Revolutionary Army?

PS: The next few chapters are all transitional chapters, so they might be a little boring, but they're necessary!

PS+1: I just realized something really depressing. It seems the first chapter got censored, so now it goes straight from the prologue to Chapter Two...

PS2: Thanks to "Shensuan," "I'll Rely on You from Now On," and "Momo Mo" for the tips. Thanks for your support!

PS3: By the way, is the protagonist's name really that awkward? I'll put up a poll in the reviews section later, and we can vote on whether to change it. If we do, Xiao Jiao can go back and edit the chapters while there aren't too many yet.

PS4: Lastly, please vote for the book!

"Haah—"

Bai Ina's tightly shut eyes flew open. With a shout, he drew the Black Blade Dawn in his hand, sending a pitch-black slash hurtling straight through the several-meter-tall boulder before him.

With a sharp crack, the boulder split cleanly in two.

"I'm still too weak. Even the Zoro who had just become a Bounty Hunter would be stronger than I am now."

Looking at the severed boulder, Bai Ina frowned, his voice full of dissatisfaction. After all, the Zoro who had just become a Bounty Hunter in the future had already come close to sensing the breath of all things. Before his battle with Mr. 1, he had even managed to touch a few times upon that realm where one could cut nothing—and yet cut anything.

Bai Ina couldn't even catch a glimpse of that realm. Still, he wasn't too discouraged. He was only ten years old, and he wouldn't turn eleven for another four months. He had plenty of time.

Besides, even if Zoro, who was the same age as him, had great talent for swordsmanship, Bai Ina was confident he could easily beat him!

He had been here for half a year now, and in that time Bai Ina's strength had grown explosively. If his fighting strength had been 10 six months ago, it had now increased at least fivefold.

He could feel himself growing stronger every day. He had also reached the third movement of the second set of conditioning poses his teacher had taught him.

Of course, while training, he hadn't forgotten to develop his flexibility and... uh... pursue the path of a female swordsman... Whenever he thought about it, Bai Ina couldn't help but feel a little crazed...

After doing some basic exercises, Bai Ina saw that the sky was already growing light. He wrapped up his training and headed for the dojo.

When he returned, the children Teacher Kubo had taken in were already doing their morning drills under Hijikata Yoshitoyo's guidance. In one corner of the yard, Zongcilang was catching up on sleep, wearing an eye mask with eyes painted on it...

Seeing this, Bai Ina shook his head, walked over, and gave the lazy bastard a kick.

"Ah—"

Taken by surprise, Zongcilang sprang up. Without even removing his eye mask, he cursed, "Bai Ina, you bastard! Kick me again, and even if I can't beat you, I'll cut you down!"

Zongcilang didn't need to look to know that Bai Ina had startled him out of a good dream. Only two people in the entire dojo could approach him so quietly without being noticed.

One was Teacher Kubo; the other was Bai Ina. Teacher Kubo would never do something like this, so the answer was easy to guess.

Bai Ina completely ignored Zongcilang's furious protests and said coldly, "Get up and get ready. Once morning training is over, the three of us are going to Border Town to buy supplies."

At that, Zongcilang ripped off his eye mask and shouted, "You two ice blocks can go by yourselves! Why drag me into it? I'm very sensitive to the cold. I'll catch a cold if I go with you two ice blocks, damn it!"

"Because Teacher Kubo said you have to come too. Even if I have to knock you out, I'll take you with me."

"..." Zongcilang.

"Exactly. It's about time that lazy bastard got some exercise." Hijikata Yoshitoyo walked over and piled on while Zongcilang was down.

"Where's Teacher Kubo?"

Bai Ina looked around but didn't see Teacher Kubo. At this time of day, Teacher Kubo was usually already here, making sure the kids had started training.

"We have a guest. Teacher went to receive them," Hijikata Yoshitoyo replied.

"A guest?" Bai Ina was taken aback. This was the first visitor they'd had in six months. He couldn't imagine anyone coming out here just for a stroll. The visitor must have come for some reason.

"Haah... I think he's one of Teacher's friends. I've seen him a few times before. He's always so mysterious when he visits."

Zongcilang, standing nearby, yawned heavily and spoke as if he didn't care.

Bai Ina nodded.

"Hey, Brother Hijikata! Brother Zongcilang! So you're both here!"

Just then, a boy who looked about fifteen or sixteen came running over, waving. His face was wreathed in smiles.

"Tch!" Zongcilang glanced at the approaching boy. When he came closer, Zongcilang said lazily, "I'm not your big brother. We may be the same age, but my birthday's a month later than yours."

The smile on the boy's face stiffened. Then he laughed it off. "A few months don't matter. Besides, you got here before me, and you're stronger than I am. You've earned the title of big brother."

"By that logic, you should call Bai Ina over there 'Dad.' He got here before you, and he's a lot stronger than I am!"

Zongcilang wasn't buying the boy's flattery and mocked him.

The boy's expression darkened almost imperceptibly, but he quickly recovered and smiled. "You're quite the jokester, Brother Zongcilang!"

"Tch!"

Zongcilang pulled the eye mask down over his eyes.

The boy's eyebrow twitched. He turned to Bai Ina, his gaze complicated, filled with jealousy and resentment—and, more than anything, disgust. As the dojo master's most valued disciple, Bai Ina had always rubbed him the wrong way. And Bai Ina's perpetually expressionless face made him feel as though Bai Ina looked down on him.

Even so, his face remained wreathed in smiles. "Ina, just get back from morning training?"

"Don't call me Ina."

Bai Ina's voice was icy. His cold, utterly untroubled gaze startled the boy, who instinctively took a step back. But then a wave of shame and anger surged through him, and his gaze turned venomous.

After saying that, Bai Ina turned straight to Zongcilang and Hijikata Yoshitoyo. "I'll go ask Loxi if there's anything we need to bring." Then he headed straight for the cafeteria.

He didn't want to see this boy named Jande at all. If they spent too much time together, Bai Ina suspected he might lose control and kill him.

Jande had come to the dojo of his own accord a month earlier. He had knelt outside, begging Teacher Kubo to take him in without a shred of dignity. Naturally, kindhearted Teacher Kubo couldn't turn away a boy who had come seeking help, so he had agreed to let Jande stay at the dojo.

Although Bai Ina looked down on the spineless boy, that alone wasn't enough to make him hate Jande.

Jande was very good at sucking up to people with influence. After learning that Hijikata Yoshitoyo and Zongcilang were the dojo master's disciples, he had constantly flattered them, though with little success... Still, he achieved his goal of making everyone else at the dojo think he was close to the two of them.

The children at the dojo all called him "Big Brother Jande," and he acted like a bully hiding behind someone else's power. Of course, in front of Zongcilang and Hijikata Yoshitoyo, he always put on the act of a kindly big brother who treated every child well.

But behind their backs, he was a completely different person. Taking advantage of his age, he often bullied the younger children and ordered them to do the chores assigned to everyone. He avoided Hijikata Yoshitoyo and the others, but made no effort to hide his behavior from Bai Ina.

After all, Bai Ina wasn't close to the other children at the dojo. Aside from Hijikata Yoshitoyo and Zongcilang, nobody knew he was Teacher Kubo's disciple. He was also the youngest person at the dojo, so at first Jande didn't bother hiding his ugly side from him.

Bai Ina couldn't be bothered to deal with Jande. As long as Jande didn't cross him, he left him alone, though he did tell Hijikata Yoshitoyo and Zongcilang what Jande had been doing.

What had truly made Bai Ina want to kill him had happened half a month ago. Jande had been lazy and gone to the cafeteria late to get food. By then, the dishes had already been handed out, and only rice was left.

This two-faced bastard had immediately flown into a rage. Taking advantage of the empty cafeteria, he'd threatened Loxi and ordered him to cook several dishes especially for him.

Bai Ina had happened to come by to help Loxi wash dishes and had witnessed it. Furious, he'd beaten Jande soundly.

Afterward, Jande learned from Hijikata Yoshitoyo that Bai Ina was the dojo master's disciple. Though he hated Bai Ina, he no longer dared to provoke him.

After shooting Bai Ina's back a venomous look, Jande resumed chatting with Hijikata Yoshitoyo and Zongcilang, his face full of smiles.

Hijikata Yoshitoyo, who usually wasn't much of a talker, frowned at Jande's nonstop chatter and said bluntly, "I'll go invite Teacher Kubo and the guest to eat." With that, he turned to leave.

At this, Jande's eyes lit up. "I'll go, Brother Hijikata. You should stay here and keep the younger boys on track with their morning training."

"Mm... all right," Hijikata Yoshitoyo replied with a nod.

Once Hijikata Yoshitoyo agreed, Jande turned and ran toward the back courtyard where Teacher Kubo was.

But he hadn't gone far when he spotted Teacher Kubo walking this way from the back courtyard, looking displeased. Jande hurried to meet him and said respectfully, "Teacher Kubo, Brother Hijikata asked me to invite you and the guest to have breakfast in the cafeteria!"

When Kubo Yamato saw Jande, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. But he quickly smoothed his expression. He had come to understand Jande's character over the past few days. Though he disliked it, he still believed Jande's worldly ways could be corrected.

"Mm. Go to my quarters and call him down."

Kubo Yamato couldn't be bothered to go back and speak with the liaison sent by certain people. He strongly supported the organization's beliefs, but he didn't want to deal with certain bureaucrats in it.

Jande was a little confused, but didn't ask any questions. He continued toward the back courtyard.

A minute later, he arrived there. He had just raised his hand to knock when he was interrupted by the sharp crash of a cup being smashed.

"That bastard Kubo Yamato! He's just a Devil Fruit user, so what gives him the right to act so high and mighty? We're both members of the Revolutionary Army! I only asked him to abandon this lousy dojo, turn all these useless brats loose, and focus on training a cadre to prepare for overthrowing the Goa Kingdom. And he actually had the nerve to lecture me for meddling!"

The sudden outburst made Jande's face change dramatically. The information in those words shocked him. He had never imagined the dojo master was a member of the Revolutionary Army, which had risen rapidly over the past few years.

"If the boss hadn't sent me to tell him that Dragon would be coming to the Goa Kingdom in the next few days, who the hell would come to a dump like this... And judging by Kubo Yamato's attitude, he has no intention of overthrowing the Goa Kingdom at all. What a bastard!!!"

Jande's expression shifted uncertainly, his face full of inner conflict. After a long while, he seemed to reach a decision. A trace of greed surfaced in his eyes...

Two minutes passed. After making sure the irritable man inside hadn't started shouting in anger again, Jande stepped forward, knocked on the door, and called loudly, "Guest, Teacher Kubo asked me to call you to the cafeteria for a meal."

"Mm, I know. You can go."

The man inside didn't suspect a thing and answered casually.

Jande gave a scornful smile and turned to leave...