The New World, above Hachinosu.
Roy carried Kuina through the clouds, their bodies slowly descending as their Telekinesis enveloped them.
As Kuina looked down from high above, her eyes widened.
She had assumed that Hachinosu would be an ordinary island—with a port, villages, and farmland, at most a little larger than Shimotsuki Village.
But what she saw before her was completely beyond her imagination.
The entire island resembles a meticulously designed war fortress.
A dozen or so black warships were moored in the harbor, their hulls covered with a dense array of cannons, and the soldiers on deck wore uniform black attire.
Embroidered with a golden Hachinosu emblem on their chests, their patrol steps were as precise as machinery.
Behind the port lies a bustling city, with towering buildings, wide streets, and shop signs densely packed on both sides of the road.
Pedestrians come and go, making it a hundred times more bustling than the most lively market in Shimotsuki Village.
The most striking feature is the enormous skull palace in the center of the island.
Constructed entirely of black stone, the towering structure pierces the clouds, with a massive golden Hachinosu -shaped energy core suspended atop it.
It emitted a soft light, enveloping the entire island in a pale golden glow.
This is Hachinosu.
Roy's voice came from the side, his tone flat.
"Um!"
"You'll be training here from now on."
Kuina opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
She grew up in a small village in the East Blue. The largest building she had ever seen was the dojo in Shimotsuki Village, and the strongest weapon she had ever seen was Koshiro's Wado Ichimonji.
She had only heard of these things in stories.
The two landed at the entrance of the shopping street.
The moment Roy stepped onto the stone pavement, the surrounding pedestrians noticed Roy.
An uncle carrying a fish basket was the first to shout:
" Captain Roy! You're back!"
That shout seemed to trigger a chain reaction.
The fruit stall owner peeked out from her stall, holding up half a cut coconut.
Captain Roy!
What new talents did you bring back from this voyage?
The old blacksmith put down his hammer, wiped his hands with his apron, and grinned at Roy.
"Captain, the scabbard you ordered last time was finished a while ago. When are you coming to pick it up?"
Several children playing on the street ran over and surrounded Roy, chattering and shouting "Captain, Captain!"
Roy nodded in response to each child, occasionally reaching out to ruffle a child's hair, his movements as natural as if he were strolling in his own living room.
Kuina followed behind him, looking at the smiling faces around them.
She noticed that these people's expressions weren't the fear and fawning one would show when meeting someone important, but rather genuine respect and warmth.
It was as if Roy wasn't the owner of the island, but rather their neighbor, friend, and family.
This was completely different from the brutal pirates her father had described.
After passing through the commercial street, the two entered the palace.
Two figures were already waiting at the entrance of the main hall.
Crocodile leaned against a stone pillar, a cigar dangling from his lips, flipping through a document in his hand.
Tesoro hovered in mid-air, golden arcs of electricity gently dancing around him, toying with a gold coin in his hand. When he saw Roy approaching, he exaggeratedly spread his arms wide.
"Boss! You're finally back!"
Tesoro floated over, his gaze landing on Kuina behind Roy, a knowing look appearing on his face.
"Brought back another one. Let me guess—a swordsman?"
Roy ignored his teasing and turned to Kuina, saying:
"This is Tesoro, the Devil Fruit User the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, and the Finance Minister of Hachinosu."
That guy smoking over there is Crocodile, the intelligence minister of Hachinosu.
Kuina bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Your Excellencies, my name is Kuina."
"No need to call me 'sir'."
Crocodile exhaled a smoke ring, glanced at the wooden sword at Kuina's waist, then turned to Roy, his tone flat.
Bullet will definitely scold you for being a hands-off boss when he knows you're back.
Let him curse.
Roy smiled, then said seriously,
"Has anything happened on the island lately?"
Crocodile flipped through the documents in his hand, his voice unhurried.
"Everything is normal."
"All the Seastone weapon orders for this month have been delivered, and Kaido has placed another order."
The training of the genetically engineered soldiers is progressing as planned, and Master Tom's new ship's keel has been laid.
He paused, then closed the file.
Overall, there were no surprises.
"That's good."
Roy nodded, then asked,
"Where's Hawk Eyes? Where is he now?"
Tesoro tossed the gold coin into the air, thought for a moment, and said:
"This spot should be in the corner of the training field."
He's been training Luo and Rebecca in swordplay lately, and they've barely left the training ground.
"Knew."
"You all go about your business. I'll take her to the treasure vault to pick out a knife."
After Roy finished speaking, he led Kuina deeper into the palace.
Tesoro watched their retreating figures, shrugged, and said to Crocodile:
"Every time they go out, they bring back a new girl. Our Hachinosu is practically a daycare center."
Crocodile didn't reply, but simply turned and went back to his office, a cigar dangling from his lips.
The treasure vault doors of Hachinosu slowly opened before Roy.
Kuina stood at the doorway, nearly dropping the wooden sword in her hand.
The treasury was even larger than the main hall of the dojo, with rows of stone display shelves filled with all sorts of weapons.
The knives, swords, guns, and cannons were all in excellent condition, their blades gleaming coldly under the light.
On the innermost shelf, dozens of high-quality Famous Sword are displayed.
These are all Roy's treasured possessions from over the years.
Roy walked straight to the innermost shelf, his gaze sweeping over the several knives before finally settling on one of them.
He reached out and took the knife, then turned and handed it to Kuina.
The scabbard was deep purple, the hilt was wrapped with a pale gold cord, and the tsuba was engraved with exquisite cloud patterns.
Kuina took the knife, gripped the hilt with her fingers, and slowly pulled it out.
The moment the blade was drawn, a cold, sharp light flashed across its surface.
The blade pattern exhibited an extremely rare pale blue color, like solidified moonlight.
" Ame no Habakiri."
"One of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords ".
Roy said,
"This knife is light, which suits your sword style."
Moreover, its blade is extremely resilient; you should try it.
Kuina gripped the hilt of the knife, savoring the perfect balance.
She practiced with a wooden sword from a young age, and later obtained the Wado Ichimonji, but left Wado Ichimonji Zoro.
The feeling of holding this Ame no Habakiri in her hand was better than any other sword she had ever imagined.
"Thank you, Mr. Roy."
Her voice trembled slightly, but her hand holding the knife remained steady.
"If you like it, that's good."
Roy turned and walked out of the vault.
"Come on, I'll take you to meet your future teacher."