A small ship sailed quietly across the waters of the East Blue. The waves rocked the vessel gently as the salty breeze drifted through the air.
On the deck, Musashi and Ryu sat across from each other at a small wooden table, enjoying a simple lunch. Bowls of rice and grilled fish rested between them while the ship creaked softly beneath their feet.
Musashi took a bite of his meal, glancing out at the endless horizon."Calm seas today," he said casually.
Ryu nodded while chewing, leaning back slightly in his chair."Yeah… almost too calm."
For a moment, only the sound of the waves and seagulls filled the air as the small ship continued sailing through the vast waters of the East Blue.
A month had passed since they sailed away from the Crescent Moon Forest, and their ship was now steadily making its way toward Logue Town.
Musashi smiled when he saw Logue Town appear on the horizon. The distant silhouette of the town rose from the sea like a promise of adventure after weeks of sailing. Turning his head toward the deck, he looked at Ryu and called out to him.
"Ryu, get ready—we've arrived at Logue Town."
Ryu's eyes lit up at the words. Without hesitation, he quickly walked over to Musashi and came to a stop beside him, his gaze fixed on the distant town ahead.
Musashi opened his backpack and took out two ankle weights and two arm weights.
"Ryu, starting today you'll be wearing these weights on at all times—you will only take them off when you're bathing or going to sleep."
"Each of these weighs 10 kg. Once you get used to them, I'll increase the weight. Now put them on."
Ryu sighed, but he nodded his head and began putting on the weights obediently.
After putting on the weights, Ryu immediately felt the restraint on his arms and legs, but it was still manageable.
The ship eased into the Logue Town port. Once Ryu and Musashi had gathered their belongings, they disembarked. Musashi strode confidently into the town, his presence commanding attention, while Ryu followed closely behind, his footsteps echoing softly on the cobblestones.
Ryu looked at Musashi and asked.
"Grandfather where are we going?"
Musashi looked at Ryu and smiled.
"First, I'm going to buy you some new clothes—your kimono got ruined while you were training in that forest."
Ryu nodded his head and he followed Musashi.
They arrived in front of a clothing shop and stepped inside, the bell above the door jingling softly as they entered.
A young, beautiful lady was sitting and flipping through a magazine when the doorbell jingled. She quickly stood up and greeted Musashi and Ryu with a charming smile.
"Welcome to Yuma Clothing Shop! How can I help you today?"
Musashi gave her a small smile and said.
"Hello dear! I'd like to buy some clothes for my grandson."
The young lady smiled and nodded.
"Certainly! We have a wide variety of clothes. Are you looking for a specific style?"
Musashi shook his head.
"Not really. If you don't mind, could my grandson browse the shop and choose what he likes?"
The young lady giggled and nodded her head
Ryu began browsing the clothes in the shop, picking up a white shirt, black pants, a black bandana, and black combat boots.
After trying on the clothes and checking his reflection in the mirror, Ryu was satisfied and stepped out of the dressing room.
Musashi nodded in approval at Ryu's choice of clothes and turned to the young lady.
"We will take the clothes my grandson has chosen, dear. Could you also add an extra pair of the items he selected?"
The young lady smiled and nodded, then quickly grabbed two extra pairs of the clothes Ryu had chosen and neatly placed them in a bag.
"Your total is 3,000 B, sir."
Musashi smiled and handed the money to the young lady. He then turned to Ryu and said:
"Let's go Ryu."
Ryu nodded and fell into step behind Musashi, the bags swinging from his hands.
"Thank you, please come again."
_______
After leaving the Yuma clothing shop, Musashi bought a bundle of thick bamboo stakes, and together they rented a house on the outskirts of Logue Town.
After they settled in the new house, Musashi turned to Ryu, his expression serious.
"Ryu follow me."
Ryu nodded, and Musashi grabbed the bamboo stakes he had bought before stepping out of the house.
"THUD!"
Musashi dropped the bamboo stakes to the ground and picked one up.
"Watch carefully Ryu."
Ryu raised his eyebrows and focused intently on the bamboo stake Musashi was holding.
Musashi lifted the bamboo stake above his head, gripping it with both hands, and swung it downward.
"WHOOSH!"
"CRACK!"
The bamboo stake splintered violently, scattering sharp shards in all directions.
Ryu's eyes widened at the splintered bamboo stake, yet Musashi paid no attention to his shock and continued speaking.
"Before I teach you the Miyamoto sword style, you must first learn to shatter a bamboo stake into splinters—just like I did."
"I'm going to get some groceries now. While I'm gone, keep swinging that bamboo stake with the weights on—and don't you dare remove them."
Ryu sighed and nodded, while Musashi turned around, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
After Musashi left, Ryu picked up a bamboo stake and stared at it, lost in thought.
'The force behind Grandfather's swing was so immense that it overwhelmed the bamboo stake—he must have trained incredibly hard to reach this level.'
Ryu gave a small, admiring smile, raised the bamboo stake above his head, and began swinging it with determination.
He kept swinging the bamboo stake relentlessly. An hour passed, and sweat poured down his face; his arms grew numb, yet he didn't relent—he pushed through the pain, swinging again and again.
After Musashi return he called Ryu.
"Ryu, that's enough. Take a break—let's grab something to eat."
Ryu lowered the bamboo stake and nodded. He and his grandfather stepped into the house and began preparing a meal together.
________
(The poll will close after I upload the next chapter. Based on the results, I'll choose the direction this fanfic will take. If you haven't voted yet, please do! Thanks for reading).
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A) Mc create his own crew (5)
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C) Mc join red-haired pirates (7)
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