Kuina, Drink This Bowl of Poisoned Chicken Soup

Dangerous target.

Dunn, who was attempting to use Observation Haki to assist in guiding his Armament Haki, snapped his eyes open.

Having only just mastered Observation Haki, his current range of perception was limited, barely covering the entirety of the Isshin Dojo.

Yet, the group that had arrived at the dojo gave Dunn an incredibly dangerous feeling.

Strong individuals, so many of them, and some are even stronger than Shimotsuki Koshiro.

Within the vision perceived by his Observation Haki, the heads of this group were all marked with signs of extreme danger; one person even had three blood-red question marks hovering above them.

The Revolutionary Army?

Dunn opened his eyes, having already guessed the identity of the visitors.

Shimotsuki Koshiro did indeed have private contact with the Revolutionary Army.

Monkey D. Dragon, or as he was called, Dragon.

The leader of the Revolutionary Army, a thorn in the side of the World Government, the son of the Marine hero Garp, the father of Monkey D. Luffy, and a Logia-type user—suspected to be related to wind.

Although he hasn't made many moves, this man should be among the very top tier of the sea, a powerhouse on the level of a Yonko.

Dunn felt a flicker of interest, but before he could fully rise, he sat back down.

These people represented trouble.

You could say that the Revolutionary Army led by Dragon had noble ideals and wanted to overthrow the World Government to change the world, but that had nothing to do with him.

He wasn't even a person from this world.

Respect was just respect; as for making contact, he'd rather not.

Thinking this, Dunn reined in his thoughts, settled back into his position, and continued his training, focusing on guiding his Armament Haki.

Kuina and Zoro, who had just finished another bout, also noticed these uninvited guests and saw Shimotsuki Koshiro ushering them into the dojo, but they didn't go over to investigate.

"You lost again, for the 1,997th time!"

Kuina looked at Zoro with a calm expression.

"Damn it, don't get so cocky, I'll definitely be able to defeat you."

Hearing Kuina's emphasis, Zoro instantly bristled.

"You will never be able to defeat me."

Kuina stood with her hands on her hips, glancing sideways at Zoro.

Zoro gritted his teeth, pointing his bamboo sword at Kuina.

"Not only will I defeat you, I'll also defeat Dunn, and then, I will become the strongest swordsman in the world."

After saying this, Zoro panted, glaring at Kuina.

"Defeat Dunn?"

Kuina was stunned, her expression unreadable.

Dunn had only been at the dojo for a month, but his strength had progressed by leaps and bounds, especially his swordsmanship, which had already exceeded her imagination.

And then there was that super physique that her father marveled at.

According to her father, Dunn's physique was no weaker than those monsters out on the sea.

And now, Kuina already had the feeling that even if she gave it her all, she couldn't win.

"You can't even see the gap between us and him."

Kuina said in a low voice.

"You, have you given up?"

Although Zoro had no sense of direction, he wasn't stupid, and occasionally he had flashes of insight.

Right now, he could sense Kuina's mood.

"You've beaten me 1,997 times, don't sell yourself short, or what does that make me, the one who lost to you?"

Zoro glared at Kuina, huffing.

Kuina lowered her head, remaining silent. Zoro stared at her with wide eyes, then suddenly raised the bamboo sword in his hand.

"I've decided, Kuina. Next, I'm going to defeat you, and then, I will be the one to defeat Dunn."

After Zoro finished speaking, he snorted and turned to leave, only to see a figure standing behind him that hadn't been there a moment ago.

"Du... Dunn."

Zoro froze, stammering.

"I'll give you that chance. Come on, Zoro, challenge me, defeat me, and charge toward the position of the world's greatest swordsman!"

Dunn gripped a wooden sword, looking at Zoro with a solemn expression.

Zoro: ...

Kuina: ...

"What? Too scared?"

Dunn said with a beaming smile as he looked at the stunned duo.

"Don't get too cocky, you guy."

Zoro bristled once again; he was simply unable to take a joke. He grabbed his sword and charged straight at Dunn.

Then, he was met with a blow right to the head.

A red mark appeared on Zoro's face, and blood streamed from his nose.

Staggering back several steps, Zoro clutched his nose as tears welled up instantly.

The stinging soreness and pain in his nose made his tears and snot flow together.

Seeing this scene, Kuina walked over, gripping the hilt of her sword with both hands.

"My turn."

Kuina said, launching an attack while wielding her wooden sword with both hands.

Thud!

A crisp sound for a solid hit.

Kuina clutched the top of her head and crouched down, her eyes moist.

Watching the two of them—one holding his head and the other clutching his nose—Dunn sat down on the ground and looked at them.

"Last time, was there something you didn't finish saying?"

Kuina, still holding her head, saw Dunn sit down and suddenly asked.

"What?"

"About what you said—that there are women on this sea who have become top-tier powerhouses."

Kuina was clearly still very concerned about this matter.

Dunn sighed.

He understood Shimotsuki Koshiro's intentions, but it seemed to be making Kuina's self-doubt grow heavier and heavier.

"Sit down!"

Dunn pointed to the space in front of him.

Kuina and Zoro came over and sat down, staring straight at Dunn with teary eyes.

Both Zoro and Kuina knew that Dunn understood this sea very well.

"People are different from one another. There are many races on this sea, such as the Fish-Man Race, the Mink Tribe, and the Giant Race; they have inherent, massive gaps compared to humans. Let me put it this way: as long as a member of the Giant Race reaches adulthood, their strength is comparable to a Vice Admiral of the Marine Headquarters. On this sea, that already counts as a very powerful individual."

Kuina and Zoro clearly had no concept of what level of strength a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral possessed.

"Charlotte Linlin, who has established Totto Land in the New World of the Grand Line—well... she is one of the strongest great pirates—destroyed an entire village of giants when she was only five years old."

"Is she a woman?"

Kuina looked at Dunn and asked, clearly filled with curiosity.

"Yes, a woman. It's just that her talent is something perhaps very few people on this sea can compare to."

Dunn sighed with emotion.

He truly believed this.

"If I keep surpassing myself, can I reach that level in the future?"

Kuina looked at Dunn.

She seemed to need some affirmation.

"There is no end to swordsmanship. You can keep training and continue to grow stronger."

Dunn looked at Kuina and said.

He had originally wanted to shatter Kuina's illusions and make her see things clearly.

As for talent, Kuina might be high, but she hadn't reached a level that would make others take special notice.

True, a ten-year-old Kuina defeating the adults at the dojo was impressive, but Kuina herself could feel that her spars with Zoro were becoming increasingly difficult.

"Right, I'm going to keep getting stronger like that and become the world's greatest swordsman."

Kuina's expression shifted, as if she were pondering Dunn's "poisonous chicken soup," while Zoro had completely gulped down the entire bowl, saying this with an excited look on his face.

It was just that the red mark on his face and the nosebleed made him look rather comical.