Rowan glanced at Zoro.
From what he remembered, this future swordsman possessed one of the strongest wills in the Straw Hat crew.
After declaring, "From this day forward, I'll never lose again," he truly never suffered another defeat.
Kuina, on the other hand...
Her spirit had almost completely crumbled after the conversation she had with Koushirou not long ago.
"There are quite a few women among the strongest people on these seas..."
Rowan looked at Kuina.
"It's true that men and women have different physical builds."
"But those differences are nowhere near enough to determine who can stand at the top."
As he spoke, Rowan slowly stood up.
The next moment, the torrent of Haki within his body erupted.
His Conqueror's Haki was controlled with perfect precision, preventing the two children from losing consciousness, but black lightning still exploded across the skies above Shimotsuki Village.
No black Armament Haki covered his right fist.
Instead, the torrent of Haki inside his body gathered entirely within his arm.
Boom!
He threw a single punch.
The released Haki pierced straight through the clouds, opening a massive hole in the sky.
After a long while.
The sea and sky became calm once more.
Rowan looked toward the dumbfounded Kuina.
"In the second half of the Grand Line, in the New World, there's a woman named Charlotte Linlin."
"She possesses power on this very level."
"There's also an island in the Calm Belt called Amazon Lily."
"It's inhabited entirely by women, and every one of them can use Armament Haki."
"Each generation's Empress becomes a pirate whose name shakes the entire world."
"At Marine Headquarters, Vice Admiral Tsuru is a woman."
"And so is the Great Swordsman candidate for Admiral, Gion, better known as Momousagi."
"Do you think they earned those titles because men handed them over?"
"Whether it's the Admiral candidate the Pirate Empress or Charlotte Linlin, who currently rules over part of the New World..."
"Every one of those women's reputations has been built atop the corpses of countless men."
Just as Rowan was about to continue his lesson.
A green-haired blur suddenly rushed toward him.
Since there wasn't the slightest trace of hostility, Rowan casually reached out with one hand and flung him away.
Zoro scrambled back to his feet and charged again.
"Teach me! Teach me!"
"Can you teach me that move just now?"
"The one that punched through the clouds?!"
The excitement had finally overwhelmed the shock.
He truly hadn't imagined that a human being could reach such a level.
And that person was standing right beside him.
Rowan simply pressed Zoro's head into the ground with one hand, ignoring his struggles, then continued speaking to Kuina.
"The Healing Dandelions will allow your body to develop much better."
"But personally i don't think that's the important part."
He picked Zoro up by the back of his shirt.
"The truly important thing is having the same kind of spirit this brat possesses."
"Only unwavering conviction and a will that never gives up are the true foundation for reaching the very top."
The previously struggling Zoro suddenly stopped moving.
He pointed proudly at himself.
"Of course this great me knows I'm a genius!"
"In the future, I'll become a swordsman!"
"A Great Swordsman!"
"The World's Greatest Swordsman!"
"Hey, you old jerk!"
"Put me down!"
"Once I learn that move of yours, I'll make you trip ten thousand times every single day!"
Kuina stared at the bruised and battered Zoro, whose energy remained completely undiminished.
For the first time she seemed to truly see the determination burning inside him.
At the same time.
Rowan's words continued echoing through her mind.
Meanwhile.
On the East Blue.
A single-masted pirate ship sailed across the sea.
Its pirate flag depicted a skull with two crossed sabers behind it, and three claw marks slashed across the skull's left eye.
"That's some incredible power..."
Beckman muttered.
Although the ship was already approaching Foosha Village, Shanks' gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon.
Yasopp, who had only recently joined the crew, looked over as well.
"The captain means that was done by a person?"
Beckman patted Yasopp's shoulder.
"The world is a very big place, rookie sniper."
"If you spend your whole life staying in the East Blue you'll never witness things like this."
Yasopp snorted.
"Then doesn't that just prove someone this strong has still appeared in the East Blue?"
"But..."
"That's seriously exciting."
"A single person's strength can actually change the weather."
Shanks looked toward the helmsman.
Before he could say anything.
Beckman already understood exactly what his captain was thinking.
"We've got a child on board, Shanks. Our original plan was to head to Foosha Village on Dawn Island."
"Ahahaha..."
Shanks waved his hand casually.
"Let's just go take a look. It's not like we'll definitely end up fighting."
"Who knows? We might even end up throwing a banquet."
Beckman rubbed his forehead.
"If that kind of power belongs to Garp... we're going to have a real problem."
"It's not Vice Admiral Garp."
The smile faded from Shanks' face.
"If Garp were returning home from the Red Line, he'd have to pass Dawn Island first before reaching that island."
"And whenever Vice Admiral Garp returns to his hometown, he always heads there directly."
"Besides..."
"I didn't sense the aura of two people clashing."
"It should only be one person."
"A monster that strong suddenly appearing in these waters..."
"If I don't find out who it is, I'm not going to be able to relax, Beckman."
Nearly eight years earlier, the World Government's operation in the South Blue had been leaked.
The source of the leak had been a Marine Admiral candidate who couldn't accept what the World Government intended to do to his homeland.
He secretly revealed the operation ahead of time, allowing countless pregnant women throughout the South Blue to escape disaster.
Later, Shanks learned that during that exact period, Marine Hero Vice Admiral Garp had been on leave and had returned to his hometown in the East Blue.
So he had to investigate before he could truly feel at ease.
"Helmsman!"
"Change course!"
"Destination: the island to the northeast!"
With the captain's order given, Beckman could only support the decision.
Standing nearby, the newest recruit, Yasopp, looked somewhat nervous.
"We're really going?"
"If that terrifying aura just now belonged to the Marines wouldn't we just be walking straight into a trap?"
At that moment, a four-year-old little girl came running out from the cabin.
"Is Mr. New Recruit scared?"
"If you are..."
"Uta can sing for you!"
"Then you'll definitely become brave!"
Yasopp was instantly speechless.
The rest of the crew burst into laughter without holding back.
Some even made funny faces at him.
"Hahaha! The genius sniper of the East Blue is actually scared?"
"We're the Red Hair Pirates!"
"Come on, rookie sniper!"
"My chest is dependable enough for you to lean on..."
"Hahahaha!"
Yasopp's face flushed bright red.
"Lucky! Your chest is way too greasy!"
Amid the laughter and horseplay, the pirate ship, which had nearly reached Dawn Island, changed course and headed toward Shimotsuki Village instead.
Shanks smiled as he watched his noisy companions.
Yet his thoughts remained fixed on the mysterious person who had released that overwhelming burst of Haki.
The East Blue.
Because Vice Admiral Garp frequently returned here, pirates from the Grand Line referred to it as the weakest sea.
Even the West Blue.
After being purged several times years earlier by the Executioner Rowan, it had gradually recovered.
"What are you worried about?"
Beckman glanced toward Shanks.
Shanks gazed into the distance.
"The balance of this world has already begun to change."
Meanwhile.
Back in Shimotsuki Village, Rowan returned to the dojo with the two children.
Koushirou was reading today's newspaper.
Hearing them arrive, he looked up at the three of them.
"Did you gain anything today, Sir?"
Rowan immediately sat down cross-legged opposite him.
"Wasn't all of this exactly what you planned from the beginning?"
Koushirou smiled.
"But you like Kuina very much as well, don't you?"
"And now it seems we have to add Zoro to the list."
As he spoke, Koushirou looked toward the two children.
His eyes, usually narrowed to slits, slowly opened a little.
Three seconds later, he smiled once again.
Her state of mind has changed already and it's only been a few days.
When Kuina met his gaze this time.
She no longer instinctively looked away.
"Kuina."
"Take Zoro and apply some medicine to his bruises."
"After you've eaten and rested for a while continue your training."
The two children bowed obediently in acknowledgment.
Zoro, however, continued glaring at Rowan the entire time.
Even after hearing his teacher say that Rowan was fond of him he merely snorted in disdain.
The way this weird old man showed his "affection" was by tripping him every single day and inventing new ways to beat him up?
If that's what liking someone meant, then once he became the World's Greatest Swordsman, he'd like this old man too!
Three beatings a day.
A different beating every time!
Still wearing an expression of complete dissatisfaction, Zoro followed Kuina out.
Even as they walked away, the green-haired boy kept turning back, glaring viciously at Rowan.
Smack!
Kuina slapped the back of Zoro's head.
"Could you stop being so ungrateful?"
Zoro turned around, his swollen eyes glaring back at her.
"That stupid old man doesn't like me at all!"
"When I get stronger, the first person I'm taking revenge on is him!"
Kuina sighed.
"Starting tomorrow... I'll be going through the same training as you."
"Do you know that?"
"If I want to keep up with you..."
"I'll have to put in more than twice your effort."
Zoro snorted.
"Didn't that old man already say it?"
"There are plenty of incredibly strong women in this world."
"So what's there to worry about?"
The two walked through the dojo corridor.
Kuina climbed the stairs to fetch some medicine for Zoro's bruises.
"But what Sir didn't say is that all of those powerful women were born with extraordinary talent, Zoro."
"I'm jealous of you."
"I really am."
After taking down the medicine, Zoro waved his fist confidently.
"So what?"
"That stupid old man also said the thing that really makes people strong in this world is their will!"
"I've already lost to you nine times."
"If you keep acting like such a troublesome woman..."
"It won't be long before you'll be losing to me instead!"
"And then..."
"Hehehe..."
The grin stretched across Zoro's face, only to pull at the cuts on it.
Kuina immediately smacked him again.
"And then what exactly?"
Zoro answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I'll beat you up, obviously!"
"When that time comes, I'll punch you until your face is black and blue too!"
"Then you'll know just how amazing I, Roronoa Zoro, really am!"
After the medicine was applied, the cool sensation made him feel much better.
"I wonder where that glowing ball from that stupid old man comes from."
"He just sticks it on your forehead and all your injuries disappear."
"Then you can fight another round."
Kuina let out another quiet sigh.
"Do you know what those glowing orbs actually mean to us?"
"What?"
"Don't they just heal injuries?"
Zoro replied carelessly.
Kuina lowered her head and looked at her own hands.
It had only been a few days.
Yet she could already clearly feel the improvement in her physical strength.
On the first day, it hadn't been obvious.
She had assumed it was simply because of the intense double training, combined with the enormous sea creatures Sir brought back from the ocean for them to eat.
But even though all the other children at the dojo also ate the meat of those Sea Kings to replenish their strength.
The difference between them and herself and Zoro was enormous.
So the thing that had truly given her confidence was Sir's help.
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