97. The Power Within

Chapter 97: The Power Within

The sun had barely risen over the vast blue horizon, its golden rays shimmering across the gentle waves of the Grand Line. The Going Merry sailed steadily, its sails catching the wind as the salty sea air brushed over the deck. The ocean stretched infinitely in all directions, a boundless world of adventure awaiting the crew. The sound of water lapping against the ship's hull mixed with the occasional creaking of wood, adding to the serene yet energetic atmosphere of the morning.

On deck, the Straw Hat Pirates had gathered for their next step in training. Standing at the forefront of the group was their captain, Goku, arms crossed, his signature straw hat hanging on his back, held in place by the string around his neck. His tail was wrapped snugly around his waist, a natural instinct when he was serious. The Saiyan's eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at his crew, ready to push them further than before.

A little ways off, Vivi, Chopper and Karoo stood by the mast, observing the training session with curiosity. Vivi had her arms crossed, her expression showing a mix of awe and anticipation, while Karoo tilted his head, watching intently. Chopper watched with an innocent curiosity.

"So, who wants to go first?" Goku asked, his voice cutting through the salty morning air. His lips curled into a grin as he studied his crew.

The six pirates before him—Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Gin, and himself—had all come a long way in their training. Each of them had learned to somewhat manifest their Ki, though with varying degrees of control. Today's lesson was crucial: using Ki to enhance their physical abilities.

Goku raised his hand and pointed toward the crow's nest at the top of the mast. "The goal today is to enhance your body with Ki, allowing you to jump higher, run faster, and, eventually… fly."

Zoro, who had been standing with his arms folded, stepped forward without hesitation. "I'll go first."

Goku's grin widened. "Alright. But before you start, let me show you how it's done."

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Almost immediately, a dark red aura, nearly black in shade, flickered to life around his body. The energy pulsed gently, forming a thin veil over his skin. The sheer intensity of it made the air around him vibrate.

"This is the next step on your journey," he said, his voice calm yet commanding. "You're not just gathering Ki into your hands like before. This time, you're spreading it throughout your entire body. It's different from simply reinforcing your legs or arms. You need to make your whole body work as one with the energy."

With that, Goku suddenly bent his knees and launched himself into the sky. The force of his takeoff sent a powerful gust outward, rattling the ship's deck and making Chopper, Vivi and Karoo shield their faces from the wind. He soared upwards, nearly a hundred meters into the air, his silhouette momentarily blocking the sunlight.

Then, just as suddenly, he came plummeting back toward the ship at an insane speed. The crew tensed, some already bracing for impact. But just before he could crash into the deck, he stopped—mid-air.

A sudden shockwave burst outward from the abrupt halt, sending another powerful gust through the ship. Nami yelped as her hair was whipped around wildly, and Usopp stumbled back, eyes wide in shock.

Goku hovered for a moment before slowly descending to the deck. His straw hat, caught in the earlier wind, floated gently down past his head and landed back against his back. His tail uncoiled slightly before wrapping back around his waist.

"If I hadn't stopped like that, there would've been a big hole in the ship," he said casually, as if he hadn't just defied gravity itself.

The crew stared at him, some in awe, others still trying to process what they'd just witnessed.

Zoro cracked his neck, stepping forward once more. "Alright, I get the idea. Let me try."

Goku nodded. "Go for it."

Zoro took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had already learned to manifest Ki to some degree, but this was different. This time, he had to let it spread across his entire body.

Slowly, a faint greenish aura enveloped him, flickering slightly as if unstable. It was obvious he was struggling to maintain it.

"Don't force it, Zoro," Goku instructed. "Forcing the energy creates tension, and tension causes the energy to flare up instead of flowing properly."

Zoro visibly relaxed, and the Ki around him seemed to stabilize somewhat. He opened his eyes, and just like Goku before, the energy vanished in an instant.

He bent his knees and jumped.

His body launched upward, far higher than any normal human should be able to jump. He reached a solid height—though nowhere near Goku's hundred meters—but it was still impressive. He landed back on the deck with a heavy thud, causing the wood to groan slightly under his weight.

The crew erupted Into cheers.

"That was insane!" Usopp shouted.

Vivi's mouth was slightly open in surprise. "That's not normal at all…"

"I almost made it to the crow's nest," Zoro muttered to himself, clearly unsatisfied but still recognizing the improvement.

The next to step forward was Sanji. The cook exhaled slowly, focusing as he let his Ki expand. Unlike Zoro, his aura was smoother, flowing around him like a warm flame. Sanji had a natural talent for this—his body, particularly his legs, was already strong.

He bent his knees and jumped.

His form was sleek, effortless. He shot upward, rising just high enough to barely grab onto the edge of the crow's nest before dropping back down.

He landed gracefully, his feet barely making a sound against the deck.

"That makes sense," Goku nodded. "Since your legs are already strong, your Ki is enhancing them even more. That's why you got the highest so far."

Sanji smirked. "Guess that means I'm a natural."

After watching Zoro and Sanji, Gin stepped forward next. Unlike the others, his fighting style had always been a mix of brute strength and refined technique. His grip tightened around his tonfa as he exhaled slowly, letting the Ki spread across his body. His aura flickered between a deep gray and a faint purple, pulsing rhythmically.

He bent his knees and launched himself upward.

His jump wasn't as high as Sanji's, but it easily surpassed Zoro's. Gin reached nearly three-fourths of the way up to the crow's nest before gravity pulled him back down. He twisted midair, landing with a low crouch, one hand pressed against the deck to steady himself.

Goku nodded approvingly. "That was a solid jump. Your strength and balance are already good, so once you refine your Ki control, you'll be able to go even higher."

Gin smirked, rolling his shoulders. "This is gonna be interesting."

With his successful attempt, Nami and Usopp exchanged nervous glances, realizing their turn had finally come.

Goku then turned to Nami and Usopp. "Alright, you two."

Both of them gulped.

Unlike the others, Nami and Usopp weren't as physically strong. They relied more on agility, wit, and precision.

"You're both going to need to push out more Ki than the others," Goku explained. "Since you don't have the same raw strength, you need to make up for it with better control."

Nami frowned but nodded. Usopp was already sweating.

They both closed their eyes, summoning their Ki as best as they could. Unlike Sanji and Zoro, theirs was stronger, thicker yet flickering like a candlelight.

They jumped.

It wasn't high. Not even close. Usopp barely made it higher than a normal jump, and Nami only went slightly beyond that.

Goku smiled. "That's good for a first try. Now, let's get you used to the feeling."

The next hour was spent running laps around the ship, reinforcing their newfound energy control. Goku had them perform exercises—quick dashes, sudden stops, high jumps, and bursts of speed—forcing them to adapt to the rush of power flooding their bodies.

With every lap, they got better. Their movements became sharper, their control steadier.

"This is why we trained so hard back on the Conomi Islands," Goku reminded them. "Your bodies needed to get stronger before you could handle this power. You're already improving."

By the time they finished, the sun had fully risen, casting its bright light across the ocean. The crew was exhausted but exhilarated.

Their journey to mastering Ki was far from over.

But today, they had taken another step forward.

[A/N: Can't wait to see what happens next? Get exclusive early access on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels. If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see more, don't forget to drop a power stone! Your support helps this story reach more readers!]