Early morning, overcast clouds covered the entire small island, falling raindrops bending the tender shoots of the green grass.
For the next month, moisture from the Grand Line would cross the Red Line, bringing about a month of stormy weather to the nearby seas.
"Setting sail in these conditions?"
On Leviathan's deck, Kuina, who had been chasing and playing with the ship spirit, stopped.
She stared curiously at the pier beside the speedboat, where numerous Sakuras were.
"No choice. We've already been in Shimotsuki Village for four days. Staying longer would be dangerous."
Splitting into a large group of clones, the Sakuras carried food and alcohol purchased from Shimotsuki Village, orderly moving them into the cargo hold.
Nominally, Shimotsuki Island belonged to a nearby country, paying taxes and receiving protection in return.
Also, because it was too small, just a few villages in total, so the island generally had no Marine presence at all.
However, no Marine presence didn't mean completely safe. Government informants and Marine patrol ships weren't just for show.
If the Revolutionary Army and Sakura, these two major thorns in the World Government's side, stayed here long-term, exposure would inevitably lead to large-scale military forces coming to suppress them.
That would only turn this peaceful village into a battlefield, something no one wanted to see.
"This is what pirates are, a group of drifting, rootless people. Scared? It's not too late to change your mind."
After carrying the last of the supplies onto the ship, Sakura waved her hand to dismiss the clones and sat on the deck, mockingly looking back at Kuina.
"Don't underestimate me! I came aboard with the resolve to face death! Captain!"
Kuina crossed her fists over her abdomen, swung them out forcefully to the sides, and bowed to Sakura.
"Ahahaha, good will."
Sakura responded with an approving gaze, reaching out to help her up.
"But, about our journey, there's one thing I need to tell..."
Before Sakura could finish, Kuina, having stood up, stepped into a puddle.
She slipped, did a rolling fall in place, and crashed onto the deck.
Sliding and rolling out, she pulled down several rope hooks from the deck during her slide.
The sharp hooks, pulled by the ropes, spun around the mast a few times, then shot towards Kuina, who had hit her head against the mast.
Witnessing this, Sakura's eyes went wide, then she shouted: "Leviathan!"
The hook about to hit Kuina stopped just before touching the girl.
Then, as if alive, the ship automatically restored the disturbed ropes, and the hooks returned to their original positions.
"Hey~ are you okay~"
A girl in a raincoat popped her head up from below deck and helped Kuina up.
"Are you an idiot?"
Sakura walked over, took out bandages, and started bandaging Kuina.
She had never seen someone so clumsy they nearly got themselves killed.
A blush appeared on Kuina's face. The shy and embarrassed girl turned her head away, unable to meet the gazes of the other two.
The storm in the sky grew more intense. The dense curtain of rain reduced visibility on the shore.
And in the distant forest, a figure carrying a long sword was running quickly towards the ship.
"Kuina-!"
The boy's shout covered the sound of rain hitting rocks, echoing across the entire coast.
The two on the Leviathan braved the rain, both leaning over the side to look down.
They saw a green-haired kid, soaked through, supporting himself with his hands on his knees, panting heavily.
Seeing his appearance, Sakura's mouth curved into a smile, 'Should I call this the pull of fate?'
Kuina, leaning on the gunwale, murmured: "Zoro..."
The somewhat delinquent-looking Zoro took the sword from his back, planted it in the ground, and pointed at the two on the Leviathan: "Hey, I challenge you—"
Sakura, propping her face with one hand, glanced sideways at Kuina: "Oh, our swordsman lady is being challenged by her childhood friend."
"-Haruno Sakura!!!"
Sakura's mouth fell open, her whole body turning pale. A wisp of lingering soul seemed to float out of her mouth towards the sky.
Leviathan and Kuina both laughed heartily at her state.
"Why me?! At a time like this, shouldn't you be challenging your childhood friend and making a promise to meet at the top?!"
A certain annoyed pirate bared her shark teeth, roaring at the moss-headed boy below.
"We already made that promise! And I'm here to see the vastness of this world!"
Hearing his words, Sakura let out a click of her tongue.
Her Observation Haki spread, scanning the ordinary father hiding awkwardly in the distant forest, wanting to see them off.
'What a good dojo master, but not such a good father!'
Sakura shook her head, pushed off the gunwale with one hand, and flipped off the speedboat.
"Ahaha, let's decide this with a fight, pirate!"
Zoro stood up, his eyes fixed intently on Sakura.
He had taken out all three long swords from his back, holding two in his hands and clenching the Wado Ichimonji in his teeth.
The familiar, classic stance was somewhat distorted by his currently not-so-tall stature.
"Three Sword Style, huh..." Sakura murmured.
The boy's fighting spirit was high, his face full of eagerness. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to draw your sword?"
"Don't want to use that thing. It might hurt you."
Sakura crossed her arms, somewhat curious how the guy managed to speak clearly with a sword in his mouth.
"Don't look down on me!" He felt looked down upon and roared furiously: "I'll defeat you, and become the world's strongest swordsman before Kuina!"
Finished, Zoro spun the long swords in his hands, his two short legs exerting force, sprinting like the wind.
"Take this, Three Sword Style: Onigiri!"
Facing the boy's charge, Sakura closed her eyes and raised her hands, her Observation Haki locking onto every sound his body made.
"No-Sword Capture! "
The girl's clear shout rang out. Their figures passed each other in the downpour.
Immense force overturned Zoro's body, sending him flying out to embed into a large tree.
Simultaneously, one of the long swords in his hands was taken by Sakura.
"What monstrous strength, and without even using a sword..."
Zoro slid down from the tree, clutching the back of his head in pain: "Is this world really this vast?"
"Still want to continue? You have no chance of winning."
Sakura hefted the long sword in her hand. It had a flame-like blade pattern, yet emitted a strange chill.
The girl's pretty eyebrows slightly furrowed, showing a hint of understanding.
The long sword she now held in her hand was a genuine cursed sword!
"Enough talk! Making a swordsman admit defeat is worse than killing him!"
The injured Zoro lifted his eyes and charged again at the unbeatable powerful enemy.
"Good determination. Then let me show you the vastness of this world too!"
Sakura gripped the cursed sword in her hand. Scorching Haki scattered the sword's chill. Dark lightning suddenly spread, sweeping across.
Pure force combined with formidable skill made the girl's sword so sharp that even Zoro couldn't look directly at it.
When the Conqueror's emerald eyes lifted, that all-encompassing will turned tangible, locking onto the position of the heavens!
"Divine… Departure…!"
After the roar-
In the howling wind and torrential rain, an extremely thin, pale, mournful white line suddenly rose, against the rain curtain and vanished into the firmament!
Screeeech-!!!
A violent roar shook the narrow space between heaven and earth. The stirred storm blew Zoro to the ground.
Then, lying on his back, he opened his mouth wide, his pupils reflecting-
-The gigantic wound spanning across the sky!