One Piece : Wild Hunt

Though Benienma prepared lunch, everyone, sans Atalanta, departed the Going Merry once they reached the Baratie. Lucy and the Straw Hats had originally ventured to the floating restaurant in search of a Cook, so, even though they had Benienma to prepare meals for them, they still wanted to ask around.
Shortly after the group took their seats in the restaurant, Thomas was surprised by Zeff emerging from the kitchen, his wrinkled face especially gruff-looking as he revealed, "That Drake woman asked me to pass on a message once you showed up. She said that clinging to the known goes against everything an adventure is supposed to represent before taking off with that idiot son of mine. Here, take this."
Accepting the letter Zeff offered him, Thomas opened it to find a mere two lines written. The first was telling him not to be too butthurt since she needed a replacement cook. The second teased that he wouldn't have to worry about Sanji hitting on his Servants or acting as a 'competitor' for the female Straw Hats' attention.
Exhaling a sigh, Thomas crumpled up the piece of paper before placing it into his pocket, meeting Zeff's gaze, and responding, "Thanks for passing on her message. I appreciate it."
Shrugging his shoulders, Zeff replied, "It's about time that brat set out to fulfill his dream. Anyways, the food's on the house today. Make sure to fill your bellies before setting out yourselves. The sea can be an unforgiving mistress, and you never know when your next meal will come..."
Punctuating his words, Zeff passed out menus like a skilled dealer at a casino before returning to the kitchen. In his wake, Thomas mulled over both his words and the letter penned by Drake, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty swelling within him as he imagined what the future would be like without one of the key members of the Straw Hats in the crew...
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After departing the Baratie, Nami insisted that their next destination be the Conomi Islands. She didn't want to set sail for the Grand Line without visiting her home, so, even though it took them twenty-three days in the opposite direction, that was where they headed.
Fortunately, while Drake was capable of piloting the Hind with her mind, she had insisted that Thomas learn how to sail properly. Caenis was also an experienced sailor, so the going was fairly smooth despite the journey taking 'a lot' longer than Thomas expected. This gave him plenty of time to acclimate to life on a 'normal' ship, and, to an extent, it demonstrated how the Straw Hats were able to improve so drastically between arcs. It simply took weeks to months for them to reach their destination...
By the time the Going Merry was preparing to moor at Nami's village, Cocoyasi, both Zoro and Lucy had made tremendous progress in their mastery of Observation Haki. Thomas also reduced the charging time of his energy blasts to one second, so his next goal was to channel a single beam for thirty seconds. This was easier said than done, but if he could master converting Mana into Magical Energy while actively channeling it, his battle capabilities would increase tremendously...
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As it wasn't his business to meddle in Nami's private life, Thomas didn't protest when he was asked to watch over the Going Merry while she and Lucy made their way ashore. In the anime and manga, it was common for the Straw Hats to split up upon reaching a new island, so he wasn't going to insist on following certain people around in the hope of seeing certain events play out. Rather, he intended to take Drake's advice and 'do as he pleased' when the opportunity presented itself.
With such thoughts in mind, Thomas readily accepted when Caenis asked if he wanted to take a bath together. The two of them didn't get to spend nearly as much 'quality time' together now that they occupied cabins that were separated by gender. They compensated for this by taking the same shifts and periodically fucking in secret, but living in such close proximity to other people was fairly stressful.
Shortly after entering the bath and reclining her back against Thomas's muscular chest, Caenis lazily droned, "We seriously need a bigger ship..."
Nodding his head in affirmation, Thomas replied, "Our next ship should be around the same size as the Hind. Unfortunately, it'll be another seven to eight months before we acquire it..."
Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Caenis fell silent for a few seconds before reaching between her legs to caress Thomas's painfully erect cock as she playfully inquired, "You can't help yourself, can you? Are you so infatuated with my body that we can't even bathe together without you entering into heat...?"
Without waiting for Thomas's response, Caenis leaned forward slightly, adjusting the position of her hips so that she could practically devour his cock as she sat back down, exhaling a faint yet audibly impassioned sigh as she did so. Thomas wasn't the only one that got horny when they were together. Rather, after more than a year of fucking at least 2-3 times a week, Caenis felt an aching feeling in her loins even when Thomas wasn't near her.
Leaning her head back, Caenis gazed up at Thomas with a teasing look as she remarked, "You got bigger...at this rate, ordinary women aren't going to be able to 'accommodate' you. Want my help seducing Nami before you outgrow her completely...?"
Smiling wryly, Thomas replied, "As cute as Nami is, I'm more than content with the woman currently sitting in my lap. If I 'outgrow' her, then I guess we just weren't fated to be..."
Snorting through her nose, Caenis was tempted to lambast Thomas and call him an overly sentimental asshat. Instead, she squeezed her thighs together and began twisting her hips, stimulating his cock as he reached up to massage her breasts and pepper her shoulder with kisses...
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After idling off the shores of the Conomi Islands for an entire week, the Going Merry returned to the Baratie one last time before setting sail for Loguetown, the final supply point for any ship looking to enter the Grand Line. It was also where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had been born and executed. As such, it was regarded as a pilgrimage site for every Pirate originating from the East Blue.
Fortunately, unlike the canon Thomas was familiar with, none of the Straw Hats had a posted Bounty by the time they reached Loguetown. Because of this, the Going Merry was allowed to moor within the city's main port after paying a docking fee, placing them fairly close to the many shopping districts within the world-famous city.
Before everyone departed to purchase various goods and supplies, Nami distributed funds to Zoro and Usopp, giving each of them a mere 100,000 Berries while setting aside 3,000,000 for herself and Lucy. They would be purchasing most of the food and supplies for the journey, as well as some other necessary items, so neither of the boys complained. As for Thomas, Drake had left him a decently-sized treasure chest filled with 80,000,000 Berries and a few gold bars worth approximately 200,000,000. Nami had already 'claimed' this as funding for the crew, but she allowed Thomas to take what he needed since he had willfully handed it over.
With Zoro and Usopp splitting off to do their own thing, Thomas accepted Nami's invitation to accompany her and Lucy around town. He understood she was essentially asking him to be their bag carrier, but he didn't mind as it invariably meant he would get to see them try on various outfits. He was also curious to see if Buggy and Alvida would make an appearance when they reached the execution platform, so he happily accompanied them while Caenis willfully stayed behind to watch over the Going Merry with Atalanta and Astolfo.
Matching Thomas's expectations, one of the first places Nami dragged him and Lucy to was a famous, high-class boutique named after one of the world's most renowned fashion designers, Rebecca Hanberg. Upon entering the store, Thomas earned a questioning look from Nami as he stopped in place, staring at the poster of a 'familiar' young woman with peculiar red and white hair.
"What's up?" asked Nami before following Thomas's gaze and inquiring, "Are you a fan of Uta's music...?"
Adopting a wry smile, Thomas replied, "I've never heard any of her songs. She just looks 'familiar' to me..."
Understanding what Thomas was insinuating, Nami's brows perked up as she imagined encountering the increasingly famous Diva. To her surprise, Lucy eventually noticed the two of them staring at the poster, walking over to join them before tilting her head to the side and remarking, "Oh, I know this girl. She's Sh-"
Before Lucy could say something potentially ruinous, Thomas interrupted her, stating, "You shouldn't disclose her identity publicly, Lucy. Her father is famous, and not in a good way. If people learned of their connection, all of her father's enemies would attempt to kill or kidnap her..."
Opening her eyes wide, Lucy responded with a surprised, "Oh..." before looking up at the poster, furrowing her brows, and asking, "Would people really do such a thing?"
Nodding his head in affirmation, Thomas replied, "Most Pirates are cruel and malicious people who do everything in their power to benefit from a situation. Nami should have told you about what happened at her village, and I've warned you about the dangers of the Celestial Dragons...never underestimate the depravity and wickedness of humans who seek power for the sole purpose of dominating others..."
Hearing Thomas reference her past, a sigh escaped Nami's throat as her previously good mood diminished. She understood he was using her as an example so that Lucy would comprehend the importance of what he was saying, but it still bothered her. Not being present at the time of Arlong's defeat denied her the 'closure' she would have obtained by witnessing his downfall directly.
Realizing he may have stepped on a landmine, Thomas's smile became even wrier as he muttered, "Sorry...as an apology, I'll foot the bill for a few of the outfits you pick out..."
Regaining her vigor in an instant, Nami was practically beaming as she exclaimed, "No take-backs...!" before dragging Lucy over to the location of the most expensive articles of clothing. She was still a little upset, but, understanding Thomas hadn't meant any harm, she put on a happy front that became authentic when he was forced to fork over nearly 3,800,000 Berries for the outfits she selected for herself and Lucy.
Though his smile visibly cramped when he saw the receipt, Thomas paid it without a fuss. The impromptu fashion show he had received was worth a few million Berries, and the weight of the bags wasn't too much to bear now that he possessed superhuman strength.
Fortunately, while Thomas originally planned to carry around the bags the rest of the day like a proper chaperone, Nami had them return to the ship to drop things off before making their way to the town center, the location of Gol D. Roger's execution platform.
Shortly after reaching the remarkably crowded square, Lucy made her way over to climb the metal scaffolding. She wanted to see what Gol D. Roger witnessed just before his death, so she ignored Nami's protests, pushing her way through the crowd with a starry-eyed smile on her face.
Just as Thomas was beginning to wonder if Buggy and Alvida were going to make an appearance, Benienma abruptly appeared from his shadow to inform him, "There are enemies, dechi..." Then, as if spurred by the petite sparrow's words, a very conspicuous group of people wearing tan cloaks forced their way into the square...
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(A/N: Nami is entrapping herself. Even if she's currently taking advantage of him, giving Thomas the boyfriend treatment will invariably make it a reality (O w O)...)

Immediately following Benienma's warning, Thomas's eyes widened as a tall and curvaceous woman approached the execution platform wearing a white cowboy hat and a pale pink cloak covered in hearts. As she moved through the crowd, men and women alike parted like Moses splitting the Red Sea, not because of the massive spiked club resting on her shoulder but because her beauty had compelled them to make way.
"Holy shit..."
Though the woman had yet to identify herself, Thomas recognized her as Alvida, one of the first Pirates Luffy faced during the version of One Piece he was familiar with. She started as a nearly ball-shaped woman with a horrendously ugly face, large feet, massive lips, and freckles, but after eating a Devil Fruit that turned her into a 'Smooth Woman,' she shed all of her weight and became one of the most beautiful women in the world...
While Thomas was momentarily awed by her beauty, much like the rest of the crowd, Alivda approached the base of the execution platform before calling out to Lucy, declaring, "I finally found you, Monkey D. Lucy. You're going to pay for what you did to me...!"
Unlike her original counterpart, who had become infatuated with Luffy for being the first man to strike her, the current Alvida hated Lucy to the core. She had nearly succumbed to dehydration after being stranded on a deserted island, and one of the only fruits she discovered ended up being a Devil Fruit that tasted like dog shit.
Not recognizing Alivda, Lucy tilted her head to the side and asked, "Do I know you...?" with a confused look on her face.
As she was incapable of telling how much her beauty had improved after eating the Sube-Sube-no-Mi, Alvida's expression darkened as she asked, "You forgot about me, Iron Mace Alvida, the most beautiful woman in East Blue...?"
Blinking in surprise, Lucy replied, "Huh? Alvida was a fat old hag covered in freckles. You look nothing like her."
"..."
Hanging her head in a way that allowed her cowgirl hat to conceal her face, Alvida smashed her gigantic mace into the ground, her voice a low growl as she asserted, "I will never forgive you..."
Interrupting Lucy's and Alvida's reunion, a bunch of men dressed in grey outfits, Loguetown's local militia, approached the execution platform, led by a mustached man with a bullhorn. His eyes widened when he noticed Alvida, but he eventually managed to return his gaze to Lucy, raising his bullhorn to shout, "Get down from there! This is a special execution site under the jurisdiction of the World Government! If you refuse to remove yourself, you will be apprehended and placed under-"
Before the man could finish issuing his warning, Alvida attempted to bat him aside with her spiked mace, aiming for his head. Even without her superhuman strength, such an attack would be fatal against an ordinary human. Thus, the moment the group appeared, Thomas moved forward, intending to intervene. The moment Alvida swung her mace, he emerged from the gathering crowd, intercepting her mace with his bare hand as he said, "Not today..."
Though she was 6'6''(198cm), Alvida had to look up at Thomas, her green eyes widening slightly as she asked, "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"
As he didn't want to ruin the rapport he had painstakingly established with Nami, Thomas's expression remained serious as he replied, "In this instance, your enemy..."
Without elaborating or providing his actual identity, Thomas destroyed Alvida's mace with a burst of Magical Energy. Then, even though her Devil Fruit provided her immunity to most physical attacks, causing them to slide off her body as if she was a frictionless surface, he grabbed her left wrist without issue, pulling her off balance before planting his knee in her lower abdomen.
Despite possessing superhuman strength, Alvida was ultimately a Pirate whose Bounty had stagnated at a mere 5,000,000 Berries. Thomas held back considerably, but she ended up stumbling forward like Cell after getting his guts punched in by Gohan, eyes bulging out as she held her stomach.
Though Thomas's actions earned him the ire of nearly everyone in the crowd, including the man he had just saved, their protests were promptly silenced by the sound of an explosion. At the same time, the large group wearing beige cloaks charged forward, led by a man with a shiny red nose that was visually indistinguishable from a clown's prop nose.
While the crowd rapidly dispersed, the red-nosed man, Buggy the Clown, shouted, "Get them! Don't let them escape, even if it kills you...!"
Removing their cloaks, Buggy's crew charged at Thomas like a rogue circus troupe. The former had originally intended to capture Lucy and execute her in public, but his plans changed when Thomas incapacitated Alvida. Not because he had any particular fondness for the remarkably smooth and beautiful woman, but because the man he sent to capture Lucy was effortlessly avoided due to the latter's burgeoning mastery of Observation Haki.
Grinning like a demon, Thomas's excitement compounded as he smacked his chest and shouted, "Bring it on, bitches...!"
Though Thomas didn't possess Conqueror's Haki, those closest to him immediately backed down when they saw the excitement on his face. His muscular frame and height of 220cm were also fairly intimidating, so none of them wanted to be the first to approach.
"You damn cowards...!" exclaimed Buggy before kicking out and pointing the tip of his shoe at Thomas, completely ignoring the presence of Alvida as he shouted, "Eat this! Secret Muggy Shot...!"
Having imagined how he would deal with Buggy, Thomas responded to the man's 'secret attack' by erecting a trio of convex barriers layered on top of each other. When the tiny red ball came into contact with the first shield, it immediately exploded into an enormous plume of fire. However, while the explosion was able to shatter the first barrier with ease, it barely affected the other two.
Before the fire and smoke cleared completely, Thomas charged forward with his barriers intact, emerging from the other side like a paladin about to execute a shield bash. Buggy, not anticipating this, went wide-eyed as Thomas barreled toward him like a runaway train. He crossed his arms in a defensive posture but was sent flying by the force of the blow, crashing through several of his men.
While his attack was successful, Thomas blinked in surprise as he didn't push Buggy back nearly as far as he expected. The moment he impacted the much smaller clown, it was like he had struck an exceptionally sturdy tree. Buggy was sent flying, but the man showed no visible signs of injury as he pushed himself to his feet and threatened, "You're going to pay for that..." with an expression that could humble Pennywise.
Following his words, Buggy reached into his cloak and pulled out eight custom-made knives, wielding them between his fingers. However, before he could launch himself at Thomas, a fist moving fast enough to generate shockwaves slammed into his face, propelled by a thick trail of smoke. At the same time, a small army of Marines wielding flintlock rifles surged into the square, surrounding Buggy, his crew, Thomas, the downed Alvida, and the execution platform.
Though he hadn't done anything wrong, a group of Marines aimed their rifles at Thomas, some shouting, "Hands in the air!" while others shouted, "No sudden movements...!"
"..."
Before Thomas could point out the contradiction, a pair of diminutive yet powerful hands gripped his shoulders like a vice, causing his eyes to widen as he was abruptly lifted off the ground and flung high into the air. He instinctually bolstered the veil of Magical Energy protecting his body, but it was ultimately unnecessary as Lucy leaped up to catch him, smiling broadly as she remarked, "You did well by saving that old man. I panicked a bit when Alvida swung her club at his head."
Despite the rather large disparity in their sizes, Lucy touched down on top of a building while casually supporting Thomas in a princess carry. She immediately set him down, but that didn't stop him from furrowing his brows and appearing embarrassed as he replied, "It was no big deal..."
Amused by Thomas's reaction, Lucy was about to tease him a bit but was preempted by him stating, "We need to regroup with Nami and the others. We didn't do anything wrong, but that won't deter the Marines from trying to arrest and interrogate us."
Nodding her head, Lucy attempted to pick Thomas back up, but he raised his hand while moving away from her, smiling wryly as he asserted, "I can run on my own..."
Shrugging her shoulders, Lucy replied, "Suit yourself," before leaping from the building they were standing on, easily clearing several others. Thomas followed suit, but he had to leap from building to building, not because he wasn't capable of jumping much further, but because he couldn't properly control his strength. If he made a mistake and overshot the roof he was aiming for, he would end up crashing through the building on the opposite side or landing heavily on the pavement. The latter wouldn't harm him, but the thought of destroying someone's house or business deterred Thomas from being too reckless...
Spitting in the face of Thomas's good intentions, a fast-moving stream of smoke attempted to overtake him by passing around his body. Instead, it crashed into him with the force of a small car, surprising the ashen-haired Marine that tried to obstruct his path. Shortly after that, the two of them crashed through the exterior wall of a bakery, destroying several displays containing fresh bread and pastries.
Bounding to his feet, Thomas's expression morphed into a scowl as he exclaimed, "Are you serious!? Couldn't you have flown around instead of attempting to pass around me for dramatic flair!?"
Rising to his feet alongside Thomas, the Marine that had crashed into him had a comparably ugly expression on his face as he pulled out several cigars from his jacket, lighting them up before asking, "Was that Haki? I didn't expect an upstart Pirate from the East Blue would have access to something like that..."
As he had yet to do any actual pirating, Thomas snorted through his nose and asked, "What upstart Pirate? I stepped in to save that Police Captain from having his head splattered and then repelled Buggy the Clown. Your men surrounded and aimed their rifles at me for no reason, and now we've ruined someone's business because you wanted to show off...!"
"..."
Though his expression became even uglier, the bare-chested man, better known as Captain Smoker, didn't lash out or attempt to refute Thomas's words. Instead, he looked around at the destroyed bakery, narrowing his eyes at a middle-aged man standing behind the register with a mortified look on his face.
Despite wearing an expression that made it appear as though he was about to skin the man alive, Smoker's gravely voice was calm as he said, "Send an invoice to my office before the end of the week. I'll see that you are properly remunerated for the trouble we've caused you."
Without waiting for the man's response, Smoker turned his attention back to Thomas, revealing, "I am Captain Smoker of the Marines. If you're truly not a Pirate, you'll follow me outside. I have some questions for you."
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied, "So long as you don't ask me to accompany you down to your headquarters, I don't mind answering a few questions. I'm having trust issues after having a dozen men point rifles at me for no fucking reason..."
Exhaling an enormous plume of smoke, Smoker remained silent for a few seconds before replying, "Fair enough. Once I ascertain your identity and confirm you're not a Pirate, I'll lower my head and publically apologize on my men's behalf."
"..."
Though he vaguely recalled a scene of Smoker apologizing after a little kid bumped into him with her ice cream, Thomas didn't expect him to be so...agreeable. He was originally thinking about how he could escape the man's pursuit, but, as there wasn't a thunderstorm raging outside, he doubted that Dragon, Lucy's father, was present. Even if he was, there was no guarantee the man would step in to save him. Thus, after several seconds of deliberation, he replied, "Fine, let's talk..."
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(A/N: Thomas is a feminist, confirmed...)

While Lucy was dragged off by Nami for a private discussion, Thomas stood in a group with Zoro, Usopp, Caenis, and Astolfo to explain the basics of Haki. Atalanta was also present, but she was perched in the crow's nest while Benienma broke off from everyone to prepare lunch.
With everyone's attention focused on him, Thomas started things off by saying, "Keep in mind that I'm not exactly an 'expert' when it comes to Haki. While I am familiar with its awakening, training, and advancement methods, my constitution prevents me from learning Haki. However, my Reinforcement Magecraft is functionally similar, so I'll be utilizing it as a visual aid during my explanation."
"Put simply, Haki is spiritual energy, given form and function through a person's will. It typically awakens during a crisis, specifically when a person's desire to survive or overcome an obstacle manifests as a burst of awareness, fighting spirit, or intimidation. The former provides insight, while the latter two allow you to endure attacks, strengthen your own, or overwhelm your opponent with a burst of willpower that can suppress or knock them unconscious."
"Though different cultures have different names for them, people in the Grand Line refer to the variants of Haki as Observation, Armament, and Conqueror's Haki. As the names imply, Observation Haki increases your perception of the world around you. When mastered, it lets you read the flow of a person's attacks and, at the highest levels, see a few seconds into the future. Armament Haki allows you to strengthen your body and weapons, drastically increasing your strength, speed, endurance, and, in the case of swords, their cutting ability. The advanced form of Armament Haki, known as Ryo in the land of Wano, allows you to project it outside of your body like a wave, destroying your opponent from the inside or letting you slice through objects far larger than the length of your sword..."
Though Thomas's explanation of Observation Haki had captured his interest, Zoro's eyes became fiery when he heard the description of Armament Haki. Most of the swords he wielded ended up shattering due to his immense strength, so Armament Haki was exactly what he needed to preserve his weapons and push his swordsmanship to the next level.
Fortunately, while Zoro was clearly interested in Armament Haki, he didn't interrupt Thomas's explanation, allowing him to explain, "The final version of Haki, Conqueror's Haki, is by and large the most powerful. It's also the rarest, so much so that only a handful of people worldwide can access it. To that end, it is also known as Supreme King's Haki, distinguishing those in possession of it as having the capacity to rule over others."
"What makes Conqueror's Haki so powerful, besides its ability to suppress entire crowds of people, is its ability to amplify the other manifestations of Haki. Combined with Observation Haki, it permits you to immobilize your targets with a glare, erase your presence, and block others' ability to peer into the future. When combined with Armament Haki and infused into your body or weapon, it drastically increases the potency of attacks, allowing you to ignore the Armament Haki of others outright. In other words, if you encounter someone who's mastered Conqueror's Haki and don't possess it yourself, you are pretty much fucked..."
Understanding the implication of Thomas's words, Zoro remarked, "So if I want to become the World's Strongest Swordsman, I'll need to master at least Armament and Conqueror's Haki."
Nodding in affirmation, Thomas replied, "Generally speaking, those who are qualified to obtain Conqueror's Haki have some degree of mastery in both Observation and Armament Haki. Being able to read the trajectory of projectiles, predict the future, and sense hidden foes is pretty useful in a world where people can fuse with the environment and become invisible."
Returning a nod of his own, Zoro replied, "Fair point," before asking the most pertinent question, "Now, how do I awaken and train my Haki? If it were as simple as placing myself in dangerous, life-threatening situations, I would have awakened it long ago."
Catching Zoro a little off-guard, Thomas revealed, "Odds are, you already have. Haki lies dormant within all living creatures and can even manifest in inorganic objects once they've accumulated enough spiritual energy. To have reached this point, distinguishing yourself from 'normal' people, you must have already awakened your Haki. You just need to learn how to tap into it."
Raising his right hand, Thomas began to condense Magical Energy into his fist as he added, "In the case of Armament Haki, you need to visualize the effect you wish to achieve. Imagine your spiritual energy and willpower as an invisible energy that you can channel into certain parts of your body or extend through your blade. Once you reach a level where you are attuned to both yourself and your surroundings, you can theoretically cut through anything."
Lowering his hand, Thomas smiled as he said, "To that end, it's better to focus on Observation Haki early on. It's the easiest to awaken but second only to Conqueror's Haki in terms of difficulty to master. As for the actual method, you simply need to blindfold yourself and have people attack you at random. Once your desire to sense and react to said attacks increases beyond a certain threshold, you will naturally awaken Observation Haki. Once you do, you will have a much easier time training Armament Haki as you'll eventually be able to sense the spiritual energy within yourself, your surroundings, and others."
Raising his brows, Zoro questioned, "I just have to blindfold myself and let people attack me? It's that simple...?"
Shaking his head, Thomas replied, "Unless you have a natural affinity with Observation Haki, it's actually 'very' difficult. However, as an exceptionally skilled swordsman, you should have a fairly easy time since you're already capable of focusing your intent and have likely mastered a few meditation techniques. With proper focus, all you need is a strong enough desire, and you will attain it naturally."
Adopting a vicious smile, Zoro asserted, "If that's all it takes, I'll awaken it within a week," before pulling his iconic dark-green bandana from his arm and tying it around his head, covering his eyes. He typically only donned said bandana when he got 'serious,' so wearing it demonstrated just how eager he was to awaken and master Haki.
Exhibiting this point further, Zoro's expression and tone hardened as he said, "I trust that you're telling the truth. Therefore, I will not remove this blindfold until I awaken Observation Haki..."
Smiling wryly, Thomas replied, "That's the proper conviction to have. And don't worry, this is the training method developed by Silvers Rayleigh, the First Mate of Gol D. Roger. The first phase is getting used to going about your daily life with a blindfold. The second phase is surviving on an island inhabited by predators. Animals are a lot more 'honest' than people, so it's easier to sense their intent. After that, the last stage involves dodging the attacks of humans. Once you can dodge a hundred attacks from someone adept at hiding their presence or concealing their intent, you can be said to have mastered the basics of Observation Haki."
"Fortunately for you, Benienma is exceptionally skilled at concealing her presence. Once you reach the point where you're ready to face a human opponent, I'll ask her to help with your training."
As Thomas had already revealed some pretty outlandish things, Zoro didn't question how he knew the training method of someone like Silvers Rayleigh. Instead, he felt excited by the prospect of reaching a point he could dodge both animals and people with his eyes closed...
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With no animals to train against, Zoro settled on having Lucy help with his training while the Going Merry made its way over to the Baratie. The latter couldn't even lie without assistance, so she was pretty much incapable of deception. Thus, even though it was much too soon for him to delve into the second and third stages of Observation Haki training, Zoro asked Lucy to spar while Usopp randomly fired at him with a slingshot.
While Caenis criticized him for getting ahead of himself, Thomas believed Zoro would be able to rouse Observation Haki in record time. He was the one Straw Hat that never stopped training and attempting to improve. In the latter chapters of the manga, he could be seen lifting massive weights with his feet while doing upside-down pushups on his thumbs. If anyone could awaken Observation Haki in a week, it was him.
Not wanting to be left behind, Thomas positioned himself at the back of the quarterdeck, working to improve the rate at which he converted his Mana into Magical Energy by gathering it in his hands and unleashing it in the form of a laser-like energy blast. His current goal was to unleash an energy blast comparable to a cannonball within one second of charging. At present, it took him around fifteen seconds to gather that much energy, but that was a substantial improvement over the two and a half minutes it required a few months prior.
Seeing Thomas fire off destructive beams from his palm, creating large plumes of water whenever his attacks impacted the surface of the sea, Nami couldn't help feeling he would become a monster in the future. At the same time, she felt trepidatious about the types of adversaries they would face if even the power to create explosive lasers wasn't considered sufficient to triumph within the Grand Line...
With such thoughts in mind, Nami waited until Thomas was taking a break before approaching him to ask, "In this 'alternate reality' you viewed, what kind of techniques did the me there use? She must have undergone some kind of special training to be able to support Luffy and the others..."
Smiling wryly, Thomas questioned, "I thought you weren't going to ask about the future anymore?"
Furrowing her brows, Nami stated, "If we're going to venture to places with giant monsters and people capable of destroying mountains, I need to be able to defend myself. I don't want to be a liability to Lucy and the others..."
Though he exhaled a sigh through his nose, Thomas didn't feel any real trepidation about replying, "You used a unique weapon known as a Clima-tact, a custom bo staff created by Usopp. It wasn't particularly powerful early on, but you were eventually able to upgrade it to the point you could emulate thunderstorms and create illusions. Beyond upgrading your staff, you primarily focused on improving your navigational and meteorological skills..."
"I see..." responded Nami, a thoughtful expression developing across her face. She didn't require a more thorough explanation to understand that she was probably one of the weaker members of the crew. Now that she had the opportunity to change things, she was determined to be stronger than her alternate reality counterpart. After all, if they were 'fated' to fight against the most powerful beings in the world, remaining powerless would jeopardize herself and others.
With a serious expression on her face, Nami looked up at Thomas and asked, "Do you think Caenis would help me train if I were to ask her? She seems pretty strong..."
Adopting an even wrier smile, Thomas replied, "She would probably agree if I were the one to ask, but I honestly wouldn't suggest it. Caenis can be fairly brutal, so you would be better off asking Lucy, training your body, or focusing on awakening Haki. If Lucy isn't an option, you could try asking Astolfo. Despite her appearance, she could probably body both Lucy and Zoro at their current level."
Blinking in surprise, Nami questioned, "Seriously? I noticed that she wears armor, but she doesn't really strike me as the combative type..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas retorted, "That's something you should keep in mind, especially once we reach the Grand Line. First impressions can be deceiving. Take Benienma, for example. She looks like a harmless child, but she's the fastest and second strongest person on the ship right now. She can also conceal herself in shadows and move about completely undetected, so she's even more dangerous than Caenis."
"..."
Though she knew Benienma was dangerous, hearing Thomas mention her capabilities caused an involuntary shudder to permeate Nami's body. She initially believed this was merely the result of his words, but the truth was far more terrifying as the moment Thomas finished speaking, a child-like voice emanated from behind her, questioning, "Did Master call Benienma, dechi...?"
...
..
.
(A/N: Danger birb...)

Chapter 34: The City of Beginnings and Endings