As Dragon sailed off into the distance, both Aramaki and Jack returned to their training without hesitation. The separation only fueled their determination. They wanted to become stronger—not just for themselves, but for the inevitable future where they would have to stand on their own.
For Aramaki especially, this drive burned deeply. He no longer wanted to lag behind Jack, nor did he wish to become a burden who had to be protected at every turn. If he was going to walk alongside Jack, then he had to be able to carry his own weight and fight his own battles. Relying solely on Jack was something he had promised himself he would never allow to happen again.
So, the days passed with their sparring sessions intensifying. Both of them made heavy use of Haki in their training, each strike laced with Armament as they pushed themselves to sharpen their control. Jack, already ahead in mastery, began focusing on precision—coating only specific areas of his body or weapon with Haki, conserving energy while maximizing effectiveness.
This deliberate control gave him a better grasp of how to conceptualize the next stage of mastery: the emission aspect of Armament Haki. Each time his fist or blade clashed with Aramaki's defense, he tested himself, learning how to release Haki outward instead of keeping it confined.
Aramaki, on the other hand, found growth in constant struggle. Though his Haki was still inferior to Jack's, the very act of clashing against someone with a stronger will and sharper control forced his own spirit to evolve.
Every blow he blocked, every time his defenses were broken, and every time he fell to the ground—he picked himself back up, and his Haki grew thicker, harder, and more stable. Slowly but surely, he was closing the gap.
Weapons also became a natural extension of their training. Jack frequently switched between his sword, pistol, and rifle during spars, determined not only to refine his swordsmanship but also to ensure that his marksmanship remained razor-sharp. He wanted his skills to be complete, his adaptability unquestionable.
Aramaki, meanwhile, poured his effort into mastering the seamless use of his Devil Fruit powers. He didn't want his abilities to be something he had to consciously think about in the middle of a fight. Instead, he worked tirelessly to integrate them into his movements, until his branches, roots, and vines responded as naturally as the swing of an arm or the step of a foot.
Little by little, their bodies remembered the work of the past year. Every repetition carved the lessons deeper into their muscle memory. Every spar brought them closer to instinctive fighting, where hesitation no longer existed.
The training that began with struggle and effort was now evolving into something fluid, where their Haki, their weapons, and their bodies all flowed together. What once took conscious thought had become second nature.
They were no longer just two boys chasing strength. They were becoming warriors, carving their own paths in a world that demanded nothing less.
---------------
Two full years had gone by since Dragon's departure, and it was now Jack's eleventh birthday. In that time, both he and Aramaki had undergone dramatic changes, though in very different ways. Jack's body had matured at an abnormal pace, his frame towering and his muscles so defined that he almost looked like a miniature adult, resembling Johnny Bravo but without the comically skinny legs. His build was proportional, heavy with strength, and his presence was intimidating for someone still considered a child. Aramaki, however, despite being two years older than Jack, still carried the appearance of a boy. His features and body remained much more in line with his actual age, which created a strange contrast whenever he stood beside Jack, who looked years beyond him.
The year before, they had both made the decision that they would not stay in Taya Kingdom any longer. They gave themselves a time limit—one year—to finalize preparations and leave the island. That single choice changed the rhythm of their lives. Training became harsher, more relentless, and much more dangerous. It was no longer about steady growth, but about breaking past every wall they could before they set sail. Jack and Aramaki would push themselves so far in sparring sessions that they sometimes collapsed in exhaustion, their bodies battered, cut, and bruised to the point of nearly killing themselves. On top of their own methods, they even began to replicate the kind of routines Garp was infamous for, adding them as extra punishment on top of their daily training.
Jack, with his unnatural stamina and the fact that he never needed sleep, had the advantage of sheer time. While Aramaki rested, Jack would continue. His training intensity was on a completely different level, often involving feats that bordered on the absurd. He would meditate while lifting a boulder the size of a small mountain, holding it above him as if daring gravity itself to crush him. Aramaki, meanwhile, made steady progress in his own way. After years of effort, he was finally able to lift the very same massive boulder that Jack had casually trained with when they first met. For Aramaki, that accomplishment was one of the most glorious milestones of his life. The pride he felt in that moment gave him the push to continue chasing Jack's back, even if he knew he might never fully catch up.
Their Haki had also grown in refinement. Jack had managed to reach a stage where both Advanced Armament and Advanced Observation flowed from him naturally. His Armament could not only coat his body and weapons but also extend outward in controlled bursts, while his Observation had sharpened enough to give him flashes of future sight at times.
Much of this came from his brutal training and his natural gift, but part of it was also tied to the inherited talent of Rocks, whose monstrous potential in Haki had seemingly fused into Jack's own growth. Aramaki, though less versatile, had managed to reach a strong proficiency in Advanced Armament as well, though his output and intensity were still not at the level that would be considered "top tier."
Where Aramaki truly shined was in his Logia Devil Fruit. By this point, he had learned to replicate nearly all of the techniques attributed to Hashirama of old tales, shaping forests, manipulating plant life, and even creating living ecosystems.
The only thing beyond him was the legendary Thousand-Armed Buddha, a feat that required stamina he could not yet achieve. From Jack's perspective, it would likely only become possible if Aramaki awakened his Devil Fruit in the future.
Outside of training, they also dedicated themselves to building their ship. Their starting point was a stolen galleon, stripped down and rebuilt over the course of many months. With Jack's brute strength and Aramaki's Devil Fruit, the ship transformed into something entirely unique. Aramaki experimented with countless types of wood until he produced one that was unnaturally durable, capable of withstanding a full-force strike from Jack without Haki.
Piece by piece, the ship came together, each detail refined by trial and error. Jack often worked on it during the nights while Aramaki slept, since he never needed rest, which accelerated their progress.
By the time Jack's eleventh birthday arrived, the ship was complete. It stood before them like the embodiment of their hard work and determination. More than a week earlier, they had already finished loading supplies, weapons, and provisions. They even set up a small farm on deck, filled with trees and plants that produced fresh fruit, modeled after the one they had helped create for Dragon's vessel.
For propulsion, they developed two unique systems: one was a giant waterproof sunflower propeller that could move the ship even when there was no wind, and the other was a peculiar steering wheel, also shaped like a sunflower. Both mechanisms were directly linked to Aramaki's control, allowing him to operate them remotely through his Devil Fruit. This eliminated the need for a helmsman, making the ship manageable by just the two of them.
The ship itself felt alive. Many of its functions were integrated into Aramaki's power—vine staircases that acted like escalators, carnivorous plants that could catch sea creatures for food, and other living mechanisms designed to make survival at sea easier. It was not a vessel built by legendary shipwrights like Tom or Franky, but it was something far rarer: a ship that was both a weapon and a home, bound to its creators.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jack said, his eyes fixed on the ship, pride evident in his voice.
"Yeah," Aramaki replied, equally satisfied. "Now, we just need a name and a pirate flag."
Jack, already prepared, handed him a folded piece of cloth. When Aramaki opened it, he found a Jolly Roger. At first glance it looked typical, a skull at the center, but beneath it were two symbols crossed like an X. On one side, a saber representing Jack, and on the other, a rose representing Aramaki. Together they formed their bond—an emblem that declared them brothers, equal in strength and spirit, their positions forever intertwined.
"Woah, this is awesome," Aramaki said with a grin, impressed by the design. Jack stood tall with a proud expression, clearly satisfied that Aramaki approved.
Then came the discussion of names.
"What about Wicked?" Aramaki suggested first.
"What about Wench?" Jack countered almost at the same time.
They looked at each other, then spoke in unison: "What about Wicked Wench?"
Both broke into laughter, pleased by the coincidence, and immediately knew the name was settled. Without hesitation, they performed the age-old tradition of smashing a bottle against the hull. "To the Wicked Wench!" they shouted, celebrating as they boarded the ship they had prepared for so long.
Everything was packed, everything was ready. They had decided long ago that Jack's eleventh birthday would be the day of their departure. The previous day had been spent making last-minute checks and saying silent farewells to the island that had been both their training ground and their prison. Now, standing side by side on the deck of the Wicked Wench, they looked back one final time, hearts filled with excitement and determination for the new adventure awaiting them beyond the horizon.