Chapter 20: Black Fist Zefa

“Hmmm.”

Zéphyr stood with his arms crossed, silently observing his disciples and subordinates as they fought.

Each one of them had been personally trained by him through sweat and perseverance.

But no matter how thoroughly one trained, if they lacked real combat experience, that power remained nothing more than dead weight.

Only through battle could that power truly come alive—refined through firsthand experience and properly channeled.

As he had hoped, his disciples steadily gained experience and began to blossom.

Those facing their first real fight were understandably flustered. But he hadn’t raised them to be so weak that they’d die at the hands of mere petty pirates.

They’d survive. And that experience would become nourishment for further growth.

As he watched, Zéphyr shifted his gaze away from the skirmish below.

His eyes turned toward the upper deck, where officers were engaging high-ranking pirate commanders.

Among them, the officers were familiar—he didn’t need to assess them.

What caught his attention was the girl from Amazon Lily, newly enlisted into their ranks.

The one hailed as the next empress: Boa Hancock.

He began observing her, ready to step in and save her if she turned out to be just a child in over her head.

But gradually, his expression shifted, and an exclamation escaped his lips.

“She’s only nine? Unbelievable…”

Her swordplay was dazzling. He couldn’t identify the style, but it clearly focused on confusing the opponent’s senses, masking her intent, and striking with unnerving precision.

Every movement was meticulous and deliberate.

The image of a girl dancing among ethereal flowers, fluid and graceful, was mesmerizing.

But in that moment of captivation, her blade had already reached the opponent’s nape—cutting through lightly, yet lethally.

Her technique was fearsomely refined.

Her sense of timing and tempo were masterful. Even her Armament Haki was razor-sharp.

She had already reached the level of blackening her blade with Haki, allowing her to slice through enemies with mere touches.

And she was only nine years old.

Just imagining how far such a child could grow under his guidance…

It sent chills down his spine.

‘Should I really do this…?’

Zéphyr knew the higher-ups had entrusted the girl to him in hopes of building a positive relationship.

They probably assumed that training her would be enough to create lasting bonds.

But what they didn’t grasp—what set her apart—was Boa Hancock’s overwhelming talent.

Even now, as she gained experience in live combat, her swordplay was visibly evolving.

Becoming sharper. More refined. And more terrifying.

To improve mid-battle—what kind of monster was she?

He couldn’t begin to predict how strong she might become once that talent fully bloomed.

‘And if that power were ever turned against the Navy…’

A chill passed through him.

She wasn’t a child of the Navy, after all. She was a child of pirates.

Which made Zéphyr hesitate, his heart weighed down with unease.

But in the end, he couldn’t suppress his desire.

The higher-ups wanted him to teach her. And he, too, longed to test his teaching on a talent like hers.

He decided to take the risk.

If he trained her properly, she seemed the type who would repay that kindness and wouldn’t turn her blade against the Navy.

***

“Phew…”

“Grrr…”

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I let out a long sigh as my sword cut cleanly through the enemy’s neck.

There was no doubt—the strength of the outside world was on another level.

Back in the Kusa Pirates, I had never met an opponent who challenged me.

Even the captain had fallen to a single strike.

But here, I had to use Flower Breathing multiple times just to overpower a pirate commander.

Still, that meant I was improving.

If I could refine this further, my swordsmanship would reach the next level.

And if I could also learn Rokushiki and Haki from Zéphyr…

I glanced his way.

He remained motionless, arms crossed, silently watching me.

‘…The problem is, I have no idea how to ask.’

Originally, I’d planned to observe and copy him using the Copy-Copy Fruit.

But for that, he’d have to actually move around—do something I could watch.

It had been two days since I boarded this ship, and not once had Zéphyr made a move I could study.

So, with a quiet sigh, I focused on mastering the Copy-Copy Fruit.

At the very least, I’d reached the point where I could partially replicate Garp’s strength without my skin tone changing.

If I kept going at this pace, I could draw out his power while maintaining my original appearance.

I released the Copy-Copy Fruit’s effect and watched as my overly muscular arms returned to their slender form.

The bulging muscles were gradually fading.

I was definitely improving.

And if I could just add Zéphyr’s guidance to that…

It would be perfect.

Just as I was finishing off a pirate and preparing to collect the head—

“…Boa Hancock, was it?”

“That’s right.”

Zéphyr called out to me.

He looked straight at me, his gaze unwavering.

He said a single sentence before turning and walking back toward the command deck.

But that one sentence made me beam with joy.

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll train under me. I can’t bear to watch anymore.”

“…!!”

He couldn’t bear to watch, so he’d teach me himself.

Sure, the phrasing was a bit harsh—but who cared?!

The great Zéphyr was going to train me!

As he disappeared into the distance, I clenched my fists with excitement and finished cleaning up the battlefield.

The next day—

“Do you know anything about Rokushiki?”

“I do. It’s the Navy’s martial art, right?”

“That’s good enough. We’ll start by drilling the Six Powers into your body and build the foundation for controlling your physicality. Your swordsmanship is excellent, but a true Marine must be able to fight even without a blade.”

“I’m no Marine, but if you’re offering to teach me martial arts, I won’t say no.”

Zéphyr smirked at my cheeky tone and began the lesson with Rokushiki.

It was always his style to start there.

After all, the fact that I had been sent to him probably meant he was authorized to teach me that much.

That was how I interpreted it, at least.

(TL NOTES :

• Zéphyr is the original name of “Zephyr” from One Piece. 

• The term Rokushiki literally means “Six Styles/Forms” and refers to the Navy’s advanced martial arts system in the One Piece world.

•  Black Blade refers to blades that have been permanently imbued with Armament Haki, turning them black. )