CHAPTER 6 — Training with a Future Disaster
Ren woke up sore.
Not from work.
Not from the shed.
Not from the goat (thankfully).
But from Luffy.
Yesterday's "keep him out of trouble" mission had drained him so completely that even sleep couldn't fully restore him.
Ren dragged himself out of the bar, yawning. The early morning air was crisp, carrying the distant cries of seagulls and waves crashing softly.
Makino was setting up chairs. "Morning, Ren."
Ren nodded sleepily. "Good… morning."
She blinked. "You look exhausted."
"Luffy exists."
Makino chuckled. "Ah. Yes. That explains everything."
A familiar voice echoed from down the street.
"REEEEEEN!"
Ren stiffened. "He found me."
Makino patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Good luck, dear."
Ren stepped outside—too slowly.
Luffy crashed into him at full speed.
"GUH—!"
Ren flopped onto the ground like a fallen leaf.
Luffy sat on his chest, grinning. "Come with me!"
Ren wheezed. "Can… you get… off?"
"Nope! We're training today!"
Ren closed his eyes. "Why."
"Because I wanna be strong!"
Ren looked up at the sky. "Of course you do…"
The Hilltop (Again)
They climbed the hill behind the village—the same spot where Luffy headbutted rocks for fun and where Ren learned the lesson "don't question Luffy."
Luffy pointed at a stump proudly.
"This is where I train my punch!"
Ren nodded politely. "…Interesting."
"And THIS is where I train my kick!"
Ren stared at a broken branch. "…Of course."
"And THIS—"
"Is where you injure yourself?" Ren guessed.
"No!" Luffy jumped on top of a giant boulder. "This is where I yell REALLY LOUD!"
He inhaled deeply.
Ren quickly covered his ears.
"FIIIISH!! GIIIIVE MEEE STREEEEENGTHHHH!"
Ren flinched. "Why fish…?"
"No idea!"
"…Okay."
Luffy grinned and pointed at Ren. "Now it's your turn!"
"My— what?"
"Your training! You gotta get strong too!"
Ren crossed his arms. "I thought you said you'd make me strong."
"I am! By training with you!"
Ren sighed. The logic hurt.
"…Fine. What do I do?"
Luffy thought very hard—his face scrunching like he was solving complex math.
"Punch that rock!"
Ren looked at the massive boulder. Solid. Dense. Unmoving.
"That rock will break my hand."
"Then punch something smaller!"
Ren scanned the area and picked a small wooden pole.
He took a stance. He tightened his fist. He drew in a deep breath.
He struck.
THWACK.
Pain shot up his arm.
"Ow—!"
Luffy laughed. "You're weak!"
Ren shook his hand frantically. "I know that!"
A Strange Observation
Ren sat on the grass, holding his sore hand.
Luffy flopped beside him.
"You're not strong at all," Luffy said bluntly.
"Thank you for the reminder."
"But that's okay! You're smart!"
Ren blinked.
The compliment was so sudden, so genuine, that Ren almost forgot the insult.
Luffy grinned. "Teach me something!"
"…Something?"
"Yeah! Smart stuff!"
Ren hesitated.
He had never taught anyone anything outside of school projects.
But Luffy's eager face made it impossible to refuse.
"…Fine. Let's start with balance."
"BALANCE!"
"Yes. Watch."
Ren stood up and balanced on one foot.
Luffy immediately copied—
and fell over.
"HA!" Luffy laughed from the dirt. "I suck!"
Ren sighed but offered his hand. "Try again."
Luffy grabbed it, stood up, and tried balancing again.
This time he lasted three seconds.
"WOAH! I'M A MASTER!"
"No. But you're… improving."
Ren smiled faintly.
Teaching felt… nice.
Ren's First Hint About This World
As Luffy trained (fell over repeatedly), Ren observed something.
Luffy's balance wasn't normal.
Even for a child, his reflexes were strange—overcorrecting, bending in ways that didn't quite follow normal physics.
Ren muttered under his breath. "This world… is different."
Luffy blinked. "Huh?"
Ren shook his head. "Nothing."
But his mind was already working.
The air felt lighter here.
Movements felt exaggerated.
Strength wasn't distributed realistically.
Like a world where physical limits were meant to be broken.
He wasn't hallucinating.
This world was fundamentally less constrained than his old one.
People here weren't stronger because they trained harder.
The world itself was built for absurdity.
Ren stared at Luffy—currently chasing a butterfly.
…He needed to adapt.
Slowly. Carefully.
But he would.
Lunch Break (Chaos Version)
"REN! I'm hungry!"
Ren pulled out the bread Makino packed for them.
Luffy grabbed both pieces instantly.
"Luffy—!"
Too late.
He swallowed both.
Ren stared at him, betrayed. "That was mine."
Luffy blinked innocently. "Oh… oops?"
Ren breathed through his nose. "You're feeding me to my villain origin story."
"What's a milian orange?"
"…Never mind."
Luffy thought for a moment—then brightened. "I know! I'll get you food!"
He ran off before Ren could stop him.
Ren sat, utterly defeated.
Five minutes later, Luffy returned carrying a giant fish.
Ren blinked. "…Where did you get that?"
"The ocean!"
"You jumped into the ocean?"
Luffy grinned proudly. "Yep!"
Ren stared at the fish. "It's… huge."
"Eat it!"
"I can't eat it raw!"
Luffy gasped. "WHAT?!"
Ren sighed, rubbing his temples.
"It has to be cooked."
"Ohhhhh."
Luffy stared at the fish.
Stared harder.
Stared with deep concentration.
"Is it cooked yet?" he asked seriously.
Ren lost all hope. "…No."
A Talk Beneath the Sky
After sending Luffy back to the bar to give the fish to Makino, Ren stayed on the hilltop.
The wind felt cool.
The sea glimmered.
Birds circled lazily above.
Ren lay back on the grass.
For the first time since he'd arrived, he let himself relax.
Not plan.
Not solve.
Not think.
Just breathe.
Then footsteps approached.
Kiro plopped down beside him. "Training with Luffy?"
Ren covered his face. "I can't survive another day of that."
Kiro laughed. "Get used to it."
Ren peeked through his fingers. "Why does everyone say that?"
"Because it's true. Luffy follows anyone he likes."
Ren sighed. "…Why does he like me?"
Kiro shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe because you listen to him. Maybe because you smile sometimes."
Ren blinked. "I… smile?"
Kiro rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Ren. You're not a rock."
Ren looked away, slightly flustered.
Kiro lay down too. "Besides… you're good for him. Luffy's wild. You're calm. It balances out."
"Is that… how friendships work here?"
Kiro nodded. "More or less."
Ren exhaled.
Friendship.
It wasn't something he had much of in his old life.
But here…
Maybe he could.
Walking Back Together
Luffy's voice echoed from below.
"REEEEEN! DINNER!"
Kiro stood. "Makino's calling."
Ren got up too.
They walked back toward the village together—one overly energetic boy, one sarcastic friend, and one confused newcomer slowly learning how to belong.
As they approached the bar, Luffy tackled Ren again.
"REN! YOU HAVE TO TRY MAKINO'S FISH! I CAUGHT IT!!"
Ren braced himself.
"I… believe you."
Makino opened the door, greeting them warmly.
Ren breathed in the smell of cooking and warmth.
His chest felt full.
Tomorrow, he would work on the shed again.
Tomorrow, he would learn more about this strange world.
Tomorrow, he would train with Luffy—preferably with less pain.
Little by little—
He was becoming part of this place.
End of Chapter 6