The morning in Wano was peaceful, something completely unfounded in modern eras like the ones both Maki and Yuta came from. There was a cultural and rural beauty about this place that soothed one's heart.
Perfect place and time for a date, and both Yuta and Maki enjoyed theirs thoroughly. To their own shock, they found their appetite returning after just a little walk around.
If the innkeeper, whose entire month's worth of food stock had been devoured by these two, knew this, he would have committed seppuku.
While this was far from the Wano which was almost run dry by both Orochi and Kaido 20 years later down the line, it was still far from its golden time.
Oden was doing his funky dance, proof enough that both Orochi and Kaido already had their gruby pawn deep into Wano's soils, slowly rotting this land.
Food was getting expensive as time goes. Good thing Yuta had just enough in his inventory to exchance for food.
However, if they keep on devouring food like this, then they have to look for work sooner or later.
After eating their fill of skewers and sweet red bean buns, Yuta suddenly smacked his palm into his fist. "Alright! Enough sightseeing. We've got work to do. Time to find Hyogoro!"
Maki blinked, still chewing. "Work? Sigh, must all our dates end like this?"
Yuta grinned. "This is the date. Training together counts as bonding. You'll thank me later when you're stronger and not dead."
Maki rolled her eyes. "Wow. So romantic."
Yuta felt sorry about it, actually. He too wished to have a normal date with her, but they were running out of time. They had to return as soon as possible before the Straw Hats reached Wano.
There was too much to do; they couldn't relax now.
She didn't argue, though. Deep down, she knew Yuta was right. Even after everything—her Heavenly Restriction body, her newly learned Haki, and the strength she'd gained since coming here—this world was crawling with monsters. Kaido, Big Mom, Admirals… even Yuta himself had struggled. That shook her. If he could stumble, what chance did she have? No, she had to keep pushing.
So, the morning walk turned into a search. It took hours. They asked around, passed through markets, argued with shady drunks who pointed in the wrong direction, and even got chased by a farmer's goat for stealing melons. For some reason, their appetite was still increasing.
Eventually, though, they found him.
Hyogoro of the Flowers.
But this wasn't the old shriveled man Yuta remembered from the anime. No, standing before them was a broad-shouldered man with a powerful frame, blue hair like flames and tatto adorning his body, and an aura that screamed authority. He looked around his mid-forties, maybe fifties—still prime time by One Piece world standards. His laugh was loud, his steps firm.
Maki whispered, "This guy looks like a yakuza boss straight out of a movie. Where's the old man?"
Yuta smirked. "That's what I said. He isn't too old yet. The kind grandpa was once a young rebel as well. Hehehe…"
When they finally approached, Hyogoro raised an eyebrow. "Foreigners, eh? You've got guts, walking straight up to me. What do you want?"
Yuta stepped forward with a grin. "We want you to teach us Ryou. The advanced application of Armament Haki."
Hyogoro paused, then burst into laughter, clutching his belly. "Bwahaha! You two brats think you can just walk up to me and demand training? Do you even know who I am?"
Maki muttered, "Loud, arrogant, and flashy… A rebel indeed. Though I seem to find people like him every next door in this world." Maki sighed, never not surprised by this world.
Yuta scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Yeah, yeah, I know who you are. The Flower Boss. That's why we're here."
Hyogoro crossed his arms. "I don't waste my time on weaklings. Ryou isn't something you pick up like candy at a festival. It takes years of discipline, heart, and spirit! You expect me to just hand it over?"
Didn't this man willingly teach Luffy 20 years down the line. Double standard prick.
Sigh...
Yuta however didn't voice his grievances; he knew that Wano right now was in upheaval. Kaido and Orochi running rampant while the only man who could stop them, Kozuki Oden, was dancing nake on the streets.
While this has nothing to do with them, but some might say that this entire ordeal started when outsiders came to Wano...
Whitebeard coming to Wano taking Oden away.
Kurozumi Orochi teaming up with Kaido.
Before that Wano was peaceful in its close borders. Both Yuta and Maki has notice the looks they get in this land.
Outsiders were indeed weren't that welcome here. So, he has to forgive this old man here if he hold some strong oppinion about them, storming upto him, asking him to teach them Ryo.
Maki tilted her head. "So… is that a no?"
"Of course it's a no!" Hyogoro snapped.
Yuta groaned dramatically, throwing his arms up. "Why is it always like this?! Every strong guy we meet has to act like a stubborn old man before helping us!"
Maki deadpanned. "Maybe because you walk in demanding free training like a spoiled kid. And he is indeed a stubborn old man."
Yuta pouted. "Oi, whose side are you on?"
Hyogoro smirked, clearly entertained by their bickering. "Tell you what, brat. If you're serious, prove it. Fight me. If you can land a solid blow on me, I'll consider teaching you."
Yuta's eyes lit up. "Really? That's all it takes?"
"Isn't he taking us a little too lightly?" Maki complained.
"Only good for us…" Yuta clearly didn't care how others saw him; in fact, he was happy they underestimated him. That gave him a window to beat others without much trouble.
Hyogoro cracked his knuckles. "Don't get too cocky. I am considered one of Wano's strongest Samurai. You'll regret challenging me."
Maki sighed, stepping aside. "Here we go again."
"Yeh, as I always say, violence is the fastest way to get things done. Just make sure you do it enough!" Yuta cheekily smiled.
"Yeah, yeah," Maki replied dryly. "Just get done with it quickly."
"Sure!"
Hyogoro grinned wider. "Good! That's the spirit! Now come at me!"
Yuta grinned, ready for the fight, more than anything especially after his loss against Kaido—not his fault, though, since he wasn't at his best shape back then. But instead of going all out, he made a choice—hold back. He wanted to see for himself just how strong this Flower Boss was.
Hyogoro smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Not coming at me with full strength? You'll regret that, brat."
With a sudden burst, Hyogoro charged. His fists were coated in invisible Armament Haki, the kind that carried weight and discipline. It wasn't the explosive power Yuta usually burst out with, but rather a steady and constantly honed strength. It showed that the power this old man had was something he had acquired with years of hard work and countless battles.
Yuta raised his own hand, blackened with Haki, but the difference was clear from the first clash.
The moment their powers met, Yuta was pushed back several steps, his boots scraping against the ground. Hyogoro didn't let up. He followed with swift palm strikes, elbows, and kicks, each carrying the power to crush stone. Yuta parried and blocked, but every defense sent shockwaves through his body.
'So this is his strength…' Yuta thought, eyes narrowing. 'Not just Haki… but the flow, the control. He can make it pass through, strike from the inside out. This is the Ryou I came for.'
Part of the reason Yuta was holding back was because he wished to know how Ryou was supposed to work. While he knew what it was meant to be from manga and anime, reading about it is different from actually feeling it.
Though even before properly coming in contact with Ryou, Yuta had all his hairs standing on end. This was dangerous, especially for someone like him who didn't possess the powerful, durable bodies of this world's citizens.
Hyogoro laughed between blows. "What's wrong, boy? All talk?"
But then, Yuta's expression shifted. The teasing grin faded. From feeling alone, he could tell just how powerful and destructive that inner destruction attack could be. His body wouldn't be able to handle it. So, a big no. His eyes sharpened, his cursed energy began to flare, and the familiar aura of ROFA wrapped around him. The pressure in the air changed instantly.
Hyogoro's eyes widened. "What is this…?"
Hyogoro had fought all his life. He had seen all sorts of power, from devil fruits to every application of Haki, but the power he felt from this foreigner was not something he knew. It was something different, something new.
In the next clash, the tables turned completely. Yuta's movements became faster, sharper, overwhelming. His punches, now backed by both cursed energy and ROFA's amplification, smashed through Hyogoro's defenses with ease. Hyogoro, once grinning, now struggled to keep up, his arms trembling as he blocked.
Finally, Hyogoro gathered himself, preparing to unleash a strike of true Ryou. His hand glowed with that invisible energy, aimed straight for Yuta's chest. But before the strike could land, something pulsed.
The red scarf around Yuta's neck moved on its own. This kind of attack could be fatal for Yuta. Even if it were an external attack, he didn't mind much since his RCT could heal it, but an internal attack could directly kill him. That was dangerous.
Hyogoro froze. "What—?!"
"Hehe… this is the power of Love, old man. Now eat my fist of love… bwahahahaha."
xxx
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