Drum Beating Platform (Lei Tai)

As her crew were getting ready to complete their tasks, she had already arrived to begin her daily routine of harassing many fighters for duels before heading to the Happo Navy.

As she arrived, Chinjao got up and began to lead her towards a new location as he handed over a newspaper with several bounties on it. "Here is your competition for now. These are all wanted pirates or wanted individuals that have become known as super rookies with a minimum bounty of one hundred million berries but also some others who have survived long enough on the grand line and have a similar bounty. Some have even gone to the new world and went under one of the Four Emperors. These are your competition if you wish to make a name for yourself but the younger generation of them all would most likely be your true rivals. Continue to read while you follow me."

Reading through the list of names and looking at the images, she recognised two of them right away!

'Fire Fist' Ace with a bounty over one hundred million and Cavendish with a bounty of two hundred and eighty million were the ones that she knew because they were part of this or a previous years new generation of super rookies before the worst generation began to appear.

To be named as a super rookie or something similar then that person must have passed through the grand line and on their way cause great or terrible changes to the places they they have arrived at during their journey.

The more influence or devastation they have built up during their journey, the higher of a bounty they would receive.

One was a promising rookie with a devil fruit and the other was someone who had been the cause of many mysterious deaths and problems created when attracting so many women to himself forcing him to leave even his own birth place.

However there were also many documents on various promising martial artists, bounty hunters, assassins, swordsmen and even those part of the underworld that had become known recently like Ideo who had won the boxing championship and the New World Central Fighting Tournament which caught her interest.

Alyssia was lead to a colosseum like building where there was a square shaped stage or platform in the middle of it while there were many people fighting among themselves.

Chinjao looked at her and then introduced the place. "This is the Lei Tai or otherwise known as Drum Beating Platform where I have booked the stage for you to fight. To win a fight you must make your opponent has surrendered, become incapacitated, or thrown or otherwise forced from the stage. There are no rules for combat and even weapons can be used, some battles can even be fought to the death. The platform is where you must win and take on one challenged at a time, this time you will have many people who wish to use this chance to bring or wear you down."

Alyssia could guess his intentions but still asked. "Why did you bring me here? Is there a specific lesson you wish to teach me?"

She looked at the already dried blood stains and the ring and guessed that he was trying to hone her abilities and force her to harm or even kill her opponent if it was truly a life and death battle.

Chinjao looked at the platform and said with a reminiscent look in his eyes. "In my youth, I stood on this very stage and put my martial arts to the test many times. The absence of railings or ropes and also the size of the platform prevents the use of power moves to trap your opponent against the edge of the platform and instead focussed more on more evasive circling manoeuvres. Sudden charges are not possible because a quick redirection will send a charging opponent flying off the stage so you will need to be extra careful..

He continued. "In a match on the Lei Tai, opponents continue to move against each other without interruption until one of them defeats the other. Sparring on the Lei Tai permits a martial artist to demonstrate his or her understanding of the techniques, moves, rooting, breathing and control of anger. Martial Arts together with Lei Tai trains the instincts and timing, and cultivates concentration and relaxation at the same time. This will all be a very important lesson and experience for you, up until now you have either picked a random location to fight a single or many opponents but not every location has the right environment that suits your use of your techniques, you must change or adapt them to each environment or situation. This one you must not charge at your opponent but others would allow you to make use of your environment to use to trap your opponent against or jump from after missing a charging attack. If you are at sea and you have limited space to fight on your or an enemies ship then you also have to remember that there will be additional changes brought on by weather conditions and sudden changes of the sea."

Chinjao looked at her and said. "Even with your Electro, in this platform… your speed will become your greatest weakness if you meet the wrong opponent. If I use Observation Haki and am able to redirect your attack, I can easily win by knocking you off the platform. So go get ready and I will whisper you for to participate, word should already have gotten out and I am sure many wish for revenge against you for damaging their pride. I have a rule for you, do not use the Eight Impact Fist or your Electro and focus on perfecting your Martial Arts here. Do not disappoint me."

As he was walking away, she looked at the platform and quietly said. "So it is just like Dressrosa's gladiatorial arena but without the use of shields and armour and more focussed towards Martial Arts. Interesting… it seems I have to be careful to not be caught in a grappling move too so I am not thrown from the platform."

As he walked away and arrived at the private back room where the organiser was, Chinjao came face to face with Chichilisia and said. "So you did come.."

Chichilisia frowned and said. "Old man, it seems that you really have took that person as your student. If it wasn't because of your request or my daughter who was pleading to let her regain her honour.. I would of handled it myself."

Chinjao stood back and then replied. "If you really want to.. go ahead and take up the challenge. You are a regular here after all!"

Many individuals had entered this platform during their youth but the most famous individuals were the Happo Navy and Niho Navy leaders and their best fighters like Boo, Sai and Uholisia.

Seeing that Chichilisia wouldn't be provoked he said calmly. "This is one of the best training grounds that can teach her many things that we all needed to learn back then. Many youths are too eager to prove themselves and do not have much self control leading to them making critical mistakes during combat. Her skills are enough to participate in warfare but her mentality is not quite ready. Please help the youth of today grow stronger so that they can survive in this world."

He had seen many youngsters who were quick to fail the pursuit of their dreams because of their emotional disturbances after being provoked too many times and falling into a trap of some kind.

Akainu's provocations during the war with Whitebeard that will happen in around a year was a prime example of something like this happening as he continued to provoke Ace and others into fighting him when they should have run away.

Alyssia needed experience but she also needed to gain more than just fighting experience but also self control and discipline.

Chichilisia calmly looked at him and then sighed. "It seems that you have really taken a liking to this student. Fine.. but do not expect me to go easy on her."

Chinjao nodded in response to his words and said. "No problem. I have also sent out word that my new disciple is participating so there should be some unexpected visitors coming to participate today."

Chichilisia looked a little stunned upon hearing that. "You couldn't have done it on purpose right?"

Chinjao nodded with a crafty look in his eyes. "If I make it seem like I value her far too much then my enemies will start coming after her but also hire people to participate or look to assassinate her. This is my test for her so I hope she can survive it because what is coming next is much more difficult."

Chichilisia looked a little disgusted and said. "Some 'prized' disciple you have.."

Even if Chinjao valued her, he did not hesitate to use her for his own goals simply because it would help her grow but also draw further attention to her so that his enemies will make a move.

Many of them would hesitate to target himself or his grandsons but would not when it came to his student which created an opportunity to remove some of his enemies that had been waiting for him to reveal weakness to bring him and Kano Country down.

If this operation is successful then he will be able to weaken his enemies forces in just one movement.

Even if he was once a pirate or Martial Artist during his youth, he is still the Navy leader who is constantly having to strategise to defend his country from invaders that come in the form of pirates or enemy countries.