A faint, slightly rushed breath escaped from the nose and mouth of a boy with orange hair.
"Huff..."
He was wearing a plain white T-shirt, athletic shorts, and a pair of worn-in volleyball shoes.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
In the span of a few seconds, three distinct volleyball impacts rang out—one from his palm, another from the wall, and the last from the floor—rhythmic and unbroken.
For the past two years, even without teammates to train with or enough players to form a team and compete in matches...
Even when he wanted to practice spiking, yet had no one to toss the ball to him...
Hinata Shōyō kept practicing by himself, just as he always had.
He would pass the ball with both arms in place or practice spikes and serves against a wall—alone.
Whenever he could catch any of his three childhood friends with free time...
He'd drag them along to toss for him while he spiked.
These sessions would last until their arms were red and swollen from the ball's impact—sometimes even bruised under the skin.
But today...
Something changed in Hinata Shōyō's usually repetitive routine.
A calm but firm voice called out behind him.
"Do you like volleyball?"
Hinata froze.
Everything was the same as usual. The same plain white shirt, the same athletic shorts. After school, during club hours, hitting the same wall he'd hit a thousand times before.
But—
Seeing Hinata a bit dazed, as if he hadn't caught what was said, Guren Ichinose gave a friendly smile, patting the volleyball he'd brought from home.
He repeated the question, slower this time:
"You... like volleyball too, don't you?"
There was no curiosity in Guren Ichinose's voice, no tone of inquiry. Instead, it was filled with certainty, assurance—an undeniable conviction.
As if to say:
"You, kid—you're definitely a full-blown volleyball maniac, aren't you?"
CrossFit Gym – Shower Room
"Hey, hey! Guren!"
Hinata Shōyō seemed to have an endless supply of energy.
Even though he had just finished an incredibly intense training session.
A workout tailor-made for him by Guren Ichinose: ATP-focused strength training, functional movements, and height-boosting exercises.
After a short cooldown with bodyweight stretches and foam rolling in the lounge, he was already buzzing again the moment he stepped into the shower.
Meanwhile, Hyakuzawa Yūdai, whose height and build far surpassed Hinata's, sat silently on a larger stool, washing up while catching his breath.
Hinata, who had been yelping from the cold water moments ago, now perked up and began peppering Guren with questions.
"We really don't need to run? I thought cardio was the best endurance training?"
Like a curious child, he scrubbed his body while looking over at Guren with bright eyes.
Guren Ichinose, his bangs hanging down, gave the small, completely naked "little sun" a mildly annoyed glance—then subtly shifted a bit farther away.
He resumed washing his hair.
Once the cold water rinsed all the foam from his scalp, he spoke:
"Aerobic training only kicks in during high-intensity exercise that lasts over a minute.
Volleyball, like basketball or soccer, is high-intensity but intermittent—not sustained."
"Short bursts under ten seconds rely on the ATP-CP (phosphagen) system. Between ten and sixty seconds, the body mainly uses fast glycolysis for energy. Only after a minute does the aerobic system take over."
Hinata blinked.
"Ten seconds... phosphagen... glycolysis... aerobic..."
Staring at the now-dizzy Hinata, eyes spinning in confusion, Guren, clearly used to this, clapped his hands in front of him.
"Well, yes—cardio's still important for heart and lung health. Just doing a moderate 3k to 5k run is enough."
He ruffled Hinata's bright orange hair.
"Hurry up and finish washing. Get plenty of rest. Don't forget to eat the nutrition plan I gave you when you get home. Good food and good sleep—that's how you'll grow taller."
At the word "taller," Hinata snapped out of his daze. His eyes lit up like stars.
"Ohhh! YOSSHAA! I'll wash up super fast, go home, eat, and sleep!"
It was as if flames erupted around him—his fighting spirit fully ignited.
As he scrubbed at lightning speed, he kept muttering:
"I'm gonna grow taller!"
"I'll be a giant!"
"I'll rise higher and higher!"
"I'll be the tallest!"
Watching the overly combustible Hinata, Guren let out a sigh.
"The one good thing about idiots is that they're easy to fire up."
He stroked his chin, falling into thought.
"In the original story, I think this guy only reached 172 cm as an adult... But if I start early with specialized training and nutrition... Even if we don't get a full 12 cm over his genetic limit and hit 190 cm, at least 176–180 cm should be realistic..."
"And with some luck, maybe even 180+..."
"But his parents' genes... definitely not helping."
The three boys, freshly washed and dressed, exited the CrossFit gym together.
Each held a customized nutritional shake—designed to suit their bodies—as a pre-dinner supplement.
"I'm off, byebye!"
Hinata, straw still in his mouth, mumbled while hopping onto his bicycle and pedaling off toward home.
Hyakuzawa Yūdai also gave a short goodbye.
"Later, Guren-nii."
Guren lifted a hand. "Yeah, go ahead. Say hi to your aunt and uncle for me."
After watching Yūdai disappear down the road, Guren glanced at his phone.
"7 o'clock already, huh? Good timing."
He unlocked the screen and made a call.
"Mr. Ayasaki, sorry to trouble you. Can you come pick me up at CrossFit Gym #3?"
"Yes, Master Ichinose. I'll be there shortly."
In under eight minutes, a luxury Alphard van rolled up to the curb and slowly opened its door.
The well-groomed, handsome middle-aged driver at the wheel started to get out—but was stopped by Guren's voice.
"It's fine, Mr. Ayasaki. The door's electric, no need to open it manually. I only brought one bag—I'll toss it in the back."
"Understood."
Mr. Ayasaki immediately froze mid-motion and respectfully waited as Guren stepped in.
Tossing his gym bag into the back seat, Guren climbed into the van. Ayasaki, noticing the cue, closed the door with a button and started the car.
"You can take me home, Mr. Ayasaki."
Guren leaned back comfortably in his seat.
"Yes, sir."
Glancing in the rearview mirror to check on Guren, Ayasaki then quietly focused on the road.
Guren, meanwhile, drifted into thought.
[Background Lore — The Rich Family]
Back during the decade following Japan's bubble economy collapse, Guren's grandfather rode the wave of entertainment journalism to wealth.
Unlike the big spenders of the city, the frugal, sharp-witted old man bought up cheap farmland back in his rural hometown. Every yen earned afterward went into shops and real estate—no loans, no debt.
His assets smoothly weathered the burst bubble.
Later, he expanded into entertainment, benefiting from the "lipstick effect." Guren's father, Hiroshi Ichinose, took a gamble on the rising "anime industry."
When Guren was four years old, in 2000, he scribbled rough sketches of a pirate-themed character concept—complete with devil fruits and "Haki"—that appealed to boys.
Hiroshi showed it off at work. The manga department's editor, a seasoned pro who had planned to quietly retire, instantly recognized its potential.
Thus, a refined, reimagined version of One Piece was born.
Its fresh character designs, thrilling story arcs, and adventurous spirit quickly won over Japan's otaku.
With Guren as the "supervising writer" and final editor, the manga retained the magic of its original world, driven by his childlike imagination and strict quality control.
The Ichinose family officially entered Japan's elite corporate class.
Despite their headquarters being in Tokyo, their loyalty to their hometown in Miyagi remained strong—it still housed the corporate HQ.
And as a genius with strong personal beliefs, Guren Ichinose's parents rarely interfered—except financially.
Which is why Guren attends school in Miyagi.
(End of Chapter )
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