The New Beginning
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It has been a year since we met Gildarts.
"Oi! Shanks. Get your ass down here!"
I sighed. I was lying in bed, half-asleep, while Gildarts had been shouting for the past ten minutes.
He must have cooked something. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made this much noise.
"Alright, alright! Stop shouting, old man!"
I got out of bed and stumbled toward the bathroom. Private, of course. No way was I running outside just to brush my teeth.
After freshening up and changing into a black shirt and some loose pants, I headed downstairs.
Cana was already at the kitchen table, happily eating with a glass of juice beside her.
"Morning," I said.
"Good morning, brother!" she chirped.
I looked at Gildarts. He was standing by the stove, wearing an apron.
'Called it.'
"Morning, old man. What are you making?"
"Just some southern-style breakfast," he said proudly.
I scoffed. "Southern style, he says."
Cana laughed into her cup while Gildarts glared and threw a few berries at me.I caught one easily and grinned.
"Own-grown fruits are the best!" I said, munching.
"Of course they are," Gildarts said with a smirk.
I pulled out a chair and sat next to Cana. She immediately offered me a piece of her sausage, and I shamelessly took it.
"Don't steal from your sister," Gildarts said, handing me my own plate. Eggs, sausage, fruits, and a tall glass of homemade orange juice.
Gildarts grabbed his plate and joined us at the table.
"Alright!" he exclaimed, digging in with a huge grin.
I followed right after him, laughing a little under my breath.
Living like this was really fun and my past life had taught me to make everything memorable and live every moment to its fullest.
We finished eating our food but still sat at the table conversing. It was just me and Gildarts for the most part while Cana occasionally joined.
Cana was now seven years old while I was twelve.
(A/N: Changed his age to fit the plot better)
She still had three years left before she could take a job alone and that was plenty of time for me and Gildarts to train her. We still trained her. She had grown stronger but the one who had grown the most was -
Me!
The power of my magic had increased. So much in act that if I was not too careful my magic would start flaring out.
I sighed remembering the terrains I had destroyed. Trees snapped like twigs. Grounds were levelled.
"So how is your progress with other Magic going on?" Gildarts asked, leaning back in his chair.
Cana looked up from her juice, suddenly interested.
"It's going good," I said, stretching a little. "My Rune Magic has gotten better and so has my Reequip Magic."
'He knew the progress about my healing magic.' I thought.
Gildarts nodded with a proud grin.
"Those two are handy. Though honestly, I was shocked at first that you wanted to learn another Magic. I'm pleased with your progress."
I couldn't help but grin back. Hearing that from him felt good.
"Big bro," Cana tugged at my sleeve, pouting a little. "You said you'd help with my training today."
Before I could answer, Gildarts slammed a hand on the table.
"I can help with tha—"
"Nope!" Cana cut him off immediately, folding her arms with a huff.
Gildarts looked like he took a fatal wound. I swore I saw a tear glisten in his eye.
I patted Cana's head, chuckling softly.
"Sure. Let's go after breakfast."
Gildarts slumped in his chair like a defeated soldier. Poor guy. But he brought it on himself.
We finished breakfast quickly, and Cana, practically bouncing on her heels, dragged me toward the backyard.
I grabbed my saber on the way out. Even though I'd learned Reequip Magic, I still liked the feel of a real blade strapped to my waist.
Our backyard had taken a beating over the year. Training here wasn't cheap either. We had to get a bunch of Magic Items just to keep the environment from turning into a wasteland.
I say "we" but... it was mostly me.
Gildarts had good control over his Magic.
Cana was still young, and her magic, while promising, wasn't on the level of a natural disaster like ours.
I had started her on Caster Magic training too.
Holder Magic alone wouldn't be enough unless she somehow got some God-tier cards. Not betting on that.
"So, what are we doing today, big bro?" Cana asked, stretching her arms above her head.
"The usual. Start with stretching," I said, rolling my shoulders.
She nodded and started warming up.
"I'm heading out to the Guild!" Gildarts shouted from the porch, throwing his coat over his shoulder.
"Sure!" I called back without looking. I had my hands full here.
I also worked on my observation Haki, meditating and using my senses to feel the surroundings.
Cana finished another round of throwing.
I pointed to the second set of targets.
"Now, Random Throwing."
She grinned and shuffled her cards quickly.
With a light twist of her wrist, she sent a wave of cards flying.
They arched through the air, slicing forward like a wild storm.
Boards shattered. Dust kicked up around the yard. One of the bigger targets split in half.
I smirked.
"Good. Again. Don't lose your rhythm."
"Yes, big bro!"
She was getting faster. Smoother. Not there yet, but close.
I stood up and dusted my pants.
"Let's add movement next."
Cana wiped her forehead and readied another set.
'Good. She was motivated.'
..
...
We finished the training and freshened up before heading to the Guild. My grooming in this life was also top tier.
"I did good, didn't I?" Cana asked, looking up at me.
I smiled.
"Yeah. You did good."
I patted her head. She loved when I did that.
'How adorable,' I thought.
We walked into the Guild. There weren't too many people right now. Just a few folks here and there.
I glanced at the bar.
Gildarts, Macao, and Wakaba had formed a group, a small crowd gathered around them. Gildarts was already in motion, laughing and drinking.
I walked toward them.
"Yo! Shanks!" Macao waved, grinning. The women who had been surrounding them instantly shifted to crowd around Cana.
They'd take care of her.
"Yo. How can you drink this early?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
They just grinned.
"You're still a brat," Gildarts said with a smirk, raising his mug.
I ignored him and turned to Clira behind the bar. She had gotten older. She'd probably retire in a few years.
"Hey, Clira," I greeted casually.
She smiled warmly at me.
"Want something to eat?"
I shook my head. "Nah. Just had breakfast."
I glanced toward Cana. She was still surrounded by the older girls, giggling.
"So, you trained before coming, huh?" Wakaba asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. You two should start too. Helps with old age."
They were about to shout back when a loud thud caught everyone's attention. Makarov had jumped down from the second-floor balcony, landing perfectly.
'Wow…' I thought.
Makarov dusted himself off and strode over to us, arms crossed, grinning like a proud grandpa.
"You geezers drinking again so early?" he said, lightly smacking Wakaba and Macao on the back of their heads.
"Old habits die hard," Wakaba muttered, rubbing his head.
Macao just raised his mug in defeat.
Makarov's eyes shifted to me and Gildarts. His grin faded.
"I've got something serious," he said, tone dropping low. "A quest. For you two."
Gildarts raised an eyebrow. I straightened up.
"There's a demon," Makarov continued. "Its name is Deliora. It is a S-class Mission."
The guild around us seemed to grow quieter.
Makarov's voice stayed calm, but firm.
"I want you two to handle it."
'Deliora?'
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