One Piece: The Deadly

Morning dawned on the Thousand Sunny, and the crew was busy with their usual routines. Kikidori, however, had only one thing on his mind—convincing Zoro to teach him how to be a swordsman.

As Zoro finished his morning workout, Kikidori appeared, shinai in hand, and stared at him with determined eyes. "Teach me!"

Zoro, wiping the sweat from his brow, gave the boy a long, hard look. "No."

The dramatic pause after his sigh made everyone on deck, including Kikidori, think he might actually say yes.

"OH, COME ON!" Kikidori shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "You're so dramatic!"

"Keep your voice down, kid," Zoro grumbled, already walking toward the crow's nest.

Kikidori groaned, dragging his feet as he wandered aimlessly around the deck. "Fine. I'll just… I don't know… do something else."

While muttering to himself, Kikidori leaned too far over the ship's railing, lost in his thoughts. A sudden lurch of the ship threw him off balance, and before he could react—SPLASH!—he tumbled into the ocean.

"AAAAHHHH! HELP! I CAN'T SWIM!" Kikidori screamed, flailing in the water.

The crew turned toward the commotion, their eyes wide.

"What made you want to do that?!?!" Luffy yelled, leaning over the railing with a mix of shock and amusement.

Robin sighed and closed her book. "Honestly." With a flick of her wrist, she activated her Hana Hana no Mi powers. Arms sprouted from the side of the ship, reaching down to the water.

"Hold still," Robin said calmly as one of her arms scooped Kikidori out of the water and deposited him gently back on the deck.

Kikidori sat there, soaking wet and gasping for air. "I-I… I'm fine!" he said between breaths, though his face was red with embarrassment.

"Fine?!" Nami shouted, storming over. "You're twelve years old, and you can't swim? You should know how to swim by now!"

"Seriously," Usopp chimed in, shaking his head. "Even I know how to swim, and I'm, like, the least athletic person here."

"It's suspicious," Robin said, her calm demeanor adding a mysterious weight to her words. "A child of twelve not knowing how to swim? Especially one who wants to be a pirate?"

Kikidori fidgeted, avoiding everyone's eyes. "I… I just never learned, okay? It's not a big deal…"

"Not a big deal?!" Chopper yelled, looking frantic. "You could've drowned!"

Sanji lit a cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Kid, you're lucky Robin was quick. What if we hadn't noticed?"

Kikidori stayed quiet, staring at the deck. He didn't want to admit the truth—that he'd always been afraid of the water. But the way Robin looked at him made him feel like she already knew.

Luffy crouched beside him, grinning. "Well, you can't swim, but that's okay! I can't swim either!"

"That's because of your Devil Fruit, idiot," Nami said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, right," Luffy said, scratching his head.

Zoro, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally spoke up. "If you're serious about being a pirate, you're gonna have to get over that fear, kid. The sea doesn't care about your excuses."

Kikidori nodded, still dripping wet. "I'll… I'll learn. I promise."

The crew eventually returned to their activities, though Robin kept a close eye on Kikidori. There was something about his reaction, something deeper, that made her wonder.

As the day went on, Kikidori stayed away from the railing, determined not to make the same mistake again. But deep down, he knew he'd have to face his fear eventually—if he ever wanted to be a true pirate.

End of Chapter 9