You're no longer a swordsman.

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30 chaps ahead on Pat.reon: patr.eon.com/MonkeyGodking

I'm fucking sick again! so, patrons might not get as many chaps.

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Yami woke up in a castle with bandages over his torso. He looked around and couldn't find his sword anywhere. He got up and walked around, looking frantically. Zoro saw him and said "He has it." Yami stopped and looked at him, Zoro looked at Yami and said "Wow, who even are you?" Yami's eyes trembled slightly and Zoro added "You're definitely not, Yami. That's for sure. He wouldn't give up on his life even if she was dead. She's not dead and you look like this... No wonder you were abandoned."

Zoro passed by him and stopped before asking Yami "Can you even hear Crimson anymore?" Yami froze over and Zoro snorted, walking away, muttering "What a disappointment." Yami stared at nothing, in a daze. Everything was still black and white. He couldn't hear, he couldn't speak.

He walked away and sat outside. He rubbed his scarf with his fingers, he couldn't think about anything other than the moment Yachiru jumped in front of him. it was in his nightmares, his daydreams, constantly, over and over.

If only he wasn't so weak!

He looked at the ground and there was a newspaper with Luffy on the front cover. It showed Luffy with his hat on his chest with a marking on his arm. It was '3D with an X over it and 2Y after it' Yami understood this simple message, he figured the rest would as well.

Mihawk appeared behind him and said "Wake up. Come with me." Yami looked at Mihawk and followed him silently.

Mihawk brought him to a room, Crimson was laying on a table. Yami looked at it, but couldn't hear anything coming from him. He felt even worse. Mihawk said "I don't care how sorry you feel for yourself. This sword isn't accepting you anymore." Yami looked at him and he said "I can't kill you, because you're not a swordsman anymore. When it accepts you again, then I will grant you death."

Yami was silent and Mihawk flicked the newspaper open, saying "I received news that a pink haired girl suddenly appeared on Elbaf, even that she has a Size changing fruit." Yami trembled and light returned to his eyes, Mihawk added "You will use a wooden sword until that sword accepts you again. After which, I will take your head. Now leave." as he threw a wooden sword on the ground.

Yami picked up the wooden sword and walked away silently, Mihawk watched him go and muttered "So it was true. It helped slightly..." he rubbed his finger over his chest and added "Very close, even without Haki... Interesting..." he grinned excitedly when Yami was out of sight.

Yami walked outside and there was a little bit of life coming back to his eyes.

She was alive!

She could come back!

His eyes tightened and he gripped the wooden sword extremely hard, never again would he be put in a similar situation! He was going to get stronger than ever before. He tapped on his earrings and a box fell to the ground with a lifeless thud.

Yami looked at the black and white box and kicked it open, revealing dozens of sets of weights with several shelves labeled 1-10.

He took his shirt, pants, and shoes off, leaving just his underwear and scarf. He threw them to the side and reached out to the box, near the middle. He paused and his eyes hardened, going straight to the heaviest ones on the first shelf.

He grunted and veins popped out of his arms as he lifted them and clamped them to his wrists and ankles. He struggled and grabbed the sword with 2 hands, slowly lifting it up and sweating like a dog before slashing down and growling like an animal.

Mihawk watched from far away, Zoro was standing next to him and Mihawk said "What's that?" Zoro said "Weights. I've never even touched the ones he took." Mihawk hummed "Very interesting... Go grab a set for yourself and bring him with you. We're starting training today. They must be heavier or 1 set below the ones he took, understand?"

Zoro nodded and left.

Mihawk walked away with a smirk on his face, thinking about the death battles he could have once they're finished.

Zoro walked over and Yami slashed out, looking ferocious. Zoro looked at the wooden sword pointed at him and then Yami before saying nothing and grabbing a set of weights. Yami watched and his fingers twitched as Zoro hovered over the weights before the ones he took, but then grabbed the first ones on the second shelf.

What was this?

A challenge?

It felt like a challenge.

Yami grabbed the ones after him and Zoro frowned before grabbing the ones after that, Yami blinked and a vein surfaced on his forehead as he grabbed the ones after that which happened to be the middle ones.

He changed his weights and closed the box, leaving Zoro with ones just before his.

Zoro couldn't even move and Yami tapped the box on his earring, bending over on the ground before getting up and slowly walking away with Zoro.

Literally moving at a snails pace.

They took HOURS just to get to where Mihawk was.

He was waiting for them and noticed that their weights were much heavier now.

He ignored it and said "You'll be fighting the Humandrills on the island..." he looked at the weights and declared "You will not take off those weights no matter what. If you die, then you die." he whistled and added somewhat sadistically, but kept a stoic face, "As yes, they are very fast."

A horde of Humandrills with sword came from the woods and chopped at the air in intimidation.

Mihawk walked away and Perona appeared, floating in the air, saying "You can do it, cuties!" as she hugged a teddy bear. Yami and Zoro ignored her and she pouted "Fine! Then die! Who cares about you!? Hmph!"

And so, Yami and Zoro's training began.

It was either improve or die pretty much.

They looked at each other and held their swords up as the Humandrills attacked them.