Think about the Future.

'An 800 yearlong Devil Fruit. Remind me how do they not rot?'

'I could tell you but… your head will definitely explode as a backlash.'

'Noted. Where is it?'

'No clue, I just sensed its presence here.'

'Wow, such a powerful mythical fruit.' Kaizo rebukes sarcastically.

'…Keep talking and I'll spill the beans.'

'NO! NO! PLEASE! EVERYTHING BUT THAT!' Kaizo begged inside his mind.

While Kaizo was fighting his inner demons, Gaimon explained his peculiar body condition.

"Due to lack of movement, my body has been embedded in this treasure chest! If you break it, you will break me as well!" Gaimon explained.

"What an annoying guy." Zoro.

"But who exactly are you guys? You're quite different from the previous pirates that have come to the island." Gaimon.

"I'm Luffy, the man that will become The King of the Pirates."

(Side Note: do you want him to say his catchphrase in Japanese or English? This is serious)

"W-what?" Gaimon.

"And of course, I'll also find the One Piece." Luffy.

"Don't tell me you're planning to go to the Grand Line?" Gaimon.

"Why not? We even have a map for it." Luffy flashed the map to Gaimon.

"Don't underestimate it. I've seen many pirates that went to the Grand Line full of life, but when they came back, they were like living ghosts, I have no idea of what happened to them, a monster may have attacked them, or maybe were the marines or uncontrollable sea."

"Besides, some have traveled throughout the Grand Line many times and never found the One Piece. Some are even doubting about its existence. The Great Pirate Era began 20 years ago but to this date the One Piece has become nothing short of a legend." Gaimon.

"It doesn't matter." Kaizo interrupted.

Everyone looked at him.

"It doesn't matter if the One Piece is real or not, everyone that has dreamed to become a pirate have had the thought of finding it at least once. No one knows what it is, where it is or why Gold Roger left it there but, those that follow the path to finding it, will experience the best adventure in this world." Kaizo.

Luffy smiles after he hears Kaizo's words. He actually feels the same about the journey he has and will be having alongside his future Nakamas.

After some cheerful moments here and there, Gaimon talks about how he got stuck in the treasure chest and how he wanted to obtain the treasures on top of a small mountain. Luffy easily climbs up the mountain and opens the treasures but, he refuses to give them to Gaimon.

"You're a good person!" Gaimon begins to cry.

"I've always had the hunch. Even though I tried to deny it. they're empty, right?!" Gaimon burst into tears.

Usopp and Nami are shocked.

"Yeah…they are." Luffy.

"No way…after protecting them for 20 years. It turns out that they were empty this whole time." Nami.

"It's not that uncommon, some pirates sometimes take the treasures and leave. It's sad but its what a daily pirate life is all about." Gaimon.

Luffy decides to recomfort Gaimon and while they were talking, Kaizo decides to search for the Devil Fruit.

'Beep, beep, beep.' Kaizo.

'What are you doing?'

'Using you as a metal detector for Devil Fruits.'

'You think that just cause I sensed the fruit here, somewhere, I would be able to…'

The Zanpakuto gets interrupted by its glow when Kaizo got near a weird-Looking fruit. Kazio stares at his Zanpakuto for a few seconds before it scoffs.

'What a coincidence.'

Kaizo puts his Zanpakuto away and picks up the fruit.

'Meh, I'll let it slide this time.'

Kaizo arrived at the coast where everyone was giving their farewells to Gaimon.

"Ossan, are you sure about staying in this island?" Luffy.

"Yes, Straw Hat. I still have one treasure left to protect in here." Gaimon.

"Something you want to protect?" Usopp.

"During these past 20 years, I've lived through good and bad moments with these animals of the island. How could I simply leave them?" Gaimon.

The animals begin to cuddle with him and everyone look at the bizarre scene happily.

"Now that I know that there's no treasure, I feel freer. I'll live my life to its maximum. Besides, I quite like being stuck in this chest." Gaimon.

"I see. Such a shame…since you're funny, Ossan." Luffy.

"So they're your Nakamas." Zoro.

"Though, you're the weirder one amongst them." Luffy.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Gaimon.

The group begins to laugh and Kaizo appears before them.

"So, you guys had your fun?" Kaizo.

"Kaizo, where were you?" Luffy.

"I was looking around for some treasure and found this instead." Kaizo shows the Devil Fruit.

"Is that?!" Nami.

"A Devil Fruit." Kaizo.

"EHHH?!" Everyone.

"So, there was a treasure in the island after all!" Nami tries to snatch the Devil Fruit from Kaizo but fails miserably.

"Give it to me! I heard Devil Fruits can be sold for more than 100.000 Berries!" Nami.

"So? I found it, its mine." Kaizo summoned his soul pocket and stored the Devil Fruit away.

Nami was on the verge of crying but stiffened herself to not show any weakness.

'One of these days, I'll make you pay Kaizo!!!' Nami.

After a few more seconds of laughter, the group leaves the island of weird animals, and Gaimon.

Kaizo is sitting near the mast of Merry and is holding his sword in a meditating position.

"What are you doing?" Luffy interrupted Kaizo's meditation.

"I'm communicating with my sword. It appeared near where I ate my Devli Fruit. Its like a sword but its alive or something. He was the one that told me about the fruit's location in the first place." Kaizo explained.

"So…it's a mysterious sword." Luffy.

"Yeah, something like that." Kaizo.

"Now that you mention it. what Devil Fruit did you eat Kaizo?" Nami.

Zoro is sleeping and Usopp got near to hear the conversation.

"I previously called it the Reaper-Reaper Fruit, but it was a miscalling from my part. Its name is the Mythological Zoan Type: Hito-Hito No Mi: Model: Shinigami." Kaizo.

"S-Shinigami?!" Usopp cowers in fear.

"Like the one that's supposed to take your soul when you die?" Nami.

"Yeah, more or less. The fruit came with this sword and the spirit inside of it, it has been helping me train and guided me to use my powers in the best way possible." Kaizo.

"Spirit?! Like a g-ghost?" Usopp.

"More or less, except it won't curse nor posses you." Kaizo.

"Can we meet him?" Luffy asked with sparkles in his eyes.

"Unfortunately, he can only manifest once I know his name." Kaizo.

"Why don't you just ask him?" Luffy.

"I can't, I have to be stronger if I want to learn his name. apparently, once I learn its name, I will be able to use more power of the fruit. If my body is not strong enough, it will break." Kaizo.

"Scary." Nami/Usopp.

Luffy remembers the fact that he also has to train and puts the training bracelets and begins to move around while feeling tired.

Usopp and Nami had conflicted feelings about training. Nami thought that she would be protected her whole career as navigator and Usopp is mainly a coward.

"Both of you, read the book I gave you and train Haki. Or at least some minor exercises to tone your bodies up." Kaizo told Usopp and Nami and went back into meditating.

Both of them ignore him by making excuses. And went on their activities.

'I guess they still can't understand the situations we'll be in the future. Well, there's nothing I can do about it…yet.' Kaizo thought before sinking himself into his consciousness.

Kaizo arrives at his mindscape, where his Zanpakuto spirit was waiting for him laying on a tree's shade.

"Yo! Care to explain that fruit to me?" Kaizo.

"It's the Logia Type: Mizu-Mizu No Mi. (Water-Water Fruit)"

"He…quite the OP ability."

"You don't seem surprised."

"Oh, I am. Its just that my face doesn't tends to overreact."

"So boring. What are you plans with the fruit?"

"I'll give it to a little friend in the future, I'm sure he'll be able to do wonders with this thing."

"Seems interesting the future you're trying to make. On another note, you should train to use the Kido spells without chants, or else, you'll consume too much time."

"Plus, the chants are so Cringy." Kaizo.

"They can save your life in many situations!"

"So? I'll be like a fricking pastor chanting while facing my enemies. Fuck that I'm a DPS not a SUPPORT!" Kaizo.

Both Kaizo and his Zanpakuto spirit continued fighting over and over for quite some time. In the end, Kaizo continued his training to prevent himself from using the chants. Kaizo learned new chants and practiced some techniques with his Zanpakuto as well.

Meanwhile, in the Going Merry, everyone but Zoro were curious about what Kaizo said about his sword talking.

"So, should we ask him?" Usopp.

"He looks quite concentrated, better not." Nami.

"I wonder if his sword will join my crew." Luffy.

"EHHHHHHHH??!!" Nami/Usopp.

"What?" Luffy.

"Why would you invite a sword to the crew?" Nami.

"Why not? It sounds like an interesting thing." Luffy smiled.

"Luffy, y-you can't be serious, right?" Usopp.

"I am, I wonder how it will look?" Luffy.

Zoro then wakes up and analyses the distressful situation of both Nami and Usopp.

"Oi, what happened here." Zoro.

"Zoro! Please knock some sense on Luffy, please!" Usopp.

"Would you mind telling me what's going on? I have just woken up." Zoro.

After a brief conversation, Zoro was brought to speed.

"So, Kaizo has a sword spirit, I'm kinda envious." Zoro.

"What's there to envy?" Usopp.

"It's a good sword, it has a spirit inside of it. need I say more?" Zoro.

"You only care for the swords is see." Nami.

"Still, I wanted to tell him to help me train." Zoro.

"Why are you guys so into training these days?" Nami.

Zoro and Luffy remained quiet for a moment and Luffy spoke.

"When we were fighting Kuro, Kaizo got injured due to me. I left my guard down and Kuro tried to stab me, he protected me using his own body." Luffy.

Nami and Usopp were surprised about the statement since Kaizo told Luffy to not say to them how he got injured.

"Do you have any idea how mad I was at myself? I always thought that I was strong enough to protect my crew, yet one of them had to take a hit for me, I don't want that. Since I still plan to go to the Grand Line, the only option I have is to become stronger." Luffy.

"In my case, the strongest swordsman and I have a ginormous difference in terms of abilities, Kaizo told me that the distance is as big as the distance from the bottom of the ocean and the sun, same to Luffy I can only grow stronger to achieve my goal." Zoro.

Nami and Usopp were conflicted, Nami fell that if she was as strong as Luffy or Kaizo, she could've fended off Arlong and wouldn't be working with him. Usopp on the other hand thought about his dream about being a brave warrior of the sea and couldn't help but to feel shame that he wouldn't do even a simple set of exercise.

The coward trio came to a conclusion, to train and become stronger so that they could fight their own battles.

'Why am I doing this? I only have to get some more Berries and I'll be able to buy the island.' Nami.

'Luffy, Kaizo, Zoro, the three of you are quite strong and brave, if my goal is to be the bravest warrior of the sea then, I have to try at the very least!' Usopp.

The duo began the simple exercises like push-ups and sit-ups. Zoro and Luffy decide to train their own Haki while Kaizo was still meditating.

After a few hours the sun was setting down and Kaizo came out from his meditation. He saw everyone resting and he noticed the tiredness in their bodies.

"Yo! How was the training session?" Kaizo.

Nami snapped at him.

"I don't want to hear that from you! What were you doing there anyway, having a tea party?!" Nami.

"Nope, I was training my devil fruit, its quite the proper place to train since I can generate targets to practice my moves and all." Kaizo.

"So cool! Can you summon your Sword Spirit?!" Luffy had sparkles in his eyes.

"Not yet, but some time later in the future, I'll be able to do it so, wait patiently." Kaizo.

Luffy was a little downed but quickly recovered from it. after some more talking, the crew then went to sleep.