Hearing the call, Oss leapt off the bed, excitement propelling him toward the door.
Buggy, on the other hand, scowled.
He genuinely hated strenuous training. After all, there were plenty of experts on the ship, and he wouldn't be the main force in any treasure-snatching anyway.
But seeing Oss and Shanks dash toward the stern, he didn't want to be left behind. Grumbling, he forced himself to keep up:
"Wait for me, you two!"
The three of them left the cabin, heading toward the stern. Along the way, they passed several burly men passed out from overindulgence, a familiar sight on the ship.
They made their way to the ship's armory to gather weapons.
Buggy chose throwing knives, Shanks opted for a rapier, and Oss paused to consider before picking up a flintlock pistol.
It was a calculated choice.
Beyond complementing his naturally awakened Observation Haki—making him an ideal hidden threat—there was another reason: swordsmanship was too competitive.
From the early days of Golden Lion, Roger, and Rayleigh, to the mid-period with Red-Haired Shanks and "Hawkeye" Mihawk, and later the Three-Sword Style Zoro…
Oss figured trying to stand out among swordsmen would be inefficient.
If he wanted to be someone, he needed to be the world's greatest—the only way to live up to his perfect start. But on the path of a great swordsman, regardless of talent, even if Oss became the world's strongest, he'd constantly be challenged by Mihawk or Zoro.
Every day: "Accept my challenge! I will become the world's greatest swordsman!"
Annoying beyond belief.
So, why not become the world's greatest gunman instead?
As a former Blue Star operative, Oss had an innate affinity for firearms—and his Observation Haki made him deadly precise.
Plus, this path was niche and relatively competition-free.
Future renowned snipers would include Yasopp, Usopp, Van Augur, and perhaps Benn Beckman. The field was limited.
Oss knew he was more than capable.
Once he developed Haki Infusion, perfected Observation Haki, and used Sea Stone bullets, one shot might not fell a Yonko directly—but taking out a subordinate? Totally feasible. Shanks could still one-shot a three-billion-Berry bounty target with a slash.
Master these skills, reach Yonko-level strength, travel the world, see famous sights, and retire with a manor and maids.
After a previous life of endless toil, Oss was determined to enjoy this one.
But for now, reality was less glamorous: he was just a slightly stronger child with naturally awakened Observation Haki.
Even if Rayleigh was a lazy teacher who occasionally misled students, he could lay the foundation well enough. Oss would make do and learn.
---
The first lesson aboard the ship began.
"Rokushiki is the foundation of all combat styles, whether with swords or fists. Even using long-range weapons like guns, you need reaction speed and Haki to remain undefeated."
For these New World kids, Haki wasn't unfamiliar, so Rayleigh didn't overexplain.
He then assessed their chosen weapons.
"And beyond Rokushiki, everyone pursues their preferred style. So…" Rayleigh sipped sake. "Tell me what you want to learn. If I know it, I can teach you the techniques and experience."
"I want to learn swordsmanship!" Shanks answered immediately, influenced perhaps by Roger and Rayleigh's teaching.
"Swordsmanship, huh?" Rayleigh smiled. "Starting today, slash five thousand times every day. First, learn the basic grip."
Then he turned to Buggy. "Throwing knives and swords are similar. Start practicing swings."
Finally, he looked at Oss. Not knowing this child, Rayleigh asked:
"Anything you want?"
"Of course. But if I want to learn marksmanship, the ship's sniper Bitham is the best…"
"Then I want to learn Haki Infusion!"
Pfft!
Rayleigh nearly spat his sake across the deck, stunned by the audacity. Wiping his mouth, he grumbled:
"Kid… I don't know where you learned that term, but an advanced technique like that requires, at minimum, someone with Conqueror's Haki aptitude!"
Oss, unfazed, figured he might as well try his luck:
"Then… if I have Conqueror's Haki, can you teach me, Uncle Rayleigh?"
"Why not?" Rayleigh agreed casually, thinking it a child's ignorance.
---
The small talk ended quickly. Training began.
Oss carried a heavy iron plate, doing one-handed push-ups while reading a newspaper. At the same time, he honed his Observation Haki.
From his perspective, Shanks practiced sword swings diligently, sweat glistening on his young face.
Buggy trained too, but deliberately slowed his movements, clearly slacking.
"Shanks' swings are getting sharper every time," Oss noted. Once he finished strength training, he observed Shanks's technique closely, mentally recording each movement.
He picked up a longsword Shanks had set aside and began practicing the swing, imitating force application and airflow from memory.
"What a greedy little brat," muttered a long-haired man with sunglasses in the crow's nest, watching Oss train, talking with the blonde, stout sniper Bitham. "If he comes asking to learn axes next, I'm done teaching him."
"Though I don't usually approve of a sniper using knives, this kid's different," Bitham said. As a master of Observation Haki, he could sense the details.
Indeed—Oss was learning Shanks' techniques.
The moves Shanks had honed over five thousand swings? Oss mastered them after only a thousand attempts. He was delighted.
"Holy cow… Observation Haki as a Sharingan?"
The range of Oss's naturally awakened Observation Haki was limited—just a few dozen meters—but the level of detail was extraordinary.
Subtle changes and techniques never escaped his perception.
Combined with his raw strength, Oss could learn any skill with twice the efficiency and half the effort.