The courtyard of the palace stretched wide beneath the open sky, its stone surface worn smooth by centuries of practice and combat. Ancient training dummies stood at attention along the walls, their surfaces scarred by countless strikes. The air carried the scent of dust and the faint, metallic tang of the sea breeze that swept over the palace walls. Morning light cast long shadows across the grounds.
Galit Varuna stood at the center of the courtyard, his long neck bent in that characteristic S-curve, his emerald eyes scanning the space with tactical assessment. His dark teal Riptide Cloak hung loosely around his shoulders, and his twin Vipera Whips were coiled at his hips. He looked tense, coiled, ready—a man who had been given a power he didn't understand and was about to learn its secrets.
Prince Nadir Ostara burst through the archway, his blue-gold eyes blazing with barely contained excitement. His silver Savannah cat frame practically vibrated with energy as he spotted Sanza. "Are you training too!"
Sanza puffed out his chest, pointing a thumb at himself with theatrical pride. "I have to in order to look out for my big sis." His red hair was even more disheveled than usual, and his bomber jacket hung open over his cargo shorts.
Jelly bounced along beside him, his translucent blue body wobbling with each motion. "Bloop! Play time! Game time!"
Sanza scolded him. "No, Jelly! We are training!"
Prince Nadir's head swiveled left and right, his ears perking with anticipation. "What about Atlas?"
Sanza cocked his head in confusion. His brow furrowed, with bewilderment.
Galit's voice cut through the exchange, flat and practical. "He is training somewhere else today."
Prince Nadir's ears drooped with disappointment. His shoulders sagged, and his tail went limp.
Sanza's nose wrinkled. "What do you care about Atlas so much for?"
Prince Nadir's ears perked up again, his energy returning with the force of a tide. "Because he has seen everything, and I want to see everything!"
Jelly bounced, his arms waving wildly. "Everything!"
King Volt Ostara and General Nyx Parn approached, their footsteps echoing on the ancient stone. Volt's silver-grey fur gleamed in the morning light, and his hazel eyes carried the warmth of a ruler. Nyx's black panther form moved with the coiled silence of a predator, his dark eyes fixed on the group with flat military assessment.
Nyx extended his hand, and Galit took it in greeting. "Good day. Thanks for coming."
Galit nodded, his emerald eyes fixed on the general. "Of course. I appreciate you letting us use the training grounds."
Volt added, his voice warm with curiosity. "We are curious to see what this ability of yours can do and why our ancestors insisted on guarding it."
Galit nodded. "Me as well."
Prince Nadir's brow furrowed, his confusion evident. "Abilities?"
Sanza nodded. "Yes. That is why we are here. To help him learn how to use his power."
Prince Nadir's brow furrowed deeper. "Did you come to learn how he uses his ability then?"
Sanza shook his head, a little offended. "No, I have a power too!"
Instantly, Sanza shifted into his Devil Fruit form. A cascade of white light enveloped his small frame, and where he had stood, a majestic three-tailed white tiger now stood. Its golden horns gleamed in the sunlight, and its celestial markings pulsed with soft radiance.
Prince Nadir blinked, stepping back with the breathless wonder of a child who had just witnessed something impossible. "That's incredible!"
Sanza nodded, his tiger form leaping onto glowing disks of golden light that materialized in the air. He bounded from disk to disk, his movements fluid and controlled.
Prince Nadir's voice rose with excitement. "It's like you are flying!"
Sanza hopped down, shifting into his hybrid form. His white fur remained, but his form was now humanoid, with clawed hands and the three tails still flowing behind him.
Prince Nadir's voice was flat with breathless wonder. "Now you look like a Mink."
Sanza nodded, beaming. "It took a lot of practice, but I am getting better at it. Mr. Bō-Zak has been helping me, and Big Sis too."
Prince Nadir stood in awe. "Whoa!"
Nyx commented, "Speaking of which, do you know—"
A massive squeal/scream tore through the sky above them.
Everyone looked up as a massive shadow moved across the grounds. A giant condor flew overhead, its wingspan blotting out the sun. Iris Pometheia rode its back, her massive hippo frame clinging to its neck with the desperate grip of a woman who had never quite accepted that she was a creature of the sky. Her laughter and giggles echoed across the courtyard.
Galit pinched the bridge of his nose. "He is here."
---
The condor swooped down, its form dissolving as it transformed into Bō-Zak. Iris freefell for a moment, her arms pinwheeling with the frantic energy of a woman who had just realized she was no longer supported.
Bō-Zak caught her with both arms, his gold-flecked eyes gleaming with the flirtatious warmth and charm. "Gotcha."
Iris chuckled, her arms wrapping around his neck with the casual ease. "My hero."
They landed, and Bō-Zak set her down with the theatrical grace.
Iris waved, her voice booming across the courtyard. "Hi, everybody!"
Prince Nadir rushed up to her, his voice bright with the excitement. "That was amazing!"
Iris chuckled, her voice warm with breathless wonder. "It was so much fun."
Prince Nadir bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Are you here to train too?"
Iris chuckled again. "I can stay for a while, but then I have to go. Mr. Bō-Zak was kind enough to give me a lift."
Bō-Zak grinned, his gold-flecked eyes gleaming with the flirtatious warmth. "I can take you wherever you want to go." He winked.
Galit groaned, marking toward him as he gripped his arm. "Can we just get started, please?"
Volt and Nyx exchanged a look of disbelief.
Galit grabbed Bō-Zak by the arm, pulling him away from his flirtation with Iris. "Don't go anywhere without me."
Jelly bounced. "New friends!"
He was immediately distracted by a bug.
Sanza stood confused as Prince Nadir asked him, "Does he take you flying too?"
Sanza shook his head. "No, I don't need wings to fly. And he—"
Galit cut him off, calling out with sharp, annoyed authority. "Come on, Sanza!"
Sanza rushed off after them as they moved to the center of the training grounds.
Prince Nadir, Volt, Nyx, and Iris found seats to watch from, their eyes fixed on the group below.
---
Bō-Zak lit his pipe, his gold-flecked eyes fixed on Galit as he blew out a plume of fragrant smoke. "We will start with the basics. You are a Zoan type, so that means you can change into your Zoan form."
Galit nodded, his emerald eyes fixed on the former monk. "How do I do that?"
Bō-Zak shrugged. He reached behind his back, gripped one of his weapons, and flung it at Galit.
On instinct, Galit panicked.
He instantly transformed into a crocodile.
The transformation was sudden and complete—his lean frame elongated, his skin hardened into scales, his jaw elongated into a tooth-filled snout. His emerald eyes were now those of a reptile, slit-pupiled and cold.
Prince Nadir leaped up from his seat, leaning over the railing with the breathless excitement. "That is so cool!"
Volt gripped his collar, his voice sharp with weary authority. "Sit down, son!"
Bō-Zak nodded as he walked to retrieve his weapon. He returned, his gold-flecked eyes fixed on the crocodile form. "Right now, you respond on instinct and emotion. Once you learn to channel that, you will be able to control when you shift."
He knelt to be eye-level with Galit, his voice dropping to a murmur. "But we are power holders of guardians, so you should be able to do more than just turn into a crocodile."
Sanza coked a hip, holding his chin with theatrical wisdom. "Can't crocodiles swim?"
Bō-Zak raised a brow, nodding with slow approval. "Right."
He turned to Galit, his voice flat. "What do you say?"
Galit's crocodile eyes closed.
The ground beneath him began to melt, turning to liquid. Bō-Zak and Sanza jumped backward as the ground dissolved into a pool of dark, swirling substance.
Galit's crocodile form sank into the earth as if it were water.
Bō-Zak laughed, with delighted approval. "That's pretty impressive!"
Sanza ran along the edge of the pool, his voice bright with the excitement of a child who had found a new game. "Can you swim?"
Galit's crocodile form began to move through the surface of the ground, his scales rippling through the stone as if it were water.
Jelly, oblivious, continued his hunt for a bug. His translucent blue body bounced along the edge of the training grounds, his focus absolute.
Galit locked in on him.
He leaped out of the liquid ground, his jaws snapping shut just as Jelly bounced away to catch his prey. The blue creature landed, turned, and stuck his tongue out with the cheeky defiance of a creature who had never met a situation he couldn't make worse.
Galit swam away, his crocodile form disappearing beneath the surface.
Prince Nadir pointed. "Father, look! Did you see? Did you see?"
Volt and Nyx both nodded. Nyx's voice was flat. "It is good that this was not found before now."
Volt nodded in agreement. "Yes. And it is good that it will be leaving."
Iris chuckled, her voice warm with mischievous certainty. "They have no idea what is coming!"
Volt and Nyx both turned to her. She grinned, her expression carrying the mischievous secret of a woman who had seen the shape of things to come.
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