"So? Do you want to become my comrade?" Ren Kurogane asked once more.
Law remained silent, uncertain whether he should agree.
A man possessing Conqueror's Haki was certainly no ordinary individual. Such a person was destined to reign over the seas and become a great pirate.
However, the man's character remained a question mark. The only news regarding Ren Kurogane was a bounty report from two days ago stating that he had taken down the Great Bear's crew. Beyond that, there was no information at all.
What should I do? Is it worth the gamble? Law asked himself.
Seeing that Law hadn't spoken for a long while, Ren Kurogane assumed hope was slim. Since the owner had just brought out the alcohol, he decided to head over and try a cup while he waited for Law's answer.
Gulp, gulp, gulp...
The bitter ale slid down his throat, leaving a lingering, rich aftertaste.
"Ha... Good ale!" Ren Kurogane's satisfied voice rang out.
Law finally reached a decision. He looked at Ren Kurogane with an expression of absolute seriousness. "I have something I must do. For that sake, I can sacrifice everything. If you ever dare to obstruct me, I will cut you down!"
Ren Kurogane set down his beer and grinned at Law. "Welcome to the crew!"
What Law wanted to do was nothing more than personally slaying Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, to avenge the only person in the world who had ever been kind to him. This was a non-issue for Ren Kurogane, and he agreed without a second thought.
Law, however, looked slightly bewildered. "Aren't you going to ask me what it is?"
"Oh? Do you intend to tell me?"
Noticing that his captain seemed a bit unreliable, a faint smile finally touched Law's face. "Yeah. I'm going to kill Doflamingo with my own hands. So, Captain, do you still want me on your ship?"
To his surprise, Ren Kurogane simply waved a hand dismissively. "He's just a low-tier Warlord of the Sea. If you can't beat him, leave it to me. I'll pluck his head off and let you kick it around like a ball."
Law truly didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this blatant disregard for Doflamingo. In his eyes, Doflamingo was an immovable mountain, yet to Ren Kurogane, the man seemed like an ant that could be crushed at will.
"Fine. I'll look forward to that day," Law said. "By the way, I'm an Op-Op Fruit user. I can serve as the ship's doctor."
Hearing this, Hill's eyes instantly lit up.
"That's perfect! We don't have a doctor on board. I was just wondering where we were going to find one!"
"Hehe! Trust your captain's eyes—I never miss a talent!" Ren Kurogane laughed proudly.
"Yes, yes, you have the best eyes!" Hill teased with a smile. "Alright, let's take the supplies and go. This haul has far exceeded our expectations!"
After paying the owner, Ren Kurogane and Law shouldered several large wooden barrels, and the group of three returned to the Starsea.
"Everyone, this is Trafalgar Law. He'll be our ship's doctor from now on!" Ren Kurogane announced, clapping a hand on Law's shoulder.
"A doctor?" Klin gave a polite smile and nodded to Law. "Hello. I'm the ship's swordsman, Klin. I look forward to working with you!"
"Oh... likewise!" Law was unaccustomed to meeting such a polite pirate and returned the gesture somewhat awkwardly.
"I'm Grey, the ship's chef! Welcome aboard!"
"The name's Blue, I'm the sailor!"
After the introductions, Law picked an empty cabin to move into. He insisted on converting the adjacent room into a clinic so that he could treat anyone who felt unwell. Although Ren Kurogane thought it was a bit unnecessary, Law was adamant, so he didn't stop him.
"Alright! To celebrate getting a ship's doctor, we're having a banquet tonight!"
"You brat! Didn't we just have a banquet two days ago?!"
"What does that matter? Both events were worth celebrating, so having two banquets is only natural! I want meat on the bone!"
Grey looked helpless, but his hands didn't stop as he began preparing the food.
By the time Law finished organizing his room and stepped out, the aroma of roasted meat hit his nose. He couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Law! You're finally here! This banquet is for you, so if you didn't show up soon, Ren Kurogane would have finished all the food!" Grey beckoned Law over and placed a sizzling, juicy piece of meat in front of him.
"There's still more left?!" Ren Kurogane's hand immediately lunged for it, but Law was faster, stuffing the food into his mouth.
For a moment, a fierce battle erupted over the dinner table.
Once they had eaten their fill, Ren Kurogane lay back on the deck and looked at Law. "Do you know how to use Haki?"
"Haki? No," Law replied honestly. "I've wanted to learn, but I never found anyone to teach me."
In the four blues, Haki wasn't unheard of outside of the East Blue. Many knew of the power, though few could actually use it, unlike the New World where almost everyone mastered it. If that weren't the case, Ren Kurogane never would have found a master to teach him Haki or awaken his Conqueror's Haki in the first place.
"Then starting tomorrow, you'll learn Haki from me!"
"Huh? Is that okay? I just joined."
"What does it matter? I've already decided you're my comrade. Even if you learn it and try to run away, I'll just hunt you down and drag you back!" Ren Kurogane laughed.
He was willing to do this because he knew Law's character fairly well. After all, the man was a highly respected individual with a reliable moral compass. Secondly, Haki wasn't exactly some priceless treasure. Even if few people in the blues knew it, it was a basic requirement in the New World. There was no need to be secretive about it.
He didn't want to be like Luffy in the original story, wasting two years just to learn the basic version of Haki. Every time he recalled Luffy learning a new application of Haki, he couldn't help but criticize Rayleigh. If you're going to coat a ship, just coat the ship; why waste two years of the kid's time?
Back to the present.
Hearing that Ren Kurogane was going to teach him Haki, Law's opinion of his new captain improved significantly. He gave a soft chuckle. "Thank you, Captain."
"It's nothing."
THWACK!
"Ow!"
"Stop whining! Here comes the second one!"
THWACK!
"Gah! Don't hit the same spot!"
"Sorry. I saw a bump and my hand just moved on its own."
On the deck, Law sat cross-legged with his eyes blindfolded. Ren Kurogane stood over him with a wooden stick, swinging it repeatedly. This was the method for training Observation Haki—strengthening the sense of 'hearing' to sense incoming danger.
By noon, Law's head was covered in bumps. When he removed the bandage, his eyes were unfocused, looking as if he might pass out at any moment.
"Your toughness is lacking. You look like this after only one morning," Ren Kurogane said with a serious face.
"You bastard... couldn't you hit a little lighter?" Law winced in pain, glaring at Ren Kurogane as if he wanted to bite a piece of meat off him.
Hill, who had been watching the entertainment all morning, covered her mouth and giggled. "I say, does this training really have to involve hitting his head? Couldn't you just spar while blindfolded?"
Ren Kurogane and Law shared a look. That actually sounded like a pretty good idea.