A power in the shadows must become stronger

[Chapter 6: A power in the shadows must become stronger]

...

"Sigh..."

"P-please don't kill me, I swear I won't do anything bad from now on!"

*Whack!*

"Shut it, don't you see I'm thinking?"

"S-sorry!!"

Good grief, why does a Shadow eminence candidate like me have to go through something like this~?

Currently, I was pondering deeply about my next steps to become a proper power in the shadows while sitting on a chair in front of a kneeling pirate.

During these few months of killing, practicing, reading, and acting as a mob, I have felt how my own progress in swordsmanship has stagnated a bit. Probably due to the low level these pirates have when it comes to swords it didn't make me progress as fast as it did in the beginning.

Obviously, I have not actually stopped improving, however, the process has slowed-down. Something that I deem unacceptable.

So currently, after defeating these weak-ass pirates, I was thinking on a way to improve faster my own swordsmanship. However, I couldn't come with an option here in Loguetown.

I have visited some dojos in this city to watch the teachers and see if I can learn something from them, however, their knowledge about swordsmanship was barely above basics.

Or was my standard a bit too high? Maybe it was both...

So, as far as I knew, there weren't any powerful swordsman in this city from whom I could learn something. Which also meant that from now my speed at improving my swordsmanship was going to continue slowing down progressively.

Hmm...

NOPE.

Completely unacceptable!

I refuse to let such a thing happen!

*Bam!* I stomped my feet in frustration.

"H-hiiiii, sorry!!!" The pirate in front of me screamed in fear after seeing my sudden movement.

"Oh, you're still there, sorry about that..."

So, currently I only had two options.

Stay in this city and improve all my other ways of combat while letting my swordsmanship aside for a while.

Or... travel to another island and find a proper swordsman to improve my own swordsmanship while also improving at the same time all my other ways of combat.

The only problem I had with the second option was that I could lose a part of my position as a Mob with Nael and his group because I could become "The kid that disappeared for some weeks".

Hmm... What to do, what to do...?

Will it really be worth risking my position as a mob?

What swordsman could be worth losing some of my Mobness for?

Mihawk... Totally worth it. However, In reality I have no fucking idea on where could he be right now.... Maybe he is not even in this part of the sea.

As for other strong swordsmen in this sea... it is very unlikely that there will be any...

...

Wait... There was one swordsman that I think could be worth the risk.

Koushirou, the teacher of Zoro Roronoa, and father of the deceased Kuina.

Although his strength was never shown in the series, he was the one that told Zoro on how to cut through steel. A technique that only a few capable swordsmen know, me included of course. Besides, he was also the son of a man that came from Wano, which also meant that some of his swordsmanship style may have been influenced by the techniques of that country in some way.

So, maybe going to Shimotsuki village to learn a bit from his techniques may be worth it...

Besides, I will still be able to recover my lost mobness anyways.

Worst case I will start my life again on another island as a Mob.

Though, first I will need a ship to travel between islands. Which will mean I will also need BUILD my own ship, as in that way I can add propellers and a few other things to make the ship a lot faster to reduce the time of travel to the minimum. Otherwise, it couldn't be worthy to be called a Shadow eminence's ship!

And there's also the fact that I don't want to make my family wait for that long after my disappearance. That could be just plainly evil from my part.

Now then, I think it's time to continue investigating how to create a ship!

I stood up and walked directly towards the exit of the bar.

"S-sir?"

Hmm?

I looked back and saw the pirate still kneeling in the ground while looking at me with a fearful expression on his face.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about you..."

*Slash!* My sword cutted the pirate apart before I continued walking towards the exit.

Now then, What kind of machinery should I add to the ship in order to make it the fastest on all the planet...? Oh, I know, I should probably add a function to change the appearance of the ship between that of a seemingly average mob ship, and that of a Shadow eminence's ship.

...

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1 Year later...

...

"Come on Sid, you were supposed to know this already! We checked this yesterday!"

"S-sorry, I forgot..."

I was currently laying in the ground after being defeated easily by Nael in a spar.

"Geez, how can you forget something so fast?" Well at least you've actually improved a lot this last year. I'm pretty sure you can already take care of a pirate by yourself" Nael smiled satisfactorily after reminiscing how 'fast' did my swordsmanship improve during this last year.

"But oh man, you sure took a while to improve!"

During this year I have been improving my apparent abilities in swordsmanship, making them think that I'm finally understanding how to swing a sword properly. Even though I was still not considered 'Strong' I was now at least average instead of plainly bad.

So I could understand their relief after finally seeing me improve a bit.

"Alright, then see you tomorrow!"

"Bye~"

"Later guys"

"Nael, wait for me!" Arya ran towards Nael happily after seeing each one of us leaving for the day.

Of course, I was left completely alone...

...

Hehehe, as expected of me.

Anyways, this was all part of my plan. Because today we were going to begin the great [Kidnapped operation]

"U-uh, sir, is t-this really ok?" An enormous man approached me after seeing that all of them left, and asked me while stuttering a bit.

"I told you, it's fine. Just don't ruin this plan or I'll rip you to pieces"

"Y-YES!"

We walked alongside for awhile until we reached the dock of Loguetown.

"Alright, don't ruin the plan ok?"

"Yes sir!"

"Alright, we will begin at the count of three... One, two..."

I used my observation haki to see if someone was watching us, however, as soon as I saw that no one was paying attention to us, I knew it was time to begin.

"Three!"

...

"BWAHAHAHAHA!! I WONDER HOW MUCH MONEY WILL I GET FOR SELLING YOU KID?!"

"L-Let go of me!!"

"NO CAN DO KID, YOU ARE COMING WITH ME WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"

"Oi, leave that kid alone!" A man suddenly appeared besides us.

*Shiiin!* A sword was placed immediately right next to the neck of the man.

"DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?! I'M THE GREAT PIRATE 'DREADFUL JOHN', WITH A BOUNTY OF 7 MILLION BELLYS FOR MY HEAD!!"

"What?!"

"IF YOU DON'T WANNA DIE, THEN GET THE HECK OUTTA HERE!!"

"S-sorry!!" The man apologized with a terrified expression and ran away.

Oi, aren't you giving up too easily?

"N-no, let me go!! I don't want to!!" I screamed while using my childish voice

"BWAHAHAHA!! NOW LET'S ENTER MY SHIP, I WILL TAKE YOU TO THE SLAVE TRADERS TO GAIN SOME POCKET MONEY, BWAHAHAHAHA!!"

"NOOOOOO~ SOMEONE SAVE ME!!"

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Sigh... that was tiring...

"Alright, here's your money, now get the heck out of my ship"

"Y-yes sir, thank you very much!!" Dreadful John accepted the money with a smile on his face before leaving my ship hurriedly.

"Tch, at least try to act like a proper pirate..."

I looked towards the seemingly infinite sea ahead of me and exhaled in exhaustion before clenching my fist.

"Now, let's begin the journey of a power in the shadows..."