ONE PIECE: NEN MASTER - CHAPTER 3

A few days after my first interaction with Nen, I decided to do the water test, discovering I was a specialist. What can I say? My remorse for scaring my new parents lasted around a day or two, a few hours if I had to be truly honest.

Granted, this didn’t mean I wasn’t aware of how painfully weak I was as a toddler. So instead of trying anything in the Hatsu area, I simply decided to experiment in a slower manner, by simply meditating.

So, patiently, I meditated for a whole year every single day without breaking the routine, if anything, it killed the time.

Then, one day I decided to spice things up.

By simply meditating, my aura reserves had grown a lot, and most importantly they weren’t leaking as much as they used to, so elated with my developments, and eager to reach for more, I decided to try something new. Enhancing my fist, I figured that, with my aura as it was, I would be to pack a mean punch, for a kid at least, possibly scratching the wall or denting it a bit if I was lucky.

So, grinning from side to side, I positioned myself in front of a wall in my room, and focused on my right fist, placing one foot forward, while bending my knees ever so slightly, holding my left hand out in front of me palm forward, while my right balled into a fist at my waist, then drawing a decent amount of aura to it, my right hand shot forward, and the air in front of me seemed to burst into a silent explosion that blasted a massive hole in the wall.

For a few moments, I simply stood, speechless as my brain effectively decided to stop working, as I watched the hole and its wooden broken edges in utter disbelief. I had expected an increase in overall strength sure, but this? This was far beyond expectations.

A hit like that would’ve killed old adult me, or any adult for that matter.

“What was that?!’ As expected, Mother was the first one to rush into the room, looking around in an agitated manner, I could almost hear her heart palpitating from all the way over here. “What happened?” she asked, coming closer.

I said nothing, trying to process a good enough lie.

The dog did it?

No, we don’t have a dog, and pretty sure it’s illegal here. With everyone being an animal and such, then again, a Goofy/Pluto situation could be possible.

“An attack?” Mother muttered, grabbing me into her arms as she backed away from the hole.

After four years of living with them, I still didn’t feel totally okay with being carried.

“What happened?” Father said as he came into the room soon after. Holding a knife in hand, giving us a quick glance before looking at the shattered wall with a frown on his face.

“No idea, I found Valor alone,” Mother replied, hugging me even tighter, before turning her loving gaze to me, and asking, “Are you okay kitten?”

I nodded, still processing the fact that I, a kid, small enough to fit in a backpack, had punched a hole into a wooden wall.

“His fist is bleeding,” Father muttered, as he looked back and forth between me, my fist, and the wall a few times before his mouth curled into a proud smile.

“Why are you making that face?” Mother asked, giving dad an odd look as he continued to grin from cheek to cheek.

“I know who made the whole,” Father replied singing his words out while trying to stare into my eyes as I proactively avoided his gaze.

“Who?!” Mother demanded in a rather angry tone.

“A little kitten sharpening his claws,” Father replied, and for a rather brief moment there was silence, followed by the sound, I probably imagined of my mother’s mind connecting the dots.

“You don’t say,” Mother replied, also singing her words out.

Well, I better own my shit.

My first mother raised no bitch, which in this context with me being some type of hybrid cat had a double meaning.

“I did it,” I sighed.

—-------------------------

I now knew why my parents, were so seemingly happy I had been the one to punch a hole into my wall.

You see there was some sort of competition about that kind of thing amongst the parents in the Mink community, which I had just learned was called that, a name I felt I was familiar with, but shrug as a foggy memory that probably wasn’t that important.

Until a big ass cat, and I mean big came into the picture.

His name, Nekomamushi. When it should be big ass cat, but anyhow.

The moment I saw that massive chunk of a cat, everything clicked, it was like a flood of memories, and understanding.

I was in fucking One Piece, the show I had never actually seen that much because the length of it scared me a bit, I mean, I had seen some arcs, but not all of them, the Wano arc being the most recent in my mind.

This all explained my look and other things.

I was a Mink.

And Mink parents had competitions about which kid would join the Mink training school sooner.

The record was five years old.

I had broken that record.

My parents practically skipped their way to the academy cinderella style to enroll me, having incredibly smug smiles on their faces, as if telling everyone, their kid was better than theirs.

I still couldn’t believe it, I was in One Piece of all places, the one show I knew just enough to join a conversation, but not enough to know something at all.

“Remember, do whatever the instructor tells you,” Mother smiled, kneeling to my level.

Terrible advice, considering the instructor might like kids a bit too much, but I won’t point that out, it seems like a morbid thing to say for a kid.

“Kick everyone’s tail!” Father grinned, his shirt saying, Go Valor!

When did he make those?

“If you feel you can take it, or that the training it’s too hard, let us know, there is no shame in waiting a bit longer,” Mother smiled, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.

“Don’t worry honey, he’s got this!” Father added, raising a foam finger high above his head that said, my kid, is better than yours.

No seriously, how the fuck, and where the fuck he was getting his merch?

——————————

[1 YEAR LATER]

My first few days of school were odd, to say something.

But eventually I adjusted.

I even made some friends.

Sakura, an otter mink.

Leo, a dog mink.

And Marushi, a horse mink.

“Hey Val, want some?” Marushi said, offering like always part of his lunch.

Right now, we were both sitting against a tree outside the school, enjoying our hour of lunch.

Smiling, I looked over his lunch, giving it a quick glance before deciding what to answer. Today, he had brought some peanut butter jelly sandwiches, and some brownies for dessert.

Hadn’t had one of those in a while, the sandwiches, that is, my new dad is allergic to both items, thankfully I am not.

“Sure,” I nodded with a smile, taking one of the sandwiches. As I did this, Sakura walked across the corner, coming our way, food on hand, “Want some of-“

Sakura interrupted, practically squeaking in excitement as she came our way, “Do you think lord Nekomamushi or Inuarashi will teach us something?”

I sighed, musing over that thought, “Maybe?”

“Lululu! I doubt it!” Marushi snorted.

“Where’s Leo?” Sakura asked, taking a seat right beside me.

“At the dentist,” Marushi shrugged.