Actually, Kuina hasn't changed much; her features are more defined now, and her overall demeanor has changed somewhat, but she's still very recognizable.
"Did you use illusions again? Don't you want to say hello to her?"
"There's no need to interfere in their lives. They have their own adventures, and they brought you here for other reasons."
"Can you really resist saying hello? This is a whole different type!"
You've misunderstood me.
"A misunderstanding? Heh!"
Kuina naturally knew Vic's abilities; seeing that Zoro didn't react at all when he saw her face, she knew that Vic had used an illusion!
She didn't know what form Vic had transformed her into, or what he had turned himself into, but she knew that whatever Vic and she did or said, no one else would know; here, they were just spectators.
As in the original story, the Krieg Pirates somehow offended Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and were chased from the Grand Line to the East Blue by Mihawk.
Some speculate that the Krieg Pirates saw Hawk-Eye lose face as Shichibukai by rowing the boat with his Black Blade Yoru, and that's why they kept chasing him to kill him. Of course, this is definitely false. With Hawk-Eye's swordsmanship skills, a single slash would be enough to make the small boat move quickly; he wouldn't need to row at all!
After the Krieg Pirates fled to the East Blue, Captain Gin somehow ended up at the Baratie. He was starving, but he couldn't let go of his pride and instead of begging for food, he sat down at a table and ordered some dishes.
However, Gin's attire and complexion were too obvious. The chefs in the restaurant were all shrewd and naturally noticed that Gin's pockets were emptier than his face!
Trying to dine and dash at the Baratie is impossible, at least not with this muscular chef. Many of the chefs here are former pirates, and they're all fearless.
Gin wanted to fight, but having been starved for many days, he had little strength and was quickly knocked to the ground and thrown out of the restaurant by the muscular chef.
Sanji happened to witness this scene. Just when Gin was so hungry that he was dizzy and could only wait to die in despair, a plate of seafood fried rice appeared in front of him.
Gin thought he was hallucinating, even his sense of smell was acting up. It wasn't until he heard the voices around him that he realized the fried rice was real. A kind chef had made him a plate of seafood fried rice. It was the most delicious food Gin had ever eaten since he could remember. He wolfed it down, tears of relief streaming down his face, feeling like he had come back to life.
"It's just so-so. You call this delicious? If he ate your food, wouldn't he be ecstatic?"
"Hehe!"
Kuina kept picking at the food on her plate, not really having much of an appetite. Compared to Vic's cooking, the food at this famous seaside restaurant was just average. The only good thing about it was their attitude towards cooking!
Vic didn't know how to answer. That was a fact. Vic had already perfected the taste of food, and when it came to doing the questions by referring to the answers, naturally no one could compare.
Gin left with a satisfied heart, Luffy was still working at the restaurant, and Nami and Zoro were a bit bored. Because Arlong's Crew had already been driven away by Vic, Nami didn't abandon the others and sailed back to Cocoyasi Village alone!
Sanji, after beating up a naval officer, kept fawning over Nami, much to Zoro's disdain.
Luffy had tasted Sanji's cooking and greatly admired his culinary skills, inviting him to join him several times. However, Sanji, who hadn't experienced any mishaps, would never agree to his invitation. Even Nami's slightly seductive invitation was useless. It was only in this matter that Sanji was immune to beautiful women.
Meanwhile, Gin, having eaten his fill, still had a large family to feed, so he brought the entire Krieg Pirates with him when he returned!
Don Krieg's pirate ship was already in a dilapidated state and would probably fall apart if it encountered even a slightly larger storm, but it still managed to sail to the floating restaurant.
Gin's idea was simple: to beg for some food to fill everyone's stomachs, and let Captain Don Krieg take care of what happened next.
They truly had no money left, unless they sold Captain Don Krieg's golden armor and weapons, which was impossible.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Don Krieg immediately had other ideas when he saw the floating restaurant. However, his men were almost starving, so he couldn't act rashly. Therefore, Don Krieg put on an act and tricked Zeff into giving him enough food for a hundred people.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Don Krieg finally revealed his true colors. Just like the farmer and the snake, he wanted to seize the ship of the floating restaurant to continue his pirate dream. The restaurant's chefs naturally wouldn't agree, and conflict was about to erupt!
Just then, that man appeared—a man with Hawk-Eye. He had chased him all the way from the Grand Line to the East Blue. Perhaps he truly disliked Don Krieg!
To the horror of Don Krieg's men, Hawk-Eye instantly sliced their pirate ship into three pieces. This unprecedented sword technique and power shocked everyone, except for Vic and Kuina who were watching the show. Zoro, however, stared intently at the figure sitting on the special small boat, his face filled with fighting spirit!
Zoro and Kuina made a promise to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, regardless of who could achieve it first, so he knew a lot about the man who currently held that title.
Now that the man with Hawk-Eye has appeared in the East Blue, isn't this the perfect time for him to challenge him?
It's a pity Kuina wasn't there for his historic moment of challenging the World's Greatest Swordsman! That lost old man is such a jerk, he'll be the next challenger!
The Baratie and Don Krieg's crew were on the verge of exploding, Luffy and his friends were watching from the sidelines, with no intention of intervening.
But when Don Krieg and his crew saw Hawk-Eye, they were like Nezumi seeing a cat—what grudge could they possibly hold against him?! They actually chased him all the way from the Grand Line to the East Blue!
They panicked and didn't know what to do. Their pirate ship had been cut into three pieces, and there was no way to escape. The only way now was to seize the floating restaurant.
Before Don Krieg could even carry out his plan to kidnap Zeff, a green-haired man with three swords at his waist stepped forward and uttered such arrogant words. He actually dared to challenge the Shichibukai, the World's Greatest Swordsman! How dare he! How could he possibly dare?
Zoro's spirit is far superior to that of a cunning pirate like Don Krieg. Although he knows that Hawk-Eye is strong, he cannot let go of the target when it is right in front of him, even if it means losing his life!
"He hasn't changed! He still remembers our promise!"
"Of course, I wouldn't have tried to provoke him if I didn't see his potential."
I reckon the person he most wants to defeat is you! I can't wait to see that day!
"Ready anytime!"
Just as Zoro stepped forward to challenge Hawk-Eye, Kuina felt as if she had returned to the day she and Vic left Shimotsuki Village. The stubborn child she once was gradually merged with her current strong figure, and she couldn't help but sigh.
Zoro naturally remembered that promise, although it wasn't as unforgettable as Kuina's death, the effect was about the same!
Kuina is right. The person Zoro most wants to defeat is Vic. His obsession with the promise he made to Kuina in the original work has transformed into his obsession with defeating Vic!
Hawk-Eye can only rank second, but Zoro and Vic are worlds apart in strength, and it will take a lot of hardship and injury for them to catch up!