String of Fate (One Piece)

Chapter 11: Training with Zephyr

Rizu POV 

I lean against the edge of the bat with my two bags resting on my shoulders.  The ship of instructor Z just took off to his own base where he trains his students.  I watch marine HQ get smaller as we went away.  As I looked at an oncoming ship that was coming from the opposite way I saw a familiar figure.  

My head buzzed around in my head with many thoughts going through and my hands got sweaty.  I clenched them together and made sure I stood straight.  I saw Z on the ship walk over to the opposite ledge of where I was going towards the ship that was passing by us.  "Sakazuki!"  Instructor Z called out and I started shaking a little bit. 

'Stay calm.  You can prove yourself to him.  Don't act weak.'  I lectured to myself watching the boat slowly pass each other and the said man walking towards the ledge of his ship to see Z.  "Z-san, it's been a while.  Did you just pick up some more students?"  Sakazuki asked with a small smile on his face.  My eyes slightly widened seeing his smile.  'He smiled?'  I thought and clenched my hands tighter.  

"Yeah, I found two soldiers there at the base.  It was quite interesting one of them."  Z said and Sakazuki raised an eyebrow full of curiosity,  "Oh really?  Then the next time, I shall see them."  he said and Z nodded with a smile.  

"I'm going to make her into a great marine.  She's got potential."  Z added before the two ships went passed each other.  As Sakazuki turned around he glanced around the deck of the ship and his eyes landed on me.  His eyes widened and returned to normal with a smirk.  Before anything else I stood there watching him look at me as my hands shook and I hid them behind my back.  

Sakazuki gave a look to me.  The same look at he has given me all those years before.  They say 'Don't disappoint me.  Get stronger, I do not accept weaklings.'

I gulped and gave a slight nod in his direction before he fully turned around and walked to the center of his ship.  As soon as the two ships were decently far apart and Z turned back to his crew.  I dropped down to the floor and panted.  

I breathed in and out trying to calm myself down.  'You'll get stronger.  You'll prove to him.'  I thought to myself clenching onto my shirt tightly and held determination in my eyes behind my mask and stood back up.  I looked back at the ship where my father Sakazuki is on.  I stared at it for a while and turned away as we got farther.  

I looked around deck seeing men walking about or some standing on duty.  "I'll get stronger just to wait."  I mumbled to myself seeing Z walk towards me.  

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"Soldiers!  We have arrived, get ready for some hard and exhausting training that you will receive."  Z announced to the few of us on board who are his new students.  "Sir!"  we yell back with a salute.  "Good.  Today, we'll get you your rooms.  Soon after putting your stuff down at your room come out to the training grounds where I have the rest of my other students."  Z said to me and the other guy.  

"Sir!" we replied back and he had another soldier show us the way.  

As I walked on this base I saw fewer men than the other bases since those bases held many.  But this one held less.  Seeing that this was a decent sized base with a huge training ground with assortments of weapons and soldiers training already.  

I followed the solider to where the sleeping area's were and stopped seeing another training ground that was closer to the building.  There on the training ground was a man who had silver white hair and was fighting against a group of others.  As he was fighting they slashed at him but the sword went through his body.  The next fighter had slashed at him but the white haired man used his weapon to deflect at hit him.