One Life:A voice of hope

Remembering
'''A quiet dark room. A large bed with barely seen white sheets. There, Richard was sleeping. But suddenly, he opens his eyes and panics.'''

Richard: Arrrgh!! Where am I?!?! What happened?!!

The voice from beside him quickly responded to him. That voice belonged to Aladdin.

Aladdin: Calm down kid. You'll wake him up. He barely managed to get some sleep. And you shouldn't m-.

Richard feels the atrcious pain on his back like a thousand needles piercing it. It was unbearable, but Richard frown to show his pain and weakness.

Aladdin:-ove so much... well I guess from that pain speech you had, you wouldn't even dare show this pain. So how are you feeling?

Richard: It...everything.... ugh. I almost forgot what happened... gah...

Richard puts his hand, because he gets a headache from all that happened. He then looks at Jinbe.

Richard: How much time has passed since I fainted?

Aladdin who was standing on a chair on the side of the bed in the complete darkness.

Aladdin: About 2 days. I'm surprised you actually woke up so fast. Oh yeah, you should keep your voice low, Boss hasn't slept at all since your meeting. After he came back from the meeting that took place after you fainted, he came here and didn't leave this room.

Richard hears with surprise and a smile and he looks at the sleeping Jinbe.

Richard: I see.

Aladdin: You should go sleep some more, it's night on Fishman Island right now and I'd really like for you to let Jinbe sleep. I'm sure you'll want to be fully rested for your training tomorrow.

Richard looks down at his bed as he is lost in his world when listening to Aladdin's voice, but one word wakes him up. He lifts his head and looks at Aladdin, like a man who just saw a ghost.

Richard: Did you just say.... training?...

Aladdin: Don't you remember when he said he'll take responsibility just as you requested?

Richard starts shaking mildly. His facial expression is a sad one, like that of an old man on his death bed.

Richard: He said that.... oh yeah... he did. .    .     . I'm not that kind of person... I'm not the kind of person to train!!

Jinbe: You're not what?

Jinbe suddenly opens his eyes and gets up from his large pillow.

Jinbe: You better listen to me kid. I took you in, but I don't want to take care of a weakling like you, you'l embaras me in front of everyone! If you don't want to train. I'll make you do it!

Richard: Ehh?!?!? But why?! I don't want to be that strong! I mean I'm strong enough as I am now!!

Jinbe: Did you see how easily I stopped you? You won't be able to beat even someone half my power!

Richard: That's because you're as strong as a monster! No! Monsters are nothing compared to you!

Jinbe: Say that again kid!

From the side, Aladding starts laughing. Both Richard and Jinbe turn at him and see him laughing.

Aladdin: Jinbe. It's been a while since I saw you this fired up to train.

Jinbe hears wat Aladdin says and then he continues talking to Richard.

Jinbe: You kid better get ready for your first real training. It'll start tomorrow, so you better get prepared. You'll be my first discple ever. I never took in brats since they were too annoying, but I change my mind this once.

Richard smiles and calms down. He looks at Jinbe as he walks away. Then he decides to get up, although his pain was still there. He went to a window and saw where he was. He was in a home right at the edge of the bubble that held Fishman Island together. Aladdin leaves as well and he lets Richard rest.

Aladdin: You better just sleep, don't worry, we won't let you sleep too much tomorrow. You better enjoy your last long sleep.

He closes the door and then Richard lays on his bed again, in the warmth of the sheets he was covered in. He closed eyes and layed his head on his pillow.

Richard: [I guess I'll have to at least pay him back for letting me live here.] YOSH! I'LL TAKE YOUR CHALLENGE JINBE!

He fell asleep and finally the night passed.

Training from hell
Richard is sleeping in the room which was showered in light rays now. His eyes were sleepy and his hair was a mess. Then a shadow pierced through the door that opened. Its sound prepared Richard for what was to come a little. Richard was everything, but ready. His body was completely used to the warmth of the bed, but he moved a little and he opened his eyes.

His blood rate grew faster with every second his eyes were opened until he saw.... He saw Jinbe look at him.

Jinbe: I hope you're ready for your 1st day of training.

Richard saw him, but he wanted to stay in bed, to not move, to simply slack off. He closed his eyes and rushed his nose into the warm pillow that felt like an ocean. He wanted to say no, but Jinbe continued.

Jinbe: From today on, you will learn Gyojin Karate!!

When Richard hears that, his body moves on its own, he gets his upper part out of the sheets and he looks at JInbe as if accepting the challenge with a smug smile. He gets down from bed and then he puts on his shoes.

Jinbe: Today I will only show you a demonstration, but you will still have to pay attention. Lots of it.

Jinbe smiles and Richard walks out with him. Richard is bathed in light when he goes outside.

The two go to the Sea Forest and that's where Jinbe stops in front of Richard and turns around. His face is serious and he looks at Richard. Richard returns Jinbe's look and finally the silence goes away.

Jinbe: Gyojin karate, it is a martial art which asks from the user complete concentration when doing it. The user "impacts" the water near him to send powerful shockwaves into the enemy. Since the enemy is made out of a lot of water, he will feel a great blow when being hit with Gyojin Karate, it's a martial art that is perfectly made to attack the inside of the enemy as well, not only the outside. The enemy's organs are highly at risk with this. I can use techniques that don't require too much water, I can even use the moisture from the atmosphere to attack my enemy. As I will do now!!

Richard who was listening with much attention, even though he was sleepy completely woke up when he heard Jinbe saying the words "attack" "now!".

Richard: WAIT WHAT?!

Jinbe: Senmaigawara Seiken!!!

Jinbe pushes his fist forward Richard as Richard stares at it. Nothing happens for a moment, but then even Richard notices the moving water and the shockwave heading towards him.

At the last moment he dodges and the attack completely crushes a ship. Richard dodged whilst falling on the ground and the attack passed right above his head. He looked behind with a shocked face and then turn his face around and angry.

Richard: WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!? DO YOU WANT TO KILL ME?!!?

Jinbe who was crackling his fist: I have told you that you need to pay lots of attention. If you pay lots of attention while you see me using Gyojin Karate, you will not only learn the theory, but it will also remain in your head and you will also train your dodging skills. Now I should continue.

Jinbe moves his fis back and then prepares for another attack.

Richard looks at the ground with shadows over his eyes and a very down face. He says his last words.

Richard: Oh... it's going to be the end of me... I'm going to die like this...

Jinbe: Have you heard the saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?

Richard: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I DON'T WANT THIS CHALLENGE ANYMORE!!!

'''Richard starts running away whilst Jinbe releases his new attack. The image stops when RIchard is with one foot in the air running away with a face filled with desperation whilst Jinbe's technique follows him.'''

''It's like this how I met Jinbe and started my training. I did not want to do it, but in the end I still did it... that is how 6 years of my life passed by. I was training, learning, experiencing and becoming stronger and stronger, but also much cockier. I became really good at it, in those 6 years alone, I managed to face off lots of other Gyojin Karate users and defeat them all. With some injuries of course. I ate, slept and had lots of fun with Jinbe. Even if he was going to mssions assigned by the WG every now and then, he always came back to train me. I've been isolated from the island most of the time, but I heard of Otohime's death as well. Jinbe told me everything he knew about her and I started feeling bad, but still made some jokes out of that. He almost got so angry at me then that I had to almost die when trying to face off a sea king to make him forgive me. That was the day when I had the most painful and hellish training of my life! But time passed and so I grew up. It was weird though, instead of becomming more mature, I was becoming more immature and less likely to take things too seriously. I flirted with the mermaids and Jinbe always took me from them after apologizing. Then I got angry and he threatened me with more training if I wouldn't stop complaining. Even though I did no show it at first, from the moment when I first met Jinbe, I respected him the most....''