Jack awoke as the sun set. The Old Man slept soundly in his mind as he always did during the night. He stretched, allowing his body to extend to its fullest. While rolling his neck he spotted the boy sitting in the corner of the room.
“How old are you?” Jack asked again as he did every night.
“Seventeen.” Jericho responded, a tremble in his voice.
“For how much longer?” Jack asked.
“A few months.”
Jack nodded. “Come Jericho, we are going to the city.”
Jack climbed the Great Divide easily, Jericho struggled on account of his terribly repaired shoulder that his morning self had done. They sat atop the iron monolith staring at the slanted city ahead of them.
“Why is it you want to go to the city?” Jack asked Jericho again.
“I want to learn how you do it.” Jericho responded.
“Do what.” Jack responded, not giving a look to Jericho.
“All of it, how do you kill so many then in the morning smile as if nothing happened.” Jericho said.
Jack turned to Jericho with a smile. “I split my mind, there is nothing to it. You too can do it. But why would you, what have you seen that makes you want to break?”
Jericho looked down. “I just, I want to do what you do, but I want to be happy too.”
“We can make that happen.” Jack said. “For now, You must learn to kill, or atleast how to survive.”
“You're going to kill me aren't you.” Jericho said hesitantly.
Jack smiled and placed a hand on Jericho’s shoulder. “You are still a child, I do not kill children.” That brought no rest to Jericho's mind however. “Come, I must get to work.”
The name was Ripper, that was the name the people of Toutes City called him. Jack strode through the streets, praying they would finally send someone after him. He covered his face with a mask as he always did, Jericho wearing a similar mask.
When would he find it, the one as strong as Gol Roger?
Jack paused, it had been a while since he thought about those times, back when he was Admiral Kuromachi. That day, Roger had beaten him, it was Nekure that had beat him while Jack laid flat on the ground during that storm. That island no longer existed, and neither did Roger. Only a few years had passed but he knew he would never truly find someone like Roger even if he lived as long as he expected he would.
His target appeared. A man twirling a cane with a woman on his arm. They were returning from a show that had run late. Did they not know that this was Jack’s time? It was their own fault for being out so late.
“Watch boy.” Jack said, not breaking eye contact with the couple. “You must learn to harness that haki of yours, primarily Armament haki.” Jack channeled his aura, forcing it to solidify into a pair of blades along the backs of his arms. The blades were black, as most haki was when it solidified.
“One day you can do this with that Conqueror's Haki of yours.” Jack said, kneeling down to strike. “This is a form of Advanced Armament Haki, one of many, this one is my technique because with it you can even kill Devil Fruit users. Now watch.”
The couple didn't even see it happen, they just died. Their bodies were sliced to ribbons in an instant, leaving behind a pair of corpses. Jack stood in the alley opposite where he was before, his blood lust far from satiated. That night many had died, all while Jericho watched.
The sun would rise in a few hours, yet the pair stood outside Toutes city. Jack would not allow Jericho back into his home unless he could manage some Haki.
“Where!” Jack yelled out, getting ready to strike.
“Left leg!” Jericho yelled out as Jack attacked from the left. He blocked it with his scrawny arms.
“Good, your observation is improving.” Jack said. “Now, hit me.”
Jericho pulled back an arm, the knuckles turning black. Jack braced for the attack with his arms. The knuckles hit his arms but didn't seem to hurt. No, the pain came from the haki that was infused into Jack and made him cough up blood.
“Good.” Jack said. “That form of advancement is known to the people of the Titanti Archipelago. It is their special technique. However.” Jack slammed a haki infused fist into Jericho’s head. “That is not what I am teaching you.”
“It's a step!” Jericho shouted, holding his face.
“Manifest it!” Jack shouted.
“I cant!” Jericho shouted. The world trembled around Jack. “I can surround my knuckles at best! I just can't!”
Jericho was unaware of his Haki, which moved like a wriggling tendril. It was pure black, blacker than night, and crept about him. He never seemed to notice it. Eventually he could make weapons larger than Jacks with that haki. Yet he can only do it when his conquerors is active. If he can get control of his different hakis separately then he will be so strong, strong enough to potentially be a challenge.
But he wasn't yet. And his birthday approached. They spent their nights sneaking out to cause chaos in the city, Jericho had eventually learned to make a small blade in his palms, but they seemed to extend from his knuckles like a set of brass knuckle blades.
Jericho didn't kill at that time, just watching with curiosity. He learned the ways to cut a body to make it bleed the most, the ways to kill instantly or slowly. Jack taught him all of this knowing it may be used on him some day, and grew excited.
Finally the time came, Jack awoke on the day of Jericho’s birthday and emerged.
“Jericho.” Jack said with a wide smile.
Jericho wasn't in the shack, the hunt was on.
Jericho had run hours before, fleeing by sea. Jack wouldn't have expected it, and so he snuck around to the other side of the island and got on a ship leading anywhere. He would not forget that the Old Man had done for him.
“You must run boy.” The Old Man said, holding out a flask for Jericho. “Take a drink before you leave.”
He did, the harsh liquor was a mesh of any remains the Old Man had found in bottles that washed ashore. It was foul, but was what he needed to go. Putting flask away Jericho fled. Accepting the Old Man's kindness.
Jack searched for a short time before understanding that his other self had let him go. He smiled, glad the Old Man did so. Because of that Jericho will grow. He will become strong.
“Come back soon Jericho.” Jack yelled into the night, his voice carrying across the sea. “Come back and let's bring this island to the bottom of the sea with our conflict! I will wait for you!”
Jericho felt a chill as the whisper of the words met his ears while he hid behind a stack of barrels on a travel ship. He wasn't sure how, but he would break his mind like Jack did, he had to forget some of this, or atleast lock it away. He would suffer it, so that another him can enjoy life. But first, he had to kill.
Looking back on the city Jericho steeled his resolve, he would come back and kill that man some day.
