Pratice

It was surprising how fast Gan was. Mikoto looked behind him to see Gan was only slowly losing behind him. The man was decently fast and was managing to cut through the woods at a decent speed. He wasn't particularly fast, Mikoto had to guess, but instead he was just skilled. He used the smallest and wasted he least amount of energy possible to keep up with Mikoto.

Of course, Mikoto was going out of his way to train. He wasn't just running in a straight line, he was weaving through the woods and at a slightly higher pace than Gan was. Gan was doing just enough to keep an eye on Mikoto. Of course, Mikoto would never suddenly shift down. He'd keep rushing.

Most people would probably say that Mikoto was being foolish he was letting someone else see him training and his own skills. But if Mikoto was the same after this training, then obviously this training would be pointless anyways. He would become a brand new warrior at the end of this. Having Gan along with him was actually spurring him along to improve faster.

He had to become better. He would train harder and harder. Even Gan wouldn't be able to keep up with him after a while. Mikoto rapidly shot over the ground and he continued to try and kick his speed up higher and higher. Gan was still trailing behind him, but not by much.

The first step would be to make it to the top of the mountain. The mountain rapidly became steep, but Mikoto didn't have to worry about it. He began zig-zagging as he began twisting his way up. He tried to keep up the pace as he rapidly charged up the side of the hill. Gan was, of course, right behind him. And now there was a definite difference in how they moved. Gan was managing to close-in now.

"I'm used to making my way through difficult terrain," Gan stated as he leapt up and landed on a nearby tree branch and actually looked back at Mikoto. His head tilted to the side as he looked at him. "Feel free to try a little harder, I'm sure you'll learn eventually. Let's just hope you don't break your foot before you do."

"I'll keep trying though," muttered Mikoto as he immediately leapt right after Gan trying to follow his own footsteps and aimed right for the branch. However, almost immediately Mikoto slipped and fell right to the ground, even skidding down a few inches in the muck before Mikoto quickly caught himself before he fell all the way down. "Even if my foot does break."

Right then and there Mikoto stood up, he could feel a certain heat filling his eyes as he gritted his teeth and tried to push himself up again. "I'm going to get stronger and stronger. I could feel it a little before I ever set foot on this island. But my will was waning. My only goal was to become a pirate who could restore my family's name."

"I'd say job accomplished then," Gan stated with a quiet clap as he began to try climbing a bit further up. "So what's left for you to do? Going to keep trying or are you satisfied?"

"I'm definitely not satisfied," Mikoto stated, "I'm not ready to give up just yet. I still have a long ways to go."

"Do you?" asked Gan as he leapt ahead again. He had to admit Mikoto was learning how to keep up with him. Mikoto was still a bit slower than him, but the distance between them had been gradually slowing. Gan had to admit Mikoto was slowly becoming a very talented pirate. Gan had to admit he was impressed with how quickly Mikoto was beginning to proceed.

"You said it yourself," Gan chuckled, "you don't have any goals left. You've accomplished it. So why not just give up?" asked Gan. He raised his hand and pointed down the line at his opponent and made a small gun pretending to shoot him. "Shouldn't you just surrender at this point?"

"I'm never surrendering!" shouted Mikoto as he leapt up, using his Geppou and took to the air. However, to Mikoto's surprise wasn't about to stop him there. Gan leapt right above Mikoto's head and with a sudden twist of his hip and launched a powerful kick right at his head. Mikoto was so unprepared for it that even Gan's kick, which was actually fairly weak given his standing amongst the Revolutionaries, blew him back.

Gan landed softly on one of the branches of the trees and looked down on Mikoto. "You are supposed to be fast, but you cannot even get past me," Gan asked as he placed his hands into his pockets and looked down at his opponent. "Keep trying, attacking me, I'm sure eventually you'll be able to get past me."

Of course, there was no way that Mikoto would slow down. Mikoto kicked back off of the ground and began to rapidly charge at Gan. However, Gan seemed to be incredibly talented at seeing just a few seconds into the future. Sensing the slightest flinch in Mikoto's body and immediately countering with a kick straight down.

However, Mikoto pivoted right around. A quick burst to the side using his Geppou, he zigged straight to the side. This was met by an equal punch from Gan. Once again the punch seemed weak, but it was enough to push Mikoto back. With that Gan jumped back to the side and back on one of the tree branches.

"Come on," Gan mocked Mikoto as he taunted Mikoto to try and bring him on again. He tried to suddenly bring his opponent forward just so he could knock him back down. But his opponent seemed to try a little harder. He tightened his grip and suddenly began to push himself against the ground.

Mikoto gritted his teeth and charged forward, but his opponent suddenly whipped himself around and fired a straight kick right at his opponent. The kick shot forward and right at Mikoto, but Mikoto suddenly whipped around this kick and tried to push past Gan, but Gan's kick returned to his side and he pushed Mikoto down with his hand.

While Mikoto was in the air he lost a lot of the momentum that most of his strength was built around allowing even someone like Gan who had a surprising lack of power. And once more Mikoto was sent to the ground. Gan rested in one of the trees as he turned around and looked at Mikoto.

"The basic rules of fighting is this, it doesn't matter how strong you are. It only matters if you are stronger than your opponent," Gan stated simply. "My strength doesn't matter. In one simple moment I can push you aside simply because I am stronger than you for a single second, which is why I'm going to push you back each and every time."

"I still don't believe in that," Mikoto barked. He gritted his teeth as he began rapidly jumping side-to-side. Rushing right at his opponent Mikoto tried to break through him again, "I will beat you back. I'm stronger!" Mikoto kept pushing him back further and further, rocketing his fist into his opponent and slowly pushed him back.

As he zoomed in closer and closer to Gan, Mikoto rapidly began to increase the number of punches. He made a quick series of fierce punches, attempting to fight back the monster. Gan smiled as he watched. There seemed to be no motion flowing from Gan, he just kind of sat back and watched. Mikoto's punches seemed to random, but much like any trained fighter his body didn't just act randomly they had a certain pattern, a rhythm to where his punches were landing.

Now Gan had no interest in ever training physically, he didn't care to see someone utilize strength or speed. Those two factors seemed worthless in the greater scheme of things. Gan just needed to see fights, he would record and learn the motions. Most martial arts were born to counter men of incredible strength and speed and Gan was going to do the same thing, just counter strength with intelligence.

And for that the only thing he needed was to predict and with Haki he can easily do it. Gan leapt into the air, watching Mikoto's attacks, learning the pattern and rhythm, breaking it down in an instant and learning quickly where to place his leg. His kick came right through the rapidly punching fists. He blew Mikoto back and knocked him right to the ground.

However, when Gan landed he stretched his legs slightly and was surprised from a small attack. His kick had hit something solid not the slightly soft flab of someone's skin. He had hit the solid muscles and bones of two crossed arms. Mikoto had blocked his attack, deflecting the attack and absorbing the blow. He had foreseen the attack and exactly where it was going to land.

It looked like Mikoto was finally hitting a rallying point. He would be coming back for the time being. Still that was probably just an indomitable will to not lose that was pushing Mikoto forward. It would only apply for the time being, his will to become Pirate King was still shaken and on unstable ground. It was weak and would stay weak.

Unless he could pass Gan by that is. Gan had no belief in Mikoto. He had no trust or faith in anyone outside of his own leader, Jugo. That is the only man worthy of such a stupid concept as trust or faith. You should only believe in what you can see. And so far no one else has given Gan a good enough reason to believe in anything different. Just what his all-seeing eyes could see.

As a matter of fact as he looked down on Mikoto he saw nothing that once made the Revolutionaries think highly of him. He was fast, slightly strong, and had a decent drive, but nothing more than that. And as a matter of fact right now he didn't see any of those traits pushing themselves forward.

"I haven't given up yet," Mikoto stomped his foot loudly causing Gan to flinch a little. A chill suddenly running up his spine. "I'm going to get past you." A near furnace level of strength began to exert from Mikoto as he pushed off of the ground.

He could see it. For a brief instant Mikoto could see Gan's movements ahead of him. His Haki wasn't gone it was just hiding. It was the same thing for all of his power, for his will. It hadn't left him it just wasn't in the front any more. But it was still there.

Suddenly Mikoto rocketed right at his opponent Gan pivoted, passing by his opponent and suddenly dashing to the side. However, he didn't stop he stayed on the ground and continued his movements. "After-Image Wolf Pack!"Suddenly more than one Mikoto began to appear and all of them rushed at Gan. Gan moved forward about to willing jump into the mess. He had immediately read what his opponent's technique was and where he would be. He knew where Mikoto would be even with his speed and Geppou Gan was confident he could keep up just long enough to land a hit. And one hit would be enough to push him back again.

However, as Mikoto took into the air Gan felt a slight bolt of electricity ran down his spine, preventing him from going his full speed. Something was wrong. He could feel Mikoto's spirit at this point a new pulse originating from him. Nonetheless Gan still managed to catch-up to where Mikoto was and throw out a punch.

Gan's punch flew right forward and Gan knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would hit Mikoto. And he did. His fist shuddered into Mikoto, but the recoil was something else. He felt his fist hit something extremely hard. He looked down and saw Mikoto's head clad in pure black, a powerful Haki giving him great defensive abilities. And Mikoto didn't go back at all.

Even in midair Mikoto managed to hold his ground. And then he rotated his entire body forward, "Rapid-Fire x 50!"

The Man They Called Jugo