Shimotsuki Dojo

A warship cut through the blue sea, the breeze brushing against their faces and carrying the salty scent of the ocean.

"Whoa! The ocean's huge!"

Luffy leaned over the ship's rail, his eyes sparkling as the sea breeze blew his Marine cap askew.

He shouted and waved his arms and legs like a monkey with endless energy.

Nami stood beside him with her arms spread to the wind, her short orange hair fluttering. The blue sky reflected in her eyes, and she smiled innocently. "Big brother Roy, the sea breeze smells so nice!"

Roy leaned against the mast and watched the two children with a gentle smile. "Do you like it?"

"I looove it!"

Luffy leaped onto Roy's back and hooked his arms around his neck, his face full of curiosity. "Roy! Where are we going, anyway?"

Roy, helpless against his shaking, reached back and lifted him down. "To meet someone who might be your destined right-hand man."

"What's a right-hand man?" Luffy tilted his head and blinked like a curious squirrel. "Can you eat it?"

Nami rolled her eyes and planted her hands on her hips, looking every bit like an adult. "Idiot! A right-hand man is a partner who'll go on adventures and fight alongside you!"

Luffy's eyes lit up, and his grin nearly reached his ears. "Really?! Can he fight? Can he eat meat with me? Can he—"

Roy planted a hand on his head, which was practically smoking. "You'll find out when we get there."

Off the coast of Shimotsuki Village, the sky was growing dark, and the clouds glowed in the last light of the setting sun.

The warship slowly came to a stop, the Marine flag on its mast snapping in the sea breeze.

Roy stood on deck, his gaze resolute, and gave orders to the Marines behind him. "Stand by here. There's no need to go ashore."

"Yes, Rear Admiral Roy!"

Luffy hopped up and down excitedly, waving his fists. "Are we swimming over?!"

Nami was nearly startled by his movements and couldn't help snapping, "Idiot! We're way out at sea! Are you trying to wear yourself to death?!"

Luffy scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "Hehe~ Then we'll just have to swim faster!"

Roy chuckled and shook his head. Then he suddenly placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "That's enough."

"Whoosh!"

The next second, the three figures flashed like streaks of light, vanishing from the deck and appearing on the shore of Shimotsuki Village in an instant.

Luffy's eyes widened as he looked left and right. "Whoa! That was amazing! Do it again, do it again!"

Nami's mouth also hung slightly open, clearly startled by the sudden teleportation, but she soon coughed and put on a composed front. "Hmph... That much... I'll learn to do it someday too!"

Roy couldn't help smiling. He reached out and ruffled her soft orange hair. "Sure. As long as you study hard, you'll definitely be able to do it someday."

As he spoke, he looked up at a winding path leading uphill. An old-fashioned wooden dojo was faintly visible at the end.

"Let's go."

His eyes flashed as he said softly, "Our destination—the Shimotsuki Dojo."

The three walked slowly along the country path. Wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze, and the occasional moo drifted from the fields, peaceful and full of rural charm.

From far away came a series of strong, rhythmic shouts, as if breaking through the stillness—

"Hyah! Hah! Hyah! Hah!"

Luffy sprang up, waving his arms and legs. "Whoa! Is someone fighting in there?!"

Nami put her hands on her hips and shot him an annoyed glare. "Idiot! That's the sound of people practicing swordsmanship!"

Roy's eyes flickered, and he smiled. "Looks like they work hard."

At last, the Shimotsuki Dojo's wooden gate came into view. The two large characters for "Shimotsuki" were carved into its old-fashioned doors, which bore the marks of time.

At the entrance, a little boy with moss-green hair was fast asleep against the wall, clutching a Bokken to his chest. Drool hung from the corner of his mouth, and he looked as though he was fighting even in his dreams.

Luffy pointed at him, clutching his stomach and doubling over with laughter. "Hahaha! Roy, Roy, there's a moss head slacking off and sleeping over there, and he's drooling too!"

The corners of Roy's mouth lifted slightly. Luffy excitedly ran forward as though he had discovered a new world. "Hey! Moss Head, wake up!"

"Zzz... Kuina... Let me sleep five more minutes..."

The moss-haired boy rolled over groggily, nearly dropping his Bokken.

Luffy frowned and gave him a kick in the shin. "Hey, wake up!"

"Huh?!"

When Zoro saw the three strangers standing before him, he jolted awake and sprang to his feet, holding his Bokken across his chest in a defensive stance. "Who are you?! What do you want, barging into the dojo?!"

Roy raised a hand to show he meant no harm and smiled. "Roronoa Zoro, right?"

Zoro stared. "How do you know my name?"

Luffy moved closer and held out his hand with a grin. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who's going to become a Marine Admiral!"

Zoro blinked, his gaze moving from Luffy's little arms to the Marine cap on his head. "A Marine? A kid? What kind of weird combination is that?"

Nami folded her arms, raised an eyebrow, and looked him up and down. "You're the 'right-hand man' Roy was talking about? You don't look like much."

"Huh?!"

Zoro bristled, veins bulging on his forehead. "What did you say?! Keep that up and I'll cut you down!"

Luffy's eyes lit up, and he immediately clenched both fists. "Great, great! Let's fight!"

"Huh? You too?!"

Zoro was about to raise his sword when Roy grabbed his shoulder. "You two, quiet down."

The two kids both huffed and obediently stepped aside.

Just then, the dojo gate creaked open, and a short-haired girl walked out.

She carried a sweat towel and had apparently just finished a round of practice. Beads of sweat still dotted her forehead.

"Zoro! You're slacking off again... Huh?"

The girl's gaze fell on Roy, and she looked momentarily taken aback. "Are you... a Marine?"

Roy smiled and nodded politely. "Sorry to disturb you. We'd like to visit Mr. Koshiro."

Kuina paused, then set aside the sharpness of a girl practicing swordsmanship and bowed politely. "Please wait a moment. I'll go tell my father."

As she turned, she couldn't help glancing at Zoro and Luffy again, muttering, "Why are there so many weirdos today...?"

Luffy and Zoro glared at each other like two wolf cubs, neither willing to back down an inch.

Nami watched with her arms folded. "Two idiots, just as I thought."

Roy chuckled softly. These kids...

Inside the dojo, the fragrance of tea wafted through the air.

Koshiro knelt in the center of the tea room and poured Roy a cup of clear tea, smiling warmly. "I never expected the legendary rising star of the Marines to grace my humble home. You honor us with your presence."

Roy accepted the cup, his fingertips lightly tracing its rim, his gaze calm yet deep. "The Shimotsuki Clan's swordsmanship is renowned throughout the East Blue. I came specifically to visit."

Koshiro's eyes flickered behind his glasses, though his smile remained. "The Shimotsuki Clan fell into decline long ago. Now we're nothing more than a country dojo, hardly worth mentioning."

Roy took a small sip of tea and slowly set down the cup. "But your daughter Kuina is extraordinarily talented. Her swordsmanship is far beyond that of her peers."

Koshiro's smile faded somewhat. "You're too kind. Unfortunately, because of the limits of her physical strength, a girl can never become the World's Strongest."

Outside the door came the sounds of Luffy and Zoro quarreling—

"Let's duel, Moss Head!"

"You're the moss head! Take this!"

"Bang! Smack! Thud!"

Koshiro shook his head helplessly. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Roy didn't respond. He simply watched Koshiro in silence, then suddenly spoke. "Mr. Koshiro, do you believe in fate?"

Koshiro paused. "Fate?"

Roy's gaze was as sharp as a blade. "For example... a girl who has trained in martial arts for years accidentally falls to her death on the stairs at home because of a carelessly dropped sword."

"Clack!"

The teacup in Koshiro's hand trembled violently, spilling tea.

His expression froze. His gentle smile vanished without a trace, replaced by an unprecedented gravity.

"...How do you know about that?" His voice was low, with a faint chill to it.

Roy didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Is following so-called fate really more important than your own daughter's life?"

The air in the tea room seemed to freeze.

Koshiro was silent for a long time before finally setting down his teacup, his fingertips slightly white.

He looked up, his gaze complicated. "Rear Admiral Roy, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Roy looked him straight in the eye. "I want to make a deal with you."

"A deal?"

"Let Zoro and Kuina train under me. In the future, they'll become master swordsmen who change the world."

Roy paused, his tone grave. "And your daughter Kuina won't have to follow the same path fate has laid out for her."

Koshiro's pupils contracted sharply.

Outside the window, the wind rustled through the bamboo grove.

After a long while, Koshiro let out a deep sigh, as though he had aged greatly in an instant. "...I need time to think."

Roy nodded. "Of course."

He rose and walked toward the door, then stopped and spoke with his back to Koshiro. "Fate can be changed, but you only get one chance."

Koshiro watched his retreating figure in silence.