Pirates: Invincible from the Start

"This blade was forged in the image of Shusui, the legendary sword of Wano Country."

"It's exceptionally tough, and its density makes it heavier than other swords its size."

After a pause, Koshiro continued, "Infuse it with Haki every day. Someday, it might become a Black Blade alongside you."

"A Black Blade?"

Kuta put on a suitably puzzled look. Of course he knew what a Black Blade was.

"A Black Blade's greatest strength is its durability. A swordsman can temper his blade into one with his own Haki."

"Shusui is a Black Blade."

"Don't worry, Master! I'll make its name ring throughout the world."

Kuta looked at the sword in his hand. The more he looked, the more he liked it.

"Good."

"The sword doesn't have a name yet. Why don't you give it one?" Koshiro smiled at Kuta.

Kuta raised the sword over his head. Sunlight washed over the blade, drawing out a blue-green glow.

"I'll call it Zankū!"

"Zankū?"

Koshiro looked at Kuta in surprise.

"As in cutting through space."

Kuta shouted with excitement.

"Because someday, I want to be able to cut through space!"

The Strongest Promise at Seventeen ### Evening fell.

Cold moonlight spilled across the world.

In Shimotsuki Village, nearly every household had gone dark.

Only the dojo halfway up the mountain still rang with the sound of a bamboo sword striking a practice target.

Thwack!

Thwack!

Thwack!

Aboard the Dragon-Head Ship.

A light breeze swept past.

A dark figure appeared in the shadows on deck.

Ivankov heard the movement and looked toward the figure. "You sure took your time, Dragon. How long were you planning to keep me waiting?"

"Sorry for the wait."

Dragon stepped out of the shadows with a child in his arms.

When Dragon drew closer and Ivankov saw what he was carrying, he asked, puzzled, "Who's that?"

The others aboard gathered at the commotion. When they saw the child, they were startled.

"He's badly hurt!"

"He really is!"

"Who could be so cruel? Looks like a cannon shell did it!"

"We need to treat him right away."

One of them carefully took the child from Dragon and hurried him to the Ship's Infirmary.

Everyone quickly cleared a path.

Ivankov watched him carry the child into the cabin, then turned to Dragon. "Seriously, where did you go wandering off to?"

Dragon turned around and said calmly, "I went to see the Celestial Dragons' celebration."

"You went somewhere like that by yourself without telling me?"

Ivankov was stunned.

"You would've drawn too much attention."

Dragon walked toward the side of the ship and gazed at the quiet village.

"Uh...!"

"My face, my face..."

Ivankov frantically felt his face.

Dragon turned to everyone on deck and called out, "We need to concentrate our forces immediately. How are we for food?"

"The village dojo gave us some supplies." Yifu stepped forward to answer.

"Good."

Dragon looked toward the dojo halfway up the distant mountain. After a moment, his gaze snapped to the bow.

At some point, a young boy had appeared atop the dragon figurehead.

He wore a pale, moon-white robe with a long sword at his waist. Moonlight caught his silver-white hair, making it gleam.

He stood there quietly, his bright azure eyes veiled in silver mist, the last traces of starlight still shining in them.

Dragon stared into the boy's eyes, more captivating than the starry sky, and spoke in a low voice.

"Who are you?"

"What brings you here?"

Kuta had fixed his eyes on Dragon the moment he arrived.

Even wrapped in a dark green coat, Dragon was unmistakable.

His presence was as vast as the sea. There was no hiding it.

When Dragon looked up at him, Kuta could see the red geometric tattoo on the left side of his face and the faint stubble on his chin.

On closer inspection, Dragon had no eyebrows.

Kuta's mouth curled into a grin. "Nothing much. Just came to see a friend off."

Kuta couldn't take on someone that strong yet—not even for a single blow.

Reality wasn't a comic. With a gap that large, one hit really could end a fight. Kuta might be impossible to injure, but there was no reason to test it.

He paid Dragon little further attention and looked at Ivankov instead.

"Hey, little Ivankov! Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?"

Ivankov met Kuta's gaze and asked, touched, "Little Kuta, did you come all this way just to see us off?"

"Yeah!"

"Aren't we friends?"

Kuta glared at Ivankov and shouted, "Friends don't leave without saying goodbye, you bastard!"

"I'm sorry."

Ivankov bowed to apologize.

"My friends! May your voyage be smooth. The flower of our friendship will bring us together again someday."

By the time Ivankov straightened, only the fading sound of Kuta's blessing remained. He

was so moved that tears streamed down his face.

Dragon stood to the side, utterly baffled.

Only when Inazuma came over and told him what had happened during the day did he understand.

A remarkable boy who could control space.

Then Dragon turned to the others and shouted, "Prepare to sail. We're returning to Baltigo."

"Yes!"

The ship bustled with activity.

On the roof of the dojo's training hall.

Kuta had been standing there for a while.

He gazed out at the sea, lost in thought.

The great ship had already sailed away from the harbor under the moonlight, bound for wherever it needed to go.

Only a tiny black speck remained on the distant horizon.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it vanished completely, as though it had never come at all.

But Ivankov's sobs still seemed to drift across the sea, proof it hadn't been his imagination.

Kuta hadn't planned to go at first. In the end, he couldn't resist taking a look.

Monkey D. Dragon.

The leader of the Revolutionary Army, the World Government's greatest enemy, and a fighter at the very pinnacle of the world.

The gap's pretty big.

Kuta shook his head hard.

So what if he's Dragon? So what if he's at the top of the world?

Kuta was certain he would surpass him.

He lifted his head toward the sea, starlight glimmering in his eyes. Now that he had seen the pinnacle, he would climb toward it. Wasn't that the romance of the Pirate King's world?

Time flew. In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.

Deep in the woods behind the dojo, the clash of weapons suddenly rang out.

Clang, clang, clang!

Up close, all that could be seen were two streaks of white flashing across a clearing, crossing and colliding.

At sixteen, Kuina had grown into a graceful young woman. Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail with a red ribbon, and she wore a fitted white training outfit.

She gripped her sword with both hands and raised it overhead, then slashed swiftly. A silver-white Slash flew toward Zoro.

Zoro was bare-chested, his lean muscles on display, with a green bandana wrapped around his head.

He held a long sword in each hand and another between his teeth. He really had taken up Three-Sword Style after all.

He swung all three swords at the incoming Slash.

"Oni Giri!"

Clang!

The Slash veered upward, cutting through a cloud of leaves.

While Zoro was still recovering, Kuina swiftly sheathed her sword and drove her feet into the ground. With a whoosh, she shot toward him.

"Shave: Iai Slash!"

At the flash of steel before his eyes, Zoro barely managed to cross his swords and block the strike.

Clang!

He held out for only an instant before the force sent him hurtling backward. He slammed into a massive tree with a thud.