99. The Sparring Sessions (II)

Chapter 99: The Sparring Sessions (II)

The tension in the air shifted as Sanji stepped forward, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. His usual cigarette hung from the corner of his lips, unlit, as he locked eyes with Gin.

The two men had fought before—back in Baratie—but that was different. Gin had been holding back due to his loyalty to Krieg, and Sanji had been forced to defend a place he called home. Now, there were no restraints. No distractions.

Just two warriors about to settle things with their fists.

Gin wiped the sweat from his brow and cracked his knuckles. "Been a while, Sanji."

Sanji smirked. "Yeah. Last time, you had those tonfa. Let's see how good you are without 'em."

Goku, standing between them, raised a hand. "Same rules. No weapons, no holding back. Use your Ki properly—don't force it, flow with it." He let the tension build before dropping his hand. "Fight!"

Sanji exploded forward with an immediate front kick aimed straight for Gin's chest. The speed caught even Gin off guard. He barely had time to shift his arms up into a tight guard before the force of the impact sent him skidding backward.

His feet scraped across the deck, but he didn't fall. Instead, he grit his teeth, dug his heels in, and sprang back forward with a vicious right straight.

Sanji tilted his head to the side at the last second, dodging by mere inches.

Before Sanji could counter, Gin faked a second punch—his fist coming up high—only to suddenly drop his weight, bringing his knee up in a sharp strike toward Sanji's ribs.

Sanji barely had time to twist his torso to avoid a clean hit, but the impact still glanced off his side, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his body.

"Tch… bastard." He smirked, wiping his mouth before spinning into a high roundhouse kick.

Gin ducked under the attack, rolling forward to avoid getting clipped.

The second Gin's feet touched the deck, he lunged forward and threw a brutal one-two punch combination.

Sanji blocked the first strike with his forearm, but the second hit slipped through and landed square on his cheek, snapping his head to the side.

"Ggh—"

Gin didn't let up. He pivoted on his heel and aimed a brutal sidekick to Sanji's stomach.

Sanji, despite the stinging pain in his jaw, reacted instantly. He dropped his weight and caught Gin's leg with his arm before twisting sharply—throwing Gin off-balance and sending him stumbling sideways.

Gin cursed, but before he could recover, Sanji twisted into a spinning back kick that caught Gin right in the ribs.

CRACK!

The sound of impact echoed through the deck as Gin was sent flying back, slamming into the ship's railing.

Vivi gasped. "That was—"

"Not over yet," Goku said, watching closely.

Gin rolled off the railing and spat to the side. His chest was throbbing, but his grin was still there. "Not bad, Curly-brow. You've gotten stronger."

Sanji scoffed. "Damn right."

Gin suddenly rushed forward, moving with an almost inhuman burst of speed. His Ki flared as he feinted a right punch, but Sanji had already seen through it.

Instead of falling for the bait, the cook jumped backward, narrowly avoiding the follow-up elbow strike aimed for his chin.

But Gin wasn't done. The second his feet touched the ground, he lunged again, twisting mid-air to bring down a powerful axe kick.

Sanji blocked with both arms, wincing as the impact rattled his bones.

"Damn… heavy bastard…"

Gin smirked. "You noticed?"

He suddenly kicked off from Sanji's guard, flipping backward, before dashing forward again.

Sanji threw a lightning-fast high kick, aiming for Gin's head.

Gin weaved under it, responding with a sharp liver shot that dug into Sanji's side.

"Guh—!"

Sanji staggered, but before Gin could press the advantage, he recovered and threw a savage knee straight for Gin's stomach.

Gin twisted his torso at the last second, taking the hit on his side instead of his gut.

Both fighters stepped back, panting slightly. Their eyes locked—an understanding passing between them.

This was a real fight. A test of strength, endurance, and skill.

Sanji exhaled. "Not gonna lie… you hit like a damn cannonball."

Gin smirked. "Funny. I was about to say the same thing."

They rushed forward at the same time, colliding in the center of the deck.

Sanji threw a low roundhouse kick—Gin blocked with his shin.

Gin aimed a spinning backfist—Sanji ducked just in time.

Sanji countered with a heel drop kick—Gin barely managed to step aside.

Gin shot forward with a shoulder check, knocking Sanji off balance.

Sanji retaliated with a jumping front kick, slamming Gin back several feet.

Both men skidded apart, their chests rising and falling.

The crew watched in stunned silence. Even Zoro, still catching his breath from his fight with Gin, raised an eyebrow.

"That was… intense," Usopp muttered.

Goku chuckled. "Heh. They're still getting used to using Ki, but damn, they're fast."

Sanji wiped the sweat from his forehead, his smirk returning. "Had enough?"

Gin took a deep breath before grinning. "Heh… Let's call it a draw."

Sanji exhaled and nodded. "Fine by me."

Goku clapped his hands. "Alright! That was a hell of a match. You two did great." He then turned toward Zoro, who was leaning against the mast, and Usopp, who looked like he wanted to disappear.

"Next up… Zoro vs. Usopp."

Usopp froze. "W-Wait, WHAT?!"

Zoro grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Heh. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. Maybe."

The crew laughed as Usopp gulped, stepping forward with trembling legs.

Usopp wiped his sweaty palms against his pants as he stepped forward, facing Zoro. The swordsman stood with his arms crossed, eyes half-lidded, completely relaxed.

"Come on, Usopp," Zoro said, rolling his neck. "You're gonna have to fight me eventually."

Usopp gulped but quickly shook it off, forcing a confident smirk. "Tch, don't underestimate me, Zoro. I might not be as strong as you, but I've got brains."

Zoro chuckled. "Yeah? Let's see if your brains stop me from beating the crap outta you."

Goku stepped between them, raising a hand. "Alright, same rules—no weapons, no holding back." His eyes flicked to Usopp. "Usopp, you're physically weaker, but don't focus on that. Use your Ki properly. Make it part of your movements, not separate from them."

Usopp nodded, inhaling sharply. "Right. Got it."

Goku smiled. "Alright, then. Fight!"

Zoro walked forward at a slow, deliberate pace, his hands still in his pockets.

Usopp didn't wait. He knew he couldn't match Zoro in brute strength, so he went straight for strategy.

His Ki flared subtly as he sidestepped and dashed around Zoro, trying to outmaneuver him.

Zoro barely reacted, just shifting his weight slightly to track Usopp's movements. "Tch… so you're gonna run?"

"Not run. Set you up."

Usopp suddenly lunged in, feinting a right jab before flipping backward mid-air.

Zoro barely had time to react before Usopp threw out a quick Ki-imbued kick, aiming for his chest.

Instead of dodging, Zoro caught Usopp's ankle with one hand.

Usopp's eyes widened. "Oh, cra—!"

With a grunt, Zoro spun and flung Usopp toward the deck.

Usopp, instead of crashing, twisted mid-air and bounced off the ground, using his Ki to cushion his fall.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Not bad."

Usopp smirked. "Told ya! I'm getting the hang of this Ki stuff!"

Not wanting to lose momentum, Usopp dashed forward again.

This time, he didn't aim directly for Zoro but instead pivoted around him, moving in quick circles, trying to disorient him.

Zoro sighed, closing his eyes. "…You're overthinking it."

Without warning, he suddenly threw a backhand punch—without even looking.

Usopp barely managed to dodge, feeling the wind from the strike pass inches from his nose. "Crap—!"

Instead of retreating, Usopp ducked low and swept his leg under Zoro's feet.

Zoro stomped down hard, planting himself firm, completely unfazed.

Usopp's face paled. "That usually works…"

Zoro smirked before driving his knee forward toward Usopp's gut.

Usopp reacted instinctively, channeling Ki into his arms and crossing them over his stomach.

The impact sent him sliding back, but he didn't collapse.

Usopp blinked. "Whoa… I didn't just fold like a lawn chair?"

Goku chuckled from the sidelines. "See? You're getting better."

Encouraged, Usopp rushed in again, this time weaving between fakes and real strikes.

He jabbed—Zoro dodged.

He feinted a hook—Zoro ignored it.

He spun into a kick—Zoro blocked with his forearm.

No matter what he did, Zoro barely seemed fazed.

"Okay, this is annoying."

Usopp suddenly grinned. "Time to try something stupid!"

He jumped backward and shot a precise Ki blast at the deck—causing a sudden burst of smoke and debris.

Zoro frowned as Usopp disappeared in the cloud. "Hmph. Smart."

Zoro stood still, waiting.

Then—from behind.

"HAH!" Usopp appeared out of the smoke and drove his fist forward, aiming for Zoro's kidney.

Zoro, without looking, spun around and parried the strike with his forearm.

"Nice try."

Usopp, not giving up, twisted his body and sent a jumping knee strike toward Zoro's chin.

Zoro reacted fast, ducking under and slamming his palm into Usopp's chest.

Usopp's breath hitched as he was sent flying back, rolling across the deck before finally coming to a stop.

He groaned. "Owwww…"

Zoro sighed, walking over and extending a hand. "You good?"

Usopp took it, rubbing his ribs. "Yeah. Just… kinda feel like I got hit by a cannon."

Zoro smirked. "That's 'cause you did."

The crew chuckled as Usopp dusted himself off, shaking his head. "Well… at least I lasted longer than I thought."

Goku gave him a thumbs-up. "You did great, Usopp. You're getting better at using Ki, and you're way harder to hit than before. Keep working on it."

Usopp grinned. "Heh. Damn right."

Goku turned to Sanji, who had been watching with his arms crossed.

"Alright," Goku said. "Now, it's Usopp vs. Sanji."

Usopp froze.

Sanji cracked his knuckles. "Heh. This should be fun."

[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!]