World's Greatest Swordsman / The Promise

"There's nothing we can do about it; our intelligence was leaked."

As Atlas spoke, he descended from the sky to Akainu's side.

"BIG MOM knew you were coming, so he left in time."

"You know I can't stop her by myself."

"Intelligence leaked!?"

Akainu's gaze sharpened as he grasped the key words in Atlas's words.

"Yes, it seems to be a woman named Stussy."

Atlas casually reiterated the same rhetoric he had used to deceive Sengoku.

"Stussy, Stussy..."

Akainu kept muttering Stussy's name, his eyes filled with intense killing intent. His clenched fist gushed out large amounts of lava, which dripped onto the deck, instantly turning a large section of the deck into black ash!

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, please calm down!"

Onigumo, standing nearby, couldn't help but offer a reminder.

The warships' maintenance costs were covered by funds allocated from their own bases!

"So what do you plan to do here for the next while?"

After calming down, Akainu asked Atlas about their next plans.

"Nothing much is happening. I reckon another group of Pirates will be arriving soon."

"My job is to wipe them all out here!!"

Chapter 222 World's Greatest Swordsman

The New World, in the sea not far from Broccoli Island.

A warship bearing the markings 'G-5' was slowly sailing on the sea.

On the ship.

Atlas lay leisurely on a wicker chair on the deck, shirtless, wearing oversized beach shorts and wooden flip-flops, enjoying a rare sunbath.

Just one day ago, news of Big Mom's defeat and escape on Broccoli Island spread far and wide, and the last group of Pirates who landed on the island had already been killed by the Navy.

With Atlas's infamous reputation and Pizarro's death, Broccoli Island quickly became one of the forbidden lands that Pirates dared not easily set foot in.

Atlas's mission on Broccoli Island has come to a complete end. Amid the reluctant farewells of the people of the Chris Kingdom, the warship departed Broccoli Island for good.

"Hey, Smoker, isn't it 1509 in the Sea Circle Calendar now?"

Suddenly, Atlas turned to Smoker beside him and asked.

"... Yes, time flies. In the blink of an eye, it will be 1510."

Smoker paused, then a look of nostalgia crossed his face.

It has been more than ten years since he met Atlas. He never imagined that they, who were just menial laborers at the Loguetown Base, would now be big shots in the Marine Headquarters.

The amount of sweat and battles the two have shed during this period is countless, especially Atlas, who is now Candidate Admiral in the Navy.

"When we returned to the East Blue last time, Colonel Randall should have given you his Den Den Mushi number, right?"

Atlas slightly opened his narrowed eyes and interrupted Smoker's flashback in a deep voice.

"Ah? Colonel Randall? I think there is such a thing. Let me think."

Smoker frowned, feigning a struggle to recall, "Brother Atlas, is there something you need from Colonel Randall?"

"Um, I need to ask Colonel Randall for a small favor."

East Blue, Shimotsuki Village, Isshin Dojo.

On the training field.

Two small figures, a boy and a girl, were facing off solemnly. A group of children with snotty noses were watching the spectacle. In the center, a middle-aged man stared intently at the two, seemingly acting as the referee for the duel.

"Ah--!!!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and the boy with algae-green hair in the arena took the lead in launching an attack, wielding two Bamboo Swords with great force and momentum!

Bang!!!

The little girl, though arriving late, swiftly thrust forward with a Bamboo Sword, the thick blade striking the boy's face with pinpoint accuracy!

"Hiss~"

The boy fell to the ground, clutching his face in pain. A clear red mark from Bamboo Sword appeared on his face. He gasped for breath and grimaced, clearly in extreme agony.

"The victor Kuina!!"

The middle-aged man, acting as the referee, immediately stepped between the two and loudly announced the result of the contest.

"Zoro, the Two-Sword Style Zoro, has lost!!"

"Sigh... Zoro now has a 0-1887 record against Kuina!!"

"Idiot, you missed a calculation! It should be 1888 lost!"

Upon seeing the scene, the children watching nearby immediately began to discuss it amongst themselves.

Even more remarkably, some have already calculated Zoro's record of defeats.

Call--!!

Kuina looked at Zoro lying motionless on the ground, raised one arm, pointed her Bamboo Sword at Zoro, and said mockingly, "Hmph, you really are useless!"

"How can a man be so weak?!"

"Hey! Zoro is anything but weak!!"

Before Zoro could reply, the kids watching the commotion started to protest, baring their teeth and roaring angrily at Kuina.

"That's right!! Zoro is the strongest in our dojo!"

"Furthermore, even including the adult, he's still the strongest!!"

The other children chimed in, their faces full of indignation.

Although Zoro has only been a member of the dojo for a little over a year, they have all witnessed the efforts of this Moss Head and admire his current strength from the bottom of their hearts.

He couldn't stand Kuina's subtle mockery.

"Oh, really? But he's weaker than me!!"

Kuina maintained her disappointed expression, shaking her head slightly and sighing, "Whether you're Two-Sword Style or not, useless is useless!!"

"You defeated opponent, shut up!!"

After saying that, he ignored everyone's stomping and turned away, hoisting the Bamboo Sword onto his thin shoulder and leaving them with a dashing silhouette.

Hateful!!

Despite the pain in his face, Zoro struggled to his feet, glaring defiantly at Kuina as she left.

"That Kuina is so infuriating!"

A round-faced child standing nearby looked angry, but then pouted and muttered under his breath, "Although he's kind of cute."

"Yeah, what a despicable woman! She's so arrogant just because she's the daughter of the dojo master!!"

A boy with a bowl cut also shouted angrily.

"Huh? Wait, what did you just say? You traitor!!"

Seemingly realizing something, the boy with the bowl cut grabbed the round-faced boy by the collar and scolded him angrily.

"Huh? No, no, you must have misheard!"

The round-faced child quickly waved his hands, trying his best to explain.

"We lost again!"

Just then, Koshiro, appeared before everyone, still wearing a gentle smile, and softly comforted the unconvinced Zoro.

"Zoro, you're actually very strong."

"Master--!!"

"Master! You can't give him special training just because she's your daughter!!"

"Yes, they're too cunning!"

When the other children saw Koshiro approaching, they started complaining all at once.

Having lived in Kuina's shadow for years, they were always resentful that Kuina, as a girl, could so easily overwhelm them.

They even began to suspect that Koshiro was giving Kuina special tutoring!

"That's not true! Don't spread rumors!"

Koshiro quickly waved his hand and explained gently to the group of mischievous children.

Snap--!!

Zoro ignored Koshiro's advice and threw his Bamboo Sword to the ground.

"Hateful!"

"Why can't I ever beat that woman? I promised Atlas I'd go to the Grand Line to find him!!"

Seeing this, Koshiro slowly squatted down, his gaze level with Zoro's, and smiled, "Kuina is just a little older than you, you..."

"But I can even beat adults!!"

Before Koshiro could finish speaking, Zoro interrupted him angrily.

"I'm going to set sail someday and become the world's greatest Swordsman!!"

"Therefore, I absolutely cannot lose to him now!!"

P. S. Kuina died in 1511. Zoro joined the dojo a little over a year ago and lost to Kuina a total of 2001 times. Now that Zoro has entered the dojo earlier because he's the protagonist, losing to her 1888 times is about right. Also, Zoro did say before Kuina died that he wanted to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, but later he said he would carry Kuina's legacy with him and make her name resound in heaven.

Chapter 223 The Agreement

"Moshimoshi, Colonel Randall, this is Atlas."

Atlas easily dialed Randall's private Den Den Mushi and greeted him in a practiced tone.

"Vice Admiral Atlas? What are your orders?"

Randall asked in a serious tone.

In the eyes of these old-school naval men, rank could override personal relationships, and he assumed Atlas had some mission for him.

"Old man Randall, why are you being so polite with me? I have a personal request to ask you for a favor."

Atlas spoke with a hint of displeasure, laughing and scolding.

"Hahaha, alright then, I'll take advantage of you for a while, you little brat!"

"Speak, what can I do for you, this old geezer?"

Randall's tone also lightened.

He was a contemporary of Garp in the Navy. Although he didn't have Garp's great achievements, he also worked diligently for the Navy for decades.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to trouble you to pick someone up from Shimotsuki Village for me. She's sure to become an outstanding naval officer in the future."

Atlas was referring to Kuina. To prevent Kuina from dying prematurely because of his presence, he decided to bring Kuina to the Navy as soon as possible.

She's ten years old now, and having lived in the dojo since she was little, she must have a very solid foundation. In a few more years, she'll be ready for real combat.

"That's rare! A kid you've got your eye on must be really talented!"

"No problem, I'll send someone to bring her to the Loguetown Base when I have some free time. You can come and pick her up back to Marine Headquarters when you're available."

East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.