The Revolutionary Army's sailboats passed through the Reverse Mountain at dawn.
Seven Knock Up Stream surged on both sides of the ship, the water crashing against the hull with a deafening roar like muffled thunder.
Roy stood at the bow, watching the black hull rise to the top of the current and then slide down the East China East Blue, so smoothly that it barely rocked.
"Every time I cross Reverse Mountain, it feels like riding a roller coaster."
Ivankov stood next to Roy, hands on his hips, his face slightly damp from the splashes of water.
"However, with Roy Boy's abilities this time, things are actually much easier."
The ship passed through the Reverse Mountain smoothly.
The East Blue Sea is much calmer than the New World.
There were no undercurrents that could erupt from the seabed at any moment, no Sea Kings lurking behind the reefs, and no oppressive, bone-chilling sense of danger in the air.
The sea breeze was gentle, carrying a faint salty scent and the fragrance of rice paddies wafting from the fields.
The dragon silently approached Roy's side, and after a moment, he turned his gaze back to the sea, his voice as steady as ever:
"Tell me about yourself. You mentioned to me before that you were going to Shimotsuki Village."
"What's so special about that little village that makes you want to make the whole trip around the East Blue?"
Roy didn't intend to hide it from him, and the lazy expression on his face lessened somewhat.
Have you ever heard of the Shimotsuki Clan?
"Certainly."
The dragon nodded.
"One of the five great lords of Wano Country, the Shimotsuki Family."
After Kozuki Oden's death, Wano Country was occupied by Kaido, and most of the remnants of the Shimotsuki Family escaped Wano Country and scattered throughout the world.
What does this have to do with your landing in the East Blue?
"In Shimotsuki Village, there is a dojo called Isshin Dojo, and its headmaster is Shimotsuki Koshiro."
Roy spoke slowly,
"He is a descendant of the Shimotsuki Clan of Wano Country."
After saying this, the dragon didn't seem too surprised.
He certainly knew Koshiro's background. Having cultivated his territory in the East Blue for so many years, he understood this base better than anyone else.
But Roy's next words made him raise an eyebrow slightly.
"You should know about my relationship with Kaido, right?"
Seeing the dragon's changing expression, Roy patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry! I won't do anything to them."
Upon hearing this, Long finally felt a little relieved.
Roy sailed on the East Blue Sea with the Revolutionary Army's sailboat for two whole days, finally arriving at Shimotsuki Village on the evening of the third day.
Roy stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the quiet little village in the distance.
Compared to the islands along the Grand Line, constantly ravaged by battle, this village seemed almost forgotten by time.
Wooden cottages lined the coastline, wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys, and the setting sun cast a pale golden glow on the stone-paved path.
"Arrive."
Dragon walked up to Roy, his dark green cloak fluttering slightly in the sea breeze.
He pointed to the village on the riverbank, a rare hint of ease in his voice.
" Shimotsuki Village. Don't let its small size fool you; this place is on the East Blue Revolutionary Army's intelligence network."
"Because of Koshiro?"
"Half and half."
The dragon smiled.
" Koshiro provided a lot of convenience for the Revolutionary Army, but the village itself was not simple either."
"You should be familiar with the surname Shuangyue, right?"
Roy was certainly no stranger to him.
Shimotsuki Koshiro's surname is Shimotsuki, which means that Koshiro's identity is not simple.
The Revolutionary Army's sailboat slowly approached the shore.
Several villagers on the dock greeted Long and the Revolutionary Army members warmly.
Shouting "Mr. Long is here," he deftly helped tie the cables and move the springboard.
But when their gazes fell on Roy, all those smiles froze for a moment.
The man's aura was completely out of place in this quiet little village.
Roy was dressed in a well-tailored black casual suit, a long sword with a gleaming sheath hanging at his waist. His expression was lazy and nonchalant, but his eyes—
With just a glance, those eyes caused several villagers to involuntarily take a half-step back.
"Who is this...?"
An older villager spoke cautiously, his eyes darting back and forth between Roy and the dragon.
"My friend."
Long said something simple without elaborating, but the word "friend" was enough to dispel the villagers' doubts.
After all, Mr. Long's friend couldn't be a bad person—at least that's what the people of Shimotsuki Village thought.
" Ivan, Karasu, you two arrange for loading the goods."
Long gave a brief instruction, then turned to look at Roy.
"I'll take you to the dojo."
Roy nodded and followed behind the dragon, walking along the stone path deeper into the village.
Along the way, he could clearly sense the gazes of the surrounding villagers.
Curiosity, awe, and a hint of inexplicable tension.
Clearly, while Shimotsuki Village is remote, it is not completely isolated from the world.
At least they could sense that the "friend" Mr. Long brought back this time was no ordinary person.
You scared them.
The dragon head didn't even turn around.
"I didn't do anything." Roy shrugged.
You don't have to do anything.
Dragon was unusually helpless for once.
"You only need to stand here."
The two walked through several alleys and stopped in front of a large wooden gate.
The plaque above the door is quite old, but the four large characters "Isshin Dojo ) are still clear and powerful, with each stroke conveying the strength of a knife and axe.
The courtyard echoed with the shouts and cries of boys practicing swordsmanship; the crisp clang of wooden blades clashing together rose and fell, interspersed with a particularly loud roar from one of the boys.
"Again! I'm sure I can stop you this time!"
Then came a crisp clash of wooden swords, followed by the muffled thud of something hitting the ground, and a group of teenagers trying to suppress their laughter.
Roy listened to those sounds, a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
interesting.
The dojo door was gently pushed open, and a man dressed in a plain-colored kendo uniform walked out.
He wasn't very tall, wore round-framed glasses, his eyes were slightly narrowed, and a gentle smile played on his lips.
He looked like an ordinary rural dojo owner, unassuming and harmless.
But Roy saw something different in this man.
"Mr. Long."
Koshiro bowed slightly, his voice gentle.
"You've come all this way in person again, that's too kind of you."
"Master Koshiro."
Long returned the greeting.
"I need to see the Revolutionary Army's situation in person to be at ease. The grain we've collected this time—"
Before Ryu could finish speaking, Koshiro's gaze fell on Roy behind him.
In that instant, Roy clearly saw the change in Koshiro.
Those squinting eyes suddenly opened, revealing a pair of extremely sharp pupils.
The gentle smile in his eyes vanished without a trace, like mist dispersed by the sea breeze, replaced by an extremely calm scrutiny and assessment.
It's like discovering a variable on the battlefield that could completely disrupt the entire battle.
It was just a fleeting moment.
Koshiro then concealed the sharpness in his eyes, narrowed them again, and resumed his gentle and harmless expression.
It moves so fast that ordinary people can't even detect it.