Dragon, along with Ivankov and Bartholomew Kuma, witnessed the Goa fire in the East Blue and even rescued the burned Sabo.
The Revolutionary Army's ship then headed towards Shimotsuki Village...
The Shimotsuki Family, a prominent clan in the area, is a branch of the Shimotsuki Clan of Wano Country and is also one of the supporters who secretly provide assistance to the Revolutionary Army. The Revolutionary Army obtained supplies here.
However, from another perspective, another "big event" for some people also happened this year!
Zoro suffered his 2001st defeat at the hands of Kuina.
However, Kuina, who was beginning to develop, became self-pitying because she was a girl, which displeased Zoro.
After indirectly encouraging Kuina, Zoro took it upon himself to make a deal with Kuina: one of them would become the world's greatest swordsman, and then they would wait for the other to challenge them!
However, the very next day, news broke of Kuina's death, and the cause of death was quite casual—she fell down the stairs and died.
Zoro was heartbroken and became even more determined to become the world's greatest swordsman, to make his name resound throughout heaven. He also received the Wado Ichimonji from Koshiro, which was Kuina's sword when she was alive.
If you only focus on this, then it's just a story about a kid under ten years old whose best friend died and who then made a painful decision.
Although all of this will eventually shape an incredibly powerful swordsman who may truly become the greatest swordsman in the world, it's not a big deal right now.
However, if we also include the perspectives of the Revolutionary Army and the Shimotsuki Family, then things become more interesting.
So, Kuina was unhappy with her gender the day before, and the next day, during Ivankov's visit (who supposedly had the ability to change gender), she accidentally fell down the stairs and died?
Furthermore, in the Ringo Region Wano Country, where the Shimotsuki Family resides, there is a long-standing custom of erecting sword monuments—after a swordsman dies, his sword will serve as a tombstone, placed in front of his grave.
In the original work, when the samurai rebelled against Kaido ten years later, they "borrowed" a large number of the sword monuments of the dead samurai.
However, Kuina, who came from the Shimotsuki Family, did not receive such treatment at all; her Wado Ichimonji was directly given to Zoro.
If looking at these two perspectives together only leads to the conclusion that there are "suspicious points," then now that Sig has seen this "half- Wano Country" left behind by the Revolutionary Army in Wano Country, who is an eleven or twelve-year-old girl, and Yamato seems to have received information from her about "changing gender"... all things considered, the facts seem to be clear!
At this point, Sig was 90% certain that the masked man was Kuina... Shimotsuki Kuina!
At the same time, Sig roughly pieced together what had happened before.
It's likely that Kuina discovered her father's communication with the Revolutionary Army and recognized Ivankov, so she wanted to use this method to compensate for her gender disadvantage in order to climb to the top of Swordsmanship.
As a descendant of the Shimotsuki Family, joining the Revolutionary Army could be considered a matter of impeccable lineage—after all, Wano Country is a long-established "non- Affiliated Nation."
Koshiro couldn't openly say, "You're asking about Kuina? She joined the Revolutionary Army," since he still had to live in the East Blue. So even to Kuina's friends, he could only say, "Kuina is dead."
However, perhaps out of guilt, or perhaps because he truly valued the weapon, the reason for handing the precious "Wado Ichimonji" to Zoro became quite plausible.
However, judging from Yamato's words, Ivankov also has principles. He should let Kuina come to him after she turns eighteen, and use these years to hone his swordsmanship and think things through carefully.
Furthermore, considering that Yamato aspires to be a role model for Kuina, she must have also comforted Kuina!
Can Hormone-Hormone Fruit change gender?
Is it necessary?
See? I considered myself a boy, and now I've married Kozuki Hiyori!
Girls aren't strong? Wait till I use Thunder Bagua Trigrams to smear that old guy's face and you'll see...
Kuina was naturally unable to refute such examples, and the current special situation in Wano Country made the Revolutionary Army also want to keep someone with whom they could maintain long-term contact.
In terms of background, Kuina is undoubtedly very suitable for this position, after all, she is a descendant of the Shimotsuki Family!
This is also why Yamato, after a period of distress and self-blame, abandoned his previous idea—after all, he had said before that he wanted to set an example for little Kuina and not use such "unorthodox" methods...
"Does it really have to be a man and a woman? Are you sure?" Yamato then gave him a "do you even know anything?" look, hoping that Sig had made a mistake.
"Are you kidding me? Do you know how many children I have?" Sig said dismissively.
Well, to be honest, Sig himself didn't know...
Yamato immediately showed an expression of admiration, as if he had finally met an expert.
"But I can't help you with your situation and Hiyori's." Sig quickly tossed his bag aside; this wasn't a place where his experience could be of any use.
"Tch." Yamato scoffed at Sig's stinginess.
However, Yamato has come to terms with it now, just like he encouraged Kuina: Where there's a will, there's a way! Don't use your gender as an excuse; who says girls can't become great swordsmen?
Similarly, as long as I am Yamato and...
"I don't think this is something that can be accomplished by those who have the will..." Sig observed Yamato's thoughts and silently poured cold water on them.
Hmm, that kind of talk is perfect for reprimanding Kuina, but... is having a child with Hiyori something that can be achieved simply through effort?
Yamato displeasure. "Were you spying on my thoughts again?"
"No, it's written all over your face." Sig denied it decisively.
Seeing Yamato's face filled with contemplation on "how to become a boy," Sig couldn't help but remind him, "Actually... do you really know the difference between men and women?"
Sig always felt that Yamato wasn't truly "male at heart," but rather that he had no concept of it.
"Eh? Of course I know! Lord Kozuki Oden is a man, Kozuki Toki is a woman..." Yamato's understanding in this regard was limited to Kozuki Oden's diary.
No one has ever enlightened Yamato in any way. Neither Kaido nor the other members of the Beasts have had as much interaction with her as the "Oden Diary".
Fortunately, Oden didn't write anything "strange" in his diary; he only expressed his affection for his wife in his daily life. Otherwise, Yamato wouldn't have been so clueless about "giving birth."
Therefore, the Yamato, who were enlightened by this, naturally assumed that Oden was a man and Oden's Wife was a woman.
Oden's Wife is certainly not bad, but as a descendant of the Amatsuki family, she naturally has the typical style of a woman from Wano Country. Although she is a time traveler from eight hundred years ago, she is not much different from others.
From childhood, Yamato Kozuki Oden, wanting to be a great hero rather than a Yamato Nadeshiko).
"No, no, no, we can't look at it so narrowly. This is just one example. Just as a woman can be a great swordsman, naturally a woman can be a great hero..."