Just a Fire Poker

Bang! Luo Ya was jolted awake from his sleep by a cold longsword crashing down on him. Maynard glanced at him, then turned and walked out the door.

"What the hell? It's not even light out yet." Muttering under his breath, Luo Ya got dressed, picked up his sword, and followed Maynard to the clearing outside the wooden hut.

Maynard pointed an iron sword straight at Luo Ya. "Only those who have made up their minds can hold a blade. Have you made up your mind to die, Luo Ya?"

Luo Ya gripped his sword with both hands and took an attack stance. "What's all this about making up my mind? Just see if I'll cut you down."

Before he could finish speaking, a chill ran down his neck. A thin trickle of blood seeped from a tiny cut, silencing him.

"If that's your attitude, then don't pick up a sword. Just live an ordinary life in peace."

Touching the wound on his neck, Luo Ya finally realized that the world of One Piece wasn't some ideal paradise. It was a place filled with war, where the strong preyed on the weak.

"Heh. All Things in the Universe, Turn to Ashes!" Flames blazed around his long, slender katana, and its hilt turned deep purple.

"Now that I'm in this world, there's no way I'm going to live an ordinary life. Maynard, get ready! Nadeshiko Slash!!!"

The katana instantly slid back into its sheath. As Luo Ya drew it, the scorching flames condensed into a line and shot toward Maynard in a vertical slash. The intense heat distorted the air.

The longsword in Maynard's hand turned pitch-black as he coated it in Armament Haki. He swung horizontally, meeting the blazing line head-on.

Sizzle! The line of fire was cut through in an instant. Maynard looked at the notched blade in his hand, his expression changing. "The temperature's this high? Even with Armament Haki, at least a third of my sword melted." Then he charged at Luo Ya and brought down the most classic of strikes—a mighty overhead slash!

With the blade bearing down on his face, Luo Ya brought out the finest qualities of a modern office worker: he shut his eyes and swung wildly. In short, he went for a Blind Random Slash.

They said the Overlord of Western Chu had used this move once.

Bang! Luo Ya was knocked unconscious on the spot, leaving Maynard standing there with a dark expression and bulging veins on his forehead.

The smell of food roused Luo Ya from his deep sleep. He opened his eyes. "My head hurts. I feel like throwing up. It's like that time I drank a whole case of fake liquor at a karaoke bar."

"Luo Ya, you have the potential to become the World's Greatest Swordsman—or rather, your sword does. But even the strongest sword depends on who's holding it.

"In my hands, it's a Blade of Blazing Flame that can set anything alight. In yours, it's just a fire poker. It'd be more trouble than it's worth even for stoking a fire."

Maynard spoke as he picked at the roasted beast meat.

Luo Ya looked at Maynard solemnly. "Maynard, I can handle any kind of grueling training.

"If I'm going to live in this world without making a name for myself, I might as well have let Wulingzi run me over in the first place. Please take me on as your disciple."

Maynard said, "Don't worry. I've already got your surprises ready. We'll get started properly soon. Come eat first."

At that, Luo Ya's stomach helpfully rumbled.

After breakfast, Maynard handed him a wooden mask. It covered his face, leaving only his eyes exposed, with holes for his mouth and nose.

Luo Ya put it on. "This is to train your most basic fighting instincts.

"People who haven't trained will instinctively close their eyes when attacked in the head. In a fight, closing your eyes is as good as signing your own death warrant. So first, you have to overcome that instinct and get used to it little by little. At first, you'll wear the mask. Eventually, you'll take it off and get hit directly.

"The goal is for you to never close your eyes and wait to die out of fear, even if you're about to be killed."

With that, Maynard pulled out a wooden stick and brought it down on Luo Ya's head. Smack! It hit him squarely.

Even though he was prepared, when the blow came for his head, he couldn't stop himself from shutting his eyes on instinct.

"Again!" he shouted, continuing to train his instincts.

In the blink of an eye, the whole morning had passed. Even with the mask on, Luo Ya was still seeing stars.

Maynard had broken three sticks over the course of the morning. That showed just how hard the old geezer had been swinging them.

Luo Ya had stopped closing his eyes, but he still couldn't completely overcome his instincts. Whenever he saw a stick coming down toward his head, he still squinted without thinking.

Maynard said, "Luo Ya, it's noon. Take a break. Time to eat."

He turned to leave, but Luo Ya called after him.

"Teacher, you've worked hard all morning. Let's go to a restaurant and treat ourselves. It's on me!"

"Your treat? You're wearing my underwear. What are you going to pay with? Your looks? You look like Sengoku, with that head full of bumps. What are you treating me to?"

After that outburst, Maynard turned and walked off. Luo Ya hurried after him, muttering, "Roast meat again? It's easy to be a man with money, but hard to be one without."

To his surprise, Maynard took a winding route and led him to a pretty decent restaurant. At least, it looked upscale.

They ordered several good dishes. Since Luo Ya hadn't eaten anything but roast meat for the past few days, he attacked the food with gusto, in a manner that was frankly hard to watch.

After eating and resting for a while, they left town and returned to the seaside, where the one-of-a-kind wooden hut stood alone.

This time, Maynard didn't make Luo Ya wear the mask. Instead, he told him to run laps around the clearing beside the hut.

"Run as many laps as you can. Slow down, and you'll get a surprise." As he spoke, Maynard pulled out a thin branch. Whap! The sound it made as it cracked through the air was enough to make anyone wince.

Luo Ya's eyes widened! He turned and took off running.

The clearing by the sea became the scene of a curious spectacle: a burly man with white hair and beard chasing a leaping, darting boy with a branch in hand.

After hours of running and stopping, Luo Ya felt like he was about to die. His clothes had turned to rags, and his whole body was covered in bloody welts.

Damn it, Dezi! You call this basic training? Just you wait!

That was Luo Ya's last thought before he collapsed, his legs giving way beneath him.

Through the haze, he felt a hand grab his shoulder, then hoist him up and carry him away.

"Kid, you're adapting fast. With that flaming sword, your potential is sky-high. If I lay a solid foundation for you, being the teacher of the World's Greatest Swordsman, Silvers Maynard, sounds a lot cooler than being the Pirate King's right-hand man."

As he spoke, Maynard carried Luo Ya back toward the wooden hut.