Chapter 53: Change of Approach

After defeating the last of the Stealths and clearing the jungle of the remaining Heartless, a soft chime echoed in my mind, like a distant bell. A moment later, a message etched itself into my consciousness:

A message suddenly appeared in my mind:

• Usopp has acquired a magic bow (can condense arrows and string using magic)

• Usopp has acquired Clayton's shotgun (uses cartridges from the standard ammo pouch) — linked to the pouch

• Luffy has acquired Beast Fang + (Moderately enhances learning, attack, and defense)

• Jordan has gained: 800 Coastal Primates, 800 Mischievous Primates, 200 Patrol Primates, 800 Green Requiems, and 4 Stealths

• +1000 munnies

• Gained physical attributes of Hard Mode Sabor

• You have unlocked Deep Jungle – Expert Mode

I exhaled softly, wiping the sweat from my brow as I observed Usopp kneeling, carefully inspecting the worn yet powerful firearm he had just received—Clayton's shotgun. A heavy weapon, with double side-by-side barrels, engraved with strange runes faded by time and blood. Its rough texture emitted a predatory, almost oppressive aura.

"Looks like it's time to drop the slingshot, Usopp," I said with a smirk as I walked over. "Trust me, the weapons we find here are leagues above anything you'd come across elsewhere."

He nodded slowly, handling the gun with care. He opened the chamber to reveal two red cartridges inside. Buckshot. Massive shells—made for hunting big game… or worse.

"Jordan… I'm willing to switch, but I'll need some time to get used to it," he admitted with a sigh. He rummaged through his ammo pouch, pulling out a few more similar shells. "What do you recommend? The shotgun doesn't seem to have much range without losing accuracy, and the bow's a bit too stiff for close quarters."

I nodded while picking up the standard Beast Fang Luffy tossed me. He was trying, unsuccessfully, to pick up the upgraded version from the ground — apparently limited by his accessory slots. Without a word, I equipped it instead, instantly feeling a rush of power course through me.

"Use both," I answered calmly. "Keep the shotgun for short-range fights. Pre-load it and treat it like your last resort for emergencies. The bow will depend on your magic stat — the stronger your magic, the better you'll be able to draw the string, which means stronger shots." I winked. "Basically: brute force plus magical precision."

Usopp gave a small smile, clearly motivated despite the new responsibilities. He stored his weapons carefully, already testing the invisible tension of the bowstring.

Meanwhile, Luffy, grinning as always, stretched and crossed his arms behind his head.

"So, Jordan… Time to resume exploring! I wanna see all of East Blue before we head to the Grand Line!"

I stayed behind with Luffy while Usopp ran off to inform the crew of our departure.

I smiled, letting my eyes drift toward the misty morning horizon.

"No problem, Captain. But I'll need a small favor. Nami already knows East Blue like the back of her hand, so while we sail together, I'd like to scout ahead — just one day in advance. I'll stay aboard most of the time."

Luffy furrowed his brow slightly, then understood.

"Ah… This is about what we saw earlier."

I nodded.

"Exactly. After what happened in normal mode, I want to make sure nothing can drag me back into the darkness that easily."

Luffy gave me a playful punch on the shoulder — not too hard, but enough to make me stumble a step. He wore his usual carefree yet sincere smile.

"Of course! I can't let my strategist keep that kind of weakness," he said with a laugh, his voice carried by the island's warm breeze.

I gave him a crooked smile, rubbing my shoulder slightly. "Thanks… Captain."

He burst out laughing, and together, we rejoined Nami and Koby, who were chatting near the boarding ramp. Usopp, already on board, was waving at us to hurry up.

"Everyone ready?" Nami asked, arms crossed, eyes sharp.

"I think we're waiting on two cabin boys… ah, here they are!" Usopp replied, pointing at Luffy and me, making Koby laugh.

I zapped him with a small jolt of lightning, causing him to yelp and flee, which only added to the laughter.

"You'll see what this 'cabin boy' can do!" I called out with a chuckle.

We boarded the Merry, the deck creaking softly beneath our feet. The sails were hoisted, snapping against the mast as if saluting our departure. As the island slowly receded behind us, we gave one last wave to those who stayed behind — the stationed shadows, the watchful clones… and Heartless Island, our strange temporary refuge.

I gazed at the horizon, the low sun tracing a golden path across the waves. Looking over the map with Luffy, we picked the nearest unexplored island.

"Next stop: Shimotsuki," I murmured to myself.

"That island…," Nami said, eyes fixed on her compass and maps, "…it's a major training ground. Dojos as far as the eye can see, martial traditions carved into every stone. Maybe we'll find someone useful… or someone that'll catch Luffy's eye."

"Hey!" our captain protested. "I don't just pick people at random! I feel them! Like I did with you guys!"

"Yeah, yeah — you 'feel' them, then smack them on the shoulder and tell them they have no choice," Usopp joked, mimicking Luffy with an exaggerated grimace.

Koby smiled shyly. "I have to admit… it's kind of fun watching who catches Luffy's attention."

Luffy scratched the back of his head. "Well yeah, but it's not so bad, right? Look — you're all doing great!"

Nami sighed, half-exasperated, half-amused. "As long as he doesn't bring an entire dojo on board just because they 'look cool,' I think we'll manage."

I chuckled softly, enjoying the light-hearted mood.

"You joke, but knowing Luffy, we'll end up with a zen master in his eighties, a little girl who slices through boulders, and a chef who fights with chopsticks."

Luffy's eyes lit up. "That would be awesome, right?!"

"Luffy, let's try to limit recruitment. The Merry is a caravel, not a warship. Unless you're planning on building a fleet already…" I said, arms crossed, my tone serious.

Luffy pondered for a moment, arms behind his head, staring up at the drifting clouds. Then he nodded.

"Alright. Quality over quantity. You're right, Jordan."

A collective sigh of relief swept through the crew — especially Nami, who rolled her eyes.

I smiled softly… before shifting gears abruptly:

"Alright! Just because we're at sea doesn't mean we can slack on training!" I declared, a bit too enthusiastically.

Usopp gulped. Koby froze. Nami frowned.

"That smile… I already hate it," she muttered.

With a fluid gesture, I summoned Eisah from my shadow, her form as spectral and majestic as ever.

"You'll steer while we train," I told her.

I left five shadow soldiers to help maneuver the Merry. The ship swayed gently, as if responding to the command.

I turned back to the crew.

"Luffy, Koby, with me. We're resuming survival swimming. As for you two," I pointed at Nami and Usopp, "you'll work in pairs. Usopp, you need to get used to your two new weapons. Nami, you need to improve your mana pool and stamina control. You'll create ice chunks in midair — Usopp will shoot them down."

Nami raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "I'm not an ice machine."

"No, you're our artillery mage. And Usopp, you're our sniper. Start acting like it," I said with a wink.

Usopp gripped his new magic bow. "Aye aye, demon coach..."

I positioned myself at the front of the ship and dove into the cool water alongside our natural escort: a giant crocodile with dark scales, which I'd left to patrol beneath the Merry's hull to keep sea monsters at bay. Not a true Sea King — those massive beasts lived in the Calm Belt — but enough to deter the local threats.

Luffy swam with his usual explosive energy, splashing wildly, while Koby focused on his breathing and speed, determined to keep up with his captain.

Meanwhile, I trained my Observation Haki underwater, eyes closed, relying solely on the fluctuations of the current, the movement of the water, and the distant presence of marine creatures.

On the deck, Nami was sweating as she summoned floating ice tiles into the air, while Usopp alternated between long-range magical bow shots and short bursts from his shotgun, adjusting his stance and accuracy methodically.

Three days passed like that, carried by the rhythm of the waves, hard work, and muffled laughter.

My body ached from exhaustion, my muscles stretched to the limit, but… I was reaching a new level. And I wasn't alone.

Thankfully, at the end of each day, I had the Green Requiems treat us with gentle, persistent healing, speeding up recovery, easing pain, and maximizing physical and magical growth.

When the sun set, we'd all collapse together on the deck, half-dead but with light hearts.

Luffy was now completely immune to seawater — his physical strength was no longer hindered by the Devil Fruit's weakness — but he still sank like a stone, even though he had learned to swim. This forced him to exert more effort to stay afloat, but it significantly improved his strength and endurance. Still, I was glad we kept the ropes for him and Koby so we wouldn't lose them at sea.

Speaking of Koby, he'd adapted surprisingly well to the training. He'd grown taller and more muscular — not quite a bodybuilder, but close to a fitness coach. He was bulkier than me, though I still stood tallest at 2.10 meters.

Nami had reinforced her magical reserves and control to the point where she could now freeze a portion of the sea for over a hundred meters — though the ice would break under the waves' force shortly after.

Usopp now handled his two new weapons just as skillfully as his slingshot, thanks to the Apprentice Ring's learning enhancement. On the last day, he joined Koby and Luffy for physical training, while I took his place with Nami, practicing magical attack variations and shaping different forms to improve our control.

I finally managed to absorb the crocodile into my shadow after reinforcing my body enough. It was just at the edge of what I could bear, but by keeping it there, my body slowly grew stronger through its presence.

"Time for me to go," I said, smiling at my companions, all sprawled out on the deck, their bodies exhausted but their spirits at ease.

Luffy raised his head, still lying down with his hands behind his neck.

"Go ahead, Jordan. But don't go doing anything crazy, alright? If there's trouble to stir up, wait for us!"

I nodded with a knowing smile, then spread my shadowy wings and soared above the waves, leaving behind the Merry and its white sails fluttering lazily in the wind.

I arrived at Shimotsuki Island about six hours later. The sky was clear, the sea calm, and the trees lining the shore rustled gently. The place radiated a near-sacred tranquility.

I summoned three Shadows and shaped them into my Preacher disguise — my body cloaked in a long white robe, face hidden by a smooth obsidian mask that exuded distant kindness. My Keyblade returned to its classic form, sheathed in a mystical veil of shadow.

I glided slowly over the island, detecting only a single spirit in the cemetery adjacent to an old dojo. Not a chorus of restless souls… just her.

The ghostly silhouette of a young girl stood motionless before a carved gravestone. She was slim, poised, dressed in a worn white training kimono. Her long black hair drifted gently behind her, tied in a ponytail. At her waist hung a wooden sword, and — something I'd never seen before — a pale iron crown chained to her wrists, like a reminder of a promise left unfulfilled.

I descended slowly from the sky, landing a few paces behind her.

"Hello, young one," I said gently, almost reverently. "I am the Preacher. I've come to release the souls bound to this world. You don't have to remain here anymore."

But the moment I raised my Keyblade, she reacted with startling speed. In a blink, she drew her wooden sword and struck out, pushing me back with a sharp, fluid motion.

"I didn't ask you for anything! I have to stay… I need to see Zoro fulfill our dream!" she shouted, taking a combat stance, her eyes gleaming with fierce pride.

I was taken aback — not by the strike, but by her determination.

"I'm not your enemy… I won't force you to go," I said, lowering my weapon, sincere. "If your heart still clings to this place, then I'm not the one to pass judgment."

But suddenly, a chill raced down my spine, as if a current had surged up from the depths of my instinct.

My Observation Haki flared violently in my mind, screaming a warning of imminent danger.

I spun on instinct — just in time to evade a blade slicing through the air. It hissed past me so close that it lifted the ends of my hair.

A man now stood before me, dressed in a simple black kimono, feet firmly rooted. His features, once calm, were twisted with fear and fury. His hair, tied in a traditional topknot, was streaked with gray. His eyes, dark and piercing, studied me with caution… and pain.

It was Koushirou, master of the Shimotsuki dojo.

His sword was raised, trembling — not from weakness, but from emotional strain.

"Who are you… and what are you doing at my daughter's grave?!" he growled, his deep voice echoing across the silent graveyard. He stepped between me and the tombstone, as if shielding it from some invisible threat.

Behind him, the spectral form of Kuina wavered, shrinking back slightly. Her eyes lowered.

"Papa… I'm sorry…" she whispered. Her voice drifted like a sigh in the wind — fragile and distant.

And then, a second threat struck.

A shadow sliced the air, leaping from the dojo rooftop.

"Santoryu: Onigiri!" shouted a familiar voice just as three slashing arcs converged on me. I barely dodged in time, launching myself into the sky with a beat of shadowy wings.

No time to breathe. The voice rang out again:

"Tora Gari!"

Zoro, furious, tore through the air in my direction, trying to drag me down and slam me to the earth. I rose higher, narrowly avoiding his assault.

"Don't attack me!" I called out firmly, raising my voice without aggression. I hovered out of reach, hands open to show I meant no harm.

"The ghost of your daughter is here. She's bound to this grave by an unfulfilled promise. I only came to help her move on. But…" I slowly turned toward Zoro, pointing a finger at him,

"… she refused. She said she wanted to stay here. To watch you fulfill the dream you shared."

A heavy silence followed.

Koushirou and Zoro froze.

Zoro took a step back, his breath short. His gaze swept the space — and even though he couldn't see her, he seemed to feel her.

"Kuina…" he murmured, his voice low and strained. He closed his eyes for a moment."I never forgot. I'm still walking the path."

Koushirou's eyes glistened. His grip on the sword loosened slowly, and he lowered himself to one knee before the grave.

"My daughter… you're still here, so close…" Koushirou whispered.

Kuina, still invisible to them, clenched her fists as spectral tears rolled down her translucent cheeks.

"I believe in you, Zoro… You will become the greatest."

I slowly lowered my arms.

"I'll leave now. She'll wait — not forever… but until that dream is fulfilled. I have nothing else to do here."

I turned around, my shadow gliding silently toward the beach. I heard no more words — only the sound of the wind… and a momentary peace.

Once I reached the shoreline, I dismissed the Shadows forming my disguise, removed the Preacher's mask, and laid back in the shade of a palm tree, letting the sound of the waves lull me into calm.

(Author's note: That's it for this week. And by the way, for Zoro's attack combo, just take a look at his fight with Mr. 1 — I mirrored the sequence there.)