Several days later.
Aboard the flagship of the Goa Empire's fleet, the Exile Emperor.
Nami excitedly gave orders to the sailors and helmsmen.
She'd never imagined that she, Cat Burglar Nami, would one day get to command the empire's Guard Army. Just thinking about it thrilled her.
If her old rival, the little fox Carina, knew how impressive she was now, she'd be green with envy.
Nojiko, dressed in her gardener's clothes, tended to the various fruits and vegetables aboard the flagship. Seeing Nami so exhilarated made her happy too.
Their fates had changed completely the moment they met Wang Shi.
Bell-mère, we'll live strong and wonderful lives from now on.
After Kaya asked many times, Wang Shi allowed her to go to sea with the court physician and serve as the expedition's shipboard doctor.
Kaya could also continue learning from the court physician.
She was deeply grateful to His Majesty Wang Shi for being so accommodating, and her eyes held a new tenderness.
Wang Shi said nothing, only smiled.
Every gift fate gave them came with a price already marked.
They'd have to repay Wang Shi for his favor and kindness.
···
Van Augur carried his famous rifle, Senriku, and the Golden Sniper Rifle on his back as he sat atop the mainmast, his sharp eyes watching in every direction.
He was a sniper, but also a lookout.
He had to spot and eliminate potential threats before they appeared.
"Stay sharp! Nothing can go wrong during His Majesty's tour of the four kingdoms."
Eric, dressed in his Guard Army captain's uniform, shouted to the assembled guards.
It was only after becoming a captain in the Goa Empire's Guard Army that Eric realized how good it felt.
Whenever he saw Jango the hypnotist and the pirate slaves Siamese Cat Sham and Spotted Cat Buchi, he was reminded of how much worse things could have been.
Comparison really did put things in perspective.
Eric felt immeasurably lucky.
Thank goodness he'd surrendered decisively that day. Otherwise, Wang Shi would have put a Slave Collar around his neck.
The Navy had taken Captain Morgan, Captain Nezumi, and the other corrupt Marines back to Marine Headquarters to deal with them personally.
To keep the corruption of two Marine Branch commanders from making Morgans's newspaper, Sengoku the Buddha had offered the Goa Emperor plenty of compensation and administrative favors.
Wang Shi had even secured partial authority over troop deployments at every Marine Branch in the Goa Empire.
That was a major breakthrough.
···
The Goa Empire's fleet set sail.
In less than a day, Wang Shi and the others reached their first destination.
Moonlight Province, Shimotsuki Village, Isshin Dojo.
Shimotsuki Koshiro led all the dojo's students to the harbor to welcome the emperor of the Goa Empire.
They were now citizens of the empire too.
No one had expected the renowned Goa Emperor to visit a small village.
So Mosshead still hasn't gone to sea. No wonder no one in the East Blue has heard of him.
When Wang Shi spotted a green-haired figure behind Shimotsuki Koshiro, a smile tugged at his lips.
It was September 1518.
Mosshead Zoro's birthday was November 11, so he wasn't seventeen yet.
That meant Koshiro hadn't let him set sail with the inherited Great Grade Sword, Wado Ichimonji.
Nami, born on July 3, had already turned sixteen.
Nojiko, two years older than Nami, was born on July 25 and was eighteen this year.
As for Kaya, she was a year younger than Nami, and even two or three months younger than Straw Hat Luffy.
Hm? Saka hasn't gone to sea and gotten injured either?
Wang Shi also noticed a silver-haired figure beside Zoro. Both his hands were intact.
Saka had practiced swordsmanship with Zoro since they were boys. In the month before Zoro went to sea to challenge Hawkeye Mihawk, Saka had lost the use of his right hand for life while rescuing the reckless boy.
Saka later left Shimotsuki Island. During the one or two years Zoro got lost in the East Blue, Saka had wandered all the way to Aska Island in the Grand Line, where he eventually obtained the cursed Seven-Star Sword.
Zoro had felt so guilty toward Saka that he'd even turned on his own pirate crewmates.
Since they're both here, I'll make them mine.
Wang Shi smiled at Shimotsuki Koshiro. It would be easy to bring the head of Isshin Dojo to heel.
"Welcome to Shimotsuki Village, Your Majesty!"
Koshiro greeted the emperor respectfully.
"I hear the students of Isshin Dojo in Shimotsuki Village are very talented. I'd like to recruit some skilled swordsmen. What do you think, dojo master?"
Wang Shi got straight to the point instead of beating around the bush.
At his words, Mosshead Zoro looked unconcerned. Once he turned seventeen, he planned to go to sea and seek out Hawkeye Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman.
He would carry both his and Kuina's dreams with him, challenge Mihawk, and claim the title of World's Greatest Swordsman.
The silver-haired Saka looked tempted. He'd planned to join the Marines after graduating from the dojo.
But since the Goa Empire had unified the four kingdoms and the new provinces had grown closer, the Marines at the nearby 153rd Branch and 16th Branch seemed to have a poor reputation.
Even the branch commanders, Captain Morgan and Captain Nezumi, had been taken down by His Majesty Wang Shi.
If he didn't join the Marines, becoming a swordsman in the Goa Empire's Guard Army didn't seem like a bad choice.
His sword of justice could still protect more people in need—and he might even become famous.
"Your Majesty is too kind. They're just crude sword techniques for building strength and fending off pirates. They're hardly exceptional," Koshiro said modestly. He wouldn't interfere much with the other students.
But he didn't want Zoro, heir to Wado Ichimonji, joining the empire's Guard Army.
"Then I'll take that green-haired swordsman and the silver-haired one. They both seem promising."
Wang Shi named them outright. Koshiro and Zoro immediately turned to look at him, both plainly unwilling.
But feeling Wang Shi's interest in him, Saka's wavering decision between the Marines and the Guard Army quickly settled.
"Your Majesty, that green-haired swordsman is Roronoa Zoro. He wants to become the World's Greatest Swordsman. He—"
Koshiro hurried to speak up for Zoro, his voice anxious.
"Lord Koshiro, you wouldn't want the World Government to find out that you once supplied food to the Revolutionary Army, would you?"
Wang Shi stepped close to Koshiro's ear and spoke softly, so only the two of them could hear.
At the whisper, Koshiro was shaken to the core. His eyes shrank to pinpricks, and he fell silent.
A cold sweat broke out across his back.
For a moment, he even considered killing Wang Shi.
After all, the charge of conspiring with the Revolutionary Army could destroy Shimotsuki Village.
But was Wang Shi really that easy to deal with?
This was the King of Exile who had conquered four kingdoms!
Even at such close range, Koshiro wasn't confident he could kill him.
He saw the amusement and confidence in Wang Shi's eyes.
And was Wang Shi the only one who knew?
Koshiro couldn't kill every high-ranking official in the Goa Empire.
He didn't have the strength for that.
"Relax. I'm not interested in your dealings with the Revolutionary Army. I only want to train these two students of yours."
Wang Shi stopped pressuring Koshiro and laughed easily.
"If you can persuade them, that's all that matters. Zoro can be pretty stubborn..."
Koshiro reluctantly accepted Wang Shi's threat. He couldn't afford to gamble. Not at all.
"Roronoa Zoro, right? Do you want to go find the World's Greatest Swordsman..."