Yuta leaned back against the tree, his body finally at ease after eating.
The warmth of the fire and the quiet of the forest gave him a brief moment to rest.
But after a short while—
His eyes opened again.
"…I still have strength…"
He said quietly, looking at his hands.
His body wasn't exhausted yet.
There was still energy left.
"…Then I should use it."
He stood up and looked at the remaining meat.
"…It is better to be safe then sorry."
Food wasn't something he could gamble on. He had already experienced hunger once—he had no intention of letting it happen again.
"…I'll hunt more."
He moved back into the forest.
This time—
More steady.
More confident.
The earlier hesitation was gone.
Now, he understood his ability—at least enough to use it.
The forest was quiet, but not empty.
A small animal appeared within his sight.
Yuta raised his hand.
"…Let's try…"
A simple motion.
A controlled swipe.
Shhhk—
The animal was cut cleanly.
No struggle.
No sound.
"…Still works…"
He muttered.
He didn't stop.
Again—
Another target.
Shhhk—
Clean.
Precise.
Efficient.
As time passed, his movements became smoother. Less hesitation, more control.
"…This is useful…"
He continued hunting throughout the day.
Carefully.
Methodically.
By the time the sun began to set—
He had gathered a large amount.
"…This should be enough…"
He looked at his catch.
"…for now."
Back at his spot, Yuta repeated the process.
Draining the blood.
Separating the organs.
Letting the meat dry.
His movements were still not perfect, but they were better than before.
"…I'm getting used to this…"
He muttered.
By the time night came—
Everything was prepared.
The fire burned steadily beside him.
And this time—
He didn't feel rushed.
The next morning—
Yuta woke up early.
The air was cool, the sunlight soft through the trees.
He sat there for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"…I remember teacher Kaido once said…"
His voice was calm.
"…Only Haki can transcend all."
He looked at his hand.
"…Devil Fruit alone isn't enough."
His grip tightened slightly.
"…I need more than this."
Then—
He let out a small breath.
"…And I remember a certain bold hero's training…"
A faint expression appeared on his face.
"…100 push-ups… 100 sit-ups… 100 squats…"
He paused slightly.
"…and a 10 km run…"
His gaze steadied.
"…every single day."
He stood up.
"…Simple…"
But not easy.
"…I'll do it."
He began immediately.
Push-ups.
At first—
His arms trembled before reaching the goal.
"…50…"
"…60…"
"…Damn…"
He pushed through.
"…100."
He dropped slightly, catching his breath.
Then—
Sit-ups.
His core burned.
"…This is worse…"
Still—
He didn't stop.
"…100…"
Then—
Squats.
His legs began to shake halfway through.
"…Keep going…"
"…100…"
Finally—
The run.
The forest wasn't smooth.
The ground uneven.
But he ran.
Step by step.
Breath by breath.
His lungs burned.
His legs grew heavy.
But he kept going.
"…Not enough…"
He pushed forward.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Yuta continued.
Every single day.
Without stopping.
Push-ups.
Sit-ups.
Squats.
Running.
Again.
And again.
And again.
At the same time—
He hunted.
Prepared food.
Maintained his fire.
Lived.
And trained.
As time went on—
His body began to change.
The thin, worn figure he once had—
Was gone.
His muscles became more defined.
His movements sharper.
His stamina increased.
His breathing steadier.
"…Better…"
He muttered one day, clenching his fist.
His ability—
Did not remain the same.
At first, it was only a simple space cut.
Rough.
Unrefined.
But over time—
Through constant use—
Through repeated practice—
He pushed it further.
Again and again.
Day after day.
Year after year.
Until—
He mastered it.
Space cutting—
No longer just a wild slash, but precise, controlled, and effortless.
Teleportation—
Moving from one point to another instantly, without hesitation.
Flight—
Using space itself to move freely through the air.
Gravity—
Adjusting the weight and pull around him.
Barrier—
Creating invisible walls that nothing could easily pass through.
Sensors—
Extending his awareness through space, detecting everything within his range.
These were no longer ideas.
They became abilities he could use.
Naturally.
Instinctively.
"…Good…"
He said quietly.
Time passed.
Silently.
Naturally.
Until—
Two years went by.
Yuta stood in the forest.
No longer the same as before.
His body had grown taller, stronger.
His presence calmer.
More stable.
The hesitation from the past—
Gone.
He raised his hand slightly.
Then—
In an instant—
He vanished.
And reappeared a short distance away.
No delay.
No strain.
"…Works fine…"
He said calmly.
He stepped forward—
Then lifted slightly off the ground.
Floating.
Effortless.
He lowered himself again, expression unchanged.
"…Everything's ready."
He clenched his hand.
"…Two years…"
His voice steady.
"…That's enough."
He turned slightly, looking toward the direction of the sea beyond the trees.
"…Time to leave."
There was no hesitation.
No doubt.
Only readiness.
The training was not the end—
But the beginning.
And now—
Yuta was prepared to step into the world.