"Alright!"
Cyrus didn't refuse upon hearing their request.
He then recounted his experiences from the past months to Kuina and Zoro, while Robin helped tidy up the room nearby.
"Are Fish-men that vicious?"
Zoro's eyes widened when Cyrus mentioned that Arlong's Fish-man Pirate Crew had killed many people.
Cyrus smiled and shook his head slightly. "It's not just Fish-men. Most Pirates are like that."
"Cyrus is right," Kuina chimed in from the side.
"I'm going to become a Pirate Hunter in the future too," Zoro said with a serious expression, staring at Cyrus.
"You'd better fix your habit of getting lost first. Otherwise, once you're out on the sea, you probably won't even know how to get back."
Seeing Zoro's expression, Cyrus poured a bucket of cold water on his enthusiasm.
"You don't know the way either, do you?"
Zoro immediately retorted, raising his hands to protect his forehead as he spoke.
"I remember reading that there are many beautiful Fish-men," Kuina suddenly said.
"Those are merfolk. Most of them live on Fish-Man Island. And there are many slave traders who capture Fish-men and merfolk everywhere. After all, this race can fetch a high price at auction houses."
Cyrus's words made the two's expressions change.
'To think such things happened.'
Seeing their reactions, Cyrus smiled and then spoke of how he had gotten on Doflamingo's bad side, then about meeting Robin in the West Blue and clashing with Aokiji.
"As an Admiral of the Navy, his strength must be terrifying."
Cyrus spoke of it lightly, but Kuina and Zoro were no longer completely ignorant.
An Admiral was already a truly major figure on the seas.
"He is indeed very strong."
Cyrus didn't deny this.
"But you've changed so much."
Zoro looked at Cyrus, his tone somewhat unreadable.
"When you first came to the dojo, Kuina even had to teach you how to hold a sword. Now you've actually reached this level."
As Zoro spoke, he suddenly felt that he might never be able to catch up to Cyrus.
'Its because i have a cheat system!'
Seeing Zoro's expression, Cyrus just smiled.
"But you started later, so I'm still the senior sister!"
Kuina still wanted to argue about this.
"We'll talk about it when you surpass me," Cyrus said, squinting at Kuina with a serious expression.
Having finished her work, Robin watched from the side as Cyrus teased the two children, a smile on her face, not saying a word.
Kuina looked at Cyrus but didn't say anything like, "I'll definitely surpass you."
After all, in her mind, Cyrus was too far ahead.
After telling the two about his travels, Cyrus sent them away.
"I'll be staying for a few days. I can guide your training, so you'd better work hard for the next few days!" Cyrus said as the two were leaving.
"Of course I'll work hard!" Zoro immediately replied, and Kuina nodded repeatedly as well.
After the two left, Robin sat down opposite Cyrus.
"It seems you have a good relationship with them," Robin said.
"But they just said that a little over a year ago, you didn't even know Swordsmanship. So, you became this strong in just this short amount of time?"
Being by Cyrus's side, Robin felt she already understood him quite well.
But now, hearing this news, Robin found it outrageous.
"That's right. But you shouldn't compare yourself to me. You'll just get discouraged."
Cyrus looked at Robin, raised his hand, and it transformed into a rope of Flame that pulled the nearby sword over to him.
Cyrus drew the sword.
The luster on its blade had already changed.
Under this new sheen, the originally somewhat rough blade now revealed a peculiar beauty.
Seeing Cyrus's actions, Robin didn't disturb him further.
She got up and left, walking alone through the dojo, wanting to see what the place where Cyrus had lived was like.
Kuina and Zoro were sparring again.
It was clear that Cyrus's return had made them very happy.
Robin didn't interrupt, standing to the side and watching them fight.
Naturally, Robin's arrival caught the attention of the two.
After their match ended, they walked over to Robin and looked up at her.
"Will you be following Cyrus from now on?" Kuina asked.
"Why do you ask?" Robin was a little curious.
"I wanted to go to sea with him before, but he threw me back," Kuina said, clearly still bothered by the time Cyrus had tossed her back onto the shore.
"You're too young. Adventuring on the sea is no easy task."
Robin could roughly understand Cyrus's thinking.
"I know, but you can only get stronger by going out and gaining experience," Kuina said with a serious face, and Zoro nodded in full agreement.
"But Cyrus became very strong just by being here for a year," Robin reminded them.
Then, the two fell silent.
That... seemed to be true.
"So, are you very strong too?"
Kuina thought for a moment, then looked up and asked again.
"Me? I'm not that amazing, but I've been getting stronger recently."
"Let me see!" Kuina immediately said.
...
A short while later.
With arms sprouting from their bodies, Kuina and Zoro were immobilized.
"Is this also a Devil Fruit Ability?"
Kuina and Zoro stared with wide eyes.
"Yes, I ate the Flower-Flower Fruit, which allows me to use the ability to bloom," Robin said, as dozens of arms sprouted from her back, like a blooming flower.
Kuina and Zoro looked at each other.
"You should think carefully about the fruit Cyrus brought back for you. Because people who eat a Devil Fruit will be hated by the sea and lose their ability to swim."
Robin reminded them after retracting her ability.
Kuina nodded upon hearing this, but she had already made up her mind.
After parting with Robin, Kuina went directly to find her father.
Seeing his daughter approach, Koshiro understood Kuina's choice.
"So, you've decided?"
Koshiro looked at Kuina with a solemn expression.
"Yes. Cyrus went through the trouble of finding it. I want to try."
Although her strength had been increasing rapidly recently because she had let go of her worries, the gap between her and Cyrus was only growing wider.
"Since you've already decided, then do as you wish."
Koshiro looked at Kuina, then pushed the small box in front of him towards her.
...
The next day.
Cyrus, changed into a training uniform, carried his sword into the dojo's courtyard.
The dojo students saw Cyrus, and their eyes widened one by one.
Cyrus greeted them with a smile and then began his daily training.
However, his gaze lingered on Kuina for quite some time.
Kuina was very different from yesterday.
Others might not be able to tell, but it couldn't escape Cyrus's notice.
After the training ended, the students left one after another.
Kuina, however, came to stand before Cyrus.
"I ate that Devil Fruit. It tasted really bad."
Speaking of this, Kuina's face turned a little pale, clearly recalling the taste she had experienced when eating the fruit last night.
"So, let me see your ability."
Cyrus nodded.
He knew the fruits tasted bad.
What he was curious about now was what type of fruit Kuina's was.
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