Early morning.
On the sandy shore of Shimoshiki(Shimotsuki) Village, the playful shouts of Kouta and the angry roars of Zoro could be heard from afar.
"One-two-one! One-two-one! Zoro, pick up the pace already!"
"Shut up!" Gritting his teeth, Zoro charged forward, chasing after Kuina's distant figure, clenching Kouta's legs tightly as he rode on his shoulders.
Kouta was currently sitting on Zoro's shoulders, exerting pressure on him with his Haki field at Zoro's own request. The condition? Zoro had to carry him during their morning runs.
Looking down at the struggling Zoro, Kouta smirked and increased the pressure. "Hey! Zoro, put your back into it! Kuina's practically a speck in the distance now."
Zoro, hearing Kouta's schadenfreude-laced voice, felt his shoulders sink heavier under the weight. He gritted his teeth, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a firm stroke of his arm, took a deep breath, and let out a roar before surging forward even faster.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
His sudden burst of energy left the others trailing behind.
"Hah… damn it! Zoro's really improved this year!" huffed A-Hua, watching Zoro speed past like a bullet.
"Seriously! Aside from Kouta, he's the strongest guy in the village now. Even grown-ups can't beat him anymore," A-Tao added, wiping sweat from her brow.
From the back, A-Luo suddenly picked up speed and caught up with them. "It's a shame we can't train with Kouta…"
"Well, we just can't handle the pressure," muttered another boy who slowed his pace.
The senior disciple leading the run turned his head and barked, "Enough comparing yourselves to Zoro! You know how much he trains. Keep moving!"
Yeah… There was no comparing. That guy was basically a beast.
All the kids nodded in unison, eyes filled with admiration as they stared at the backs of Zoro and Kouta, slowly vanishing into the distance.
As for Kuina? She was now just a tiny black speck.
"Yes, sir!"
With a collective shout, the kids mustered their strength and ran forward.
At the end of the beach, a path curved inland to reveal a small harbor. The sea breeze carried a salty tang mixed with the scent of fresh fish as it blew gently over them.
This was Shimoshiki Village's only harbor. Thanks to a stream flowing eastward into the sea, the coastline on both sides formed a natural cove, creating a sheltered port where the village's few seafaring vessels could dock.
Unfortunately, the village's remote location on the island meant large ships rarely visited. The last time Kouta saw one pass by had been months ago.
Despite the early hour, with the sun barely cresting the horizon, the dock was already bustling. The fishing boats that had left at dawn were now returning.
Around ten or so small fishing boats bobbed in the harbor, each manned by burly fishermen unloading crates brimming with fish and shrimp.
Kouta deactivated his Haki field and gave a playful kick to Zoro, who was now collapsed on the ground, panting like a dog.
"Get up. You're acting like roadkill after this little workout. How do you expect to surpass Kuina like this?"
He turned to Kuina, who had been watching them silently nearby. "Right, Kuina?"
"Yep. Still weak, as always," she replied with a playful smile, echoing his teasing tone.
It was just the kind of jab that would push Zoro harder. He had progressed rapidly this past year, faster than she ever had.
But as her body matured and her chest began to develop, her progress had clearly slowed. She was spending more time building physical strength to compensate.
As for swordsmanship, she found herself improving more naturally in recent months, ever since she began letting go of the obsession with the idea that "men are naturally stronger."
Kouta noticed the softness and mischief that had crept into Kuina's expression and gave a satisfied smile.
Just to clarify, he wasn't a creep. This wasn't some twisted grooming plot...
As for that infamous "sharpening stone," the very thing that had once been blamed for Kuina's death—it had long since been tossed into the sea. He even sealed up the attic where it had happened.
When, or if that attic ever reopened depended on Kuina. The dojo had plenty of empty rooms anyway.
Still, it was ridiculous. Who dies from falling off a few steps of a ladder?
He'd even begun to suspect it had been a staged act by Kōshirō and Kuina…
But no. It wasn't.
At least, not in the original timeline. Up until the point he transmigrated, there'd been no news of Kuina ever again in either the One Piece anime or manga.
"Come on, let's see what kind of seafood haul we got today."
Kouta grabbed Kuina's hand and headed toward a familiar fishing boat docked nearby.
"Wait—wait up!" Zoro called from behind, still short of breath.
As they entered the harbor, the shouts of bartering fishermen and merchants filled the air. These people were the vital link between mountain villages and the coast, trading seafood for fruit, game, and other supplies from inland.
Kouta and the others made their way toward the largest fishing vessel—not that it was particularly big. It was only about ten meters long, a modest sailboat by any standard.
This boat belonged to Isshin Dojo. It was used to purchase grain from other islands and occasionally went out to sea for fishing.
One of the busy deckhands looked up and shouted toward the cabin, "Uncle Iku, Kouta and the kids are here!"
"Alright, alright, I'm coming." An old man with white hair and a neat goat beard emerged, carrying a large basket of fish in his arms.
Kouta immediately leapt onto the boat and ran to take the basket from him, placing it by the railing with practiced ease.
The old man wiped his hands on his apron, then pulled out a tobacco pipe from his waist pouch, packed it with shredded leaves, and lit it with a small lighter he pulled from his pocket.
He leaned against the rail, squinting as he took deep, thoughtful puffs.
As smoke drifted around him, he glanced toward Kuina, who had just stepped aboard behind Kouta. With a knowing smile, he said, "Kuina… you're really starting to look more and more like your mother."
Kuina grinned and clambered onto Kouta's back, poking her head over his shoulder to peek at the fish basket.
"Uncle Iku, any good catches today?"
Before Iku could answer, Zoro came charging over and yanked open the basket cover.
Inside was a heaping pile of massive lobsters, all squirming in the sudden sunlight, climbing over one another in a futile attempt to escape.
"What?! Lobsters again?! We're sick of them already!" Zoro groaned.
THUNK!
Iku landed a swift, practiced chop on Zoro's head.
"You brat! Lobsters are a delicacy around here! Be grateful you get to eat them!"
"Exactly!" Kouta and Kuina immediately stepped back, nodding solemnly.
"Argh… that hurt!" Zoro crouched down, rubbing his head. He glared at them and shouted, "Traitors! Don't act like you didn't say the same thing last time!"
Iku narrowed his eyes through the smoke and looked at Kuina. She quickly shook her head, denying it.
He turned his gaze to Kouta.
Kouta shrugged and put on a serious face. "Uncle Iku, you know me better than that. How could I possibly say something so ungrateful?"
Then he turned to Zoro and winked.
The deckhand nearby chuckled. "Hey, Uncle Iku, stop teasing the kids already. Isn't there still a big catch in the cabin?"
Zoro's eyes lit up. He looked at Iku with excitement.
"Don't just stand there, go get it yourself!" Iku grunted, puffing on his pipe.
With a cheer, Zoro bolted toward the cabin.
"Koby, give the brat a hand," Iku called.
"Yes, Uncle Iku," Koby nodded and followed Zoro inside.
Kouta walked up beside Iku. "Uncle Iku, got any news today?"
"You impatient brat," Iku muttered, knocking the ashes out of his pipe against the railing. He pulled a stack of papers from his chest pocket and handed them over. "Here. The latest."
Kouta took the papers and leaned against the railing, skimming through them.
The headline caught his eye:
"World Nobles Celebrate at the Kingdom of Gaia"
It was a ceremony to welcome the Celestial Dragons.
He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Celestial Dragons… Kingdom of Gaia… Luffy… Windmill Village…
His eyes suddenly sparkled.
Wait a second, wasn't this around the time when Sabo's ship got blasted by a Celestial Dragon, and then Dragon rescued him?
Could it be the same Celestial Dragon?
If it was, then… that incident was happening tonight!
"Hmm…"
Just then, Kouta suddenly tensed and turned toward the sea, staring out over the water.
"What is it, Kouta?" Kuina had noticed the change in his demeanor and followed him to the stern.
"A ship. A big one."
"A ship?"
Iku walked over and squinted into the distance. Beyond the clouds and surf, only seagulls danced in the sky.
He looked back at Kouta in astonishment. This kid's Observation Haki… it's already that sharp?
As an old sailor who had followed Kōzaburō from Wano Country, Iku knew exactly what that meant—he couldn't sense anything himself.
Suddenly, the cabin erupted with noise.
It was A-Hua and the others, now climbing aboard one after another, charging into the cabin with gleeful shouts.
The senior disciple leading them finally found Kouta at the stern, staring out at the horizon. Curious, he joined them in gazing out to sea.
And then they saw it.
At the horizon, a tiny black dot appeared where the sea kissed the sky.
Gradually, it came into view: a massive sailboat, dozens of meters long, with a towering hull at least ten meters high above the water, and a dragon coiled around its body.
From a distance, it looked like a living dragon was soaring across the sea.
The ship cut across the waves with astonishing speed and soon reached the edge of the bay.
As the colossal figure at the bow came into focus, excitement lit up in Kouta's eyes.
It was really them.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 100, 200, 300 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!