Chapter 21: The Baratie
Gon felt his Aura draining at a frantic, unprecedented rate. Holding his Ken was agony; every second felt like sprinting with a boulder on his back.
He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, his muscles trembling. He was realizing for the first time just how much terrifying stamina it took to maintain Ken. It wasn't just an Aura drain; it was a total assault on his spirit, will, and body.
At just over three minutes, his vision went black. The last of his strength evaporated. He collapsed onto the deck with a thud, sweat pooling beneath him.
Killua was doing slightly better, his silver hair matted with sweat, but he was visibly shaking. Just a few seconds after Gon collapsed, Killua's own endurance gave out, and he dropped to the deck.
"Hah... hah..."
Gasping, they both leaned back against the railing, their chests heaving like broken bellows, greedily sucking in the salty air. They felt utterly spent, as if they didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.
When the exhaustion finally faded, they looked up.
Kyle was still standing at the bow, solid as a rock. His Ken was perfectly stable, not even flickering. The shock on their faces was undeniable.
"Kyle... how... how are you not even tired?" Gon panted, finding it impossible to believe.
Kyle, still holding his Ken, gave them a smile that was both gentle and utterly demoralizing. "Tired? Sure. It's just that... I can probably hold my Ken for about three hours and fifteen minutes."
"THREE HOURS?!" Killua yelled, his eyes wide.
He'd just personally experienced how draining Ken was. Even knowing Kyle's Aura reserves were six or seven times larger, the cost of Ken should be proportional. This didn't just mean more Aura; it meant a vastly superior physical foundation, better Aura-flow efficiency, and a terrifying level of fine control and endurance.
"This is just the foundation," Kyle's voice was calm. "You can't say you've 'mastered' Ken until you can hold it for at least thirty minutes. You're at three. You're not even close. You don't have time to rest. Once you recover, get up and do it again. We stop when you literally can't form a single wisp of Nen."
Gon and Killua shared a look. The defiant fire in their eyes was identical. Without a word of complaint, they pushed their trembling bodies back up. The next round of training began.
Kyle watched, confident in their resilience. What doesn't kill them... he thought. This was the foundation they needed to stand at the top of the world.
Time flew by on the open sea.
Their ship, which they'd named the Pathfinder, sailed past small islands, including Coco Village and Syrup Village. They only stopped for essential supplies before setting sail again.
Kyle's goal was crystal clear: get stronger, fast.
And the rewards for this non-stop training were huge. Gon and Killua's total Aura capacity grew at an astonishing rate. Their bodies, pushed to the limit and recovering, became tougher. Kyle's basic Armament Haki training was also paying off. They couldn't use it yet, but they could both faintly sense that other, different energy deep within themselves.
During this, Kyle confirmed a theory. Through his Resonance ability, 100% of Gon and Killua's Aura growth synced with him. However, the efficiency felt much lower. It was a matter of scale. Their buckets were small, so adding a liter of water made a big difference. His bucket was already eight times larger. It took far more 'water' to raise his level by the same amount.
Understanding this, Kyle relaxed. The shared power was a pure bonus. As long as they got stronger, he would get stronger. Combined with his own training, his power was growing at a frightening pace.
Half a month later, the fish-shaped, famous sea restaurant, the Baratie, finally appeared on the horizon.
And docked right next to it was a familiar little ship with a straw-hat-wearing skull on its flag: the Going Merry.
"HEY! IT'S KYLE!" Luffy, standing on the Merry's sheep figurehead, spotted them and immediately started waving and shouting.
"Shut up, idiot!" Zoro moved fast, clamping a hand over Luffy's mouth and dragging him down. "Are you trying to start a fight? Those kids are not to be messed with!"
Zoro, who aimed to be the world's greatest swordsman, could still clearly feel the power gap from their first encounter. He didn't know what that power was, but he knew this wasn't the time for a rematch.
Kyle saw them and just gave a casual wave, directing Killua to dock. Since they weren't flying a Jolly Roger, the few merchant ships nearby paid them no mind.
The three of them jumped onto the Baratie's deck and walked in. The restaurant was warm and full of the smell of food and the sound of conversation. It was packed with well-dressed patrons.
When the diners saw three kids walk in—two of them dressed... unusually—many stared with curiosity, and more than a few with open contempt.
A portly merchant muttered to his companion, "What are their parents thinking, letting children sail alone?"
Kyle ignored them all. His sharp eyes scanned the room, spotted an empty table by a window, and he led the other two toward it.
Gon frowned. "I know it doesn't matter, Kyle," he whispered, "but I really hate the way they're staring."