Teach had secured a small cabin aboard the merchant vessel.
Merchant ships often rented out spare rooms to travelers. It earned them extra coin and, sometimes, a capable hand if pirates attacked. Who knew? Maybe a strong passenger might save the ship one day.
This ship carried both guards and cargo; crates of goods, even a few small animals bound for market. Its destination was the Kate Kingdom, the same island Teach was heading for.
Three stops lay ahead before landfall.
Teach was in the middle of body training when his instincts pricked. He turned toward the bed.
"Come out, kid."
Silence.
A muffled voice squeaked from underneath. "H-Huh? You noticed me?"
The boy hiding there had frozen so long that, when startled, he toppled over with a loud thump!
Teach's tone sharpened. "Do you want me to drag you out myself?"
The figure crawled out sheepishly and stood before him. It was Mobius, the boy of the Snake-Head tribe, eyes shining with admiration.
.....
The Night Before.
At the Anne Guard's main warehouse, a crowd of young people had gathered around Mobius.
"Boss, you're really leaving? What about us?"
Mobius nodded firmly. "I've made up my mind. I'm going to follow Boss Teach. I'm too weak right now. Only by getting stronger can I protect you all."
The memory of his helplessness when Teach had saved him still burned inside. He yearned for strength and more than that, he wanted to follow a man with the bearing of a king.
"You all need to grow too. You can't stay under my wing forever," he told them.
The group fell silent, then one boy spoke up. "Boss Mobius, we support you. Following Boss Teach will make you stronger. But don't underestimate us! We're joining the City Guard. They used to be elite Marines so maybe we'll be tougher than you when you come back!"
Mobius's serious expression cracked into laughter. "That's impossible! My boss's spot is unshakable. Someday I'll be a pirate, and when that day comes, I'll take you all to sea!"
"But Boss Mobius," one friend asked, "how are you going with Boss Teach? He hasn't agreed yet."
Mobius grinned, confident. "I've already prepared. The merchant ship Teach wants leaves tomorrow morning. I went and arranged a spot. I'll follow him no matter what. I'll make Boss Teach acknowledge me."
...
Back in the Cabin.
Teach studied him. "What are you doing here?"
Mobius dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the floor. "Boss Teach, take me with you! I want to be stronger, only you can help me!"
Teach sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Tch. I'm not good with kids."
Still, he couldn't deny Mobius had spirit. The boy was more mature than his age, had already been training, and his foundation was decent. But having a child around felt… inconvenient.
"Please let me follow you! I'll buy things, pour wine, run errands, even handle trouble for you!" Mobius shouted, face red.
Teach groaned. He could already imagine the boy pestering him endlessly. "…Fine. I'll allow it."
Mobius's head shot up, eyes wide. "Really?! Thank you, Boss Teach!"
"Yeah, yeah. Get up, wipe your face." Teach tossed him a tissue. His smile turned sharp. "But if you want my approval, it won't be easy."
Mobius clenched his fists. "I'll earn it!"
Teach leaned forward, a sly grin on his face. "Tell me, kid, do you like snakes?"
Mobius froze. He had rarely seen snakes in his life. For years, he had hated his tribe's identity, hated what it meant. But after Sais Island had accepted him, he had slowly come to terms with it.
Cold-blooded. Patient. Silent hunters. He thought harder. Did he really dislike them? No. In fact, he didn't mind at all.
"I like them," he said at last.
Teach's grin widened. "Good. Then I'll teach you a technique fit for your bloodline. The Snake-Head tribe's bodies are different. Normal martial arts don't suit you. But you're born with incredible flexibility. That's your weapon."
He held up a slip of paper and let it flutter down. In an instant, his right arm shot forward, twisting and snapping like a serpent. To the naked eye, his hand blurred into shadows. By the time Mobius blinked, the paper had been shredded into a thousand fragments drifting to the floor.
"I call it Snake Hand. By dislocating your joints and whipping your arm, you strike like a coiling snake, fast enough to crush bones."
Mobius's jaw dropped. "That's… amazing."
Teach's tone grew stern. "To learn it, you'll have to dislocate your arm joints over and over until you can move them at will. The pain will be brutal. At the same time, you'll need to train your speed and strength. Within a month, I expect you to master Snake Hand well enough to break a tree with one blow. Fail, and you're done."
"One month…" Mobius muttered, eyes burning. "I'll do it!"
"Good. The arm has three main joints; shoulder, elbow, wrist. I'll dislocate them for you the first time, then put them back when you're finished training. Afterward, you'll learn to do it yourself. Ready?"
Mobius nodded, biting down on a rag.
Teach counted, "Three, two—"
CRACK!
Before Mobius could brace, both arms snapped out of place. His body stiffened, eyes bulging as pain screamed through him. He bit the rag so hard his teeth ached, tears streaming as his body trembled.
Teach watched calmly. "The worst of it passes quickly. Endure."
Mobius gasped as the first shock ebbed. It still hurt, but he could move. "What… what do I do now?"
"Strike," Teach ordered. He pointed at a thick block of wood braced against an iron frame. "Your goal is to smash it. Right hand, left hand. Two blocks a day. Later, thicker ones."
Mobius stared at his useless arms, then nodded.
"After you're done, I'll set your joints. Then we'll move to strength and stamina drills. But one rule, kid, do your own training. Don't disturb me."
Teach dropped into push-ups without another word, muscles straining, sweat falling to the floor.
Mobius's eyes widened. Even Boss Teach, already so strong, was still grinding himself down with endless training. If someone like him had to work that hard, then Mobius would have to work ten times harder.
He gritted his teeth, turned toward the block of wood, and struck.