Chapter 38: Internship Part 5, Prelude to a big day

(Yeah, I know, shitty schedule, moving on. Also, exams are happening right now, so there's that too)

(And for whoever is curious on my One Piece progression, I'm currently on the Fishman Island arc)

(Chikyu trivia: Chikyu's favorite weapon is a warhammer, and he plans to make one when his control becomes even more fine-tuned)

Two more days had passed at the internship, as not too much of note happened, with the exclusion of Chikyu being given weights that were attached to his body, each weighing 100kg. One around his torso, one on both arms and one on both legs. They were made of a special metal that Chikyu actually hadn't seen much of before. It was called Ferrium. It was heavy in its raw form, but it could be shaped into many forms. The most popular use, at least in the hero industry, was in the form of these weights. They came in a ton of different weights, from 1 kg to several tons.

Besides the addition of the weights, the underwater spars between Shio and Chikyu had increased in both quantity and intensity. By now, Chikyu was able to fight at 45% efficiency underwater, which made things harder for Shio. He had also started to counterattack Shio's manipulation of the environment underwater by doing the same thing with the stone and sand around them. However, Shio was still quite formidable, and he kept pace with the learning student. However, there was a moment where Chikyu managed to get a clean hit straight on Shio that gave him a win, as it almost knocked him out. How he achieved this? He simply shook the sand that Shio stood on right as he was about to attack, tripping him long enough for Chikyu to launch himself off a wall and nail him with a punch.

It was now the fifth day. Chikyu did the usual routine: Wake up early, warm up, get a ton of food, wait for Shio to get ready so that they could set out. This time, however, Shio had different plans.

"We've gotten news of a bunch of big ships that might be transporting illegal substances. This is an actual case, and I want you to come with me for it. It'll give you some good experience and you'll get to see what it's like. What do you say?", Shio explained.

"I accept.", Chikyu said almost instantly. This was exactly the kind of opportunity he wanted.

The two of them made their way to a ship nearby, which was filled with a few other heroes that we going to assist in the operation. Two of them also came from Shio's hero agency.

One of them had light brown skin and an orange pattern underneath both of his eyes. He was dressed quite casually compared to everyone else.

(His image on the left is what he is wearing)

The other person had darker skin, and his hair was white. He was also evidently older than most of the people present.

(Image)

As Shio and Chikyu approached, the casually dressed man seemed to get excited and dragged the older one with him over as he walked to Shio.

"Hey, boss! We were wondering when you were gonna turn up! Good to see that you're on time for once!, haha!", he said, an excitement clearly present in his voice.

Shio simply chuckled.

"Well, I have to start getting up earlier now, thanks to this guy here with me!", he responded, pointing to Chikyu.

It was now that the two men took clear notice of the tall student. He was actually at height with the older man, at 6"7.

(For comparison, Endeavor is 6"5.)

"Oh shit, it's you! Winner of this year's Sports Festival! You made a huge storm after that, you know? Everyone keeps talking about the student who completely dominated the competition without even having to use his quirk! Glad to finally see you!", the casually dressed man went on, that excitement still present in his voice.

"Hanasu, please at least try to be somewhat professional. However, I do have to agree with him. It is quite impressive that you managed to best your adversaries with just your physical prowess. You have a lot of potential.", the older, taller man said.

His voice was deep and rumbly. He spoke with a pleasant elegance.

"Thank you. What's your name, seeing as we're going to be partners for today?", Chikyu asked, keen on learning more about his current teammates.

"As you heard me say earlier, the excitable one is Hanasu. Hanasu Hono. My name is Sugureta Kyofu. Pleased to meet you at last, Chikyu Tsuchikawa.", he said.

(The big mission starts next chapter)