Tashigi was sitting at her desk, cigar in her mouth, looking at the schedule for the ensigns for the coming week. She had taken this job from Smoker so he could focus on other issues and had shown she was good at it. In fact, she had taken a few other jobs from Smoker recently as well, to the point where some members of the crew were starting to whisper amongst themselves that it was Tashigi, not Smoker, who was running the ship. Tashigi could stop these rumors, but she did not see a reason too.
Also, in Tashigi's office was Nami. The newly promoted lieutenant commander was just as responsible as Tashigi for getting all the work done. Nami's insane work ethic was allowing the pair to work nearly all day. The only hobby the pair had was smoking cigars, which the pair could do while working, and were doing now.
Tashigi put down her pen, done with the schedules for the coming week, then turned to Nami. If Nami had her way, she would be seen as just a piece of furniture for the room, but Tashigi knew she could be so much more, so she stood up and told Nami to follow her.
The pair left Tashigi's office and entered the gym on the ship. Tashigi gripped her sword as she entered, then smiled softly at herself, she was not here to train herself, instead it was for Nami.
"Nami, please start working the punching bag." Tashigi ordered Nami. Nami nodded her head, then walked over to the bag and started to punch it. Each punch had a lot of force behind it. The ex-thief had not seen the need to exercise and increase her strength till she joined the Marines. Since then, she had participated in the physical training required of all Marines and would from time to time accompany Tashigi to this gym to train. All this had led to her muscles growing stronger, and while she tried to hide it with her sheepishness, caused her to be bigger.
After a few minutes of punches Tashigi was satisfied that Nami was properly warmed up. "Okay Nami, looking good today, Tashigi complimented Nami. Tashigi took the cigar out of her moth and exhaled a large amount of smoke before putting it out in an ashtray that was in the gym.
One of the advantages of being on the same ship as Smoker, the man who could literally become smoke, and some say smoked a ton because of it, was that there were ashtrays all around the ship. They were in almost every meeting room and community room. The only rooms that seemed to not have ashtrays were sleeping quarters for the lower ranked men. Tashigi and Nami each had personal rooms, an advantage of being the only two women on the ship and each had ashtrays added to their rooms once they started to smoke.
Her cigar put out, Tashigi walked over to a section of the gym with no items to get in the way, meant for martial arts or similar training. "Nami please help me train." Tashigi told her assistant. Tashigi pulled out her sword and started to swing it around a bit to loosen up.
Nami looked around for a sword to train with Tashigi with and found a wooden one. She grabbed it and walked in front of Tashigi who looked a little disappointed, which sunk Nami's heart. The idea of disappointing Tashigi brought great worry to Nami, who felt like she might start to cry.
"Tsk-tsk Nami." Tashigi said while wagging her finger. "We both know that you are not that good at swordsmanship. If you really want to help me train, I want you to use what you are actually good at. Tashigi pointed towards a weapon on the wall. "Please Nami, use a yari."
Nami followed Tashigi's finger and saw the yari leaning against the wall. It was true that when she was practicing with weapons shortly after joining the crew at Smoker's behest, she had found the yari to be her favorite weapon, but no one else seemed to use it, so she had no choice but to train with swords and guns. The fact that Smoker had not been able to help her get better at the yari bothered him greatly.
"Are you sure Tashigi-san?" Nami asked, unsure of if it was a good idea for her to try the weapon, with her being so inexperienced at it.
"Are you questioning my order?" Tashigi asked back, which caused all the color to leave Nami's face.
"I'm sorry Tashigi-san, I'll grab the yari Tashigi-san, please forgive me Tashigi-san." Nami said in quick succession, which only caused Tashigi to laugh. It reminded her of how she used to act around Smoker. Tashigi went to grab the cigar out of her mouth, then realized she did not have it there, remembering when she first smoked the cigars, she chuckled.
Nami ran over to the wall and placed down the wooden sword and picked up the yari. She swung it around a few times while walking back to Tashigi getting used to the weight of it, then took a stance in front of Tashigi. "Tell me when you are ready Tashigi-san."
Tashigi nodded, then drew her blade. "You better take this seriously Nami." Tashigi answered back. She then reversed her blade so that she would not hurt Nami.
Tashigi then lunged at Nami who was barely able to parry her. The sound of the metal of the sword and the yari clashing reverberated in the room. Nami turned around and got back into her prepared stance with it as Tashigi did the same with her sword. Tashigi was impressed with Nami being able to parry her since Tashigi had come in with most of her force. Tashigi changed her stance, from left forward to right, then back to left while watching what Nami would do in response. Nami just subtlety changed her stance, mainly with the direction her forward leg, the right one faced.
Tashigi then came back in for another strike, this one, she was able to get into Nami's defenses and was able to tap her hand. The tap was strong enough that the hand that had been tapped, the right, had lost a bit of grip of the yari which caused it to fall slightly. Nami then rolled to get out of the way of Tashigi's next attempt of an attack and so she could get back into her stance. While the distance between the pair was still in Nami's favor, she shook her right hand, trying to get blood circulating through it again.
Tashigi prepared a third lunge, which in truth was a feint. When she attempted it Nami did not respond to it, which caught Tashigi by surprise. While she was surprised, Nami saw an opening and came in on Tashigi, moving the yari to right in front of Tashigi's neck. Nami tapped the neck with the blunt end and then hopped back. Tashigi smiled, then raised her hand to show she was done.
Tashigi sheathed her blade while Nami put the yari back against the wall.
"How did you know that was a feint?" Tashigi asked her sparring partner.
Nami looked away, a blush growing on her face. "I have noticed that when you go in for an attack you slightly lean to the left before you strike, you didn't do it that time." Nami then covered her face, seeming to be embarrassed.
"Slightly to the left?" Tashigi asked back, trying to recall if she had done that or not. If she had, it was slight enough that Tashigi did not even realize it.
"Yeah", Nami then stood in front of Tashigi, "let me show you Tashigi-san." Nami then demonstrated what Tashigi normally did when she attacked, and then what Nami claimed was the tell of the feint.
"I could not tell the difference at all." Tashigi said after watching Nami's demonstration.
"Well,", Nami started before continuing, "I love to watch you while you fight Tashigi-san, and I have seen it enough times that I can catch little things like that. Don't worry, the only reason I knew about it was because I have seen you train or fight hundreds of times."
Tashigi just shook her head and scratched it. She sighed then looked at Nami, who was sweating from the workout the pair had just did. "Let's go take a shower." Tashigi said, then started walking towards the shower.
"Yes Tashigi-san", Nami answered, a bit excitedly.