Chef, Lookout, Helmsman, Shipwright, and Navigator

Kuina twirled her sword beautifully in her right hand, then slid it into its sheath with a crisp click.

Kuta's voice rang out beside her. "One point. Match over. The winner is Kuina, with ten thousand wins and zero losses."

Hearing Kuta, Kuina turned around. Her cold expression melted into a smile as radiant as flowers bursting into bloom.

She hurried to Kuta's side and smiled up at him.

At seventeen, Kuta no longer showed any trace of his former boyishness. A gentle smile always rested on his resolute, sharply defined face, and silver mist swirled within his azure eyes.

All of this made him strikingly handsome and masculine.

His body was strong and lean, and at 1.9 meters, he stood impressively tall.

He wore a moon-white robe, with Zankū and a wine gourd hanging from his left hip.

Being unable to drink was hardly a good thing in the world of pirates.

The sea was vast, and fresh water could only be stored for so long, so every ship carried a small supply of low-alcohol rum.

And with demand so high, the drink was available on practically every island in this world.

As Kuina approached, Kuta unfolded the pink kimono draped over his arm and settled it around her shoulders.

Embroidered with white flowers, the kimono looked absolutely beautiful on Kuina, who now stood 1.7 meters tall.

Kuina watched Kuta tie her sash, her eyes brimming with affection, and spoke softly.

"Kuta, Father and the others are waiting for us at the harbor."

"All right!"

He looked up and met her eyes. Tenderness flickered in his gaze as he raised his right hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"We should say goodbye to Zoro before we leave."

Kuina caught his hand and hugged his arm to her chest.

Feeling the softness against his arm, Kuta couldn't help marveling. In the end, he had become exactly the sort of person he hated most (liked most), raising his future partner himself.

Then he turned toward Zoro and teased him gleefully. "Lost again, Zoro! But you really have gotten stronger!"

Zoro looked calmly at Kuta. He had become immune to the jabs.

He could tell that his physical strength had probably already surpassed Kuina's. Only his swordsmanship still lagged behind, and he believed it wouldn't be long before he truly overtook her.

At least he could see a chance of surpassing Kuina. This guy, on the other hand, remained utterly unfathomable.

He had wanted to see Kuta's true strength before he set sail.

But the guy had insisted that he and Kuina finish this one last match.

And now, wonderful—he had earned the achievement of ten thousand losses.

"Happy now? Can you let me see your current strength?"

"Sure. As you wish."

Kuta glanced at Kuina. Understanding, she released his arm and stepped aside.

Gripping Zankū with his left hand, he walked toward the clearing ahead.

As he advanced, a whirlwind sprang up out of nowhere, sweeping fallen leaves outward with him at its center.

He stopped in the middle, bent slightly at the waist, and fixed his gaze on the white clouds overhead. His right hand settled on the hilt, and pale purplish-black Haki spiraled around Zankū. The instant his aura reached its peak, he unleashed a lightning-fast slash.

"God Slash!"

Heaven and earth abruptly fell silent. He straightened and withdrew his aura, as though he had never moved at all.

Clink—!

The sound of his sword returning to its sheath broke the silence.

Only then did a purplish-black slash become visible, racing into the sky.

It cleaved through the clouds at an unparalleled speed.

Suddenly, winds roared and clouds churned. At the harbor, Koshiro and the others hurriedly looked up.

Crack—!

A rift abruptly split the sky. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, while the clouds poured into the opening like flowing water.

Everyone stared upward, dumbfounded.

"The sky split open! Is this the end of the world?"

Iku turned to Koshiro, who was looking toward the hill behind the village, and asked in astonishment, "That was Kuta, wasn't it?"

"Yes!" Koshiro didn't even turn around. "He's already grown this strong!"

Looking at Zoro, who stood rooted to the spot, Kuta remembered the words Hawk Eyes had used to inspire him and suddenly shouted.

"Zoro, see yourself clearly! Learn how vast the world is, and grow stronger! Surpass my blade! Surpass me, and you can become the strongest swordmaster!"

Zoro gradually recovered. Listening to Kuta, he fixed him with a determined stare.

"Wait for me at the top. From now on, I'll never lose again. Just you wait! Wait until I stand before you!"

He had no doubt that Kuta could become the strongest, just as he had always firmly believed that he himself would one day claim that title.

"All right."

Satisfied, Kuta turned and headed toward the harbor with Kuina.

Without Kuina's death, would Zoro still become that same unwavering "Liu Zoro"? Kuta didn't know. But he believed Zoro would fulfill today's promise, because he was Zoro—the Zoro who would never stop until he reached the goal he had chosen.

A Cook, a Lookout, a Helmswoman, a Shipwright, and a Navigator

A gentle breeze, the sea, and the morning sun.

A cool, thin mist shrouded the world. Morning sunlight filtered through wispy clouds and scattered across the glittering sea.

Over the azure waters, early-rising seabirds cried endlessly. Every so often, one dove into the sea like a fighter plane, then soared back into the air with a fish in its beak.

But even the finest warriors sometimes slipped up. A few unlucky seabirds never resurfaced.

Perhaps they hadn't checked whether today was an auspicious day before setting out!

Although the sight was hardly rare, it was enough to excite Kuta and his companions, who had only just set sail.

Creak—!

The wooden cabin door groaned, startling the seabirds preening on the roof into flight.

A fat man wearing glasses and a white chef's uniform pushed the door open and stepped out, carrying a tray with two glasses of juice in his left hand.

Spotting Kuta reclining on a deck chair at the bow, he hurried over and set the juice on the small table beside him.

"Kuta, try my lemon-apple juice. See what you think."

"Sure! Thanks, Ahua."

Kuta set down his navigation book, looked up at Ahua standing beside him, and thanked him warmly.

Just then, a head sporting a wild punk hairstyle poked over the edge of the crow's nest atop the mast and shouted down.

"Ahua, where's my juice?"

Ahua adjusted his glasses and looked up calmly. "In the kitchen. Get it yourself if you want some. Who do you think you are, Kuta or Kuina? Expecting me to bring it out for you!"

"You're the cook. You should be taking good care of us fighters."

The punk-haired young man climbed down the mast and stood amidships, loudly provoking him.

Veins bulged on Ahua's forehead as he charged toward the punk in leather pants.

"A-Luo, are you picking a fight?"

He had told himself that now they were at sea, he couldn't keep acting so impulsively. He had to be mature and stay calm.

But ever since boarding, A-Luo kept stirring up trouble for no reason, and he always managed to get under Ahua's skin.

Just then, a young woman with thick, sausage-like lips emerged from a room on the upper deck. She wore a denim jacket, jeans, and a cowboy hat. If she hadn't been a little plump, she really would have looked like a cowgirl.

She hurried down the stairs and pulled the two apart.

"You two argue several times a day! You've been at it since you were little. Now that we're at sea, can't you give it a rest?"

"Stay out of this, A-Tao."

"Today, I'm going to teach this guy who the second-strongest person on this ship is!"

Ahua rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight A-Luo.

A-Tao stared at them speechlessly.

So eager to fight over second from the bottom. Why don't I ever see you challenging Kuina?

Speaking of Kuina, Kui—

—na arrived right on cue.

Wearing a pink kimono and slippers, Kuina came up the stairs beside the cabin, her dark blue hair still damp.

Drying her hair, she walked calmly past Ahua and the others, giving them a casual glance as she passed.

That single glance made all three snap upright.

A-Luo and Ahua, who had been butting heads a moment before, even pressed close and draped their arms around each other's shoulders, pretending to be the best of friends.

They weren't afraid of each other, or even of Kuta. Kuina alone frightened them.

Every one of them had grown up getting beaten by Kuina. It had left them scarred.

If Zoro hadn't come along later, they might have suffered even more.

Only after Kuina reached the bow did they all exhale in relief and wipe away their nervous sweat.

A-Luo and Ahua stayed locked together for a while before suddenly remembering that they were still hugging.

Disgust spread across their faces, and they hastily let go.

As though they had been embracing something horrifying, they quickly backed away several steps. They exchanged a glance, snorted in unison, then turned their heads in opposite directions and spat onto the deck.

"Hah—!"

"Ptooey—!"

A-Tao sighed at the pair.

Even I, the third-strongest fighter on this ship, don't put on as much of a show as you two.

She shook her head, took a cigarette packet from her pocket, pulled one out, and held it between her lips.

Flick—!

She lit it, took a deep drag, and stylishly blew a smoke ring.

Then, with her chin raised, she strode proudly past Ahua and A-Luo toward the cabin.

Wouldn't juice be better?

It was good.

Very good.

Sweet and tart, it tasted wonderful.

Kuta lounged lazily in his deck chair, gently swirling his glass before taking a sip.

He smiled as he watched the three idiots below.

He had to admit that Ahua really did have a talent for cooking. The guy had loved food since childhood, which was why he had always been fat.

Even his pops sending him to the Sword Hall hadn't helped him lose weight.

Two years earlier, he had returned home to take over his family's restaurant and become a cook. Before setting sail, he was already a well-known chef in the surrounding area.

When Kuta first invited him to sea, he refused.

As he put it, he had all the good food and drink he wanted at home. Why would he follow Kuta out to sea just to suffer?

In the end, it took Kuina stepping in to get him aboard.