A full year passed quietly.
The long days of studying by candlelight and grueling physical training had worn Little Robin down to her core.
So, when Kavi appeared with a mysterious smile, she tensed up immediately.
"Little Robin," he said with a bright tone that only made her more nervous, "starting today, we'll begin a new kind of training."
Robin blinked. New? A chill went down her spine.
Whenever Uncle Kavi got that look in his eyes, it meant only one thing—trouble.
"What kind of training, Uncle Kavi?" she asked cautiously.
Kavi's grin widened. "Do you know what the greatest weakness of a Devil Fruit user is?"
Robin frowned. She had heard this before. "They... can't touch seawater?"
"Correct," Kavi said, giving her a light pat on the head.
"Touching seawater saps your strength and robs you of your powers. Most users are helpless the moment they fall in."
He paused, his expression turning serious.
"But that's only true for the weak. For those strong enough—Admirals, Emperors, monsters—they can resist it. Even in the sea, they can still fight."
Little Robin's eyes widened. "Really?"
Kavi nodded. "Today, we start seawater resistance training."
Robin's jaw dropped.
"Seawater… training?"
Kavi waved her along. "Come. I'll show you."
He led her to the beach, the shoreline stretching endlessly before them.
The sky and sea met in a breathtaking blue blur, the waves gentle and inviting.
At least, to anyone who didn't eat a Devil Fruit.
"Go ahead," Kavi said, pointing at the surf. "Touch the sea. See how it feels."
Robin hesitated. She had always been warned to stay away.
But now, curiosity fluttered in her chest. She stepped forward cautiously, letting the cold water lick her toes.
"So cold…" she whispered.
And then—her legs buckled.
With a soft thump, her body collapsed forward, face-first into the shallows.
Her limbs refused to move.
Panic filled her chest as the sensation of drowning consumed her.
'Am I… going to die?' she thought, terror rising.
A strong hand yanked her back by the collar, pulling her out like a soaked kitten.
Kavi placed her gently on the dry sand, letting the sun slowly draw out the seawater from her tiny body.
Minutes passed before she stirred. Her body felt like lead, her breath shallow.
When she finally sat up, Kavi was already lounging under a large umbrella, setting up a table and sipping tea like he was on vacation.
Robin's eye twitched.
"Uncle Kavi," she croaked, dragging herself toward him, "I've thought about it, and I think physical training suits me much better…"
Kavi raised an eyebrow and smiled brightly. "Oh? That's wonderful. If you love it so much, we'll just add an extra hour of physical training every day, too!"
Robin felt a chill worse than the sea run down her back. 'This man… is a devil.'
She clung to his arm desperately, swaying it back and forth like a child pleading for mercy.
"Uncle Kavi, I was wrong. I take it back. I love seawater resistance training. I love it so much!"
"Good girl," Kavi said with a chuckle. "You're starting to understand."
The next day, training resumed.
Robin lay at the edge of the beach, her small body half-submerged in seawater, only her head above the surface to breathe.
Kavi, meanwhile, lounged nearby in a beach chair, shaded by a parasol, sipping tea like a man with no care in the world.
'Waves crash. Pain builds. Uncle Kavi naps.'
Robin stared blankly at the sky, her body numb, her limbs like jelly. She tried to move—nothing.
Just the endless rhythm of the waves lapping at her tiny frame.
'I swear… one day I will get my revenge.'
Two hours later, Robin had nearly passed out.
Her lips trembled, but she couldn't even muster the strength to speak.
A shadow loomed over her. Kavi looked down with a smirk.
"Tsk, tsk, how pitiful," he said, scooping her up by the back of her shirt. "Poor Little Robin."
He shook off the excess water and gently laid her down on the chair beside his.
Robin glared at him weakly. 'You're the one who did this to me!'
But she couldn't speak. Her body was still paralyzed.
Once she recovered, the next phase of her training would begin—enhancing her Devil Fruit abilities.
Kavi stroked his chin in thought. "The Flower-Flower Fruit…"
he murmured. "If a bodybuilder had it, they could just summon fists and start punching everything. No development needed."
But Little Robin wasn't a brute. Kavi couldn't very well have her bench pressing, mountains.
'What should I focus on?' he wondered. 'Quantity? Quality? Range? Control?'
He glanced at her sprawled figure.
'No… can't let her turn into some muscle-bound monster. She'll be a King Kong Barbie at this rate.
He shook his head. "Absolutely not."
Meanwhile, Robin lay still, recovering, her little brain buzzing with future plans.
'One day, I will get strong. I will train hard, master my fruit, and then…'
She narrowed her eyes.
'Then, Senior Sister Rosa and I will team up and bring righteous punishment to Uncle Kavi!'
Just you wait.