"Kanzaki-sensei, have you read One Piece?" Oda asked, his expression strange.
One Piece hadn't even started serialization yet. Where could Kai have possibly read it?
He was really curious.
"Not One Piece," Kai shook his head. "It was Romance Dawn. Devil Fruits, pirates, adventure. So much packed into one story. I could see how rich your imagination was, Oda-sensei. It's a shame you never got to develop it into a full series."
Romance Dawn was the prototype for One Piece. It featured the five-billion-Berry Rubber Fruit, Luffy, the pirate Garp, and Gin.
Kai loved every page of it.
"Romance Dawn..." Oda murmured.
"Do you really like my manga, Kanzaki-sensei?"
"Of course," Kai answered without hesitation. "Your work is my favorite manga, Oda-sensei. You're going to become a national-level manga artist. It's only a matter of time."
One Piece had been with Kai for over a decade in his past life. He only put the manga down after Luffy entered the New World.
Even after that, he'd dipped back in for arcs like Punk Hazard, Doflamingo's Birdcage, and Luffy activating Gear 5.
"Favorite... national-level manga artist..." Oda stood frozen for a long time.
Then the corners of his mouth started twitching upward. Finally, he couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. "So the manga Kanzaki-sensei likes the most is actually mine! Hahaha!"
Coming from one of Jump's pillars, most people would have been overwhelmed.
But Oda was bold by nature, with ambition to match. He was trembling all over, a rush of hot blood surging to his head, his face turning bright red.
"I'll draw something even better! Something you'll love even more, Sensei! Count on it!"
Riding that high, he blurted out the reason he'd come today.
"Yesterday, my editor told me that One Piece passed the serialization meeting."
Kai felt a prickling sensation run down his spine. He couldn't help glancing over his shoulder, as if some monster was gaining on him from behind.
"That's great news," he said, forcing a smile. "Congratulations."
"I actually have you to thank, Sensei. My editor told me, 'Because Death Note's collected volumes are selling so well, the Editor-in-Chief got excited and approved One Piece's serialization.' That's what he said."
Kai blinked. 'I had a hand in this?'
"How embarrassing! When I heard it passed the serialization meeting, I was actually happy about it." Oda was talking at full speed now. "Editor-in-Chief Torishima looks down on people too much. I came to Shueisha today to make him apologize to me."
"But now that doesn't matter. I should be spending my time on manga to repay your appreciation, Sensei."
With that, he turned to leave.
But...
"Excuse me..." A timid voice piped up. Kai looked down and saw a girl in a hat, elementary school age.
"Are you Kanzaki-sensei, the one who draws Death Note?"
Behind her was a whole crowd of kids, all staring at Kai with wide, expectant eyes. A female teacher stood off to the side, looking flustered.
Without either Kai or Oda noticing, they'd been completely surrounded.
"That's me." Kai nodded.
The moment the words left his mouth...
"Awesome!"
"It's Kanzaki-sensei!"
"My big brother loves his manga!"
"Ryuk is so cool!"
The kids erupted.
"Sensei, can I have your autograph?"
"My brother wants one too!"
They shoved Oda aside and swarmed Kai, buzzing like little fanboys and fangirls.
"Sure."
Kai took the pens and paper they thrust at him and signed each one patiently.
While writing, he asked, "What are you kids doing here?"
"We're on a tour!"
"Field trip!"
"It's not a field trip, dummy. It's a social studies visit."
They answered over each other, each one afraid that waiting too long meant missing their chance to speak.
"I see." Kai nodded. "Alright."
After finishing the last autograph, Kai wrapped up the impromptu fan meeting.
The teacher clapped her hands. "Now, what do we say?"
"Thank you, Kanzaki-sensei."
The children bowed together, their voices soft and high.
Oda watched from the sidelines, burning with envy.
"Hey, mister."
A little boy tugged at his sleeve.
"Hm?" Oda crouched down. "What's up?"
"Mister, which manga artist are you?"
The rest of the kids, fresh off their encounter with Kai, turned to look at Oda with the same eager eyes.
"Are you Watsuki Nobuhiro-sensei, the one who draws Rurouni Kenshin?"
"Maybe it's Shimabukuro Mitsutoshi-sensei."
"Inoue! I bet it's Inoue Takehiko-sensei!"
Oda rubbed his palms together, eyes shining. "I'm Oda Eiichiro."
"Oh." "Never heard of him." The kids nodded, their faces completely blank.
Then they turned and filed into the lobby.
"Let's start the Shueisha tour."
...
After the children left, Kai looked at Oda, who had been hanging his head in silence, and gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat.
"Don't let it get to you. It won't be long before the name Oda is famous everywhere."
"I'm not upset!" Oda lifted his head, canine tooth bared, indignant. "This is all Torishima's fault! If he hadn't been so stubborn, I'd already be famous by now."
"I'm not letting him off the hook!"
He puffed out his chest, held his head high, and marched into the Shueisha lobby.
Kai hurried after him, and they walked in together.
Torishima was already in the lobby.
He wasn't there for the school kids. He walked right past Oda and made a beeline for Kai.
"I figured you'd be here," he said with a warm smile. "Sorry to make you come all this way, Kanzaki-sensei. There's something I'd like to discuss."
"You're too kind, Editor-in-Chief." Kai replied. "Coming out here to wait for me in person. I'm flattered."
"I had nothing going on, so I came down. Didn't wait long. Just a moment."
Furuta, standing off to the side, clicked his tongue. He'd been here the whole time and had assumed the boss was doing an inspection. The man had been "inspecting" for half an hour. Turned out he'd actually been waiting for Kai.
'He's really made it. Look at him, walking around like royalty.'
Furuta quietly gave a thumbs-up in Kai's direction.
"Editor-in-Chief!" Oda called out loudly, watching the kids disappear into the elevator.
"Hm?" The smile dropped. Torishima turned to Oda with a flat expression. "Something you need?"
Oda held his gaze.
"You've always been skeptical about One Piece."
"Yes." Torishima didn't explain. He just nodded.
Oda had long since gotten used to Torishima's attitude. He stated his purpose plainly.
"When One Piece becomes a massive hit, I want you to say it. 'I admit defeat.'"
"Fine." Torishima tilted his chin up and accepted.
"Remember that promise." Oda turned and walked out of Shueisha without looking back.
Torishima could feel his fighting spirit. This was the kind of resolve a top-tier manga artist needed.
It was the same energy Inoue Takehiko had carried when he finished Slam Dunk.
But moments later, Oda came back. He shuffled up to Kai, suddenly sheepish, and bowed.
"Kanzaki-sensei, please... could I get your autograph too?"
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Bonus chapter at 666 Power stones
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