Chapter 104: Grassland Training – Specialization & Dream Talk Under the Stars
The crew quickly each chose the Six Powers techniques they wanted to learn. After Sol explained the training methods in detail, everyone scattered to begin their practice.
After careful consideration, Nami chose Tempest Kick. With the added power of her Thunder Bird Fruit, Shave and Moon Step would only be icing on the cake, while Tempest Kick perfectly filled the gap in her fighting style by giving her a powerful ranged attack option.
Zoro unhesitatingly selected Shave and Moon Step. The swordsman had thought it through clearly: Shave would let him close the distance to enemies instantly, while Moon Step would give him more tactical options against airborne opponents in the future.
Although Usopp also chose Shave and Moon Step, his reasoning was completely different from Zoro's. The sniper purely wanted them for "if I can't win, I run"—once he created distance, he could safely unleash his long-range attacks to full advantage.
Robin elegantly chose Finger Pistol. The technique was a perfect match for her Flower-Flower Fruit, elevating her already elusive style of attack to an entirely new level.
Vivi and Chopper decided to train in all four techniques. As the relatively weaker members of the team, they knew they needed to master more combat skills to avoid holding everyone back.
Sanji enthusiastically picked Shave, Moon Step, and Tempest Kick—all three leg-based moves that perfectly suited his fighting style. Tempest Kick in particular solved his lack of ranged options.
As for Luffy, he only wanted to learn Moon Step. In truth, he had already mastered Shave years ago—back when Sol returned to Foosha Village to train Ace and him, he had taught them the Six Powers.
Unlike the diligent Ace, however, the young Luffy had been too busy experimenting with his rubber powers and had no interest in learning them. His acquisition of Shave was quite dramatic: it was entirely "forced" survival instinct after constantly stealing Sol and Ace's grilled meat and being furiously chased by the two brothers.
Sol watched everyone gradually settle into serious training, occasionally correcting a few movements before stepping back. His gaze eventually fell on Karoo, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully: "The Six Powers for you… can a duck even learn them? Chopper at least ate the Human-Human Fruit—your situation is a bit different."
Karoo felt Sol's scrutinizing stare, raised his neck proudly, and quacked a few times. Sol's expression brightened with understanding: "I see… you want to give it a try?" He crouched down to meet the speedy duck eye-to-eye. "Speaking of which, your species—the Super Speedy Ducks—are a special breed capable of running at cheetah-like speeds…"
A sudden idea flashed in Sol's mind. He flipped onto Karoo's back: "Come on, let's find a quiet spot for one-on-one training." He turned and shouted to the training crew: "I'm taking Karoo for special training! Keep practicing!"
"Quack!" Karoo called out excitedly. With one powerful kick of his webbed feet, he turned into a blur and vanished toward the edge of the grassland.
The focused Straw Hats didn't even look up—just waved casually to acknowledge. On such an open plain, no one worried about one man and one duck getting lost.
Karoo raced forward, feeling Sol's weight on his back, heart full of anticipation. Sol kept his eyes locked on the duck's muscle movements during the run, already mentally designing a Six Powers training regimen tailored for a duck.
On the other side of the grassland, excitement gleamed in Sol's eyes: "Then let's try a modified version of the Six Powers. Shave and Moon Step should suit you best—they're both leg-powered techniques."
Over the following training session, Sol acted like a strict coach—demonstrating moves one moment, correcting Karoo's posture the next. "Pay attention to your breathing rhythm!" Sol pressed a hand against Karoo's heaving chest. "Power starts flowing from right here… yes, just like that!"
As the sun set, the grassland was bathed in golden twilight.
Sol looked at Karoo, who was still diligently practicing, and couldn't help sighing in admiration: "Truly blessed by the heavens." The Super Speedy Duck's talent far exceeded his expectations. After only slight adjustments to the force application of Shave, Karoo had quickly grasped the essentials.
Even the more difficult Moon Step—he could perform briefly now, though he still needed time to adapt: his Shave direction control was still shaky, and Moon Step currently required wing flaps for balance.
"Alright, time to head back for dinner." Sol clapped his hands, signaling Karoo to return. By the time man and duck reached camp, Sanji had already moved the tableware out onto the grassland and was preparing dinner.
Everyone sat in a circle on the grass, eating delicious food while reporting their training progress.
The results were encouraging. Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, and Nami had all preliminarily mastered their chosen techniques—the rest was just a matter of practice. In comparison, Usopp, Robin, Chopper, and Vivi were still at the beginner stage.
This was understandable. Luffy and the other two were already strong enough that mastering the force mechanics let them progress quickly. Nami benefited greatly from her Thunder Bird Fruit enhancement—otherwise her progress would likely have matched Vivi's.
Sol's gaze swept over Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji; a playful smile curled his lips: "Perfect. Tomorrow I'll be your opponent—and test how far your two-color Haki has come."
Zoro raised an eyebrow, hand unconsciously resting on his sword hilt: "All three of us at once? Don't get sunk in the gutter now. We're not the same as before."
"Exactly," Sanji exhaled a smoke ring, eyes flashing with fighting spirit. "Like the moss-head said—we won't hold back."
"With your half-baked Haki level?" Sol suddenly burst into loud laughter that echoed across the grassland. "Ahahahaha!"
"What?!" Luffy angrily waved the roast meat in his hand, juice splattering onto his face. "Tomorrow I'm gonna beat you good! Just you wait, Sol!"
As night deepened, the crew returned to the Merry for a quick wash, then spread sleeping bags back out on the grassland. Chopper lit special mosquito-repellent incense; faint herbal fragrance drifted on the night breeze. After a full day of hard training, everyone fell asleep almost the moment their heads touched the pillow.
Moonlight poured down like water over the dreaming young adventurers; only the rise and fall of snores mingled with the chirping of insects in the grass.
The night wind carried a gentle chorus of sleep-talk across the plain.
"Sanji… food…" Luffy mumbled, smacking his lips inside his sleeping bag.
"You just ate, didn't you? Show some restraint…" Sanji grumbled with eyes closed, pulling his sleeping bag higher.
"Keep it down… you're disturbing my sleep…" Zoro rolled over.
"You sleep too much… at least help with some work…" Usopp curled up in his bag, mumbling half-asleep.
Nami lay in her sleeping bag beside Sol and couldn't help laughing softly: "These guys can even talk in their sleep and still respond to each other. Unbelievable." In the moonlight, her orange short hair glowed softly.
Sol pillowed his head on his arms, gazing at the starry sky with a light smile: "It's kind of interesting, isn't it?" He turned his head. "You should sleep soon too. We've got more training tomorrow."
"Mm…" Nami gave a soft reply. Her eyelashes cast delicate shadows in the moonlight; her breathing soon became slow and even.
Sol looked at his peacefully sleeping nakama, the corners of his mouth unconsciously lifting. The night breeze carried the fresh scent of grass; distant insects sang long notes. In the quiet of this vast plain, the silhouette of the Merry looked especially gentle under the moon. He gently closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him. Tomorrow would be another day full of challenges.
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