"Here you go."
Hyogoro handed a box nearly two meters long to Kojiro.
"What's this...?"
"It's a sword. Maybe that sword of yours has been handed down for generations?"
"Yes, that's true..."
"Then it makes sense. I found some biographies a while back, they describe your ancestors somewhat. If there's no mistake, he was shorter than you, but that's normal given it was many years ago."
Hyogoro took a sip of tea, then continued, "That sword was custom-made for him, but it might not be suitable for you. If I'm not mistaken, that sword is still a bit short for you. This length is more suitable."
Having sparred with Kojiro for so long, witnessing him go from dislocating himself with a single strike to perfectly executing an Aerial Ace, Hyogoro observed Kojiro's growth and discovered how the sword's length influenced his techniques.
But ultimately, it's still about Kojiro's skill. If he could reach the level of a Great Sword Master like his ancestors and integrate the techniques into his sword, rather than just imitating, then the sword length wouldn't make much difference.
"Thanks a lot."
"This old man just doesn't want the techniques to fade away. Even if you're not in Wano Kuni, you need to practice more."
"Yes, I understand."
For this reason, Kojiro now had an additional sword in his luggage. However, this sword was inconvenient because, given Kojiro's height and arm length, it was too long. To make things easier, he simply carried one more sword, evolving into Dual-Sword Style.
Although his family tradition is Single-Sword Style, they are not without any research into Dual-Sword Style.
Musashi's mother, Miyamoto, as a token of gratitude for giving Musashi a stable job, specifically gave him an Ancient Sword Manual as a gift, which recorded a Dual-Sword Style known as Two Heavens as One Style.
To utilize this Dual-Sword Style, he carried yet another sword, thus becoming a Three-Sword Style Samurai, with two swords at his waist and a long sword strapped slantwise on his back.
Although this Three-Sword Style couldn't use all three swords at once.
The next day, with Mandfeish leading the way, Jack and Kojiro left Wano Kuni. Before leaving, his companions gave him a warm farewell, especially Ulti, who particularly hoped he would never come back.
"Sister, that's not nice, Brother Jack has been very good to me..."
"Huh? You're not allowed to call him brother, having just me as your sister is enough!"
Everything else is negotiable, but when it comes to Page One, Ulti becomes like a powder keg, blowing up at the slightest provocation, no matter how many times it happens.
"Still though, that Jack is actually a mermaid, doesn't look like one at all."
Just from his appearance, Jack doesn't resemble a mermaid at all. You can't even see webs between his fingers; the only characteristic he has is a set of sharp teeth.
...
On the ship, Kojiro and Jack continued their usual training, while Mandfeish was reviewing notes. Much like Zeraora, his romantic experiences weren't rich, but now he had someone to learn from.
Zeraora became his pioneer. Both mermaids and the Fur Race are considered minority races, so there's some commonality between them.
Meanwhile, there were also some of Queen's little love tips, which sounded quite absurd. As of now, Queen claimed to have the most extensive love life experiences (self-proclaimed).
The distance from Wano Kuni to Fishman Island was not short. During this time, Jack noticed significant changes in Mandfeish.
When Mandfeish initially applied to be transferred to Fishman Island, he was saddened for a few days, as he was his good brother after all.
Humans are always emotional, even though, in the original timeline, he left the places he battled over looking like they'd suffered a Drought Disaster, barren. Yet, at this age, he had a gentle side too.
For instance, the Alcremie on his shoulder thought Jack was especially gentle.
The biggest change in Mandfeish was that he started cooking.
"Jack, try this scallop meat, how is it?"
During dinner, Jack saw a variety of dishes made from scallops, clams, and sea snails.
Mermaids don't eat fish or Sea Beast meat, but shellfish are part of their diet. Although Jack is just a mermaid, Mandfeish thought their taste buds should have some similar aspects.
The shellfish were all processed and cooked. Although Fishman Island was in the deep sea, they had ways to cook food.
Fishman Island had appliances, capable of heating food or making coffee by harnessing sunlight. Through the Eve tree, Fishman Island not only acquired sunlight but also gained electricity; their power generation technology was especially unique compared to the outside world.
Of course, eating raw is also a common practice.
Mandfeish was learning how to cook, which led to some peculiar events on the ship.
The first day, faced with a table full of shellfish, Kojiro and Jack found it interesting. Mandfeish wasn't a top chef, but what he produced wasn't hard to stomach.
After a week, they became expressionless, and after a month, looking at a table full of shellfish, they couldn't hold it anymore.
"Brother Mandfeish, isn't there something else to eat?"
Three meals a day, no matter how varied the methods, they got tired of these things.
"Jack, wasting is not right on The Sea. You shouldn't waste food under any circumstances, understand?"
"But Brother Mandfeish, how does that relate to this?"
Although he disliked vegetables and fruits, after a month, he felt that Alcremie's Berry meals were more palatable than the shellfish.
"Hold on for a few more days, I'm close to mastering the secrets of these dishes."
In the experiments, he produced many failures. Over the past days, his little brothers had enough of these items, so Jack and Kojiro, the two newcomers, had been gloriously promoted as the new tasters.
Eventually, during the voyage, Mandfeish learned the recipes for scallops and other shellfish, while Jack and Kojiro successfully removed shellfish from their menus.
...
After their long journey, they reached the intersection of the Great Sea Route Center once more. Kojiro didn't come alone; he brought some land-based products, thinking he might as well try some business.
Because of the goods, he waited for coating at the Hundred Beasts' base, while Mandfeish and Jack, thanks to their abilities and race, dove into the water in advance.
"Brother Mandfeish, is this Fishman Island?"
"No, Fishman Island is over there; this is Fishman Street. I'll take you there first. Remember, here, I'm a mermaid."
This was a disguise he'd worn for a long time. It would be bad if Jack ruined it with one word.
"Don't worry, Brother Mandfeish, I won't speak carelessly."
"Mm, stick close to me."
He was towing a bubble behind him, containing gifts that couldn't get wet...