Month O, Day X
Since it's going to take a year for the Log Pose to set on Little Garden, I've decided to start a ship's log, partly to kill time. I've never been good at keeping these things up, but I figure it won't be a waste of effort. It's certainly a convenient way to keep track of decisions.
So, I'll start by recording our plans for the future, which we decided on tonight.
First: During the year it takes for the log to set, we will train the crew to a minimum level of combat readiness.
Second: We will explore the island to find sources of food, water, and plants that can be used for medicine.
Third: If anyone else arrives on this island, we will consider plundering their ship for medical supplies and other goods.
The first and second points are necessary if we're going to survive a year here. The second, in particular, must be pursued vigorously, as our lives depend on it.
As for the third point, it can't be helped. It would be meaningless for one of us to die because we were hesitant to engage in piracy. The prerequisite for this is extremely strict—that a pirate or an ordinary traveler (if such a curious person even exists) could make it past Whiskey Peak and arrive here—so it's probably not something we need to worry about too much. According to Dorry and Brogy, the last ship to arrive before us was several years ago.
Unsurprisingly, they were wiped out on this island.
Month O, Day △
We started at the crack of dawn. Securing food and water went very smoothly, thanks to the cooperation of both Dorry and Brogy.
The search for medicinal plants is being led by Scura, with at least one combatant assigned as a guard at all times. This island is large, but we should be able to cover every corner within a month. I've assigned Scotch to create a map. A compass is useless here, but if he calculates direction from the sun's position, it should be accurate. At the very least, I've confirmed the island's shape from above, so that part is correct.
Every time the volcano at the center of the island erupts, Dorry and Brogy fight to the death. They say they've even forgotten the reason for their fight and now battle solely for their pride.
The pride and beliefs of a warrior are foreign concepts to me, but I can understand them. I, too, have fought for things I could not yield.
Their battle is tremendous. Every blow is a killing strike, yet they dodge and parry these fatal attacks by a hair's breadth. It was like a choreographed sword fight, yet both were genuinely trying to kill each other. Clashing their weapons with such force should have worn them out quickly, but as expected of the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, they use Armament Haki to cover their weapons, preventing deterioration as much as possible.
The reason it's a stalemate is likely because they're using Observation Haki to read each other's next move. It's astonishing that two warriors of such evenly matched skill have been unable to settle their duel for nearly seventy years.
Speaking of Haki, the type that Zen uses is slightly different from what we know. I wonder what it is.
Month O, Day □
Most of the crew is getting whipped into shape at Junci's boot camp. Training their bodies is never a waste, so I'll let them continue, as long as they don't overdo it.
I asked Zen about his Haki. According to him, it's a type of Haki called "Flowing Haki(Ryuo)." It's the name for Haki in the "Land of Wano," a country in the New World—the second half of the Grand Line—and is also a specific application of it.
I was intrigued, so I decided to learn it.
Unlike standard Armament Hardening, it doesn't seem to strengthen one's own body. It's more like an aura of Haki that you wear. It also excels at destructive power by controlling impact; it shattered my ice spear, which I had reinforced with my own Armament, in a single blow. Annoyed, I tried several more times, but he destroyed it in one shot every time.
…That probably wasn't just the power of Ryuo. I suspect he used Observation Haki to find the weak points in my reinforcement. While concentrating Armament Hardening on a single point is effective, covering the entire surface is wasteful and creates inconsistencies.
I need more training.
Dorry and Brogy are cheerfully trying to kill each other again today. They offered to help with my training, so I took a blow that was supposedly held back enough not to kill me. I was sent flying to the edge of the island and nearly fell into the sea.
If I took a hit like that head-on, I'd die. Even as a Logia user, I can't avoid it if it's imbued with Armament Haki.
Month X, Day ●
Junci asked me what happened to the ship's log, and I remembered. I had gotten bored of writing after just three days.
That said, it's hard to say what's changed in a month. Our food and water supplies are stable, and the mapping we've been doing as part of our fieldwork is mostly complete. Being a primeval jungle, it seems there are quite a few rare plants, and Scura is having a great time investigating them. Having worked in a hospital, he seems to be in good physical shape and is enduring Junci's training. Though Junci seems to be going a bit easier on him, since it would be a problem if he got overworked.
There hasn't been much progress with my Haki. Zen said he didn't expect it to go well from the start and advised me to be patient with my training. I was able to understand how to use the "Six Powers" of CP-0 after seeing them once, but the difficulty of Ryuo is on a whole other level. It seems there are various paths for Observation Haki as well, so I've decided to retrain from scratch.
Dorry and Brogy are as energetic as ever today. They don't seem to fundamentally dislike each other, and when I asked them to train Feiyun a bit, they readily agreed. As a child from their homeland, they seem to be quite fond of her. They've been teaching her the mindset and fighting style of a warrior.
I think it would be good for her to have a weapon, but given her ability to grow in size, she'll likely become stronger by focusing on training her own body as her primary weapon.
Month X, Day ◇
Alongside my Haki training, I'm also practicing the "Six Powers." I never learned them formally, so there's a risk of developing bad habits, but they're still useful. I've only mastered five of them. I'd like to learn "Paper Art" eventually, but I don't feel it's essential, so I'll just keep it in mind if the opportunity arises.
I've been honing my Haki through light sparring, but it's difficult since no one besides Junci and Zen is a match for me. Facing Dorry and Brogy is quite challenging, and I need to find a way to deal with that. Samuel's physical abilities have improved since he became a Devil Fruit user, but he's still lacking something.
The one who has grown the most during our stay is probably Feiyun. Learning how to fight from fellow giants seems to have paid off, as her movements have become much more refined. The thought of a body so large I have to crane my neck to see her face using those moves makes me feel like I've created something truly terrifying.
Month X, Day O
Samuel collapsed with a fever. Apparently, he was wandering around the jungle shirtless and was bitten on the abdomen by a poisonous tick, the "Kestia," which led to a bacterial infection.
I am truly grateful that we recruited Scura. His medical knowledge is astounding. He says it can be cured with antibiotics, but he mentioned that our supply is low. We'll have to set up production facilities. We have the equipment itself, but the question is whether we can find the mold needed to produce antibiotics on this island.
Month X, Day ☆
Samuel's condition has stabilized considerably. It seems this disease normally causes a painful combination of symptoms, but Scura's medicine is effective.
The mold needed for the antibiotic that works on the Kestia bacteria was found surprisingly quickly. Apparently, he had a good idea of where to look from the start. Our fieldwork paid off. Scotch's map was also useful.
Month ◇, Day ●
Samuel collapsed. This time, it seems he got food poisoning from eating something strange. Given that he tried to eat that poisonous-looking fruit on our first day, this isn't surprising. That idiot will never learn, even if it kills him.
Kuro had a puzzled look on his face, wondering why he wasn't getting any stronger despite training. I think it's just that everyone else is getting stronger, so he seems unchanged by comparison. Besides, his ability is unique. He can catch any opponent off guard at least once. Against a Logia user, it could be a fatal first encounter, so I want to have him practice coordinating with Georges and the others.
Month ◇, Day X
Junci and Zen tried to kill each other. They said that real combat is the best way to train Haki, so they went at each other with their full strength. They might have been inspired by Dorry and Brogy. I was prepared to stop them if it looked like it was going to get out of hand, but they finished just short of killing each other. They were seriously injured, though, and Scura was half-furious as he treated them.
Watching them fight while laughing was somewhat gruesome, but Kuro told me I'm pretty much the same. I don't get it.
Month ◇, Day ☆
If I could greatly enhance my Haki every time I had a deathmatch, I'd do it as often as possible, but it's not a guaranteed way to get stronger. When skill levels are close, it's hard to reach a conclusion, but this time, Zen came out on top. The important thing is that both of them seem to have identified their own shortcomings. They're like Saiyans.
I want to properly master Ryuo soon, so I've decided to challenge Dorry and Brogy.
Month ☆, Day O
I have mastered Ryuo.
I thought I was going to die a few times… no, more times than I have fingers, but it just proves that when it comes to training Haki, there's nothing better than real combat.
Zen focuses the impact for offense, but my focus is on dispersing the impact for defense. It doesn't manifest visually like Armament Hardening; it's more like wearing a weightless suit of armor. It makes it easy to "repel" attacks. This was the only way I could withstand Dorry and Brogy's attacks without being sent flying. Because they're giants, it's relatively easy to see where their attacks are coming from, but I had to train my Observation Haki as well because preparing to receive a blow after they've started their motion is too late.
If I flinched, I would die. Thinking that, I was able to use it almost unconsciously. This method is definitely the best. As a bonus, I can now see a few seconds into the future, which I suppose is a stroke of luck.
However, this Ryuo technique seems to be about flowing unnecessary Haki out of the body. I feel like I might be able to replicate the technique Sengoku used.
Month ☆, Day △
Replicating the shockwave Sengoku used is quite difficult. For now, the best course of action is probably to train to use Ryuo at a higher level. I've fought Junci and Zen several times, but my skills are still raw. I can't win by only using it for defense, but neglecting defense leads directly to death.
On our ship, only myself, Zen, and Junci can use Haki, so it's difficult to vary our training. Feiyun can also use it, but she can only use Observation Haki. It's probably about time I taught her Armament. Her Observation Haki is innate. She seems to have a talent for it, and with a little training, she should be able to use it at a more advanced level.
Month △, Day △
Six months have passed. We're at the halfway point, but the thought that there's still another six months makes me want to sigh. It's nice not to be chased by the Marines, but staying in one place is not very exciting.
Thinking it might be interesting, I asked Dorry and Brogy if they knew any stories. They told me about a "monster that lives in the East Blue."
Out of curiosity, I took Feiyun and Zen to see it. We found a giant goldfish living there. It appeared suddenly while I was walking on the water, which surprised me, but I flash-froze it before it could eat us.
They call it the "Island Eater." Apparently, it grows by eating islands due to its immense size. Is it a type of Sea Beast? Or a Sea King? I'm not particularly interested in its classification, but I wonder what it eats to get that big. It couldn't have been eating islands from the very beginning.
When I told them about the goldfish, Dorry and Brogy laughed and told me a story about a "nothing island," but it wasn't something I wanted to write in the log. I'll just keep it in the back of my mind.
Month △, Day ☆
A ship arrived, which is a rare sight. A pirate ship. There were about forty or fifty of them, with two who seemed particularly strong. I didn't recognize their faces, but apparently, they were wanted men. They were said to be major rookies with bounties of 15 million and 12 million, but they quieted down after I punched them five or six times. It's a wonder they've survived this long without being able to use Haki.
One of them was a Devil Fruit user and the other wasn't, but Georges said they were a hot topic for a while due to their cruelty. They're apparently from the South Blue. Seeing them sitting on their knees with their faces swollen from my punches, I couldn't see any cruelty in them at all.
The user had eaten the Bomb-Bomb Fruit and was a Bomb Human who specialized in a counterattack that exploded the moment I punched him. He looked like his eyes were going to pop out of his head when I completely deflected the force of the explosion with Ryuo. In any case, he wasn't much of an opponent. He seemed to have neglected his training, relying on his ability, and he didn't have very good control over it. For a "whole-body bomb," his explosions weren't very powerful.
It was apparently his first time seeing giants, because he foamed at the mouth and passed out when he saw all three of them. We took only the alcohol and medical supplies from their ship and left them. I have no intention of taking their lives, and besides, it seems their spirits were broken after being beaten up by a girl like me.
Month Γ, Day ◇
It seems the pirates who arrived a few days ago were wiped out at some point. They apparently went up a river far from the beach where our campsite is. Scura and the others found them all dead when they went looking for medicinal herbs and food. I received a report that there were many dismembered bodies, and to prevent a potential plague, they were gathered in one place and cremated.
The sole survivor was the Devil Fruit user, but he's also seriously injured. I plan to question him when he wakes up.
On another note, Samuel has finally learned to use Armament Haki. It's still at a rudimentary level, but now that he can use it, it won't be long before he can use Hardening. Feiyun is also getting close.
Month Γ, Day <
There was an article about Roger and his crew in the News Coo's paper. It seems they've returned to the Grand Line and immediately caused an incident, which got them in the news. The day I meet them again, my saviors, might be near. However, their area of activity is the New World, the second half of the sea. It's more of a "we'll meet someday" kind of thing.
The Bomb Human has woken up. He's thirty-four. He's been a pirate for many years and challenged this sea with the crew he had gathered. The result was annihilation on the second island. There's not much left that could be called a memento. Writing it all down like this, it's a pitiful story, but the scary part of this sea is that there's no guarantee the same won't happen to me.
I told him that if he has the will to live, I'll let him on my ship, and if he no longer has the will to live, I'll grant him a swift death. I've left the choice to him, but I wonder what he'll do. Since we have to be here for nearly another six months anyway, I told him to take his time and think about it.
Month ÷, Day Δ
Feiyun can now use Armament Haki. The Haki-infused martial arts unleashed from that colossal body are terrifying. Even if she's not on the level of Dorry and Brogy, she's become quite a capable fighter.
I've also finally become able to trade blows properly with Dorry and Brogy. I have to concentrate immensely on every single blow, or I'll be sent flying in an instant, so it's incredibly draining. I find it very strange that I get weird looks every time after we finish fighting. Training with those two is extremely beneficial; maybe I should make the others try it.
Month ÷, Day ◇
Apparently, facing Dorry and Brogy was too much for them. Everyone who challenged them was sent flying. Only Zen and Junci barely managed to hang on. When I told them they needed more training, they replied, "You're the one who's insane."
I don't know what they mean by insane. We have to train at this level if we want to be able to fight a Marine Admiral properly. Junci, in particular, needs to be trained thoroughly.
As for the bomb man from the other day, it seems he has chosen to live for now. His name is David, and he begged me on his hands and knees to let him work as a handyman on my ship. I gave him permission, but he passed out when I told him my bounty was 380 million. Even Georges doesn't faint over a bounty amount.
Month <, Day ÷
While I was at it, I decided to train David as well. He's more capable in a fight than the crew members who can't use Haki, but without his ability, he gets completely shut down even by Samuel. I wonder if he's had it too easy, or if he's neglected his training while relying on his ability.
A user's ability becomes stronger and more versatile in proportion to their own strength. Even I from two or three years ago could probably beat him at this level.
Scura created something strange in his research. It seems to be a drug that only affects Devil Fruit users. When he gave it to Samuel, he underwent a bizarre transformation that was different from any of his three standard forms. He also went berserk, so I had to punch him a few times to calm him down, but he still tried to rampage. I had no choice but to throw him into the sea to forcibly sedate him. I wonder what that was. I understand Scura's desire to create a drug that affects Devil Fruit users, but making them go berserk is a problem. I don't mind him using Samuel for clinical trials since he's sturdy, but I'd like him to ensure safety first.
Month Φ, Day Ψ
About three months left. It's been a long time. It's been nothing but training, and I'm starting to get bored. On this island with no luxuries, the only thing to do is reread the books I've already finished. Every day is the same, to the point where there's nothing new to write in this log. The men were also complaining about not being able to be with women.
I don't mind if they peek at me in the bath, but if they try to lay a hand on me, I'll turn them into ice sculptures. They understand that breaking the rules is a serious crime on my ship, so none of them have tried anything.
Month Ψ, Day ÷
I had another birthday while on this island. I don't mean to be vain about being beautiful, but to be a fugitive on the run from the Marines at the tender age of sixteen is enough to make you cry.
Lately, the Navy has become so desperate to find me that they've started asking for information in the newspapers. It must be a matter of pride for them. Unfortunately for them, I can't leave this island yet, so it'll be a while before I show myself again. I'm confident I could put up a decent fight against Sengoku now. At the very least, I won't suffer a disgraceful defeat like I did in the Flower Country.
Buying the newspaper every day as a substitute for luxuries is not cheap, but we have a considerable amount of money. Most of the profits from our merchant ship days went to paying off the loan for the galleon, but we also hunted pirates and took their valuables, so we had plenty to spare. It's a good thing we brought all our assets with us, since our home island is gone now.
…Not that I want to call the island where my orphanage was my home. I've discarded my old name, after all.
Month ξ, Day O
"Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin, "Golden Lion" Shiki, "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate.
Apparently, Roger is treated as being on the same level as these three. It's only natural, I suppose, since they are the only pirates still alive after being relentlessly chased by Garp, the Hero of the Marines. To the Marines, Garp may be a hero, but to pirates, he's a man like the Grim Reaper.
Roger and his crew are never short of headlines, causing incidents wherever they go. Yesterday, they apparently clashed with the World Pirates, and today's newspaper reports that the country where the battle took place suffered devastating damage. They're a flashy bunch, no matter what they do.
Month Θ, Day □
I often listened to stories about the village of Elbaf from Dorry, Brogy, and Feiyun when I was bored, but today's story was a bit different. It concerned Charlotte Linlin, whom I wrote about in a previous entry.
The story of how she once lived in an Elbaf village, caused a certain incident, and was exiled. She was exiled by Yarul, the "Mountain Beard," another giant hero, for killing Yorul, the "Waterfall Beard," the oldest hero of the giants. Feiyun was reluctant to talk about this, but she did so because Dorry and Brogy begged her to tell them.
The two of them were speechless.
For the warriors of the giants, who live long lives, the way one dies is of utmost importance. They shed tears over the way their hero Yorul died, offered their condolences, and at the same time, openly expressed their hatred for Charlotte Linlin.
It's not something I want to write down in detail, so I'll just keep it in the back of my mind, but Linlin did something horrendous related to a woman called Mother Carmel. Dorry and Brogy, unable to leave this island because of their duel, seemed to have somehow come to terms with it, since Yarul, the "Mountain Beard," who had lost his comrade-in-arms, had settled for merely exiling her… but their anger was clearly not subsided.
If we ever go to Elbaf and end up opposing Charlotte Linlin, the giants might become our allies.
Month γ, Day X
The log has set. It's a profound feeling to think that we can finally leave this island. As a final touch tomorrow, I've decided to exchange a single blow with both Dorry and Brogy. It's a token of my gratitude for their care over the past year and a tribute to the masters who trained me.
We'll also clean up the campsite, and we should be able to leave the island by tomorrow. We're out of alcohol, but we've decided to have one last wild feast. The essence of a journey is this series of meetings and partings.
Their duel was never settled while we were here. I wonder when it will finally come to an end.
***
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