Little Rosa had been drifting at sea for days and finally encountered a living soul.
"Hey! Where are you going, kid?"
She was surprised to see a boy sailing alone. He looked even younger than her.
Could his parents really be okay with this? Letting their child set sail by himself?
Of course, Little Rosa never stopped to think that she herself was also just a kid.
The boy didn't respond. He stood with his arms crossed, staring ahead with a calm and indifferent expression, completely ignoring her.
"Tsk! What's with the attitude?" Little Rosa muttered under her breath.
She couldn't stand this kind of smug brat—the kind who acted like an adult when they were obviously still in short pants. All she saw was someone begging to be smacked.
Still silent, the boy sat down, unsheathed the sword on his back, and began to polish it gently, as if he were tending to a beloved wife.
"Huh? You're a swordsman?" Rosa perked up despite herself.
She had no intention of paying this cool-boy any more attention, but the moment she saw the blade, she couldn't help but ask.
"So what?" the boy replied at last, his tone nonchalant.
Grinning, Rosa unslung Raindrop from her waist. "Hey, I'm a swordsman too! Wanna duel?"
She was suddenly full of fighting spirit. Besides training with her master, she'd never crossed swords with anyone else.
But that wasn't training—it was survival. Sparring with Master Kavi was one-sided guidance at best. No matter how much effort she put in, she could never even graze him.
The boy's eyes lit up with interest. He was a rare prodigy in swordsmanship, confident no one his age could rival him.
"How good are you?" he asked.
"Hah! Beating you won't be a problem!" Rosa replied with pride. In her heart, only Master Kavi stood above her at the same age.
Back when he was eleven, Master Kavi was probably still chasing chickens and playing in the mud.
"Fine! There's an island just ahead. Let's spar there. Don't disappoint me."
The boy rowed ahead, visibly excited.
They docked at a tiny, deserted island. The sea breeze stirred their clothes as the two stood facing each other.
"Why aren't you drawing your sword?" the boy growled, clearly irritated that Rosa hadn't even unsheathed her blade.
"If you want me to draw it, then earn it," Rosa replied, calm and confident, her tone full of provocation. The boy's arrogance had rubbed her the wrong way from the start.
"Hmph, don't regret it later," the boy warned as he took a stance.
"One Sword Style—Ghost Slash!"
He surged forward in a flash, both hands gripping his blade. A strange green light flickered across the edge as he slashed toward her.
Clang!
Rosa didn't budge. She simply raised her sheathed sword, now covered in a faint coat of Armament Haki, and blocked the attack with ease.
Sparks scattered.
A heartbeat later, the boy was knocked back several steps, stumbling to stay on his feet.
"Hey, are you joking? Trying to use Ghost Slash without even knowing Haki? You trying to make me laugh to death?" Rosa mocked mercilessly.
Sure, the boy's swordplay was better than most kids his age—but in front of someone like Rosa, who had real training and mastered Haki, he was just flailing.
The boy's eyes widened. "What was that?!"
"Tch tch, you don't even know what Haki is? And here I thought you were some big-shot."
Rosa was thoroughly enjoying herself. For once, she was the strong one. It felt so good to finally be the one bullying the weak.
'No wonder Master Kavi always said, "Can you even fight?" while beating me…'
Kavi: I never said that, don't frame me!
"You've got a long way to go, kid," Rosa said, crossing her arms and nodding sagely like a veteran mentor.
The boy stood in silence, then slowly sheathed his sword.
"My name is Dracule Mihawk. What's yours?"
"Kallen Rosa!"
"I'll remember that. One day, I'll surpass you and become the world's greatest swordsman."
"Hmph, I'm not interested in that title. I'm aiming to be the King of the Navy!" Rosa declared proudly.
Mihawk didn't respond. He turned around, climbed back into his tiny boat, and silently set off.
As he drifted away, Rosa suddenly remembered something Kavi once told her and shouted after him:
"My master says if you practice the simplest moves to perfection, you'll be invincible! Your swordsmanship's too flashy!"
Mihawk flinched slightly.
'Too flashy?' He was obviously incredibly stylish.
But still, her master's words lingered in his mind. Maybe it was worth thinking about.
"Achoo!"
Kavi sneezed, rubbing his nose. "Why do I keep sneezing? Am I finally catching a cold?"
At this moment, Kavi had returned to the West Sea.
After years of wandering, it was finally time to go home.
West Blue. O'Hara.
He arrived at a familiar cottage tucked in the trees. A gentle warmth spread through his chest at the sight. Nothing had changed.
Pushing the door open, he looked around. The place was spotless, not even a speck of dust on the table.
'Strange… who's been cleaning?'
Just then, a woman's voice rang out from outside.
"Uncle Kavi, you're back?!"
Kavi stepped outside and saw a white-haired woman holding a toddler in her arms. Surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Olivia?"
It was Nicole Olivia.
The little girl in her arms had short black hair and large eyes like black grapes. She blinked up at Kavi, curious and adorable.
"Uncle Kavi! What took you so long to come back?" Olivia said, pouting. "You've been gone almost five years! If I knew it'd be this long, I would've chained you to the kitchen!"
She had grown up eating Kavi's food, and nothing else quite compared.
"I thought you died out there! You scared me half to death!" she scolded.
Kavi chuckled. Olivia was his first friend in this world, and her concern warmed his heart.
"Haha, you just missed my barbecue, admit it."
Olivia blushed and stammered, "N-No! I was worried about your safety, obviously!"
But her eyes darted away guiltily. Sure, she'd been worried, but she'd definitely missed his cooking too.
Still, she puffed her chest proudly and insisted, "Yup, I came here every few days to check if you were back. Just in case!"
Kavi smiled, not exposing her. He knew she had been quietly taking care of the house all this time.
"Alright, alright. I'll make you a feast tonight!