Perona stretched on her ghostly couch, the sun's rays rousing her.
"Heehee, another day, another hassle."
Floating to the shore, she splashed her face with water, aided by her ghostly minions. Clean and in high spirits, she ventured deeper into the forest, arriving at a clearing where a young man dodged attacks from an old one. She drifted toward another young man sitting and watching.
"Heehee, you're up early these days," she teased. "If you want to join in, just say so."
Korran shot her a look before turning back to the training.
Perona pouted, floating into a seated pose, hands on her cheeks.
Luffy, blindfolded, dodged Rayleigh's staff strikes, surprisingly evading most. At first, Perona found it amusing, especially when Luffy got whacked. But as days passed, those moments grew rare, and she started to get bored.
So why keep coming?
"Heehee, don't you find this dull?" she asked Korran. "Is this supposed to make him stronger?"
Korran ignored her, focused.
She stared. "You've gotten harder to rile up lately. I'm bored."
"If you're bored, why show up every day?" Korran asked, eyes fixed on Rayleigh and Luffy.
Perona huffed. "Be grateful I bother keeping you company."
"You're distracting me, so I don't see why I'd be grateful," Korran shot back.
Perona looked away. "Whatever. I only come because there's nothing else to do. Even though I'm a woman, the Amazons won't let me join them, so I'm stuck in this part of the island."
"Serves you right, traitor."
"Heehee, talk about the pot calling the kettle black! I should've said no when Mihawk saved you from that desert island."
Korran's gaze softened, still on the training. Hesitantly, he asked, "Why… did the Captain take me with him?"
The unexpected question caught Perona off guard. "Huh? What kind of question is that?"
"At first, I thought he saw potential in helping him achieve his goals. But now…"
"Heehee, having an existential crisis?"
Korran clenched his fists, eyes on Luffy. "Watching Straw Hat, I realized we're not cut from the same cloth." He turned to Perona. "You know, it's been less than two years since that guy even learned about Haki."
His eyes burned, not with anger but something else. "I stumbled into Haki five years ago when my crew was struggling through Paradise. But him? In under two years, his mastery's way beyond mine. I've watched these sessions daily, and I still can't improve as fast as he does."
"Heehee, my word, I didn't know you were such a whiner!"
Perona's words made Korran scowl.
"Where's the proud tough guy? Did you think you'd be the world's strongest? Newsflash: there are scarier guys out there than Straw Hat."
Korran closed his eyes, looking away. "What did I expect? You don't get it."
"Heehee, you think you're useless to Mihawk, don't you?"
Korran's eyes snapped open, startled by her words.
"Let me tell you something," she continued. "Mihawk's never needed anyone. Until now, he was a lone pirate worth billions of Berries on his own."
"Then why…" Korran started.
"Heehee, are you dense or what?!" Perona shouted, drawing Luffy and Rayleigh's attention.
"Wait, Princess, why're you yelling at me?" Korran asked, baffled by her sudden outburst.
"I just said Mihawk never needed anyone to achieve his goals. He's always been enough on his own. So, what does it mean if someone like him takes an interest in you?"
Korran was speechless.
"Young recruit, your nakama's not wrong," Rayleigh interjected, approaching them.
Korran turned to him. "I don't get it."
Perona facepalmed, her ghosts comically mimicking her.
"Your Captain, unlike others, built his pirate reputation alone," Rayleigh said. "So I doubt he took you on to prop him up."
Korran gritted his teeth, a detail Rayleigh didn't miss, his expression turning serious.
"Tell me, young recruit, why did you set sail? I assume it was for a dream. Can you achieve that dream alone?"
"I… I…" Korran looked away. "I don't think so."
Rayleigh smiled. "Your Captain did it alone. Do you see it now?"
Korran's eyes widened. He recalled the moment he truly became part of Mihawk's crew—the oath when he acknowledged him as Captain:
["And this dream, Korran? This adventure you speak of… what's it like?"
"I want to see the end of the world. The One Piece, or something else, doesn't matter. I want to be there when the seas open, when legends fall or rise. I've seen too many guys die for nothing, too many dreams drown. I want mine to matter. I want my name to linger, even if it's just a whisper in some rundown tavern."
"Then keep your promise. Help me reach that summit, and I'll make sure your name echoes louder than a whisper."
"Deal."]
"Do you understand now?" Rayleigh asked.
Korran grinned, turning to Luffy, who watched calmly, blindfolded. He stood and faced him.
"Hey, Straw Hat!" he called. "I may not be as talented as you Worst Generation types, but my Captain is Dracule Mihawk, the man who single-handedly claimed the title of greatest swordsman! And a man like him promised to make me a legend—and he'll be the Pirate King!"
Luffy's grin stretched ear to ear. "Shishishi! I don't really get why you're telling me this, goon, but I'd love to pit my crew against your Captain's. And get this straight—the Pirate King's gonna be me!"
As the two young men locked eyes, Rayleigh turned to Perona. "Mihawk didn't miss with his choice of second."
Perona's cheeks flushed, and she looked away with a pout. "Heehee, don't lump me in with that reformed loner's crew."
Rayleigh smiled, turning back to Luffy, staff in hand. With a wink, he appeared behind the boy.
*Bam!*
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Luffy rolled on the ground, rubbing twin lumps sprouting on his head.
"Always be ready," Rayleigh grinned. "That's the only way you'll claim the Pirate King's title. Let's get back to it!"
The second month passed.
Standing on a rock, Mihawk opened his eyes. "It's time."
He stepped down, grabbed Yoru, and walked off. Behind him, the sea split in two, the fissure stretching to the horizon.
It was time for the black swordsman's crew to make their entrance.
TO BE CONTINUED...
END OF VOLUME 1 - NEXT CHAPTER ON 7 JULY
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