Chapter 11 "The Wake of Giants"
East Blue Waters, Off the Coast of Goa Kingdom
The sun rode high above a calm East Blue sea. For once, the waters were peaceful—not that Ashen Veyr trusted such tranquility. His instincts, honed by experience and further sharpened by the faint, flickering presence of Kenbunshoku Haki, told him otherwise. Something was approaching.
Standing at the bow of the repurposed cutter he'd claimed from a defeated pirate crew, Ashen watched the horizon with unreadable eyes. He no longer wore the rags he'd once scavenged from wreckage. Now, his lean frame was wrapped in a reinforced naval-style coat dyed in matte black, the sleeves rolled to the elbow, exposing forearms marked with faint training calluses. His wakizashi rested at his hip, silent but always near.
East Blue had proven an ideal proving ground. Dozens of pirate crews had fallen to him in the past two weeks—some boasting minor bounties, others merely bold amateurs. With each battle, his skills had grown sharper. Soru was now an instinctive blur under his will, capable of leaving afterimages. Tekkai had begun to trigger under stress, forming flashes of hardened resistance during exchanges. Busoshoku… it remained elusive, but he could feel it stirring, deep in his bones.
But what loomed now was not a pirate.
A distant roar echoed across the waters.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM.
Ashen's gaze narrowed. The source of the thunderous shockwaves revealed itself as a vessel approached, splitting the waters like a hungry leviathan. It wasn't a warship… it was bigger. Reinforced steel-lined hull, dozens of chained cannons, and a Marine symbol so worn it looked more like a brand than paint.
A single flag flew above it.
"Vice-Admiral Garp," Ashen muttered.
He'd heard the name in passing—more myth than man. The Marine Hero. Slayer of pirates. A figure so absurdly powerful that even the World Government couldn't control him fully.
Ashen didn't panic. He adjusted his stance and folded his arms as the warship came to a slow halt beside his cutter. Massive anchors dropped with resounding crashes, and the deck above was suddenly filled with dozens of armed Marines.
Then, a shadow moved.
A man leapt down from the main deck—no rope, no assistance. Just a single leap… and he landed like a boulder on Ashen's ship, causing the deck to creak and moan beneath him.
He was massive. Broad-shouldered, square-jawed, white hair standing like a crown of age and power. His fists looked like they'd split mountains. And his grin could rival the sun for brightness.
"You're Ashen Veyr, huh?" Garp asked, voice casual, hands on his hips. "You've been making quite the mess around East Blue."
Ashen tilted his head. "Cleaning up, technically. Your reports are outdated."
Garp laughed. "Smart mouth. You fight like a demon and speak like a noble. That's a rare mix."
A beat of silence followed. Around them, the air felt heavier.
Ashen didn't flinch.
"So," Garp said, lowering his stance slightly. "Wanna spar?"
Ashen smiled faintly.
"Yes."
Open Waters, East Blue – Aboard Ashen's Cutter
The world stilled for a moment as Ashen and Garp locked eyes—one a rising storm, the other a force of nature.
Ashen moved first.
He disappeared in a blur of motion, the deck where he stood cracking under the force of his Soru-enhanced launch. In a split-second, he reappeared behind Garp, his blade half-drawn, wind roaring with the sudden shift.
Clang!
Garp didn't turn. He raised a single fist, wrapped in dense, calloused skin and absurd strength, and caught the blade without even looking.
"You're fast," Garp said with a chuckle, twisting his body.
The impact sent Ashen flying back across the deck. But mid-air, he twisted, using his own momentum to flip upright, landing in a three-point crouch, feet skidding and gouging twin trails across the wood.
He launched again.
This time, Garp moved.
With one step, the Vice-Admiral closed the distance, his massive hand like a battering ram, punching toward Ashen's midsection.
Ashen vanished.
Reappeared just above, air-walking briefly with a snap of Geppo-like force.
But Garp grinned, eyes tracking him flawlessly.
"You've got some Rokushiki foundation," he said, "but let's see if you can handle mine!"
BOOM!
Garp leapt—leapt—straight into the air with terrifying speed for someone his size, his body spinning like a cannonball. Ashen crossed his arms in defense, but the air bent as Garp's fist collided.
In that instant—that moment of survival instinct—Ashen felt something inside him lock. Not just muscles, but the very fiber of his being.
Tekkai: 19% Efficiency – Auto-Activation Triggered.
His body hardened unnaturally. The impact still sent him crashing down to the deck, splinters flying—but he endured it. He coughed once, staggered to his feet, but he wasn't broken.
Garp landed across from him, brow rising.
"Well now… that was Tekkai, wasn't it?"
Ashen wiped blood from his lip, eyes sharp. "Didn't do it on purpose."
"Even better," Garp said, cracking his knuckles. "That's how it starts."
Ashen surged forward again. This time, he didn't aim for evasion—he met Garp's arm head-on, channeling everything into one sharpened strike.
In that instant—under sheer pressure—he felt it. A heat that wasn't heat. A pressure that wasn't weight. Something flowed along his forearm, down into his fingers gripping the blade.
Busoshoku Haki – 5% Activation Achieved.
His sword shimmered dark for an instant—barely visible—before clashing against Garp's arm.
Garp's eyes widened slightly.
"Well I'll be damned," he muttered. "You've got the makings of a real monster."
The clash blew back the mist around the ship, creating a visible dome of expelled force. Ashen was hurled backward again, but this time, he caught himself mid-air and landed without faltering.
His body hurt, his arms throbbed, but he was alive. Awake. Aware. More than he had been before.
The Vice-Admiral cracked his neck, satisfied.
"That's enough," Garp said, stepping forward. "You've got guts, technique, and now you've even tapped into Haki. You're wasted on pirate hunting."
Ashen raised a brow. "Not a Marine."
"I figured," Garp grinned. "But maybe you'll find a path with meaning anyway. Don't die before you make the seas interesting."
[System Update]
Tekkai Efficiency: 19% → 23%
Busoshoku Haki: 0% → 5% (Initial Awareness Gained)
Soru Efficiency: 55% → 57%
He breathed in the salt air.
The seas had just gotten a little smaller.
The world tilted.
Ashen flew through the air, spun once, and slammed shoulder-first into the deck with a crack! that left splinters dancing. A heavy gust of air escaped his lungs, his bones aching from the force behind that monstrous fist.
Captain? No. Vice-Admiral Garp's punch hadn't even been serious. Just... disciplined.
Ashen coughed and sat upright, shaking off the residual impact. His system blinked faintly in the corner of his vision, new alerts filtering in.
He tasted iron on his tongue, but he grinned.
"You're not bad, kid," Garp said, stretching his arm once. "Your stance's decent. Your step—fast. You've got something most brats don't."
Ashen wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, breathing slow and deep. "Resilience?"
"Instinct," Garp said with a grin. "But yeah. You're tougher than you look."
Their "spar" had lasted under three minutes. It had been more of a test—no killing intent, no serious offense. But even holding back, Garp had been a storm in human form.
Ashen could feel his body adapting, muscles tensing in new, efficient ways. Something had shifted deep in his system—not just physically, but mentally. Fighting Garp was like facing an unbreakable mountain.
He stood.
The slight tingling in his arms wasn't pain—it was growth. Garp had forced his body to absorb more strain than any fight before. His instincts had screamed, and the system had responded.
[System Update]
Martial Stress Threshold Crossed.
Tekkai efficiency increased: 19% → 26%
Busoshoku Haki (Dormant) → Initial Trickle Detected: 7%
Ashen's breath caught as his skin shimmered for a moment—only briefly—but he felt it. A subtle hardness. His will had instinctively reinforced his body at the last punch. That wasn't just instinct or Tekkai anymore.
It was the first true tap into Armament Haki.
Garp turned, looking out at the sea. "You've got dangerous eyes, Ashen Veyr. Make sure you don't forget what they're for."
Ashen, steadying his breath, nodded. "I won't."
Garp chuckled and walked toward the bow, his presence fading back into his typical carefree energy. But Ashen knew—he'd been weighed, measured, and hadn't been found wanting.
The deck was silent save for the creak of wood. Seagulls wheeled overhead. Somewhere, deep in Ashen's core, a threshold had broken. Not dramatically. Not loudly. But enough that something fundamental had changed.
His system whispered the truth.
---
[System Status – Updated]
Name: Ashen Veyr
Level: Master
Berry: 197,300
Strength: 6.5
Endurance: 6.7
Durability: 6.8
Agility: 7.0
Skills:
Soru – Efficiency: 55%
Tekkai – Efficiency: 26%
Busoshoku Haki – 7% (Awakening Stage: Trickle)
Kenbunshoku Haki – Locked
Swordsmanship: Adept
Ashen leaned against the ship's railing, the salty wind caressing his face as the sun climbed higher into the East Blue sky. His muscles still vibrated faintly with residual energy, every fiber of his being stretched tighter, stronger. Not just from strain, but from understanding.
Garp had left hours ago, his Marine ship slicing through the water in the opposite direction with typical casual disregard for ceremony. "Keep growing," were his parting words. No questions, no lectures. Just a simple demand.
Ashen's gaze swept across the distant horizon. His fingers traced the grip of his sword absently, mind sifting through fragments of insight.
"Busoshoku Haki… I didn't just harden my body with Tekkai. That final blow—it responded to will."
The darkening pressure he'd felt—however faint—hadn't been from the technique he'd trained. It had come from the instinct to survive. His mind replayed the moment: his skin stiffening, blood slowing, bones bracing unnaturally—like metal forged with intent. That was the embryonic form of Haki.
He opened his system overlay again, his thoughts sharp.
> Busoshoku Haki – 7% (Trickle) Note: Emotional and combative triggers enhance progression. Consistency in application required to maintain and build flow.
His fingers curled into a fist. "So, it's tied to pressure. I need more enemies. Real ones."
He glanced down at the logbook, a thick folder of names and reports he'd collected from Marines, bounty walls, and bar conversations. The East Blue didn't boast monsters like the New World, but plenty of pirate crews had been gathering to challenge Reverse Mountain—dreamers, lunatics, small-time tyrants all looking to enter the Grand Line.
And he would hunt them all down.
Ashen tore out a page with a red-marked sigil. Captain Dregg, 8 million bounty. A brutal fishman raider operating near the Conomi Islands. His crew was reportedly assembling new ships with the intent to sail for the Grand Line before the next full moon.
He reached down, strapped his boots tight, and sheathed his blade.
Time to test how much the spar changed me.
---
Later, Near the Shores of the Conomi Islands...
The screams echoed faintly over the coast. Fires crackled along the edges of a looted village, still smoldering from Captain Dregg's attack just hours prior.
Ashen crouched on a cliff overlooking the pirate cove. A fleet of three ships bobbed lazily in the shallow bay, men laughing, drinking, armed, and loud.
A dozen pirates. No formation. No discipline. But plenty of brutality.
Ashen moved.
He dropped into the treeline, body silent. Every step of Soru now smoother, cleaner. The system didn't resist anymore—it followed.
He burst forward, and in a single flash of motion, two pirates crumpled before they could scream. His blade whispered through the air.
> Soru Efficiency: 55%
Tekkai Efficiency: 26%
One pirate roared and charged—he was massive, nearly seven feet tall, swinging a rusted hammer.
Ashen didn't move.
Tekkai: Activate.
The hammer crashed down, but Ashen didn't budge. His skin gleamed subtly, like steel beneath the surface. The blow bounced off his shoulder with a dull clang.
He countered with a palm strike to the man's jaw. Bone shattered.
Another tried to shoot. Ashen vanished—Soru blurring him forward—and reappeared behind the shooter. A sheathed strike to the temple ended that.
It was surgical.
By the time the last crew member screamed, Ashen had already reached the main tent. Captain Dregg emerged, tall, sharp-toothed, skin glistening with fish scales and arrogance.
"You think you can just—"
Ashen punched him in the gut before he could finish. The air in Dregg's lungs vanished. He stumbled, then swung a clawed hand in rage. Ashen's body shimmered faintly again—Tekkai reinforcing his stance—and he didn't move.
With his free hand, Ashen drew his blade.
The fishman froze. He saw it. In Ashen's eyes. The same calm fire Garp had seen.
In under a minute, it was over. Captain Dregg lay unconscious at Ashen's feet, tied and bleeding.
---
[System Update]
Captain Dregg (8M) Captured – Bounty Credited
8,000,000 Berry
Total Berry: 205,300
Combat Efficiency Updated:
Soru: 58%
Tekkai: 27%
Busoshoku Haki (Trickle): 10%
---
Ashen looked to the night sky. The East Blue felt too quiet again.
He needed another challenge. More pressure. More growth.
"Time to move."
The rain had come and gone, leaving the skies of East Blue painted with a streak of crimson. Ashen stood on the deck of a small sloop he'd appropriated from a defeated pirate crew, wind tousling his hair as he studied the map in silence.
His finger traced across the marked islands he'd already passed: Loguetown, Shells Bay, Gecko Port, Dawn Island's edge. Bounty posters filled a folder tucked inside his coat—faces crossed out in ink.
The East Blue was changing. He could feel it.
In the wake of his recent exploits—and the spar with Vice Admiral Garp, which had now become a point of quiet Marine chatter—Ashen was starting to notice something strange.
The pirates he encountered weren't just aggressive. They were desperate.
Some had mentioned rumors. A boy in a straw hat sinking ships.
A swordsman who used three blades and cut steel.
A long-nosed sniper.
A strange chef who fought with only his legs.
And a thief with eyes like a cat and fingers quick as lightning.
Ashen leaned on the helm, the pieces slotting together in his mind.
The Straw Hats.
The name hadn't yet become infamous, but the undercurrent was there—especially among the more alert captains he'd interrogated before handing them off.
Ashen narrowed his eyes toward the horizon. He wasn't interested in the weaklings of the sea anymore. What stirred his blood now was the sharp edge of potential.
---
[System Update – Passive Combat Intuition]
"Notable Presence Detected on Eastern Quadrant of Conomi Waters."
> Cross-referencing Marine chatter...
Crew ID Match: Straw Hat Pirates (Early Formation)
Threat Evaluation: Variable / Non-hostile
Suggested Action: Observation or Engagement Permitted
---
Ashen's course shifted subtly.
"Cocoyasi," he muttered, recalling the region.
There was a village there once terrorized by the Arlong Pirates. But the Fish-Men were long gone now. Whispers said a young pirate crew had toppled them.
If it was true, it would mean they were strong. And growing stronger.
Ashen wanted to see for himself.
Not as an ally. Not yet an enemy.
Just a sword seeking pressure.
---
Elsewhere…
Luffy sat cross-legged on the Going Merry, a meat bone in one hand and a half-eaten apple in the other, laughing at something Usopp had exaggerated. Zoro, leaning against the railing, felt his gaze drawn toward the sea.
His brows furrowed. His hand moved unconsciously toward one of his hilts.
"Oi, Zoro. What is it?" Sanji asked, flicking his lighter as he stepped out of the kitchen.
Zoro didn't answer immediately.
He just stared into the east winds.
"There's someone out there," he muttered.
---
Back with Ashen…
The sails caught the wind.
His stats had plateaued slightly, but the tension in his bones promised something new on the horizon.
A crew was forming out there that would one day shake the world.
And before they vanished into the maw of the Grand Line… Ashen Veyr would stand before them.
Not to challenge the world with them—
But to see if his blade was sharp enough to cut through it.