Just a Fire Poker

Bang! Luo Ya was jolted awake from his sleep by the impact of a cold longsword. Silvers Maynard glanced at him once before turning to walk out the door.

"What the hell? It isn't even dawn yet." Muttering under his breath, Luo Ya threw on his clothes, grabbed his longsword, and followed Silvers Maynard out to the clearing in front of the cabin.

Silvers Maynard held an iron sword, pointing it directly at Luo Ya. "Only those who have steeled their resolve can hold a sharp blade in their hands. Have you steeled yourself for death, Luo Ya?"

Luo Ya held his sword with both hands, assuming a combat stance, and retorted, "Resolve, no resolve—let's just see if I can hack you down, that's all that matters."

Before the words had even left his lips, a chill touched his neck. A thin line of blood welled up from a tiny cut, choking off the rest of his sentence.

"If that's your attitude, you'd be better off not holding a sword at all. Just live your life as an ordinary person."

Touching the wound on his neck, Luo Ya realized that the world of One Piece was no utopia; it was a place filled with the flames of war and the law of the jungle.

"Heh, All Things in the Universe, Turn to Ashes!" The slender katana became wreathed in scorching flames, and its hilt turned a deep shade of purple.

"Since I've come to this world, I can't just live a mediocre life. Silvers Maynard, take this! Nadeshiko Slash!!!"

The katana returned to its scabbard in a flash. The moment it was drawn, the scorching flames condensed into a thin, vertical line that shot toward Silvers Maynard. The air distorted violently from the intense heat.

The longsword in Silvers Maynard's hand turned pitch-black as he coated it in Armament Haki. A single horizontal slash collided directly with the incoming beam of fire.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle. The beam of fire was instantly severed. Silvers Maynard looked at the notched blade in his hand, his expression shifting. "The temperature is this high? Even with Armament Haki, a third of it was melted away." With that, he lunged at Luo Ya, delivering a classic "Splitting the Mountain" strike—a direct blow to the head!

Facing the blade descending toward his face, Luo Ya fully utilized the refined instincts of a modern office worker: he closed his eyes and swung his sword wildly—a technique known as "flailing like a headless chicken."

It is said that the Overlord of Western Chu once used this very move.

Bang! Luo Ya was knocked unconscious on the ground, leaving Silvers Maynard standing there, his face dark and veins bulging on his forehead.

The aroma of food drew Luo Ya from his stupor, and he opened his eyes. "My head is killing me. I feel like I'm going to throw up—it's just like that time I drank a crate of fake booze at the KTV."

"Luo Ya, you have the potential to become the world's greatest swordsman—or rather, your blade does. But even the most powerful blade depends on who is wielding it."

"In my hands, it is the Blade of Blazing Flame that burns everything to nothingness. In yours, it's just a fire poker. It's too much trouble to even use for a campfire."

Silvers Maynard said this while picking at some roasted beast meat.

Luo Ya looked at Silvers Maynard solemnly. "Silvers Maynard, I can endure any grueling training. If I came to this world only to remain unknown, I might as well have let Wulingzi run me over back then. Please, take me as your disciple."

Silvers Maynard replied, "Don't worry, the surprises I've prepared for you are ready. We'll start officially soon. Come eat first."

At the mention of food, Luo Ya's stomach gave a cooperative growl.

After breakfast, Silvers Maynard handed him a wooden headgear that left only his eyes exposed, with holes for his nose and mouth.

Luo Ya put on the mask. "This is to train your most basic combat reflexes. People who haven't undergone training will instinctively close their eyes when their head is attacked. In battle, closing your eyes is a death sentence. So, first, you must overcome your instincts."

"We'll start bit by bit. First with the mask, and eventually, you'll take it off and just take the hits. The end goal is that even if you are facing death, you won't close your eyes out of fear."

As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled out a wooden stick and struck Luo Ya on the head. Thwack!

Even with his guard up, Luo Ya couldn't suppress his instinct to close his eyes when faced with an attack to the head.

He shouted for another round, continuing to temper his instincts.

In the blink of an eye, the morning passed. Despite wearing the mask, he was left dizzy and disoriented.

Silvers Maynard had broken three wooden sticks in a single morning; one could only imagine how hard the old man was hitting. Although he had stopped closing his eyes, he still couldn't fully suppress his instincts. Every time he saw the stick descending toward his head, he would still squint subconsciously.

Silvers Maynard said, "Luo Ya, it's noon. Take a break and get something to eat."

Just as he turned to leave, Luo Ya called out to him.

"Teacher, you've worked hard all morning. Let's find a restaurant to treat ourselves. My treat!"

"Your treat? You're wearing my spare underwear, what are you treating me with? Just because you look like Sengoku? Are you going to treat me to the bumps on your head?"

Silvers Maynard scoffed and walked away. Luo Ya followed closely behind, muttering, "Still eating roasted meat? A man with money is a hero, a man without is a beggar."

In the end, Silvers Maynard took a few turns and led Luo Ya to a decent-looking restaurant. At the very least, the decor looked quite upscale.

He ordered a few good dishes, and Luo Ya, who hadn't eaten anything but roasted meat for days, had a massive appetite. His table manners were, frankly, nothing to brag about.

After eating and resting for a while, they returned from the town to the seaside, where the unique wooden cabin stood alone.

This time, Silvers Maynard didn't have Luo Ya put on the mask, but instead told him to run laps around the clearing next to the cabin.

"Run as many laps as you can. If you run too slowly, there will be a surprise." Silvers Maynard said, pulling out a thin switch. Snap! The sound of it whipping through the air was enough to make one wince.

Luo Ya's eyes widened! He turned and bolted.

A strange sight appeared in the seaside clearing: a burly man with graying hair and a beard chasing a jumping, dodging youth with a thin switch.

After running and stopping for several hours, Luo Ya felt like he was going to die. His clothes were reduced to rags, and his body was covered in welts from the switch.

Damn it, is this what you call basic training, you old geezer? Just you wait!

That was Luo Ya's final thought before he blacked out, his legs giving way as he collapsed forward.

In his haze, he felt a hand grab his shoulder and hoist him up onto a shoulder, carrying him in a certain direction.

"Kid, you adapt fast. With that fire blade, your ceiling is very high. If I can build a solid enough foundation for you..."

"The teacher of the world's greatest swordsman, Silvers Maynard—that sounds a hell of a lot cooler than being the 'Right Hand of the Pirate King'."

With that, he carried Luo Ya toward the cabin.