Chapter 9: Oh crap

"Luffy, can you show me your ring?" I asked as he showed me the Apprentice Ring he had received. I used Scan on it since this world doesn't have skill points.

Apprentice Ring: makes learning new skills easier.

"Come on, Jordan, start the hard mode. I want to see what it's got," Luffy said, his usual excitement shining through.

I didn't hesitate for a second before launching the hard mode. As soon as I confirmed the option, an intense light enveloped us once again. Luffy and I were teleported once more to Destiny Island, but this time the atmosphere was even more oppressive. The sky was nearly black, streaked with lightning tearing through the dark clouds. Even the air felt heavy, as if the tension of the upcoming battle weighed on us.

"This time, it's serious," I murmured, gripping my Keyblade tightly, feeling the malevolent aura emanating from the surrounding darkness.

Around us, Ombres began to emerge from the ground, but their number was far greater than in the previous levels. A black tide of yellow-eyed creatures spread across the entire beach, forming an overwhelming wave that encircled us.

Luffy, still as enthusiastic as ever, turned to me. "Hey, Jordan! This is gonna be awesome! Look how many there are this time!"

I glanced toward the horizon, where massive figures began to appear in the distance. Four Darkside loomed on the horizon, waiting patiently for us to carve our way through the army of Ombres before confronting them.

"Luffy, we have to deal with these Ombres first. There are a lot more this time, and I think they're tougher too."

"Eh, no problem! I'll take care of it!" he shouted, with his usual enthusiasm, before charging at the Ombres, fists clenched. He struck the first one with his usual "Gum-Gum Pistol!" but this time, the Ombre didn't vanish instantly. It wobbled under the hit, but it took a second blow for it to dissolve.

"They're tougher!" he exclaimed as he hit another Ombre, stepping back slightly to avoid being overwhelmed.

I joined the fray, slashing left and right with my Keyblade. As I feared, it took five solid hits to take down each Ombre. Their numbers were overwhelming, and every time we destroyed one, two more seemed to take its place. The Ombres quickly encircled us, their yellow eyes glowing ominously in the darkness.

"Luffy, there are too many of them!" I shouted, parrying the claws of an Ombre that had slipped behind me. With a backhanded swipe of my Keyblade, I sent it flying, but two more immediately took its place.

Luffy, still brimming with energy, kept fighting relentlessly, but even he seemed to slow under the pressure of the black tide bearing down on us. Every hit he delivered took more effort, and soon, I saw him begin to retreat, overwhelmed by the sheer number.

"We're getting surrounded!" he yelled, his usual smile faltering as fatigue began to show in his eyes. The Ombres closed in, and even Luffy was starting to struggle against the never-ending horde.

I struck down another Ombre, but one of its claws grazed my arm. The sharp pain made me leap backward to dodge another attack. "Luffy, this is getting too hard!" I shouted, tension in my voice.

Luffy dodged another Ombre that lunged at him, but I noticed sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. He had grown tired of fighting such weak enemies, but there were far too many to ignore.

"Jordan! These things just keep coming!" he shouted, landing a powerful blow on two Ombres at once. But despite his efforts, we were slowly being overrun.

Realizing there was no other option, I made a quick decision. I took to the air and began casting every spell I could; I cleared the area around Luffy before diving toward him, hand extended.

"Luffy, grab on!" I yelled, grabbing his arm firmly and lifting him off the ground. He clung tightly to me as we soared above the accumulating mass of Ombres below.

In a flash, I propelled us toward the glowing circle, the dungeon's exit point. The Ombres reached for us, their claws outstretched, but they were too slow. We landed in the glowing circle just in time, exhausted and covered in cuts and scratches.

The circle's light intensified, enveloping us entirely before teleporting us out of the dungeon, far from the immediate danger. In an instant, we were back on our island, but this time, we were wounded and tired. The Ombres had inflicted more damage than expected.

I gently placed Luffy down on the ground. He was also covered in scratches, and his clothes were torn in several places. "That was... really intense," he said, catching his breath, a tired smile on his face.

I collapsed next to him, exhausted as well. "We made it... but barely," I sighed, sitting up slightly. I knew we needed healing urgently.

I reached out toward Luffy and uttered a simple word: "Cure." A soft green light spread around us, healing our wounds, though I kept casting the spell since it wasn't quite strong enough on him.

"Here, drink this," I said, handing him a potion while keeping another on hand just in case he needed it.

We took the time to rest and eat, or rather, I had a bite to eat while Luffy devoured 30 kilos of Sea King meat.

Luffy stretched his arms with a relieved sigh. "Heh heh, I feel way better now!" He stood up, still smiling despite the intensity of the battle. "Next time, we'll get them for sure!"

I smiled back, despite the fatigue weighing on my shoulders. "I think we'll stick to Normal mode for now, Captain," I said with a nod. "We need to recruit more crewmates and improve a bit."

Luffy, still full of energy, crossed his arms. "Yeah, you're right! The stronger we get, the more interesting enemies we can fight." His smile was as wide as ever, but I knew he saw it as an exciting challenge.

I took a deep breath and continued, "And more importantly, we should get as far away from Dawn Island and Fuchsia Village as we can... Your grandpa might come, and I'm not sure you want to run into him."

Luffy's smile vanished instantly, his eyes widening in terror. "Grandpa?!" he repeated, his voice trembling. "No, no, no, he'll kill me if I stay here!" Luffy started running frantically around the camp, like he was desperately looking for a way to leave as fast as possible. "That guy is a monster!"

I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "So, he really is that scary, huh?"

Luffy nodded frantically. "You don't understand! He throws punches as big as cannonballs, and he loves hitting me!" He shuddered, recalling the "training" sessions with Garp. "We need to get out of here, fast!"

I nodded, amused but in agreement. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea."

We hurried to gather supplies for the journey. I grabbed a few barrels of fresh water, some food provisions, and some fruit that Luffy had found earlier. I stored them in my trunk, knowing they'd be useful for the voyage.

"Ready?" Luffy asked, already bouncing on the spot, eager to go.

"Yeah, we've got everything we need." I did a final check of the supplies before nodding.

Luffy leapt onto the Excalibur with renewed energy. "Alright, let's set sail!"

I raised the anchor and took the helm, watching the sails fill with the sea breeze. "Alright, we're heading for an island farther out. I heard about an ancient kingdom ruined by pirates, Oykot Island," I said, gazing at the horizon. "It'll be a good place to avoid your grandpa and maybe get some more training in. I've seen your fights, Captain..." I added with a sly grin, "You could use some better moves, I think. Plus, you can test them in Normal mode."

Luffy, sitting at the front of the boat, thought for a moment before turning back to me with a mischievous grin. "Yeah, you might be right… But you, Jordan, it's your body that's the problem!" he said, laughing with his arms crossed. "I'm gonna put you through some intense physical training!"

I looked at him, pretending to be offended, my eyebrows raised. "Hey! My body's doing just fine, thank you!" I replied, pouting a little.

Luffy burst out laughing, lightly punching the deck. "Heh heh heh! I'm serious, you could be better!"

I crossed my arms, mimicking his tone. "Oh, is that so? And what about you with your 'punch everything until it falls down' tactic, huh? Shall we talk about that?" I replied with a smug grin.

Luffy laughed even harder. "Heh heh, it's true, but it works!" he said, still laughing.

I eventually smiled, shaking my head. "Yeah, yeah, it works for now… but you're gonna have to mix things up a bit, Captain."

Still full of energy, Luffy patted his biceps. "First, I'm gonna make you as strong as me, and then I'm gonna get even stronger!"

I raised my hands in surrender, laughing softly. "Alright, alright, but we're starting slow, okay? I don't wanna be wrecked before we even get to Oykot."

Luffy winked at me before turning back to the horizon, arms crossed and a teasing smile on his face. "Don't worry, I'll push you just enough!" He tossed a rope toward me. "So, you wanna start by swimming in front of the ship?"

I stared at him, raising an eyebrow, then looked out at the ocean stretching before us. "You can't be serious?" I asked, incredulous. But Luffy gave me that big, familiar grin, the one that left little doubt: he was only half-joking.

I sighed deeply, shaking my head, then began stripping down to just my underwear. "You're really incorrigible," I muttered, tying myself securely to the ship with the rope.

Without wasting a second, I dove into the water, letting the ocean's cool embrace surround me. Thanks to Ariel's gift and the skill assistance of a Torpilote I had in my shadow, I glided effortlessly through the currents. My speed underwater was impressive, and I could feel the strength of the ocean accompanying every movement. With a powerful kick, I began pulling the Excalibur behind me, guiding the ship smoothly in the right direction.

Above me, I could hear Luffy laughing joyfully. "You've really got some speed!" he shouted from the deck.

Suddenly, as I continued to swim, I noticed a massive shadow moving beneath the water. A huge jawline appeared in the darkness—a shark of monstrous size, almost as big as the ship, was closing in, ready to swallow me in one bite.

"Luffy!" I shouted from below.

"I got it!" he replied immediately.

Before the shark had a chance to open its jaws and bite me, Luffy leapt off the ship, fists already at the ready. "Gum-Gum Pistol!" he yelled, striking the shark head-on, sending it flying out of the water with a resounding impact. The predator spun in mid-air before crashing back into the waves, defeated in a single blow.

I resurfaced, catching my breath with a smile. "Thanks, Captain!"

Luffy, still grinning, pounded his chest proudly. "No problem! But be careful, there might be more!"

I dove back under the water, but no sooner had I resumed my pace than another predator appeared. This time, it was a small Sea King, its shimmering scales and gaping maw coming straight for me. I prepared to dodge, but once again, Luffy spotted it.

"That one's gonna fly too!" he shouted from the deck before jumping into the air again. "Gum-Gum Bazooka!" His arms stretched and slammed into the creature with full force, sending it soaring through the air before crashing down with a massive splash.

I smiled, looking at the Sea King's body floating on the surface, then pulled out my Keyblade and quickly plunged it into the creature, gathering aquatic Sans-cœur: two Aquatanks and several Torpilotes joined my shadow instantly. "A good haul," I murmured before surfacing again.

Luffy leaned against the railing, looking at me with curiosity. "So, what did you find?"

I nodded. "Yeah, some Cramp. They'll be useful."

"And the Sea King meat?" he asked with a hopeful smile.

I chuckled softly and nodded. "Don't worry, I got that too. We'll have plenty for a good feast tonight."

Luffy rubbed his hands together, eager. "Cool!"

I kept swimming ahead of the boat, even more motivated after taking down the marine predators. Every time one of those sea monsters dared to approach, Luffy took care of it with enthusiasm, striking the creatures before they even had a chance to reach me. And with every victory, I collected Sans-cœur and meat, strengthening both our provisions and my army.

Eventually, after covering a good distance, I climbed back aboard the ship, exhausted but satisfied. "I think we're good for the day," I said, wiping the water from my face.

Luffy nodded, his eternal smile still on his lips. "You swam well! Next time, you should try with a few more sharks!"

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "I'll pass on that, captain."

(Nda: A small chapter just for fun, I hope you're enjoying this fanfic. I'll say it now, don't be too picky about the dates ^^)