THE CHILDREN Set Sail!
Disclaimer: I own the plotline of the story…
Kaoru (shoving Normama off to the side): …But he doesn't own Zettai Karen Children…
Luffy (squeezing in the scene with Kaoru): …Or One Piece either! Both the story and the treasure! The treasure is MINE!
Normama (recollecting himself): Did you really need to knock me over?
It has been only an hour since she had accepted Kaoru's challenge and Aoi had already begun to regret her decision.
She found herself leaning on the wooden rail of the Straw Hats' ship, Merry Go, deep in thought as she seemingly stared out at the calm sea.
"That was probably the most ridiculous and idiotic thing I had ever agree to," she reflected with a sigh, "how am I suppose to get the highest bounty when all I can do is teleport? Kaoru is already dangerous as she is and Shiho just need to touch a weapon before she can use it the point. How is teleporting going to get me a bounty, much less make me a reliable member to the pirate crew?"
She sighed to herself again, feeling corner.
She wasn't aware that Shiho was nearby, spying on her friend.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who is regretting about taking the challenge…" Shiho mumbled.
That was when Zoro, who was training in the rear of the ship, pass by and notices Aoi.
"Hey," he voiced to his new crewmate, "what's up with you?"
Aoi jumped a bit as she turn to see the swordsman.
"Huh, oh nothing's up," Aoi fumbled.
Zoro wasn't convinces though. He's been around enough people to know when someone is feeling trouble. "Am I supposed to buy that?"
"Err…Yes?"
"Well, it's not. If you got something uncomfortable on your shoulder, you better get it off of you as soon as possible…"
"Uh…Are you actually trying to help me?"
One can't really blame Aoi for thinking that way. Zoro looks more like the type of guy who could care less about other's problem.
Zoro huffed a sigh. "Normally no. But now that you're one of us, it'll be either me grilling you or one the other grilling you, and I bet any amount of Beli I may have left that Luffy will be the one to give you the most obnoxious of grilling…"
Well, that's true enough.
Aoi giggled to herself slightly, but still didn't feel like telling Zoro would make any difference. "I doubt your swordsmanship is going to make a difference in my case…"
"You'll be surprise by the kinds of cases that my swordsmanship been able to solve…"
Aoi gave it a moments a thought, but still skeptical about telling Zoro. "You'll probably just laugh at it for being idiotic…"
"Try me. I bet some of the situations I've been in were much more pathetic…"
Finally giving in, Aoi spilled the bean about the challenge she had foolishly accepted.
Despite her being sure he would laugh or even chuckle a bit in a few areas, Zoro never made a sound as he listen to her.
"…And that's how it is," Aoi finalized, "Go ahead. Let it out! I bet your inside has been screaming to laugh…"
Zoro huffed, but didn't laugh. "Feeling that you are going to lose in a challenge is no laughing matter Aoi…"
Aoi backtracked a bit, clearly not seeing that of all things coming. "You…don't find this funny?"
"Your problem involves a challenge that deals with the keepsake of a prize (though I find it strange that your supervisor is the one on the line). Compare to the challenge the rotten cook and I had, yours seems more dire at best…"
Though not fully aware of Zoro and Sanji's past, Aoi relax a bit knowing that the First Mate understood.
Perhaps only a bit but still.
"Well I told you the problem," Aoi slumped, "and as you can see its impossible for you to help out…"
"I won't actually said that," Zoro thoughtfully noted, surprising Aoi a bit, "I can still give some advise…"
"Like what…?"
"Remember what I said about your powers?"
Aoi sweat dropped a bit; of course she would remember. "Yeah~, I didn't think that you of all people would bring that up again…"
"Whatever," Zoro rushed, apparently not denying what Aoi had stated.
Aoi decided not to further the thought and refocus on the question he had asked.
"You mean about my power being a type for cowards?" She huffed before sighing in dismay, "Yeah, and now that I think about it, there are some truths in it…"
"But there are some fault in it as well," Zoro added, "Thinking back, I probably shouldn't have said that. Just because of that kind of power, I shouldn't really have labeled you as a coward. And while it's true that it was usually use for such, past experience had taught me that depending on how you use these power, they can be full of surprises…"
"Don't I know it," Aoi smirked a bit, "But that…"
"Your powers can indeed get you away from something, but I bet you can also use it to get close to something…or someone…right?"
"Of course, but…"
"But once you do, you don't know what to do next and/or how to do it, right?"
"R-Right…"
"Once you get close to the enemy, you couldn't do anything within your skill because you have nothing else to work with, right?"
Aoi, this time, simply nodded. Zoro, on the other hand, smirked a bit.
"Then all you really need is get some skills so you can use them in that situation…"
Aoi thought about it, putting the piece together, until she got what he was saying. "Are you saying…I need to learn how to do actual combat?"
Zoro nodded. "Exactly! The way I see, you can go many routes from here. You can learn, for example, from Usopp how to use a slingshot. With that, you can combine that and your powers for a hundred percent accuracy…"
"Uh huh," Aoi hummed in thought, her imagination working in overload.
Zoro meanwhile, believing that his job is done, began to wander off, until Aoi thought about something, "Say, Zoro…"
Zoro turn to her curiously. "Yeah?"
"Be truthful here, did you really think, and still do so, believe that, without any taught fighting skills, I'm weak?"
"Uh…yeah?"
"And do you, personally, like to 'baby-sit' someone weak?"
Zoro curiosity began to grow as he grumbled, "Hell no, though I find that I end up doing so anyway…"
"So in other words, you are going to find me a nuisance because I'm weak?"
"Well…" Zoro began, not wanting to piss Aoi off again, but decided to be truthful, "…unfortunately, yes…you asked for it, so don't start getting made at me…"
Aoi, surprisingly, smirked. And, for some reason, Zoro found himself feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Want to make this 'nuisance' be strong enough to not need your protection?"
"Wait a minute," Zoro interrupted, finally seeing where this was going, "Are you telling me that you want me to teach you swordsmanship?"
"Well…yeah," Aoi admitted, scratching the back of her head, "I mean…"
"No can do!" Zoro suddenly injected, startling the ten-year-old, "I'm still learning myself. I'm so not ready for that kind of thing…"
"If you ask me, you are," Aoi counter properly, "You caught up to us when I try to teleport us away from you, right?"
"Your point?"
"Not many people I know are capable of such a fleet. When you came after us, it was like you knew where we would be. Also, I have a feeling you're the First Mate more than for one reason…"
"Flattery won't get you anywhere closer kid…just drop the idea…"
"Just give me a chance…"
"Not happening! I can't teach you…"
"Is it because I'm a kid? I thought you said that you-…"
"THAT'S NOT IT!" Zoro shouted as he suddenly lifts up his shirt, revealing a long scar that diagonal on his body, "Take a good look, Aoi! This is what could happen to most people who practice swordsmanship! And, I promise you, it could get a whole lot worse!"
Aoi stared at the large scar; she was horrified that Zoro could survive such a wound in the first place.
"No way," she exclaimed, "I thought for sure that you were untouchable!"
"I may be strong," Zoro sighed after he pulled his shirt back down, "but I'm not the strongest. Try to be, fail miserably. This was proof of it…"
"How…?"
"Like I said, I tried to the best. To do that, I have to beat the current best. His named was 'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman. As soon as I found him, I challenge him. The scar on me tells the rest…"
Aoi knew instantly what was the outcome. "…Sorry…about your loss, I mean…"
"The thing was this: he wasn't even trying! And to top it all off, he let me live to train, get stronger, and fight him again. Until that time, I'll focus on nothing but to beat him…nothing more and nothing less. Only after that is done with…I'll consider teaching someone swordsmanship…"
Aoi stared at him for a long period of time before her eyes shifted over to wooden stick that just happen to be there on the floor.
Zoro, who had thought that his explanation had finally got through to Aoi, stare curiously at the ten-year-old as she went over to the stick, picked it up, and came over to him again.
"You still don't under-…" Zoro began before he found himself dodging as Aoi swung the stick wildly at him, "WHAT THE HELL? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Tell me, Zoro-han," Aoi voiced, still swinging the stick wildly, "why can't I hit you? What am I doing wrong?"
In one quick movement, Zoro caught the stick in his grasp.
"Well, for starters," Zoro angrily yelled, "You're just swinging this stick wildly! A grandmother can dodge the swings…"
"And?"
"You don't have speed with it! An experience person can see all your attacks in slow motion…"
"And?"
"There's no strength behind it either, considering how easy it was for me to catch it…"
Aoi than gave a smile. "You can tell all of that from your opponent?"
"Of course I can! I'm not a swordsman for nothing…"
"But you can't tell if you're doing something wrong too or not, right?"
"…So what if I can't?"
"Then show me how to use sword in your style…or at least close to it. By doing so you can see the flaws in your own style and correct it! Fix yourself by fixing someone like yourself! Only by seeing how it works for other can you see how to improve it! And there's no use in becoming the world's next strongest swordsman if you can't have a sword fight with another so often. Once I'm strong enough, I can be your sparring partner! It much better if you can practice with someone beside yourself. And there's also no point in trying to stop me, since I'm pump on learning your style now, I'll find someway on learning it even if it's to be by just copying you from afar! So what do say?"
Zoro stared at her, astonished that the seemingly timid ten-year-old girl was so determined at getting her way.
And yet…she did bring up some good points, they were pretty hard to ignore.
Zoro gave sigh, before his face suddenly turned stern again, with his usual scolding face.
"Say," Zoro began, "you seem to have some skill in swordsmanship early when you try to hit me. Where did got that from?"
"Huh?" Aoi asked, startled by the changing pace of the conversation, "Oh…well, my dad was more or less of a samurai so he secretly taught me some…"
"…What's the best move you have so far?"
"Huh? Oh, well I guess…a side-slash with my right hand…"
"A SIDE-SLASH with your RIGHT HAND?"
"H-HUH?" Aoi jolted, thinking that the cause of his roar has something to do with she said.
Suddenly, Zoro sprint past her and deliver a side-slash out into the open sea. The force of his slash kicked up a wave of water at least ten feet tall.
Aoi was amaze by Zoro display of power as he turned back to her, smiling as he place the sword back into its scabbard.
"If we're talking about a side-slash with the right hand," he smirked, "you're still at the very least twenty-years too early to beat me. What I find mind-blowing about this is that you and I have the same best move at the moment. Fine, you really want to learn swordsmanship, I'll see what I can do about it…"
Normama: "Well, another chapter is complete..."
Shiho: "Say, Normama, why is Aoi going to learn swordsmanship? She never actually held a sword before. Beside, isn't it true I do swordsmanship?"
Normama: "Actually, since her dad acturally went 'samurai' once I decided to humor on that. It would actually make sense this way..."
Shiho: "But I could easily learn how to fence..."
Normama: "That's the problem. You learn how to use weapons too easily! There wouldn't be any point...But don't worry, you'll learn how to fight..."
Shiho: "...From who?"
Normama: "You'll see..." (chuckling and looking at...)
Sanji (sweat dropping): "Why are you looking at me?"
