Rayleigh hauled him to the stern. "Try this."
Ten numbered buoys bobbed on the sea.
"Shatter them in order with Kuroshio."
"And you can't break any buoy after the number you're targeting. For example, if you're aiming for 123, you can't break anything after the third buoy."
By the shore, Rhett realized. Waves crashed against his calves. The sea was the natural enemy of all Devil Fruit users.
Rayleigh watched him, calm. "This trains your control, and your resistance to seawater. No powerful Devil Fruit user should lose their fighting ability the moment they touch seawater. If seawater were truly that effective, why would we need Seastone?"
"Resist the seawater. Shatter the buoys with precision."
Rhett entered the water. He'd underestimated the challenge.
His ankles submerged, and he was overwhelmed. The buoys swayed. Kuroshio felt impossibly heavy. The gentle swells sapped his strength.
Ten seconds in, and Rhett hadn't even swung. Kuroshio dragged him down. His Armament Haki scattered.
"Gurgle gurgle gurgle—"
If no one saved him, he'd drown in ankle-deep water by the shore.
Rayleigh used Soru, pulling Rhett out. Before Rhett could spit out the water, Rayleigh said, "That'll be 100 Beli."
Rhett hadn't expected the charge, but it was a small amount. He didn't mind.
Thus began Rhett's cycle of diving, sinking, and being fished out. As the sun set,
"That's 18,900 Beli," Rhett muttered. "I will succeed tomorrow."
After a day of training, Rhett felt he had some resistance. He hadn't swung his sword once.
The next day, same routine, same location. Rhett stared at the buoys, determined.
"Today, I will swing my sword!" He clenched his fists, psyching himself up.
Rayleigh leaned against a buoy, sipping coffee. "Just a reminder, the rescue fee has gone up to 200 Beli per session."
Rhett: "???"
Gaban chimed in with a grin, "Inflation."
Roger burst out laughing, "Kuahahaha! You can do it, Rhett! I believe in you!"
Rhett bared his teeth. "Rayleigh's here to ensure my safety. Do you two have nothing better to do than watch me make a fool of myself? You bastards."
Roger kept laughing. "Watching you grow stronger gives me this inexplicable sense of accomplishment. It's like... hmm..."
Gaban finished the thought, "Like watching your son grow up and succeed."
"You bastard, Gaban! I joined the crew before you! I'm your senior!"
Gaban waved his hand dismissively. "Never seen a senior lagging behind their junior. Keep at it, little Rhett. We're counting on you to protect us."
Rhett's face turned red. He vowed to make them eat their words.
This time, he was smarter. Drawing from yesterday's failures, he activated Armament Haki to cover his entire body before stepping into the water. This would reduce the seawater's corrosive effect on his body, at least preventing him from collapsing immediately.
Next, he coated his body with a layer of compressed mist. Though it would be instantly dispersed by the seawater, it didn't matter—it would buy him half a second to adjust, enough time to acclimate to the transition from air to water.
Finally, he held his breath, preventing the waves from choking him.
Rhett could feel himself lasting longer in the water this time.
"Alright, now swing Kuroshio and shatter that buoy. Time to shock those old geezers."
"Let me show you the might of Rhett-sama!"
Swinging Kuroshio in the water was no joke, especially considering the sword's weight. What a farce!
"I'm the future king—RHE-TT! AHHHHHH!!!"
He gripped Kuroshio with both hands and swung with all his might—
"Splash!"
The moment the blade touched the water, the weight of Kuroshio pulled him forward, and his face slammed into the sea.
Rayleigh: "Green bubbles. Rescue fee: 200 Beli."
Rhett returned to his cabin. "Today's expenses: 20,000 Beli. What a fruitful day."
Through countless rescues and payments, Rhett finally found the trick.
He stopped fighting the waves head-on and instead adjusted his posture to ride them. He focused his Haki on his wrists, used Observation Haki for support, maximized burst force, and minimized continuous exertion.
"Bang!"
Kuroshio's blade shattered Buoy No. 1, followed by Buoys No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4. The momentum was so strong that Rhett couldn't stop in time.
Rayleigh nodded slightly. "Not bad. Keep it up. I'm rooting for you."
Rhett collapsed on the deck, drenched but grinning. "Tomorrow... I'll definitely shatter it..."
And so, three months passed.
Cue epic transition sound effect.
"Mist Sword: Buoy Breaker!"
With a full-powered strike, Kuroshio's blade cleaved through Buoy No. 1, and the residual force stopped just before Buoy No. 2.
Rayleigh: "Pass."
Rhett excitedly raised Kuroshio, only to sink again.
Rayleigh: "That'll be thirty thousand Beli."
Rhett scratched his head. "Rayleigh, can I owe you? I'll pay you back as soon as I have the money."
Rhett's savings were completely drained. Though his failures became fewer and farther between, Rayleigh's rescue fees kept increasing—first by 100 Beli per day, then by arbitrary amounts based on his mood.
Rhett's savings vanished.
Now it was time for Rhett's graduation exam. His three "father figures" picked out a colossal Sea King for him to face.
Just as Rhett located it, the Sea King whipped its tail and obliterated a pirate ship. Three or four months ago, Rhett would have been utterly helpless against such a massive Sea King. The reason was simple—he couldn't penetrate its defenses. Once it entered the water, it would escape his mist field, rendering his poison useless.