Monkey D. Dragon

Thank you to Cao Ah Cao Ah Cao, Chen Chen Chen Chen Chen Yan, and Qian Sha Wei Ni for the tips, and thank you for your support!

"Teacher Kubo—"

With a terrified cry, Bai Ina's eyes flew open. The familiar ceiling of his room in the dojo came into view.

"Ugh—"

Bai Ina instinctively tried to sit up, but the moment he moved, a tearing pain shot through his abdomen.

"I suggest you don't move around, or your condition will get worse."

Just then, an unfamiliar voice reached Bai Ina's ears. He turned his head and saw a man with a red, square-patterned tattoo on his left cheek sitting beside the table, looking over some unfamiliar documents.

"You..."

Bai Ina recognized the man at once. He was about to ask why he was here, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he froze. His throat burned as if it were on fire, and his voice came out hoarse.

The battle amid the flames immediately came back to Bai Ina. His last memory was of that wavy-haired man striking him more than a dozen times in the abdomen with fists wrapped in Haki. He had been utterly defeated, and then... he seemed to have passed out...

"I'm the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Monkey D. Dragon."

The man—no, Dragon—answered.

Bai Ina fell silent for a moment, then asked hoarsely, "Did you save me? What about Zongcilang and the others? And..." As he spoke, a pang shot through his chest, as though his heart refused to think of that person again...

"Let's say I saved you. If you mean those two brats, don't worry. They're fine." Dragon shook his head slightly and looked at Bai Ina without expression. After a moment, he continued, "As for Kubo Yamato, he was already... dead when I arrived."

Bai Ina's pupils contracted. He cried out instinctively, "That's impossible! They were supposed to take Teacher Kubo away. Why would he be dead?"

Dragon shook his head, but said nothing more.

Creak—

Just then, the door slowly opened, and Loxi walked in carrying a bowl of rice porridge. When he saw Bai Ina awake in bed, his face lit up. "Ina, you're finally awake!"

"Finally?"

Bai Ina was taken aback, then asked, "Was I unconscious for a long time?"

"Yeah. You've been out for ten days. When Mr. Dragon brought you back, you were covered in injuries. Your hands weren't too bad, but the wound in your abdomen was terrifyingly severe. If not for the doctor who came with Mr. Dragon, you might've died—"

There was some reproach in Loxi's voice. After all, Bai Ina had said he was only going to bring Zongcilang and the other boy back, and had promised not to fight Cipher Pol 9. Yet he had returned looking like he was on the verge of death.

Ten days?

Bai Ina raised an eyebrow. Even he hadn't expected to be unconscious for so long.

After a moment's thought, Bai Ina asked, "Where are Zongcilang and Tufang?"

Loxi hesitated, unsure how to answer.

"They've joined the Revolutionary Army. They've taken over their teacher's original mission and are gathering a following, preparing to overthrow the decaying nobles of the Goa Kingdom."

It was Dragon, who had remained silent until then, who answered. He slowly stood and set the item in his hand beside Bai Ina's bed. "This is your sword, right? It's a fine blade. Don't throw it around again."

Bai Ina looked at Black Blade Dawn beside the bed, and everything else vanished from his mind. An overwhelming sadness welled up inside him...

"Black Blade Dawn, which was forged in the same furnace as Black Blade Night, one of the twelve Supreme Grade Swords, isn't quite on the same level. It's only at the top of the twenty-one Great Grade Swords. But it's every bit as tough as Black Blade Night. It will become a new signpost on your path in life—a true signpost, one that will never... break!!!"

"It will carry you through the dawn and lead you to the beautiful road of the new day beyond it. And I... will be a passerby alongside your road through life, ready to guide you whenever you need me!"

"Are you... willing to accept this hope of a new dawn and stay?"

"..."

Was it really dawn after the darkness?

Teacher, why was there still nothing but endless darkness after the dawn?

Tears slipped silently from the corners of Bai Ina's eyes. It had only been half a year, but in that short time, Teacher Kubo had given so much without asking for anything in return. Bai Ina would never forget it for as long as he lived...

Seeing this, Loxi's expression darkened. He had no idea how to comfort Bai Ina. In the end, he said nothing and simply wiped the tears from the corners of Bai Ina's eyes with a handkerchief.

As he wiped them away, he brushed aside Bai Ina's disheveled hair. A mournful, deathly pallor came into view—that was... his hair. His once-black hair had somehow turned white.

With his pale hair and tear-soaked face, Bai Ina looked utterly helpless and heartbroken...

Bai Ina wept silently for a long time before his tears finally stopped. Perhaps he felt a little better, or perhaps he had simply run out of tears...

"I want to join... the Revolutionary Army!"

His hoarse voice was filled with furious hatred. Bai Ina's bloodshot eyes were fixed on Dragon.

"You can..."

Dragon nodded slightly, then said, "But, just like those two brats, you three will use your own strength to overthrow the rotten nobles of the Goa Kingdom. I won't provide any help beyond supplies and intelligence. You'll have to gather all your own members." He gave Bai Ina a long look, then turned and walked away.

Two short figures were waiting outside the door. One was about Bai Ina's age, with a large top hat fitted with goggles, short blond hair, and a missing tooth. He was none other than Sabo, the Revolutionary Army's chief of staff in the future!

The other figure, however, was strange. A hooded cloak much like Dragon's covered him from head to toe, making it impossible to tell whether he was a man or a woman.

"Let's go. There's nothing more for us to do here." Dragon glanced back at the white-haired boy in bed and sighed heavily. "I have to say, Kubo Yamato, you really were something. That stubborn kid from Frost Moon Village—who would've thought you could change him so much?"

With that, he turned to leave. Sabo followed without hesitation, but the cloaked figure stayed perfectly still.

"I want to talk to him—"

The cool voice reached Dragon's ears, making him pause. Without turning around, he said, "We'll wait for you on the ship." Then he left the dojo with Sabo.