Dragon! Target: Kingdom of Goa

The man emerged from the wind, wearing a dark green cloak, with a conspicuous red tattoo on his left cheek, and long, jet-black hair flowing in the wind behind his head.

"What's the meaning?"

The newcomer, Monkey D. Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, known as the Rebel Dragon, spoke with some surprise.

Koshiro succinctly described the current situation. "Ian broke Hawk Eyes's sword, so they came to my father for help to repair it."

"Did you damage Hawk Eyes's sword?"

Dragon was somewhat surprised. "Incredible! To actually be able to destroy the sword of a top-tier swordsman. Ian of the Scorched Sky, the legendary flames that can destroy everything truly live up to their name."

Even he would find it difficult to do something like this.

"Fortunately, they didn't do anything else reckless."

Koshiro felt somewhat relieved, "Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do."

"I also know something about Ian's story,"

Dragon said, "Although he's a pirate, he actually manages most of the territories under the Beasts Pirates, and they're all quite well-organized. Even though he sometimes does surprising things, overall he's not a man who acts too recklessly."

"That's true,"

Koshiro paused, "He is, after all, a pirate, and besides, we are a branch of the Shimotsuki family of Wano Country..."

The Beasts Pirates have occupied Wano Country, and judging from the Shimotsuki family's style as my father described, they probably already met with misfortune.

Koshiro was genuinely afraid that after his father helped Hawk Eyes repair his sword, Ian would suddenly begin to settle scores with the Shimotsuki family.

"Until they leave,"

Dragon nodded slightly. "I'll stay here for now, since there's nowhere to be found of the Golden Lion anyway."

"That's wonderful! But, Golden Lion— "

Speaking of that lion that now terrifies the entire East Blue, Koshiro felt uneasy. "That guy is a madman."

"He is courting his own destruction."

Dragon said gravely, "The government and the navy won't let him get away with this, and we won't allow him to continue running rampant. I came here with Bear, and Hawk Eyes and Ian are probably here for him too. Once we find his trail, that'll be the day that Flying Lion falls!"

"Only--"

He paused, then added, "I wonder how much more damage he will cause before that."

"We'll find him eventually."

Koshiro offered him a word of comfort, then asked, "By the way, Ginny..."

Upon hearing the name, Dragon's expression changed slightly; the corners of his eyes and mouth drooped, and the man became somewhat dejected.

He shook his head. "The Celestial Dragons who married her is said to be a member of one of the Gorosei' families, residing in the deepest part of Mary Geoise. We..."

"We are powerless to do anything about it."

"..."

Koshiro fell silent.

He remembered the woman named Ginny.

She was cheerful, bright, warm, and generous, a very lovable woman; she was practically a goddess admired by everyone in the Revolutionary Army.

"Is the bear alright?"

"Koshiro asked softly."

Dragon paused for a moment, then said, "He's been desperately going on missions to numb himself."

Koshiro was speechless.

I don't know what to say.

All I can say is that fate plays tricks on people.

"Dad! We're back!"

Just then, her daughter's voice came from outside.

"I'm leaving now; I'll stay on the island forever."

With that, Dragon vanished in the wind.

Then, Kuina and Zoro ran into the dojo one after the other.

After carefully examining the two children to confirm that they hadn't sustained any further injuries, Koshiro said sternly, "Kuina! Zoro! I've already told you! Don't go looking for pirates again!"

"Don't want!"

Koshiro was taken aback.

He blinked and looked down at Kuina.

Is that Kuina speaking?

Was that Kuina, who always listened to him, contradicting him?

"I came back to tell you, Dad!"

The beautiful young lady, beaming with pride, declared, "Zoro and I are going to board Ian's ship!"

"What!!"

Koshiro's glasses nearly flew off; the usually gentle man's voice suddenly became sharp, like a cat's claws scratching at glass.

He wondered if he had misheard, or if he was dreaming.

"That's right! Koshiro- sensei! We've decided to join the Beasts Pirates!"

Zoro's words were like a heavy hammer blow, shattering Koshiro's resolve.

His hand, which was adjusting his glasses, was trembling.

"Zoro, Kuina, you guys are joking, right?"

Koshiro's lips twitched incessantly.

Our family is one thing, but our relationship with the main branch of the Shimotsuki family is already quite distant.

But Zoro, your grandmother was the princess of the Shimotsuki family! She was the older sister of Shimotsuki Ushimaru, the heir to the Shimotsuki family that your father mentioned!

"Of course not!"

The two children were very serious, "Because we want to become stronger! We want to see a wider world!"

Koshiro's face stiffened.

He walked out without a word, his steps hurried. After leaving the dojo, he turned into a sprint, and then simply leaped up, Luffy across the rooftops of the village. In the blink of an eye, he had arrived at the shore where the Golden Flying Dragon was docked.

Ian!!

I'm fucking going to blow you up!

Now, Koshiro believes that Ian is not here to eliminate the root of the problem.

But this result is only slightly better than eradicating the problem completely.

He actually kidnapped his own daughter and his most valued disciple!

You're not even human!

Koshiro leaped up and landed directly on the gunwale of the Golden Flying Dragon.

Then he saw Ian getting beaten up by Hawk Eyes.

"Ian!!"

Koshiro's face darkened, and his voice involuntarily turned somber as well.

"It's such a waste for them to stay here."

As Ian withstood Hawk Eyes's punches, he spoke calmly and without surprise, "I will make them truly possess the power to reach the pinnacle."

"That's not a reason for them to become pirates!"

Koshiro gritted his teeth.

What a good kid! Now he's been led astray by this guy in front of him!

"Pirates?"

Ian casually remarked, "Mihawk, do you think the Beasts Pirates are ordinary pirates?"

"Everyone knows,"

Hawk Eyes's tone was calm. "The Pirate Emperor of the New World are essentially three enormous warlords, even nations."

Koshiro was about to say something more when Ian turned to look at him, saying with interest, "In the end, what right do you have to stop Kuina from becoming stronger, given that you keep saying that women can't surpass men?"

Koshiro froze instantly, speechless for a moment, but he still wanted to argue, "There are differences between men and women, that's a fact—"

"Then why don't you try to help Kuina overcome this difference?"

That's all Ian said.

It's just a difference in physical strength; a single Zoan Devil Fruit can make up for it.

Koshiro was speechless for a moment.

"What reason is there to stop children from going to the sea?"

Ian quoted someone, "Instead of venting your frustrations to me, why don't you go back and ask the kids what they think?"

"Although they are still just children, they already have a certain degree of decision-making power over their own lives, don't they?"

Koshiro gave Ian a deep look, then finally turned and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Ian smiled softly.

He suddenly said, "However, it seems a very formidable fellow has arrived on the island."

"What?"

Hawk Eyes paused slightly.

"Mihawk,"

Ian shook his head, looking disappointed. "Your Observation Haki isn't quite there yet."

Didn't you notice such a powerful aura?

Of course, it's also possible that Mihawk's Observation Haki isn't particularly adept at detecting auras.

It should be Dragon. I vaguely remember that Koshiro did have some connection with the Revolutionary Army, and he might even be a cadre of the Revolutionary Army.

It was probably because of their arrival that Koshiro requested assistance from the Revolutionary Army.

However, since Dragon showed no intention of showing up, Ian didn't bother to make it clear.

Anyway, this guy just likes to observe from the shadows, so let him observe to his heart's content.

Hawk Eyes's eyes twitched, and the black Inazuma in his hand surged, punching Ian into a spinning top.

"To be fair, without exaggeration or bias, Red-Haired better."

Koshiro quickly returned to his beloved dojo.

His daughter and apprentice were waiting for him in the courtyard.

They were having a lively discussion about what they would encounter after setting sail.

Koshiro looked at them with a complicated expression.

"Kuina, Zoro,"

He asked seriously, "Do you really want to join the Beasts Pirates? Are you really prepared to become pirates?"

The two children exchanged a glance, then Kuina also put on a serious face and answered earnestly, "Ian said the Beasts Pirates are already strong enough that they no longer need to burn, kill, and plunder."

"We just need to focus on becoming stronger."

Koshiro's lips twitched slightly.

That's really hard to refute.

As Hawk Eyes just said, the Beasts Pirates have become a powerful warlord, and even a huge nation.

Such beings are difficult to describe simply as good or evil.

In fact, as far as Koshiro knew, the inhabitants of the islands ruled by the Beasts Pirates were living quite well.

The Beasts Pirates have been expanding their factories, and this industrial development has brought a slight boost to the economies of those islands.

Can the Beasts Pirates be simply defined as vicious and ruthless just because they are pirates?

If these two kids join the Beasts Pirates, they might actually find it very difficult to do anything bad in the conventional sense.

"Dad!"

Kuina said earnestly, "I want to become stronger! Stronger than anyone else!"

"Kuina..."

Koshiro knew, of course, that his daughter was very strong-willed.

At such a young age, she was already stronger than the adults in the dojo. This was not only because of her talent, but also because of her indomitable spirit.

Looking into his daughter's resolute eyes, Koshiro finally sighed.

She had made up her mind.

"I see."

He said, "Since this is your decision, then I have no reason to stop it."

"Yay!!"

The two children immediately cheered.

They happily returned to the field to rest.

However, there was a hint of worry in Koshiro's eyes behind him.

No matter what, the Beasts Pirates are still pirates.

A man's voice came from the wind behind them, "Why don't you let them come back with me? If they want to become stronger, I can help them."

Koshiro shook his head. "You already have enough trouble. I can't add to it."

"Doing that will only bring trouble to the Beasts Pirates as well."

"I'm not actually worried about them being harmed by Ian. There's never been a rumor on the high seas that Ian has ever harmed his companions."

"Only,"

He sighed again. "Letting two teenagers decide their lives—as an adult, isn't that a bit too shameless?"

Trust them.

A voice drifted on the wind, "Sometimes children's senses are much more acute."

Koshiro nodded slightly.

After deciding to join the Beasts Pirates, the two children ran aboard the Golden Flying Dragon the very next day to get a head start on their future pirate life.

While touring the amazing ship, what they saw most was Ian being brutally beaten by Hawk Eyes.

Zoro was somewhat bewildered by this sight. "Ian, is he really stronger than Hawk Eyes?"

He got beaten up so badly, he didn't even fight back.

"That guy is just having Hawk Eyes help him train."

Luo said calmly, "I'm closest in age to them, so I was assigned to take care of them."

"Cultivation?"

Kuina blinked.

"The highest level of Haki, the Conqueror's Haki Infusion."

Luo shook his head. "That's still too far off for us."

He hasn't even Awakening his Haki yet.

Moreover, it's highly likely that it doesn't even possess Conqueror's Haki.

"Haki? Conqueror's Haki?"

Zoro noticed the key point in Law's words, "What is that?"

"That is the power hidden within the human body, and it is also the ability that true powerhouses must master."

Luo smiled, looking at the two whose eyes were gradually brightening, and said, "If you want to learn, then start with the Six Powers."

"Six Powers?!"

A week has passed in the blink of an eye.

Outside the cottages by the sea.

"Take it!"

Shimotsuki Kozaburo, with his single-browed eyebrows, handed the repaired Famous Sword Yoru to Hawk Eyes.

"The weight and properties should be unchanged from before, but I recast it."

The old man's tone was filled with considerable pride, "Its sturdiness should have improved by more than one level compared to before."

Hawk Eyes took the knife, examined it carefully, and his face was full of joy.

Hold it in your hand and give it a slight swing.

The feel was exactly the same as before, but as a top-tier swordsman, Mihawk knew very well that his beloved sword had become even stronger.

"Let's use it to challenge our previous enemies!"

Shimotsuki Kozaburo laughed and said.

Beside Hawk Eyes, Ian crossed his arms and chuckled, "So, how about challenging our previous enemies?"

Hawk Eyes's expression stiffened slightly.

Even though his beloved knife had become more durable, he didn't think it could withstand Ian's Crimson Sword for long.

"Now is not the time."

Hawk Eyes said, "When I forge it into Black Blade!"

"Are you sure?"

Ian said with great interest, "Now might be your last chance."

Hawk Eyes paused for a moment, then sneered, "You're too arrogant, Ian."

"Arrogant?"

Ian's lips curled into a smile. "Fine, Mihawk. I'll give you time to catch up, until you can't see him anymore."

Hawk Eyes clenched his fist instantly.

That bastard!

That's really bold of you!

While Hawk Eyes was getting really angry with Ian, Kuina, who had come with him, was saying goodbye to her grandfather.

"Grandpa! I'm going out to sea!"

"Hey! Kuina's grandpa!!"

Zoro was shocked; he had never heard of such a thing before.

Go ahead, go ahead.

Shimotsuki Kozaburo showed no reaction to his granddaughter's farewell, only waving his hand repeatedly, saying, "It's good for you to go and see the world."

"Um!"

Encouraged by this, Kuina nodded emphatically, her fighting spirit high, "I understand!"

Then.

"Then let's set off."

Ian stretched.

Within this week, the Golden Lion has wiped out another country.

The location was near the Red Line, much more distant, and Violet was also unable to observe it.

We have to keep waiting.

However, we'll have to wait in a different place next.

Before setting off, Koshiro held his daughter's and disciple's hands and gave them countless instructions.

The two young people, who were eagerly anticipating the sea, couldn't help but be moved by the sadness of parting, and their eyes welled up with tears.

Then, Koshiro bowed deeply to Ian and said, "Mr. Ian, I entrust the children to you."

Ian replied earnestly, "Now that they're on my ship, they're my partners, and I will never let anyone hurt them."

Koshiro felt slightly relieved.

He could certainly tell that Ian's attitude was very sincere.

Then, the Golden Flying Dragon set sail.

Goodbye, Dad!

Kuina waved goodbye with all her might from the gunwale to her father, who was already receding into the distance on the dock.

"Mihawk, you owe me another favor."

"Here, "Ian said.

"What?"

Hawk Eyes frowned. "I don't recall ever owing you a favor."

"Do you think a swordsmith like Shimotsuki Kozaburo would help with repairs for free?"

Ian smiled and said, "I've already covered your repair fee."

"Tsk."

Hawk Eyes was filled with frustration.

One favor was enough to make him suffer at the Ian the whole way.

If I have to do another favor, how am I supposed to survive?

But he was indeed clean, having come in a small boat with only a few coins in his pocket, unable to repay the debt.

Or should we run?

Anyway, the knife is fixed now, there's no need to travel with this bastard anymore.

He jumped into the sea--

Wrong!

That bastard has Fish-Man Unit on his ship!

Even if you jump into the water, you can't escape.

"Next,"

Ian chuckled. "Go find your old friend."

"An old friend?"

Hawk Eyes paused, then his eyes lit up. "That Red-Haired guy is in the East Blue too."

"That's right!"

Ian gave the order, "Target: Kingdom of Goa!"

The large ship is moving forward at full speed.

Shimotsuki Village, port.

Koshiro opened several boxes left by the pirates at the port, and a burst of golden light almost dazzled his eyes.

He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

"As expected of the Beasts Pirates, they're incredibly wealthy."

The wind gathered around him, Dragon materialized. "How do you feel about Ian now?"

Koshiro paused, then sighed, "I just hope he doesn't corrupt Kuina and Zoro."

Dragon smiled slightly. "I actually think that boy is quite reliable."

"But,"

He gazed in the direction the Golden Flying Dragon had gone, wondering, "Where are they going?"

Koshiro looked up, then briefly recalled the sea chart, and said somewhat uncertainly, "That seems to be the direction of the Kingdom of Goa."

Dragon's expression changed instantly.

Kingdom of Goa!

Bad!

My son is being led astray!

Oh, so she was already corrupted by Red-Haired?

That's alright then.