Chapter 13: Toward Skypiea – Khalifa’s Training Arc

The Grand Line never allowed time to idle.

The Queen's Grace sailed briskly through unpredictable seas, guided by Nojiko's ever-sharpening navigational instincts. Above them, the skies began to shift. The weather grew increasingly erratic, the sea currents turbulent—signs that the Knock Up Stream was near.

Yet amid the growing urgency to reach Sky Island, Kaito understood something else.

Khalifa needed time to adjust.

She had broken free from CP9. She had chosen his crew.

But she had yet to shed the chains that bound her mind.

And a crew that could not trust each other fully could not survive the Grand Line.

Kaito made a decision.

They would train.

They would prepare.

They would grow together.

Not for the sake of rushing toward the next adventure—but because building a family took more than fighting side by side.

It took understanding.

It took patience.

It took trust.

They anchored at a small, uncharted island teeming with dense forests and steep rock formations. The perfect training ground, isolated from Marine patrols and bounty hunters.

Kaito gathered the crew on the beach, the morning sun cutting through the mist.

"We're staying here for a while," Kaito announced. "Before we face the Knock Up Stream, we need to sharpen our blades—not just our weapons, but our hearts."

Kuina crossed her arms, already prepared. Nojiko quietly nodded. Carmen sighed, but her grin betrayed her excitement. Kaya, always diligent, started planning medical drills.

Khalifa remained silent.

Her arms were folded, her stance defensive—not openly rebellious, but clearly distant.

Kaito's gaze met hers. "Khalifa. You'll train with me."

The rest of the crew exchanged glances. They had accepted her on the ship, but true trust had yet to be earned.

Khalifa raised a brow. "And what exactly am I supposed to train for? I was CP9. I'm already a master of Rokushiki."

"Strength without trust is brittle," Kaito said simply. "You've always fought for someone else. This time, you'll fight for yourself."

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't refuse.

Perhaps she was curious.

Perhaps she wanted to understand what freedom truly meant.

Perhaps she simply wanted to test him.

Regardless, she agreed.

"Fine. Show me."

The training began the next morning.

Kaito led Khalifa deep into the jungle, where the terrain was uneven, and the dangers were real.

Wild beasts prowled here. Unpredictable weather shifts struck without warning.

Perfect.

Kaito explained the first lesson. "You know the Six Powers of Rokushiki. But you've used them like a tool. Cold. Efficient. You move perfectly, but you don't move freely."

Khalifa arched a brow. "Efficiency is freedom."

"No," Kaito said, drawing his blade. "Freedom is moving without chains."

He attacked without warning.

Khalifa's reflexes were sharp. She dodged effortlessly, her Soru leaving afterimages as she countered with Shigan strikes aimed precisely at Kaito's shoulders and ribs.

But he moved with an unpredictable rhythm.

His strikes weren't locked in the textbook patterns she had memorized in CP9.

He wasn't moving for the kill.

He was moving for flow.

For instinct.

For freedom.

Khalifa found herself cornered—not because he was faster, but because he was wilder.

"I'm not fighting by the book," Kaito said, his blade pressing against her hardened Tekkai. "I'm fighting with my own will."

She pushed him back with a powerful Rankyaku, slicing the trees behind him cleanly.

"You're just being reckless," she said, voice tight.

"Maybe," Kaito said with a grin. "But it works."

And the spar continued.

Hours passed. Days passed.

And slowly, Khalifa's precision softened into fluidity.

Her strikes became less mechanical.

Her footwork became less rigid.

She still used the Six Powers, but now they bent to her will, not the doctrine she had memorized since childhood.

At night, they sat around the fire.

Khalifa remained distant from the others at first.

Nojiko didn't trust her yet.

Carmen was openly dismissive.

Kaya, ever gentle, made the first step.

"You don't have to sit so far from us," Kaya said, offering her a cup of tea.

Khalifa glanced at her, surprised by the kindness. "Why do you trust me so easily?"

Kaya smiled softly. "Because Kaito does. And because if we're sailing together, we should at least share a meal."

Carmen snorted. "Don't think I've forgotten you were CP9."

"I haven't," Khalifa said quietly.

Kuina, polishing her blade nearby, spoke without looking up. "Just don't betray us. That's all I care about."

It wasn't immediate.

But little by little, Khalifa edged closer to the fire each night.

Little by little, she laughed when Carmen's sarcasm crossed the line.

Little by little, she found herself asking Nojiko about the weather patterns, intrigued by the Grand Line's chaotic nature.

And when Kaito invited her to spar again, she didn't hesitate.

One morning, Kaito brought Khalifa to the highest cliff overlooking the sea.

"We're going to push your limits now," Kaito said. "We'll start with Soru."

She folded her arms. "What's wrong with my Soru?"

"You're moving fast—but you're still thinking like an assassin. You're measuring each step. You need to trust your body. Let's see if you can move faster without calculation."

They practiced for hours, sprinting between trees, dashing across unstable rocks, weaving through shifting terrain.

Kaito's system occasionally offered prompts.

[Crew Growth: Khalifa – Agility Potential Unlocked.]

When Khalifa finally collapsed onto the grass, breathing hard, her expression wasn't frustration—it was exhilaration.

"You're enjoying this," Kaito remarked.

Her breathless smile was rare but genuine. "Maybe."

Over the next few weeks, they worked on her Tekkai—her iron body defense.

Kaito forced her into situations where rigidity failed—fights against beasts whose strength overwhelmed her hardened stance.

"Adapt," he urged her. "If you lock yourself in place, you'll shatter."

He forced her to blend Tekkai with movement, to use flexibility as defense, not just brute resistance.

They trained until the bruises were deep, until the sweat soaked through their clothes, until the muscle memory rewired itself.

Until Khalifa wasn't moving like CP9 anymore.

She was moving like herself.

One evening, as the crew prepared dinner, Khalifa approached Nojiko.

"Teach me," she said.

Nojiko raised a brow. "Teach you what?"

"How to read the sea. I've always followed orders. Always moved where I was told. But if I'm going to sail with you… I want to learn how to read it myself."

Nojiko's surprise faded into something warmer. "Alright. But I won't go easy on you."

"I wouldn't respect you if you did."

From that day on, Khalifa joined Nojiko's navigation drills.

She practiced reading weather patterns, learning wind shifts, interpreting cloud formations.

She asked Carmen about cooking, though she feigned disinterest.

She sparred with Kuina—not as rivals, but as equals pushing each other forward.

She helped Kaya gather herbs, learning about medicinal plants on the side.

And slowly, without realizing it, she found a place among them.

Not as a replacement for her past.

But as someone carving a new path.

When the system finally pinged Kaito again, he knew she was ready.

[Khalifa's Growth – Six Powers Mastery Evolved.]

[Khalifa's Unique Style Created: Fluid Silk Movement – Combining Soru, Tekkai, and Geppo into a seamless flow.]

[Trust Level: Full.]

She stood at the bow of the Queen's Grace, wind brushing against her face, her glasses tucked into her pocket for the first time.

Kaito approached. "You've changed."

"I've remembered," Khalifa said, her voice steady. "I was always good at following rules. I just forgot I could write my own."

Kaito smiled. "Do you regret leaving CP9?"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "It's hard to abandon something you've known all your life."

"But?"

"But I don't want to go back."

That was enough.

That was all Kaito needed to hear.

The crew prepared to sail.

The weather was growing more violent.

The signs were clear now.

The Knock Up Stream would appear soon.

Their path to Sky Island was opening.

The Grand Line was calling them forward once again.

And this time, they would face it as a stronger family.

As the ship rocked toward the chaotic waters ahead, Nojiko grinned. "Storm's coming."

Khalifa adjusted her gloves, her stance now natural among the crew. "Good. I'm ready."

Kaito tightened his grip on the wheel. "Let's fly."

And the Queen's Grace surged toward the sky.