Chapter 44

The difference

"Talk about a quiet place."

Zoro adjusted his bandana on his head before pouncing in the middle of a group of pirates who retreated under his attack.

The Straw Hat crew had moored the Sunny on a small island after several weeks of crossing, and while its surroundings had seemed calm, it was actually quite occupied. Like all the lands they encountered since entering the New World, it belonged to a powerful pirate and so the crew had realized that they hadn't left Whitebeard's territory yet.

Not suspecting that it would be guarded, they had wanted to stock up on food, cola and medicine after all these days spent at sea. A wind of optimism was even floating at that time on the Sunny. Indeed, Nami's skills had breathed a new state of mind among the crew after the painful ordeals they had undergone. It was with determination and hope that they had returned to sea after leaving Riverview behind them and as the weeks went by, confidence had gradually been restored as they had realized that navigation was safer and that the few ships they had met weren't invincible.

They had disembarked in good spirits and when they had come across one of the forty-three allied pirate crews of Whitebeard, the fight had naturally ensued between them. They had honestly thought that they could get away without too much damage at the time. It was without counting on the incomprehensible strength that seemed to possess half of the people they met on this new ocean.

Of course, the members of the Straw Hat crew never underestimated their opponents and it was thanks to this precaution that they had overcome many obstacles: they were all perfectly aware that victory was never acquired. Yet they had also thought that they had every legitimate chance of being able to defend their place as a pirate crew in the New World, and that's where they were wrong.

Those they had encountered might have been just an auxiliary crew to the main fleet of the strongest man in the world, but they were extremely numerous and above all, powerful. Once again, Zoro noted the noticeable difference in level between their fights on the first part of the Grand Line and those that they had to deliver now.

At his side, his friends had quickly realized it too and everyone was trying to hold their positions, breathless and their faces tense. All the enthusiasm had disappeared, replaced only by the concentration essential to this type of battle against opponents stronger than oneself.

Suddenly stepping back to avoid his opponent's blade, Zoro managed to stand up and overtake him, slitting his throat in the process. The man collapsed on the pavement of the port and the fencer glanced at the other members of his crew around him, anxious. The strength of the pirates forced him to rely more on his speed than on the power of his blows to win his duels and this aspect was not to reassure him.

Fortunately, his friends seemed to have noticed as well, and their strategies enabled them to stand up to their opponents quite honorably despite the conditions. Not far from the swordsman for example, Nami and Usopp were back-to-back to better repel their enemies with ranged attacks and a few steps away, Brook was slaying his own with his Three-Pace Hum Soul Notch Slash attacks whose speed brought his opponents down before they even saw him move.

A little further up the street, Luffy, Franky, Chopper and Robin were also fighting side by side and while the young woman used her many hands to immobilize the pirates, Chopper and Franky tried to knock them out. For his part, Luffy was raining down punches at full speed thanks to his Gum-Gum Gatling Gun attacks before alternating with a Gum-Gum Whip which allowed his elastic leg to push back several opponents at the same time.

"Oni Giri!"

Zoro put all his strength to repel the huge silver-fisted pirate who rushed in his direction and he crossed his swords to form the horns of a demon before slicing his opponent with his three blades while rushing at him. All of these men had their limbs or their weapons gleaming and it gave them superhuman strength that he knew he couldn't match in hand-to-hand combat. This aspect bothered him deeply at the same time as it allowed him to see that he still had a lot to learn before he could claim the title of best swordsman in the world. At least he knew he still had room to improve.

Jumping aside again to avoid his new opponent's sword, Zoro tensed as he heard the metal create a gaping hole in the asphalt he had been standing on moments earlier. Without wasting a second, he crossed his blades behind the one he had put in his mouth and then sliced his target vertically with his Tiger Hunt attack. Around him, his crew members continued their own fight and the swordsman could only commend their resistance. The fight was fierce and fatigue was building up, but everyone knew they had no room for error. Given the strength of their attackers, the slightest gap could cost them victory and their lives.


"Brook!"

Zoro tensed up when he heard the sniper's cry of terror. He dodged his opponent's blow and brought his own blade down in front of him, making the man's blood spurt. The pirate staggered before collapsing.

The swordsman turned around. Only a few steps away, the skeleton stood motionless, as if frozen. Brook was watching in disbelief his enemy's sword that had stabbed right through his chest with this silvery substance. The musician fell to his knees and the pirate in front of him sneered, pulling his weapon out between the bones of the skeleton.

Brook tumbled down.

"Two Sword Style. Sword Draw Rashomon!"

Focused on his prey, Zoro crouched down, one hand on each sheath of his blades. A second later, he unsheathed, hit, then sheathed again in a flash. The man who attacked Brook also collapsed, unable to counter the force and speed of the attack.

Immediately, Chopper rushed over to their friend.

"Brook, can you hear me?" He urged him as he knelt down.

"This is odd," the inert musician said among the tumult of the battle, "I don't really have a body anymore, but what's left of it doesn't seem to want to respond anymore…"

"Let me look."

While the reindeer was busy, Zoro positioned himself in front of them to guarantee them some security and at his side, Nami reengaged her Clima-Tact before striking down three pirates who were running in their direction. The swordsman knew that they shouldn't get sidetracked but the fatigue added to the fear in front of the power of their opponents. He then noticed that Usopp was stepping back slightly and that the navigator's hand was shaking on her weapon.

The fencer decided that the best way to help them was to lead by example. He couldn't let them flinch: he wouldn't be able to be on all fronts at the same time to protect them.

Zoro twirled his blades around him again. So far, the crew had lived up to the first part of the Grand Line and the swordsman had the unpleasant impression that he was in front of Mihawk again when he hadn't even left the East Blue: the gap he perceived between the Straw Hats and these simple pirates was immense and yet they were only underlings.

The fencer refused to consider anything other than victory though. Not only was it not in his nature but above all, he believed in them. In the strength of the Straw Hat crew. In the will of each of its members. Maybe their enemies were incredibly strong and it was true that there was a real difference in speed and power between their respective attacks but defeat was not inevitable. Luffy was going to become the Pirate King and Zoro would be the best swordsman in the world so he was going to lead the way alongside his captain. It was his job after all.


Usopp suddenly uttered a cry of horror and Zoro barely had time to parry the attack which was about to cut the sniper down thanks to the Wadô Ichimonji. Usopp took the opportunity to step back behind him and sparks flew between the white sword and his opponent's fist. Zoro gritted his teeth harder when he had to concentrate his strength to avoid being pushed back. His blade usually sliced effortlessly through anything she encountered, but the pirate in front of him still stood upright thanks to the strange substance that gleamed from his forearm. Clearly, they needed to find out what it was if they wanted to advance in the New World.

"Franky!"

His captain's voice instantly startled the first mate, who spun in the air before landing as his opponent collapsed behind him. He then turned in his direction and the sniper's yelp of terror echoed the breath that caught in his throat at the vision of their friend: the arm of a pirate had literally pierced Franky's stomach and blood was spurting in the middle of the bits of metal he had torn off as the same time.

"Gear Second. Gum-Gum Jet Pistol!"

Luffy turned pink and smoke arose. Puzzled, the cyborg's attacker looked at him with curiosity and so missed the ultra-fast fist of the straw hat boy which hit him full force. Staggering back, he didn't have time to dodge the next attack.

"Gum-Gum Jet Whip!"

The huge kick propelled him backwards and he crashed into a boat that cracked on impact. Luffy then raised dark eyes on the rest of his opponents, still numerous in front of him.

"Oh my God, Franky…"

The navigator had turned pale and her grip on her Clima-Tact had loosened as she stared at her unconscious friend on the ground. Leaning over him, Robin tried to put all her hands on the gaping hole instead of his abdomen to make up for the absence of Chopper, still busy with Brook.

Zoro jumped in front of the young woman and his blades lacerated the pirate who had wanted to take advantage of her moment of inattention to hit her.

"Nami, don't let your guard down!"

"Franky…"

Usopp froze in turn in front of the terrible spectacle and Zoro rushed to deflect a new shot in the direction of the sniper.

"Oi, pull yourself together!" He roared.

The harsh order of the swordsman shook the two friends who nodded quickly before turning away despite their trembling breaths. Picking up their respective weapons, they dodged the following attacks launched in their direction and while he repelled others, Zoro resumed his place in front of their doctor.

"Chopper!"

"I know but I need to-" The reindeer turned towards the body of the cyborg and called out to the archaeologist near him. "Robin, I need to swap places!" He shouted. "We have to keep Brook's bones in place, he must not move!"

"No problem."

Despite the commotion around her, the young woman closed her eyes to sprout two more arms, this time in the direction of the skeleton. Luffy was blocking with his body to prevent the majority of the pirates from crossing the dock where they were and Chopper soon ran towards the shipwright. Meanwhile, the archaeologist kept the pressure on the wounds of her two friends at once until Chopper joined her.

Having ensured that the little reindeer's journey had gone smoothly, Zoro immediately refocused to make sure that Nami and Usopp were in no danger. At this moment, Robin appeared near the skeleton and the swordsman resumed his place in front of them. They had to hold on.


The battle had resumed with renewed vigor, but the crew's faces were more and more tense and Luffy's cries vibrated with anger when he launched his attacks, single-handedly repelling all the enemies arriving from the street.

Zoro felt his muscles tremble as he launched yet another attack. Their opponents were tough, and he had to cover two fronts at once: make sure that Robin and Brook were left alone, and that Nami and Usopp didn't flinch.

"Luffy, we need to go back to the Sunny!" Chopper's voice suddenly sounded.

"Go ahead, I'll join you!"

Zoro immediately got the message. He blasted the pirates in front of him with a quick swing of his sword and leaped next to the navigator and sniper to push them towards the reindeer who had taken on his human form in order to lift Franky's body. As his friends ran away, he found himself with an extra front to manage and he positioned himself in front of the remaining pirates, determined.

"Three Sword Style Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds!"

His swords whirled before slashing his enemies over a large area and he glanced at Robin who was still keeping the pressure on the skeleton's ribs. Zoro quickly analyzed the situation. He had to clear a path for the crew to the Sunny while his captain held off the bulk of their attackers.

"Three Swords Style. One Hundred and Eight Pound Phoenix!"

The three blades of air swirled powerfully in front of the swordsman and spread in a straight line towards the ship, blowing away anyone in its path. Immediately, his friends started running and Zoro turned to the archaeologist.

"Let's get out."

The young woman got up and the fencer grabbed the body of the musician while the hands of the archaeologist continued to press his bones with her devil fruit. For his part, Brook fidgeted.

"I think I'm losing one of my arms…"

Robin grabbed the skeleton's left arm and ran after the swordsman. Behind them, Luffy stretched his leg and smashed twenty pirates in one fell swoop.


The Straw Hat crew had made it back to sea, and the Whitebeard Pirates had raised their arms victoriously in the air as they fled. Zoro would have gladly prolonged the fight just to wipe their overconfidence but Luffy's unequivocal attitude had dissuaded him. For now, their egos didn't matter and the priority was to take care of their friends.

Chopper had locked himself in the infirmary and with the help of Nami, he had quickly succeeded in reuniting Brook's bones with milk. Unfortunately, treating the cyborg proved to be much more difficult because the doctor didn't master the mechanical part of the shipwright. The reindeer had tried to repair his organs but the electronic components that Franky had made were largely damaged and Usopp was trying to repair them as best he could while waiting for the cyborg to be able to do it when he regained consciousness.

After making sure he couldn't do anything more, the little reindeer joined his friends in the Sunny's galley.

"How are they?" Luffy asked him.

"Brook's bones will remain fragile for a while, we can't let him suffer any shock until the calcium is completely reconstituted," the doctor answered. "As for Franky…" Chopper sighed before shaking his head. "I can't do much for him. Until his components are repaired, he won't be able to heal." He was feeling guilty.

"Don't worry, I'm on it," Usopp reassured him. He was concentrating on the spare parts of the cyborg scattered on the table.

"We all got away and this is the most important," Nami agreed, handing Chopper the first aid kit she had borrowed so that everyone could take care of their minor injuries.

"It's because of that silver thing that most pirates seem to have since we got to the New World!" Usopp was annoyed as he tested a chip. "I don't know what it is but it's a massacre every time we come across it!"

"I've been researching for several weeks in order to identify this substance and I think I succeeded," Robin's calm voice affirmed as she scanned the books she had placed in front of her when they had returned. "This is Haki."

"Haki?" Zoro repeated with interest. "What is it?"

At these words, the young woman closed her book to gaze at her friends, all hanging on her lips.

"There are three different types of Haki actually," she said. "It is a kind of ability that uses the mind either to anticipate enemy attacks, or to protect oneself by covering the body with invisible armor, or to intimidate the opponents."

"I've never heard of it," Chopper said, puzzled.

"Very few people are able to use it without training and only long and hard work can allow to master it," the young woman approved. "It is also said that a great emotional shock can awaken it."

"It's an indispensable quality in the New World," Nami pointed out. "Those who manage to control it are much stronger!"

"We're gonna be eaten alive!" Usopp suddenly panicked in the midst of his tools. "Nothing can resist it! Franky is metal and Brook is just a bunch of bones and they've been swept away!"

"We need to master this Haki!" Luffy decided.

"This is a long process because most people are not aware that they have this power or they can't awaken it," the archaeologist continued.

"You mentioned three types of Haki," Zoro remembered. "Is there one easier than the others to develop?"

The young woman shook her head. "Depending on the personalities, some manage to activate one rather than the other. First is Observation Haki. It's a kind of evolved sixth sense and it allows to perceive the world despite the sensory barriers."

"It's a huge advantage," Nami realized worriedly.

"There is also Armament Haki which allows the possessors to use their mind as armor to defend and protect themselves against attacks or to perform impressive attacks themselves," Robin continued.

"It's that silver thing, the one that gives them strength," Zoro muttered.

"It's an unimaginable power," the reindeer shuddered. "Brook's bones were smashed to a pulp and Franky's metal shattered…"

"Gee, how are we gonna get out of this?" Usopp was frightened.

"Robin, what's the last type of Haki?" The captain urged her.

"This is called Conqueror's Haki," she answered, "This is the rarest. It is said that only one in a million people can use it. It grants the possessor the ability to dominate the will of others."

"Obviously, it's the most effective," Nami guessed.

"And it's also the type we have the least chance of mastering!" The sniper lamented.

"It'd make sense to focus on the type that is most natural to us," the navigator pointed out.

"Indeed. Most people who can use Haki tend to be better at one type and so they focus on it. Yet a person can improve all their Haki and therefore, their abilities. It just requires more work."

"This is awesome!" Luffy rejoiced. "Haki is exactly what we need to advance in the New World!"

"Robin said it takes a lot of work," Usopp reminded him, still worried. "And we can't say we have time to train here…"

"The last attacks have already allowed us to strengthen ourselves," Zoro pointed out.

"Maybe but at what cost." Nami grimaced, remembering the shock when they had seen their two crewmates still bedridden.

"We have no choice," the swordsman retorted, "If we wanna progress, we'll need to master Haki."

A resolute silence settled in the galley and everyone nodded slowly. They now realized how much their adventure had only just begun.


Wake up call for the crew, they realize both their current weakness and the way they still have to go. The gap between their strength before and after the time skip is clear and I wanted to take up this idea because they don't have this training time in my story.