Finding Myself (One Piece Fanfic)

Chapter 48: Devil Fruit Development

I don't own One Piece
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6 Months into Training
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My hair whipped around as the winds around me rose to dangerous levels. The creaking from the straining trunks crackled loudly as the strength behind my winds rose. Keeping my body tense, I watched as Arisu charged at me.

Her arms blackened as she readied a punch. Before she could get to me, the tree to my right snapped under the wind's pressure and hit the woman, or rather it almost hit the woman. Effortlessly she dodged the tree as she advanced towards me.

Knowing I wouldn't be able to successfully block her, I waited just two seconds. Then I leaped into the air, forming a platform of air under my legs to kick myself higher.

My eyes widened when I felt her hand grasp my ankle. Looking down at the woman, who smirked, I frowned. "Shit."

She tugged hard. In a matter of a second, I was no longer standing on air. Instead I was embedded into the ground, dust rising in the air and my winds non existent. A soft groan escaped me as I winced.

"Damn it." I sighed, not bothering moving from my defeated spot. "I'm tired of getting my ass kicked."

Slowly I saw Arisu's face come into view. She had cut her hair around a week or so ago, and saved one side once more. Now it was easier to keep out of her face as it was shorter, though she left enough to flick it dramatically over her shoulder. She has yet to color it again, so the purple now was left at the tips of her hair as the rest was a white.

A smirk played on her lips as she looked at me. I was getting tired of that smug look. It was the same one Mamoru would give me when I was wrong about something.

"Well that sucks for you, doesn't it?" She taunted, making me want to shrink further into the ground. "You're just gonna have to accept me beating you it seems."

I growled in annoyance, my hands clenching into fists. "Not for long." Then, I slowly worked myself out of the ground. Sometimes I wonder if she was trying to put me six feet under. She certainly made it half way.

As soon as I stood back up, she dropped her smirk. "Good. Your wind is stronger. Now, let's do it again. And do try to hit me this time."

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I was sore. Well, there hasn't been a day that I haven't been sore since I've been here. At first my body numbed it, then I guess it just accepted it as a normal feeling.

I'm not even post exercise sore. I'm talking 'I just took a extreme beating from a bat shit crazy old marine' sore. Though I suppose it is easier to deal with now than before.

"Hey, you little shit."

I looked up from my canvas to see Arisu holding up two squeeze bottles. "What" I barked back in annoyance.

"Blue or Pink?" She asked, "The purple is getting boring."

I looked over the two colors, then pointed at one. "Blue. But like dark blue."

She pondered over it, then nodded in agreement. Then she offered one of the bottles to me. "Sounds good, wanna dye your hair pink?"

I didn't need to think that one over. "Pass. I'm not gray like you." I smirked, "Hell, I don't think Mamoru is as gray as you."

Arisu frowned at me, though not at the insult. "That's a lie. Mamoru turned gray in his thirties."

"Wait." I blinked, now frowning. "We talking about the same guy? You know, pirate king's navigator? Wears an eye patch? Your little brother."