Chapter 24: Hacking the Haki! Hit Your Grandpa!

 We had been studying under Gramps for the past 16 months. Gramps didn't hold back on any of us, not even me. After each day, we'd go back to the Zephyr beaten and bruised, just to go back and repeat the process the next day. We had three training sessions a day. We'd wake up in the morning, eat, and immediately head out to where we trained.

 The first training session was a simple warmup by trying to discover if any of us possessed Conqueror's Haki. This usually lasted about half an hour, as Garp would push us to try and release the willpower contained within our body. Although, according to Garp, none of us had shown any sign of it yet.

 We were then given a half hour break to use the bathroom or anything else we needed to do before the more intense session. After the break, we would begin our four-hour Observation Haki training. This had consisted of Gramps getting us to use our willpower and spiritual energy to sense everything around us. But he never made anything easy. He made us wear blindfolds to force us to use Haki, and would then do a combination of pelting us with stones and beating us with sticks. Our task was to avoid as many impacts as possible, or suffer the consequences. River seemed to excel in this style, Felix and Wynter were about average for those learning in a short window of time, while Doc opted into only learning Observation Haki in order to assist in her treatments. She said that she would leave the up-close fighting to the big hitters while she would act as support.

 After that brutal session, we were given another half hour to breathe and do what we needed before the last four-hour session. This focused on Armament Haki, which meant we had to focus our spiritual energy into whatever we wished to strengthen. We would have to use whatever we strengthened, let it be weapons or fists, to break certain terrain dummies. This included boulders, landscapes, and sometimes even me, since I was a Logia user. Felix was the one that excelled in this type of Haki, River learned a little bit, Wynter was average again, and Kit was able to learn just a small amount of Armament for self-defense.

 As for my training, Gramps had set aside a specific condition for me. He told me that, since he had made a deal with Delta to keep a close watch on me for two years, and I was planning on leaving early, I needed to prove myself. I had to prove to him that I did not need his protection from Delta any longer. In order to do that, I would have to land a single hit on Gramps. It couldn't just be a light tap, neither. "He had to feel it," he would tell me.

 After completing our team sessions for the day, I would stay behind while everyone else limped back to the Zephyr. Some would stay at times to watch, and Wynter was always there for moral support. Gramps gave me an hour to do whatever it took to get a hit on him. I would still be sore and exhausted from the previous trainings, but I would give it my all to land a hit on him… However, even after year and a four months, I still hadn't been able to get a solid hit on him. I was able get him a few times, but it had been nothing more than a tap against him.

 "You better get serious, kid," Gramps taunted. "Ace's 17th birthday will be here soon. You got a little over a month left, and it'll take you almost a full month to sail to the island."

 "Shit, I know that already," I hissed in aggravation as he had just thrown me against a tree. I was panting heavily as we neared the end of our final session for the day.

 Gramps charged at me and sucker punched me into the ground. Steam came off his hand as he growled, "Watch your language, brat. You gotta use ALL of your lessons, not just one at a time."

 Pushing myself off of the ground, I threw another fist toward him, attempting to surround my arm with my air gauntlet and Haki. As soon as I attempted to use Haki right after my air abilities, the air completely dissipate as if the Haki simply replaced it. He bounced back as I came close.

 "I know," I yelled in frustration. "I get it! I understand the concept but can't perform the function! I know I need to use both kinds of Haki; I know I need to use my powers. This repeated mockery is unnecessary."

 "You think this is mockery, but it is the truth," Gramps corrected as his timer went off, wrapping up the session. "You have a deadline and you are approaching it faster than you realize. You have a week until you need to sail, if you want to make it the day of his birthday. That is including the usage of your abilities to sail that fancy ship of yours. That means you have seven more tries. After that, you'll miss your chance, and I know how much you value your word."

 I struck a nearby tree. I understood what he was saying, and I was determined to get a hit on him. It was just tiring that I had been trying this for over a year now and getting close without results. How was I suppose to figure this out in a week?

 Wynter came over as Gramps bade us a good night, and placed a hand on my shoulder when Gramps was out of sight. "Hey, we should get going," Wynter said as he nudged me in the direction of the ship.

 "No, I need to get more practice in," I told him as I stepped out from under his hand. "You heard him. I have to use my time wisely, and train more. I cannot miss Ace's departure. I would never be able to forgive myself."

 "Yes, but rest is just as important," Wynter told me, taking my hand in his and almost forcefully dragging me to the Zephyr. His touch was warm, and his hands were rough from callouses and covered in scars, most likely from years of manual labor and messing with his knives. "You can't recover if you don't rest. Like you said, use your time wisely and get back at it with a fresh mind. Think of strategies during the lessons, if needed. Will training really make that much of difference when there are only seven days left?"

 I hated it when he had a point. I was both mentally and physically exhausted, and was barely standing on my feet. "It's just hard, since Gramps puts the challenge at the end of the day," I complained as Wynter continued to drag me. "It's hard not to participate in the lessons, since I'm forced to be a part of them, because of Delta's deal. You may have been onto something, though. Just because I have to be there, doesn't mean I have to give it a hundred percent."

 I was wrong. Because I was there, I had to give it a hundred percent. Gramps made sure of it. If he caught me slacking, he made me work twice as hard to make up for it. It took me three days to give up on that plan, after Wynter and Felix had to carry me back to the ship every night.

 I was starting to sweat a bit. I tried to negotiate with Gramps to let me do our challenge before the team sessions, but he refused. He believed that I needed to learn how to overcome exhaustion when there was no other choice but to fight. I saw his argument, but did it have to be now?

 On the morning when there was only three days left, I met Felix and River on the deck of Zephyr before everyone else woke up. "Hey, thanks for agreeing to meet me so early," I told them, looking out as the sun was threatening to rise. "I need help with Haki. Specifically, how to use both at the same time, as well as my powers. I can't seem to concentrate on everything at once. I was hoping you two had any tricks on how to properly use the two Haki, since you two seem to have a good grasp on them."

 River became awkward as he sheepishly said, "I'm not sure how to help with concentration, but I can tell you what I do for Observation Haki."

 Felix gave a nod and agreed, "Same here. I can tell ya what's going through my mind when I use Armament."

 River began by explaining that, when he is trying to take in everything in his environment, he imagines his spiritual energy spreading out from him, like a ripple in the water. If there is something near him, he explained it was like the ripple bounced off of it and returned to him. Once it reached him, he would take in the information to get a mental image of his surroundings. If he wanted to focus on a specific thing near him, he would narrow the ripple and project it towards the object or person to get a more accurate read.

 Felix explained that, to him, he imagined that he was turning his fists and brass knuckles into the strongest metal he could imagine. He would image the material (aka Haki) pouring out of his hands and completely encased whatever he was using. He compared it to how I explained how I used my air gauntlets. "So, instead of thinking of Haki and your powers as two different coatings, try imagining that you are mixing them," Felix advised. "Think of it as paint. You have two colors, and wet paint does not cover wet paint. The two mix to make a new color."

 "I get it," I said, thinking everything over. "I'm sure this will be easier said than done, but it'll be worth a shot. I'll practice what River said during our Observation session, and then practice what Felix said during Armament training."

 River and Felix stuck their fists out and looked to me with a grin as River encouraged, "You got this."

 I stuck my fist out to join the group fist-bump. "Yeah," I told them confidently. "I do have this! I'm gonna finally give Gramps what's been long overdue today!"

 … I did not have it that day. Not in the next two days, neither. I was starting to understand it, but it still hadn't fully clicked. I was able to see Gramps' movements better, and I was starting to blend my air and Haki together slowly.

 However, it was the fated day. I had to get a hit on Gramps today, or I wouldn't make it in time for Ace's first voyage. And, once he left the island, it would be difficult finding him in this large world. It was my last sure chance of seeing him whenever I wanted, and I was not going to waste it.

 I woke up before the rest of the crew that morning. The sun hadn't even risen yet when I began gently practicing my Armament Haki. I allowed my spiritual energy to surround my lower arms to create invisible armor around them. Once it was complete, I let it go and did the same with my air abilities. Once I had the air gauntlets, I dissipated them, as well. I then began to practice forming both, melding them together to create a stronger force.

 I repeated this routine about a dozen times before switching to Observation. I practiced two different methods as the sun threatened the horizon. I had spent about ten minutes with my eyes closed, taking in my immediate surroundings. Sensing the waves crash against the Zephyr, the sails gently flapping from the slight breeze, someone coming onto the deck. I felt them reach into their pocket, and then hurl it towards me. I lifted a hand up and caught the sharp object between my fingers with ease. I opened my eyes to see Felix standing there with a cocky grin and Wynter's dagger between my fingers. "Good morning to you, too," I told him as I spun the knife to have the handle in my palm. "You know Wynter's going to kill you for stealing one of his knives. Not to mention, who knows what he'd do if he knew you threw it at me."

 "Bastard wouldn't even be able to touch me," Felix mocked. "Besides, looks like you're more than ready for today."

 "As ready as I can be," I sighed as I put Wynter's knife on my hip in my belt. "Gramps is going to go harder than he usually does. That's just how he is. He'll want to make sure I really don't need his protection, so he won't be going easy."

 "I'm not too worried for ya," Felix said, coming over to playfully slug me in the arm. "You've been improving a lot these last few days, more than you know. Just remember to conserve your energy without Garp noticing, and keep a steady head. Don't let the stress get to ya. The victory is won before the battle begins, after all."

 I nodded as the rest of the crew came up to join us for the day. The sessions seemed to drag on today in anticipation for the final challenge. Gramps was keeping an extra close eye on me, making sure I was not slacking.

 Soon enough, the challenge session was here. Gramps and I stood in front of each other, ready to begin as everyone in my crew sat on the sidelines to watch. "I know you already know this, but this is it," Gramps told me, throwing his Justice jacket to the side. "If you don't get a good hit on me today, you'll break your word to Ace. So, show me what your word is worth."

 I took a deep breath. I allowed the air and Armament Haki to surround my fists as I used Observation Haki to watch Gramp's every minute movement. From the twitch in his grin to the slightest shift in his pinky finger. I was determined. Nothing was going to stop me from leaving this island… except for Vice Admirable Monkey D. Garp.

 Every time I came at him, he would block and retaliate with a swift hit. Every angle I approached; he'd have a way to counter. I'd throw a punch; he'd block and return one back. I threw whatever I could get my hands on; he'd step out of the way. Towards the end, I threw caution to the wind and attempted to tackle him. He stood there like a brick wall, unmoving. I was exhausted and frustrated, and I began hitting him in the chest pitifully with fists. He let this go on since my fists were not doing any damage, like a toddler having a tantrum. There was five minutes left and these puny punches weren't going to do anything. Not wanting to see this pathetic attempt any longer, Gramps lifted me up by the front of my shirt and slammed me into the ground, creating a small crater around me. I coughed up a little blood as I laid there, trying to recapture my escaped breath.

 "That's enough for today," Gramps told me, not letting go of me. "You tried, but you are not ready yet. You won't be leaving this island tonight. You'll just have to send him a letter for his birthday. Now, go get patched up by your doctor."

 My crew all looked towards me with pity in their eyes. They saw I could no longer fight back. They started to stand up to come help me back to the ship. But this couldn't be it, though. I made a promise. I can't let my brothers down. I have to be there for them. It was the day Ace had been looking forward to ever since Sabo passed away. I can't let him down!

 I felt something hot boiling within me. It was building and building, until I could contain it no longer. "I… I will keep my word," I shouted in desperation.

 Whatever had been bubbling up, was released from me in a wave. My teammates seemed to have gotten dizzy, and most of them fell unconscious. Felix and Wynter knelt down on one knee as they both panted, struggling to stay awake. Gramps looked over to them, startled by what had just happened. This was it. The opening I had been looking for. While he was distracted, I grabbed Wynter's knife that I got this morning from my belt. I held it in both hands as I surrounded it in Armament Haki. Watching how Gramps was going to move when he noticed what was going on, I used my air abilities to push the knife forward quickly and managed to plunge the small blade into his thigh.

 Gramps gave a yelp, not of harm, but of surprise. He released his grip on me and looked down to his leg. The cloth around the knife started turning crimson red as the blood seeped into his pants. It was silent as everyone processed what had just happened. I was panting and had no energy to move, chuckling quietly while Gramps let out a deep belly laugh. Gramps sat down next to me and began to smooth my hair out of my face. "Bwahaha, would you look at that," Garp laughed. "Atta girl. You managed to get a clean hit on me. Not only that, it seems that you even managed to unleash your inner Conqueror's Haki. I'm proud of you, Anne."

 I began laughing hysterically. Hot tears of joy streamed down my face. I did it. I had really done it! I managed to stab my grandfather! In any other context, that would sound terrible. But I didn't care.

 My crew started to come to again, and they all rushed over. Gramps stood up as they approach, placed a hand on the handle of the dagger that was still sticking out of his thigh, and pulled it out. "Hey, Snowtop," Gramps called to Wynter. "I believe this is yours."

 Wynter looked over to Gramps as he tossed him the bloodied knife. Wynter caught it without flinching and looked it over. "Hey, I wondered where this went this morning," Wynter said, scratching his head with his free hand. Wynter then look to me with confusion. "How in the world did it end up here? How did you even manage to get this? I mean, I don't mind. I'd happily lend you my knives any time, Captain. I'll give ya more than this if you ask next time."

 Doc cursed under her breath as she quickly stitched up Gramps, before coming to tend to me. She started checking me over, looking for any wounds she could treat. Strange, though. Why were there three of her? And why was there darkness creeping into my vision? "Oh boy, looks like we'll have to carry her back," Doc told the others. "She's starting to slip out of consciousness."

 As Felix and Wynter began to bicker about who got to carry me back, I managed to see Gramps bend down and lift me up into his arms. Gramps barked at the two, telling them they'll touch me over his dead body. The group started heading towards the Zephyr as my vision began to go.

 As I was slipping, Gramps looked down to me and gently said, "Again, I'm proud of you, Anne. As much as I hate to see you go, I am glad I got to see your growth. You've come a long way, and I can't wait to see what kind of things you'll do in the future. I guess my little angel doesn't need her grandpa's help any longer…"

 I was not sure if he had said anything else after that, but I could feel him hold me closer as I faded into darkness.