Chapter 11

Markus let everyone party the night away. Tomorrow he would make the training a little harsher on the crew. It'd take nearly a week for them to arrive at Alabasta, giving him plenty of time to train the others for the coming fight with Crocodile and the Baroque Works agents. Of course, if he did nothing the crew would still win and frankly, they had become a little stronger thanks to him forcing them to start learning Observation Haki. Though none of them had fully unlocked it, their instincts were sharper and they could now dodge attacks that would have previously hit them.

With so much free time, he planned to train them harder for a few days then allow them to rest before they arrived at Alabasta. Once they got there, he planned to completely destroy most of the cannon story and have some fun. He remembered a lot of what happened during the Alabasta arc so he knew a few places he could insert himself and make some changes and other places he planned to stay away from. He made some plans before turning to his system with a grin. His quest finally completed!

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Quest Complete!

Journey to Alabasta Part 2!

The journey to save Alabasta from Crocodile continues. Nami is in danger of dying from an unknown sickness. Help save her life!

Objective 1: Save Nami! Ensure that Nami gets cured of her sickness. (Completed!)

Objective 2: Sickness on the sea is a deadly problem. Ensure Tony Tony Chopper joins the crew. (Completed!)

Objective 3: Protect the Drum Kingdom, Defeat Wapol! (Failed!)

Failure Conditions: Death, Failure to complete Objectives 1 and 2.

Rewards:

Objective 1: Improved relationship with Nami, 50% System Shop discount card

Objective 2: Improved relationship with Tony Tony Chopper, Skill Book: Basic Medical Knowledge

Objective 3: Rewards TBD

Your relationship with Nami has improved!

Your item has been deposited inside of your inventory!

Your relationship with Tony Tony Chopper has improved!

Your item has been deposited inside of your inventory!

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He waited until the others had passed out before pulling out the skill book for medical knowledge. The knowledge he had at the moment wasn't all that comprehensive. He remembered some basic things like the Heimlich Maneuver, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and other simple first-aid techniques. Using the skill book caused knowledge to flood into his mind reinforcing the things he knew and adding a few new things. Things such as how to properly treat and bandage a wound. The information gained wasn't massive and he wouldn't be performing surgery anytime soon but he could at least save a life if necessary.

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Basic Medical Knowledge

[Passive, Level 1, 0.0% Experience]

This skill gives you medical knowledge based on its current level. At the moment you are proficient in giving first aid and CPR as well as bandaging minor wounds. As the skill levels up you will gain additional knowledge.

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The following morning, after everyone had breakfast, Markus gathered them all on the deck of the ship. There were groans and complaints from the majority of the crew, Chopper though just looked around curiously. Markus gathered all the sticks they used for practice and grinned, "While we were on the last island I noticed some of you haven't been taking your lessons seriously. So, we're going to practice until I say otherwise!"

He passed out sticks and blindfolds to everyone but Chopper. When he got close to Chopper he smiled down at him, "After I beat Luffy to a pulp, I'll teach you."

Chopper shuddered when he was the smile on Markus's face. He didn't know what was happening but he knew he didn't like it one bit! After he saw the other members of the crew 'practicing' he liked it even less! One would wear a blindfold while the other hit them with a stick! It was terrible! He watched in horror as Markus somehow turned the stick he was holding a scary black and started to mercilessly beat a blindfolded Luffy with it.

Markus kept the practice going for a few hours. Occasionally he would switch with Sanji and Zoro to beat the two of them black and blue. He went especially hard on Zoro. Maybe if he bashed Zoro's head hard enough his sense of direction would be fixed. At least, that's the excuse he gave himself for whacking the idiot over the head repeatedly. As for Sanji, he just enjoyed whacking the love-sick cook.

During the practice, he did notice a bit of growth from the three men and Nami. Every now and then the men would manage to dodge a blow but would always get caught by the follow-up attack. Nami was the only one who ever managed to dodge two blows in a row. He did go easier on her, but by easier, it just meant he didn't use his Armament Haki on her.

After he finished training the others, he turned his attention to Chopper who was currently hiding in a corner and shivering. Markus spotted the little reindeer and smiled, "Don't be afraid Chopper. I know it looks painful but this training really will help everyone grow stronger. Look, I'll show you."

He turned and called out, "Zoro! C'mere! I need your help to teach Chopper about Haki!"

Zoro grimaced, "But we just stopped! I haven't had a chance to recover!"

Markus waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry, you get to swing at me this time!"

Zoro leaped to his feet with a wide grin, "No problem!" He grabbed one of the sticks and a blindfold to toss over to Markus, "I'm going to get you this time!"

Markus smirked and then looked at Chopper, "Watch closely. What I'm going to show you is called Observation Haki. Those who learn how to use it can dodge attacks even with their eyes closed or when they're blinded." After he put the blindfold on he turned to Zoro, "Go ahead."

Zoro wasted no time and started to attack Markus as fast and hard as he could. He spared no effort in his attempts to smack Markus with the stick. Even with his Observation Haki in passive mode, Zoro was well within his range, along with the entire ship. Nothing could escape his senses allowing him to easily dodge every swing Zoro tried to hit him with. Markus let Zoro attack him until Zoro was heavily panting and sweating. As his attacks slowed, Markus took off the blindfold with a grin, "If you got better at Observation Haki, you might have a chance at hitting me Zoro. Until then, go take a nap."

Zoro growled and walked off. Markus turned to look at Chopper only to see him staring in awe. Markus grinned at him, "That was Observation Haki, one of two types you can learn. The second type is called Armament Haki. It allows your attacks and defense to become much stronger. Additionally, it will allow you to hurt people with Devil Fruits that can't normally be hurt. Take Luffy as an example. A normal punch won't hurt him at all but a punch with Armament Haki will hurt him."

Markus clenched his fist tightly causing it to become covered in a pitch-black layer all the way up to his elbow, "This is Armament Haki. If I punched Luffy right now it would really hurt him."

Chopper's eye grew wider and sparkled brightly, "S-SO COOOOOOL!!!"

Markus laughed, "If you train hard you can learn how to do it too."

Though, Markus wasn't sure if Chopper really could learn Haki or not. He'd never heard of an animal learning Haki before. However, Chopper did eat the Hito Hito no Mi so he was technically at least part-human right? Either way, it wouldn't hurt to try to teach him. If he could learn then all the better. If he couldn't, there was nothing Markus could do to change that. For now, he'd just give Chopper training and see what would happen, "We'll start your training tomorrow, Chopper."

For the rest of the day, Markus used his image training to beat the snot out of the newest enemies he'd added to his roster in the Drum Kingdom. He beat the snot out of Wapol, Chess, Marimo, Chessmarimo, and Dalton continuously. For the next several days he trained the crew, trained himself, and hung out with everyone to enjoy himself. He flirted with Nami and Vivi, teased the naive Chopper, pranked and scared Usopp, and fought with Sanji, Luffy and Zoro. All in all, he enjoyed himself greatly and grew closer to the crew.

During these simple days, an item finally appeared inside of his store that he had an excellent use for. A simple terracotta pot for plants. He'd had the Immortal Tangerine Seed inside of his inventory for quite some time now. He'd meant to get a planter for it but he kept forgetting and getting distracted with the shenanigans of the crew and the fights on the various islands. The pot only cost him 600 Belly and was perfect for what he wanted. For soil, he just borrowed a bit from the soil her trees were planted in on the ship.

Once the soil was inside of the pot and moistened, he pulled the small seed out of his inventory and stuck it into the pot. Within an hour the seed had sprouted and was visibly sticking out of the soil. With the pot in hand, he entered the cabin of the ship where Nami was drawing a sea chart at the table. Markus sat down across from her and placed the pot on the table, "Nami, I've got something for you."

She finished the section of the map she was drawing before turning her attention to Markus. She treated him differently from the other men on the ship, partially because of his improved relationship with her but mostly because he was rather normal compared to the rest of the crew, "What is it?"

Markus pushed the terracotta planter closer to her, "It's something my old man gave me a while ago. I've decided to give it to you."

Nami looked surprised. Markus's 'old man' was a mystery to her and the rest of the crew. Anytime Markus pulled something he always gave credit to his 'old man'. She looked curiously at the little sprout sticking up out of the soil, "What is it?"

Markus grinned playfully. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face, "It's a plant called the 'Immortal Tangerine Tree'." He said that since it was no longer a seed, "No matter how hard the conditions or what happens to it, it will continue to grow and produce fruit. Even if it's burned to the ground, as long as even a portion of its roots remain it will regrow! It will never die as long as it's not completely destroyed. It even grows fast!"

Nami looked at the plant before turning a blank unimpressed look at Markus, "Isn't that just a normal tree?"

Markus, not quite expecting that reaction, frowned, "No. Even if you planted it in a desert it would grow into a tree and produce fruit. Just an hour ago when I planted it, it was only a seed and now it's sprouting."

Nami just stared at Markus like he was an idiot. Markus frowned in response. This was not the reaction he was expecting. Then again, he probably should have known. To prove it to her, he reached down and plucked the sprout and seed right out of the planter. He ripped the sprout off and tossed it away leaving only the seed. He stuck the seed back into the planter and looked at Nami, "Just watch."

While she looked at the pot, he fetched some water to add to the planter. The seed was sucking it dry pretty quickly. After he poured some more water on it, the seed quickly sprouted a second time while Nami was watching. Her eyes widened in surprise, "It really grew!"

Markus smirked, now this was more like it! She leaned in close to look at the seedling as it continued to quickly grow until it reached the same point it had previously grown to. After that, its growing speed slowed down significantly. Still, it would grow much faster than a normal tree. They would usually take a couple of years to start producing fruit, this one should do it in a couple of months or less. When the seed seemed to come to a full stop, Nami jumped over the table and gave Markus a tight hug, which he gladly returned, "Thank you! It's perfect!"

Markus stroked her back as they continued to hug, "No problem. I figured if I wasn't going to grow it myself, I might as well give it to someone who would really appreciate it!"

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Your relationship with Nami has improved drastically!

For improving your relationship with someone of the opposite sex to 'more than friends', +5 CHA.

A special item has been deposited inside of your inventory!

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Nami leaned back and looked into his gray eyes for a moment before she seemed to come to a decision. She quickly moved her face closer to his to give him a quick kiss that lasted less than a second before she pulled back and jumped away from him in embarrassment. Her cheeks were flushed bright red as she said, "D-Don't read too much into that! I j-just wanted to say thank you! That's all it was!"

Markus smiled warmly and nodded. He liked seeing Nami like this. She really was extremely cute standing there with her cheeks blushing. To make things less awkward for her, Markus stood up and made his way to the door, "We'll talk again later, Nami."

Once he was back outside, he found a spot to sit down and do some more image training. But first, he opened his inventory to see what the special item he gained was. As he looked, he arched an eyebrow. There was a new skill book inside of his inventory, but this one was different. All of the skill books he'd gotten up to this point had been black, but this one was golden. He looked around to make sure he was alone before he pulled the skill book out of his inventory and took a look at it.

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Legendary Skill Book: The Power of Friendship

Friendship is a powerful tangible force within the world. The more friends you have fighting by your side, the more powerful you become.

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Markus couldn't help cringing at the name of the skill. In any shonen-type story, there was always 'the power of friendship' helping the characters to become stronger at desperate moments in the middle of a fight. Even One Piece had moments like that. Such as Luffy becoming immensely stronger when he was fighting for someone he considered a friend. Despite the cringy name of the skill, Markus decided to use the skill book.

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The Power of Friendship

[Passive]

A man with no friends is destined to die alone and lonely. A man with many friends will fight until the end and have a merry life. Which will you be? With this skill, you gain a bonus of 10% to all attributes for every friend within 1 mile of you. This bonus doubles to 20% for every person within range who loves you, whether platonically or romantically.

Current Bonus: +40%

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Markus sucked in a deep breath as his overall strength suddenly spiked. Every single attribute he had was boosted by forty percent! That was huge! He clenched his fist rightly and felt newfound power flowing through his muscles. He felt like he could take on the world right now! Of course, he really couldn't, but he sure as hell felt like he could! He couldn't wait to test his power and immediately entered his image training to fight the most powerful person he currently had at his disposal that wasn't Mihawk, Luffy!

He didn't like fighting his companions at all. It felt... wrong. No matter how strong they were or how much experience they would give him, he just didn't like seeing them beaten, bruised, or dead. He'd fought them in his image training before and he didn't enjoy the experience one bit. Now, he chose to fight Luffy because very few people he had registered would provide a good testing ground. He couldn't wait until the war at Marineford. Once it happened he could add hundreds of powerful people to his roster to beat into the ground.

As the fake Luffy appeared in front of him, Markus activated his Observation Haki and immediately began the fight. It was brutal. Short, but brutal. Markus completely decimated Luffy with his improved attributes and defeated the rubber-man without having to put in very much effort. Combining his bonuses from Unarmed Fighting, Shigan, Armament Haki, and Hasshoken was... disgusting. His average damage was around 650 when he combined all of them together. Of that 650, 17% was True Damage thanks to Hasshoken making it around 110 True Damage for every hit.

With the kind of damage he could deal, he could take Mihawk down in just five hits! Well... provided he could actually land those five hits. He found that to be entirely unlikely and he wasn't about to risk his life by summoning up Mihawk just to find out! That also didn't take into account just how powerful Mihawk's Observation and Armament Haki were likely to be. The man could probably tank Markus's blows without breaking a sweat. Still... From this point on he would be able to take down just about anyone in the first half of the Grand Line with ease.

Markus left his image training and looked at the bonus from the skill once more. He could guess that 20% of the bonus was coming from Nami. As for the other 20%... His best guesses were Luffy and Zoro. Luffy made friends for life rather easily so it would make sense that he counted for ten percent. As for Zoro... Markus wasn't entirely sure about that one. Zoro might just respect him more than considering him a true friend. He didn't even consider Sanji, which left Chopper and Vivi as potential candidates as well. Without having a good way to test it there was no way to be completely certain.

Aside from his gains, the only other thing to change was that Sanji became more aggressive toward Markus. Not that Markus blamed him. Every time Nami saw Markus she would blush a little and usually find somewhere else to be. Her actions incited Sanji to find out what was going on between them. Naturally, neither of them would explain, which only led Sanji to become more suspicious that Markus had done something to her. Markus didn't confirm nor deny any of Sanji's suspicions leading Sanji to imagine all kinds of things. Markus found it amusing while Nami found it tiresome.

Things continued to be peaceful if a bit stressful due to Luffy eating the majority of the ship's food supply with a few accomplices. Things continued until the first event before the Alabasta arc truly began, happened. Luffy and Usopp caught a wild Mr. 2 Bon Clay, while fishing with Carue as bait. Seeing the man in the ballerina outfit made Markus smile. They were close and soon events would begin! He was looking forward to crushing Crocodile himself!