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Chapter 39: Six Styles
Chapter 39: Six Styles
Kuro was dead serious about putting on a performance.
From dawn to dusk, his sparring match with Koby only paused when training officially ended.
Koby was battered—his eye socket swollen into a massive bruise, his face streaked with countless purple contusions. Kuro, meanwhile, gasped for breath with ragged heaves, his legs trembling as he stood on the verge of collapse.
At the officer’s command to cease, Koby extended his hand with a grin. “Kuromr., what a satisfying fight!”
Kuro clasped his hand, nodding. “A solid match indeed. Hope we cross paths again.”
His satisfaction was genuine. While Koby’s execution of Shave was clumsy, Kuro had detected unmistakable traces of the Six Styles in their exchanges—Shave, Moonstep, Calm Step, Surface Scan, Fishman Karate, and Iron Body.
The traces were faint—barely perceptible—but for Kuro, they were enough.
With more practice, he’d unravel the secrets himself. After all, he already mastered Shave and Moonstep; the rest was simply studying their trajectories.
“Let’s go, Kuro. I’m starving,” Lida said, approaching with a complaint.
“Miss Lida, long time no see,” Koby greeted politely.
“Oh, janitor. You’re here in the Grand Line too?” Lida nodded at him.
“We’re not janitors anymore!” Helmeppo strutted over, puffing out his chest. “Lida, Koby’s now a Headquartersseaman Recruit—I’m a recruit too. We’ve moved past menial chores! Our goal is to become Navy officers, and we’ll get there!”
“Let’s go, Lida. I’m hungry too,” Kuro said, turning with her.
“Hey, acknowledge me! At least once!” Helmeppo bawled, tears streaming. “Koby, they’re ignoring us again!”
“Haha, relax. It’s not like it’s the first time,” Koby said, clapping his shoulder. Watching Kuro’s retreating figure, he muttered, “Kuromr. hasn’t been here long, but the old-timers really are something. I’ll step up my training—my new goal is to beat him.”
The battle had felt close. Just a bit more strength, a fraction more speed, and he might’ve won.
Next time. Next time, he’d definitely win!
Yet something nagged at him, elusive as smoke.
He glanced at his bruised body, then at Kuro’s effortless stride.
...Something was off.
——
Originally, Kuro sparred with any Navy officer, but after detecting traces of Six Styles in Koby, he intentionally sought him out, dissecting every flicker of those techniques.
This made Koby overjoyed, assuming Kuro was mentoring him in veteran combat wisdom. He fought back with even more fervor.
Night fell.
“Klah, come at me.”
In a quiet training ground near their quarters, Kuro, Lida, and Klah stood together. Kuro faced Klah.
Klah waved a hand, his face drooping with despair. “Kuromr., if you want to beat me, just say so. No need for excuses.”
“I’m not here to hit you. Come on—I won’t use Haki or move. Use your Ten Blades.” Kuro urged.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Promise—no Haki, no movement.”
Klah hastily snapped on Ten Blades, activated Shave, and in a blur, struck Kuro’s torso with a claw.
I’ve wanted to hit you for ages!
His face twisted, but—
“Iron Body.”
Clang!
The blades sliced Kuro’s clothes, five blades pressing against his flesh, yet failing to pierce deeper.
No Haki involved.
“Six Styles?!” Lida gasped, then her eyes widened. “Ah—so that’s the principle! Sufficient physical conditioning, amplified strength, accelerated blood circulation… enhancing the body’s speed and density to near-iron levels!”
Unlike Haki, which emerged purely from physical cultivation, Six Styles required technique.
“Klah, with 250 combat power, you’ve got work to do.” Kuro nodded, launching a kick.
“Calm Step.”
The kick moved agonizingly slow. Klah easily dodged, but a wispslash erupted from Kuro’s leg, rocketing toward him.
Hiss!
Klah dropped like a gecko, letting the slash vanish into the sea.
“Fishman Karate.”
Kuro dashed forward, leapt high, and jabbed downward.
Klah rolled aside, but Kuro’s finger speared the ground, punching a hole through it.
“Fight back, Klah!” Kuro called.
“Shave!”
With a snarl, Klah vanished, carving a circular shockwave around Kuro, followed by five glowing slashes.
“Surface Scan.”
Without looking, Kuro’s body fluttered like paper, evading effortlessly. Then he countered with an elbow strike, sending Klah flying.
“That’s Six Styles. And there’s more—”
Kuro’s hair lifted without wind, twisting into braids. “Mastering Six Styles means controlling every part—hair, organs, muscles. Life Return.”
Shave and Moonstep—you’ve got those, Klah. The rest is here. Lida, you’ve got it down, right? Teach him later.”
Lida nodded. “So simple. I got it on first glance.”
First glance? Klah, just rising, stared blankly. He’d watched too… so why couldn’t he grasp it?
Moonstep had only clicked when he faced death.
This was Kuro—piecing together Six Styles from Koby’s hints, refining techniques like Life Return through self-study. Half his mission at Headquarters was complete.
The rest? Wait for training to end, let Smoker handle logistics, then vanish to safety.
Perfect.
Kuro’s plan was flawless. For now, he’d play weak and unknown. Who the hell would recognize him anyway?
——
East Blue, night.
“Charge!”
A Navy warship boarded a pirate vessel. Sailors swarmed the deck, clashing with pirates.
“Push forward! We carry Sergeant Kuro’s legacy—no surrender, no fear! These pirates? Capture them all! Don’t shame Sergeant Kuro’s name!”
Kas slashed a pirate down with his saber, roaring.
Morale surged.
Base Base 153 had pirates quaking. They’d heard the base’s dominant force, Mongar, had fallen—but who expected such fierce resistance?
Not a single pirate escaped.
“Don’t disgrace Sergeant Kuro! He’s in Headquarters now, but let him know—his legend thrives in East Blue! He’s still the Navy’s hero!”
Kas led the charge, unmatched in valor.
Sergeant Kuro—I’ll follow your path!
At least… I’ll honor your legacy!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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