Under the thatched rain canopy, the courtyard wall had been marked by Shano with a bunch of "E"s pointing in different directions from top to bottom.
"Which way is this?"
"Up."
"And this one?"
"…Left?"
"Close one eye and try again—this one?"
"Uh… I can't tell."
Hopeless.
Shano smacked his forehead. Other than the largest "E" at the top, none of the rest were recognizable in terms of direction.
With vision like this, Kuina's eyesight was probably no better than 0.1.
By modern standards, she'd need glasses of at least -6.00 diopters—severely nearsighted.
"Has your father never noticed anything about your eyesight?" he couldn't help but ask.
"…Father is usually very busy. I think my vision only started getting worse sometime last year, and I never mentioned it. It's understandable he didn't notice."
One never brought it up, the other never noticed.
These two really were quite the absent-minded pair.
"In any case, you'd better get glasses soon."
Shano sighed. "Fooling around in the dojo with bamboo swords is one thing, but in real combat, it's your life on the line. You don't even need to wait for battle—just going downstairs with vision like that, one slip and you could die."
"Mm. I'll talk to Father about it as soon as he gets back."
Kuina nodded seriously.
If someone else had said this to her, she might have argued back—especially that last part. No way she'd be that weak.
But coming from Shano, it just sounded so natural.
She sat down along the wooden veranda under the eaves, tilting her head up to look at Shano.
"You're always worrying about me. Since we're talking about me so much, why don't we talk about you instead?"
"Me? There's nothing to talk about."
Shano shrugged and sat down beside her.
"I haven't officially gone out to sea yet, so I don't have much to say. The only noteworthy thing I've done is that incident on Shallow Sakura Island, and you probably know the details better than I do."
"You haven't gone out to sea yet?"
"Yeah. I'm only thirteen—what's the point of sailing now? Seventeen or eighteen seems like a more reasonable age to start adventuring."
"Huh? Thirteen?!! That means you're only two years older than me!"
"Doesn't look like it?"
"Not at all! I mean, it's not just your appearance… It's mainly how calm and composed you are! And at your age, to already be so famous!"
Kuina mimed a sword swing. "Helping others when you see injustice—so cool! Once you really head out to sea, if you joined the Navy, you'd totally become a great Marine!"
"The Navy?"
Shano thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No interest."
Maybe if he'd crossed over earlier in life, he might've seen joining the Navy as a goal. Back then, even a flawed order was better than chaos and unrest.
And, to be fair, those white justice cloaks really did look cool.
But the fact was, he'd reincarnated after watching the God Valley arc. Just thinking about it made his stomach turn.
If they ever made him escort Celestial Dragons or something, he'd probably puke on the spot.
Kuina was stunned. "Huh? Then are you… a bounty hunter? Wait, don't tell me you're gonna be a pirate?!"
"As long as I can stay free, what I'm labeled as doesn't really matter."
Shano spread his hands. "The world is big. I'm definitely going to sail around and explore. Otherwise, what's the point of all this training? But… do I really need to slap a label on myself ahead of time?"
"If pirates try to rob me, I'll rob them right back. If the Navy tries to mess with me, I'll hit them back too. Whatever label they slap on me afterward is their problem."
"I'm still me. A label won't change who I am. Friends are friends, enemies are enemies. You get what I mean?"
"I think I kind of get it."
Kuina tilted her head. "But, like, I've only ever heard of the Navy putting bounties on pirates. If you fight both sides, won't they just decide you're a pirate anyway?"
"You know, that's probably true!"
Shano burst out laughing. "If that day comes, I won't hold back—I'll raise a skull-and-crossbones flag, start my own pirate crew, and punch anyone who tries to mess with me!"
"Until both pirates and marines see my ship from afar and tremble in fear, too scared to even approach—then I'll really be able to sail around freely and enjoy my adventures!"
"Hey, Kuina!"
He suddenly leaned down. "Didn't you promise Zoro that you'd compete to see who becomes the world's greatest swordsman first? How about both of you join my crew when the time comes?"
"If you want to be the best, staying cooped up in this little dojo won't cut it. If you don't sail the seas, how can the world recognize your title?"
Newest chapter first posted at 69shu.com!
With Shano?
Leave behind this tiny Shimotsuki Village to explore the vast ocean?
Kuina stared blankly toward the distant horizon, her breath quickening.
She clenched her bamboo sword and suddenly stood up. "N-Now?! It's a little sudden, but I can do it! But Father isn't back yet. Should I ask for his permission first or—"
"What are you even thinking?!"
Shano smacked her on the head, annoyed. "You really thought we were heading out now? I don't even have a ship!"
"Ow!"
"Anyway, just treat it as a promise. Keep it tucked in your heart. No rush. You and Zoro should keep training hard for a few more years. If you leave too young, Mr. Koshiro will be heartbroken."
Shano stretched and stood up, smiling. "Don't worry. When I really do set sail, I won't forget to come find you two."
Behind him, silence.
He looked back in confusion and saw Kuina staring straight at him.
"Pinky promise?"
"Uh… That's not necessary, right? You're not as childish as Zoro, are you?"
"Pinky promise! If not, I'll follow you all night—you're not going to bed alone!"
"…I can't with you."
———
Koshiro came back early the next morning.
After a good night's rest, Shano woke up feeling refreshed. He was doing handstand push-ups in the courtyard when he suddenly saw Koshiro bringing two people with him.
Before he could even get a clear look, the two of them dropped to their knees with a thud.
"Savior!"
Shano quickly flipped down and helped Zeff and Sanji up from the ground.
"What are you doing?! You just got out of bed and now this? I really can't take this much gratitude. Besides, old man, didn't you already thank me a few days ago?"
"Haha, a life-saving debt can't be repaid with just one thanks."
Zeff grinned and pointed to his right leg. "Besides, you actually saved me twice. If you hadn't rowed like mad and brought me here to Shimotsuki Village, how would I have met Mr. Koshiro and Doctor Zilan, and gotten this leg fixed?"
Leg?
Shano looked down and saw that where Zeff's right knee had once ended in empty space, there was now a sturdy wooden leg.
The craftsmanship was impressive—the joint could even bend freely. With the pant leg down, you wouldn't even notice he was missing a limb.
Far better than that toilet-plunger-looking stick from the original timeline.
"When I was young, I learned blacksmithing from my father, but I was never very gifted."
Koshiro adjusted his glasses with a smile. "Instead, I developed a fondness for woodworking and spent many years honing my skills. I never thought it would come in handy today."