9 The three little devils

March, Year 1511

Mt. Colubo, on Dawn Island

"How can you dodge everything when you are blindfolded?!"

"So what if I am blindfolded? Shouldn't you be asking yourself why you can't hit me even when I am blindfolded?"

As usually the case since 3 months ago, my quite and peaceful afternoon was disturbed by these two kids shouting in front of me. While one was unleashing a fury of attacks with a pipe, the other one dodged all the attacks while blindfolded.

Right now the blindfolded kid, namely Ace, was training his observation haki. He unlocked it 18 months ago but only learned how to control and use it about 6 months ago.

'Stupid brat!' Thinking back to that day I couldn't help but mock him. Back then I wanted to teach him, the moment I noticed that he awakened his observation haki, but he refused me saying things like if I could do it alone, than he can too. At first I thought it would be good for him to learn on his own and gain insight by himself but he actually wasted a whole year!

"Jackson-nii, can you please teach me that trick? I want to be able to do that too!"

A voice Ive gotten used to in these past months cut my inner thoughts short. Seems like they finished Ace's training for today. By the way, the boy calling me 'Jackson-nii' is our newest member and one of my favorite characters from One Piece: Sabo.

Around a week after Ace learned observation haki, he started to pester me about a spar, even going so far as to suddenly attack me while I was taking an afternoon nap. Angered as I was I bea… *cough* Like the good brother I was I scolded him properly and 'explained' to him in detail why it is a stupid idea to wake up a sleeping beast.

He then ran off to somewhere and I later learned that he went to Gray Terminal. He told me about a kid he met, named Sabo. It didn't take long for them to get along and for us to meet each other in the Midway forest. Sabo is almost as much a free spirited character as Ace is and shortly after we begun to get along as well. Why is he calling me big bro? Well for one both Sabo and Ace barely reach my chest since I am much taller than them.

I actually think I might grow as tall as my old man. If I remember correctly he was around 9 feet tall (ca. 274cm). Well that's just a possibility I could also grow to be taller or smaller.

The second reason might be because he once saw me having a sparring match with grandpa and either became scared or started to admire me. Ahh thinking back to the sparring with grandpa a month ago a small smile crept up my face. He was way too shocked when I hit him hard with a fist coated with armament haki. Well in the end I still got beaten black and blue but it can't be helped. After all many battle techniques I absorbed are sword techniques and I can't go sparring against my grandpa with a sword! Besides I was able to force him to use haki this time.

Back to the original topic, I don't know for sure what the reason for Sabo calling me big bro is but honestly I don't mind since thanks to my memories I feel like I'm older than them anyways.

"Jackson-nii?"

Oops, I let my thoughts drift away.

" Ialready told you what you have to do if you want to learn haki so why are you asking me again?"

Sabo really thought that Ace and I are playing tricks on him when we told him about the training method. Well I don't have a better way of training so either he does the training or he won't learn haki from me.

"Since we are talking about haki and training, when are you going to show me how to make my fists turn black?"

"I already told you, that you can't learn that with your current strength. Grow up and get stronger if you want to learn armament haki."

„Bullshit, why could you learn it but I can't? You're just afraid cause I would beat you once I learn… *BAM* Ouch! What was that for?!"

"Why are you angry? I just thought that since you don't use your head before speaking, you won't need it. Was I wrong?"

"Asshole! Yes you were!!!"

"So? It's not like you will die from that?"

After that we parted ways with Sabo and went back to our house. On the way I heard Ace mutter things like 'just you wait' or 'one day for sure'.

'Yeah bro, you won't be catching up to me anywhere in the near future.' I thought to myself. It's not that I am arrogant but I just progressed to fast for him to catch up, although not quite as fast as I would have liked. Thinking about that I took a look at the my cheat's progress with a helpless expression and sighted.

On my 7th birthday I finished the second quest I received and the synchronization rate increased to 20%. So far so good but the problem started when I received the third quest. Honestly I don't know if I can ever finish the quest. The second quest made me an excellent swimmer and even taught me how to use battlemoves while under water but the third. It's not that the reward isn't good it's just…

[chosen character: Gol D. Roger]

[synchronization rate: 30%]

[synchronization speed: 5% every year]

[speed boost quest: Find Ace, the pirate king's sword, for additional 5%]

Not only do I have to find Roger's sword, I also get only a 5% increase for that! If it weren't for the fact that I'd get to keep one of the 12 supreme grade swords I'd be pissed at this quest!

But besides that quest I can't really complain. After reaching 25% I learned to use armament haki at an corresponding level and my observation haki got boosted to the same level. It might be just 25% of his prime but the boost in both my physique and haki is monstrous. After reaching 30% my haki and strength got boosted again and I even learned to use conqueror's haki!

Considering my current strength and having met Sabo and spent time with him I was thinking of changing Sabo's future. It wouldn't be hard to turn the goa kingdom upside down, even less to trash his stupid family but what comes after that?

'Perhaps… just maybe I could convince him to join my future crew. I know of his potential but would he be willing to join? I know for sure that it's impossible for Ace and Luffy not to make their own crew and I'm ok even if everyone goes and follows their own adventures but… would it be possible to convince him? *Sight* whatever! I'll just decide when the time comes based on what I want to do!'