The next morning, just as the sun rose, Rayleigh unceremoniously lifted Kyle from his hammock and dropped him onto the deck. The cold sea breeze immediately woke him up. Roger and Rayleigh stood in front of him, like two powerful guardians. Roger had his arms crossed with a mischievous smirk, while Rayleigh, pushing up his glasses, had a serious expression.
"Before you learn how to use your Devil Fruit ability, there's one thing you must understand," Rayleigh said calmly. "The Devil Fruit gives you 'power,' but your body is what carries it. Physical strength is the foundation of everything." He pointed to Roger. "This man doesn't have a Devil Fruit ability, but do you think the result would be any different if you fought him again?"
Kyle glanced at Roger, who was grinning widely, and shook his head without a second thought. He could still feel the lingering pain from yesterday's punch.
"So, your first training will be in martial arts," Rayleigh continued. "This includes improving your physical strength and learning to use a weapon. What weapon do you want to use?"
Kyle had thought about this before. His Wave-Wave Fruit was very similar to the Tremor-Tremor Fruit used by the "World's Strongest Man," Whitebeard, in his memories. In theory, he could replicate some of Whitebeard's moves.
"I want to use a Guan Dao," Kyle replied seriously. He then explained, "It's a long-handled greatsword."
"Oh?" Roger's interest was piqued. "Why that?"
"My ability lets me control 'waves,' which are vibrations," Kyle explained. "With a long-handled weapon, I can transfer vibrations from the handle to the blade and release them at the moment of impact to create a shockwave. This would let me keep my distance while also increasing the damage of my attacks." He imagined Whitebeard wielding his naginata and shaking the air with a single strike. Even though he was far from that level, it was a good goal.
"I see, a naginata," Roger nodded in understanding. "That's a good idea, little Kyle! Using a weapon to boost your Devil Fruit abilities is smart! Kuhahaha!"
Rayleigh's eyes showed a hint of approval. This young man had not only talent but also a clear mind, which was much more valuable than just brute force.
"Since you've decided, here's your training plan," Rayleigh said, pulling a piece of paper from out of nowhere and handing it to Kyle.
Kyle's eye twitched as he read it.
Kyle's Exclusive Physical Enhancement Menu
Morning Exercise: Run 100 laps around the ship with weights (speed depends on Captain's mood).
Morning: Seawater Resistance Training. Tie a rope around your waist and swim against the current behind the ship until you're exhausted (the Captain will throw things like fish and barrels at you).
Afternoon: Weapon Fundamentals and Combat Practice. Instructors: Rayleigh (for the basics) and Roger (for combat).
Evening: Extreme Evasion Training. Stand in the middle of the deck and dodge "loving throws" from the Captain and First Mate. If you get hit, your dinner is cut in half.
Night: Meditation and Fine Control Practice of your Devil Fruit Ability.
"This..." Kyle looked at the parts about "speed depends on Captain's mood" and "randomly throw obstacles," as well as the inhuman "loving throws." Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. This training plan seemed completely insane. Is this really you, Rayleigh?
"What? Scared?" Roger leaned over and bumped him with his shoulder, his laugh sounding very malicious.
"No!" Kyle gritted his teeth, holding the paper tightly, a fire burning in his eyes. "I accept!"
And so, Kyle's difficult life began.
On the first day, he ran less than 30 laps before Roger, on a whim, made the ship turn sharply, sending Kyle flying. He skidded several feet across the deck, face first. On the second day, he found himself drowning (what Devil Fruit user can swim in seawater?!). On the third day, Rayleigh had just finished teaching him the basic moves of the naginata when Roger came running over with his sword. "Come on, little Kyle, time to test what you learned!"
How is this different from learning one plus one equals two and then being told to solve a math problem that no one has ever solved before?!
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
On the deck, Kyle desperately tried to block Roger's attacks with a makeshift naginata made from a wooden stick and a sword. Roger didn't even use any special techniques, just simple slashes. But the power was so overwhelming that Kyle's hands went numb, his arms ached, and he was forced to retreat.
"Too slow! Too soft! There's no power in your blade!" Roger's words hit Kyle hard.
The evening evasion training was even more brutal.
"Little Kyle, take this Flying Fish Tail Whip!"
"Kyle, watch out for the barrel on your right!"
Kyle leaped and dodged in the middle of the deck like a mouse being played with by two cats. Sometimes it was a slippery fish thrown by Roger, other times it was a wooden board tossed by Rayleigh. They came from tricky angles and were incredibly fast. He could only rely on his sharpened senses to dodge.
Thump! He failed to dodge, and a fish hit him right on his backside.
"Kuhahaha! You got hit! Half of your dinner is gone!" Roger's taunting laugh echoed across the sea.
Kyle clutched his backside, almost in tears. Why are a young child's screams heard from a ship on the sea? Why is a six-year-old covered in bruises? Is this a twisted version of human nature?
Welcome to the documentary, "Kyle's Redemption."
This was the narration that automatically played in Kyle's mind when he was being trained to exhaustion. Days passed with this difficult training. Every day, Kyle was so tired his bones felt like they were falling apart. His body was covered in bruises, and new injuries appeared before the old ones healed. He felt like he was going to die, but every time he reached his limit, Rayleigh would treat his injuries, and Roger would bring him a roasted giant sea beast to help him recover. They pushed him to his limits with tough methods but also cared for him in a direct way.
Slowly, Kyle began to change. During his runs, he started using his faint shockwaves to make his steps lighter. When he sparred with Roger, he no longer just blocked the attacks. Instead, he learned to add high-frequency vibrations to his naginata's blade. This would help to soften the impact of Roger's punches. Even though his face was a swollen mess, he could last a few more moves. They're just jealous of how good-looking I am!
During the evening "loving throws" training, he used his "Light Illusion Mirage" to its fullest. By making the light around his body blurry when an object came near, he could create a visual error for a few seconds, which gave him more time to dodge. As for the seawater training… he'd rather not talk about it.
What can I do? What can a Devil Fruit user do when they're in seawater?
"Roger and Rayleigh: Oh, we forgot you're a Devil Fruit user." (Completely unbothered).
A month later, under the setting sun, Kyle stood shirtless, his bronze skin covered in small scars. His muscles were much smoother and firmer than before. He held his makeshift naginata, his breathing steady, and his eyes focused on Roger.
"Are you ready, you miserable Captain?"
"Kuhahaha! Bring it on, little Kyle!"
Before he finished speaking, Kyle moved. He stomped his foot, not to attack, but to send a shockwave into the deck. "Sonic Step - Instant!" The deck shook, and a force propelled him forward at high speed, much faster than he had ever been. The naginata's blade cut a sharp arc through the air, and a white aura hummed around it.
A hint of surprise flashed in Roger's eyes, but his smile grew wider. He casually stood his ground, holding his sword with one hand, and slashed down to meet Kyle's attack.
"Clang—!"
A powerful gust of air exploded from the two of them. Kyle was pushed back, leaving a few deep footprints on the deck before he finally stopped. His hands were bleeding, and his chest was heaving. Roger, for the first time, took a small step back. Even though it was only a small step, Roger's smile was brighter than if he had found some priceless treasure.
"Kuhahahahahaha! Well done, Kyle!"
Kyle leaned on his naginata, breathing heavily, but an unrestrained smile appeared on his face—the biggest one he had shown in over a month. Rayleigh, leaning against the mast, had a relieved smile on his face.