The next morning, true to my word, I dedicated most of the morning to training Koby, Kuina, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp.
To start, I took Koby and Usopp to Destiny Island, straight into Hard Mode. This time, I decided to intervene as little as possible, choosing instead to observe. This was their trial.
From the moment we arrived, the air grew darker and the shadows began to stir, swarming like a black tide. No fewer than six hundred Heartless erupted from the ground and cliffs, their yellow eyes blinking in unison. But to my pride, Koby and Usopp didn't falter. Not once. They exchanged a simple look, a small nod… and charged.
Koby went in first, his sword strikes cutting the air with new precision, his movements steadier than before. Usopp hung back slightly, covering his friend with accurate shots from his new magic bow and rifle. Every time a group of shadows tried to flank Koby, a flash of light from an arrow or the crack of a bullet would scatter them.
In less than fifteen minutes, the six hundred creatures were nothing but dust and fading darkness. But the real test had only just begun.
The ground suddenly trembled, and four Darkside titans emerged, their towering silhouettes dominating the island. Their fists rose into the sky, ready to crash down like meteors.
"You two take on two, I'll handle the others," I whispered calmly. Without delay, I unleashed a storm of lightning and fire upon two of the giants, consuming them until nothing remained. But my eyes stayed fixed on Koby and Usopp. This was their moment.
Usopp charged his opponent with unexpected audacity. Taking advantage of the Darkside's massive, slow movements, he scrambled up its shadowy arm like a cat. With a leap and a quick swing of a modified grappling hook, he vaulted up onto its shoulder. Swiftly raising his rifle, he aimed, fired… and shattered the glowing eye dead center. The colossus staggered, let out a guttural roar, and then collapsed, dissolving into a shower of dark sparks.
Meanwhile, Koby faced his Darkside with icy determination. He didn't try to match brute force; instead, he aimed for weak points. His blade tore violently into the giant's ankles, slicing through its tendons of shadow. The titan wavered, losing its balance. Koby seized the opening, springing up its back. With fluid motion, he climbed to its neck, drove his sword deep, and sliced clean through. The Darkside froze, its eyes dimmed, then it toppled and dissolved into nothingness.
Silence fell over the island. Waves lapped softly against the shore, a stark contrast to the titanic clash that had just ended.
I looked at them, standing there covered in sweat, breathing hard, but victorious. A smile tugged at my lips."Not bad at all…" I murmured. "Each of you took down a Darkside one-on-one. You're already stronger than before… and you'll keep getting stronger." I grinned.
Usopp gained an extra equipment slot and 1 potion.
Koby obtained the Shadow Step skill (allowing him to sink into the ground like the Heartless to dodge or move).
Jordan gained 600 Shadows and 4 Darksides (Hard Mode) plus 1000 munny.
Exiting the dungeon, I called Sanji and Zoro over."Your turn now. Show me what your coordination's worth."
Shadows burst from the ground immediately, massing into dark waves rushing toward us.
Sanji lit a cigarette calmly, his gaze sharp."No need for long speeches. I'll clean this up fast."
Zoro drew two of his blades, his expression blank."As long as you don't get in my way."
They moved as one. Sanji launched himself into the thick of the creatures, spinning and darting between them with fluid grace. Each kick cracked like a whip, shattering Heartless as if they were made of glass. Zoro, on the other hand, marched straight into the center, carving through the darkness with brutal, precise strikes, leaving a trail of dissipating silhouettes in his wake.
"Still in a straight line, huh?" Sanji taunted as he spun through a cluster of shadows with a roundhouse."And you're still dancing around," Zoro shot back without glancing up, his implacable march cutting deeper.
When the Darksides appeared in the distance, I halted my own ice barrage to watch them."The shadows are nearly gone. Sanji, team up with Zoro — test yourselves against them together."
Sanji took a running start and leapt, his foot slamming into the head of a Darkside with a sharp crack.Zoro gritted his teeth but stayed focused on his own, his blades gleaming faintly as he cut into the creature's legs to bring it down.
They fought without wasting breath on words, each maintaining their own style yet finding a natural rhythm together. Sanji struck high, his feet pounding into the torso and head of his opponent, while Zoro focused on footwork and decisive slashes. Their foes fell almost simultaneously, two massive shadows dissolving into the wind.
"Hm. Not bad," Zoro muttered, sheathing his swords."Not bad yourself," Sanji replied, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Not bad. These Heartless are still stronger than someone like Krieg, but their specialty is spawning more shadows, so they're mostly persistent by nature."
Zoro obtained a Shell Necklace and 1 potion.
Sanji obtained a Shell Necklace and 1 potion.
Jordan obtained 600 Shadows, 4 Darksides (Hard Mode), and 1000 munny.
"Looks like the rewards are dropping…" I muttered as I checked the floating notification. "But I don't know if that's because of you two… or because I already ran this dungeon earlier with Koby and Usopp."
Sanji and Zoro immediately turned their eyes on me, curiosity and suspicion glinting in equal measure.
Zoro furrowed his brow."Hm. This necklace I just picked up… what exactly does it do?"
Sanji exhaled smoke to the side."And what's with this whole 'because of you' thing? What's that supposed to mean?"
I raised a calm hand."In order. The necklace boosts defense, plain and simple. Nothing more, nothing less. And as for your question, Sanji… what I meant is that both of you already have insane raw strength. The dungeon probably considered the level too easy for you, so the rewards were adjusted."
Zoro gave a slow nod, studying the necklace with a neutral look before slipping it on."So, the harder it is, the better the payoff. Nothing new there."
Sanji smirked ironically as he put his own on."Alright. I thought you were saying we screwed something up," he said.
Once we stepped out of the dungeon, Sanji stretched and cracked his shoulders."Okay, guys. I'll leave you for now. Someone's gotta think about your stomachs. Set me up with a tougher session next time so I can have some fun too." With that, he strolled off toward the little hamlet, whistling.
I turned to Zoro and Kuina. Koby was still sweating through his drills, his awkward movements patiently corrected by Kuina. The young woman adjusted the position of his shoulders, fixing his guard with precise, almost motherly gestures.
"Kuina," I called softly. She looked up at me. "Join Zoro — we're heading out together. Destination: Traverse Town."
Koby frowned slightly, still catching his breath."Already? You're heading off to another world again?"
"Of course. Everyone needs at least a few accessories, and it helps us keep gaining combat experience," I said with a smile. "And the best part is… I keep collecting more Heartless."
I opened the portal, and we stepped out directly into Traverse Town. But the First District wasn't exactly the same as during my first visit.
The damp cobblestones reflected the dim glow of the streetlamps, and an eerie silence hung in the air, broken only by the heavy steps of patrolling Heartless. Yet one detail caught my eye immediately: the shop on the left still seemed "alive." A faint glow persisted through its windows, and a thin translucent barrier protected the entrance like an invisible shield against the darkness.
"Hm… interesting," I murmured.
No time to waste."Zoro, Kuina, take care of the Large Bodies and Soldiers. I'll handle the Air Elementals."
Without hesitation, they drew their blades. Zoro charged ahead with his usual brutality, his new swords slicing through Soldiers as if their bodies were nothing but paper. Kuina, more agile, dodged a Large Body before striking its side — but her blade bounced off its swollen belly like steel against iron.
"Tch… their bellies are armored," she noted, stepping back."No problem," Zoro replied coolly, cutting one clean from behind. "Just aim somewhere else."
I took to the skies, my hands crackling with magic. A storm of lightning, fire, and ice rained down on the flying elementals, countering their resistances and wiping them out in swarms, leaving nothing but fading wisps.
In under five minutes, the First District was completely cleared. At the same time, the translucent barrier blocking the main gate dissolved like mist.
I pushed the door open gently, with Zoro and Kuina right on my heels. The shop's light grew brighter, and inside… three familiar figures bounced excitedly.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie. (riri, fifi et loulou en français)
"Welcome, customer!" the three chimed in unison, their voices almost mechanical.Kuina froze, her eyes wide."Talking… ducks?!" she blurted, stunned.
Zoro turned toward her, looking exasperated."Really? That's what shocks you? You can literally turn into a gorilla. We hop between worlds like it's routine, and this is what gets you?"
Kuina's cheeks flushed red, and, annoyed, she discreetly pinched his arm, earning a surprised grunt.I sighed, amused, before stepping up to the counter. The three didn't seem entirely "themselves," their smiles frozen, their tone too mechanical. Trapped in a role, just like Phil at the Coliseum.
"I've got munny. Show me what you've got.""Potion: 100 munny," Louie declared in a flat tone."Ether: 200 munny," added Dewey."Berry-to-Munny conversion: 100 for 1," finished Huey.
"I've got 3,000 munny. Give me ten potions. Convert the rest into berries."All three nodded in perfect synchronization."Here are ten potions. And two hundred thousand berries. Thank you for your purchase, customer."
Their vacant eyes stared straight ahead, motionless, like deactivated automatons.A slight shiver ran down my spine."Let's go," I muttered, pushing open the door, not wanting to linger in that eerie atmosphere.
We moved on through the next districts. Heartless surged from every direction, but the three of us together cut through them with ease.Zoro carved through enemies with brutal efficiency, Kuina — empowered by the gorilla's strength — leapt and struck with newfound speed, while I unleashed geysers of ice and bursts of lightning to clear entire swarms.
The four Guard Armors appeared in the final district, but without Aerith to back them, they were nothing but empty shells. In just a few minutes, they fell beneath our combined assault, dissolving into dust and shadow.
A message flashed through my mind:
Zoro gained the skill Blade Tornado (creates a whirlwind that draws enemies onto his swords) and a Potion+.
Kuina gained the skill Flame Tongue (envelops her blade in fire before striking) and two Ethers.
Jordan gained 600 Soldiers, 120 Large Bodies, 120 Red Nocturnes, 120 Yellow Operas, 120 Blue Rhapsodies, 120 Green Requiems, 4 Guard Armors, and 1000 munny.
"Looks like you're the one pulling the loot this time, though the gains aren't bad either," I said before turning to Kuina with a smile. "At this rate, you'll be called the Elemental Swordswoman. I'm almost sure you'll get skills for the other elements too."
"The technique I just got… I had a prototype before, but now with this, I can finally handle crowds easily. Maybe even barrages of projectiles," she said with delight.
"Glad you like it. But hand over the potion and ether. I'm stocking them in Kaya's infirmary and keeping some on me until we've got a doctor.""Of course," they both said, handing me the items before walking off.
Unable to contain her excitement, Kuina drew her blade. A crimson glow engulfed the weapon, and with a fiery breath, she struck at a training dummy. The wood exploded instantly, consumed in seconds, leaving nothing but a smoldering pile of ash.
I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms."Try not to burn down the whole island, thanks," I said dryly.
Kuina froze, an awkward smile tugging at her lips, before darting off like a thief, Zoro's booming laughter following her.
Nami, intrigued, studied the still-warm ashes."Looks like she's picked up something dangerous…" she murmured, torn between admiration and caution.
Luffy, of course, didn't waste a second. He threw his arm around my neck with his eternal grin, as if nothing ever fazed him."Let's eat! Then we head out! I'm sick of waiting and getting beaten up," he said, pointing at Charyzax, who was still training a little farther away, his fists blackened from his relentless Haki drills.
I raised a brow at the state of the captain, the cartoonish bumps swelling across his skull."I'll take the lesson too… but only when I've got more gear to boost my learning capacity," I replied with a chuckle, though a shiver ran down my spine at the thought of enduring the same ordeal as Luffy.
(Author's Note: And there we go — two chapters done. Next, I'll dive properly into the Coliseum with Nami and Luffy before finishing up East Blue. Get ready for some spectacle ^^)