At the edge of the East Blue, in Shimotsuki Village, by a certain stretch of coast.
An emaciated, white-haired old man in a kimono sat cross-legged on the grass, a long blade hanging from his waist and a single horizontal brow above his eyes. A pipe rested between his lips.
A fishing rod was planted before him, its line extending down into the sea and swaying gently with the current.
His name was Shimotsuki Kozaburo. He was a master swordsmith and a samurai.
More than thirty years ago, he had led a group of samurai out of Wano Country illegally and arrived in the East Blue.
On this island, he met a woman and fell hopelessly in love with her.
So, he chose to settle there. He drove away the bandits who had been causing trouble, founded Shimotsuki Village, and opened the Shimotsuki Dojo, where he taught the villagers swordsmanship.
Now, old and frail, Shimotsuki Kozaburo had handed his dojo over to his son, Shimotsuki Koushirou, to manage. He himself came to the shore every day to fish in his leisure time.
In the distant sky, a black silhouette flapped Black Wings as it flew toward him.
Shimotsuki Kozaburo merely glanced at it before ignoring it, remaining seated on the grass as he leisurely smoked his pipe.
Before long, Sephiroth landed on the grass, retracted his Black Bat Wings, and stopped two meters away from the old man.
"Shimotsuki Kozaburo...?"
Only then did the old man reveal a puzzled expression. He turned to inspect Sephiroth a few times, unable to understand what this unfamiliar young man wanted from him.
Suddenly!
When Shimotsuki Kozaburo's gaze fell upon the two long blades at Sephiroth's waist, he could no longer look away...
"I heard you came from Wano Country and are a master