A Family of Choice

Under the bright white moonlight, the earth seemed to shimmer with a silver sheen, untouched by the scars of industrial pollution. I stood alone in the vast, barren wasteland, breathing in the stillness that only the night could bring. The soft rustling of the wind through the trees mixed with the faint chorus of insects, transporting me, if only for a moment, to a primal jungle from long ago. But my solitude didn't last long.

A shift in the air, almost imperceptible, caught my attention. It was a familiar and dangerous presence approaching from behind. Without opening my eyes, I shot four "Death Balls" backward, each one packed with compressed space—an attack I had honed during my training with Garp. The orbs detonated behind me, sending a deafening roar through the night, lighting up the sky in fiery explosions.

For a moment, I thought I was in the clear, but then, faster than I could react, a fist materialized in my field of vision. I barely registered Garp before his punch sent me tumbling backward. "Smelly old man! You can't just attack whenever you feel like it!" I shouted, rubbing the newly forming bump on my head.

Garp grinned at me, clearly enjoying himself. "Boy, how did you sense me?"

I wasn't entirely sure. "I don't know. It's like I could hear everything at once, and then something just felt... off." I shrugged, but Garp's eyes glinted with approval, even if he didn't say it. I had unknowingly tapped into "Observation Haki," a skill that allowed me to sense the presence of others.

After dismissing my explanation with a grunt, Garp asked, "So, what do you want to learn next?"

The answer came to me easily. "The Navy Six Styles, of course."

I had been training for over six months now. Days were filled with brutal physical drills, and nights involved sparring with Garp or refining my Devil Fruit abilities. Despite the harsh regimen, my time at Marine headquarters wasn't just about solitude and beatdowns. Over time, I had found comrades—Ain, Ema, and Lin—who became like family. Their presence helped me survive Garp's relentless training.

I first met Ain during a particularly rough combat drill. Paired with a senior Marine who had no patience for my mistakes, I found myself knocked down repeatedly. Just when I thought I couldn't get up again, Ain approached the senior Marine and asked to switch partners. I had heard of Ain before, her calm yet intimidating presence, but this was my first interaction with her.

We sparred, and though I lost each round, Ain's quiet instructions guided me. "You're forcing it. Relax. Let the fight come to you," she advised, her short blue hair glistening in the sunlight. We talked afterward, and Ain's calm, mature demeanor made her seem far older than she was. From that day, we trained together frequently, and she became one of my closest allies.

Ema's introduction to my life was no less memorable. One day, while practicing "Shave," I accidentally barreled into her, sending her books flying. Ema was sitting quietly on the sidelines, reading, when I crashed into her, but instead of being upset, she laughed. "Well, at least you're learning fast!" That moment marked the beginning of a solid friendship. Soon, Ain, Ema, and I formed an inseparable trio. Ema, with her sharp wit and quirky ideas, balanced Ain's serious nature and my impulsiveness.

Then there was Lin. I met Lin in the most Lin way possible—stuck inside a storage room, banging on the door and yelling about being sabotaged by "evil Marines." He wasn't the sharpest of the bunch, but his goofy antics lightened up even the toughest days of training. Whether it was getting lost in the mess hall or somehow locking himself out of his own bunk, Lin never failed to make us laugh. But beneath the chaos was a fiercely loyal friend.

Together, Ain, Ema, Lin, and I grew closer. Ain, ever calm, was the strategist of our group. Ema brought an odd mix of genius and unpredictability, always finding strange but effective solutions. And Lin... well, he provided the laughter when things got too serious. Our favorite pastime was watching the ships at the port, discussing our dreams. Ain often talked about eliminating pirates, while Ema fantasized about a quiet research center on a remote island. Lin? He just hoped to stay out of storage rooms.

My life was no longer about just surviving Garp's training; it was about thriving, learning, and growing alongside my friends. Together, we endured the grueling challenges, and together, we dreamed of the future.

As for my training, Garp had already explained the Six Styles to me: techniques that allowed the body to perform superhuman feats. I was most interested in "Shave," a rapid movement technique that made it seem like the user was teleporting, and "Iron Body," which hardens the skin to withstand even the most brutal of blows.

One night, Garp handed me two heavy black cloth bags. "Here. Starting today, you'll wear these. Each one weighs 50 pounds, and you're not allowed to take them off. Ever."

I stared at the bags, disbelief setting in. "You're joking, right?" I muttered, but the dead seriousness in his eyes told me otherwise. I strapped them on, feeling the weight immediately drag my body down. Just standing upright felt like a challenge. Garp's devil training wasn't for the faint of heart.

Every night, Garp dragged me back for another round of "training." His definition of the word was more like a fight to the death. Each punch he landed felt like a sledgehammer, every kick left me bruised and aching for days. But I couldn't complain—this pain was my growth. Every bruise was a testament to how far I'd come.

Over the course of a year, spring turned to autumn, and I found myself mastering the Six Styles at a rapid pace. "Shave" became second nature, my body moving faster than I thought possible. I had nearly perfected "Iron Body," toughening myself to withstand brutal blows, and "Moonwalk"—a technique that let me leap off the very air itself—was within my grasp.

With each passing day, I felt my strength and stamina grow. Ain and Ema noticed it too. Ain would flash me a rare smile, and Ema would give a nod of approval whenever I pulled off a new move. Their support was a quiet, constant presence that fueled me. But Lin—oh, Lin—had his own way of motivating me.

Lin had been a part of our crew for a while now, and despite his knack for finding himself in the most ridiculous situations, he never failed to make me laugh. One evening, as I struggled to get used to the heavy weights Garp had given me, Lin showed up with his usual mischievous grin.

"Hey! You look like a walking statue! How's the marine life treating you?" Lin joked, poking at one of the weighted bags hanging from my arms.

I glared at him, wiping the sweat off my forehead. "If you keep talking, I might just strap these on you instead."

Unfazed, Lin laughed. "Me? Nah, I'm allergic to hard work. I'm here for moral support." He stood beside me, mimicking my exercises in a wildly exaggerated way, his limbs flailing about. It was hard not to crack a smile.

During one of our more intense training sessions, Lin attempted to show off his own version of "Shave," a rapid-movement technique. He rocketed forward, but his legs tangled beneath him, sending him sprawling across the ground. "Graceful as ever," Ain muttered, shaking her head.

Lin picked himself up, grinning sheepishly. "I meant to do that," he said, dusting himself off.

Even though Lin wasn't the strongest, or the most serious, his presence made everything bearable. He lightened the mood during the tough days, cracking jokes and pulling off goofy stunts that made me forget how brutal Garp's training really was.

One night, after an especially rough sparring session with Garp, I found myself cornered. Garp moved with such speed and power, it was impossible to keep up. Instinctively, I summoned dozens of Death Balls around him, forcing him to dodge. At the same time, I launched space blades, sharp energy slashes cutting through the air.

It wasn't enough to stop Garp, but it was progress. My Devil Fruit abilities had grown more versatile and my attacks more precise. But no matter how much stronger I got, Garp always seemed miles ahead. His kicks sent me flying across the field, and his punches shattered my barriers like they were nothing.

As I lay on the ground, gasping for breath, Garp loomed over me with his trademark smirk. "You're getting better, boy. You almost ruined my coat this time."

I coughed, spitting out some blood, and smiled. "Yeah, well... it's a start."

Lin, of course, couldn't resist chiming in. He walked over, his face filled with mock horror. "Almost ruined the coat? Now that's serious business! Forget mastering the Six Styles, you've got to watch out for Garp's wardrobe."

Even Garp cracked a small grin. Lin had a way of lightening any situation, and no matter how tough the training got, knowing that Ain, Ema, and Lin had my back made all the difference.

"Smelly boy, this is the 238th time you've lost to me, hahahahaha..." Garp's booming laughter echoed across the training field as I struggled to get up after yet another defeat.

Rubbing my head and dusting myself off, I muttered in frustration, "You old man, you're stronger than the admiral. How am I supposed to win against you?"

*Boom!* Garp landed a solid *fist of love* on my head, knocking me back down.

"Boy, stop making excuses. You think you can beat me? You'll need decades of training before that happens," he said, though I could sense something beneath his usual roughness—admiration.

Despite his tough exterior, I knew Garp was impressed. In just a year of devil training, I had made incredible progress. I had already mastered "Shave" and "Iron Body," two of the Navy's Six Styles, and my Devil Fruit abilities were coming along fast. Even with a hundred-pound sandbag tied to each leg, my strength had reached the level of a Navy Commander.

As I grumbled under my breath, Garp gave me a look I wasn't used to—one that showed he was fond of me. Over the past year, I had grown close to him. I could tell he saw me as more than just a student, maybe even like a grandson. But I also saw something else in his eyes. Garp was concerned. He knew my loyalty to the Navy wasn't set in stone. I had my own sense of justice, and I knew he worried that one day I might stray from the Navy's path.

"Forget it," I heard him mutter to himself. "It's too early to be worrying about that."

"Kid, your strength hasn't improved much over the past half month," Garp remarked, his tone back to its usual bluntness.

Frustrated, I responded, "Yeah, sensei, what's going on? My training hasn't slowed down, so why am I not getting any stronger?"

Garp's expression grew serious. "You've been improving too quickly, and now your foundation has become unstable. You've hit a bottleneck."

I thought about it and realized he was right. My strength had grown fast—too fast. The realization sobered me. "So, how do I fix it?"

"You need to stop focusing on just training and face real-life, life-and-death battles. That's how you'll break through. But you're too young for that right now—maybe in another year or two. I do have something else in mind, though, something that might help you integrate everything you've learned."

Seeing me deep in thought, Garp grinned. "What? You getting too comfortable here at Marineford?"

"No, I'm just thinking about how whatever you've planned next better not be as boring as your training," I shot back.

Garp roared with laughter. "Hahaha, I knew I didn't pick the wrong person! Meet me at the pier tomorrow morning. Get ready, pack up... and don't die on me."

That night, exhausted, I dragged myself back to my small room and collapsed onto my bed. I didn't even bother turning on the light. I had been with the Navy for a year, and even though my combat strength was that of a commander's, I was still officially ranked as an ensign. It didn't bother me. I knew my time would come.

Lying there, I reflected on everything. I had fully embraced my life here. Even though I had been an orphan in my past life, now I had a purpose, a family. Ain, Ema, and even Lin with his constant antics—they were all like family to me now.

I rose to my feet and began packing my belongings—clothes, supplies, and the essentials. My gaze fell upon the sword hanging on the wall. It was no ordinary Navy blade. Custom-forged for me, it was based on a design from my past life—a meter-long blade with a dragon-head hilt, capable of slicing through iron.

(As if I could easily conjure a weapon like that with my energy projections. It's like trying to control a tornado with a feather. Olivian Munn must have some kind of secret, or maybe she's just a wizard or something. For now, I'll stick to my trusty katana, infused with psionic energy to enhance its cutting power and allow it to slice through even an entire ship. I mean, just imagine the look on a pirate's face when I cleave their ship in half with a single strike. It's enough to make a grown man weep.)

I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Olivian Munn/Psylocke, effortlessly wielding energy-based weapons. It was a stark contrast to my own struggles with controlling my abilities. Perhaps I needed more practice, or maybe I simply didn't have the innate talent required to manipulate energy in such a precise manner. Or maybe I need to consult a wise old sage. Or maybe I just need to eat more pizza. Who knows?

Garp had nearly killed me when he found out I'd used his name to commission the weapon, but once it was finished, he couldn't deny the result. It was worth it.

Strapping the sword to my back, I took one last look around my room before quietly closing the door behind me. The sky was starting to lighten as I headed to the pier. Garp was already there, overseeing preparations for our journey. Ain and Ema were there too, looking just as excited and nervous as I felt.

"Hey! Old man, did you trick me into this? I'm exhausted!" I called out, still groggy from a restless night.

Garp grinned mischievously. "That's why I wanted you here early! The journey to Zephyr's camp isn't exactly a walk in the park!"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "You could've let me sleep a bit longer, you know."

Ain stepped forward, her short blue hair blowing in the wind, offering me a supportive smile. "Don't worry, Kai. We'll face whatever comes our way together. I've heard Zephyr's training is intense, but it'll be worth it."

Ema chimed in with a grin, "And probably weird. You've heard the stories, right? We might even have to face pirates. Who knows what kind of trouble we'll get into?"

Sighing, I grabbed a heavy box and trudged toward the ship. "This lazy old man just made me a porter," I grumbled, but deep down, excitement bubbled inside me. This was the start of something new—real battles, real tests.

In the middle of it all, Lin appeared, struggling to lift a smaller box with exaggerated effort. "Phew! So heavy! This must weigh... at least ten pounds!" he joked, grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "At least pretend to help."

Lin winked. "Hey, I'm here for moral support. Who knows? Maybe I'll join you guys next year!"

Despite everything, I couldn't help but smile. With my friends by my side, I felt ready. Whatever challenges awaited us at Zephyr's Training Camp, we'd face them together.

As the ship loaded with supplies, I took a moment to appreciate the chaos around us. Navy soldiers were hauling boxes filled with equipment, preparing for an unpredictable journey. Each crate felt like a step closer to our future—our chance to grow stronger.

The sails of the ship finally caught the morning breeze, and Garp, still in high spirits, shouted, "All aboard! We've got a long way to go before we reach the camp, so buckle up!"

As the ship sailed forward, cutting through the waves, I felt the weight of our journey ahead. But with Ain and Ema by my side, I knew we could face anything. They weren't just comrades; they were family.

Each wave brought us closer to Zephyr's Training Camp, a place where our destinies would be shaped. And I knew that, with determination in my heart and my friends by my side, we were ready for whatever came next. Zephyr's Training Camp was just the beginning.