Chapter 29: WOW! IT'S HERE!

No, I don't own One Piece. Why would you even think I did?

Well, this week has been hectic and hardy slept at all! Had some great work experience, but hardly had a moment to write or read to myself. Just Too busy with textiles making a fairy costume for Chapterhouse Drama Productions. So fun and so utterly different to my work here.

Haaaa. Finally some time to myself. I probably should get to bed earlier and get a good night's sleep, since I've been living off 5 to 6 hours sleep per night, but I really want to do this as well... Oh! Dear? I think I've become an addictive writer. Hummmmm. Never thought that would happen.

Oh well. Oda is an addictive writer too isn't he? Must be a sign of genius. Or maybe just foolishness. I don't know.

Please enjoy, dear readers.

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Tashigi's Heart: Breaking Through Barriers.

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I took in a deep breath of fresh air as I opened my window. Another glorious morning! I could hear the sea gulls crying away in the distance and many more noises come up from the roaring sea.

The past couple of weeks, I had set up a new training schedule for myself and I was looking forward to doing it again this morning. There was something really thrilling about swimming in the sea for miles, but not being able to see the bottom. It was filled with unseen wonders that were just waiting to be found.

I ate my lite breakfast, drank my coffee and charged outside to start my routine. It began with an hour's worth of swimming followed by half an hour of running, and then I joined the rest of the Marines for the early morning Katana exercises.

We practiced repeatedly until we had preformed the exercises about 100 times each. The steps and movements that had been embedded into our way of thinking repeating themselves over and over in my mind as we repeatedly swung our Katanas. Breath in, step back, let blade rise up and go behind head, breath out, pull blade forward and step forward in attack. Swing blade from two o'clock to eight o'clock, swing it around into position for another attack, ten o'clock to four. Repeat.

I love doing this. It feels so relaxing to practice and to go through the simple motions gradually speeding them up, getting faster and faster.

This happened for almost an entire week, but then I had to find a new place to practice.

"Excuse me Ensign Tashigi?" The overlooker of the Swordsmen Marine Dojo approached me as I came in one morning to start my training again.

"Hi there. I'm back again." I said cheerfully. This place had a strange way of making me feel at home.

He looked nervous about something, but his mouth was in a firm and stiff line. "I have been requested to ask you to leave." he bowed his head. "I apologize, but quite a few of the other trainys have mentioned that having you around and nearby is distracting them from focusing."

What? How can I be distracting? Some of the guys here look girlier than me.

"Why? And what have they found so disturbing about me. I'm wearing the standard uniform." I emphasized.

"Miss, some of the world greatest sword-masters practice in these halls." he frowned and looked back up into the lofters above us. "I don't mean to offend you, but some would consider your presence in this dojo an offence to what the Navy upholds. They boast of being able to train and produce the strongest swordsmen in the world. They probably wouldn't want to see a young girl such as yourself in their midst."

"Who has been saying that?"

"Please miss, could you just leave for now, I could open up the dojo later if you would like." He added, trying to please. "It'll be empty then and you can have the whole place to yourself."

What is the point in practising in a great hall like this one if I could never challenge a new and better opponent in order to improve myself.

"Don't bother yourself. If these men can get so easily distracted by just having one woman practising with them, then they are obviously not real swordsmen, and it's probably not worth my time in coming here." The differences in fighting styles and levels was obvious as many had separated into their own special technique groups.

I looked up from our conversation, and noticed heads turning away probably having heard what was just said. I sighed. I had really forgotten that sometimes when coming into a new place you had to reintroduce, in my case, often prove yourself worthy enough to be there.

I put my hands on my hips, biting back any cutting and disrespectful remarks that might escape from them. I looked up and caught sight of one large group of men smirking back at me as if they had won a game of sorts.

"Excuse me everyone!" I called out. Heads turned round and eyes bored into me.

"Shhhhhh. No please don't try to fight it." the old man said. "I could receive bad pole marks on the chaster boards. Please don't cause any trouble."

I continued. "Sorry to disturb your practice, but I would like to practice in this Dojo as well." I looked from one young man to another. "It has come to my attention that some see that as offensive, and I can understand where they are coming from. But if you expect me to leave without giving a good enough reason then prepare yourself for a rude awakening. I am not inferior to you just because I'm a woman and I'm going to train in this Dojo. If you don't want me fighting and practising alongside you, then come and say it to my face and challenge me so I can prove my point." I furrier my eyebrows and crossed my arms, waiting for someone to speak up.

"Why should we?" I looked up and saw a tall swordsman with his hand on his Katana's scabbard. "This is a man's training grounds. Not a woman's. Next you Feminists will be demanding to use the men's bathrooms and toilets as well."

Laughter spilled across the rest of the group as thought was announced. They were all so foolish.

"This is a Dojo. It is not a place just for men to claim as their own. It has been dedicated for use of all those who practice the art of the sword."

He shook his head in disgust. "I think it's foolish to believe that you could do anything that can compare with us." he unsheathed his Katana and balanced the steel blade on his index finger, and almost carelessly in afterthought threw it up into the air and caught it in his other hand. "Just go back outside and play with your sticks until your period of service for the Marines is over, woman. This is a place for real fighters."

"Very well, I shall. But only if you can defeat me." I gripped Shigure in my hands and felt a rush of adrenaline run through my veins. "I shall leave if your boast has backbone to it." I drew out my sword and waited. "Fight me, 'real fighter'."

"So basically if I win, you admit defeat, apologize and leave. Am I right?"

not quite what I said. "I shall." I promised.

He smirked threw his sword up into the air and jumped down from his place on the balcany. He landed perfectly and took two steps towards me and caught his sword as it fell as if it was an afterthought. He instantly seemed to get the rest of the Dojo's support.

"Yeah! Go Josho! Show her how real swordsmen do things."

"Go back home Glasses!"

"Show her who's boss! Josh!"

"Go Josho!"

I took a deep breath in and got into a fighting stance.

"No wait," the Dojo owner Mr. Deanfar came between us. "This is a sacred Dojo I don't want you trying to cut yourselves or anything else up in here. You need to use wooden swords." He ran to the side and brought back two wooden ones.

"Don't worry Deanfar. I'll put her out the door soon enough."

"Are you ready then?" I asked as soon as I had taken the wooden mento.

He didn't reply, but started our duel by bowing his head slightly as was traditional, and then getting into position.

I ducked as the first swing came down on my head, and pulled up my wooden blade to counter it. It moved gracefully between the stances and made a smacking sound that only a wooden blade could make. And I smacked his blade away.

"Get ready to eat your words." I said as I side-stepped away from the second attack. He pulled his sword down again and aimed for the lower half of my body. My sword caught his in mid-motion and knocked into to the ground. He leant forward obviously intending on using his bodyweight to pin me down, but I dislodged my left hand from my blade a little and instead of backing away I used it to balance myself on his shoulder as I flipped myself up over his body to land behind him.

"What are you doing? That's not the way of the swordsman."

"No, it is the way of someone who has been fighting at sea against pirates and brawlers." I spun around again getting out of range from his long reach. "I have learned that it is often manoeuvrability that gives you an edge in a battle."

We continued like this for almost twenty minutes. We were quite evenly matched and I found the thrill and energy behind each thrust exciting. It wasn't terrifing like how I remembered Zoro's to be, but it was brilliant.

I hooked his blade coming up from his left, as he seemed to react slower to my jabs from that side, and pulled it up so fast that he lost his grip on his wooden sword and sent it spinning into the crowd of on-lookers.

I bowed down the fallen man and turned away handing my blade back to Deanfar. I ran my fingers through my hair and felt it's dampness. That had been a good workout.

"How did you get so agile?" Josho said shaking his head and scowling at his lose, but sounding respectful.

"Practice. Isn't that what everything boils down to?" He looked up at me with a puzzled expression on his face, I don't remember ever seeing you here before. Where were you stationed?"

"I come from the East Blue, I have only just entered the Grand Line." I bent down and picked up the towel that was in my bag.

"From the East Blue?" They started amongst themselves. Probably about how nothing good ever comes out of the East Blue.

"Wait?" A bulky fellow spoke up. The feature that stood out most on him was his massive chin that seemed to be trying to turn black with the possibility of hair growth. "Are you the Sergeant Major swordsman that came back with the Hero of Alabasta? What's his name? Smoker."

"Yes."

His jaw dropped and many of the other young men's faces went from rage to shock and did the same.

"We're so sorry, Miss."

"I don't really care if you are all that sorry or not, I just want to practice here. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes! Of course!" They all chorused.

I had never really felt bothered by a quick changes of events that had to take place. In the Marines you had to learn to be spontaneous. But this sort of quick change just creeps me out. First they hate , or ignore me and now they love me. This sort of fake praise makes me sick.

"I intend to come back tomorrow. See you guys later." I said picking up Shigure on my way back out. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all to try and practice with a group of quire young men.

"Bye!"

I ignored my misgivings and continued to train there. Good things will come of this... hopefully.

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What are the readers opinions of this matter I wonder?