The years passed by quickly for Cherry. There were no more strange or interesting new people to distract her from her daily training.
After Robin left she redoubled her efforts, more determined than ever to grow stronger and one day reach the peak of this world, then go further still. Hoping by doing so that she never needs to scurry around like a rat to protect the people she cares about ever again.
A few months after her 15th birthday, she felt her vital energy finally stabilize into its natural peak.
'Good, I was starting to get antsy with all this waiting around. Now I can finally take my first steps on the path to immortality.'
Cherry was sitting cross legged at the top of a tall, steep hill. After Robin's successful escape, the marines had finished scouring most of the island, leaving only the Thorn Wood left over. Rather than search the Thorn Wood, they elected to just burn it down. Cherry was the only one who actually went in there and she had been accounted for, so they saw no reason to go through the trouble.
Cherry focused her mind inwards and began circulating her vital energy in mysterious patterns. She could feel an enormous power surging through her muscles and bones, restructuring them into something better, something stronger.
After only 12 hours she felt the first stage complete itself and smiled widely with glee.
'Half a day! Only half a day to complete the first stage of one of the strongest body cultivation methods! All that strength training I've done over the years wasn't a waste after all!' She laughed loudly.
Cherry stood and turned toward a nearby boulder and punched it. Although she didn't do that much damage, she was satisfied.
'As I thought, not much improvement from before. Strength training won't have a multiplicative effect with body cultivation. I've only saved myself a lot of time, but that's fine too. It'd be a bit ridiculous otherwise. At least I can stop wasting my time exercising.'
Cherry went home to the dojo and looked for Grandma Angela.
"Grandma, I've decided to set out to sea to explore the world." Cherry told her decisively.
"Like hell you will! You can't even beat Borke or Slenk yet and you want to go out into that dangerous world full of pirates, sea kings, and worst of all, womanizers?!" Grandma Angela refused, leaving no room for further discussion.
"Oh good, so you'll let me go if I beat those two. Thanks, Grandma!" Cherry gave her a hug and pranced away before she could say anything else.
Although Cherry wasn't as physically powerful as Borke or Slenk, her skill would let her beat them. However she couldn't show off too much swordplay or Grandma Angela would insist she took over the dojo no matter what.
She could wait though. She didn't want to leave the safety of Boulder Island at least until she broke through to the latter stages of the second realm. It shouldn't take longer than a year to reach perfection in the first realm and a couple more years on top of that to reach that level. By then she'll be 18 years old and be more than capable of wiping the floor with Borke and Slenk. Grandma Angela won't be able to nitpick anything to make her stay, then.
Cherry held a wooden sword casually to her side. In front of her was Borke with a rare serious look on his face and Slenk who looked like someone had told him to dig his own grave.
"Don't you dare go easy on her, boys! This silly little girl who thinks she's ready to go gallivanting in the world needs to be taught reality! If I think you're holding back even a little bit, I'll make you regret it till the day you die!" Grandma Angela shouted seemingly enraged. "Oh my, oh my! Look at these two grown men ganging up on a sweet and innocent little girl. I can't possibly let such villainy continue to exist in the world. If you back off now, I'll let you off the hook. If you don't however... HEHEHEHEHE!" Cherry face twisted into her trademark demonic smile.
Borke's head was empty of all complex thoughts as always, but Slenk was wondering whether it'd be better to face Master Angela's wrath or to take the beating of a lifetime from Cherry, whom he knew had been holding back in their bouts for quite some time.
In the end, Slenk decided to risk fighting Cherry alongside Borke. Borke would face Cherry head on for sure, which might give him an opening to end the fight without getting too roughed up.
"I see you've made up your minds. Whenever you're ready, this little girl is waiting!" Cherry spoke, her eyes lighting with flames of determination and battle mania.
Borke charged immediately, as expected, swinging his sword with all his might in a downward stroke. This wasn't like the fool from all those years ago, however. Borke was prepared to change the trajectory and recover quickly as needed.
Something happened that he wasn't expecting however. Cherry stepped forward and directly blocked his strike, not budging even slightly. At the same moment her foot drove hard into his abdomen using his own momentum against him, knocking all the breath out of his lungs.
Cherry would have gone for the groin, but after the first few times that happened the other disciples started wearing heavy protection, as well as defending the area instinctually. Even Borke had squeezed his legs together just now.
Slenk had only just reached Cherry's flank when her cold eyes drifted lazily to him. It was too late to back out now. He swept his sword towards the back of the leg she was standing with.
Cherry casually jumped just high enough that she'd come back down onto his sword, pinning it to the ground. She sent her sword at his head, but he let go to bend backwards to avoid it.
Borke came charging back in, swinging horizontally at her head and readying his free arm to block anything coming at his abdomen.
Cherry ducked low to the ground and Borke's sword smacked straight into Slenk's face as he recovered from his own duck.
Cherry dropped her own sword then grabbed Borke's legs and lifted him before slamming him to the ground. Climbing on top of him, she pinned his sword arm and ruthlessly bashed at his head with her fist.
Slenk came out of his daze from Borke's attack and picked up his sword. However, when he saw Cherry stand up holding Borke's sword after she knocked him unconscious, he felt his legs
start to quiver in fear.
'Damn it, why do I have to fight this monster. This is why I didn't join the navy, can't I just pursue my passions in life in peace?!' Slenk complained in his mind.
Cherry charged him and sent an onslaught on strikes that were faster and stronger than anything he or Bork could muster. He was stuck on the defensive and his arms were getting
'Damn it, it's shameful and I'll definitely get my ass beat later by Master Angela, but I refuse
to lose without getting a single hit in!'
Slenk waited for an opening, then reached his hand out... to touch Cherry's chest!
His plan was to use her momentary embarrassment to get a good hit in!
His hand reached his goal and... "Eh, there's nothing?"
Cherry's hand latched around his arm painfully, his bones began to creak as she pulled it away.
The manic smile was gone, now replaced with the indifference of the grim reaper gazing upon
Cherry wasn't at all dissatisfied or embarrassed by her 'less than ample' bosom. It was a
natural result as the women in her family weren't particularly well endowed and her training during her youth certainly didn't help.
However, that didn't mean she'd allow someone to insult her for it. Especially not right after
"My my my, Slenk. You've gotten quite bold. Unfortunately, whether you felt anything or not, I now need to make absolutely certain you can't remember anything. The best way to do that
is to replace that memory with a painful one. Right, Grandma?" Cherry spoke icily.
Slenk looked to Angela and found her approaching him. "That's right, Cherry. Humans remember traumatic experiences more easily than pleasant ones...'
Borke woke up around 20 minutes later and saw Slenk bound, gagged, half-naked, and hanging upside down as Cherry and Angela swatted him with wooden switches. Each swing made a horrible, sharp swish and left a nastly red line across his skin, of which there were
many hundreds already.
"Are you sorry yet, Slenk?" Cherry asked.
*desperate muffled cries*
"He doesn't sound sorry to me, Cherry." Grandma stated.
Borke quietly snuck away, not wanting to draw attention to himself.