Fated Adventure.

My mastery over the Marine Six Styles had improved drastically over the next few months. Soru and Geppo were second nature, allowing me to vanish from sight and move with terrifying speed. Tekkai reinforced my already monstrous durability, making most attacks feel like nothing. But Haki was still my primary focus.

Rayleigh's Observation Haki was so refined that even my speed and raw power meant nothing against him. Every strike I threw, he dodged like he had all the time in the world. It was frustrating, but I understood his lesson—power alone wasn't enough.

"You rely too much on brute force," Rayleigh told me after effortlessly dodging a flurry of my strikes. "Read the flow of the battle, don't just react to it."

I had already unlocked Observation Haki, but I pushed myself to refine it further. It wasn't just about sensing attacks—it was about understanding intent, about feeling the battlefield itself. After weeks of relentless sparring, I finally reached a breakthrough. One evening, as Rayleigh attacked, I could see it—the future, even if only for a moment. I moved before he even struck, dodging his attack cleanly for the first time.

Rayleigh smirked. "Good. Now you're learning."

Ace, on the other hand, was focused entirely on Conqueror's Haki. He had already awakened it, but Rayleigh forced him to refine it further. At first, Ace's Haki was wild and uncontrolled, knocking out allies and enemies alike whenever it flared up. But through constant training, he learned to direct it—to impose his will only when necessary.

One night, while sparring against Deuce, Ace let out a controlled pulse of Conqueror's Haki. Instead of an unfocused blast, it was precise—Deuce staggered but didn't collapse outright.

Rayleigh chuckled. "That's how you do it."

Ace wiped sweat from his brow. "Damn, this is harder than I thought."

Without his Flame-Flame Fruit, Ace had been forced to rely on pure skill. And in doing so, he was pushing his physical and Haki abilities to levels he might never have reached otherwise.

Training wasn't our only focus. We hunted down pirates in between our sessions, both for the experience and the rewards. Rayleigh never intervened. "You need to learn how to handle real battles," he would say.

Each fight refined my techniques further. I dodged bullets before they were fired, shattered weapons with Advanced Armament Haki, and sent enemies flying with Shigan. Ace, meanwhile, had started infusing his attacks with Conqueror's Haki, knocking out weaker foes before even throwing a punch.

After every victory, we looted the ships—gold, weapons, supplies—and I stored the best finds inside my Gate of Babylon. If a pirate ship was valuable, I simply stored it whole. It was a practical way to gain experience, wealth, and a collection of emergency resources.

I had already awakened Conqueror's Haki weeks ago, but now, Rayleigh was forcing me to refine it to its fullest potential. One day, during training, he attacked with his own Conqueror's Haki, testing my ability to resist. The air trembled under the sheer weight of his will. Deuce collapsed instantly, while Ace and I braced ourselves against the pressure.

I didn't just endure it this time—I fought back. A surge of black lightning crackled around me as I unleashed my own Haki in response. Instead of just radiating raw power, I directed it, clashing with Rayleigh's. The ship creaked under the strain of our wills colliding.

Rayleigh's eyes gleamed with approval. "That's more like it."

Ace let out a whistle. "Damn, Ryan. You're really getting the hang of this."

I smirked. "Took me long enough."

For the next few weeks, we pushed our limits further than ever before. By the end of the month, my Advanced Armament Haki allowed me to strike without even touching my target. My Observation Haki had reached a level where I could predict movements seconds ahead. Ace's Conqueror's Haki had reached the point where he could knock out only specific enemies instead of everyone around him.

Deuce, while not a Haki powerhouse, had sharpened his Observation Haki to the point where he could anticipate moves before they happened, making him an excellent strategist.

One evening, as we sat around a fire, Rayleigh leaned back against a barrel with a satisfied expression. "You've all improved significantly," he said. "At this point, I don't think there's anything more I can teach you."

Ace blinked. "Wait… you mean we're done?"

Rayleigh chuckled. "Done? No. Training never truly ends. But you've reached a level where you don't need me anymore. From here on out, it's up to you to refine your skills."

I exhaled slowly. This was what we had been working toward—a point where we could finally stand on our own.

Rayleigh stood up. "You've got talent, all of you. But talent alone isn't enough. Keep pushing yourselves, and don't get complacent." He smirked. "Something tells me you're all going to shake the world sooner or later."

Ace grinned. "Damn right we are."

Deuce adjusted his glasses. "So, what's the plan now?"

I looked toward the horizon. "We keep moving. There's still a long way to go before we reach the top."

Ace stood at the edge of the dock, staring out at the vast ocean. The time had come for us to decide our next moves.

"So, what now?" he asked, glancing at me.

I took a deep breath. "I'm going my own way."

Ace turned to me fully, his expression unreadable for a moment before he smirked. "Figured as much."

Deuce looked between us, adjusting his glasses. "Wait… you're leaving?"

I nodded. "Yeah. We've trained together, fought together, but it's time for me to follow my own path. There's more out there that I need to figure out for myself."

Ace crossed his arms. "And here I thought we'd keep traveling together for a while longer."

I chuckled. "You don't need me holding your hand."

Ace scoffed. "As if. But still… it's been good, Ryan." He extended a fist. "Wouldn't have wanted to train with anyone else."

I bumped my fist against his. "Same to you."

Deuce sighed. "You two are unbelievable." He shook his head before looking at me. "Take care of yourself, Ryan."

I smirked. "You too, Deuce."

Ace turned back toward the ship. "Guess this means it's time to get serious. I've been thinking… it's about time I started my own crew."

Deuce raised an eyebrow. "You mean…?"

Ace grinned. "Yeah. The Spade Pirates. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Deuce groaned. "Great. Now I have to deal with you being a captain."

I laughed. "Good luck with that."

Rayleigh watched from a distance, smiling slightly but saying nothing. He had always known this was coming.

We didn't need a grand farewell. No drawn-out speeches or dramatic goodbyes. Just a nod, an unspoken understanding that we would meet again.

With one last glance at each other, Ace and Deuce turned toward their ship while I stepped onto mine. As I took the helm, I felt the weight of the moment settle in. This was the beginning of something new—for all of us.

The wind picked up, filling the sails as both of our ships drifted apart. Ace, with his new crew, would carve his own legend across the seas. And I would forge my own path, wherever it led me.

This was only the beginning.