After a full day of studying, Aokiji woke up early the next morning, the sun not yet risen. He glanced at the clock beside his bed — 3:00 AM. He quickly showered and changed into his training clothes, ready to implement the training plan he had devised.
A few minutes later, Aokiji made his way to the dome where he usually trained. He began with some stretches, having read that warming up was crucial before any strenuous exercise. Then, he started jogging around the dome, though it was more of a run than a jog. For the next hour, he ran continuously, his mind focused and determined.
After that, he moved on to the chains that Goro had given him — the same massive chains used to anchor ships. He wrapped them around his body and resumed running, this time for another hour. By the time he finished, it was already 5:00 AM.
Now, Aokiji moved to the next phase of his training. He started punching the air with maximum effort, each strike producing a powerful whooshing sound as it tore through the air. Aokiji maintained a serious expression, focusing on his form and power. Despite the fatigue from his earlier exercises, he kept going, each punch as intense as the last.
After an hour of punching, Aokiji finally stopped, gasping for breath. Sweat dripped down his face as he bent over, exhausted. He had been training nonstop for three hours without a break.
Glancing at the clock, Aokiji noted that it was now 6:00 AM — breakfast time. He dragged his tired body back to the dining hall, where he found Fubuki and Goro talking to each other. They seemed to be discussing something serious, and Aokiji was immediately called over.
"Aokiji, it seems you're awake. Now, care to tell us how your study session with the tutor went?" Fubuki asked, her eyes fixed on him.
"Huh? What are you talking about? It was just a normal study session. I mean, I didn't cheat, if that's what you're asking," Aokiji said, confused by the sudden questioning.
Fubuki's expression remained calm, though her eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, according to your tutor, you completed an entire month's worth of lessons in just one day — and you did it easily."
"Oh, that?" Aokiji said, as if it were nothing. "I've always been able to retain knowledge easily and memorize things quickly. It's just something I can do, you know?"
"If that's the case, then why were your grades so low before?" Fubuki asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, that. I just never really bothered answering all the questions. I only did enough to pass," Aokiji said casually, not thinking much of it.
This answer seemed to lift Fubuki's mood. She had always thought that Goro's genes were the reason Aokiji didn't excel academically, but it seemed her son was far smarter than she realized.
"Well, I guess you take after me then — strong and smart, just like me," Goro said, not realizing the implications of what he was saying.
"What? He clearly got that from me. I'm smarter than you, and you know it," Fubuki shot back, her tone sharp.
"What? I'm clearly the smarter one. You must have forgotten because you're dumber than me," Goro said, oblivious to how his words would land.
Fubuki's face darkened as a snowstorm began to swirl around her, her quirk responding to her anger. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY? I'M DUMB?"
Goro finally realized his mistake. "No, no! I meant... you're way smarter than me! I was just kidding!"
Watching his parents bicker, Aokiji couldn't help but smile a little. Despite the chaos, he felt a warmth that he hadn't felt in a long time — the warmth of a loving, albeit eccentric, family.
---
After breakfast, Aokiji returned to the dome, ready to resume his training. This time, he focused on strength training. Goro had prepared a special punching wall made from an alloy of tungsten and graphene, a material so durable that it could withstand All Might's full-strength punch. It was also insanely expensive, costing $100,000 per kilogram, and Goro had several tons of it just for training.
"Man, just how rich are they?" Aokiji thought, shaking his head. "Well, not that I'm complaining. If they're rich and caring, I guess it really is my lucky break."
Aokiji then positioned himself in front of the punching wall and started his training. For the next six hours, he relentlessly punched the wall, each strike echoing throughout the dome. Despite the intensity, the wall remained unscathed, a testament to its durability.
After finishing his strength training, Aokiji ate a quick lunch and resumed training. This time, he focused on quirk control. He summoned ice in controlled amounts, creating precise shapes — stars, cubes, and even crude sculptures of people he knew.
For his next exercise, he sculpted a life-sized figure made of ice and concentrated on moving its limbs. At first, the ice sculpture moved awkwardly, its joints stiff and jerky. But after an hour, Aokiji's control improved, and the figure started moving more fluidly. After another hour, he had the ice figure running and even breakdancing smoothly, as if it were alive.
"Alright," Aokiji muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "If I can get the movements to be this precise, I can make them fight too. That's the next step."
Satisfied with the day's progress, Aokiji decided to call it a day. As he made his way back to the house, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Each day, he was getting stronger and more in control of his powers — and he was determined to make the most of his second chance at life.