As dawn broke, Giyu opened his eyes.
The rocking of the bed beneath him no longer made it difficult to sleep, but had instead become a familiar rhythm. He got up briskly, pushed open the cabin door, and walked onto the deck.
The sea breeze brushed against his face. The sky was a pale blue, and the vast sea stretched to the horizon. The Merry cut through the gentle waves, making a rhythmic splashing sound.
Nami was already sitting at the dining table, several nautical charts she had taken from Whisky Peak spread across her lap. Her brow was slightly furrowed, showing intense concentration.
Watching the focused Nami, Giyu couldn't help but feel that for a ship to sail smoothly, it was essential to have a navigator who was constantly learning.
"Morning," Giyu said simply as he passed by.
Nami looked up and, seeing it was him, gave a bright smile. "Good morning, Giyu!"
Just then, Sanji came out of the kitchen carrying a tray. He first elegantly placed an exquisite breakfast and hot tea beside Nami. "Miss Nami~ Please enjoy your delicious breakfast~"
Then he turned to Giyu, handing him a lunchbox filled with rice and grilled fish. "Here you go, Mr. Tomioka."
"Thank you," Giyu replied, accepting it with sincere gratitude.
Sanji lit a cigarette and casually asked, "How does it taste?"
Giyu picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of fish, chewed it carefully, swallowed, then nodded slightly at Sanji. "Delicious."
Sanji looked very pleased upon hearing this and asked, "Anything else you'd like to eat? I can make it for you in the future."
Giyu thought for a moment before replying, "Hmm... salmon stew with radish."
"Salmon, huh? I'll keep an eye out for it in the next town. Sounds simple enough!" Sanji gave a thumbs-up and turned back to the kitchen to continue preparing breakfast for the others.
After finishing his meal, Giyu pushed open the door and stepped onto the deck.
Zoro was already there, grunting as he lifted a massive barbell with both hands. His muscles were engorged, and sweat dripped down his skin.
Without a word, Giyu found an empty spot not far from him and stood still. He slowly drew his Nichirin Blade, gripping the hilt tightly with his left hand, and began his daily practice.
Slash, chop, thrust, sweep.
His movements remained concise and sharp, but compared to when he had just lost his right arm, they now carried more stability and fluidity. The muscle memory in his left arm was rapidly forming, and he was growing more accustomed to it.
Zoro set down the barbell, panting, his gaze fixed on the blade in Giyu's hand. After watching for a while, he suddenly spoke up, "Hey, Giyu, I've been a bit curious about something."
Giyu stopped and looked at him.
"That sword of yours," Zoro pointed, "doesn't it have a name?"
Giyu lowered his head to look at the gleaming blade in his hand, pausing briefly before answering, "No... this one is newly forged."
He hesitated before adding, "My previous one... broke."
For a moment, the image of his Nichirin Blade shattered by Akaza flashed through his mind, followed by the scene of Tetsujiro Kawara Tetsuchin, the village chief of the Forging Village, solemnly handing this newly forged Nichirin Blade to him.
Although he had desperately refused, the stubborn chief forced it into his hands, insisting that as the Water Hashira, he couldn't possibly be without a Nichirin Blade.
"A blade without a name just won't do!"
Zoro's voice immediately grew louder upon hearing this. In Zoro's eyes, this was a monumental issue - a sword must have a name, just as poetry must be recited during battle.
"A sword is a swordsman's soul companion! Listen, I'll teach you how to give your sword a name worthy of it!"
Zoro then walked over to Giyu and began earnestly expounding on the philosophy of naming.
...
Approaching noon, Giyu spotted Usopp looking around near the cabin entrance. Remembering the other's endless chatter, Giyu decisively turned and silently circled to the other side of the ship.
"Huh? Did I just see Giyu?" Usopp scratched his head, looking confused.
Giyu reached the stern and saw Vivi. She was crouched there, gently combing the feathers of a... large yellow duck?
Giyu's steps halted, a rare look of obvious astonishment appearing on his face.
"When... did it come aboard?" he couldn't help asking.
Vivi looked up, smiling as she patted the duck's head and turned to Giyu. "This is Karoo. He came aboard before we did. He's also my important partner."
[Manual of Interpersonal Relationships (Trial Version)]
[Subject: Vivi]
[Status: Pretending to be strong]
[Likes: Grooming]
[Suggestion: Offer encouragement]
Giyu stared at Vivi's smiling face, then at the floating instructions, momentarily stunned. So this smile was merely an act of pretended strength...
So this is what being a princess means...
Then Giyu looked at the duck named "Karoo" and wanted to say something, to offer some encouragement to this young princess before him.
If she wanted to save a declining kingdom in peril, she would need formidable strength. Though currently weak, with time and practice, this princess might still have a chance to become stronger.
He gathered his thoughts, then spoke in a serious tone: "You... can still become stronger."
Vivi: "???"
Karoo: "Quack?"
Just then, the weather abruptly changed.
The temperature plummeted as icy air swept through. The sky quickly darkened, and large snowflakes began swirling down!
"Wow! It's snowing!" Luffy shouted from the mast.
"Idiot! This is no time for snow!"
Nami's roar immediately followed, "Quick! Reef the sails halfway! Zoro, watch the bow! Sanji, check what needs securing! Vivi, take Karoo inside! Usopp, stop standing there!"
Everyone immediately sprang into action, with Giyu, Vivi, and Karoo joining in to help.
Seeing how quickly everyone adapted to the situation, Giyu instinctively moved to assist the flustered Usopp in tightening a rope.
"Hey!"
Luffy crouched on the deck, quickly forming a huge snowball. Grinning widely, he hurled it at the nearest target - Zoro!
Splat! The snowball exploded on Zoro's head.
"Looking for a fight, bastard!" Zoro roared, immediately grabbing snow to retaliate.
A chaotic snowball fight instantly erupted!
Usopp retreated to the rear, secretly crafting his special snowballs. Nami watched with a smile for a while before she couldn't resist joining the fray.
Giyu stood to the side, observing his companions who had been serious just moments ago but were now playing like children. A stray snowball flew toward him, and he tilted his head slightly, letting it brush past his hair.
Snow... it really brings back memories...
A nostalgic expression crossed his face as he caught falling snowflakes and gently rubbed them between his hands.
Splat—
"Hahahahaha! Giyu, you can't let your guard down!" It was Luffy, who had seen Giyu dodge his snowball and then packed a larger one that hit Giyu square in the face.
But instead of being upset, Giyu wore a rare smile. He immediately gathered snow into a ball, assumed a stance, and aimed at Luffy. Faint patterns appeared on his face.
"Water Breathing: Total Concentration."
"Oww! That hurts! How is this snowball so painful?"
"Hahahahaha! Well done, Giyu!"
...
After the playfight, the deck was in disarray, and everyone was tired. The sunlight after the snowstorm felt warm and comforting.
Suddenly, Nami, standing at the bow, called out, "Everyone... look ahead."
Hearing this, they all gathered at the ship's prow.
On the distant horizon, an enormous silhouette appeared. They could see vast stretches of trees and faintly make out two colossal white mountains. A deep, heavy roar echoed faintly from afar.
The place seemed to emanate a primitive and dangerous aura.
"Little Garden," Nami took a deep breath and announced its name, "we're here."