Morning arrived quietly, long before the sun dared rise.
Ren was awake only because someone was knocking on his door with irritating persistence, the sound sharp enough to cut through sleep like a blade. He stared at the ceiling, jaw tightening, irritation blooming instantly.
Of course it's her, he thought. Who else would knock at this hour?
He opened the door with visible displeasure, eyes narrowed as he stared at Hancock standing there as if dawn itself answered to her schedule. The sky was still dark, the air cold with salt and wind.
"So," Ren said flatly, not bothering to hide his irritation, "why this early?"
Hancock looked at him calmly, completely unbothered.
"Of course it's early," she replied. "The ship is going to Rusukaina Island. That's where you'll be training. Be prepared."
Ren blinked once.
Rusukaina Island.
The name echoed in his mind, pulling memories from another life, another world. Wasn't this the island where Luffy trained for two years? The realization made his irritation dim, replaced by cautious interest.
"…Fine," Ren said after a moment. "I'll be ready."
He closed the door and began preparing while Hancock turned away without another word, heading back to her room. Minutes later, the ship began to move, slicing smoothly through the still waters of the Calm Belt.
---
Hancock POV
Hancock stood before the mirror in her room, adjusting her posture as the ship sailed steadily onward.
Heh, she thought, lips curving slightly. I wonder what his reaction will be when he realizes who his teacher is.
The thought amused her more than it should have.
She stretched her shoulders, testing the flow of power beneath her skin. Since the mark had vanished, everything felt different—lighter, sharper, freer. Her Haki responded faster, stronger, as if unshackled.
"If only I had been this strong before," she muttered quietly, eyes darkening. "I wouldn't have needed to bow to the World Government. I wouldn't need to be a Warlord."
Her reflection didn't flinch.
"But now," she said firmly, meeting her own gaze, "this is the best time to train."
Determined, she turned away as the island came into view.
---
The ship reached Rusukaina Island without ceremony.
Hancock and Ren disembarked together, their feet touching unfamiliar ground as the ship immediately turned and departed, leaving them behind. Dense jungle loomed ahead, heavy with unseen movement.
Ren stared at the retreating ship, then at the island, then slowly back at Hancock.
"…Hmm," he said at last. "Where's the teacher? And why are you here?"
Hancock replied in a flat, almost bored tone, "Of course the teacher is on this island. Where else would they be? And this island is ideal for training, so what would I be doing other than training?"
Ren fell silent.
Well… when she put it that way, it did make sense. Still, something about her tone bothered him, a subtle sharpness that set his instincts on edge.
Why do I feel like something's very wrong here? he wondered.
Without waiting, Hancock led him deeper into the island. The air grew thicker, heavier, filled with the distant roars of beasts and the rustle of enormous creatures moving unseen.
She began stretching casually, loosening her limbs as if preparing for a morning walk.
Ren swallowed.
"…H-hey," he said hesitantly, forcing a laugh. "The teacher you mentioned… can't be you, right? Ha. Ha. Ha."
The laughter sounded wrong even to his own ears.
Hancock turned slowly.
She smirked.
"And who else would it be?" she said pleasantly. "So be ready to receive a good beat—I mean, good teaching."
Ren stared at her.
"…I knew it," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "I just knew it."
---
She explained the basics briefly, efficiently—stance, breathing, intent. No long lectures. No indulgence. Only what mattered.
Then she attacked.
There was no warning.
The first blow sent Ren skidding across the ground, barely blocking in time as instinct screamed at him to move. Hancock didn't hold back, her strikes precise, relentless, forcing his body to react faster than his mind could process.
"This is training?" Ren shouted, barely avoiding a kick. "You're trying to kill me!"
"If you survive," Hancock replied calmly, "you'll improve."
The beat—training—continued for hours.
Ren was struck, thrown, knocked down, forced up again. His body adapted under pressure, pain sharpening awareness, instinct carving paths where thought failed.
Then it happened.
In the middle of a strike, something answered him.
His fist hardened for a fraction of a second, coated in a faint, dark aura that vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Ren froze, staring at his hand.
"…That was—"
Hancock stopped.
Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at him—not amused now, not smug, but shocked.
Armament Haki? she thought. Already?
"Did you feel that?" she demanded.
Ren nodded slowly, clenching his fist. "Yeah. I felt it."
Her expression sharpened instantly.
"Good," Hancock said, recovering herself. "Go. Punch trees. Try to consciously recreate it. Focus on that feeling. I'll head deeper into the island for my own training."
She turned away, then paused.
"And make sure the food is ready."
Ren barely registered the last part, already immersed in sensation.
"Yeah," he replied absently. "Be safe."
Hancock's step faltered for half a breath.
Her heart skipped, just once.
She didn't turn back, but her cheeks warmed slightly as she continued into the jungle.
"…Dangerous man to be around," she muttered under her breath.
---
Ren trained relentlessly.
By noon, he could activate Armament Haki roughly seven out of ten times, each success reinforcing the sensation. His fists struck tree after tree, bark splintering under hardened blows.
Satisfied, he stopped and summoned one of the Sea Kings stored within that strange inner space.
"Just as expected," he murmured. "Time doesn't pass in there."
He prepared the food calmly, movements efficient and practiced.
Hancock returned before dark, washing her hands and face before joining him. Neither spoke much as they ate, the quiet filled with crackling fire and distant roars.
When night came, separate tents were prepared.
As Ren lay down, staring at the unfamiliar sky, one thought surfaced unbidden.
This island really does teach survival.
Hancock lay awake, staring into darkness, thinking the same thing—for entirely different reasons.
---