7. Black Oni Barn

3rd Person PoV

„Kahahaha, Aria, that Young Master of yours truly is something else! If I didn't already have advanced Observation Haki and coated my neck with Armament Haki, even I would have been wounded! Are you sure he is only eight? Even some of the assassins of the Black Rose Clan aren't this good at sneak attacks."

It was as Yuno assumed, the duo that he thought were enemy's were his Grandma Aria and a tall old man with a mixture of grey and black hair with one long scar from one ear to the other over his nose while another scar went all the way from the top of his head, over his left eye, crossing the first scar and ending at his chin.

„I'm sorry Barn. I didn't think the Young Master would attack you all of a sudden. I hope his ugly display won't change your mind on teaching the boy how to use the word."

Aria bowed lightly in the direction of the man now known as Barn.

„Kahahahaha, don't worry Aria, I don't mind. Its even the opposite, after seeing this attack of your Young Master I'm even more determined to teach him. Not only does he have a good head on his shoulders, but he also has balls of steel. He probably thought we were CP agents after what you told me happened to his mother. But instead of fleeing or simply freeze due to fear, he tried to sneak an attack on one of his enemys.

And if one doesn't have good Observation Haki, a body that can ignore bullets and sword attacks, or have regeneration like that kid Kaido, then one is in for a very hard time after that hit connected. As dodging was nearly impossible, with all these restriction suddenly applying to ones body.

But I also have to ask you something."

The first part of his speech made Aria relax a bit but when she heard the serious tone of the last part she grew tense again.

„Ask away."

„You really didn't teach him anything about the sword before today, and he also didn't practice on his own?"

Hearing what Barn wanted to know made Aria tense even more as she nodded. She didn't saw the attack of Yuno and as such she didn't expect what followed next.

„Kahahahaha, good. Good. GOOD! That kid of yours is a true natural. The way he pierced was something a normal person would only be able to achieve after six month of hard work, even those monstrous geniuses in my clan would only be able to reach that level after three weeks of hard work and under the strict guidance of one of the grandmasters. And this kid did it after picking a sword up the first time.

Kahahaha. He's a true monster. First I thought I would have to spent two years on his foundations and then another four to guide him on the advanced techniques, then sent him out to go and find his own path.

But now! Now I will only have to spent six to nine months on his foundations and 18 to 24 months for the advanced techniques.

Kahahaha! I decided. I will take the brat as my legacy disciple and spent the rest of my break here and teach him all my core techniques!"

Aria was left completely dumbfounded. One had to understsnd, that the man in front of her was once known as the Black Oni, an ex pirate that terrorized the grandline two generations before the ROCKS pirates.

He only retired because he somehow found one of the hidden clans. The Big Sword Clan. The Big Sword Clan was also one of the four great hidden Clans, and it was even the leading one, as such it was even stronger than the Woo D Clan.

After encountering them he grew excited and directly challenged the whole clan with his crew.

The result?

The total annihilation of the Black Oni Pirates and Barn surrendered and became an guest protector of the clan.

One might wonder how Barn came to know Aria. After all Barn is a guest Protector of a great Clan, while Aria is only a maid of a daughter of a branch leader. Their status was indeed worlds apart.

Well its actually pretty simple, Barn, not being born in a hidden clan didn't care about social status and once pursued Aria. But the Big Sword Clan was  different, as such when they learned of this, they were not very pleased to say the least, as such they interfered and even threatened Yunos mother and Aria. As such the relationship between them was cut down before it could even begin.

That was 25 years ago

But they still kept contact and became friends. And so Aria was able to ask for a favour from Barn in order for her Young Master to learn swordsmanship from one of the strongest swordsmen of the olden era.

„Your legacy disciple? Are you sure? I mean shouldn't you choose someone from your clan as your legacy disciple?"

„What you don't want this old man to take your Young Master as his legacy disciple? Am I the great Black Oni Barn, once the most feared pirate of his generation and guest protector of the Big Sword Clan not good enough?"

Hearing what Barn said, Aria grew a bit pale and trembled slightly, but that soon stopped. Followed by a slight sigh and then her pouting.

„Sigh you know what I mean Barn. You really are such a bully. Hmpf!"

„Aw you are really just as cute as that day, 25 years ago, Aria. But you should also know that the relationship between me and the clan is kinda tense since that day. And I would never take one of those stiff cocky Young Masters that have a giant stick up their ass as my disciple. Not to mention my legacy disciple."

He let out a low chuckle

„Furthermore, I have never seen a child with as much natural talent in the sword as that Young Master of yours."

After a long pause and silence between the two Barn started to speak again.

„Anyways shouldn't we take my legacy disciple and carry him to his bed, it seemed like todays training has to stop."

Just as Aria was about to agree, a loud crash sounded. After looking over the two could see a dust cloud just beneath the large tree that Yuno was hiding in.

After the dust settled, they could see many branches that looked like they had given up after they had to suffer an enormous weight. And on top of them lay the culprit. The training suit of Yuno. Seeing the tracksuit, Aria took a second look at her Young Master, only to see him only in his underwear. Witnessing this sorry state of Yuno made Aria grow a bit pissed.

‚This is really embarrassing.' thought Aria, then hmpfed in dissatisfaction.

„Hmpf I told the Young Master to never take it off. Seems like he wishes to be punished again."

With a sinister laugh, and after picking the track suit up, Aria started to walk towards their little house.

„Come Barn let's get back and have something to eat. Oh and please bring my Young Master with you."

After seeing her like that Barn had a cold chill travel down his spine.

„Woman are scary, no matter how old I get."

„Did you say something?"

Barn slightly twitched in fright and as he picked Yuno up and ran after Aria he answered with a small smile.

„Nothing my dear Aria."

...….

MC PoV

Ugh

Did I pass out again? That seems to happen too often, since I started training with granny.

Ah right granny.

Did I hear her before I passed out?

So did that mean that we really got a guest and the people that came were not enemys. Did I attack the first guest we had since we came here? How rude of me.

But first let's see were I am.

As I opened my eyes I could see myself lying inside the familiar room, that I occupied since I was 2. So I am in my room, that should mean that it was really granny and a guest and not some CP agents.

Sigh I will have to be ready for the earful I'm gonna get from granny.

And just then the door to my room opened and in came two people, first was granny with a tray of food, next was a man. The man was big, at least 430 cm, had black and grey hair, due to age I assume. He also seemed like a battle hardened warrior and a pretty strong one at that.

This was because of one, his two scars on his face, which meant that he was probably battle hardened, next was the fact that he used haki to defend my attack, which meant that he at least new Armament and Observation, after all I think my attack, even though it was weak was still well executed, if I say so myself.

He wore completely black clothes, that seemed to be a bit on the formal side, but still gave plenty of room to maneuver. Furthermore he had, which was the most interesting to me, a big sword on his waist. And it wasn't like the normal katana, that one could always see Zoro or the samurai in wano use, but more of a western broadsword style. It was at least 2 meters long, so it would have been a two handed weapon for a normal sized human, but for the man in front of me, it was a simple one handed sword.

„Good morning Young Master, you slept until dinner like usual."

Granny said with a smile, that was not a smile.

I got the chills and a very ominous feeling from the smile of granny.

„Here is your dinner. You better eat and then go to sleep, tomorrow will be a loooong day for Young Master."

As she already left the tray on the side table and was about to leave she suddenly yelled as if she had remembered something and turned back to me, following by throwing something to me.

„Ah I nearly forgot, here is your new training suit. As you had taken your old one off, I assume it was a bit too light so I had to go get you a new one. This one is one and a half tons, and I even went to the extra length to ask for one, which would restrict your movements a bit for you.

Ah and before I forget, you better not take it off anymore without my permission, or else the next suit will double your old one and restrict your movements so much, that even eating will be a test to your body."

The first half was already bad enough, but once I heard the second half and looking at Granny's evil cold look in her eyes I knew she was dead serious.

I considered arguing that I thought I were in a life and death situation and wanted to go all out, but I was afraid. Afraid that granny would skip this suit and go directly to the next one.

So I simply nodded and hurriedly wore the new suit.

And it was really heavy. And tight. It really somewhat restricted my movements. If I were to compare my combat power now with yesterday, when I wore the old suit, I would say that I had now around 60 to 70 percent of the combat strength. And that was even with my breakthrough in fruit ability a!ready in the equation.

After granny left the man that came with me looked at me with a hint of pity in his eyes. And he seemed as if he was considering to say something, but after looking at the door once, he just sighed and left after granny.

Just who was that old man. Maybe he wasn't that strong as I presumed, after all he seemed pretty meek in front of granny.

Sigh whatever. I better eat and go back to sleep, if granny specially said to rest early, I better do, else I will be in for an even harsher training, if I were to come late or I can't finish the new routine.