After inspecting his knuckles for a short while Lockhard's eyes met my own and let me tell you, that man's eyes sent a shiver down my spine. Now mind you, I've certainly killed my fair share since coming to this world and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the fighting but something inside of me, possibly the more animalistic part of my brain, told me to get the fuck out of there as fast as I could.

I suppose it is only logical to react that way when confronted with a predator of a much higher capacity and experience than yourself and yet, something else inside of me bristled back at my animalistic braincells, denying its urgings with everything it had.

And I kinda admit, I am a little proud of that small part of myself, no matter how dumb it is to not listen to your guts in a moment such as this.

With my hands growing clam and cold from the sweat, I was just about to decide whether or not to bolt or to fight for my life when the dangerous glint inside Lockhard's eyes, sans its accompanying pressure, disappeared as fast as it had come, causing me to let out a soft and slightly shuddering breath as a consequence.

'Bloody hell, this guy is fucking terrifying…!' Imperceptibly to most eyes I straightened my spine and squared my shoulders though as I felt pride swell inside my chest at having stood my ground before somebody I had no doubt was someone that had roamed the Grandline at one point in his life, under orders of the World Government, as a killer no doubt.

Still, Lockhard had yet to speak and I was unsure how to proceed from here. Of course I had, since finding out I ate a devilfruit and decided hiding that fact from everybody for now, prepared a few believable lies that may be able to explain my hard body and the absence of an injury whenever I was hit by someone or something.

Now though, standing before a man that had killed, maimed, probably tortured and interrogated quite a few people if my guess was right, I wasn't so sure those lies would be convincing enough. So, what to do?

"What is your name, recruit?" Lockhard asked suddenly, in the process drawing me back out of my thoughts.

"Daz Bonez, sir!" I replied immediately while standing at attention. After experiencing this man's more ruthless side I would rather not cause any further problems, which may deepen the trouble I may find myself in if I was unlucky, for omitting something as important as me having eaten a devilfruit.

"Bonez? Alright. When we are through with the training for today you and me will be having a few words, that's for sure. We clear, recruit?!" to which I responded in the positive. What else could I do, really?

"Alright, back to the matter at hand. I'll be training you, besides the usual strengthening of your muscles, by striking you as long and as hard as I deem fit for you." Lockhard said while turning away from me, mustering all the different reactions of the other kids standing beside me.

Obviously, these news didn't meet with exuberant cries of happiness but it still surprised me when one child opened his mouth to voice his thoughts on the matter.

'Didn't all of them experience the same thing I did? If so, how can they even meet that guy's eyes now? They are children after all! That only means they didn't experience that ride through hell. I wonder what that was then?' I mused to myself while absentmindedly listening to the boy who stood only a few meters away from me.

"S-Strike us, sir? Is there no other way to train the Tekkai? If so, I would rather prefer to train that way…" The boy said while a small frown had crept onto said boy's face.

'Man, that boy must've balls made of steel…' I couldn't help but think to myself, no matter how stupid it was to voice such a complain, not to mention confronting a master of the Tekkai with said opinion.

"Oh? You would like to train in a less painful way then? Am I understanding that correctly?" Lockhard asked back while a certainly unfriendly smile had crept onto the man's face, something I knew didn't mean anything good for the boy. Though, I do wonder what exactly would happen now. Would they shove the boy off the island? Or simply put him into a different group where he would still learn the Tekkai but not from a master?

"Alright, you may do so. Oi, Bricky! The first for you!" Lockhard suddenly called over to a man sitting on the veranda, slurping on some drink I reckon, who perked up at the news and came strolling over to us afterwards.

"So soon? You haven't even started training yet!" The man, who I now knew was named Bricky, replied back after coming to a stop right next to Lockhard.

"What can I say, the world is still the same as it was a few years ago." Lockhard replied while his shoulders shrugged once as if he didn't really care about the whole matter, and judging by his expression, he didn't.

Sighing once, the man called Bricky, turned around to us and straight up mustered all of us from top to bottom after which he turned back around to Lockhard.

"Alright, which one of them? And since I'm here already you might as well just ask the other if the others also want to join. Less of a hassle…" Bricky grunted to Lockhard who hummed in reply and motioned towards the boy who had spoken up earlier after which Lockhard turned to the rest of us.

"Might as well just get this out of the way first. You see, not everybody who is recruited for the training to become a Cipher Pol agent has the mental and physical fortitude to actually learn the Rokushiki to a level that is necessary for the higher ranks of the Cipher Pol. Nothing to be ashamed about. It simply is how it is. So, those of you who believe they are unsure of being able to endure pain on high levels should leave. Now. I promise you, you won't be punished for it.

Those of you who stay will train under me. All the others, like him" Lockhard said while motioning at the boy from earlier, who had by now walked over to Bricky to stand besides the man "will be training under Bricky. He may not be as good as I am with the Tekkai but you will still learn a lot from him. Choose wisely."

After Lockhard's words three more of the boys in our group went over to stand besides Bricky. The only ones remaining besides Lockhard were, you guessed it, me and Bruno. Shocker that one…

After this matter had been concluded, Bricky and the boys left us and we started training, just the way how Lockhard had promised us we would. And let me tell you, it was not a fun thing to get hit over and over again while you tried to tense every muscle in your body to resist the impacts as long as you could. And the most shocking thing of the whole fiasco? Some-fucking-how, 'Goldilocks' Lockhard managed to ignore the passive ability of my devilfruit, which usually made me pretty much invincible to impacts and cuts!

I'm not lying when I say, I was fucking shocked.