The next day.
Early in the morning, Takumi left the Isshin Dojo and headed into the valleys surrounding Shimotsuki Village for his usual hunting practice.
This time, though, he had a little "shadow" following him—a very determined but not very skilled stalker.
Zoro, while not as talented or strong as Kuina, was undoubtedly the earliest riser and the hardest worker in the dojo. Normally, at this hour, he would be inside practicing his basics.
But today, he had decided to secretly follow Takumi into the mountains.
Watching Takumi, who was getting farther and farther away as he walked deeper into the valley, Zoro whispered to himself, "If you won't take me, I'll follow you myself!"
However, a few minutes later, after he had run as fast as he could, trying to catch up with the person who was moving farther and farther away, he lost sight of Takumi. But instead of being discouraged, Zoro was even more fired up. "As expected of Takumi, he's so fast that I couldn't keep up even when I gave it my all. Amazing! Tomorrow, I'll definitely catch up to him!"
Takumi had noticed Zoro trailing him from the start, but he didn't want to be bothered, so he had deliberately lost him.
After finishing his hunt, Takumi returned to the Isshin Dojo with his catch.
Later that afternoon.
Takumi headed to the village tavern with an empty sake gourd.
As soon as he walked in, the place was buzzing with noise.
"Hey, the kid who beat Kuina is here!"
"Kid, how did you manage to beat Kuina? Tell us!"
"I think his name's Takumi. Never seen you before—where are you from?"
"Hey, don't ignore us! Are you here in Shimotsuki Village all by yourself?"
Ignoring the questions, Takumi walked straight to the bar, placed a handful of Berries and the empty gourd on the counter. "Fill it up."
The tavern owner smiled awkwardly. "Sure, just a moment."
After filling the gourd and handing it back to Takumi, the owner asked, "Kid, have you joined Koushirou's dojo yet?"
Takumi casually replied, "No."
He took the filled gourd and, amidst the murmurs of dissatisfaction from the other patrons, left the tavern without another word.
The tavern owner chuckled, shaking his head. "That kid's got a real attitude."
Back at the dojo.
As he passed the training grounds, Kuina suddenly called out to him. "Takumi, let's have another match."
Losing to him last time, and with it, the Wado Ichimonji, had been a huge blow to her. She wasn't happy about it.
But the gap in their strength was obvious, and she had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Still, that didn't mean she was going to give up.
So Kuina had decided to keep challenging Takumi until she could beat him.
She just couldn't believe she would keep losing.
But while Kuina was eager for a rematch, Takumi wasn't interested in wasting his time.
He walked past her without saying a word, rejecting her challenge with his actions.
Seeing him ignore her, Kuina quickly chased after him. "Takumi, I'm seriously challenging you—why won't you respond?"
But Takumi kept silent, not intending to acknowledge her at all.
"You...!" Kuina's temper flared.
"Kuina." Just then, Zoro appeared, stopping Kuina before she could confront Takumi. "Let's have a match."
"I want to fight Takumi! Get out of my way!"
Zoro persisted, "If he wanted to fight you, he would've gone to the dojo already. You're just wasting your time following him."
Having experienced something similar himself, Zoro knew what he was talking about.
Kuina paused, her expression dark, as she gripped her bamboo sword tightly, still staring at Takumi's back. After a long moment, she turned around and walked back.
Zoro didn't move.
"What are you standing there for? You wanted to fight, right?" Kuina snapped.
"Right! I'm coming!" Zoro quickly followed her.
Their match ended in a few minutes.
As usual, Kuina won.
But this time, Zoro managed to block several of Kuina's strikes and even came close to landing a hit on her.
Just a few days ago, there was no way he could have gotten that close.
Was it just luck, or had Zoro's swordsmanship really improved so much in just two days?
Kuina couldn't shake the unsettling feeling in her heart.
She had witnessed Zoro's relentless training over the past year. To make sure he didn't surpass her, she had pushed herself just as hard, training in secret to improve.
Even so, every time they sparred, she could feel Zoro slowly closing the gap between them.
But while it used to be a gradual process, in just these two days, his skills had clearly taken a leap forward. Could someone have been training him?
Kuina sheathed her bamboo sword, looking down at Zoro, who was sprawled on the floor.
Zoro got up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and without a word, started replaying Kuina's moves in his mind—a habit he never would've had before.
Koushirou walked over with a smile. "You lost again, Zoro. But you really have gotten stronger, especially these past two days."
As soon as Koushirou said this, the other kids in the dojo crowded around.
"Sensei, you're not secretly training Kuina just because she's your daughter, are you?"
"That's so unfair!"
Koushirou sighed. "No, no, I wouldn't do that. Zoro's definitely improved, but Kuina's getting stronger too."
"I'm going to wash my face," Zoro muttered before heading to the back of the dojo.
After washing his face, Zoro made up his mind—tonight, he would challenge Kuina one last time!
That night, as Kuina passed by the hastily repaired tea room Koushirou had been working on, she overheard something that deeply shook her.
Her father, Koushirou, didn't believe a girl could become the world's greatest swordsman.
Kuina had always known that as a girl, she might have a harder time achieving certain things as a swordsman compared to boys. But she didn't want to accept that, and she refused to believe it. Why shouldn't a girl be able to become the world's greatest?
Sitting by the rice paddies, Kuina tried to process her feelings alone.
That's when Zoro showed up.
"What are you doing here?" Zoro asked.
Kuina wiped her nose with a handkerchief and shot back, "I should ask you the same thing. Why are you out here so late?"
"I'm here for our 2001st duel. This will be our last one," Zoro said seriously. "Let's settle this, and let's use real swords this time."
Kuina blinked in surprise, then smiled slightly. "Alright."
Originally, she planned to use Wado Ichimonji against Zoro, but now she would have to borrow someone else's sword for their duel.
In an open field.
The two stood facing each other, ready to fight.
A gust of wind blew through.
Zoro, gripping two real swords, was the first to attack.
They traded blows back and forth many times. Every time Kuina was about to defeat Zoro, he would somehow manage to find a way to clumsily evade her strike.
"Hah!" Kuina saw an opening and lunged forward, aiming to knock the two swords out of the visibly tired Zoro's hands.
It was as if Zoro had anticipated this move. He instinctively stepped back.
Real swords were much heavier than bamboo swords, and he was wielding two of them, which was exhausting him far more than Kuina.
If he couldn't beat her with strength or stamina, he would have to rely on his swordsmanship or try to read her moves and find an opening to turn the fight in his favor.
That instinctive step back allowed Zoro to narrowly avoid Kuina's strike. At the same time, in a moment of surprise, he saw an opening in her defense.
Without hesitation, Zoro swung his sword, using the back of the blade to strike at Kuina's arm.
A flash of disbelief crossed Kuina's eyes as she quickly reacted, blocking the strike in time. Then, with a swift motion, she finally disarmed Zoro, sending his swords flying.
Zoro fell to the ground, panting heavily.
Even though she had won, Kuina didn't feel any satisfaction. If she had reacted just half a second slower, she would have lost!
Zoro was really catching up!
[Ding! You've changed Kuina's fate, increasing the progress to 80%. Swordsmanship level +1, current swordsmanship level: Lv5.]
Takumi was sitting inside, enjoying a drink when the system's notification suddenly popped into his mind, causing him to pause for a moment.
Immediately after, a more powerful sword aura radiated from him, filling the small room with its intensity.
He could even calm his mind enough to feel the breath of everything around him!
His power had grown again!
Takumi's gaze drifted over to where Wado Ichimonji rested.
In the original story, Kuina had gone looking for a whetstone for Wado Ichimonji when she fell down the stairs and died.
But now, with that sword in his possession, Kuina had no reason to go looking for a whetstone, and so avoided that deadly fall.
"Looks like I'm close to finishing the tasks in Shimotsuki Village," Takumi thought, feeling quite pleased as he continued sipping his drink. There's something nice about sitting around and having good things just fall into your lap.
Now, let's rewind to about half an hour earlier.
Kuina had narrowly defeated Zoro.
Lying on the grass, Zoro covered his face with his hands, frustrated. "Damn it! I was so close... I can't stand this..."
Kuina, staring at him with a serious expression, replied, "I'm the one who can't stand it."
Zoro lowered his hands and looked at Kuina.
"You're catching up to me," she continued. "Girls get weaker as they grow older, and soon you'll beat me. You keep saying you're going to become the world's greatest swordsman, and Father says a girl can't do that. I've known that for a long time, but I hate it, Zoro. You're so lucky, just because you're a boy. I want to be the world's greatest swordsman too. If only... if only I were born a boy..."
Zoro sat up, his frustration growing as he listened. "You just beat me, so stop complaining. It's not fair! You're the one I've always wanted to defeat, so don't talk about men and women. Are you going to say the same thing when I finally beat you? Like it wasn't my skill that won? What about all this training I'm doing? What's the point if you're going to say something like that? Don't talk like that again!"
Kuina's eyes welled up with tears as she stared at him.
Zoro stepped closer, his jaw clenched. "Promise me, one of us—either you or me—will become the world's greatest swordsman!"
Kuina was startled by the determination in his eyes, but then she smiled. "Idiot, you're still weaker than me..."
"Then it's settled!" Zoro insisted, holding out his hand. "But before we become the greatest, let's see who can beat Takumi first."
Kuina's eyes lit up as she took his hand with a smile. "Alright, it's a deal! But you better watch out because I'm going to beat him first!"
The next day.
Takumi, as usual, woke up early to go hunting in the valley.
But this time, instead of one little shadow following him, there were two...
And, as if they had planned it, those two kept challenging him to duels, one after the other. When he refused, they even tried to ambush him.
Of course, Takumi knocked them both down every time.
This went on for several days, no matter how many times Takumi defeated them.
Their enthusiasm was unshakeable, and they continued their daily routine of challenges and sneak attacks with undying persistence.
Koushirou, watching from the sidelines, always smiled, never once stopping his daughter and disciple from their relentless pursuit.
He clearly didn't mind them pestering Takumi like this.
One evening, after Takumi had knocked Zoro and Kuina down for the umpteenth time in the dojo's backyard, Koushirou smiled and waved him over from the corridor. "Takumi, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Takumi glanced over at him.
Dragon was there too.
It looked like Dragon was getting ready to leave.
Takumi walked over.
Dragon smiled. "I've stayed here too long. It's time for me to go."
"Okay," Takumi replied nonchalantly.
Dragon continued, "Are you sure you don't want to reconsider coming with me?"
"Nope," Takumi replied bluntly.
Seeing that Takumi was truly uninterested, Dragon sighed and gave up—for now. "Alright then, if you ever run into trouble, you can find me in Baltigo."
Baltigo was the Revolutionary Army's headquarters.
Takumi nodded absentmindedly.
Dragon smiled, then turned to Koushirou. "Thanks for helping with the food supplies."
Koushirou smiled back. "It's no problem. So, what's next for you? The Kingdom of Goa and Windmill Village aren't far from here. It's been a while since you've been back. Aren't you going to visit?"
"No," Dragon shook his head. "It's not the right time yet. Maybe later."
Koushirou nodded. "Alright, just let me know when you plan to visit again."
"Will do," Dragon replied, and without further conversation, he left Shimotsuki Village before nightfall.
In the original story, Luffy didn't know who his father was until after the events at Water 7 in the Grand Line.
Dragon was a cautious man who never revealed his weaknesses easily. Very few people knew about his background. Even within the Revolutionary Army, his most trusted subordinates were unaware that he had a son.
From the conversation just now, though Koushirou didn't spell it out, it was clear he was one of the few who knew Dragon's full story.
This showed just how close these two were.
But Takumi wasn't interested in that. What he cared about was completing his task and finding some good sake.
"Alright, I'm heading back," Takumi said, ready to return to his room for a drink.
Koushirou called after him, "There's a festival in the village tonight. Want to check it out?"
"Nope," Takumi replied, not missing a beat.
Just then, Zoro and Kuina came running over.
Zoro, excited, said, "Shimotsuki Village has a big festival at the end of every month. It's a lot of fun, Takumi! Come with us!"
Kuina, with a touch of pride, added, "I'm not really into festivals, but if you're going, I suppose I can tag along."
Takumi sighed. "..."
Takumi refused again. "Not interested."
Koushirou smiled, "You know, a lot of villagers bring out their homemade sake for these festivals. Each one has its own unique flavor. You can't buy these at the tavern, you know."
Takumi paused mid-step as he was heading back to his room.
Koushirou looked at Zoro and Kuina. "Well? What are you two waiting for?"
The two of them grinned at each other, then grabbed Takumi by the arms, one on each side, and started dragging him toward the village.
"Mrs. Sugimoto's sake is supposed to be really good," Kuina suggested. "Whenever Dragon's friend— the one with the really big face who's kind of scary—comes to the village, he always buys sake from her. Normally, she doesn't sell her sake to just anyone, but since Dragon and my dad are close, she makes an exception for them even when it's not festival time."
"Is sake really that good?" Zoro wondered. "I tried some once, but I thought juice was better."
Takumi slipped his arms free from their grasp, exasperated. "You two sure are persistent..."
Zoro laughed. "Not really! Are you misunderstanding us or something?"
Takumi just sighed again.
Kuina giggled. "You know, Takumi, you keep ignoring us and knocking us down with one hit, but I think you're actually training us, right?"
Takumi blinked. "..."
No, that's really not what I'm doing...
Zoro continued, "My reflexes and toughness have improved a lot since I started hanging around you. It's all thanks to your training."
Takumi was even more puzzled. "..."
Uh, when did I ever train you?
Kuina chimed in, "I've been meaning to ask—when Zoro and I ambush you at the same time, you never even see us coming, but you always dodge our attacks. How do you do that?"
"Yeah!" Zoro agreed, nodding eagerly. "I've been dying to know. Takumi, can you teach us how you do it?"
************
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