Chapter 59 — Hell Training: Day 2
Sunny's POV
The morning sun rose over the endless sea, painting the sky in soft orange hues. Birds sang. Waves lapped gently against the Going Merry's hull. It was a perfect, peaceful morning.
Or it would've been.
If not for the fact that everyone on board was already screaming.
> "STOP—! I'M DYING—!!" "Zoro, your abs are crying blood!!" "THAT'S JUST SWEAT, YOU WEAKLINGS!!" "NO IT ISN'T, YOU MANIAC!!"
Sunny stood at the ship's railing, sipping tea like a calm observer in the middle of chaos. His grin was almost devilish.
{ego}: "He's doing that smug protagonist pose again. Look at him. Hair in the wind. The world burning behind him. Absolute main character energy."
[system]: "Fufu~ You say that like it's a bad thing. My darling looks divine when he's watching his friends suffer for growth. UmU~♡"
Sunny sighed. "You two realize this is basically torture, right?"
[system]: "Correction: Character development. And besides, you asked for hell training, did you not, darling?"
{ego}: "To be fair, he didn't say he wanted to enjoy it. But we all knew he would."
Sunny couldn't even argue. Aqua was beside him, legs crossed, munching popcorn she'd somehow conjured from seawater.
"Ahahaha~! Look at them go! Zoro's doing push-ups with the ship's anchor again!" she giggled, tears of laughter in her eyes. "And Sanji's trying to out-cook Nojiko while blindfolded—oh, this is glorious!"
"Oi, goddess," Sunny muttered, "weren't you supposed to assist the training, not spectate like a fan at a gladiator match?"
Aqua grinned. "I am assisting. I made the floor slippery with holy water!"
"YOU WHAT—?!"
A loud thud echoed as Usopp's yelp followed a chain reaction — Zoro tripped, Sanji faceplanted, Lucy caught both with a heroic leap… and accidentally tossed them through the air and into Nami's hammock.
WHAM.
The hammock snapped.
Silence. Then—
> "I'M GONNA KILL SOMEONE!!" Nami roared.
Sunny slowly turned to Aqua. "…You're cleaning that."
Aqua puffed her cheeks. "Divine immunity says no."
---
Lucy's POV
Lucy stood near the mast, arms crossed, eyes locked on Sunny. Her usual carefree smile was there—but beneath it simmered something else. Something… sharp.
Sunny laughed with Aqua again, their shoulders brushing. Aqua tossed her hair, teasing, "Ufufu~ You're blushing again, captain~."
Lucy's smile twitched.
{ego}: "Oh no. She's in that stage again. The smile-too-wide-to-be-safe phase."
[system]: "Aww~ She's jealous. Isn't that adorable, darling? I could almost melt~♡"
Sunny (distantly, to nobody): "Why do I feel like death is looking at me?"
Lucy approached. Slowly. Sweetly. "Sunny~♡"
He froze. "Ah… hey, Lucy. You look… uh… radiant today."
"Thank you~" Her voice dripped honey and threat in equal measure. "I was just wondering… who taught you to smile that much at Aqua?"
Sunny blinked. "Uh, I was… born with it?"
{ego}: "Wrong answer."
[system]: "Rest in peace, darling~♡"
Lucy's aura darkened for a second — cloudlike hair flickering white for a blink before fading. She smiled again, back to cheerful. "Good answer, captain~ Let's get stronger together!"
Sunny exhaled in pure survival instinct.
---
Zoro & Sanji POV
Zoro grunted, lifting the anchor with one hand while balancing on a barrel. "Tch. This training's nothing. Hell? Please. I've trained under worse."
Sanji, covered in flour and fury, shouted from the galley, "SAYS THE GUY WHO GOT LOST BETWEEN TWO DECKS!!"
Zoro glared. "That was a strategic detour."
"Oh yeah? Strategy my ass! You couldn't find your way out of a frying pan!"
"Maybe I should throw you in one!"
"BRING IT ON, MOSSHEAD!!"
{ego}: "Ah, the eternal love story of violence and stupidity."
[system]: "They really are like siblings. If siblings constantly threatened each other with cookware and swords~ UmU♡."
Lucy giggled. "They're fun!"
Sunny smiled nervously. "They're going to break the ship again."
---
Nami & Nojiko POV
Meanwhile, Nami lounged in a deck chair, sipping orange juice. "This is the most entertaining chaos I've seen since The armpit disaster."
Nojiko smirked. "You're not even training."
"I'm the navigator. I supervise."
Aqua teleported next to her, smirking. "Translation: you enjoy watching your crew suffer."
"Exactly," Nami said without shame.
---
Sunny's POV
After hours of chaos, sweat, and arguments, the sun began to dip low. Everyone collapsed in a heap on the deck.
Usopp groaned, face down. "I think my bones learned new directions…"
Zoro snorted. "Good. Now go run a marathon."
Sanji glared at him. "You're cooking dinner next, muscle-brain."
"I'll cook you first."
"TRY ME!"
Clang!
Their fight reignited instantly.
Lucy and Aqua both sighed in unison. "Boys…"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Idiots."
Sunny laughed quietly, wiping sweat from his neck. "Well… that's day two. Not bad, huh?"
[system]: "Not bad~? They only cried twice and fainted once. Efficiency improving by 8%. Excellent progress~♡"
{ego}: "Yeah, if 'progress' means psychological damage."
Sunny grinned. "Perfect. Then tomorrow we'll double it."
Aqua gasped, delighted. "Yes~! Hell Training: Goddess Mode!"
Lucy blinked. "Wait, double…?"
[system]: "He's joking, of course."
Sunny: "Am I?"
Lucy's smile faltered. "You're serious, aren't you."
Sunny just grinned wider.
[system]: "Ara~ look at that glint in his eyes… I could fall for him all over again."
{ego}: "Correction — everyone on this ship already has."
The crew broke into laughter, tension melting into that strange, chaotic warmth that only this crew could create. The kind that said they'd survive anything, even hell itself — because they'd face it together.
And as the stars began to glow above the calm sea, Sunny glanced at Lucy. Her eyes met his — soft, dangerous, and full of unspoken promise.
He smiled. "Let's make tomorrow even crazier."
Lucy blushed, looking away. "You're impossible, Captain…"
[system]: "And that's why we love him~ UmU♡."
{ego}: "Reader, if you're still alive after this much chaos — congrats. You're officially part of the crew."