The sun hovered just above the horizon, casting a golden glow over Marine Headquarters at G-1 Base. It was early, and the courtyard where Haru stood was mostly silent—except for the soft sound of his breathing and the occasional clang of weapons echoing from distant training fields. Dressed in a reinforced training gi provided by the base, Haru stood before Naomi, his red-haired instructor and the daughter of Admiral Akainu. Her arms crossed, she regarded him with a gaze sharp enough to cut steel.
"From today, you begin Rokushiki," Naomi said, her voice authoritative but not unkind. "It is not merely a fighting style—it's a philosophy, a test of willpower. Most soldiers struggle for years with just one of its forms. You will learn all seven."
Haru bowed. "I'm ready."
Naomi smirked. "We'll see."
Soru (Shave): Speed Beyond Sight
Naomi began with Soru, a movement technique allowing users to travel at speeds so fast they seem to vanish. It required kicking the ground at least ten times in the blink of an eye.
The first week was brutal.
Haru's legs burned from the relentless repetition. At first, he couldn't even get the rhythm right. He would stagger forward, fall flat on his face, or spin uncontrollably. Naomi offered little sympathy. "Speed without control is just chaos," she said. "You need to move with intent, not just desperation."
To train his legs, she tied iron weights to his ankles and made him sprint up hills, through obstacle courses, even across shallow water. Haru's calves screamed, and his lungs often felt like they were on fire. But by the end of the second week, he could blur through the training yard in short bursts.
On the third week, he managed to vanish from sight.
Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Now you're starting to look like a real agent."
Haru smiled despite his exhaustion. Every improvement felt like a victory.
Geppo (Moonwalk): Dancing in the Air
Once he could vanish with Soru, Naomi moved on to Geppo, the ability to jump in mid-air using sheer leg force.
"If Soru is about breaking the earth, Geppo is about defying it," Naomi said, leaping into the air and lightly walking across the sky as if it were stone beneath her feet.
Haru tried to mimic it. The first attempt resulted in a crash into a wall.
"I said kick up, not out," Naomi said, suppressing a laugh.
They practiced daily at the edge of a cliff, where failure came with the risk of injury—or at the very least, a hard fall into the ocean. Haru was unafraid of the height, but the difficulty of Geppo humbled him. Timing, strength, balance—it all had to come together perfectly.
After a month, he could leap into the air and stay airborne for several seconds. Naomi had him spar while in mid-air, training his coordination during aerial combat. They clashed with wooden weapons above the sea, Haru panting but exhilarated after each session.
Eventually, he could fight in the sky as easily as on land.
Shigan (Finger Pistol): The Bullet Touch
Next came Shigan, the technique of thrusting one's finger with such force and speed it pierced flesh like a bullet.
"It's about focus," Naomi explained, standing in front of a dense wooden dummy. "Channel all your power into a single point."
She demonstrated by stabbing her finger through the thick wood, leaving a small hole.
Haru spent hours jabbing the air, then water, then finally reinforced training dummies. His fingers bled the first few days, wrapped in bandages by nightfall. Naomi didn't slow down the training—she increased it, making him wear resistance bands and strike while balancing on moving platforms.
"This isn't just strength," she said. "You must strike with purpose."
Weeks turned into months. His hands grew stronger, his strikes sharper. Eventually, with one focused thrust, Haru shattered a training block that had once been impervious to even blunt swords.
Naomi nodded with satisfaction. "Now, your words can carry as much weight as your fingers."
Growth and Resolve
Each technique pushed Haru to his physical and mental limits. When his body ached, he meditated—channeling his observation haki, strengthening his will. When his confidence wavered, he remembered Musashi's words:
"True strength comes not from your weapon, but your conviction."
Naomi, though harsh, acknowledged Haru's progress. She never said it aloud, but her glances lingered longer. Her corrections were more precise. Occasionally, she even smiled.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Naomi and Haru stood at the edge of the cliff where he had once fallen learning Geppo.
"You've survived the first leg of your training," she said. "Soru, Geppo, and Shigan—these alone make you stronger than most marines your age."
Haru bowed deeply. "Thank you for pushing me."
Naomi crossed her arms. "Don't thank me yet. The next stage is harder. If you falter, you'll break."
Haru looked up at the stars and smiled. "Then I'll just have to get stronger."