The island was alive with the sound of crashing waves and ringing steel. It had been weeks since Rayleigh took Luffy under his wing, and the old pirate was not the only one guiding him. The surviving Whitebeard commanders—Marco, Vista, Jozu, Izo, and the rest—had thrown themselves into training as well, spurred on by the sheer, relentless energy of the Straw Hat boy.
For Luffy, grief had become fuel. He refused to stay still. Every day, he pushed his body to the breaking point—sparring, running, push-ups, striking, meditating, learning. After seeing Vista training with his swords, he had become interested, so he asked Rayleigh to teach him. Vista joined in after he showed great interest, and Luffy showed great potential for it
Rayleigh's Haki lessons had borne fruit quickly. Luffy's Observation Haki sharpened to the point he could feel the shift in the wind before a strike landed. His Armament Haki hardened his cutlass until every swing carved shockwaves through the trees. And the fire of Conqueror's Haki—that was his truest inheritance. Even the commanders felt it every time he let his spirit flare, a pressure that forced sweat down their backs.
But today, it was Vista, master of the sword, who faced him. The captain and crewmate stood opposite the echoter Luffy Grined and held out his cutlas before him
Vista held his twin sabers loosely, calm and collected, the smile of a veteran always on his lips. Luffy, now towering at 6'6" with broad shoulders and a frame carved by two years of brutal training, gripped his cutlass with one hand, his chest rising and falling with excitement.
"You've come far, Captain," Vista said, twirling his blades. "But let's see if you've learned to fight with the mind of a swordsman, not just the heart." Luffy grinned, wild and sharp. "Heh… I've been waiting for this, Vista !"
They lunged at the same time. Steel clashed, sending sparks into the air. Luffy's cutlass came down in a clean diagonal slash, the blade coated in hardened black Haki. Vista crossed his sabers to catch it, the impact shaking the ground beneath them.
"Good pressure," Vista noted, before twisting his wrists and deflecting the strike sideways. He countered with a horizontal slash meant to test Luffy's reflexes.
But Luffy wasn't flailing anymore. He didn't just block—he angled his blade, deflecting the saber's edge upward, then stepped inside with a sudden thrust aimed at Vista's chest.
Vista smirked and pivoted, one saber knocking the thrust aside while the other swept at Luffy's ribs. Luffy ducked, rolling his shoulders, and swung his cutlass in a brutal upward arc. A crescent of black and Red energy burst forward—an Armament-coated air slash.
The ground split open where it struck, a gash ten meters long. The onlookers gasped. Even Marco raised his brows. Vista laughed, twirling away from the shockwave. "Now that's more like it!" They closed again, their swords ringing with sharp clang, clang, clang. Luffy's movements were sharper than before, his strikes deliberate—cuts aimed at the wrist, at the shoulder, at the neck. He wasn't hacking wildly; he was learning targeting, precision, rhythm. his movements flowing
Vista tested him with feints, sudden angle changes, and tricky footwork, but Luffy's Observation Haki flared, letting him read the flow. He began to anticipate, countering with his own tricks: sliding strikes, sudden stabs, even using his raw strength to push Vista back.
At one point, Vista's saber came down in a heavy overhead strike. Luffy crossed his cutlass above his head to block—then twisted his body, letting the impact roll down his blade. In the same motion, he stepped in and slammed his elbow, hardened with Haki, into Vista's chest.
Vista staggered, coughing. The commanders murmured.
But the old swordsman only grinned wider. "Excellent. You're learning to fight with your whole body, not just your sword. That's the mark of a true duelist."
Luffy's grin was feral. "I'm just getting started!"
He launched forward again, this time unleashing a barrage—three slashes in rapid succession, each one crackling with black and red lightning as his Conqueror's Haki intertwined with his Armament. The forest behind Vista shattered as the shockwaves tore through it. Vista blocked the first two, sparks flying, but the third cut grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep gash on his coat. He used haki to protect himself
The onlookers went silent. Luffy stood there, panting, grinning like a maniac, his cutlass humming with energy. Vista lowered his sabers, breathing hard, but smiling. "You've surpassed my expectations, Captain. Ace would be proud." Luffy, his grin softening into a smile tinged with pain. He looked down at his cutlass, hands trembling. "…Then I'll keep getting stronger. Strong enough to protect everyone next time."
Marco stepped forward, clapping his hand on Luffy's back. "You're already making us believe again."
And so, under Rayleigh's watchful eye and with the Whitebeard commanders by his side, Luffy's training became more than preparation. It became the forging of a new legend—one built on steel, Haki, and unyielding will. It evolved over time until the commanders did everything to match him, but it was in vain, as Luffy was becoming an absolute Monster in combat
. The world was not ready for that Monster ...