted gruffly. "The three Marines I've sent are among the best here. If Garp recommended that boy, he must be strong, but don't expect miracles."
Ronan's smirk remained unwavering. "We'll see," he said simply, crossing his arms as he watched the scene unfold.
The tension in the training ground was palpable as the spar was about to begin. Boris, the first to step forward, was a towering figure with a massive axe slung over his shoulder. His expression was unusually serious, a stark contrast to the typical bravado expected in such 'one-sided battles'.
'Whoever this brat is, he has to be special. There is no way Captain Smoker would make ME fight him otherwise.' Boris knew that this was more than just a spar; it was a chance to prove himself to his Captain and probably get a recommendation for the headquarters.
Raiden, in contrast, appeared relaxed and nonchalant. His hands were in his pockets, a faint smile playing on his lips as he observed Boris and quietly used [Observe] on the man.
[Physical stats:
Strength - E
Constitution - D
Agility - F
Status - Extremely determined. High blood pressure.]
'Not bad. He's weaker than Skylar, but not bad at all.' Raiden mentally noted his stats.
'He's not taking me seriously.' Boris clicked his tongue, seeing Raiden relaxed with his hands in his pockets. He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the axe.
With a battle cry, he lunged forward with surprising speed, considering his size, swinging the weapon in a powerful arc aimed at Raiden's midsection. Raiden sidestepped effortlessly, his movements fluid and almost graceful. He delivered a swift, precise kick to Boris's side, not with the intent to injure but to destabilize. Boris staggered, his face flushing red with frustration and embarrassment.
Boris recovered quickly, his eyes narrowing as he adjusted his stance. 'Alright, kid, let's see how you handle this.' He swung his axe again, this time aiming for Raiden's legs. Raiden simply hopped back, avoiding the attack with ease. He kept his hands in his pockets, a relaxed smile still on his face.
"Come on, is that all you've got?" Raiden taunted lightly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. Boris's frustration grew, his grip tightening on the axe handle. He launched into a series of rapid, powerful swings, each one intended to force Raiden on the defensive.
But Raiden didn't attack back. Instead, he danced around Boris's attacks, his movements almost lazy. He dodged left, then right, each time avoiding the axe by a narrow margin. He delivered a few more light kicks to Boris's legs and sides, each one perfectly timed to disrupt the Marine's balance.
The worst part, Raiden didn't have any proper form either. He was just so much faster than Boris, especially including the passives that he received from his devil fruit, yeah this fight was more of an adult bullying a kid.
Boris's frustration turned to humiliation. His face turned beet red as he realized that Raiden was playing with him, not taking the fight seriously. He swung his axe again, this time with all his strength, but Raiden ducked under the blow and delivered a swift kick to the back of Boris's knee, causing him to stumble forward.
"Is this really the best you've got?" Raiden asked, his tone mocking. "I expected more from one of Smoker's top men."
Boris gritted his teeth, his anger boiling over. He knew he was outmatched, but he refused to give up. He launched another attack, this time trying to catch Raiden off guard with a feint. Raiden easily saw through the move and sidestepped effortlessly, before delivering a strong kick to Boris's shoulder that sent him sprawling to the ground.
From the sidelines, Smoker watched with wide eyes. He had never seen anyone handle Boris so easily, especially not a recruit. Ronan noticed Smoker's expression and couldn't resist commenting. "Told ya," he said with a smug grin. "Even the three of them together wouldn't be a challenge for Raiden."
Smoker frowned, his pride wounded. He called out to his men in a stern tone, his voice cutting through the air. "Enough! All three of you, attack him together."
Boris, still on the ground, looked up in surprise. Bane and Kiro, who had been watching intently, exchanged glances before nodding. They stepped forward, ready to join the fray.
Raiden chuckled, shaking his head. "Ganging up on a kid, huh? Seems a bit unfair." With a swift motion, he drew his twin swords, the blades gleaming in the sunlight.
Smoker snorted in response. "Cut the smart remarks, Raiden. Show us what you're made of."
Bane and Kiro took their positions beside Boris. Bane was a close-quarter combatant, his fists and feet being his weapons of choice. Kiro on the other hand wielded a sword as he looked at the kid in front of him with a nervous gaze.
[Bane -
Strength - D
Constitution - E
Agility - F]
[Kiro -
Strength - F
Constitution - E
Agility - D]
'So one of them is strength based and the other one is agility based. They sure make a pretty balanced team.' Raiden mentally noted.
The three Marines moved in unison. Their attacks were extremely coordinated showing just how much experience the three men had, fighting together. Boris swung his axe in a wide arc, Bane lunged with a series of rapid punches and kicks, and Kiro's sword flashed as he aimed for Raiden's supposed weak points.
Raiden's smile widened into a grin as he danced between them, his movements almost a blur. Boris's axe came down with a heavy swing, but Raiden ducked under it effortlessly, spinning on his heel and delivering a spinning kick to Boris's abdomen, sending him crashing to the ground.
'He's very fast. This is going to be hard for these three.' Smoker noted with a frown. He didn't want to count his men out, but he had to accept facts. 'Forget it, let's focus on the spar for now.'
Back in the training ground, Bane's rapid strikes were met with swift parries and counters, Raiden's reflexes sharp and his movements economical. He aimed brutal strikes at Bane's pressure points, causing him to wince and falter while Kiro's sword swipes were deflected with ease.
Raiden's movements were fluid and graceful, a masterful blend of offense and defense. He flowed between the three men, dodging, parrying, and countering with precision. His passive Devil Fruit abilities enhanced his speed and reflexes, making him almost untouchable. The three Marines were formidable on their own, but even if they were together, they still struggled to keep up with Raiden's pace.
Boris swung his axe again, this time aiming for Raiden's legs. Raiden leaped into the air, somersaulting over Boris and landing behind him. He delivered a swift kick to Boris's back, sending him sprawling forward. Bane and Kiro tried to capitalize on the opening, but Raiden was already moving, his swords flashing as he deflected Kiro's strike and sidestepped Bane's punch.
Raiden used the flat of his blades to knock Bane's fists away, then delivered a rapid series of strikes to Kiro's sword, pushing him back and off balance.
Raiden quickly stepped on Boris' head, who was trying to get up and pinned him down. Once the big man was down, he swung his swords and pointed them at the throats of the other two.
"Yield." Raiden said in a serious tone for the first time.
"I-I yield." Kiro was the first one to back off, soon followed by Bane, who backed off too.
"G-get off of me, kid!" Boris grumbled under his foot.
Smoker watched with wide eyes, his usual stoic demeanor momentarily shattered. He hadn't expected Raiden to handle all three seasoned Marines with such ease. Ronan's smirk grew into a satisfied grin. "See? Told ya," he said aloud, breaking the silence with a touch of amusement.
Raiden lowered his swords and stepped back from the Marines, his expression calm but victorious. Ignoring the defeated men, he approached Smoker with a cheeky smile. "So, Captain," he began casually, "did I pass your little test?"
Smoker blinked, still processing the scene before him. Slowly, he nodded, a grudging respect dawning in his eyes. "You did," he admitted finally. "You're not like most recruits I've seen. I get why Garp is giving you this much autonomy."
Raiden laughed, sheathing his swords with a flourish, and bowed slightly. "Thank you. Well, Captain Smoker, I guess that settles it. I'll be back after hunting a few pirates."
As he turned to leave, Raiden paused and tiptoed closer to Smoker, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "By the way, Captain, you might want to check the Shells Town Marine base. I'm sure you'll find something... interesting there."
Smoker's eyes narrowed at the cryptic message, but before he could respond, Raiden had already stepped back, a grin on his face.
Ronan, who had been watching the exchange with amusement, clapped Raiden on the shoulder. "Time to go, Raiden."
The two friends walked away from the training ground, leaving behind a trail of stunned Marines.
Smoker watched the two boys leave, before turning towards one of his men, "Prepare a ship," Smoker ordered in a firm tone. "We're heading to Shells Town."
He watched as the men scrambled to get the vessel ready and sighed in annoyance. 'That old man, why is everyone related to him so troublesome.'
_____
Once out of the marine base, Raiden and Ronan began roaming the bustling streets of Loguetown, the vibrant energy of the town filling the air. Shops lined the streets, vendors calling out their wares, and people moved in a constant flow around them. Raiden's eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings as if searching for something specific.
Ronan noticed his friend's focused expression and couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking for, Raiden?"
Raiden didn't respond, his gaze fixed on a point ahead, "Ha! There it is!" Raiden yelled and suddenly, he broke into a run, weaving through the crowd with surprising agility. Ronan sighed, exasperation evident in his voice as he yelled after him, "Raiden! Stop running off like that!"
Raiden came to a stop in front of a raised platform, a wide grin spreading across his face. He looked up at it with a mixture of awe and excitement. "I can't believe I get to see this in real life," he muttered under his breath with gleaming eyes.
Ronan caught up, slightly out of breath, and slapped the back of Raiden's head. "Don't run away like that, idiot," he scolded. "What are you so excited about?"
Raiden turned to Ronan, his grin unwavering. "Do you know what this place is?" he asked, a hint of mystery in his tone.
Ronan glanced at the platform, then shook his head. "No idea. What's so special about it?"
"This is where Gol D. Roger was executed," Raiden said with an almost reverent voice.
Ronan blinked, taken aback. "You mean Gold Roger, right? He was executed here? That's crazy!" Ronan said with his voice full of wonder.
Raiden chuckled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He leaned in closer to Ronan and whispered, "It's Gol D. Roger. Trust me."
Ronan's confusion deepened as he stared at Raiden. "Gol D. Roger? How in the world did you come up with that name? Everyone knows it's Gold Roger. Dude, there is no way you remember the Pirate King's name wrong."
"Do you know Garp's full name, Ronan?" Raiden asked a bit seriously and stared back at the platform.
"Garp's? I think it's Monkey D. Garp, right?" Ronan replied, slightly confused.
"And you do know my full name, right?" Raiden continued.
"It's Silvers D. Rai-?! Wait! All these names, they all have 'D' in them!" Ronan yelled with wide eyes. "Raiden, don't tell you're related to those two!"
Raiden slapped the back of his head in exasperation, "No I'm not, you dumbass."
Ronan rubbed the back of his head with a pout before continuing, "But you guys all have D in your names. If you are all not related, then why have the same...middle name? What does that even mean."
Raiden just shrugged in response. "Don't know."
"That's so weird. You must be related to them in some way, right?..."
Raiden's laughter filled the air as he turned away and started to walk off. "Come on, Ronan, don't worry about all that. The world is too big and there are way too many mysteries to worry about. Let's go, we've got more to see. I have to buy a gift for Kuina too." he called over his shoulder.
Ronan stood there for a moment and looked back at the platform with a complicated look. 'Gol D. Roger, eh? This guy, he definitely knows about something no one else does.' Ronan chuckled and shook his head.
"Oi! Ronan! Hurry up." He heard Raiden yell out for him and snapped out his trance.
"Coming!"
'Well, forget it. This bastard will find those answers someday. And I can't wait to see what they are.'
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CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
justadudewithapen
justadudewithapen AN- Hey everyone, so I will be uploading chapters on alternate days from now on. I have some other things going on, so I can't completely focus on the story. I hope you guys won't mind it.
And hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!
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