The town of the beginning and the end

The crew arrived in Loguetown, the place that was closest to Reverse Mountain which is the entrance to the Grand Line. This town is the birth and death place of the previous Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. No other pirate has gained that title but with the world being in the state it currently is, who knows? The crew had no problems sailing here. It was nothing new for Arata and Rina but Setsuna was getting used to all this. She tried to spend time with the other crew members so that she could become a part of the family. The other crew members took a liking to her so everyone got along well. Arata left his brown coat on the ship and put on his normal black one and the crew descended onto the land,’So, who exactly is this Pirate King? Do all pirates have to listen to him or something? What does he rule?’ It was a normal question for anyone who was unfamiliar with the story.

Arata thought about the answer,’It’s not exactly so simple. For one to become Pirate King they have to find the treasure called ‘One Piece’. No one knows what it actually is and it is hidden away on an island called Raftel. Sounds easy but no one knows where that island is either. The Pirate King is said to be the ruler of the sea but what they do is completely up to them. It’s more of a title than being a monarch. The King is known to be the strongest pirate alive so many fear him and respect him. That’s about it, really.’ He looked to Rina to see if she had anything to add but she shook her head. It really wasn’t very clear since there was only one Pirate King throughout all history. The witch nodded in understanding,’I see. I think I get it. It really is a mysterious thing but I don’t see how so many would devote themselves to try and find something that seems so impossible.’

The pirate let out a chuckle,’You answered your own question right there. Precisely because it is seems impossible to find that everyone wants to find it. Who wouldn’t want to be the next Pirate King?’ Setsuna let out a sigh,’Would you want to become the Pirate King?’ The whole crew looked to him to hear his answer. It certainly felt like lot of pressure. In the end, he just shrugged,’Do I feel like a king to you? I don’t think I’m the right person for it. It would be a lot of responsibility. However, at the same time I can’t see the future. Maybe if the future me sees the opportunity then he might take it?’ Everyone relaxed hearing his answer and let out a sigh,’If that does happen we will always be by your side.’ He nodded happily and they proceeded into the town.

From what he had heard, Loguetown had actually been liberated by a pirate. He didn’t know what the situation was now like and if they should be on guard. If the marines were trying to take it back then it could be very dangerous. However, a lot of time has passed since he heard the news. Why would the pirate stay here for so long? They explored the massive town but also made sure to look around for any potential dangers. The town was really big and apparently covered most of the town but even for a town this big there wasn’t actually much to see. They went around seeing the attractions until they came to the execution stand in the centre of the town,’So this is where he was executed. This is where he was born so all the townspeople must have known him. I wonder what he must have felt like.’

Arata smiled,’From personal experience, I can tell you that executions definitely aren’t pleasant.’ Rina gave out an ironic chuckle,’Well there is similarity but yours was a bit different.’ He nodded,’Apparently, he wasn’t sad at all. He just walked like it was nothing. He died with a smile.’ They didn’t know what Gol D. Roger went through on his journey but one thing was certain. Dying with a smile took a lot of courage. As someone who has achieved so much Roger must have felt satisfied about his life,’His own crew watched the execution too. I wonder if they felt the same thing as I felt when I watched you on the stand.’ He shrugged. They could only imagine it at this point,’His crew hasn’t done much after it happened though. Either they were too depressed to continue or they too were satisfied with what they achieved. Now, they are probably gone from this world like all the great pirates.’

This meant that they had even less of a chance to find out more about the Pirate King unless it was from normal people. However, they doubted that normal people would know about his adventures meaning they were back to square one. There was no helping it and nothing could be done about it. All it meant is that maybe there would be a new way to become Pirate King. Will a new one arise? Will they even be from this world? Such questions may be answered in the future. With how the world was everything was possible. Even a war between the people from different worlds.

They stayed around a bit longer and then wanted to move on,’So how do we find her in this big town?’ With all the attractions seen, one of their objectives was complete. The other objective was to find a member of the Seventh Sanctum guild. In this big town, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Their only clue was that it was a redheaded woman,’That’s a good question. Now that we are here, it really isn’t much to go on. She might even be gone at this point.’ It’s not like she was waiting for them to begin with. All of them had their things to do and didn’t stay too long in one place. The first time they heard about her was more than two months ago so it didn’t sound like she would be here. He let out a sigh,’Well, the natural course of action would be to go where people gather…meaning the tavern. My guess is as good as yours. If she’s not there then we might at least be able to get some information.’ Arata told the rest of the crew to go and look around town and call him if they see anything while the three headed to the mentioned location.

WC: 1,115

The trio went into the tavern and looked around. Since this town had a lot of inhabitants it was very crowded. They carefully scanned the people’s heads but there was no sign of red hair. This left them with no choice but to ask the bartender. Arata asked him about somethings but didn’t exactly give him any leads. He found out that the pirate who claimed Loguetown for himself left as soon as he announced it and was never seen again. He didn’t leave any of his men behind either so he felt like his ‘liberation’ didn’t have much of a meaning. They could probably take it back for themselves but Arata couldn’t afford to leave anyone behind at this point. As for the redheaded woman, it seemed like there was still some hope. She had been seen recently but her whereabouts were unknown. At least they knew she was still here.

They had a small meal and then left since nothing here would help them. The trio walked around town but they didn’t see anything,’I don’t think walking around without a meaning is going to help us.’ He nodded,’I know but it’s not like we have specific clues. Besides, a lot of the time you find things when you aren’t looking for them.’ Rina let out a sigh,’That is true.’ She then looked to Setsuna,’You are both mages so can’t you sense her?’ The witch shook her head,’No I can’t. Since she is so strong she is probably suppressing her magic power to the point she feels like a normal human.’ The white-haired girl then looked to Arata,’And you?’ It was worth a try but what he sensed was a bit different. He activated his Kenbunshoku Haki and took a moment to analyse everything,’She’s right. I don’t feel anything that stands out.’ Unlike Haki, magic output could be controlled while Haki was more of a switch and it was either on or off.  If she was suppressing her power that means her ‘spirit’ would also be suppressed.

It made sense since if someone strong was releasing their power then it would start affecting the people and the surroundings. After an hour of looking around, they still didn’t make any progress but a crew member ran up to them and told them the woman had been found. They ran along until red hair came into their view. Airi was right. With that kind of hair she definitely did stand out. It looked like she was doing some shopping and had a few bags from various shops on her. Her red hair reached a bit past her shoulders and didn’t seemed to be styled in any particular way but just let flow. She was wearing a black long sleeved dress that ended in a skirt. On her face, a small amount of makeup could be seen around her eyes but apart from that nothing else seemed to stand out. With her looks, she certainly didn’t need any more makeup. At least that was what Arata thought.

She didn’t seem easy to approach but that was what they came for. The trio walked up to her and as they did she turned to look at them,’I hear you’ve been looking for me.’ He nodded,’My name is Arata and this is Rina and Setsuna. We’ve been told to seek you out before heading off to the Grand Line.’ The redheaded woman looked them over carefully and Arata revealed his necklace,’I see. I’m Lailah. Did he tell you a specific reason to find me?’ He shook his head,’No. He just told us to find you. That’s it.’ She nodded in confirmation,’When are you planning on setting out?’ Arata shrugged,’We just arrived today.’ The redhead turned her head to look at the clock on one of the buildings,’Alright. I’ll drop this off and then we will talk. I won’t be long. Wait for me at that café.’ She said so and pointed in a direction. They nodded and split up. Arata told the crew member that found her to tell the others to stop searching.

They reserved a table for four and the wait began. Just like promised, they didn’t have to wait long as Lailah returned. All of them ordered some drinks before they started talking,’How many people in your main force?’ Arata simply answered,’Only us three.’ Lailah responded pretty quickly,’Doesn’t seem like much. Though if you work as a team and are able to cover for each other’s weaknesses then it may be enough.’ She then asked about their abilities and stuff so they told her in detail and tried not to leave anything out. Usually, that would be a really bad idea but they were allies and were hoping for some kind of ‘expert guidance’ or some such. If they were told to meet up with her it must be something important. All their drinks arrived and the waitress asked them if they wanted anything else but no one took up the offer. Lailah thought for a while before continuing,’Well, you definitely are ahead of the game. There aren’t many people who know Haki in the Blue seas and you have a powerful Devil Fruit to boot. Your companions also have good balance between their combat and magic abilities.’ Arata asked,’And?’ She summarised what they told her and wanted to see where she was going with it. Lailah sipped on the coffee she ordered and nodded,’In my opinion, if you want to go to the Grand Line then go. It’s not like I’m going to stop you. Your skills are above minimum so you should be fine.’

It wasn’t like they needed anyone’s permission to go or not but hearing that they are ready did give them a slight boost in confidence. Especially Arata and Rina since they were the most worried about it. Rina clearly stated her doubts back in Cocoyashi village so this helped them eased their mind. They sipped on whatever they ordered as they had relaxed a bit but then the redhead continued,’However, they could be better. If you want I could improve your chances. Though that means you would have to stay here longer and it won't be easy.’ He nodded,’We aren’t in a rush. What do you want us to do?’ The redhead let out a sigh,’I’m saying I can train you. Your Devil Fruit goes well with my magic. I can show you how to use it better. I can train all of you when it comes to magic or whatever. When it comes to armed combat, there is a better person to consult than me. He is also here and can join us if you want. Are you up for it?’

Arata looked to his companions since they would all be in it together,’We should take what we get. Especially since it free from such a strong person.’ Rina was next to voice her opinion,’If it will make our life easier in the Grand Line then I don’t see why not.’ There didn’t see any downsides to this and they would only need to put in their time and effort. The pirate nodded,’Alright then. We’ll take up the offer. When and where?’ Lailah responded,’The city covers most of the island so we can’t do it in the city grounds. The only location we could do it on this island is at the base of the hills. Prepare some camping gear and whatever you need. Since you arrived today, let’s say tomorrow after breakfast? That should give you enough time to get what you need and rest up. Sound good?’ They nodded,’Sounds fine to us. Where should we meet you?’ The redhead thought about the most convenient place,’Meet me here. Once we meet up we can head over there together. That’s the easiest way.' With that agreed on, they finished their drinks and split off to begin their preparations. It was unknown how long this would last so they wanted to prepare themselves well but at the same time they could go back to the city any time they wanted. They also didn’t know what to expect from the training they will receive but somehow they looked forward to it.

WC: 1,365

The next day, the trio woke up a bit earlier and went to have breakfast. Although travelling was considered tiring a lot of the time, things were a bit different on the ship. With ten other members beside themselves, most of the time they could swap out with someone to go and rest. A good night’s sleep was all that they needed to be rested again. They didn’t have an appointed hour they needed to meet up but with the way things were both sides didn’t want to waste time.

Once they were done, they went up to their rooms and gathered all the stuff that they bought. Each one of them ended up having a big camping bag on their back. Most of it was taken up by the tent and the various tools that might be needed but some of it was also the possessions they needed for themselves, especially the girls. Arata checked if they had everything one more time just to be sure and the party headed off to meet at the specified café.

When they arrived, they saw Lailah accompanied by a man. The man was well dressed in a formal grayish shirt and formal black trousers and shoes. His hair was black and slightly spiked while his jaw was lined with stubble. Similarly, both of them also had big bags though the man was also armed with a big sword on his back at waist level,’Hey, the name’s Minato. Looks like we’ll be working together for a while.’ He spoke out in a raspy voice and introduced himself. From his clearly visible necklace it could be seen that the animal was a raven. Minato was no random person so his presence was no coincidence. They all introduced themselves and then Lailah spoke,’Everyone ready? Did you guys bring food? At least for today and tomorrow. After that we’ll just send someone for shopping.’

They predicted this situation and prepared accordingly,’We did. Ready whenever you are. Lead the way.’ She nodded and the party headed out with their destination being the base of the hills outside the city. As they walked everyone was quiet, or at least the party while the citizens continued their daily lives, and Arata found that kind of boring so he decided to make some small talk,’So Minato, did you come here with Lailah? We were told to find her but we haven’t heard a single thing about you.’ The man in question let out a sigh,’Looks like I don’t get any recognition these days. To answer your question, no. I decided to meet up with her after returning from my mission. It’s rare for all of us to be in a single place at once but travelling individually or in twos is quite normal for us. I didn’t have to but I thought that some company might be nice.’ The more Arata talked with them, the more he found out about how they operate. It wasn’t guaranteed that he would meet all the members but at the least he wanted to have a good relationship with those he met. In terms of ‘friendship’ they were probably closest to Airi.

Arata nodded and replied,’I see. What have you guys been doing here anyway? All of you split up to different islands but to do what exactly? The way I see it is strong guys like you shouldn’t need a reason to come back to the four seas.’ Lailah nodded,’That is true. We came to East Blue to lower the influence of the marines and do some business deals. In the world we come from the ‘government’, or the Magic Council as it’s called, doesn’t have such an influence. We quickly noticed that the World Government and the marines are actually oppressing this world. They also see us mages as a threat due to our abilities. There are many Devil Fruits but compared to the population of mages that is nothing, especially that most of the fruits have been released back into the world.’

He finally began to understand what Seventh Sanctum really was like. It makes sense why they wanted to be secretive. They wanted to help out their own kind and were preparing for a battle against the marines,’So who’s side are you on?’ This time it was Minato that answered,’Our own. You will find that because of the Great Flash there are many more factions in this world. Those factions act for their own benefit and stick together. Naturally, we want to support the mages but at the same time they are all strangers to us. We don’t mind teaming up with factions as long as our aims are similar.’ It was all a mystery to him before he was told this but it seemed purely logical,’We are pirates and your allies, so where do we stand in all of this?’ He chuckled,’You said it yourself we are allies.’ Lailah then elaborated,’We can trust you and you can trust us. If someday you want to fight by our side then by all means you are free to do so. Just remember that if you do decide to fight with us then you will become a big threat to the World Government. If not, then we will keep a friendly relation where you can rely on our support, if possible of course.’ It seemed like they had nothing to lose either way,’I’m fine with that.’

As they talked, they left the city and kept walking forward until they reached their location. The journey took them around 40 mins in total. The trio looked around and saw that there really was nothing here. From one side, they were surrounded by hills and cliffs and from the other was a view of the city that was now a bit below them,’So this is where we will be staying at for a while, huh?’ Lailah and Minato set down their bags and began getting things out,’Two weeks to be precise.’ The trio also set down their bags and began setting things up. They would probably spend most of their time training so it made sense to set everything up while it was still bright. For the sake of efficiency, only three tents were needed but for the sake of convenience they had five. Every person got a tent for themselves but to not waste time they all set them up together one by one and also made a place for a fire but obviously did not light it now.

With that done, they were ready to begin the training,’So how will we be doing this?’ Lailah took on a lecturing stance,’Well, there are two ways we can do this. The first way, for the first week I will train Arata to use his Devil Fruit while Minato trains Rina and Setsuna in combat. The second week we would swap over. The second way, is more or less the same but we would swap every few hours. Of course, at the end of the day if you want to try your luck in a spar with the either of us we won’t object. The decision is up to you. The result won’t change.’ Arata thought about it for a while since both methods had their advantages,’I think the first way is better. It will make things easier if we focus on one thing and commit to it.’

Even though the second way provided more variety, just like when he and Rina trained their bodies, he found that it’s better to focus on one thing that be all over the places. The teachings these two will provide are going to be different and will therefore require different things from them. Minato chuckled,’Getting to train two beauties like this… guess I can’t complain. However, don’t think I will be going easy on you two because of that.’ They nodded since they didn’t expect it nor wanted it. They needed to be pushed if they wanted to improve. Lailah looked to Arata,’Let’s begin.’ The pirate nodded and the two mages spaced themselves out so that they wouldn’t get in the other’s way and the three positioned themselves accordingly. Hence, the two week training began.

Word Count: 1,366