Brand New World
Ch. 26: Training Gate Montage
-X-
Disclaimer: The following is a fan made work of fiction. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, Shonen Jump Manga, and Eiichiro Oda. I do not own One Piece or any of its characters, nor any of the songs I put in here. The only thing I own here is Kakusei and a few fan characters.
Summary: I`m Kakusei. I have no idea where I am, or who I am, but I feel I m in a familiar world, just not my own. Mentions other mangas as the character is from our world. I`m being realistic.
Rating: T for Language, Violence, and Blood.
-X-
"Just because you can use the Zipper, you thought you could use this, right?" he asked. That freaked me out a bit. How the hell did this guy know I used the Zipper ÄRM? "And as for my name, you can call me Tetsuga. I hope you liked the gift I gave you in Skypeia. You seem to be using it well enough."
"Wait, you`re the one who gave me the guitar?" I yelled out in astonishment.
"Dimension ÄRM: Training Gate!" Tetsuga yelled as a silver set of doors suddenly appeared under Luffy`s feet and mine. The doors opened, and we dropped into the Training Gate, with Tetsuga following us closely. The gates closed behind us and we began our two month training period.
-X-
Day 1
-X-
Luffy and I landed on the ground with a THUD! I slowly picked myself up whereas Luffy got up immediately, cause, you know, he`s made of rubber. Tetsuga landed on his feet, perfectly.
"You could have given me a bit of warning you know!" I yelled at Tetsuga, a bit angrily.
"Yes, but it wouldn`t have been as funny," Tetsuga said behind that mask of his. Luffy laughed at this, being his usual self, but it just ticked me off a bit.
"Why don`t you take off that mask?" I asked.
"I`m sorry, I can`t do that," Tetsuga said calmly. "At least not at this time. Anyway, I should probably say what adjustments I`ve made to the Training Gate."
"Please do," I said crossing my arms and legs as I sat.
"Well, for starters," Tetsuga said calmly, "now we can train in any environment." As he said this, we went from a forested valley with some ruins in it, to a bleak desert with a few cactuses.
"So cool!" Luffy yelled with stars in his eyes.
"Okay, I`m impressed," I said. "Anything else important?"
"Well, we can also have any food, clothes, or other amenities needed," Tetsuga said as he held out his hand, and a bowl of ramen appeared out of nowhere.
"FOOD!" Luffy yelled as he grabbed the bowl and ate the ramen quickly. "Good, but I like Sanji`s food better."
"Of course," Tetsuga said. "Can`t have you wanting to stay in here forever."
"Alright, that makes 2 out of 4 magic stones, so what else did you do?" I asked.
"Well, I can create multiple different time displacements here now, so you two can train at different rates," Tetsuga said calmly. "You`ll need it if you`re gonna catch up to Luffy. And lastly…" As he said that, a human shaped-light formed and began changing shape, until the light faded, revealing Son Goku FROM DRAGON BALL!
"COOL!" Luffy yelled with stars in his eyes.
"WHAT THE HELL?" I yelled in shock. "YOU MADE SON GOKU APPEAR! FOR WHAT?"
"To train you properly and for you to train against," Tetsuga said calmly.
"YOU WANT US TO FIGHT SON FUCKING GOKU?" I yelled at the top of my lungs in shock and fear. "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US?"
"What`s up with you?" Luffy asked me.
"Luffy, Son Goku is one of the guys who are stronger than any guys in this world," I said slowly. "He can destroy a planet, and fight faster than the eye can see."
"COOL!" Luffy yelled again with stars in his eyes.
"KNOCK IT OFF!" I yelled as I chopped his head a bit. "How the hell are we supposed to keep up with Son Goku?"
"Relax," Tetsuga said, "this isn`t the Son Goku from the end of Dragon Ball Z, this Son Goku is from near the end of the Freiza arc. You`ll only be fighting someone one hundred times stronger than a normal fighter."
"Okay, that makes me feel a bit better," I said calming down. "But shouldn`t we start with the Son Goku from the end of the Saiyan arc? You know, someone, oh I don`t know, closer to our level?"
"Now that wouldn`t be much of a challenge, would it?" Tetsuga asked.
"Luffy, you rest. I`m up first," I said calmly. "I guess now`s the time to find my own fighting style, huh?"
"It is," Tetsuga said as he reached under his cloak. "Put these on." He threw me a pair of bokken which, when I caught them, realized they were much heavier than normal bokken. "For weight training and sword practice later."
"Alright," I said as I strapped the bokken to my back and took my fighting stance. "Let`s get to work!"
-X-
Day 21
-X-
"Man, I`m beat," I said as I sat down in our improvised home. Luffy tossed me a piece of meat on a bone and I ripped off a chunk with my teeth. "Thanks."
"No problem," Luffy said taking a bite out of his. "That was so cool what you did yesterday!"
"What? You mean that technique?" I said a bit proudly. "It`s just some fast punches."
"Are you kidding, I can barely keep up with it!" Luffy said praising me. "I had to use that technique we worked on to match it!"
"By the way, your Ki control is getting better Luffy," I said complementing him.
"Really?" he asked. "You think?"
"Yeah, I do," I said taking another bite out of my meat. "Soon, you`ll be able to control that like your own hand."
Tetsuga then walked up to us and sat down. "21 days here, and you guys have been fighting 100 times a day since day 3."
"Yeah, and I still can`t beat Luffy," I said smiling about it.
"This isn`t as much as I used to fight," Luffy said stripping his meat off the bone and picking up another one. "Back then, I fought 150 times a day."
"150!" I said surprised. "Wow, no wonder you`re so strong."
"Yeah," Luffy said looking a little sad. Well, I`m sure I`ll remember what it was eventually. I mean, I had to have read about Luffy`s past before coming here, right?
"You`re both getting faster," Tetsuga said breaking the awkward silence. "I think it`s time you two learn what a real fighter is in this world."
"Hmm?" Luffy and I asked.
"I`m going to put you two up against a warrior with skills from other fighters in this world," Tetsuga stated. "And Kakusei, you`ll also be doing double duty as your swordsmanship training begins tomorrow too."
"Are you trying to kill me?" I asked almost yelling. "I need some time to rest!"
"You`re getting it now, aren`t you?" Tetsuga asked calmly. Damn him and that logic.
"True," I said sighing heavily. I took a huge drink of the root beer I had in my other hand. "Shall we get back to work?"
"Yep!" Luffy said as he swallowed another 5 pieces of meat.
"Alright then," Tetsuga said as he summoned what looked like a black human body with no facial features whatsoever. Like a mannequin with a blank face. "Here`s your opponent, I hope you learn something from him."
-X-
Day 38
-X-
"Your swordsmanship is improving," Tetsuga said commenting on me.
"Well, you`ve been putting me up against some of the best swordsmen I know!" I said commenting on his training method. "You`ve put me up against Himura Kenshin, Mugen, Dai, Avan, Asakura Yoh, even Shigure! I`m surprised I haven`t been cut to ribbons!"
"And you haven`t because you`re improving," Tetsuga said calmly. "Soon you`ll be on par with Zoro."
"And by my standards, that`s fine," I said relieved.
"I thought you wanted to aim higher," Tetsuga said. "Don`t you have your friends to protect?"
"Why I fight is none of your business," I said snapping at him. "If I can get back to the level of strength I had, I can fight on par with the Shichibukai."
"I hope he starts thinking about the future a bit more," Tetsuga said in his mind. "If he doesn`t, he`ll be in deeper shit than he realizes…"
"Anyway, back to practice," I said breaking Tetsuga`s train of thought.
"You`re an eager one," Tetsuga said. "At least you finally stopped complaining."
"Oh shut up," I said calmly. "I need to get to work on the ÄRM training I intended."
"Now what do you intend to use the ÄRM for?" Tetsuga asked inquisitively.
"Again, none of your business!" I said. "I barely know who you are, so why should I say my reasons to you?"
"Keeping secrets from strangers," Tetsuga said explaining the most obvious reasons I`m not talking. "Makes sense." I began walking back to our designated training area. "Even though I already know most things about you…"
-X-
Day 50
-X-
"Ten more days in here," I said holding my hands behind my head. "It feels almost homey in here now."
"Still, it`ll be nice to have Sanji`s cooking again!" Luffy said excitedly.
"Is food all you think about?" I asked rhetorically. This is Luffy I`m talking about after all.
"Well, you two are doing a great job," Tetsuga said calmly. "Kakusei should be able to use the Training Gate by himself with the Magic Power he`s accumulated."
"I damn well hope so," I said sarcastically. "I put a lot of work into learning to use those ÄRMs."
"Well, I wouldn`t begin slacking off during the final stretch," Tetsuga said. "Cause I saved the best opponent for last."
"Who?" Luffy and I asked simultaneously.
Tetsuga grabbed his cloak and threw it off, revealing a suit like the ANBU Black Ops from Naruto, and kept that metal wolf mask of his on his face, which covered most of his face. The rest of his head was covered by a hood in the skin-suit. He also had a long Katana strapped to his back. "Me," he said calmly.
"You`re shitting me," I said in disbelief. "There`s no way we`re gonna fight you! We`ll kick your ass!" as soon as I finished saying that, Tetsuga appeared right in front of Luffy and slammed his palm into Luffy`s face, sending him flying across the area.
"Dammit! THAT HURT!" Luffy yelled, clutching his face. This bastard can hurt Luffy? Now I was in trouble.
Immediately, he appeared in front of me, then dropped and swept my feet out from under me, then tackled me in my back, sending me flying into Luffy. "What was that about you two kicking my ass?" Tetsuga asked now sounding a bit cocky.
Luffy and I picked ourselves up and got into fighting mode. "We`ll show you!" we said simultaneously as we charged at him.
-X-
Day 60
-X-
"Take this last day off to rest and relax," Tetsuga said calmly as we finished out final sparring session. Luffy and I dropped to the ground exhausted. Nine days of fighting Tetsuga was much harder than we thought.
"Shishishi, that was fun!" Luffy said smiling as he did while he laid on the ground.
"Yeah, I guess it was," I said as I laid beside Luffy with my limbs sprawled out on the ground. "We`ve really done a lot here, haven`t we?"
"Yep," Luffy replied.
"Did you think of a name for your fighting style?" Tetsuga asked as he put his cloak back on and sat down next to me.
"I did," I said between heavy breaths.
"What?" Luffy asked panting less hard than I was.
"I`m gonna call it the Mantenken," I said replying happily.
"Mantenken?" Luffy asked aloud. "It does sound cool! But why that name?"
"Mantenken means 10,000 Heaven Fist," I replied. "I wanted the name to represent the more than 10,000 possible universes out there, including my home and this one, that I can draw knowledge and fighting moves and styles from."
"That sounds like a very Zen meaning and name," Tetsuga commented as he sat beside me. "It`s a good choice."
"Thanks," I said breathing a little less heavy now. "I`m gonna take… a little… nap." I quickly fell asleep and Luffy had already fallen asleep about a minute before I did.
"Heh, guess they`re both pretty tired," Tetsuga said as he sat back up. "They deserve a little nap. And I better get my little present together."
Luffy and I woke up a bit later, with Tetsuga nowhere in sight.
"Where`d the wolf mask guy go?" Luffy asked.
"No idea," I said looking around for Tetsuga. Suddenly, the environment shifted to Korin`s tower from Dragon Ball, and there was Tetsuga, with a copy of Korin, and holding a small cloth bag. "Okay, how did you do that?"
"The environment change and temporal distortions," Tetsuga said calmly under that mask of his. "I was getting your farewell present ready."
"Farewell present?" I asked as he tossed me the cloth bag, and as I caught it, I got a feel of what was in it. I undid the string and looked inside, confirming my suspicions. "Wow, you sure we can have these?"
"Sure," Tetsuga said. "That`s probably the only food item you can take out of here. Clothes can also come out of here as well, so make some clothes to your style, if you want."
"Thanks, but I`ve got enough clothes for now," I said tying the cloth bag to my belt. "So how do we get out of here?" Tetsuga just pointed up as a pair of silver doors appeared over our heads. "Thanks. Well, Luffy, we`re done here, for now. Let`s get back to the others."
"Yay! I can finally eat Sanji`s cooking again!" Luffy cheered as he jumped for the doors as they opened for us.
"Damn, all you do think about is food!" I yelled jokingly as I followed him.
"I guess it`s time for me to take my leave as well," Tetsuga said as he vanished and the doors closed completely.
-X-
Back on the Ship…
-X-
Our crewmates watched as the silvery doors opened again, almost a day later after we had gone in, and Luffy and I jumped out, no worse for the wear. Luffy looked relatively unchanged, but my hair had grown out a bit, and was now about three inches from brushing my shoulders. I had also gained a good deal of muscle definition from the training, and my body also felt much lighter without the bokken strapped to my back, but I also felt weird without them.
"Ah, it`s good to be home," I said stretching a bit.
"Wow, you sure grew up a bit," Nami said as I looked at her. I looked around and noticed I had gotten a bit taller. I was looking a bit downward at Robin to meet her eyes.
"Sweet. Growth Spurt," I said happy with this.
"You also got more athletic looking," Robin commented looking at my muscles. I was slim, but defined. Just how I wanted it.
"So what`d you learn?" Zoro asked.
"We learned a lot!" Luffy yelled loudly. "I figured some new ways to fight, and Kakusei figured out his fighting style."
"And it wasn`t easy, I`ll tell you that," I said jokingly.
"So, what kind of fighting style do you use now?" Sanji asked me.
"I call it the Mantenken," I said calmly.
"That means 10,000 Heaven Fist, right?" Robin asked curiously.
"Yeah," I replied. "I wanted the name to represent the more than 10,000 possible different Heavens I can gain experience and knowledge from."
"Well, if anything, it sounds awesome," Usopp said giving me a thumbs-up.
"Sanji, can you make some breakfast?" Luffy asked. "I`m hungry."
"You`re always hungry," Sanji and I said sarcastically and simultaneously. This made everyone laugh as Sanji went into the kitchen to fix us all breakfast.
"Hey, Kakusei, where`s the Training Gate?" Nami asked me.
"Hmm?" I said as I quickly checked my person, trying to find the ÄRM. Then I remembered Tetsuga had it. It was at that moment I found the Training Gate in my pocket, like I had it all along. Wow, Tetsuga was fast.
"Something wrong Kakusei?" Nami asked me, snapping me back to normal.
"Oh, nothing Nami," I said calmly.
"Did you think about what I said?" she asked sweetly as looked me in the eyes.
"Well, even though I had about two months to, I was more concerned with surviving my training," I said blushing a bit.
"Was it really that bad?" Usopp said overhearing that part of it and shuddering a bit in fear.
"Well, when you`re fighting some of the strongest guys and girls you know of, it`s pretty much learn to survive, not just fight," I said happily. "But I got a crash course in fighting, so now I feel confident that I can hold my own, no matter what comes our way."
"That`s good," Usopp said sighing with relief.
"Breakfast!" Sanji yelled from the kitchen.
"Food!" Luffy yelled as he bolted to the kitchen.
"Puppet-master Technique!" I yelled as I opened my hands with my fingers pointed at Luffy. He froze instantly, shocking everyone who saw, and Robin only had her curious look on her face.
"How did you do that?" Usopp asked.
"That`s so cool!" Chopper said with stars in his eyes.
"I figured out how to do this Ninjutsu while I was in the Training Gate," I said as I held Luffy in place. "Everyone else, get your food so Luffy doesn`t eat it all."
"Finally, someone can stop Luffy," Zoro said with a chuckle as everyone else went inside.
"Dammit, Kakusei, let me go!" Luffy said as he struggled to get free.
"Alright," I said as I released Luffy, causing him to run into the wall instead of the door.
"You have got to teach me that," Sanji said laughing a bit at Luffy as I walked inside, with Luffy close behind.
-X-
Later that night…
-X-
"So that`s what happened," Robin said after I finished my story of our 60 day training period. "How did Tetsuga modify the Training Gate?"
"I have no idea," I said calmly as I stared out into the inky black sea. "But he does seem to want to help, if only indirectly. Just wondering, how did you know of Tetsuga?"
"He showed me your memories of this world when we were in Skypeia, after you defended me," Robin said calmly.
"He`s a strange one alright," I said looking at Robin. "He knows of me, my memories, and even of other worlds. All these things make me wonder who the hell he is… Anyway, I wanted to ask you a question."
"Alright," Robin replied. "What for?"
"I need some advice," I said looking down at the water. "The thing is, Nami told me she loves me and kissed me."
"I know," Robin said shocking me. "I was watching the two of you. I heard you singing."
"I see," I said a bit embarrassed. "Well, the thing is, she asked me if I love her too, and I`m not sure. I`m attracted to her, but I have no idea if I love her. What should I do?"
"Well, I`m not very experienced with matters of love," Robin said calmly and laughing a bit. "Have you had any advice in this type of matter before?"
"Well, a wise man once told me that if you really love someone," I said almost like I was telling a story, "you`ll want to be with them for the rest of your life. I`ve also learned that you`ll feel love for that person even if you don`t feel attracted to them at the moment."
"Well, then I guess this will have to be something you`ll have to figure out on your own," Robin said getting ready to leave. "Good luck."
She turned around and somehow tripped and began to fall forward. I did what came natural and ran right behind her in a split second and caught her by the waist. I brought her back up and unintentionally brought us both face to face. We both just stood there for about half a minute, Robin in awe or shock of my speed, and me in a stupor over how uncomfortably romantic this situation was. I blushed a bit as I let her go.
"Uh, sorry," I said embarrassed over what happened.
"No, thank you," Robin said regaining her usual composure and smiling at me. "You saved me from a nasty fall." The she kissed me on the cheek, making me turn beet-red with a mix of feelings. "Good night." She went to the girl`s room and left me standing there in my mix of embarrassment, happiness, and other emotions.
-X-
Ah, the Training Gate is finally done with. But this won`t be the last we see of this ÄRM, you can bet on that. And now Kakusei is left even more confused about where he stands in love!
I just wanted to say thank you to all my viewers, watchers, readers, and reviewers who have given me the confidence and praise that has gotten Brand New World where it is today. I can only hope that the next year brings us more good times in this story and in One Piece. And a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, and a happy whatever else is celebrated this time of year to everyone!
Next chapter, we move onto the city of shipwrights, Water 7!
Tsugino jikan made! (Until next time!)