Rejection

The next day the Heavenly Demon's pretty much stayed within the confines of the inn. They spent the whole day training, only meeting up to eat. After Benjiro's performance each of them made large improvements but needed time to stabilise their improvements and adapt to their new strengths.

Sabo was disguised as Goku was practicing his staff play in the inn's courtyard. Ori who was sat on the roof watching nodded appreciatively.

[Sabo's reached the peak of the Staff Student boundary and is on the verge of breaking through to the Staffsman boundary. Thanks to Benjiro using his Inspiration fruit in conjunction with his music each one of us managed to increase our strengths by large margins.

Although Silk's insights into the way of a Martial Artist didn't increase, his level of armament haki has increased substantially. He's actually able to use hardening (turn a specific body part black). Even though he can't do it 100% of the time nor is he able to hold it for long, the fact that he can do it at all is an achievement in and of itself. Everything else will fall into place in due time.

Shaya's reached the 2nd stage of the Hawk Eye technique months ahead of Hawky's prediction and she actually awakened her blood fruit! Her strength has now long surpassed your average Vice-Admiral.

After breaking through to the S- Rank of the Pure Yang Physique Roman's body alone is now comparable to an average giant. If he was to dragonize, use haki and use Pure Yang Eruption… Even I can't accurately say how strong he is.

As for me other than my devil fruit evolution and my me breaking through to the Grandmaster Swordsman boundary, my Heavenly Demon Sacred Art has made great progress reaching the middle stage of the A rank. I should be able to break through to the A+ rank in about 7-8 months.

We have a little over a year left before we're supposed to meet Tsunade and her crew to start operation take down Kaido. If we keep improving at our current speed, I have confidence that we should succeed. The only variable is Big Mom, if things work out then her presence should increase our chances and if things work out according to Shaya's plans, we might even be able to use her to weaken Kaido's forces. We just can't afford to cross her bottom line and go all out with her yet.]

Just as Ori was lost in his thoughts he felt Benjiro's presence at the front of the inn. He slowly made his way over to greet him. They met on the path leading to the courtyard.

"Haha you came back."

Benjiro didn't reply immediately, he looked deeply into the eyes of the samurai who he now knew was Ori in disguise.

"What do you want?"

Ori who heard his words couldn't help but frown as he didn't understand the question.

"As in why I'm here?"

"In life… What do you want from your life?"

"To be the King of the Pirates!"

There was no hesitation when Ori spoke, he said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Benjiro wasn't shocked in the slightest, not a ripple could be seen in his eyes as he gazed into Ori's eyes. Ori didn't say anything else, he didn't understand why Benjiro asked that, but he didn't question it.

Finally Benjiro sighed and said.

"It's good to have a dream to work towards."

Ori was still confused but he still nodded in agreement. He then asked the handsome marine.

"What about you, what's your dream?"

Benjiro didn't reply immediately, he put his head down as he faced the ground as if he was ashamed to raise his head. He replied silently, if Ori's hearing wasn't so good he would've failed to heard him despite stood right in front of him.

"I wish to one day become a Musical Saint and make every living creature in the world feel joy and contentment, even if it's only for the duration of one song!"

Ori was momentarily shocked before he let out a little chuckle and said.

"That's a dream worthy of the musician in the future Pirate King's crew."

Hearing Ori's words, Benjiro raised his head in shock. He expected Ori to laugh at him for dreaming to high, but the laughter never came, instead he received something he'd never gotten from anyone. Belief!

Ori saw the surprise on Benjiro's face but didn't understand why the exaggerated response.

"What's wrong, do I have something on my face?"

Benjiro didn't answer Ori's question as he asked.

"You… You believe in me?!"

"A Master Musician under 30 years old? Why wouldn't I believe in you?!"

As Ori said that there was a hint of confusion on Benjiro's face?

"Master Musician?"

Ori looked at Benjiro with wide eyes and his jaw dropped as he realised what it meant if Benjiro reached his current boundary without proper training.

"You don't know the boundaries for the various paths?"

"Boundaries? Paths?!"

"But you said you wanted to be a Musical Saint? How could you know what a Musical Saint is but not know about the boundaries?!"

Benjiro was still confused but he still replied.

"It was my grandfather who told me the myth about the Saintly Pianist 500 years ago who was able to bring peace to a warring nation with a single melody. He told me that only a Musical Saint was capable of such a feat. I assumed that a Musical Saint was a title given when you reach certain heights like the Pirate King, I didn't realise their were actual boundaries."

It was then realised that Benjiro was far more talented than he already believed.

[To have become a Master Musician under 30 is already an incredible feat, but to do it without any guidance… He's a true musical prodigy!]

He then explained everything he knew about the path of a Musician which was fairly limited.

"There are several paths for you one to travel, for example the path of a musician like you, or the path of a swordsman like myself. Each path has certain boundaries, the information I can give you regarding the path of a musician is limited but the boundaries are:

1. Novice Musician – At which point one does it just for the sake of doing it.

2. Student Musician – At this stage you just start to understand the essence of music. Although you can't do much to affect someone at this stage you can still hear and appreciate the true essence of music.

3. Musician – Once reaching this boundary it means you've successfully comprehended Music Intent which can be used to influence those around you to some extent.

4. Master Musician – This being your current boundary is where you've started to really grasp the meaning of music intent and your control over your intent becomes more thorough as a result. Like you did with us at Khaylee's you can convey the true meaning of your song through your intent even if the other person doesn't understand the language.

5. Grandmaster Musician – As a musician isn't a combat specific path, it's not until you reach this stage where you can use your musical intent to not only influence others but also directly attack and defend.

6. Musical Lord – At the Musical Lord Boundary you would've comprehended your own music domain which increases the power of your music intent. I'm not sure about the specifics but it's not too important as it's a long way off.

7. Musical Saint – When you breakthrough to this stage your Music Intent transforms into Music Force. I'm not too sure about the specifics but according to the books I read in the past A Musical Saint is capable of defeating armies with a mere chord."

When he heard Ori's description, it was as if a light had been shined and he was no longer stumbling down a dark unknown path. Now he was able to see and walk down the path of a musician!

He looked at Ori with unhidden excitement as he said.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Seeing the excitement on his face, Ori shook his head with a smile as he said.

"Don't worry, it's the least I could do for the newest member of the Heavenly Demon Pirates."

When he heard that Benjiro clenched his fists and looked down at the ground.

"I… I… I can't join the Heavenly Demon Pirates!"

Ori frowned when he heard that. He wasn't angry about being rejected, it wa because he could see the hesitation and unwillingness on his face.

"I can't force you to share whatever's troubling you, but if it's about bringing us more trouble then you don't have to worry. As a member of our crew, your problems will be our problems, we'll all help to shoulder your burdens."

Benjiro shuddered as he heard that. There was a giant part of him that wanted to go and join Ori and his crew, but when he remembered the barricade that prevented him he steeled himself and rejected him.

"Thank you for your offer, but I'm a marine! In the future we'll be enemies, this is the last time we'll meet as friends!"

As he said that he turned and left. As he was walking away, he heard Ori's voice enter his ears.

"Even if we're on opposite sides of the law I look forward to the day you become a Musical Saint and inspire the world with a song!"

Benjiro clenched his jaws as he fought to hold back his tears.

Ori stared in the direction Benjiro left as he thought to himself.

[I wonder what it is that's holding him back…]