6 Training.

Ever since I was allowed to roam outside, I decided I would explore my Island bit-by bit to know all the sweet spots where I can hang out. A true loner must at least have three spots where he/she can be alone and just relax. And I think I've outdone myself when I discovered this new spot. It's a small clearing on top of a cliff near the sea shore, surrounded by trees on one side and a fantastic view of the sea on the other. The trees provide a cool shade during the day and the sea offers a comforting breeze as evening sets in.Me.Likes.It.

I bring my makeshift wooden sword (just a stick of the long-ass variety) to the center of the clearing and practice swinging it. Be it a slash or a stab I make sure to repeat each movement a thousand times so as to engrave it into my muscle memory, that way even in stressful situations my movements are smooth and non-erratic; even as I increase my speed. Then I move on to practice some textbook punches and kicks till I get exhausted. I especially focus on kicks, trying each and every variation that I can remember from playing Tekken and God hand. Again…'try'; for this marks the second time that I have ripped a hole in my trouser while attempting a high kick. Thanking the heavens that this didn't happen in front of an enemy or worse; a Damsel in distress, I head home for lunch.

A belly full of food and a new pair of trousers later, I head to Ms. Miranda's house with a loaf of bread and some cookies wrapped in a cloth. For the past few months I have been under her tutelage regarding the various herbs in this world, how to properly dry them, then pulverize them into fine powder, and depending upon the use of the medicine, make them into tinctures later. Botany was never my strong suit but I am familiar with some of the well known herbs and plants like the yarrow herb, cinchona etc. And its a good thing to know that herbs are all similar from my previous world. Today, I am learning to make a Tincture of turmeric. I watch Ms. Miranda pulverize the dry turmeric using a pestle and then later soak it in an alcohol solution. I love watching her make medicine.The way her hands move in a rhythmic manner while grinding the herbs is an art in of itself, I could watch her make medicine all day; such is the allure of a professional doing something they love. Well, admiring time came to an abrupt stop when she asked me to make a tincture of my own. Believe me when I say, although Miranda may be an angel while working, she becomes an Asura incarnate while teaching her disciples. Zoro ain't got squat compared to this woman. There was this time I could've sworn I saw her head and arms multiply with a menacing aura when I "accidentally" ruined her saffron stalks. Never again did I dare to experiment with her expensive herb collection again

After my lessons, I made my way back to my chilling spot by the cliff in order to enjoy the evening breeze. I lie on the grassy clearing and close my eyes as the cool breeze caresses my face. This is an Ideal moment to calm my thoughts and meditate. A year ago, I used to wonder why no pirates had attempted to raid my hometown, despite it being the great pirate era and all. Turns out it wasn't for lack of trying. Since my island is kinda close to Loguetown and it has plenty of resources such as food and wine, this makes it an Ideal spot that pirates want to raid before setting off for the grand line. Even last month, I witnessed a fleet of six ships bearing black flags and hollering pirates headed for my island. That was all of their antics that I was able to witness; cuz at the very next moment I saw a HUGE serpentine tail rise out of the water and whoop all six ships into smithereens in one fluid motion. One moment I was hearing the rambunctious laughter of pirates and in the very next moment that sound changed instantly into screams of agony. It was almost comical now that I recall the event, but at that moment of time I was shocked senseless. I realized that that tail obviously belonged to a Sea-king, the type that lives in the calm belt. That's the issue; these things aren't supposed to be in this part of the sea. Our village would be helpless If this thing sets its sights on us.

That's when I saw the Sea-King's head out of the water. I have to admit, it was beautiful. A dragon-like appearance, paired with turquoise scales and pearl-white fins, it looked majestic… that is until it started eating the pirates that were still able to swim away. I had seen many scary things during my time as a paramedic but this is on a whole another level when compared to spilled guts so I decided to look away. That's when I saw an old man walking towards the sea. I was about to shout at him and warn him to stop, but then I noticed his steady and casual gait, almost like a gardener going to harvest tomatoes from his garden. Apparently the Sea-king also noticed this man as it swam near the shore and gently lowered its head, only for the old man to caress it. He proceeded to take off his shirt, revealing a body akin to the one of 'Silver fang' Bang. He then proceeded to stretch himself before casually jumping into the water, only to emerge a few moments later carrying the head of someone who I presume is the captain of that fleet and plenty of bags of gold. That was my first encounter with Malcolm King, retired navy vice admiral and my mentor for life.

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(Author's note)

Hello everyone. Thank you for your support as always. I had initially wanted to name MC's mentor as Malcolm X, like the American minister but then didn't want people to think it was a Drake X rip-off name. Thus I settled for Malcolm King. Anyyywho Malcolm's appearance is similar to the illustration of Bang by MadHouse (I'm too lazy to come up with my own idea).

FUN FACT: Did you know that in One piece, no two Sea kings are drawn to look alike. That's why I took my liberties with creating my own Sea King.

I will try my best in order to release the next chapter as soon as possible. Until then, Happy reading.