At the door to Zephyr's office, Zoro was pestering the two guards on duty, hoping they would help report his request to their superiors, when he suddenly noticed the office door open.
As he glanced over, Kuina emerged through the crack in the opened door.
"Kuina?! What are you doing here so late?"
Zoro froze in surprise at the sight of Kuina. Pointing at her, his face was filled with astonishment, and even his voice had risen to a sharp pitch. He had never expected to see Kuina here.
"I came with my father. They're having a meeting."
"What are you making such a fuss about? Why aren't you back resting at this hour? What are you doing here?"
Kuina looked Zoro over. Seeing that he was drenched in sweat and his hair was soaking wet, she immediately understood that he had been training.
At that realization, a different emotion flickered in Kuina's eyes.
Kuina and Zoro had practically grown up together. Kuina was slightly older and had begun training in swordsmanship earlier.
As Shimotsuki Koushirou's daughter, Kuina had quite a reputation among the New Marines. Ever since she was young, she had been hailed as a genius. At seven or eight years old, she could already defeat ordinary adults. Even young swordsmen who had joined the Marines spoke highly of her strength.
Kuina's personality was completely different from Koshiro's somewhat laid-back nature. Though she was a girl, she demanded a great deal of herself. The person she admired was Tsugikuni Yoriichi, known as the "World's Strongest."
Kuina hoped that one day she would become the world's greatest swordsman, and she had always worked toward that goal.
Kuina's training progress far surpassed that of her peers. Yet while receiving endless praise, a child as young as her inevitably became somewhat