Worm Piece (Worm/One Piece)

Chapter Sixty-Nine


Taylor clenched her jaw and pushed just a little bit more. The weight rose, inch by slow inch until the dumbbell was as high as it would go, then it came back down gently as she worked to control its descent.

"How are you so weak?" Garp asked.

Taylor took a moment to just breathe while the weight was lower, a moment she could use to spy on everything that was happening on the ship.

The Bast's Pride, after a rather... tumultuous storm that started with twenty-meter high waves and ended with Garp waking up and causing a ruckus, had settled into something approaching calm. Not entirely, because they now had two members of the well-named Monkey family aboard, but calm enough.

Bartolomeo was following Luffy around like a stray puppy and Taylor suspected she was going to have to do something about him eventually. Tashigi, their other new temporary crew member, was splitting her time between sulking, ignoring Sanji's... Sanjiness and snapping to attention whenever Garp so much as scratched at his nose.

Garp... Garp was something of a mystery to Taylor.

She started pushing the weight up while bringing a few bugs around to serve as a mouthpiece. "I'm not from around here," she said. "Where I'm from I was a little above average physically, but here it seems like it's the exact opposite. I have noticed that I'm getting closer to par, but it's taking a lot of time."

Garp huffed. "And you think you're good for this crew?" he asked.

She perked an eyebrow at that. Garp, after shucking off his uniform and stealing a loose shirt from Zoro's wardrobe to go over his tank-top, was not exactly the image of responsibility. Especially not when he had Sajni mixing drinks for him all morning long. "Seeing as how you're not a member of this crew, Vice-Admiral, I don't see why that would be a concern of yours. Still, if you must know, there are talents beyond the physical that matter in a team. Also, most people, even those as strong as you, need to breathe."

Garp snorted. "Fine then, if you think you're so tough... time for some training. Get the others."

With that, the gruff Vice-Admiral stomped off.

Taylor debated ignoring him, but she was nearing the end of her exercises and figured that having the others get a little training in couldn't hurt. Nami, Kaya and Sogeking could both use the exercise, and Zoro, as admirable as his training regimen was, tended to exercise in rather... creative ways.

She had bugs zip around the ship, telling everyone to gather on deck for something important, and they came. First in little groups then the more individualistic members came around and asked her what was up. "Just give it a minute," Taylor said.

Grap walked back onto the deck to find a mixed reception. Taylor didn't mind the man at all. He had these grandfatherly vibes that she liked and he took his job seriously. His stance on piracy was admirable even.

The same wasn't true for some of the crew.

"Taylor! You betrayed me?" Luffy asked her.

"You betrayed Luffy!" Bartolomeo parotted.

Taylor sighed.

"This is training time!" Garp said. "Today we're training endurance. Which means you little shits get to fight me."

"All of us?" Taylor asked. "Weapons?"

"Just your fists," he said. "No bugs. And I'll know if you try."

"Okay," Taylor said. She knew the others were giving her looks, but that was fine.

"I have work to do," Nami said.

"I'd really rather not," Kaya added.

"I have can't fight Admiral's sickness," Sogeking added.

Garp took a deep breath. "We're starting... now!"

What followed was something of a blur. Garp was an exceptionally talented martial artist, that much was obvious from the first moment his first crashed into Zoro's face and sent him flying across the deck. He hit just hard enough to hurt, but never to injure... much, and with every opponent he faced his speed and style changed a little.

One moment he was slapping aside Sogeking's wild haymakers, the next he was blocking Sanji's kicks, then he was in Taylor's face and they traded rapid strikes while she tried to grapple him or weave out of the way of his blows.

She landed on her ass, breathing hard as her short ribs panged with pain.

"Are you all really this weak?!" Garp yelled.

Taylor grinned and got back to her feet to rejoin the frey. It was beautiful, in a way. Garp was probably the most proficient hand to hand fighter she had ever seen, coupled with his superhuman... everything, and he was a formidable opponent; and yet he was still able to hold back enough to meet every challenge at just the right level to draw out the fighting and teach a lesson to anyone willing to look for it.

She caught Zoro's eye as they both moved in to pen the madman and they shared a smile. He had caught on too.

A moment later Taylor was on her back again.

"Don't just hit me! Hit me with meaning! You need to want to hit harder if you expect it to work!"

"Yes sir!" Tashigi yelled a moment before she was sent flying.

Taylor held back a laugh. This was chaotic, but it was also fun.

"We're only stopping when the sun rises!" Garp screamed.

Taylor's joy evaporated.

***

Because of a special action, all crew members have increased their Endurance by one rank!

Because of a special action, all members of the crew have been injured except for the following:
Monkey D. Garp
Queen 'Queenie' Administrator

Next arc start!

[] Leave the crew to join a herd of Sea Kings and become their Sea Queen
[] Climb up the Reverse Mountain
[] Spend some time with the new crew
-[] Tashigi
-[] Bartolomeo
-[] Garp
[] Go read Cinnamon Bun--the awesome new story by someone who is probably not Contessa--on Royal Road!
[] Write in...