Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece yadda yadda yadda… you get the picture

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In response to previous chapter saying that Luffy and Ace were in Makino's care while in manga they mention Dadan's name… Well, there is just too little information about him so I decided to leave him out of it.

Chapter 4 – Training

"Oi, no cheating!" they shouted and ran after me.

Oh yes, my time here will be fun. And at that point I did not know how right I was.

The next morning I had to clean the mess after the brothers left and quickly prepared for lunch so I won't have to worry about it later and went outside. Rassa was already waiting for me at the same place as yesterday. The log was still there and it was partially hidden behind the house so the people coming wouldn't see me talking to myself. I ran towards her, sat next to her and happily greeted her.

"You're looking better then yesterday, Shana. I think you being here is helping you."

"Not just being here. I've realized something," I replied and sighed. She looked at me curiously and I continued.

"My mom always spoke of adventures and her favorite stories were the ones about pirates. I remember saying before she fell ill that I wanted to travel the world. See the things usually wouldn't see. Leave a mark, were mom's words. And I can't stop thinking what stories spirits told me. I want to fulfill mom's dream. I sensed her back there on the cemetery where she's buried. She'll watch me, I know she will."

At the end of my monologue I was sobbing. That epiphany came to me last night, while I was lying in bed, trying to make sense of my life. I understood that I had a chance of a new start, new beginning. And I was going to take it. For once I was going to be selfish and do something I want not what was required of me and this was it.

I admit that I was afraid of Rassa's reaction to my dream and I was pleasantly surprised when she started chuckling and then outright laughing.

"I wouldn't want anything else for you. Go live your dream and if I can I'll help you along. As will your grandfather."

I was stunned then I smiled through my tears and thanked her.

"Now enough of mushy talk. I'm here to teach you about your abilities. As I told you yesterday you'll be able sense spirits. Every living thing has its own spirit and gives away energy. In the end of training you'll be able to tap into that energy pool and somewhat manipulate it."

I nodded showing that I was listening and motioned so she should continue.

"What I mean by manipulation it does not mean you could actually control the spirits. It means you'll be able to trace their energy for starters and later on be able so see or hear what it has to say."

"Sorry, energy saying something?"

"Ha ha, yes that is the closest comparison. You see as I said every living thing has a spirit and for example, this log we're sitting on was once a tree. When you'll touch it you will know where it grew what happened to it and who cut it down."

"Basically I'll be able to know the past?" I asked astonished. She chuckled and answered: "Not just its past. Now it doesn't have a spirit anymore, but the people or animals touched it and left an imprint if you could say it."

She stopped and looked at me and I was at that point really confused. I got the part that we have spirits, I could see the spirits of the departed and I would be able in the future sense not just the dead but living spirits as well. I smirked meaning Luffy's favorite game hide and seek would be pretty easy for me, since I could find him anywhere if I concentrated. But the last part with the imprints? I did not get it. Rassa must have seen my confused look and explained:

"Imagine an abandon house. You're looking for someone and you wish to know who lived there. Just with one touch you'll know who lived there how long and what happened to them. You must remember that every living thing just with one touch or merely just passing through we leave a bit of our energy behind. And that is ultimately our gift. In the past we were called the observers until we became too dangerous."

"Rassa, what do you mean too dangerous?" I asked not liking the sad tone of her voice. She sighed and looked at me.

"You see, some of us saw things we should not, like mistakes of the government that they tried to hide. Because we knew too much we were hunted. There were many of us, but now you're the last living one. I'm telling you this so you'll know to keep your gift a secret."

"I was planning on doing that anyways," I replied remembering the time I told my so called best friend and ridiculed I was. There was a reason why I ended in so many fights. Out of depressing memories I was roused by Rassa's statement: "But once you find your true friends you should trust them."

"What? True friends?" I asked disbelievingly. Then I was still hurt by betrayal of my so called friend and did not believe that I'll find people I could trust without question.

Rassa merely smiled and mysteriously smiled: "You'll see."

"Well, that's all for the theory. We'll start with meditation. Meditation will help you calm your mind and rein your temper slightly," she added with a smirk.

"Now sit on the grass so you'll be comfortable and close your eyes. Breathe deeply and slowly. That's it," she complimented me while I did as she told me too.

"Meditation will also help you control your gift. If you can't control it, it will send you into a sensory overload. In simple terms you'll collapse and slowly lose your mind."

Now that statement made me kind of freaked out. And I guess it showed on my breathing as she continued: "No need to panic, I won't allow for that to happen I will teach you without any problems. Understood?"

Her sharp and yet comforting tone calmed me down and I was able to control my breathing even more.

And so in spirit of meditation and short lessons passed the morning, when it was close to midday Ressa roused me out of it and told me if I don't want to be late with lunch I should go. The boys now did at least came home with no dirt on their shoes but Luffy still complained about the fact that he had to be clean to get food.

The meal passed in playful banter and Luffy's silly jokes. Ace even helped me to clean the dishes.

"I've decided," I announced after we cleaned the kitchen: "I'll train too. I won't be weak anymore."

In response Luffy laughed and said: "Good, I'll have a strong nakama on my crew!"

I shook my head and laughed. So determent, so young and so cute. I pushed his hat lower while he complained. Ace asked: "What brought this on?"

"My mom before she died she had a dream. She always told me stories of this fantastic adventures and how one day we'll go on one. Then she got sick, but she never stopped dreaming about it. After she died I gave up on dreaming. No, I gave up when she got sick. But now, I have a new start. I'll become strong so no one will stand against my dream again."

By the end the brothers were grinning and laughed. I laughed with them, feeling that no words were necessary. Soon they left again and I returned to my as I started to call it training place near the log.

There was someone already waiting for me, a spirit of an older man and at first I did not know what to say, but my first impression of him was that he looked like a pirate…

"Hello, you must be Shana. I'm your grandfather. Call me Bill," he said grinning. His grin was contagious so I smiled back.

"Nice to meet you."

"Let's get started, shall we. In my days I was a known pirate," he said with a smirk, "I was known by my fighting technique of pressure points."

"Pressure points? What are those?"

"Pressure points are several points on let say an example on a human body that may cause pain or even immobility but are also used in healing."

At that I remembered what I once watched on television. A tv show called Star trek, where a pointy eared man knocked out someone with just a touch. I giggled and asked: "So cool, and you'll teach me how to use that?"

"Of course, that's what we promised," he answered a bit smugly.

"Let's continue. There are several types of pressure points - each is applied differently and each creates a different effect. "Pain points", for example, use tendons, ligaments, and muscles - the goal to temporarily immobilize the target, or at the very least to distract them. Reflex points produce involuntary movements, for example causing the hand to release its grip, the knees to buckle, or the target to gag, or even for the person to be knocked unconscious. And I'm going to have you remember them all. You'll also learn how to control ki inside your body."

"Ki? What is that?"

"Ki is what you would call spirit. At least Rassa calls it that. And no matter how many times I correct her that is ki the correct term she keeps calling it spirit. I swear she's doing it just to spite me," muttered Bill the last part. I stifled a giggle, somehow knowing that she would do that.

"So your technique and the stuff Rassa teaches me will really complement each other pretty good," I said to him and probably my eyes sparkling. I always loved learning new things and this was absolutely something I would and now have enjoyed learning.

"He he, why do you think me and Rassa were such a good team? She saw and I fought."

"She was a pirate as well?"

"Of course, like I would let her alone after the government was after her. But that was her story to tell, no? We have a lot to cover before I start teaching you the physical combat," he said and motioned me closer. Then he started to point to me where the points on the body were and what are they called. After that he sent me running. When I returned after running for few miles he questioned me on the points. For every wrong one he made me do push ups and chins ups. And by the time evening came I was sore, dirty and I swore to myself I'll never forget one pressure point ever again.

Luffy and Ace came by when they left to dinner at Makino's place but all I wanted was a bath and bed. And as I was lying in bed thinking about the things I learned I couldn't help but feel giddy what would the next morning bring.

That's for chapter 4, hope you'll like it :D

And thanks for reviews