Training with Zephyr

Rizu POV

I lean against the edge of the bat with my two bags resting on my shoulders. The ship of instructor Z just took off to his own base where he trains his students. I watch marine HQ get smaller as we went away. As I looked at an oncoming ship that was coming from the opposite way I saw a familiar figure.

My head buzzed around in my head with many thoughts going through and my hands got sweaty. I clenched them together and made sure I stood straight. I saw Z on the ship walk over to the opposite ledge of where I was going towards the ship that was passing by us. "Sakazuki!" Instructor Z called out and I started shaking a little bit.

'Stay calm. You can prove yourself to him. Don't act weak.' I lectured to myself watching the boat slowly pass each other and the said man walking towards the ledge of his ship to see Z. "Z-san, it's been a while. Did you just pick up some more students?" Sakazuki asked with a small smile on his face. My eyes slightly widened seeing his smile. 'He smiled?' I thought and clenched my hands tighter.

"Yeah, I found two soldiers there at the base. It was quite interesting one of them." Z said and Sakazuki raised an eyebrow full of curiosity, "Oh really? Then the next time, I shall see them." he said and Z nodded with a smile.

"I'm going to make her into a great marine. She's got potential." Z added before the two ships went passed each other. As Sakazuki turned around he glanced around the deck of the ship and his eyes landed on me. His eyes widened and returned to normal with a smirk. Before anything else I stood there watching him look at me as my hands shook and I hid them behind my back.

Sakazuki gave a look to me. The same look at he has given me all those years before. They say 'Don't disappoint me. Get stronger, I do not accept weaklings.'

I gulped and gave a slight nod in his direction before he fully turned around and walked to the center of his ship. As soon as the two ships were decently far apart and Z turned back to his crew. I dropped down to the floor and panted.

I breathed in and out trying to calm myself down. 'You'll get stronger. You'll prove to him.' I thought to myself clenching onto my shirt tightly and held determination in my eyes behind my mask and stood back up. I looked back at the ship where my father Sakazuki is on. I stared at it for a while and turned away as we got farther.

I looked around deck seeing men walking about or some standing on duty. "I'll get stronger just to wait." I mumbled to myself seeing Z walk towards me.

__________________

"Soldiers! We have arrived, get ready for some hard and exhausting training that you will receive." Z announced to the few of us on board who are his new students. "Sir!" we yell back with a salute. "Good. Today, we'll get you your rooms. Soon after putting your stuff down at your room come out to the training grounds where I have the rest of my other students." Z said to me and the other guy.

"Sir!" we replied back and he had another soldier show us the way.

As I walked on this base I saw fewer men than the other bases since those bases held many. But this one held less. Seeing that this was a decent sized base with a huge training ground with assortments of weapons and soldiers training already.

I followed the solider to where the sleeping area's were and stopped seeing another training ground that was closer to the building. There on the training ground was a man who had silver white hair and was fighting against a group of others. As he was fighting they slashed at him but the sword went through his body. The next fighter had slashed at him but the white haired man used his weapon to deflect at hit him.

The fight continued but the next couple of attackers by another man, his weapon had physically hit him instead of it going through. I watched with interest seeing stronger marines that I hadn't seen before and someone with a devil fruit power.

I looked forward to see that the other man and the guide to be farther away now. I looked back at the fight and ran after the two.

Catching up with the two the guide showed the other marine with me to his room first where he'll be staying and walked to my room on the other side of the building where women stay. "After you are done putting your stuff in meet at the training grounds closest to here. Z-san will be there." he said to me and I nodded.

Opening the door, I walked inside seeing a lamp on a desk and light coming through from the window. I close the door behind me and I place down my bags right by the bed and see a small dresser with a small mirror above it. I walked in the small room a bit and walked back to the door and left the room.

As I walk down the corridor where I came from, I walk down and make my way back to the training grounds where I saw the fight and where I'm supposed to meet Z. I walk around and finally made my way into the training grounds where I see the group of men and others that wasn't here before lined up.

I walked towards them seeing that the other marine was there already. As I walked towards them Z, looked at me and motioned to stand beside hi like the other marine. Some of the soldiers looked where Z had looked and motioned. They looked at me with curiosity and confusion.

As I finally got to the spot next to Z, he towered over me and looked towards the group of men. "These two will be joining this group for training. I picked them up at the base and they'll be staying with us." Z said and looked at the group in front of us then at us.

"I'll be testing you two out some more to see where you stand. So I'll have you go against them." Z said motioning to the group. The marine widens his eyes a bit and looks at Z. Z nods his head and I look at each one of the marines in the group, seeing a couple that stood out. The male with white hair that held devil fruit powers and a woman with pink hair who was one of the only women in this group.

Z clapped his hand and was handed a clip board by a marine soldier assistant. "I had these brackets made so you'll be facing one on one and the winners will be moving up and show their improvements." Z said and we nodded at him.

Soon after he flipped the board around and showed the match ups. "Find your first opponent and we'll start." He said and I looked at the board seeing my opponent was a guys name. I looked around seeing that most of them scattered and already was by their opponent. I walked towards the few who didn't have their opponents yet. "Are you my opponent? I'm Rizu." I said and he looked down at me.

"Your Rizu? Then yes....You're my opponent." he says giving me an unsure look. "Z-san wants me to go up against a child?" he mumbles and looks around at the others to see that everybody had been matched up with someone. "Good we'll start." Z said and called out the first match.

___________

"Rizu and Chase." Z-san called out after multiple matches. Watching them was indeed different from the regular fights and matches that I have seen from the other bases. The techniques and some stuff that did was different too. The thing that stood out the most was power and strength. A lot of the men here held muscle and strength which was more than the other marines that I had seen before. Some had matched up to the strength of Drake.

I nodded my head and walked forward to the center. "Like the rest, this will be a hand to hand combat. You may begin." Z says as we both got in a stance. We watch each other for a while and Chase looks at Z and me. "I don't know why I'll be facing a little girl but I won't hold back." he said and lunged forward at me with some speed.

My eyes widened under the mask and a small smile makes it's way on my face. 'This speed is something that I haven't experienced since Garp. However, Garp is faster!' I thought and moved out of the way and stuck my leg out.

Chase tripped over my leg and regained himself. Now looking at me watching my every move. I watched him back and slowly started making my way closer. As I did so he widened his eyes and dashed towards me like he did before tossing out a punch and I jumped up and put my hands on his shoulders doing a flip and kicking his back.

He stumbled forward and looked back at me with wide eyes. "Wow you seem more than just a little girl." he said and regained himself. He cracked his knuckles and got into a different stance. "I thought you would just take a punch. But I guess I'll take this a little more seriously." he said to me and I just looked at him.

This time he came at me a bit quicker and grazed my stomach as I moved off to the side. My eyes widened under my mask. 'He can move quicker.' I noted to myself and he came at me many times with each time grazing and getting closer to me. Finally he was able to land a punch on me.

I was able to block it with my arms but it blew me back quite the bit. For that hit I had tightened my arm muscles using Tekkai which I was able to enhance through the years after Garp. Chase looked down at his hand seeing it was all red and was slowly starting to bruise. He winced a little at his hand and looked at my arms seeing it was slightly reddened. "What did you...." Chase mumbled as the other marines watched with wide eyes or with surprise.

I put my arms down and I spoke up the first time during this match. "Now then...I will be coming at you now." I say and rush forward using speed to come at him. He widened his eyes and moved back as I threw a punch at his face. I continued to throw punches and kicks at him some being blocked with his arms and some grazing his face.

My opponent grabbed my leg as it grazed his face and stopped my attack. My eyes got wider and he tightened his grip around my foot and I twisted my body to hit him. Except my other leg got blocked with his other hand and he smirked at me. "Sorry, girl but your not attacking any more." he said and started spinning me around in a circle a bit and used his force to smack me into the racks of weapons.

"Ugh.." I moan out as my back soared in pain and weapons lay on top of me. "Well that-" Chase's words got cut off as I stood up and the weapons that layed on my clattered to the ground. "We're not done. I still can fight, I will fight until Instructor Z says to or one of us wins." I say and start walking towards his with new formed bruises on my arms showing.

His eyes widen and look at me along with the other men. "You should've just stayed down. You'll get hurt way worse." Chase said to me narrowing his eyes at me. "This is no joke girl especially seeing you wear that mask of yours. I don't know what your trying to play. But seeing that Instructor Z has chosen you as one of his new students, you have potential. However, your still weak." he said.

I stop walking towards him and the word 'weak' rings out through my mind and he looks at me. "Look sorry kid but it-" I cut him off. "Weak huh." I say and clench my fists. "I know I'm weak compared to most of you. That's why I'm here to train and get stronger. But I can tell you I won't stay weak and I'm taking this seriously like the rest of you." I say looking intently at him and a cold aura comes off of me.

His eyes widen along with the rest of them and Z does the same but looks at me with amusement as well. I start walking closer to him. "So till you beat me till I can't get up or till the outcome of this." I say and use Soru to appear behind him. His eyes widen and looks to the left and right. I kick his side and send him a couple feet away.

Chase's eyes widen and holds onto his side where he got kicked. He looks behind him and sees me there. "You....How did..." he mumbles and I come at him for another attack. "For your information, I'm not allowed to bring disappointing outcomes and stay weak. I will become stronger." I say and send a punch to his gut.

He coughs a bit and smirks at me. "Girl, you got some guts." Chase says and send a punch back to me but to my face. I'm sent flying a couple feet and land on my back. However that punch had made the mask on my face smash my cheek and got cracked. "Ouch..." I mumble and feel my cheek throb.

"Ouch." I hear from the group. I get up off the ground and fix my mask feeling cracks in the mask. I sigh out and see Chase in front of me now. He goes back for another punch and hits the same spot on my face. This time I tumble and land on my feet. Some blood from my lip starts to bleed and get on the mask. But more blood starts to fall onto the ground.

I ignore it and rush towards Chase. 'I'll return the favor before I go down.' I thought and as he stood there and was ready to throw another punch. I ducked under his punch and gave him an upper cut and he fell back. But he soon go up with a bleeding lip and a sore jaw. He looked at me with an irked expression and gave a kick in my direction. I placed my arm up to block it but the force that he applied on it came in contact with my mask, but my arm was still fine due to Tekkai.

"Crack!" the mask went and small portions of it crumbled off. The left bottom side where he had punched previously broke off where the mask showed my bruise and bleeding lip with blood coming out still. Some of the men looked at my side of the face with a look and some gave looks of pity.

Chase looked at it with slightly wide eyes and a blank expression. "I told you that I wouldn't go easy. Look at yourself." he says and my face where it shows does not show any expression. My lips slightly open and close. I ignore his words and decide to grab hold of his leg with my free hand and tighten my hold.

I use my leg and kick it into his other leg causing him to buckle and I pull on his leg in my grasp as he uses his hands and arms to grab me. He held onto my shoulder and dug his hands into them. Since he had a good hold on me and put my head in his hold and tightened his grasp.

"You made a big mistake." he said and he held tighter. "Do you give up." he states looking down at me tightening a little more. I didn't say anything and held onto his arms wrapped around my head. I stood there silent for a little bit. "Oi Chase let her go. It's obviously over." one of the men said and Chase didn't say anything back to the man.

I shifted my weight soon feeling his grip relax a bit and leaned forward like I was about to collapse but held tightly around his arms and bent forward going head first into the ground. I shifted my weight again making his body go down with me and held myself up as I slammed his head and body into the ground.

The some of the men had bulged out their eyes and had their mouths open. Chase coughed and held his head. "You brat." he stated and looked up at me as I panted and coughed. "Who said I was completely and utterly useless." I said as I looked down at him on the ground. He grew an irk mark and Z stepped in while chuckling a little bit. "That's enough. The next two, get ready to fight." Z said motioning over to a pair and they nodded.

I looked up at Z and nodded while looking down at Chase who was still on the ground. I walked around to the front of him and put my hand out. "Good match. I look forward to training with you." I said and he blinked his eyes at me. He moved my hand out of the way and got up on his own.

"Seems like you weren't so weak. But I'll definitely beat your ass anytime." Chase said as he stood up and dusted himself off and gave me a smirk. I took my hand back and nodded as I walk off to the group to get out of the way of the next match.

As the next two got to the front I turned to watch it and dug in my pocket for a tissue. As I dug in my other pocket someone handed me a tissue. I stopped and looked at the hand and up to see who it belonged to. My eyebrow rose seeing the person who was the lady with pink hair handing me it. "Here." she said. I looked at her and grabbed it. "Thanks." I replied back looking at the tissue to see if there was something wrong with it.

Seeing that it was fine I used it on my face and winced as I wiped the blood on my chin and lip. As I grazed over my cheek I winced again and felt it, it felt warm and a little swollen. I sighed. 'My mask broke and of course this side of my face is showing.' I thought. "Why don't you just take off the mask and I could bandage your cheek for you." the lady said from beside me.

I stopped and looked up at her. "Thank you, but I can bandage it on my own, when training is over." I say as I stare at her face trying to figure out her intentions. She sighed. "Suit yourself then. I'm Hina by the way." she said and I nodded. "Rizu." I reply back and watch the match of the two punching each other.

Hina nodded her head. We didn't say anything to each other after that but I could feel glaces from her at times along with the other marines in the group looking at me. I ignored it and focused on the match as it finished. Z had announced another pair to start fighting.

"Oi girl." a voice said and I turned my head to face this person and was met with a patch harshly attached to my cheek where I had been punched. I winced and looked up to see my opponent from earlier Chase patched up in bandages and held a straight face. "Here." he said handing me a band aid for my lip. I took it from him and looked up at him with a look that didn't completely show because of the mask.

"Thanks." I said as I held the band aid. He stared at me for a while as I adverted my attention onto the next fight and he grew irked. "Girl, aren't you going to put it on?!" he asked sounding a bit annoyed. I turned towards him and looked back at the band aid. "I will. But I can't see my face, so I might not put it on correctly." I said. To my left I hear a slight snort from Hina.

Chase looks down at me irked and speaks up. "Then ask for help." he states and snatches the band aid out of my hand and bends down and smushes my face in his hand. "Ouch." I mumble as he gripped onto my bruise. He ignored it and unwrapped the bad aid and placed it on my lip. "There." he said and stood up.

I lifted my hand and felt the band aid. I blinked behind the mask and looked up at the man. "Thank you." I say and fiddle with my hands. 'What????' I think to myself. 'Why???? What??? When has someone did something like this to me since Garp? Drake never bandaged me up but he gave me supplies when I asked for it. I always took care of myself before when I got hurt.' I thought as I looked down at my hands.

Chase and Hina raised their brows at me and I looked up to watch the fight.

'I think I'll be able to make some great improvements here.' I thought with a smile forming on my lips.