"…This is…"
I transmigrated?!
Into the world of One Piece… of all places?!
"And it just had to be this insanely dangerous world too."
Fragments of information flooded his mind.
East Blue.
Shimotsuki Village.
Isshin Dojo.
"And the most ridiculous thing is…"
"My identity is actually the senior brother of Isshin Dojo?!"
Ryukawa's eyes snapped open. He stared at his surroundings, his mood a chaotic mess.
What entered his sight was—
A completely unfamiliar dojo.
Completely unfamiliar faces.
Everything around him felt unreal, making his mind go blank for a moment.
Kids around ten years old, boys and girls alike, were gripping wooden swords and training hard. The sight stirred waves in Ryukawa's heart, like a tide rippling endlessly.
Transmigration…
He had never once thought this kind of thing would happen to him.
But as someone who had spent half his life reading online on his previous world's internet, a bona fide "knowledgeable otaku," Ryukawa calmed down faster than most.
Since it already happened and he couldn't change it—
Then he could only accept it.
Smack! Smack!
The crisp sound of wooden swords clashing rang by his ears, yanking Ryukawa back from his spiraling thoughts.
He focused.
The disciples of the dojo had all retreated to the edges, crowding along the walls. Every one of them was staring toward the center with faces full of curiosity and excitement.
In the middle of the dojo…
Only one boy and one girl remained. Both held wooden swords, facing each other.
Their swords were drawn.
The air felt tight.
A fight was about to break out at any moment.
This scene fell into Ryukawa's eyes.
"That moss-head… could it be…"
"That's Roronoa Zoro in his childhood?!"
"And the short-haired little girl facing him… if I'm not wrong, that has to be Kuina, the strongest rival of Zoro's youth, and the only daughter of Isshin Dojo's master, Koushirou."
Ryukawa silently took a deep breath.
"Me, the senior brother of this dojo… and my junior brother and junior sister just happen to be these two monsters. No pressure at all, right?"
Now that his emotions were settling, Ryukawa understood his current situation more clearly.
This so-called "senior brother" of Isshin Dojo…
Was basically just a title.
In reality, he was painfully average.
Nothing about him stood out.
In this entire Isshin Dojo, almost everyone knew about Zoro and Kuina—but their supposed senior brother? Hardly anyone paid attention to him.
The reason was simple.
He was too ordinary.
So ordinary he essentially blended into the background.
Not everyone could be placed on the same level as geniuses like Zoro and Kuina.
Right now, the boy standing in the center wore a training gi. His short green hair was especially eye-catching. Several bandages were still stuck to his face—it was obvious his wounds had yet to fully heal.
What stood out the most, though, were the three swords.
Two wooden swords were held in his hands.
And there was another clamped between his teeth.
Three-Sword Style.
An extremely rare style of swordsmanship.
In Zoro's eyes, a blazing fighting spirit surged like roaring flames. That overwhelming will to battle made the wooden swords in his hands seem heavier, more powerful.
Only a heart that houses a raging tiger can emerge undefeated from a hundred battles.
Facing him was a short-haired girl. Her young face was still soft with youth, yet her expression was firm. Her gaze wasn't as wild and explosive as Zoro's, but it carried a calm, sharp focus.
Their auras stood in stark contrast.
The next second—
The battle exploded.
Smack! Smack!
The crisp rhythm of wooden swords striking echoed through the dojo.
Moments later…
The result appeared.
As always—
Zoro lost.
Fast.
He barely had any room to fight back. From the instant the match started, he was suppressed by Kuina all the way until defeat.
"As expected, Zoro still lost."
"He's already super strong for his age, but Kuina is just… even stronger."
"Worthy of being the dojo master's daughter. She's still a bit above him."
The disciples of the dojo whispered among themselves, sighing with emotion.
In the crowd, Ryukawa watched Zoro and Kuina with a strange expression.
To be honest, that match had been embarrassing in a very specific way.
Because from start to finish…
He hadn't even clearly seen the movements of either of them.
By the time he processed what was happening, Zoro was already lying on the ground.
"You two are really making your senior brother look pathetically weak here…"
Accepting this identity, Ryukawa felt both bitter and helpless.
Zoro, Kuina, and the countless famed swordsmen who roamed this ocean—
Which one of them wasn't a complete monster?
No doubt, Zoro was incredibly hardworking. But reality was cruel: beyond hard work, he also possessed talent on a level ordinary humans couldn't even dream of.
"Other transmigrators punch Admirals and kick around Yonko as a warm-up…"
"And me? I can't even see the moves of child Zoro and Kuina clearly. I just watched a slideshow of my junior brother getting beaten up."
"Where's my cheat? My golden finger? My system?!"
As Ryukawa complained internally—
Thud, thud, thud.
Footsteps approached. From outside the dojo, a tall, thin, scholarly-looking man walked in. He had a wooden sword at his waist and a calm, steady gait.
"It's the master."
"Master, Zoro lost again."
A bunch of disciples immediately swarmed over, chirping around Koushirou.
"Next time I'll definitely win!"
Zoro rubbed the swollen bump on his head and shouted stubbornly.
"If your progress is only at this level, it doesn't matter how many next times you get. You'll lose all the same."
Kuina's words were sharp as a blade, not giving him an inch of face.
"All right, that's enough. I've seen the progress of both of you. 'Rapid improvement' isn't an exaggeration. But remember this—don't get arrogant."
Koushirou smiled gently, stopping the budding argument between the two.
"Yes."
In front of Koushirou, both Zoro and Kuina became much more restrained and respectful.
Then—
Koushirou's gaze shifted toward Ryukawa.
"Ryukawa, as the senior brother, remember to keep an eye on their training later. Don't let the others slack off."
"Got it."
Ryukawa nodded. By now, he'd basically settled into this identity.
After watching Zoro and Kuina's daily sparring session, the other students didn't really need strict supervision. One by one, they raised their wooden swords and focused on their own training.
So as not to attract unnecessary attention…
Ryukawa maintained his usual routine. He picked up a wooden sword and walked alone to one corner of the dojo, starting his own basic swinging practice.
The wooden sword rested in his grip—
But it felt oddly unfamiliar, like it belonged to someone else.
"With my current level, if I set sail into this world, I'd probably only be qualified to be cannon fodder."
"Still, my starting point isn't the worst. At least I'm not some no-name marine destined to die in a random skirmish, nor am I a disposable lackey in a pirate crew."
"Shimotsuki Village is in East Blue. This place is one of the safest regions in the world. Plus, Master Koushirou is here. He never shows off, but his strength should be unfathomable."
After thinking through all that…
Ryukawa tightened his grip on the wooden sword. With movements that were clumsy and stiff, he swung it down gently.
At that moment—
A sudden voice rang out in his mind, without any warning.
[Ding! Strongest Swordmaster System activating…]
[Activation complete!]
[System has auto-bound to host. Binding successful!]
[Current sword swings: 1]