As Greenbull continued his adaptation training against fire, Koa would spar with him using only his magma powers. He wanted Greenbull to grow even stronger than his original counterpart. At the same time, Koa was forging Greenbull's will—by repeatedly beating him down and forcing him to rise again.
They stood in the middle of a field, surrounded by trees Greenbull had grown on Koa's command, forming a natural ring. Koa didn't care about burning them; he knew Greenbull could regrow them whenever needed.
"Try to fight back. If you don't, it's just bullying," Koa said flatly.
Greenbull gulped. "Have mercy, boss."
Koa laughed, his fists igniting as they transformed into molten magma. Greenbull acted first—summoning a massive tree trunk shaped like a whip and lashing it toward Koa. The whip burned instantly as Koa fired a blast of lava, reducing it to ash.
Undeterred, Greenbull charged, conjuring thorn-covered vines—reminiscent of a God's Knight weapon—and then formed a makeshift spiked club, swinging it at Koa. Koa shattered it easily with a single magma punch.
Even though Koa was holding back immensely—not even using five percent of his power—Greenbull remained at a clear disadvantage.
The sparring continued, attack after attack, each one incinerated by Koa's lava. But then, for the first time, something changed.
One of Greenbull's vine attacks didn't immediately burn away.
Koa noticed it. A subtle resistance. A sign.
Greenbull was starting to adapt to the fire.
Koa then decided to stop using his magma powers. He didn't want Greenbull to rely solely on his Devil Fruit abilities. From that point on, he shifted their training to focus on physical strength.
"Your Devil Fruit is powerful," Koa said, cracking his knuckles, "but if your body can't keep up, you'll still lose."
He signaled Greenbull to get ready, and the sparring resumed—this time with no elemental powers involved. It was pure hand-to-hand combat. Koa held back just enough to push Greenbull to his limits without causing serious harm, correcting his stance, movement, and form in between rounds.
Every fight ended in strength training—push-ups, tree-lifting, endurance runs around the floating island, and core workouts using boulders as weights.
Koa's goal was clear: to build Greenbull into a warrior whose strength wouldn't just lie in a fruit, but in the unshakable foundation of his own body.
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This continued for about three days, until they finally arrived at their destination. Koa decided it was time for Greenbull to pause his training temporarily, as he wanted to explore the kingdom and hopefully find the second member of his future crew.
Both Koa and Greenbull jumped from the floating island, which remained high above the clouds and hidden from sight. Greenbull, now proficient with his Devil Fruit, summoned a massive sunflower that spun like a propeller, gently guiding him down through the sky. Koa, on the other hand, simply allowed himself to free-fall before halting his descent and floating calmly to the ground.
"Boss, we should check out the plaza—there's probably a lot of good food down there," Greenbull said as he landed beside Koa, already eyeing the bustling town in the distance.
"You go ahead," Koa replied. "You've got your pocket money. Just make sure you're back on the island before dark. We might find our next crew member here."
Greenbull nodded, but something had been on his mind. "Boss, I've been meaning to ask… if you recruit more and more people, what'll my rank be? I don't want to end up lower than everyone else."
"That'll depend on your strength," Koa answered flatly. "So make sure to keep training."
The response lit a fire in Greenbull's eyes. As they walked out of the forest, the signs of civilization grew—more people, more noise, more life—indicating that they were approaching the heart of the town.
Koa activated his Observation Haki, tuning out the weaker presences around him. At first, nothing stood out within the immediate vicinity, but as he expanded his range to cover the entire island, he suddenly felt it—a presence that stood out like a beacon among the rest.
"Found you," Koa muttered to himself.
"Greenbull, stay here. And don't waste all your money on things you don't need, alright?" he said, glancing at Greenbull, who was already eyeing a nearby clothing store that showcased extravagant suits behind glass.
"What? Of course not! I'm not a wasteful person," Greenbull replied quickly, snapping his gaze away from the window as if he hadn't been staring at it moments ago.
Koa sighed. "Do whatever you want. It's your money. Just don't come crying to me when you blow it all and want more."
With that, Koa turned and walked off, disappearing into the crowd. Greenbull, now grinning ear to ear, headed straight toward the shop, the thought of looking like a nobleman filling his imagination. To him, those suits didn't just mean wealth—they meant class, status, and adulthood.
"Bye, boss!" Greenbull called out, already halfway through the door.
He entered the lavish boutique, his eyes wide with wonder. Everything inside screamed luxury—from the velvet-lined walls to the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Without hesitation, Greenbull walked up to the manager at the front desk.
"I want a fancy suit that would fit me," he declared boldly.
What he didn't know, however, was that the shop he'd just stepped into was one of the flagship enterprises of Nyornyo Nyarmani, the world-renowned tailor for the Five Elders. Every suit here was custom-made, hand-stitched from the rarest materials in the world—and priced accordingly.
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Meanwhile, Koa moved with silent intent, leaving the growing crowd and noise of the city behind. His Observation Haki remained fully extended, tuned to the distinct pressure of the strong presence he had locked onto earlier.
After walking a bit further, he reached the place where the presence originated. From what he could see, the entire area was covered in ice, with a person—someone Koa recognized—standing at the center, clearly the one responsible for the frozen landscape. Koa, suddenly excited, grinned widely as he decided to approach the person.
"FOUND YOU!" Koa yelled toward the person, who immediately turned and unleashed his powers at Koa, attempting to freeze him. However, Koa countered with his magma powers, neutralizing the ice.
"Who are you?" the man asked, wary and curious.
"My name is Maui D. Koa, and I'm looking for strong individuals to join me on my adventures—and I've decided you'll be one of them," Koa said, introducing himself and clearly stating his intention.
"I'm not interested. You can leave now before I freeze you," the young man replied coldly, trying to drive Koa away.
"Well, I refuse your refusal," Koa said with a grin, continuing to approach.
The young man didn't hesitate—he froze Koa's entire body on the spot. But the ice shattered instantly upon forming, revealing Koa still standing, grinning like a madman.