Days passed by, one after another, in a blur of training.
“My strength seems to have hit a bottleneck.
No matter how I perform my basic training, it feels like I can no longer make any significant progress.
How can I cross the threshold into the realm of a Master Swordsman?” Having just finished a day of sword-swinging training, Allen stretched his body and thought to himself.
He recalled how, in the original story, Zoro was nearly killed while fighting Mr.
1, a subordinate of Crocodile in Alabasta, because he could not cut through steel.
It was only by grasping the state of ‘cutting steel’ during the battle that he was able to defeat Mr.
1 and step into the realm of a Steel-Cutting Master Swordsman.
Allen was currently stuck at this stage of cutting steel.
First, he had swung his blade in the seawater, then against giant trees.
After being able to cut down giant trees, he moved on to giant rocks; currently, he could only manage to cut through giant rocks.
He didn’t know how many blades he had gone through during this period.
Every time he replaced a sword, it would be chipped within a week of chopping.
The money he earned from collecting honey in the forest was basically all spent on buying new swords in town.
Nowadays, swinging his blade against steel blocks every day wore them down even faster.
“When I set sail in the future, I must get my hands on a good blade no matter what.
These cheap swords from town that cost 10,000 Berries each are simply not enough to fight against strong opponents.” Allen said, looking at the chipped blade in his hand.
“Forget it, these are things to consider after setting sail.
Let me first go find the bees to discuss today’s business.” Allen sheathed his sword and walked towards the forest to the south…
“I knew you guys would be quick to settle down.” In the familiar forest, Allen looked at the beehives on the giant trees and smiled with satisfaction.
“So, where should I start?” Allen picked up the wooden bucket for the honeycomb and walked toward the giant tree.
“This hive here must have been missed last time; let’s start from this side.
To better train my Observation Haki, I’ll blindfold myself this time.” Saying this, Allen pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket and tied it over his eyes.
“Alright, collection mission start.” With his eyes covered, Allen picked up his chipped blade and began his actions.
Moving about, several beehives were destroyed in an instant.
“Bzzzz, damn it, it’s that annoying four-legged monkey again.
Brothers, come out!
Our home is going to be gone again.” “Bzzzz, bzzzz, annoying!
We just finished building our home yesterday, why is that stinky monkey here again?” “Bzzzz, are we going to have to sleep in the open again?
Wuwuwu.” After the blindfolded Allen sliced open another beehive, he suddenly heard some strange voices.
“Strange, why are there so many noisy sounds?” Allen took off the cloth from his eyes and, confirming there was no one else nearby besides swarms of bees, said with puzzlement.
“Could it be these bees???” While thinking, Allen struck at another beehive, and with a swing of his blade, another hive was split in two.
“Bzzzz, damn it, our home is gone again!
Tata’s home is clearly bigger, why don’t you go cut their home instead?” “Bzzzz, wuwuwu, brothers, sting this stinky monkey to death!
Avenge our home.” The strange voices came again.
“Hmm, this time I can be sure, it really is the sound coming from these bees.” “Strange, why can these bees talk?
Could it be they ate the Human-Human Fruit, Citizen form?
(Chopper crying a river of tears).” Allen looked in surprise at the bees rushing towards him.
“That’s not right either; it’s impossible for thousands of bees to have all eaten a Devil Fruit.” While dodging, Allen dismissed his previous hypothesis.
“Hey, were you guys the ones talking just now, little bees?” Not able to figure it out, Allen stopped guessing wildly and asked the swarm directly.
“Bzzzz, the stinky monkey can speak Bee language.” “Bzzzz, who cares what he says, sting him to death.” “Right, sting him to death.” A group of bees rushed towards Allen even faster.
Allen skillfully dodged the swarm’s attacks and curled his lip.
“Hey, it’s not like you can actually sting me.
Hurry up and tell me, why can you talk?
Otherwise, I’ll come and cut your homes every day.” Allen threatened the group of little bees.
“Bzzzz, boss, it seems we can’t sting him.” “Yeah, yeah, this monkey is super fast.” “Wuwuwu, it said it’s coming back tomorrow.” The swarm stopped and began a dense exchange.
Suddenly, the largest bee flew out.
“Stinky monkey, why can you speak Honey language, and why do you want to destroy our home?” Allen felt a surge of annoyance.
“You’re the monkey!
Your whole family is monkeys!
I, your lord, am a human!” “Bee language?
Looks like you can understand me too, but how did it become Bee language?
And as for cutting your homes, of course it’s for the honey!
Why else would I do it, am I bored???” After his annoyance passed, Allen analyzed the bees’ situation, then raised an eyebrow as an idea came to mind.
“Whatever, there’s no loss anyway.” “Hey, little bees, how about we make a deal?
If each of your families provides me with one piece of honeycomb every three days, I won’t cut your homes anymore.
How about that?” The group of bees looked at each other.
“Bzzzz, boss, it wants our honey.” “Bzzzz, we can’t give it to him, I haven’t even had a bite yet.” “In your dreams.” Allen wasn’t surprised when he heard this.
“If you don’t want to give it, that’s fine too.
I’ll just come and take it myself.
If I accidentally cut your home into two pieces, don’t blame me, since you can’t sting me anyway.” “Bzzzz, bzzzz, I’m so mad!
Sting him to death!” The bee leader was shaking with rage and launched another charge.
Allen found it funny seeing this; isn’t this just impotent rage?
With lightning-fast movements, Allen swung his blade twice—clack, clack—and two more beehives were sliced in half and fell to the ground.
Allen skillfully took out the honeycomb and put it into the bucket.
“Bzzzz, you bastard monkey, stop!
Stop!
We agree to the deal.” “Wouldn’t it have been better to do this sooner?
You just had to throw in two more beehives.” Allen stopped after hearing this and turned back to say.
“That’s enough honeycomb for today.
I’ll come back in three days.
By then, each family bring one piece, and as long as the bucket is full, I won’t cut your houses.” And just like that, after years of honey-collecting life, Allen embarked on the path of a capitalist…
On the way home, Allen couldn’t help but analyze the situation.
“It’s not the power of a Devil Fruit.
So, besides a Devil Fruit, the most likely explanation is my Observation Haki.” Looking at the original story, some strong people’s Observation Haki can possess special abilities, like Katakuri’s and later Luffy’s future sight, Pirate King Roger’s Voice of All Things, and Shanks’s Observation Haki could even mask others’ Observation Haki.
“So, is my Observation Haki ‘Bee Whisperer’?
What kind of thing is that?” Allen thought speechlessly.
What’s the use of hearing bees?
It doesn’t enhance his combat power at all.
“Wait, it doesn’t necessarily have to be only bee voices.
Tomorrow when I go hunting, I’ll find a beast and test if I can listen to their voices too.” A faint smile curled at the corner of Allen’s mouth as he walked towards Old Man Green’s candy store, deciding to test his Observation Haki tomorrow.