One Piece: The Arm of Fate

It was past seven in the morning, and the sun had already risen.

The gray fog still covered the island of Kraikana.

Boom, boom, boom!

Jack was sweating profusely, and his burly body ran wildly in the forest. Every step he took shook the ground.

He had just finished his morning exercise and was about to go back to the castle to have breakfast with everyone.

But suddenly, as if he had noticed something, his steps paused slightly.

"Roar!"

A deafening roar sounded from the side, and then a huge black shadow suddenly rushed out of the thick fog!

It was the king of baboons!

It held a huge broadsword that was very similar to Hawkeye's Black Knife Night, bared its teeth, and its face was full of unconvinced anger. It suddenly swung the sword and slashed at Jack's back!

"You have no memory, come again?"

Jack grinned, without dodging, raised his right arm, and let the sharp blade cut him.

Ding!!!

Amid the sound of metal clashing, the broadsword of the Baboon King was actually deflected.

On Jack's arm, only a shallow white mark was left, which soon disappeared without a trace.

"You didn't expect it!"

Jack turned around and proudly hammered his chest hard, "With your level of attack, even if I don't transform into a mammoth, you can't do anything to me!"

His arms, chest, and even the skin of his whole body were now covered with a layer of dark Armament Haki, as thick as ink.

"Except that internal destruction is a bit difficult to learn, I'm not yet proficient, but the other three forms—coating, hardening, and external release—I've mastered them all! You should just go all out!"

"Roar?!"

You also know that move?

A trace of astonishment flashed in the eyes of the Baboon King.

But it quickly adjusted its posture, roared, and swung the sword again!

This time, its sword was fiercer, and its speed suddenly increased. What was even more eye-catching was that the blade was also stained with a dark black luster!

Of course, it also knew Armament Haki!

However—

Swish!

Jack's figure suddenly blurred, and the Baboon King's sword chopped into empty air.

"Where are you looking, idiot, this way!"

Jack's voice came from the side, and he showed a flexibility that didn't match his huge body, dodging easily.

"Roar, roar, roar!!!"

The Baboon King was completely enraged. It swung its giant sword wildly, attacking like a storm.

But Jack seemed to have seen through every move of it in advance, and he easily dodged and moved, occasionally using Armament Haki to block, and counterattacked with a few punches.

"Haha, this is great!"

Jack became more and more excited as he fought. The results of his two months of hard training were finally being verified at this moment!

When he first fought this big baboon, if he didn't transform into a mammoth, he would get beaten badly without a chance to fight back.

But now…

He had mastered both types of Haki, and his physical skills had improved greatly. Even in his weakest human form, he could still toy with this Baboon King!

The fight between the two lasted for a long time, and before he knew it, the sky had already brightened.

Jack was unscathed, but the Baboon King was bruised and swollen. He wanted to cry but had no tears. He finally realized that the silly human in front of him was nothing like before.

If he wanted to run, Jack would use Shave to suddenly block his path.

If he wanted to fight, Jack was just like a child, playful and not in a hurry to end it. Instead, he kept teasing him…

Torture!

At this moment, a deep and calm mature woman's voice suddenly came from above:

"Haven't you had enough fun, Jack?"

The next moment.

On the ground, pink petals were flying. Suddenly a huge human hand grew out, instantly dyed with a layer of dark Haki, and slapped the Baboon King with a smack.

"A Thousand Flowers Giant Tree: Spank!"

Bang!

The Baboon King had no power to fight back, screamed, and flew high, turning into a meteor in the sky.

And above, a slender figure with wings on her sides slowly descended.

The moment she stepped on the ground, the two wings made up of countless hands also dissipated.

"Big Sister Robin." Jack scratched his head. "How did you get here?"

"What do you think."

Robin glanced at him coldly. "Breakfast is ready, and after waiting for half an hour, no one showed up. Everyone thought something happened, but when I got here, someone was playing with a monkey like a three-year-old child."

"Huh? It's already been half an hour?"

Jack was shocked. He had actually made the seniors wait so long. He hurriedly ran off. "I'm going right now. Thanks for reminding me, Big Sister!"

Watching Jack's back as he ran off, Robin pinched her chin and thought.

"To cultivate Haki and physical skills to this extent… It's really an enviable talent."

It seemed she had been completely left behind.

A memory from two months ago flashed through her mind—

"Hey, Robin."

That day, at the dinner table, the black-haired boy sitting across from her, his cheeks stuffed with food, suddenly looked up:

"Do you want to learn Haki together? While I'm teaching Jack, I can guide you too."

"Haki?" Robin smiled and tilted her head, showing interest.

"Yeah! Don't you think the development of your Devil Fruit is a bit off?"

The boy said while grinning. "Too flashy! It looks cool… but in my opinion, it's better to enhance your Haki and physical skills—it's more direct and effective!"

"Your Hana Hana Fruit lets you grow fists wherever you look. Just think, if someone like Garp got your fruit, what would happen?"

Let Vice Admiral Garp eat the Hana Hana Fruit?

"...Oh, that sounds scary."

"Right?! The Hana Hana Fruit is obviously super compatible with physical combat! I can teach you all that stuff. When you've mastered it, even if CP0 comes to make trouble, you can beat them all with a few punches and kicks!"

"Of course, it's totally your choice! You're an archaeologist, not a main fighter. We've got others for that role."

"Don't worry, Sister Robin! As your partner, I'll protect you!" an orange-haired girl immediately raised her hand.

"Tsk, forget your average fighting skills, Nami. Sister Robin is already stronger than you. Once we enter the New World, even a weakling with Haki could knock you out in a few hits."

"Waaah! Just because you're a Logia doesn't mean you're that much better than me, Nokigo!"

"My bounty is only 10,000 times higher than yours. Not by much. Anyway, I've already mastered Armament Haki and I'm working on Observation."

"Forget that last part. Why'd you bring up bounty?! Wahhh… If I'd known earlier, I would've started training boxing as a kid. Big brother, I want to train too!"

"Good idea."

Shano looked over and delivered a merciless jab: "But your scrawny body doesn't qualify yet. If you want to get stronger, start with basic physical training."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Bang!

The memory broke off, and she returned to reality.

As if infected by the laughter, Robin couldn't help but smile. She looked up at the castle looming in the mist in the distance.

Yes, since even the usually lazy Nami was starting to train to get stronger…

How could she fall behind? Naturally, she had also been inspired. From that day on, she began practicing physical techniques and Haki with Shano.

Now.

Although she still hadn't grasped Observation Haki,

She had already mastered two of the Six Styles: Shave and Moon Step. For Armament Haki, she had learned both coating and hardening.

Combined with the Hana Hana Fruit, her strength had increased a lot.

But compared to Jack, there was still a big gap.

That silly boy had seemingly put all his talent into physical techniques. His strength had improved the fastest of all the crew.

Among the current crew, aside from Deputy Captain Kuina, almost no one could say they could definitely beat Jack in a direct fight.

"Keep working hard."

Robin wasn't discouraged. No matter what, if she entered the New World now, at least she wouldn't be the one dragging the team down.

Swish!

Judging that Jack had arrived, she grew two wings again and flew toward the castle.

When Jack arrived at the castle gate, a familiar figure was sitting cross-legged on the second-floor balcony.

—The vice-captain of the Falling Adventure Group, Kuina.

The young swordswoman sat in meditation with her Wado Ichimonji placed across her knees. The morning breeze blew past, lifting her bangs slightly, but it didn't distract her at all.

"…"

Jack suddenly felt guilty. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Besides Boss Shano, the one he feared most was this vice-captain.

Sister Kuina was usually very serious, and her swordsmanship was unfathomable. In the past two months, even with his rapid progress…

Every time they sparred, he was still easily defeated by Kuina.

Her swordsmanship was sharp like the wind and had reached its peak. A single swing felt like it could cut through anything. Even his mammoth form couldn't endure more than a few blows.

As a result, Jack didn't dare to spar with Kuina lately. It had left a psychological shadow on him.

"Crap… she's not mad, right…"

Jack swallowed hard, slowed his steps, and tiptoed toward the door, trying not to alarm the person upstairs.

However—

"Jack."

A calm voice came from above.

Jack's body stiffened. He slowly raised his head and met Kuina's composed eyes.

"Gu… Vice-Captain Kuina…" He gave a dry laugh. "Good morning, haha…"

"During our training period, meals and rest were to follow a strict schedule. Violators would be punished accordingly. We agreed on that, didn't we?"

Kuina spoke flatly.

"No…" Jack hung his head in defeat.

"You're half an hour late. Your training today will be doubled. It must be completed before bed. Also, cleaning duty for the next two days."

That's it…? That's all?

Jack immediately grinned. That punishment was nothing. He could totally take it!

"After all, you already had some foundation in Armament Haki before we came here. I'm not surprised you've reached this level."

Kuina glanced at him again. "But I didn't expect that after just ten days of not sparring, you'd have such a grasp of Observation Haki. That baboon's sword skills weren't bad, but you predicted all its attacks without being hit once."

"Hehe, you flatter me…"

Jack was feeling a little proud after being praised—until he realized something. He stared at Kuina in shock. "Huh? Big Sister Robin hasn't come back yet. How did you know… wait—Observation Haki?!"

"Of course."

Kuina's tone remained calm. "My Observation Haki may not be as strong as Lord Shano's, who can cover a whole city like Water 7, but on an island like Kraikana, it's easy for me to sense anything unusual."

Too modest, Vice-Captain!

From that far away, she could still sense the battle?

Her mastery of Observation Haki was terrifying. Far beyond his own!

Whatever pride Jack felt vanished instantly. He looked at Kuina in awe.

The young swordswoman rose to her feet, stepped over the railing, and gently opened the castle door:

"Come in. Lord Shano contacted me last night through a Den Den Mushi. There's something important to announce at breakfast."

"Yes, Vice-Captain!"

Not long after—

Robin also returned, and all the crew members were lined up on both sides of the long dining table. Everyone was present—except for the person in the lead seat.

"Vice-Captain, you just said Boss Shano contacted you with a Den Den Mushi?" Jack asked. "Is he still in seclusion under the sea?"

Counting from the day they arrived on Kraikana Island, it had been a full 70 days of retreat.

For the first 40 days, Boss Shano, like the rest of the crew, lived, trained, and ate on the island, setting aside about two hours each day to personally guide them.

Then, 30 days ago, he began a new form of training. He seemed to have mastered several new techniques and wanted to further refine his body.

Normal conditions could no longer put enough pressure on him.

So Shano brought a poneglyph, along with plenty of food and water, and went straight to the deep sea—nearly 10,000 meters underwater—to train in solitude.

He entrusted supervision and training duties to Kuina.

There, in the crushing pressure of the sea, he could train his body and focus without interference or distraction.

But an entire month underwater? That was insane.

Even Jack, who was half-fishman, shuddered at the thought of living down there without sunlight for that long.

"Yeah."

Kuina sat in the chair closest to the empty lead seat, cutting into her fried fish fillet as she spoke:

"But it's almost over. Lord Shano said he plans to resurface tomorrow. That means we'll be leaving the island before nightfall. That's why I called this meeting."

She turned to Nami. "Is the Log Pose fully charged?"

"Yep! Been ready for a while, Sister Kuina."

Nami smiled and raised her wrist to show the glass ball on her bracelet. "It was fully magnetized ten days ago."

Compared to 70 days ago, she now had some lightly toned muscle from training. Although she wasn't qualified to learn Haki yet, she had worked hard on physical conditioning.

Her overall physique had improved significantly. Among the Six Styles, she had learned Shave and Moon Step.

"Very good."

Kuina nodded and looked to the right. "Smoker."

"Setting out in a few days, huh? Looks like my hunch was right."

Smoker had just finished eating. He put down the Iceberg blueprint notes in his hand and lit two cigars. "Don't worry. I gave the End a full inspection yesterday."

He had already mastered both Armament and Observation Haki, but being stuck in the East Blue had dulled his edge. Over the past two months, he'd recovered well through daily practice.

And in his free time, he studied the shipbuilding notes left by Iceburg.

Two months had passed in the blink of an eye. Now, he'd evolved from an amateur into a reliable shipwright.

Bang!

A fist suddenly slammed into his head.

"Ow ow ow! It hurts!!!" Smoker held the three new bumps on his head, eyes tearing up. He turned around angrily. "What was that for, Nokigo?!"

"What did I say? No smoking at the dining table! Did you forget again?!" Nokigo shouted with fangs showing.

It was just a subconscious habit… Smoker had nothing to say. He put out the cigars obediently, rubbing the bump on his head.

This woman hit like a Tyrannosaurus. She'd gotten much stronger over the past two months.

She had also mastered Observation Haki. Combined with her improved Snow-Snow Fruit abilities… If they fought now, who knew who'd win…

"Old man Zeff used to pull his kicks a little."

Smoker muttered. Then he realized something. He looked at the empty chair beside him, puzzled. "Wait, where's Old Man Zeff? He was just here."

"He went to the kitchen to get strawberry milk for Nuomi," Nami shrugged.

"Oh…" Smoker nodded—then his eyes widened. "For who?!"

Nuomi?

Shouldn't that be for Gin?

When did that little furball start liking strawberry milk?

"You've been too buried in books lately. Didn't even notice Nuomi's evolved again."

An old voice came as Zeff entered with a large bowl of strawberry milk, placing it on the ground near the last seat.

Behind him, a white puppy with a golden collar wagged its tail.

[Picture]

As soon as Zeff put the bowl down, the white puppy happily barked "Woof!" and dove in to drink.

"That's Nuomi?!!"

Smoker's jaw dropped. "It evolved again?! Wait—it went from a cat to a dog?!"

"Amazing, isn't it?"

Nami squatted down and patted its head. "Anyway, it's cute either way! Maybe it'll even evolve into a human someday!"

"A human? Come on now."

Smoker was speechless at her imagination. He looked at the puppy thoughtfully. "So now we have two dogs on the ship who like strawberry milk…"

Bang!

Before he could finish, he was sent flying into the wall.

Gin had appeared silently behind his chair and retracted his claws with a glare.

Two dogs?

He was the Wolf King! A wolf!

"Hisss… When did you get so strong?!"

Smoker grimaced in pain and got back up. Just as he was about to speak again, he saw Kuina suddenly push back her chair and stand up, looking skyward with a serious expression.

"What's wrong, Sister Kuina?"

Nami noticed her reaction and asked.

"Something… is heading this way. And fast."

"It's getting closer and closer—straight toward the island!"

Kuina's face was cold, her hand resting on the hilt of Wado Ichimonji. She rushed out first, and the others followed immediately.

In the sky far away, a black shadow approached rapidly. It looked like a large figure, arms crossed tightly—as if protecting something.

Before they could see clearly, the figure drew a wide arc and crashed into the open space in front of the castle, kicking up a huge dust cloud.

Boom!

The ground trembled.

As the dust cleared, the group finally saw who had arrived.

It was a burly man wearing a bear-eared hat, his body covered in slashing wounds, blood still dripping.

He appeared unconscious. After collapsing to the ground, he didn't move.

In his arms… was a small figure in a green dress.

"Please… please!"

The little girl raised her tear-streaked face and shouted with trembling voice, "Whoever you are, please save Mr. Bear! That demon, that demon is about to—"

Before she could finish, a strange laugh echoed from the sky.

"Hehehehehehe… You run fast, big guy!"

A pink feathered coat rustled in the wind as Doflamingo stepped down on a string of transparent silk threads, grinning wildly.

"Too bad. I tied you up with string a long time ago—did you think you could escape?

This is where you'll die."