Over the next several days, the ship sailed on the vast sea. Kyle's young body had an incredible recovery rate, and with days of good food and rest, his rib wound was completely healed. He felt more energetic than ever before. Every day, he saw Roger laughing loudly and arm-wrestling with Rayleigh (Roger usually cheated), or humming off-key tunes. This energy filled Kyle with a desire to test his own strength.
This afternoon, the sun was warm, and the sea breeze was gentle. Roger had just finished a large piece of roasted sea beast leg and was picking his teeth. Rayleigh leaned against the mast, cleaning his sword. Kyle felt the power surging within him and finally walked up to Roger, his eyes burning with determination.
"Captain!"
Roger lazily looked up. "Hmm? What's up, little Kyle, are you hungry?"
"I want to duel you, Captain!" Kyle's voice was filled with the confidence of a young man, and he wanted to know the difference in power between himself and Roger.
Roger stopped picking his teeth and burst into his signature laugh. "Kuhahaha! Interesting!"
Rayleigh stopped cleaning his sword and looked over, a faint smile behind his glasses. Soon, a clear space was made on the deck. Kyle took a deep breath and got into a fighting stance. He knew there was a huge difference in their power, but that only made him more competitive. He wanted to see how long he could last against the future Pirate King with all his power.
"Let's go, Captain!"
Kyle's body swayed. "Light Illusion Mirage!" The air twisted, and three identical Kyles appeared on the deck, all with the same look and aura, making it impossible to tell which one was real. The three of them rushed toward Roger from different directions. The Kyle on the left went for Roger's neck with a hand-chop, the one on the right kicked toward his lower body, and the one in front clenched his fists, ready to throw a shock punch. This was the best way he could combine his deceptive illusions with an attack. He hoped at least one of them would land a hit.
Roger faced the attack lazily, picking his nose. The smile on his face didn't change, but his eyes showed a hint of approval. "Wow, amazing!"
Just as the three Kyles were about to hit him, Roger moved. His movements were simple and not even fast. He didn't dodge or block. He just raised his right hand and threw a casual hook punch at the Kyle closest to him—the one in front.
"Bang!"
A soft thud.
"Pfft—!"
The light and shadow clones disappeared. Kyle felt a huge, indescribable force in his stomach. His vision went white, and his mind went blank. Did I get hit again? One 'amazing' after another... Roger, you're one of a kind. Kyle's body curled up like a shrimp, his feet leaving the ground. He then collapsed onto the deck, his eyes rolling back as he fell unconscious.
The entire thing happened so fast that no one could react. One second, there were three Kyles attacking, and the next, there was only one Kyle on the ground, sleeping like a baby. The deck was silent, with only the sound of the wind. Roger pulled his fist back and shook his hand, as if he was just brushing off some dust. He looked down at the unconscious Kyle, grinning. "Kuhahaha! It's good to be young. Just fall asleep!"
Rayleigh walked over slowly, looked at the unconscious Kyle, and a helpless smile appeared on his face. "Looks like he won't be waking up before dinner. Roger, you're still too rough."
"Kuhahaha! Little Kyle is tough!" Roger laughed carelessly, bending down to pick up Kyle like a small chicken and throwing him over his shoulder. "Let's go, Rayleigh. Let's see if we can catch some big guys for dinner tonight!"
The rich smell of roasted meat slowly pulled Kyle out of his daze. He opened his eyes and saw the orange light of the sunset shining through the porthole into the swaying cabin. His stomach was empty and rumbling, and the dull pain from Roger's punch still lingered on his ribs and stomach, reminding him of the terrible "duel."
"Ugh..." Kyle groaned, holding his forehead as he sat up. Thankfully, he hadn't been reincarnated again.
"Hey, you're awake?" Roger's loud voice came from outside the cabin, filled with amusement. Kyle staggered out onto the deck. A bonfire was burning brightly, and a roasted bird dripped with oil over the fire, giving off a mouthwatering smell. Roger was holding a dagger, cutting off a piece of meat and eating it, oil dripping from his chin. Rayleigh sat nearby, elegantly cutting his meat with a small knife, a sharp contrast to Roger's roughness.
"Kuhahaha! Just in time, little Kyle! Tonight's dinner is a special treat!" Roger saw Kyle and waved him over, pointing to an empty wooden crate by the fire.
Kyle's stomach rumbled even louder. He walked over and sat down, grabbing a fork and knife that Rayleigh handed him. Starving, he didn't care about his image and just tore off a big piece of the bird's leg with his hands, like Roger. He took a huge bite.
"Mmm... delicious!" The meat was tender and had a faint smoky flavor. It was the best thing he had eaten since he was reincarnated. After devouring most of the roasted bird, his hunger was finally gone. Kyle let out a satisfied burp and then remembered the humiliating punch from earlier. He put down the bone and looked at Roger, who was still picking his teeth.
"Captain," Kyle said, his voice a mix of awe, frustration, and curiosity, "That punch you threw... what was that? I clearly used my 'Light Illusion Mirage' and attacked from three directions." He still couldn't figure out how Roger had instantly found his real body and knocked him out so easily.
Roger stopped picking his teeth, looked at him, and grinned. "Oh, that?" He held up his fist, wiggled it, and said in a "isn't it obvious?" tone, "It was just a 'bang,' and you fell asleep. Kuhahaha!"
Kyle's mouth twitched. "I'm asking... how did you do it?"
"Hmm..." Roger stroked his chin, thinking seriously. After a moment, he slapped his thigh. "Maybe your weakness was too obvious? The three shadows made my eyes a little blurry, so I just picked one that looked good and punched it. It just happened to be the right one! Pure luck! Kuhahaha!"
You call that luck?! Kyle almost coughed up blood. Roger's answer was more hurtful than a direct insult.
Rayleigh, who was next to them, put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth, and with a small smile behind his glasses, said softly, "Roger just didn't want to waste extra effort telling the illusions apart. To him, hitting any of them would have been the same."
That's a blow, Rayleigh-san!
Roger laughed triumphantly. "Rayleigh knows me best! Little Kyle, your Devil Fruit ability is good, and your idea was good, but it's still not enough!"
Kyle was speechless, his face flushed. It was the truth, but hearing it directly from the future Pirate King was a huge blow. He had thought that with his Wave-Wave Fruit ability, he would be strong, but he couldn't even last one move against Roger. A strong sense of frustration filled his heart, but it was quickly replaced by a stronger fighting spirit.
"Captain!" Kyle stood up, his eyes firm. "Please teach me how to become stronger!"
Roger and Rayleigh both looked at him with surprise. Roger watched him with interest, a strange light in his eyes. He put down his toothpick and grinned, his smile showing a hint of playfulness and... approval.
"Kuhahaha! Very spirited!" Roger stood up and walked in front of Kyle. "Want to become stronger?" Roger extended his large, fan-like hand and gave Kyle's shoulder a hard pat, making him stumble. "Alright!" He put his hands on his hips and announced loudly, "Since you're so motivated, starting tomorrow, Rayleigh and I will personally guide your training!"
"Kuhahaha! Don't cry and beg for mercy, little Kyle! And try not to die!" Roger laughed wildly, as if he could already see Kyle being trained to exhaustion.
Kyle swallowed, looking at Roger's excited face and Rayleigh's calm "good luck to you" expression. He felt a chill go down his spine. "Yes... Captain!" Although he knew it would be difficult, Kyle gritted his teeth and agreed loudly.