The smoke from Whiskey Peak had long faded behind them.
The Going Merry sailed slowly along the rocky coastline where the explosion had thrown debris into the sea.
Vivi stood at the bow, scanning the water desperately.
"Igaram… he has to be alive…"
Cassandra closed her eyes for a moment.
She extended her senses outward, feeling through the subtle currents of life and intent.
"There," she said calmly, pointing toward a cluster of shattered planks drifting near a cliff.
Luffy leaned forward. "You can feel people now?!"
"I awakened Observation Haki a long time ago" Cassandra answered proud.
Nojiko looked at her, than understood instantly. "Ah it is because you are nearly blind without your glasses right?," she said, deducing this fact after remembering, what she read about Observation Haki from the guide.
Nojiko was the most eager to get stronger in the crew right now.
Cassandra´s ears and face grew beet red clearly embarrassed.
Seeing this, the crew laughed, except for Vivi who wanted to find Igaram.
They steered closer.
Among the wreckage, a small emergency raft bobbed weakly. Igaram lay on it, covered in burns and bruises, coughing but alive.
"Igaram!" Vivi cried.
Sanji leapt into the water and pulled the raft closer while Cassandra cut the ropes tangled around it.
Igaram groaned. "P-Princess…"
Vivi knelt beside him, tears streaming. "You're alive! Thank goodness…"
Cassandra nodded quietly. "I told you. That woman doesn't kill unnecessarily."
Igaram looked at her weakly.
They brought him aboard briefly to treat his wounds.
Sanji worked quickly while Nojiko handed over clean cloth.
Igaram bowed his head despite his injuries.
"Thank you… all of you. But I must return to Alabasta ahead of you and prepare the resistance."
Vivi nodded firmly. "We'll follow soon."
Cassandra watched silently.
Robin's shadow still lingered in her thoughts.
Later that day, the Merry slowed near a small dock.
Mr. 9 and Miss Monday stood on the shore, their ropes finally cut.
Mr. 9 scratched his head nervously. "So… uh… guess this is goodbye?"
Miss Monday bowed deeply to Vivi. "I'm sorry for everything, Princess."
Vivi smiled warmly. "You helped me when it mattered. That's enough."
Luffy waved wildly. "Good luck!"
Bartolomeo saluted dramatically. "Be grateful Luffy-senpai spared you, Baroque Works survivors!"
Sanji smirked. "Try not to get captured again."
Cassandra stood slightly apart, arms crossed, studying Miss Monday.
She frowned.
Something about the woman bothered her.
"…Huh."
Nami glanced at her. "What?"
Cassandra tilted her head slightly.
She shrugged honestly. "You feel like one of those people history forgets immediately after they leave the stage."
Mr. 9 snorted. "That's harsh!"
Miss Monday blinked. "How rude."
"You'll probably live a normal life," Cassandra added after a moment.
Miss Monday stared, then she smiled.
"I think I'd like that."
Cassandra nodded approvingly.
"Good."
The Merry began to pull away.
Vivi waved, until they were small figures on the shore.
Igaram saluted weakly.
Cassandra turned toward the horizon where the Log Pose needle pointed steadily.
"Next stop," she said quietly. "Little Garden."
Nami gulped. "The prehistoric island, right?"
"Yes."
Sanji exhaled smoke. "Why does that sound bad?"
Cassandra's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Maybe because everything there is bigger, than it should be."
Luffy's eyes sparkled.
"That sounds awesome!"
Cassandra sighed softly.
Then she turned around with a sharp clap of her hands.
"So," she said calmly. "How about some training."
Groans erupted immediately.
"Already?!" Luffy complained.
"We just left a town!" Sanji added.
Cassandra's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You also just entered the Grand Line."
That shut them up.
Vivi watched quietly from near the railing. She had seen Cassandra fight. How she had cut down her enemies with frightening precision, but hearing her talk about training like this, made her seem less like a warrior and more like a strict instructor.
Cassandra's gaze swept over the crew.
"Everyone has weaknesses," she said. "We're going to start fixing them."
Vivi's POV
Vivi followed Cassandra at a distance, careful not to interrupt.
She wanted to understand these people who had chosen to risk everything for her kingdom.
The first person Cassandra stopped in front of was the strange man with the sharp teeth and loud voice.
Bartolomeo.
He immediately straightened.
"Yes, Cassandra-senpai!"
She crossed her arms.
"Your devil fruit is strong. But your body is weak."
Bartolomeo flinched. "O-ouch…"
"You rely on barriers, because you can't endure hits," Cassandra continued. "That's why your stamina drains so fast. Your body can't support your power."
She pointed toward the open deck.
"Drop and give me fifty."
Bartolomeo stared. "F-fifty?!"
"Now."
He collapsed onto the wood and started pumping out shaky push-ups.
"One! Two! Th-three—!"
Cassandra crouched beside him.
"After that you'll run laps around the ship. Then squats. Then plank holds."
Vivi's eyes widened.
"That much…?"
"You don't train your power for the time beeing," Cassandra said calmly. "You train the vessel that holds it."
Bartolomeo collapsed face-first after the fifteenth push-up.
"I'm gonna diiiieeee…"
"No," Cassandra replied. "You're not allowed to die until I say so. You're going to improve."
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up effortlessly.
"Again."
Vivi swallowed.
Cassandra wasn't cruel, but she was merciless about growth.
Bartolomeo groaned, but obeyed.
As he struggled, Cassandra explained further.
"Your barriers will become stronger naturally as your stamina rises. Once your body stops collapsing under strain, you can start practicing precision."
"P-precision…?"
"Right now you throw up big walls and pray. Later you'll form small shields instantly around your fists, feet, maybe even around your heart."
Bartolomeo's eyes sparkled despite the pain.
"That sounds so cool!"
"Earn it."
She stepped back and watched him continue.
Vivi felt a strange warmth in her chest.
Cassandra wasn't just strong.
She was building strength in others.
Nojiko already had her rifle slung across her back, her posture straight and focused.
Cassandra opened one of the notebooks, she carried everywhere now. It was the handwritten manual Nami stole from Smoker.
She flipped through several pages, before stopping.
"Geppo training begins with leg conditioning and air timing," Cassandra read quietly. "No shortcuts."
She looked up.
"You won't be flying today."
Nojiko smirked. "Figured."
Cassandra pointed toward the mast.
"Run to it. Jump as high as you can. At the peak, strike the air with your foot."
Nojiko raised an eyebrow. "Like kicking nothing?"
"Like kicking the air," Cassandra corrected.
Nojiko shrugged and sprinted.
She leapt, swung her leg downward and fell flat on her back with a thud.
"Ow…"
Bartolomeo winced from across the deck.
Cassandra didn't react.
"Again."
Nojiko groaned, but rolled to her feet.
She ran. Jumped. Kicked.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Again.
A faint crack of air sounded.
Nojiko blinked mid-fall.
"Did you hear that?"
Cassandra nodded. "Good. That means you struck the air correctly."
They repeated it over and over.
Sweat formed quickly on Nojiko's brow.
Her breathing grew heavy, but each time, the sound grew sharper.
The "empty kick" slowly started to feel like hitting something solid.
"That's the foundation," Cassandra said calmly. "Once your legs grow stronger and your timing sharpens, the air will support you."
Nojiko wiped her face.
"How long until I can actually use it?"
"Months," Cassandra replied honestly. "Maybe longer."
Nojiko grinned.
"I will do it."
"Dont´t neglate to train the rest of your body. Stamina is always essential for these techniques."
Cassandra pulled out the other notebook and turned another page.
"Now Observation Haki."
Nojiko straightened immediately.
"This part."
Cassandra nodded.
"It starts with awareness, not prediction."
She closed the book.
"Close your eyes."
Nojiko obeyed.
"Listen to the ship," Cassandra instructed. "Not just with your ears, but with everything."
Vivi leaned closer, curious.
"The wind. The waves. The footsteps. The creaking wood."
Nojiko frowned in concentration.
Cassandra walked slowly around her.
"Your body already senses more than you realize," Cassandra said softly. "You just ignore it."
Suddenly Cassandra flicked a pebble across the deck.
Nojiko flinched.
"Too late," Cassandra said.
Again.
This time Nojiko turned slightly.
"Better."
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each time Nojiko reacted faster.
Sweat dripped down her face, but her mind burned with focus.
"Don't chase the sound," Cassandra corrected. "Feel the intent."
Nojiko inhaled deeply.
Everything went quiet.
Then—
Cassandra moved.
"Behind!" Nojiko shouted suddenly, spinning.
Cassandra stopped mid-step.
A small smile appeared.
"Good."
Nojiko laughed breathlessly.
"I felt it this time!"
"That's Observation beginning to awaken," Cassandra said. "It will sharpen with use."
She placed a hand on Nojiko's shoulder.
"You'll become deadly from any position."
Nojiko nodded fiercely.
"I won't waste this."
After Nojiko staggered away to catch her breath, Cassandra closed the notebook and walked toward Sanji.
He was already training.
"You ready?" Cassandra asked.
Sanji glanced at her. "Always, milady."
She gave him a flat look.
"…Don't."
He chuckled. "Worth a try."
Cassandra opened the guidebook again.
"You already have the body for Soru and Geppo," she said. "Speed and air movement will come naturally to you if you practice."
Sanji nodded seriously.
"I figured. My legs are my weapons."
"Good," Cassandra said. "Then we focus on what you don't have yet."
She turned the book toward him.
"Rankyaku."
Sanji squinted at the page.
"Flying slashes with kicks, huh?"
"Yes. Concentrated pressure released through a strike."
Sanji whistled. "Sounds dangerous."
"It is," Cassandra replied. "It will be very useful for you."
She stepped a few meters away.
"The basics are first. Don't swing your legs wildly. Channel force through one precise motion."
She lifted her hand slowly.
"Imagine compressing air like a blade."
Whip!
A sharp crescent of wind sliced forward, cutting clean through a wooden crate on deck.
Vivi gasped.
Sanji's cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth.
"Woah…"
"That's control," Cassandra said.
Sanji's grin faded into focus.
"Alright."
He stepped forward, inhaled and swung his leg hard.
Nothing happened.
Just a loud whoosh.
Sanji frowned.
"Again."
Another kick.
Still nothing.
Cassandra shook her head.
"You're throwing power," she said. "Not shaping it."
She moved behind him and gently adjusted his stance.
"Lock your core. Focus your intent forward. Release everything at once."
Sanji tried again.
This time the air cracked sharply. A faint ripple slicing across the deck and leaving a shallow groove in the wood.
Sanji stared.
"I did it!"
"Barely," Cassandra said calmly. "But yes."
Sanji laughed, pumped up.
"Hell yeah!"
Cassandra smirked slightly.
"Keep practicing. It will grow sharper."
He nodded enthusiastically.
"What about Soru and Geppo?"
"You don't need me much for those," Cassandra replied. "You just need repetition, speed drills and to strengthen your legs further."
Sanji stretched.
"I'll master them."
"I know," Cassandra said simply.
Sanji blinked.
"…You do?"
"You are way more talented, than you think," she said. "That makes you learn fast."
He looked away, ears faintly red.
"Guess I don't wanna lose anyone."
Cassandra closed the notebook.
"That's the right reason."
Vivi watched quietly, feeling something warm in her chest.
Sanji wasn't just a cook.
He was a warrior learning to sharpen himself.
Nami was sitting on a crate counting berries, when Cassandra approached.
She didn't look up.
"If this is about training, I already did enough running today."
Cassandra stopped in front of her.
"You haven't even started."
Nami sighed and finally looked up.
"I'm a navigator, not a fighter."
Cassandra opened the guidebook.
"Soru isn't a fighting technique," she said calmly. "It's survival."
She flipped to the page covered in notes and diagrams.
"It's about pushing your legs, to move faster than normal human limits with a burst of speed through rapid footwork."
Nami frowned.
"Sounds exhausting."
"It is."
Cassandra closed the book.
"But first, your body."
She pointed toward the open deck.
"Push-ups. Squats. Core training. Running."
Nami stared.
"All of that?"
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Every day."
Nami groaned dramatically.
"You saw how bad I was, when we sparred. So it is hopeless."
Cassandra wasn't amused.
"Your mind is already sharp," she said. "Your body and mindset is, what will get you killed."
That made Nami pause.
Cassandra continued more gently.
"You don't need to be strong like me, or fast like Sanji, but you need enough endurance to use Soru without collapsing."
Nami bit her lip.
"…Okay."
Cassandra nodded.
"Good."
She demonstrated Soru lightly. Her feet blurred for a split second, as she crossed several meters instantly.
Nami's jaw dropped.
"That's cheating."
"That's training," Cassandra corrected.
"Now watch the basics."
Cassandra slowed her movements, showing the rapid stepping motion.
"It's not one big leap. It's dozens of micro-steps in a heartbeat."
Nami tried.
She shuffled rapidly and immediately stumbled.
"Whoa!"
Sanji rushed forward. "Careful, Nami-swan!"
Cassandra raised a hand to stop him.
"She needs to fall."
Nami shot her a glare.
"You enjoy this, don't you?"
"A little."
Nami huffed, but tried again.
Step step step.
She managed to move slightly faster than normal before losing balance.
"That was something," Cassandra said. "Again."
Nami wiped sweat from her forehead.
"This better be worth it."
"It will save your life," Cassandra replied simply.
They repeated the drill.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Nami's legs trembled.
Her breathing grew heavy, but she kept going.
Vivi admired her stubborn determination.
After a while Cassandra finally stopped her.
"Enough for today."
Nami collapsed onto the deck.
"I hate you."
Cassandra smirked faintly.
"You'll thank me later."
Nami peeked up. "Promise?"
"No," Cassandra said fondling her boobs.
Nami groaned and Vivi blinked in confusion.
After Nami finally staggered away, legs shaking like jelly, Cassandra turned toward Luffy.
He was lying on his back staring at the clouds.
"Your turn," Cassandra said.
Luffy sat up instantly.
"Yay! Fighting!"
"No fighting," Cassandra replied.
Luffy frowned. "Aw…"
She picked up a wooden training sword from near the mast.
Then pulled a strip of cloth from her belt.
"Stand up."
Luffy obeyed, grinning.
Cassandra tied the cloth firmly around his eyes, covering them completely.
"Hey! I can't see!"
"Good."
Vivi tilted her head, confused.
Cassandra took several steps back.
"You need to dodge my strikes based on feeling," she said calmly. "Not sight."
Luffy scratched his head. "Okay!"
Without warning.
Whack!
The wooden sword cracked against Luffy's shoulder.
"Ow!"
"You failed," Cassandra said simply.
Again.
Whack!
This time his leg.
"Ow! Hey!"
"Focus."
Luffy pouted, but closed his eyes under the blindfold.
Cassandra circled him slowly.
Vivi held her breath.
Then Cassandra lunged.
Luffy twisted suddenly, barely avoiding the strike.
"Woah!"
Cassandra paused.
"…You felt that."
Luffy grinned wide.
"Yeah! Something tingly!"
"That's Observation beginning to wake up," Cassandra said.
She struck again.
And again.
At first Luffy got hit.
Then less.
Soon he dodged some of the blows.
Laughing the entire time.
"This is fun!"
Cassandra exhaled softly.
"Only you would enjoy getting beaten."
They stopped after several minutes.
Luffy was breathing hard, but smiled.
"That was cool!"
Cassandra sat down on a crate.
"Your instincts are strong," she said. "You'll learn Observation faster than most."
"Sweet!"
"But Armament…" Cassandra continued quietly.
Her expression tightened.
"That's different."
"I can't get it to work properly," Cassandra admitted. "I understand it. I train it, but it doesn't come to me."
Luffy tilted his head.
"What's that one do again?"
"It hardens your body and weapons with willpower," Cassandra said. "Lets you hit things you normally can't. Lets you cut steel, like it's paper."
Luffy blinked. "You already cut steel."
"That's sword intent," Cassandra replied. "Not Haki."
She clenched her fist.
"With Armament, I should be able to coat my blades and strengthen them further, but it feels… blocked."
Luffy thought for a moment.
Then smiled.
"You'll get it."
Cassandra looked at him.
"Why are you so sure?"
"Because you're strong," Luffy said simply. "Strong people always get stronger."
Vivi felt warmth in her chest at his confidence.
Cassandra stared at him for a moment.
Then she laughed softly.
"…Thanks."
She stood up again.
"Ready for more?"
"Yeah!"
They continued.
Strike after strike.
Dodge after dodge.
Luffy learning to feel.
Cassandra pushing him harder each time.
Vivi had watched quietly for a long time.
She had seen Bartolomeo pushed past his limits.
Nojiko learning to kick the air itself.
Sanji shaping wind with his kicks.
Nami forcing her trembling legs to keep moving.
And Luffy laughing while learning to dodge, what he couldn't see.
Everyone was growing.
Everyone was trying.
Her chest felt tight.
These people weren't just risking their lives for her kingdom.
They were preparing to fight a war.
Slowly, Vivi stepped toward Cassandra.
"…Cassandra."
Cassandra turned.
"Yes?"
Vivi clenched her hands.
"I… I want to get stronger too."
The deck went quiet for just a moment.
Cassandra stared at her.
A slow, dangerous smile spread across her face.
It wasn't cruel.
It wasn't kind.
It was the smile of someone, who enjoyed hard work.
"Oh?" Cassandra said softly.
Vivi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
"Y-Yes! I mean— I want to help! I don't want to just be protected!"
Cassandra stepped closer.
Very close.
"You realize," she said calmly, "that training with me is painful."
Vivi gulped.
"And exhausting."
Another gulp.
"And I won't go easy on you because you're royalty."
Vivi forced herself to nod.
"I… I understand."
Cassandra's smile widened.
"Good."
In the background—
"Cassandraaaaaa-senpaiiiiiiiii…"
Bartolomeo collapsed face-first onto the deck.
"I can't feel my arms or legs…"
Nojiko glanced over. "Did he pass out?"
Sanji exhaled smoke. "Yup."
Cassandra didn't even look back.
"Drag him to shade," she said. "He's not done yet."
Bartolomeo whimpered weakly.
Vivi stared.
A small part of her already regretted her decision.
But a bigger part burned with determination, until Cassandra stood behind her and fondeled her boobs.
Vivi shrieked surprised and Nami gave Cassandra a good old chop on the head.
The days that followed passed in a blur of sweat, bruises and exhaustion.
Training became routine.
Morning drills.
Midday sparring.
Evening endurance work.
Cassandra guided every member, correcting mistakes, pushing limits and adjusting each person's regimen to their strengths.
They rested only enough to recover.
They slowly and steadily improved.
Their confidence grew.
And before they realized it…
The fog ahead began to clear.
A massive jungle island rose from the sea.
Trees as tall as towers.
Strange cries echoing from deep within.
The Log Pose needle spun wildly.
Little Garden.
The land of ancient beasts.
The next challenge already awaited.