3. 5 Years

So we had to wait for the news of my grandfathers return before going back.

But that wasn't all I learned.

I also learned a bit about the history of these hidden clans.

These hidden clans are the last remaining members of the ancient kingdom. Some of them were simply survivors that somehow managed to escaped, others were traitors, that sided with the world government during the ancient war, but weren't permitted entry into Mary Geois, due to carry the name of D.

These survivors then formed hidden clans and slowly over time grew to the stage they were in now.

But the last five years weren't only spent with me learning all about these hidden clans, no I also started to abuse my talents. Not in training my body or swordsmanship, as it was still to early, at least that was what Grandma Aria told me. No I started to learn about navigation and strategy.

Navigation was pretty easy, especially with my talent, after only a around 6 month I was already proficient enough to navigate the new world without a hitch.

And that was tested. Around a year ago. It was a normal day for me, waking up at sunrise, jogging around, the farm until I was exhausted, well even though Grandma said not to train, I still think a bit of running with a following session of stretches wasn't really that bad, and after granny reprimanded me a few times with no progress, as I ignored her on that she gave up. I think if it were to really harm my body she would have more vehemently objected, as when she did when I was first trying to train my body.

Oh boy, granny could be really scary! She yelled and yelled and reprimanded me so long, that her voice grew hoarse. But she didn't top there she continued until her voice finally gave out. But since she was reasonably strong, rear admiral level strong, she was fine again the next day and continued with her lecture for at least half a day more.

Well anyways after my normal routine granny came to me, handed me wordlessly a logpose, opened her spatial tear and dragged me in. On the other side of the spatial tear was a small boat, not bigger than some lifeboats on a small fisher boat and told me to navigate to the next island.

That was a real nightmare. I first had to wait half a day before the logpose even found an island. And you should know that the weather in the new world is really terrifying as it changes too often. And too suddenly. And since I had only a small lifeboat it was a true nightmare.

But still at the end I got to test my navigation skills. And to be honest I think I'm pretty good at it. Even though I will still spend time on them I won't do much anymore.

What I spend nowadays most of my time with were strategy and tactics. For that I red many books and play chess and shogi with Grandma Aria. And I tell you granny is really good with chess and shogi. I couldn't beat her even once.

To let you know what that means, let me tell you another story of my past 5 years. It was like the day of the navigation test. Granny suddenly appeared and dragged me  somewhere, to a chess tournament to be precise. This one was held on sabaody and seemed like the finals of some kind of world cup, or well at least for the first half of the grand line.

As the great age of pirates didn't start yet it was still relatively safe on specific routes through the grand line and so such event were still pretty common.

Well anyways after that tournament was over, granny grabbed that person and me and again opened a rift to somewhere. It was a small room, totally enclosed with no exit.

After throwing the two of us in this room she let us plat sheds against each other and even though it was close I still won in the end. So you see how good I am in comparison to the others.

And even though it seems a little over powered, if you think about it, then these people are at the end of the day still!l normal people that life in a world where 5here are slaves, many people dying every day and were the strong ruled, so even the best chess player here would at most be considered at an advanced level in my old world, very far from the master or even grand master tier.

Well that was that.

Let's think what else did I learn in the last 5 years, well apart from the hidden clans nothing new really. As the manta in my old world was already pretty far along the story. So yeah I knew them already, but hearing them from granny, a local , it was still different and exciting.

Oh yeah and she didn't once mention to me my father. She always talks about mother, but never about my father. I wonder why? Sure Whitebeard is strong and all but he isn't hat strong, at least not yet. Sure he is clashing with roger and so on but he still isn't at the level of the strongest man alive. So I wonder why granny never talks about him.

Ah whatever. She will tell me when time comes.

Currently I was in the bath. I just finished my daily morning routine of jogging and stretching, so I had to bath, not to stink.

One time I was actually too lazy to take a bath so I went to breakfast directly after my morning routine. The conclusion?

Well grandma Aria teleported me a km or so away from the island, with only a, „You stink, go bath!", into the sea.

I had to swim to shore and you should know that it was not pleasant. We were in the calm belt after all. Luckily no sea king came and saw me as food. Or else I would have probably ended up as one. So I swam as fast as I could and managed to come to shore unharmed.

So yeah, I made sure to always bath and not stink after my morning running.

When I finished bathing and getting some clothes on, black shorts, and a red tank top, to be precise, I went to the kitchen area and sat at the table,that was already full with delicious food. Grandma was really an excellent cook.

She said that she was the personal maid if my mother and thus cooking and cleaning and so on were her duties in the clan.

„So grandma, when am I allowed to start my training?"

I asked her every day and never got an answer so I didn't really expect one now, but it seemed grandma was really fed up with my constant questions.

„In the clan you usually start training with 7, as then your body is at least developed enough to not injure yourself while training. But since you are the son of that man then you can probably start with 6 already. So just wait one more year."

Hearing this I grew exited, finally, only one more year and I can start getting stronger.

„Yuno, not that I don't want you to grow stronger, but just why are you so obsessed with it?"

The question of granny let me start thinking.

Yes why indeed?

After a while I finally came to my answer.

„I want to be strong so that I can protect those dear to me."

That was what I told granny. But it wasn't the whole Truth. Sure I didn't ant to see what happened to my mother, happen to other of my loved ones, but that was not all. Even before coming to this world I wanted to be strong. All my wishes were chartered for this.

I wanted to be strong not to be strong and bash all that's in my way and protect my loved ones, if it were I could simply ask for strong cheats, like being able to eat more than one devil fruits, having a body that is stronger than a dragon, or even cheats like possessing chakra and able to use it here.

But what I wanted is talent, and an good environment for it to grow over time.

I want an adventure. I want to slowly but surly surpass all odds and come out on top. I want to enjoy my journey to the top and above all else I want to see the world.

But to see the world what I need is strength. I know what will come in the future. After rogers death in nine years the great pirate age will begin and the sea will be infested with pirates. And most pirates aren't like luffy or roger, or even my not present father. But they are more like rocks, Blackbeard, kaido and BIG MOM. And to roam the world while its infested with such lowlifes I need strength.

And not to mention that I am being wanted by CP and the marines.

„I see. A good goal for now."

Grandma Aria seemed pleased with my answer.

And after that the room fell silent.

It wasn't anything abnormal, as my grandma is more the silent type, or at least that was so now. She seems depressed to me. I think what happened that day still weights heavy on her heart. So maybe she is so silent cause of that. At least that is my guess, as she seemed different on that day just after I was born.

But I could also remember wrongly, as that day grew really blurry in my memories. Sure I have the mind of an adult, but my body is still that of a child and it is really hard to remember my first two years of life.

As for why I am silent? Well that is because I'm afraid that I might have a slip of tongue when I'm speak with granny, especially when it would probably be me doing the talking looking at the type of woman she became.

And what I fear is not only being seen as too mature for my age but also being too knowledgeable for my age. Since the things I knew from the anime and manga are things a normal 5 year old living on an uninhabited island alone with his grandmother/caretaker shouldn't know.

And thus the breakfasts we had was usually spent in silence and eating.

After breakfast.

„I'm going out granny"

I waved at her and ran out if the house and into the jungle.

This is what I did most of the time in the last year, after breakfast I run into the jungle to explore.

Of course granny was worried at the start, but the beasts here are around the same level as those from the east blue, like the ones that luffy and so on fought when they were kids. Even the king of the forest was only as strong as Arlong. And he resided only in the core of the jungle. So since I only came to the outskirts there was nothing to worry about the king of the forest.

And for the other beasts? Well even tough I was not allowed to train I was still the son of Whitebeard. I was naturally stronger than kid luffy and ace and so on. I was also taller.

Ah that reminds me, it was some time since I last checked how I looked.