Chapter 14

__________________________________________________________________

___________________________________

The chapter got you itching for more? Read ahead and get exclusive content before anyone else? Join me on Patr -e-on! Your support would mean the world to me.

( | p@treon.com/FictionGoat | )

. . . .

__________________________________________________________________

___________________________________

Troy brought Toshi along, starting to show him around the ship. From what Toshi could see, the ship was divided into four main sections. The first was the deck, followed by the dining and training rooms. The third section housed the medical bay and dorms, while the fourth contained the cells.

Troy guided him through most of the essential areas but left some parts unexplored.

"That's about it... well, most of it," Troy said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Then, with a grin, he added, "Now, let's introduce you to my friends." Without waiting for a reply, Troy skipped off down the hallway, gesturing Toshi to follow.

Toshi shrugged. He wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Troy, but curiosity nudged him forward. These were the people he was apparently going to "save the world" with, so he figured he might as well get to know them.

With his hands shoved into his pockets, he trailed behind Troy. After a few twists and turns through the corridors, they finally arrived at a large set of double doors. Without hesitation, Troy burst them open with one hand.

"HI, GUYS! MEET MY NEW FRIEND!" Troy bellowed, his voice echoing down the hall. Toshi, still lagging behind, winced at the noise. By the time he stepped into the room and turned to face the crowd, his eyes widening ever so slightly.

The room was relatively small, filled with couches and hammocks scattered haphazardly, giving it the feel of a laid-back chill spot or a cozy lounge rather than anything formal.

Sprawled out on one of the couches was a muscular man who appeared to be asleep. His limbs were built like tree trunks, radiating raw power. He wore a simple tank top, with intricate rose tattoos blooming across his forearms, and long, dark green hair cascaded down his face, completely obscuring it, before reaching all the way to his knees. A pair of simple gray shorts and worn slippers completed his whole attire.

Troy pointed at him with a grin. "See, that's Ragnar. He was a slave barbarian freed by Dragon-san. He's crazy in a fight, but he's otherwise pretty cool," Troy explained casually, as if the man wasn't even there to hear it.

Toshi felt literal chills run down his spine at the mere sight of Ragnar. 'Thank god I'm on his side… ' he thought, wiping away an imaginary tear in relief.

Before Toshi could dwell too long on Ragnar, Troy shifted his finger toward a girl. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be at least two or three years older than him. She had short, fiery red hair that framed her face and striking hazel eyes. Despite being older, she was definitely shorter, by just two or three inches.

Her build was lean, and she wore a simple orange jumpsuit with rugged black sea boots. Her hands were wrapped in old bandages, marked with faint stains of dried blood.. Strapped to her waist was a katana, the hilt battered and bruised.

If anything, she gave off the vibe of a tomboy, which Toshi wasn't exactly against.

"That's Rose," Troy began, his tone lighthearted. "And no, that's not her real hair color—she dyed it that way. She was also a slav—" He stopped mid-sentence, cutting himself off when Rose shot him a sharp glare. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Troy muttered, "Ehem… moving on."

He quickly redirected his finger toward a man sitting at a table in the corner, surrounded by an impressive collection of empty glasses and half-finished bottles of booze. The stench of alcohol hit Toshi like a punch, and he instinctively pinched his nose shut to block out the overwhelming odor.

"That's Sogeki," Troy groaned. "As you can probably tell, he's a drunken bastard."

Sogeki was tall and slender, he wore a simple white button-up shirt, its top buttons undone to reveal his broad chest, paired with a black vest that hung loosely, unbuttoned. His outfit was completed with black pants and scuffed brown boots, giving him a rugged, carefree look.

Sogeki had medium-length black hair that fell over one eye in a messy part, his dark brown eyes half-lidded with the effects of alcohol. A revolver was holstered at his hip, and a bandolier of bullets was slung across his chest.

"Heeyyyy... that's burp rude..." Sogeki slurred, managing to stand up from his seat, though unsteadily, with liquor still in hand. "What's up, new guy...?" he asked, wobbling as if he was on the verge of collapsing.

Toshi opened his mouth to respond, but before he could get a word out, Sogeki's legs gave out, and he toppled forward with a massive....

*THUD*, the sound of his fall echoing through the room.

He slammed face-first into the wooden floor with a loud *thud*, yet somehow managed to keep the liquor in his hands without spilling a drop. The room fell silent for a beat as everyone cast him a brief glance, then promptly returned to their own business, unfazed.

"Well, that's everyone except for two people... but they're currently out on a mission, so this is all for now," Troy said, giving Toshi a thumbs-up accompanied by a wide grin.

Toshi managed an awkward smile. "Good bunch of fellows here…" he muttered, though he could feel the weight of the glares directed at him from nearly everyone in the room...everyone except for Sogeki and Ragnar, that is.

"But why aren't you guys on missions too?" Toshi asked, his curiosity piqued.

Troy, ever the spokesperson, answered on behalf of the group. "We're still trainees… well, most of us are, except Ragnar. That's why we're heading to the Grand Line in the first place. The Freedom Fighters got a lot of new recruits, including you, so training is important...or at least, that's what Dragon-san said." Troy's explanation was casual.

The word Grandline alone sent a chill down Toshi's spine. ' These people are crazy... '

As the room settled back into its usual rhythm, Troy leaned against the wall, absently sipping from his juice box. His pearly blue eyes darted toward Toshi, and a sudden spark of inspiration lit up his face.

"Hey," Troy said, pushing off the wall and stretching his arms over his head. "What do you say we spar?"

Toshi blinked, caught off guard by the abrupt suggestion. "Spar? With you?"

"Yeah! Why not?" Troy grinned, cracking his knuckles loudly. "We're on the same team now, right? Gotta make sure you can hold your own when it counts. Besides…" He leaned in, his mischievous grin widening. "I've got to see if you're all talk, or if there's something behind that smug attitude of yours."

Toshi frowned, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh… there's a bit of a problem with that."

"Oh? What's the problem?" Troy asked, tilting his head with mock curiosity.

"I… don't know how to fight," Toshi admitted bluntly, his hands sliding into his pockets. "Like, at all."

Troy froze for a moment, blinking as if trying to process Toshi's words. Then, suddenly, he burst out laughing. "Wait, you're serious?" he asked, clutching his sides.

"Completely serious," Toshi replied flatly, not sharing in Troy's amusement. "So, sparring might not be the best idea."

"Oh, no way! That just makes this even better!" Troy said, his laughter subsiding as his eyes lit up with even more excitement. "If you can't fight, this is the perfect chance to learn. Besides, I'm not gonna hit you too hard. Probably."

"Probably?" Toshi raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"Don't be such a wimp, Toshi," Troy said with a smirk, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's see what you've got. Even if you suck, you'll still get better."

Toshi sighed heavily, realizing there was no getting out of this. "Fine," he muttered. There was no point in arguing with someone as adamant as Troy. Toshi knew that much. Agreeing to the sparring match would make his life easier, even if it meant embarrassing himself. It made his life easier, and if he was being honest, he was somewhat excited. At least now, he'd have the chance to learn a thing or two about fighting.

"That's the spirit!" Troy exclaimed, already running toward the hallway. "The training room's this way...let's go!"

A soft, girlish voice broke through the conversation, causing Troy to halt mid-step. "I'll come and watch," Rose said, her eyes gleaming with a hint of curiosity. She stood with one hand resting confidently on her hip, her other hand lightly gripping the hilt of her katana as she followed behind.

From the couch, Ragnar stirred, his large frame shifting as he sat up. His hair parted slightly, revealing bright brown eyes framed by thick green eyebrows and a stubby patch of hair on his chin. "I'll come too," he said, his voice deep and hoarse.

Sogeki, who had been sprawled drunkenly on the floor, suddenly shot upright with surprising energy. "Meeee THREEEE!" he slurred, raising his hand dramatically.

Toshi sighed inwardly. He knew he was going to lose, but being humiliated was an entirely different matter. He was a rather prideful guy, and losing now would deal a hard blow to his already fragile ego.

Troy's grin widened, brimming with excitement. "The more, the merrier!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

He turned to Toshi. "Looks like you've got an audience now. No pressure, right?"

Toshi groaned inwardly, already regretting his decision, but managed to force a weak smile. "Yeah… no pressure at all."

Toshi followed reluctantly, his steps heavy with doubt. As they entered the small training room, Troy immediately dropped into a loose fighting stance, his grin as wide as ever.

"No weapons, no tricks...just hand-to-hand," Troy said, beckoning Toshi forward with a cocky wave. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

Toshi sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is going to be embarrassing…" he muttered, raising his fists in an unpracticed stance.

"Hey, there's no shame in trying!" Troy said, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. "Let's see if you've got anything worth showing off."

Toshi exhaled deeply, muttering under his breath, "Here goes nothing…" Before he could think too hard, Troy lunged.

It wasn't a wild, telegraphed swing. It was precise and fast, the kind of speed that left Toshi's reaction embarrassingly slow. Troy's fist slammed into his stomach like a freight train, forcing the air from Toshi's lungs in a painful *whoosh*. He staggered back, clutching his midsection, gasping to recover.

"First lesson," Troy said cheerfully, circling him like a predator. "Don't drop your guard!"

Toshi barely had time to register the words before Troy closed the distance again, almost instantneously. This time, it was a sweeping kick aimed at Toshi's legs. The impact hit hard, sending him sprawling onto the wooden floor. He groaned, staring up at the ceiling, as Troy hovered above him, hands on his hips.

"C'mon, get up! I'm not even breaking a sweat yet!" Troy teased.

Gritting his teeth, Toshi pushed himself up. His arms trembled, but his pride kept him moving. "Fine," he muttered, raising his fists again.

Troy didn't waste time. He then threw a flurry of jabs, too fast for Toshi to block effectively. Each hit landed with pinpoint accuracy...one to his ribs, another to his shoulder, and finally a clean strike to his jaw. Toshi stumbled, his head spinning, and barely managed to keep his footing.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to fight," Troy said, chuckling as he danced back a step. "Turns out, I believe you!"

Toshi grunted, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. Toshi lunged forward swinging wildly, his punch wide and uncoordinated. Troy dodged effortlessly, weaving out of the way with a smirk. "Too slow!" Troy called, countering with a sharp shove to Toshi's chest that sent him back onto the floor.

Rose, leaning against the wall with her katana, tilted her head. "This is almost hard to watch," she said dryly.

Meanwhile, Sogeki, still nursing his liquor, cheered drunkenly from the sidelines. "Go get 'im, rookie! Or... maybe don't! This is great either way!"

Toshi groaned, rolling onto his side as Troy waited for him to getup again. "Lesson two," Troy said with mock seriousness. "If you're outmatched, don't just flail around. Think, then move."

"You think I'm not trying to think?" Toshi growled, hauling himself to his feet again. His body ached from head to toe, but he wasn't about to back down. Pride, stupidity, or a mix of both kept him standing.

"Well, whatever you're doing," Troy said, cracking his knuckles, "it's not working. Ready for round three?"

Before Toshi could reply, Troy closed in again, this time feinting a punch before sweeping low with another kick. Toshi tried to jump back but stumbled instead, catching the full force of the blow and crashing to the ground once more.

"Yup," Troy said, standing over him with a satisfied grin. "Definitely aaaaa loooot of room for improvement." He dragged out.

Troy wasn't wrong. Aside from the fights Toshi had in the ring, his opponents weren't exactly skilled martial artists. Most of them were slaves, much like himself, with nothing more than scraps of fighting experience, thrown into the pit and expected to die. Yet, they all seemed determined to kill him, leaving Toshi no choice but to defend himself.

From the sidelines, Ragnar finally broke his silence, his voice calm. "The way he is now... if he were to get into a real fight, he'd die instantly." His words cut through the air, blunt and unfiltered. Deep within his bright brown eyes was a glimmer of disappointment, like a blacksmith seeing a blade too broken to be of any use.

Toshi coughed weakly, propping himself up on one trembling arm. The weight of Ragnar's words hung over him, sinking into his chest like lead. The blunt truth was undeniable, and it made him tremble, not out of anger, but from the sheer fear it brought with it.

If Ragnar was right, and Toshi had no reason to believe otherwise, he wasn't ready. Not for the dangers that was in a world that he barely understood. He wasn't strong enough, not even close.

Troy crouched beside him, ruffling his own blue hair with a sigh. "Hey, don't feel bad. Everyone sucks at first. You've got potential, you just need someone to drag it out of you." He stood, offering a hand to help Toshi up. "Now, come on. One more round. I'll even slow it down a bit."

Toshi groaned but grabbed Troy's hand. As much as it hurt...both physically and mentally, he wasn't ready to give up just yet.

TO BE CONTINUED.

_________________________________

________________________________________________________

Want to read ahead? Check out my P@TREON.

( Patre0n.com/FictionGoat )