Chapter 3

In the year 1511,

Winter was still raging all year round. In the outskirts, away from human towns. There stood a dojo with only two disciples enrolled.

It has been three years since Ikari started his armament haki training. Ever since then, he succeeded in having manifested his haki ten out of ten times.

Two years ago, Ikari started his hardening of haki training with his mother slash sensei. It was a day filled with heavy beatings and panting. The only way to train his armament haki was to stimulate another user of the said haki.

Every smash of fist coated in haki was thrown would Ikari bounce back. It was one hit, and it will dispel itself. Thankfully enough, his manifestation ability countered this waste of time.

For the next couple of years was filled with heavy smacking. And today, was finally the day that he was freed from that awful torture. "I had entirely mastered armament haki, hardening!" Ikari yelled at the top of his lungs his frustrations.

"Now, unto the next hurdle!" his mother's voice filled the dojo. "Here, in my hand the challenge. The Rain Moon Kitetsu, your father used to wield. Tame it. Make it obey your command!"

Ikari gulped heavily. "I'll teach this damned sword a lesson!" he steeled his resolve and focus his spirit. Ikari grabbed the scabbard of the kitetsu and held its handle.

It rang violently, provoking the holder. "You're quite excited. You'll obey me as your master. I'm far greater than my father!" Ikari shouted as he activated his armament haki and hardened his arms.

Pulling it out of its scabbard, Ikari was assaulted yet again by its monstrosity. "I test you! Not me!?" anger filled his mind as the sword still kept on testing him.

His right arm either turned into a stick or bulked. It was interchanging. "Ahhhhhhh!" a voice filled with years of frustration let itself out. Unknowingly, Ikari unleashed an uncontrolled Conqueror's Haki. Bepo stumbled but remained standing nonetheless.

'He awakened it!' surprise filled Sakura's visage as she couldn't believe her senses. 'Your undying will transfer to your son, Tempura.' her eyes moistened.

The violent shaking of the katana halted. It submissively stayed in Ikari's hand like an obedient mouse. He smiled at his achievement. "You damned katana! Who's the boss?! Huh..!?"

A smack came to his head but he sensed it earlier and ducked. "What was that for, mom?"

She smiled at her son gently. "You unleashed your Conqueror's Haki, Ikari. It helped you calm the sword and made it obey your command."

"I... I have the rarest haki?" he was shell-shocked. "That was just my anger, though." Ikari scratched his head embarrassedly.

"Haki is the embodiment of one's will," she explained. "You channeled your inner will and spirit through anger. But it is an unreliable way to unleash it. Train it. I don't have a clue about its training regime. So just familiarize the feeling."

Ikari nodded. "Since, I was angry about the sword and constant beating... Maybe strong emotions make me more susceptible to letting the Conqueror's Haki out."

"Not a bad conjecture," she replied. "It is most likely that emotions are easier to control with intent."

"So I should practice emitting my intent." Ikari scratched his chin. "Since, unleashing it can make an uncontrolled sword calm down. What would happen if it is used on people?"

Sakura recalled a story told by Oden. "It can make a fainthearted or weak-willed faint. Since Bepo can withstand your uncontrolled haki, it means that either he's strong-willed or your haki is weak."

"It should be that he's strong-willed!" Ikari declared as he hugged the smiling bear. "As expected of my first mate."

Sakura sighed. "You're still going out to sea and becoming a pirate?"

"Yes!" Ikari looked her in the eye. "I already told you that I will avenge father after I'm powerful enough. And Bepo can be my navigator... He's been reading a lot of books about it, right?"

Bepo resolutely nodded. "Yes! Sensei! I will help Ikari senpai and travel to wano and visit my hometown..."

Ikari slapped Bepo's chest. "We will go to Zou first. Invite other minks like you to join our crew. Then head to wano!" he laughed.

...

Ikari hung his new sword, the Rain Moon Kitetsu (Uzuki Kitetsu). He wore a white yukata patterned with black waves at the bottom. Paired with his red jittoku haori with a moon-shaped logo along it. He wore white knee-high socks along with his wooden sandals.

He tied his long dark green hair into a simple ponytail. Ikari strolled to the nearest town with Bepo who wore a white yukata like his own and a black haori.

"There's a town called Pleasure near the port of Swallow Island. That was where I arrived with the waves." Bepo said as they walked.

"You left Zou when you were only four years old." Ikari was baffled. "How'd even survive, I know that you can withstand the cold. But that's just beyond idiotic."

"I think minks are blessed by the moon. And it was night when I left, so I am extremely thankful to the moon god." Bepo answered fanatically.

"I heard mom say that you, minks can transform when there is a full moon." he looked to his right. "Can you do it?"

"I don't know..." he shook his head. "I never did it before."

"There's a full moon at the end of the month. Why not stare at the moon for a minute, if you can't then try the next time." Ikari said as they neared the town. "Mom said that the moon can boost your physical strength. You're strong when you managed to do it."

Bepo smiled at the possibility. "Much stronger than you..."

"Just below, Bepo, just below..." he chuckled.

They entered the town, it was lively and filled with people. As they walked around the street, they realized that many were glancing at them. Mainly, such thugs as Ikari clenched his sword tightly.

"Bepo. Be prepared. Some thugs are following us." he whispered to the polar bear who nodded meekly. "Don't be nervous... I'll handle them if it comes to that."

Ikari sensed that the one following them increased as time passed. Being new to the town made them more attractive than a woman's bosom. Having had enough, Ikari pulled Bepo to the nearest alley.

He held the sword tightly, as Ikari was about to jump them. He saw that it was only a man and a kid with white marks on his face. "Why are you two following us?"

"We noticed that you were new." the kid said. "Cora-san here, can't talk. He would like to know where you lived?"

"Huh?" Ikari was baffled at the question. "Are you mad!? Why would I even tell you? Huh?"

Corazon started writing on a piece of paper. "I would like to entrust this kid to you. He needs company at the moment and I have to do something important." the note stated.

Ikari furrowed his brows. "We're not babysitting a kid. We just got our precious holiday..." he felt a tap from Bepo. "What?"

"Maybe he can accompany us sightseeing for a while," he said.

"A talking bear?" the kid had his eyes widen.

Bepo looked down. "We're not rare you know..." his voice trailed off.

"Yes. He's a talking and my first mate." Ikari raised a brow. "Gotta problem with that?"

Bepo looked up and smiled proudly at his words. "Captaaaaaain!" he hugged Ikari as snot formed in his nose.

"Quit yer yapping Bepo!" he smacked his head. "Wipe your snot. He's like that all the time. So what's the kid's name?"

"I am Trafalgar D. Water Law," he said dully.

"You can come with us for a while, Law." Ikari welcomed. "You can find us either in the town or the outskirts..."

Corazon nodded and disappeared. Ikari glances at Law. "Are you new to the island?"

Law nodded. "Cora-san was looking for a doctor that can cure my illness."

"Oh, sucks to be you." Ikari walked as the two followed. "This is my first time visiting this town... So I'm technically new to the town but old enough to the island."

"Where did you live?" Law asked intrigued.

"In a dojo, we're isolated from the rest of the island," he answered. "Bepo was found looking for food near our house so mom took him in as a disciple."

Bepo nodded. "Sensei was kind enough to feed me..." he cried. "I-I will never forget her kindness..."

They continued to stroll the town. But they suddenly heard an explosion and guns being fired. Law was sitting nervously as he ate ice cream.

"Are you okay, Law?" Ikari asked. "You're trembling... Don't tell me. Cora-san is involved in the gunfight?"

Law's heart stopped for a beat. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."

Ikari smirked. "Let's get away here... I told him that he can find us on the outskirts of the island."

They ran and sat near the shore. Ikari saw two ships. The one has a marine logo on its sails. While the other one has a smiley face with a slanted slash. "Pirates and the marines... Let's hide in the forest."

As they crouched in a huge tree. They heard a rustled of the leaves. A thin figure could be seen walking toward them. Ikari clenched his sword ready to pounce at any given time.

"Law! It's Corazon..." he placed a sound barrier in the area. "I've got the fruit. It can cure your illness. The ope fruit, in the hands of a doctor, can eliminate all known ailments. Including your own."

Law went to Corazon and hugged him. "Thank you. Cora-san. But the devil's fruit has no guarantee that it will cure my disease."

"Sure, it can!" Corazon said solemnly. "Here eat it!" he made Law swallow all of it.

Law almost choked. "Cough... I wasn't ready yet!"

Ikari noticed something odd. "You can talk!... You smell blood. Oh god. You're bleeding! Let's go. Maybe mom can heal your injuries."

Corazon stared at the boy. "Please. Take Law with you. Pirates will come here soon. Also... Take this note and hand this to a marine. It will save a country." he brought the note and handed it to Ikari as he trusted the older boy to understand what he meant.

"Okay..." Ikari nodded at the man's bravery. "Law. Come with us. The pirates have arrived!"