章節 25: Chapter 25 - Off To Loguetown
Raiden sat cross-legged on his bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. His mind was unusually empty, a blissful state of nothingness. He welcomed the solitude, relishing the rare moments of peace. Ronan was out there doing his own thing, and he had completed the training for the day, so he was alone in the room.
Unfortunately, the calm atmosphere was shattered by the annoying ring of his Denden Mushi. With a sigh, Raiden reached over and picked up the receiver.
"Hey, Garp-san," he greeted, already recognizing the Vice-Admiral on the other end.
"Raiden, my boy, listen up," Garp's voice boomed through the device, brisk and to the point. "I won't be able to swing by and pick you up anytime soon. Got myself into some serious business. Those blasted Red Haired Pirates..."
Raiden raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "What happened?"
"They've gone and stolen something important," Garp continued, his voice gruff. "Government's on our backs about it. Don't worry about it. Here's what you're gonna do. Head over to Lougetown, enroll in the Marine cadet program there."
Raiden frowned, sitting up straighter. "Lougetown? But I've been training here, old man! I can't just leave and enroll there out of nowhere."
"You complain so much, brat," Garp grumbled, annoyed. "Forget it, here's what you're going to do then: go register in the academy there. Hunt down some pirates in the East Blue and report back to Lougetown. Make sure to create a good name for yourself there. That way you can train... wherever you are training. I'll inform the officials about the arrangement."
Raiden sighed but agreed to it nonetheless. "Alright, I'll do it."
"Bwahaha, good. Now get moving!" Garp ordered before yelling at someone in the background. "Bogard, change our course to the Red Line!" The call abruptly ended, leaving Raiden staring at the silent Denden Mushi.
Raiden leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "What did they steal?" he wondered aloud. Garp had been tight-lipped, but the urgency in his voice hinted at something big.
He tried to think of any incident that might have happened in the year 1513 but couldn't recall anything specific. It was not like he could remember every single detail of the story.
Pushing aside his curiosity, Raiden rose from his bed. "Can't do anything about it now," he murmured, hopping out of his bed.
Raiden stepped out of his room, the afternoon sun casting long shadows across the training grounds. The clashing of swords caught his attention, drawing him towards the sound. He made his way to the source, curious to see who was sparring and also because he didn't have anything else to do.
He peeked into the training ground and saw his two little chibis locked in an intense duel. Zoro had added a third sword to his repertoire, holding it awkwardly in his mouth. Raiden couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
The boy had picked up the third sword, thinking he could surpass Raiden by using more swords. It was a vastly different and significantly stupider reason compared to the show, where he picked up Kuina's sword after her death as the third sword.
"That's one way to try and get stronger," Raiden thought, amused. He admired Zoro's determination, even if his approach seemed misguided. The previous day, Raiden had spent quite some time explaining his Devil Fruit and other abilities to Zoro, much to Kuina's frustration. The girl had planned to spend the rest of the day with Raiden, which was apparently ruined by the greenhead.
But there was nothing stopping the boy. Zoro had been intensely curious, bombarding Raiden with questions. Initially, it was out of competitiveness and wanting to know everything Kuina knew, but Zoro quickly became excited about the stories Raiden told.
He almost didn't believe him initially, but he knew that Raiden wasn't lying. He had seen Raiden's transformation firsthand. He did throw a tantrum about wanting to fly, but Raiden quickly shut that down and gave him the same offer. Defeat him in a spar and get a chance to fly.
And now, watching them spar, Raiden could see the determination in Zoro's eyes. He heard some of the other kids making fun of Zoro for holding the third sword in his mouth and still losing to Kuina.
But Raiden watched on with a grin, knowing that the boy was on the right track. No matter how much one tried to change the timeline, some things were just meant to be, almost as if it were the destiny.
"These kids don't know what that brat is capable of," Raiden mused. "He has the potential to be one of the greatest swordsmen. It's just a matter of time."
Zoro and Kuina moved swiftly, their swords clashing with a metallic ring. Despite his added sword, Zoro was still struggling to keep up with Kuina's monstrous skills. With a final, swift move, Kuina disarmed Zoro, sending his swords clattering to the ground.
The difference in their skills was apparent. Zoro was still a kid, so his body was still developing and was nowhere close to what he was in the anime, and he could not match with Kuina in terms of pure swordsmanship.
Zoro excelled in Gōken-type swordsmanship, which required a stronger body—something he lacked right now. But there was one thing that the kid had that others in his place sorely lacked.
Breathing heavily, Zoro picked himself up, frustration clear on his face. Kuina, on the other hand, was staring at the greenhead with a smug look and a satisfied glint in her eyes. She had won again.
The boy looked up at her, still shaking in anger and humiliation. But behind that was what made the boy special: determination and refusal to stay put.
He grinned at Kuina with a feral look, his competitive nature taking over. "Agh! Don't you dare look down on me! Just you wait! I'll beat you! I'll beat Raiden too! And I'll become the strongest!"
With that, he quickly picked up his swords and ran out of the training ground, presumably to train more, leaving a stunned Kuina behind.
Zoro generally threw a tantrum after each loss, but for some reason, this felt more visceral and raw, something she had never seen in the boy.
To Kuina, Zoro was just that annoying little brother who would annoy her and challenge her all the time. She knew that the boy was very serious about swords but she didn't know that he would take the loss this seriously.
Raiden decided to make his presence known, and patted Kuina's head, snapping her out of her stupor. "You know, if you slack off, Kuina, Zoro will surpass you."
Kuina turned to look at him, a slight frown on her face. "I mean...I know that. But he has never really defeated me before. And you said I can be stronger than boys right?"
Raiden deadpanned and bonked her on the head. "Just because I said you can surpass boys, doesn't mean they can't surpass you."
Raiden looked at her with a serious expression replacing his usual grin. "He's got the drive, the determination. And he's only going to get better. You're the best right now, but if you get complacent, he'll catch up."
Kuina looked back to where Zoro had run off, her frown deepening. "I won't let that happen," she said, determination flaring in her eyes.
Raiden chuckled, patting her shoulder. "Good. Competition will make both of you stronger. Keep pushing each other. Maybe one day you can gain one tenth of my strength." He said teasing her lightly.
"Hah?! Stop kidding! I'll surpass you one day! And I won't let that brat surpass me either! Just you watch me!" She yelled, pouting light heartedly.
"Ahahah. That's the spirit," Raiden said with a grin. "Now, get back to training. I'll be leaving the village for a while. So inform Koushirou-sensei."
"Where are you going? And when will you come back?" Kuina asked curiously.
Raiden absentmindedly ruffled her hair, "Lougetown. I don't know when I'll be back, but it won't be too long."
"Can I come with you? Please!" Kuina put on her best cutesy face.
Raiden smiled and bonked her head again, "Some other time. You're too young to be out on the sea."
Kuina pouted, clearly upset by Raiden's refusal. "Fine, but you better bring me something cool from Lougetown," she demanded, crossing her arms.
Raiden chuckled, nodding. "Alright, alright. I'll bring you some souvenirs. Happy now?"
Kuina's expression brightened a bit, though she still maintained a slight pout. "Okay. Just don't forget!"
"I won't," Raiden assured her, ruffling her hair again. "By the way, where's Ronan?"
"He told me he's going out for a swim," Kuina replied, pointing towards the direction of the beach."
Raiden thanked her with a nod. "Got it. Thanks, Kuina. I'll see you soon. Make sure to train hard while I'm gone."
Kuina nodded, her determination evident. "I will. Have a safe journey, Raiden."
With a final smile, Raiden turned and headed towards the beach to find Ronan. "Take care, Kuina," he called over his shoulder
"Take care!" she called back, watching as Raiden made his way out of the training grounds.
_____
Raiden lazily made his way to the beach, scanning the water for any sign of Ronan. Spotting a familiar head bobbing in the waves, he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Hey, Ronan!"
Ronan looked up and waved, then started swimming back to shore. As he emerged from the water, Raiden's eyes widened in shock. Ronan was completely naked.
"Kyaaa! Are you serious right now?!" Raiden exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Cover yourself up, you pervert!"
Ronan looked down at himself, then grinned sheepishly. "Oh, whoops. Forgot my clothes on the other side of the beach."
"You're hopeless," Raiden groaned, covering his eyes with one hand and pointing towards the bushes with the other. "Just get dressed already. We need to get going."
Ronan chuckled, making his way to his clothes stashed nearby. "Relax, Raiden. It's just a bit of skin. We're all guys here."
"Yeah, well, keep your 'bit of skin' to yourself," Raiden shot back, still averting his gaze.
"Dude, stop overreacting." Ronan said with a deadpan trying to control his laughter.
"I'm not overreacting you stupid fishman! Go get dressed!" Raiden snapped back.
Ronan quickly dressed and walked over, still laughing. "Alright, alright. So, what's the rush? Where are we headed?"
"Lougetown," Raiden replied, his tone shifting to a more serious note. "Garp-san wants me to enroll in the Marine cadet program there and hunt down some pirates in the East Blue."
Ronan's eyes lit up with excitement. "Lougetown? That's awesome! When are we leaving?"
"Right now," Raiden said, starting to walk away. "Go grab your stuff. We don't have much time. And put your disguise on."
Ronan nodded, seriously this time and rushed towards their shared cabin. "I'll be back in a moment."
Raiden nodded as watched the fishman leave and sighed in annoyance, trying to shake the image from his mind. "Hopeless," he muttered under his breath, cringing inwardly before heading toward the shore.
Raiden looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then discreetly pulled out his ship from his inventory. The vessel appeared out of thin air, pristine and ready. He jumped on board, inspecting everything to ensure it was in order.
His inventory was a marvel, keeping things fresh and preserved. All the food they had on board was still in perfect condition, eliminating any worry about supplies for the journey. Raiden took a moment to appreciate the convenience, knowing that he'd never have to worry about his supplies going bad at the very least.
He sat back, staring at the sky aimlessly as he waited for Ronan. The waves gently rocked the ship, adding to the calmness of the moment. Raiden found himself drifting back into a state of peaceful contemplation.
After a short while, Ronan came running back, fully dressed and ready to go. He jumped onto the deck with a wide grin. "I'm ready!"
Raiden grinned back, feeling a surge of excitement. "Alright then. Let's set sail. To Lougetown!"
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