Chapter 128: Cheat Device
Sea Circle Calendar July 1510
East Blue, Shimotsuki Village
On this day, a medium-sized, two-masted sailing ship, exceptionally luxurious compared to others in the area and remodelled twice, was docked at the village pier.
This lavish vessel featured a striking figurehead of a Haki-infused blue dragon at its bow.
The ship's flag and sails bore symbols representing the front and rear halves of the Grand Line, as well as the West Blue and North Blue, alongside the universally recognized emblem of the Celestial Dragons.
This insignia belonged to the "Cross Family."
Since East Blue is the weakest of the seas, the "Cross Family" had not yet established a presence here, so most people were unfamiliar with this symbol.
Especially in Shimotsuki Village, the villagers had no idea what this mark represented.
However, when they noticed a "luxury giant ship" suddenly arriving at their village pier, they curiously observed from a distance, assuming that a noble had come to visit the Isshin Dojo.
Why were they so certain that the visitors from this ship were heading to Isshin Dojo?
Because in Shimotsuki Village, Isshin Dojo is the most famous place.
If the "noble lord" wasn't visiting Isshin Dojo, who else would they be here for? The village chief? That seemed unlikely!
Under the watchful eyes of the villagers, a man and a woman disembarked from the ship.
The man stood at 1.97 meters tall, wearing shoes that made him about 2 meters tall. He had short blue hair and was dressed in a white suit with a blue tie.
Beside him was a maid in high heels, standing about 1.95 meters tall, with long, grass-green wavy hair, dressed in a black and white maid outfit.
Such a pairing clearly suggested a noble young master out for a leisure trip, accompanied by his personal maid.
"Master, is the Logia Mera Mera no Mi Fruit we're searching for in this village?" Monet, standing half a step behind Kahn, looked curiously at her Master's handsome profile.
"No, the Logia Mera Mera no Mi Fruit is on an uninhabited island," Kahn replied, a slight smile playing on his lips. "The reason I stopped here is that I sensed a powerful presence nearby and decided to visit."
After all, in a village located in the weakest sea, sensing such a powerful aura piques one's curiosity about its source.
But this was a lie.
Kahn had come to Shimotsuki Village deliberately, with the search for the Logia Mera Mera no Mi Fruit being a secondary reason.
In this world where luck and fate play a role, if Kahn didn't claim the Logia Flare-Flare Fruit, it would inevitably be taken by pirates in 1517 on the Sea Circle Calendar, and then Ace would consume it.
Besides Kahn and Ace, only Bacala and Luffy might have had the chance to claim it.
But in the New World, Baccarat already possessed the Paramecia Lucky-Lucky Fruit.
As for Luffy, if nothing unexpected happened, he would soon acquire the Paramecia Gum-Gum Fruit.
People with greater luck than others have already claimed their abilities.
Therefore, it was highly unlikely for anyone else to get the Logia Flare-Flare Fruit before them.
Kahn had originally planned to visit Sixis Island to obtain the Logia Mera Mera no Mi Fruit when he went to recruit Nami.
But while preparing the Second Legion and planning to wait for them to grow to twenty years old over the next five years, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
That is… Kahn realized that he didn't need to wait five years; he could use a cheat!
And this cheat is none other than Shinobu from Wano Country, the one who provided the age-enhancing hooks for Robin and the three Boa sisters.
Even though clone soldiers aren't fully human, and even less so after their modifications, Shinobu's Paramecia Ripe-Ripe Fruit can still affect them.
Shinobu's ability doesn't just ripen humans; it can also ripen other objects.
So, Kahn could either bring Aren back or send Mary to take the clone soldiers to Wano and have Aren ripen them.
The age suspension for Robin and the Boa sisters was necessary because they entered the New World too early and needed strong companions. Kahn had no choice but to think of this solution.
After helping them with the age enhancement and once the "Cross Family" overcame its most challenging phase, Kahn didn't think of using the age enhancement on other young maids. He wanted them to enjoy their childhoods.
Seven years passed, and Kahn had almost forgotten about Aren. When he thought of Aren again after all this time, he also recalled memories of Wano, and another idea sparked in his mind. He remembered a piece of information he had previously overlooked—a candidate for a maid that he had wanted to recruit but had set aside because she hadn't been born yet and then forgotten about for several years.
That maid candidate was Kuina, who died in 1510 on the Sea Circle Calendar.
Being reminded of her again after more than a decade made Kahn feel there was a connection between him and Kuina.
However, because the memory resurfaced in the same year Kuina was supposed to die, Kahn became determined to act.
It's the end of June, and half the year has passed.
Kahn wasn't sure if Kuina had already died at this time.
So, Kahn rushed to Shimotsuki Village in the Weakest Sea from the New World at top speed.
If Kuina was still alive when he arrived in Shimotsuki Village, it would mean that fate had truly brought them together.
But if Kuina was already dead, it meant that this maid he had forgotten for over ten years was destined to remain out of his reach.
As Kahn approached Shimotsuki Village, his mood lightened, and that's when the scene of the Grandigne stopping at the pier occurred.
Due to Kahn's unique perception, he had already enveloped the entire Shimotsuki Village with his senses before even setting eyes on the island, and he got the answer he wanted.
Kuina was still alive—she had a fate intertwined with his.
If she had been dead, Kahn would have gone straight to Sixis.
To Kahn, Koshiro, who lived quietly in Shimotsuki Village, was insignificant.
Koshiro was merely a strong man at the level of a top officer.
"I see," Monet said, unaware that Kahn was lying.
During her training with Robin, Monet learned about the abilities of her Master and her sisters.
In this world, even Violet's clairvoyance, which allows her to see across a radius of 4,000 kilometres, exists, so the unique perception abilities of Kahn and Hancock seemed quite normal.
"...What a powerful presence!"
Just as Kahn and Monet stepped onto the island, Koshiro at Isshin Dojo also opened his eyes, which had been perpetually squinted, showing a rare look of seriousness. He thought to himself, "Such a powerful figure suddenly appearing in this remote part of East Blue—are they friend or foe?"
Unlike Kahn and Hancock's unique perception, Koshiro could only sense a vague outline through Observation Haki.
Those with advanced Observation Haki can typically only perceive auras. The most skilled can see vague outlines, while only those who can predict the future can see detailed visions and hear the next words of others.
Koshiro could only discern a vague outline and couldn't identify Kahn's identity.
But from the aura alone, he knew that an extraordinary individual had arrived on the island.
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