Chapter 13: Reminiscences of the past

' What's up'- Thoughts

"What's up"- Speech

*What's up*- Sounds

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pride slowly regained his composure after a few minutes had passed.

But he still remained on the ground. Instead, he stood up in a proper upright position before he drank from the water that had been handed to him.

Many thoughts swirled through his mind.

'At some point in the future, I have to get some sea stones, no matter what! After this incident, I realized the tremendous vulnerability of not developing resistance. If in the course of a battle, I were to be touched by someone with an item with a sea stone coating, it would certainly have an effect on my momentum with ease. Besides, it is well known that in a fight to the death, a millisecond can be the deciding factor.'

For now, the Roger Pirates sailed toward Gol D. Roger's home, Loguetown.

According to the calculations of the navigator, the journey from the Reverse Mountain to the destination is expected to take about seven days. However, depending on the weather conditions, it may take less or more.

The entire crew had been on the ship's deck, talking. Of course, from practically all over the ship, their laughter was audible.

*gulp*

*gulp*

Roger took a few sips of his sake. Then he wiped his mouth gently.

"Pride, what devil fruit did you eat?"

Silence fell over all the members when they heard their captain's high-pitched voice. It immediately drew the attention of those who were also curious. After all, with the exception of Buggy, who will acquire one in the distant future, the Roger Pirates consists of almost no Devil Fruit users.

Pride, under everyone's spotlight, merely grinned in response.

As he got everyone's attention, Pride stretched out his arm.

*tktktktktk*

Various objects on the surface began to lose their bearings. They began to rise into the air and float.

"Whoa, you gained the power of telekinesis through your devil fruit? Interesting and versatile," Roger said, putting his fingers to his chin.

"No, I don't think this is telekinesis. If I had to guess, I'd say, You have control over gravity itself!" Rayleigh pointed out.

"Roger... The way you put your fingers on your chin, that conviction you had while you were speaking, HAHA, whoever looked at it objectively could have seen it as a wise remark made on your behalf... Rayleigh, you are absolutely correct. I wouldn't have expected anything less from you, though. Indeed, I am in full command of gravity," Pride said. And returned the objects to their original positions.

"RA-HAH, I almost got it right. Besides, my Vice Captain is speaking on my behalf," Roger laughed.

Rayleigh just rolled his eyes and sighed.

For a long time, they continued to talk while Pride told them exactly how he had gotten his sword, as well as his devil fruit.

Naturally, he told them the same story he told his grandfather, about finding the devil fruit somewhere in the forest near his former hut.

Soon after, everyone went to the ship's galley to get something to eat.

Various dishes were served on the table. A lot of meat plates, eggs, as well as a lot of other specialties.

*munch*

*munch*

' Spencer's food actually tasted quite delicious. Although the anime and manga revealed who the members of Roger's crew were, there was no mention of what everyone's role was. I wonder how Sanji's food tastes...'

"Spencer, the food is delicious. Thank you."

"As usual, RA-HAH," Roger added.

►A few hours later◄

The sun was about to reach its zenith, shining down on the vast ocean in its entirety. The waters of the East Blue were relatively calm at this time, the air filled with silence, allowing one to hear only the waves lapping against each other.

One by one, the crew went about their daily routines as usual. Whether it was once again to play a game of cards, to consume alcohol, or to practice their skills.

Looking closer, another individual was seen on the opposite deck.

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His movements remained absolutely consistent. He slashed his sword from top to bottom.

However, this particular figure was shirtless and sweating profusely.

*thud*

Pride plopped down on the deck, gulping down the water he had prepared.

*gulp*

*gulp*

'I've never really thought about it because I've mostly tried to block it out, but I do miss my family and Grandpa Rey very much. I realize I can't complain about my current life. I mean, I could have been struck by misfortune the whole time I was here, too, without having Shanks' Template or the Zushi Zushi no Mi. Of course, I've watched One Piece until canon and have a lot of knowledge that allows me to progress without a Golden Finger, but it all depends on talent. So I'm quite content with the current arrangement, as it makes things much easier for me. However, I often wonder about the well-being of my family. Are they also thinking of me? How much time has passed for them?'

The still seated Pride involuntarily shed several tears.

"What's wrong, why are you crying?" asked Rayleigh, who had been standing beside Pride for several seconds, unnoticed by him.

Pride, wiping away his tears as he looked at Rayleigh, "reminisces of past memories."

"You're welcome to stop by anytime if you ever want to talk about it."

Subconsciously, Pride had to smile, "Thank you, Rayleigh, I really appreciate you doing this, I'm going to resort to it sooner or later, but I guess it's time for our daily training again."

Rayleigh smirked in response and drew his sword from its sheath.

*boom*

*cing* *cing*

Perhaps the only audible sound emanating from the deck was two swords clashing.

Moving with incredible speed, they both exchanged many blows. Rayleigh, who saw this as nothing more than training for Pride, used the exact same mastery of the sword that Pride possessed. Except that he would gradually increase both his speed and his skill. This would ensure that Pride would be under constant pressure for more effective results.

[Rayleigh P.O.V.]

'Incredible... it hasn't even been a week since I have been training with him in swordsmanship, and yet he continues to improve. Even though he lacked the experience, he already had the necessary knowledge. With each training session, he adapted more and more to my fighting style, so that he was able to block or even counter-attack.

Even the use of his observations haki improved. He was now able to adapt more to situational demands. Whether it is haki or swordsmanship, he definitely has immense talent. On top of that, he is also in possession of a very powerful devil fruit. It made me smile with embarrassment... Roger, if this boy does not die at a young age, I am sure that he will grow up to be a great competitor in the distant future. But this is all in the hands of destiny. After all, there have been people in the past who have shown tremendous talent. However, they were unable to succeed due to their untimely deaths. Pride! Amaze me, HA-HAH.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*boom*

*boom*

Both exchanged slash for slash. Rayleigh's expression was still serene. Pride was beginning to show signs of exhaustion.

Suddenly, Rayleigh sheathed his sword.

"That's enough for today, Pride. I'm on my way. Give yourself time to rest."

"Thank you, Rayleigh."

Rayleigh replied with an arched eyebrow, "Hmm? Well, for what are you expressing your gratitude now?"

"For all of it. Even more so when it comes to training. It was exactly what I needed the most."

"HA-HAH, it's no big deal," Rayleigh replied as he slowly moved away from Pride's location.

Pride, drenched in sweat, sat down again. He paused for a moment to catch his breath before resuming his training for another session.

He has read in various forums that it might be possible to increase one's haki reserves by continuously using it until incapacitation. Of course, this is in addition to the regular method of increasing the reserves, which is through life-and-death confrontations.

For nearly another hour, Pride kept his armament haki activated. It was so low on power that it dissipated on its own.

*breath in*

*breath out*

'Let's hope the second option works, too.'

Exhausted and sore, Pride trudged back to his room to recover from his strenuous training.

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