Evening.
The cold moonlight illuminated the entire world.
In the village of Sycamore, most of the lights had already been extinguished.
Only in the dojo on the mountainside, the sound of bamboo swords striking sword targets still echoed.
Pah—!
Pah—!
Pah—!
…
On the dragon-headed ship.
A gentle breeze blew.
A dark figure appeared in the shadows on the deck.
Ivankov sensed the movement and looked at the shadowy figure, complaining, "You're so slow, Dragon. How long do you expect me to wait?"
"My apologies."
Dragon emerged from the shadows, holding a small child in his arms.
As he drew closer and saw what Dragon was holding, Ivankov asked in confusion, "What's that in your hand?"
The others on the ship, alerted by the commotion, gathered around. Upon seeing the child's appearance, they gasped in surprise.
"He's so badly injured!"
"Indeed!"
"How could someone be so heartless? It looks like a cannonball injury!"
"We need to treat him quickly."
One person carefully took the child from Dragon's arms and hurried towards the ship's infirmary.
Everyone quickly made way.
Watching the person escort the child into the cabin, Ivankov turned to Dragon and asked, "Seriously, where did you go wandering off to?"
Dragon turned, speaking calmly, "I went to observe a celebration of the world nobles."
"How could you sneak off to a place like that without telling me?"
Ivankov exclaimed in shock.
"If you were there, it would be too conspicuous,"
Dragon gradually walked to the edge of the ship, gazing at the quiet village.
"Huh…!"
"My face, my face…"
Ivankov frantically touched his face.
Dragon turned, addressing everyone on deck loudly, "We need to focus our efforts immediately. Where's the food?"
"The food, the village dojo sent us some," Ichifu stepped forward and replied.
"Hmm!"
Dragon turned his gaze towards the dojo on the distant mountainside, paused for a moment, and then suddenly his eyes fell upon the bow of the ship.
On the dragon's head at the bow, a small boy had appeared at some point.
The boy wore a moon-white robe, a long sword hung at his waist, and his silver-white hair reflected a pale glow under the moonlight.
He stood there quietly, his bright, azure eyes, still shimmering with mist, held the lingering starlight.
Staring into the boy's eyes, which were more captivating than the starry sky, Dragon spoke in a low voice.
"Who are you?"
"What brings you here?"
Kouta had his eyes on Dragon from the moment he arrived.
Even though the man was shrouded in a dark green coat, he recognized him immediately.
That aura, as vast as the ocean, was impossible to hide.
As Dragon looked up at him, Kouta could see the red tribal tattoo on Dragon's left cheek and the faint stubble on his chin.
Upon closer inspection, Dragon actually had no eyebrows.
Kouta's lips curved into a playful smile as he said, "Nothing much, just came to see off a friend."
Such a powerful being was not someone he could contend with at the moment, not even a single strike.
After all, reality wasn't a manga; a significant gap could truly result in a one-hit kill. While he wouldn't be injured, there was no need for it.
He didn't pay much attention to Dragon, instead turning his gaze to Ivankov.
"Hey! Little Ivan, thinking of leaving without saying goodbye?"
Seeing Kouta's gaze, Ivankov asked emotionally, "Little Kouta, did you come specifically to see us off?"
"Yes!"
"Aren't we friends?"
Kouta stared at Ivankov and shouted, "Friends don't just leave without saying goodbye! You bastard."
"I'm sorry."
Ivankov bowed to Kouta to apologize.
"My friend! I wish you fair winds and following seas. This flower of friendship will ensure we meet again someday."
By the time Ivankov straightened up, only Kouta's faint blessings remained. He was moved to tears.
Dragon stood there, utterly bewildered.
It wasn't until Lightning arrived and told him about the day's events that he finally understood.
A magical boy who could control space.
Then he turned and roared at everyone, "Prepare to set sail, back to Baltigo."
"Yes."
The ship bustled with activity.
…
On the roof of the dojo's sword hall.
Kouta had been standing there for a while.
He gazed out at the sea, lost in thought.
The giant ship outside the harbor had already sailed towards its destination under the moonlight.
On the distant horizon, only a small black dot remained.
Then, in the blink of an eye, it completely disappeared below the sea line, as if it had never been there.
But the faint sounds of Ivankov's crying on the sea assured him that it was not a delusion.
Kouta hadn't intended to go at first, but in the end, he couldn't resist and ran to take a look.
"Monkey D. Dragon."
Leader of the Revolutionary Army, number one enemy of the World Government, a true peak power of the world.
The gap was a little too large.
He shook his head forcefully.
So what if he was Dragon? So what if he was at the world's peak?
He had enough confidence that he would surely surpass him.
He looked up at the sea, starlight swirling in his eyes. Since he had witnessed the peak, he would strive towards it. Wasn't this the romance of the Pirate King world?
…………
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, five years have passed.
In the woods behind the Taoist temple, the sound of clashing weapons suddenly erupted.
Clang, clang, clang…!!
Drawing closer, one could only see two streaks of white light crisscrossing and colliding in a clearing within the woods.
Gu Yina, now sixteen, had grown into a graceful young lady. Her long hair was tied back into a ponytail with a red ribbon, and she wore a white, form-fitting training outfit.
She held her sword with both hands above her head and swung down swiftly, a silver-white slash flying towards Zoro.
Zoro stood bare-chested, revealing his well-built muscles, a green bandana wrapped around his head.
He held a long sword in each hand and had another one in his mouth, indicating he had indeed adopted the three-sword style.
He quickly swung his three swords at the incoming slash.
"Onigiri!"
Clang—!
The slash was deflected, flying towards the sky and showering leaves.
Gu Yina took advantage of Zoro's momentary struggle to quickly sheath her sword, stomped her feet, and charged at Zoro with a "whoosh."
"Soru – Nitoryu Battōjutsu!"
Seeing the blade flash before him, Zoro only had time to cross his swords and block the strike with all his might.
Dong—!
After a brief stalemate, he was pushed back rapidly by the force, crashing into a giant tree with a "thud."
Gu Yina performed a stylish flourish with her right hand, sheathed her sword with a crisp sound.
At this moment, Kouta's voice rang out from the side, "One round, this is the end. Winner, Gu Yina. Ten thousand wins, zero losses."
Hearing Kouta's voice, Gu Yina turned, her cold expression melting away into a smile that bloomed like a hundred flowers.
She quickly walked to Kouta's side, looking at him with a smile.
Seventeen-year-old Kouta no longer bore any trace of his youthful immaturity. His resolute, angular face always held a gentle smile, and the misty azure in his blue eyes swirled.
All of this made him appear exceptionally handsome and manly.
His physique was strong and lean, and his 1.9-meter height made him appear quite tall.
He wore a moon-white robe, with Zankou and a wine gourd hanging from his left waist.
Not being able to drink in the pirate world was not a good thing.
The sea was vast, and freshwater couldn't be stored for too long, so every ship carried a small amount of low-proof rum.
And due to high demand, this type of alcohol was available on almost every island in this world.
Seeing Gu Yina approaching, Kouta unfolded the pink kimono hanging on his arm and draped it over her.
The kimono was embroidered with white flowers, and it looked incredibly beautiful on Gu Yina, who was now 1.7 meters tall.
Gu Yina gazed at Kouta, who was tying her obi, with tender eyes, and said softly,
"Kouta, Father and the others are waiting for us at the port."
"Hmm!"
He looked up, meeting Gu Yina's eyes, a flicker of tenderness in his gaze. He reached out his right hand and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"We need to say goodbye to Zoro before we go."
Gu Yina naturally took Kouta's hand and held it close.
Feeling the touch of his arm, Kouta couldn't help but sigh. In the end, he had become the person he hated the most (the person he liked the most), completing the 'raising' process.
Then he turned to Zoro, saying with a hint of schadenfreude, "Zoro, lost again! You've really gotten stronger, though!"
Zoro looked at Kouta calmly, immune to the taunts.
He could sense that his physical abilities should have surpassed Gu Yina's, and only his swordsmanship was slightly lacking. He believed it wouldn't be long before he truly surpassed Gu Yina.
Compared to Gu Yina, whom he could still see a path to surpassing, this guy was an enigma, unfathomably deep.
He had originally intended to witness Kouta's true strength before he set sail.
But this guy insisted that he and Gu Yina complete this final match.
And now, he had achieved an achievement of ten thousand losses.
"Are you satisfied now? Can you let me see your current power?"
"Okay, I'll satisfy you."
Kouta glanced at Gu Yina, who understood and released his hands, stepping back a few paces.
He gripped Zankou in his left hand and walked towards the open space ahead.
As he advanced, a whirlwind suddenly formed, swirling fallen leaves around him as it spread outwards.
He stopped in the center, slightly bending over, his gaze fixed on the white clouds above. He placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword, and a faint purple-black Haki twirled around Zankou. As his aura reached its peak, he swiftly unleashed a single slash.
"Kamidori!"
Then, the world fell silent. He stood up, retracting his aura as if he had never moved.
Ding—!
At this moment, the sound of the sword being sheathed broke the surrounding silence.
Only then could one see a purple-black slash rapidly ascending towards the sky.
With unparalleled speed, it cleaved through the clouds.
Suddenly, the wind and clouds surged. Koushirou and the others, who were at the harbor, quickly looked up at the sky.
Crack—!
A rift appeared in the sky, followed by lightning and thunder. The clouds flowed like water into the opening.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the sky.
"The sky has torn open, is it the end of the world?"
Iku turned to Koushirou, who was looking towards the back of the mountain, and asked in surprise, "It's Kouta, isn't it?"
"Yes!" Koushirou replied without turning his head, "He's grown to this extent already."
Kouta looked at the stunned Zoro, remembering Mihawk's encouraging words to Zoro, and suddenly roared at him.
"Zoro, see yourself clearly, know the world, and become stronger! Surpass me, and you can become the strongest swordsman."
Zoro slowly regained his senses. Listening to Kouta's words, his eyes firmly fixed on him.
"You stay in the strongest position and wait for me. From now on, I will never lose again. Wait for me, wait until I stand before you."
He had no doubt that Kouta could achieve the strongest position, just as he always firmly believed that he would definitely become the strongest.
"Alright."
Satisfied, Kouta turned and walked towards the port with Gu Yina.
Without Gu Yina's death, would Zoro still be so determined to become the Zoro he was? He didn't know, but he believed he would keep the promise he made today, because he was Zoro, the Zoro who would achieve whatever goal he set his mind to.