Tonight was a full moon.
The bright moonlight bathed the earth, making everything distinct.
On the large grassy field outside Shimotsuki Village, Zoro and Kuina stood facing each other, swords in hand.
In the nearby woods, Ian watched the scene from afar.
The duel finally began.
From Ian’s perspective, the round moon served as the perfect backdrop for their clash.
Bathed in moonlight, their figures intertwined as they slashed, defended, and leaped about, creating a strangely beautiful spectacle.
However, only the two duelists understood how dangerous this fight truly was.
They had swapped their usual bamboo swords for sharp, real blades.
A single moment of carelessness could result in a severe injury.
Perhaps because of this, they fought with added caution and an even greater level of seriousness.
After dozens of exchanges, Zoro was already panting heavily.
His greatest achievement so far was merely slicing off a lock of Kuina’s hair.
In contrast, Kuina hardly looked tired at all.
“Holding two real swords is heavy, isn’t it, Zoro?” Kuina taunted, continuing to provoke him.
“You really are still too weak!”
Hearing this, Zoro let out an indignant shout and charged at her.
Little did he know, Kuina was intentionally goading him.
The moment he attacked, his stance opened up.
Kuina dashed forward and executed an upward strike, sending both of Zoro’s swords flying into the air!
Thrown off balance by the force, Zoro stumbled and fell backward.
Kuina twirled the sword in her hand and fiercely plunged it into the ground right next to his ear!
“You lose again!
Two thousand and one losses, zero wins!” Kuina said with a smile.
Lying on the ground, Zoro covered his face and growled, “Damn it!
Damn it!”
He had lost again, and the bitter unwillingness of defeat made him feel like crying.
However, Kuina stared at him silently before suddenly speaking up.
“I’m the one who feels so frustrated I want to cry…”
Zoro moved his hands away in surprise and looked at her.
He saw tears welling up in Kuina’s eyes as she spoke forlornly.
“When girls grow up, they become weaker than boys.
Just look at Big Brother Ian and you’ll understand.
He hasn’t sparred with me in a long time.
It’s not that he doesn’t want to; it’s that I refuse to fight him.
Because I know he’s probably already stronger than me now.”
“You too, Zoro!
You’ll catch up to me soon enough…”
Kuina looked up at the sky, trying hard to keep her tears from falling.
“My father told me.
He said girls can never become the world’s strongest swordsman.
I know that…
I’ve known that for a long time!”
“You have it so good, Zoro, just because you’re a boy…
I want to become the world’s strongest swordsman too, but…” Kuina placed a hand over her chest.
“My chest has started developing too!”
Seeing this, Zoro couldn’t help but blush.
“If only…
if only I could be a boy too…” Kuina lowered her head, and her tears of frustration finally fell.
Zoro wasn’t having any of it.
He yelled, “You already beat me, so stop whining!
That’s playing dirty, isn’t it?
You’re my goal!
What does being a man or a woman have to do with it?!
When I finally beat you one day, are you going to use that as an excuse?!
You make it sound like I wouldn’t be winning with my own strength.
Doesn’t that make me look like an idiot for training so desperately?!”
“Zoro…” Kuina looked at him in astonishment.
“Don’t ever say things like that again!” Zoro stepped forward, standing right in front of her.
“Promise me!
Someday, either you or I will become the world’s strongest swordsman!
Let’s compete and see which one of us makes it!”
Kuina stared blankly at Zoro, realizing his eyes were more serious than ever before.
Zoro held out his hand to her.
Kuina smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes, and muttered, “Idiot, even though you’re so weak…”
Still, she reached out and grasped Zoro’s hand tightly.
Under the moonlit night, this scene seemed to freeze in time, forming a breathtakingly beautiful picture.
Watching from the distant woods, Ian couldn’t help but facepalm and sigh.
‘Ah, the vigor of youth!’
How did that saying go again?
‘I remember running under the setting sun that day; that was my lost youth!’ That perfectly described the current situation, except the setting sun had been replaced by the moon…
‘But damn it, did you two forget someone when making that promise?!’
As a bystander, Ian’s feelings were quite complicated.
Zoro and Kuina already had their goals, but what about him?
‘Now that I’m in this world, I can’t go back.
Am I just going to keep living as a spectator?’
While Ian was lost in his confusion, he noticed a figure walking toward him.
Upon closer inspection, it was Kuina!
Zoro had left at some point without him noticing, but Kuina had spotted Ian and walked over.
“Did you see everything, Big Brother Ian?”
Ian nodded.
Kuina smiled faintly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Did my father ask you to come find me?
Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Ian stared at Kuina for a long moment before suddenly saying, “Even though you made that promise with that idiot, you’re still feeling unwilling to accept it, aren’t you?”
Kuina remained silent, turning her head away.
Ian wasn’t a meathead like Zoro.
Only Zoro would naively believe that a simple promise could untangle the knot in Kuina’s heart.
The physical limitations preventing her from growing stronger had become her inner demon.
She was so bound by this thought that even her mind was no longer free.
How could she possibly make any progress in her swordsmanship?
She knew very well that if things continued this way, she would eventually be forced to look up to Zoro, watching him defeat her and making her taste the bitterness of failure!
For someone as fiercely competitive as Kuina, just imagining such a scenario felt like needles piercing her heart.
If there was anyone in Shimotsuki Village who understood Kuina best, it was probably Ian—even Master Koushirou couldn’t compare!
That was exactly why he asked her that question.
Seeing Kuina’s reaction, Ian sighed softly.
“Come with me.”
Ian led Kuina back to the dojo and into his room.
Under Kuina’s curious gaze, Ian carefully picked up the Transponder Snail sleeping on his desk.
Over the past year, this tiny Transponder Snail had grown up.
If it wasn’t asleep, one would see that its two pea-sized eyes had taken on a bit of Ian’s charm.
The most amusing part was that it now wore a tiny bear-eared hat on its head!
It looked exactly like a miniature version of Ian.
On its shell, a number had appeared: 9209.
This was Ian’s number.
“Big Brother Ian, what are you doing with a Transponder Snail?” Kuina asked.
Ian didn’t answer her directly.
Instead, he rubbed the Transponder Snail’s little head and said, “Kuina, do you remember that time you didn’t see me for a while, and when you finally did, I was wearing this hat?”
Kuina nodded.
Of course, she remembered.
“That was because a group of outsiders came to the village that day!” Ian explained.
“Those people were the Revolutionary Army!
They gave me this hat, and among them was a very strange person!”
Kuina listened quietly to Ian’s story, only for him to suddenly change the subject.
“Have you ever heard of Devil Fruits?”
“My father mentioned them to me once, but I didn’t really believe it.
Do Devil Fruits actually exist?” Kuina asked.
Ian nodded.
“They do.
Shimotsuki Village is very small, but the outside world is vast.
Devil Fruits are real, and that strange person I mentioned is a Devil Fruit user!”
“His name is Ivankov, and he ate the Hormone Fruit!” Ian said seriously.
“He has a bizarre ability to manipulate human hormones, allowing him to freely turn people into men or women!”
Seeing Kuina’s mouth drop open in shock, Ian smiled.
“And the most important part is that he can use this ability on others!”
Hearing this, Kuina immediately looked at Ian.
She finally understood what he was getting at.
“Yes, I was the one who escorted them out of the village back then!” Ian nodded.
“Before they left, I asked for Ivankov’s Transponder Snail number.
Now that my Transponder Snail has grown, I can call him.
If…
and I mean if, you truly want to become a boy, maybe you can find him and ask for his help!”
That was the real reason Ian had asked Ivankov for his number before they parted ways.
Seeing Kuina fall silent, Ian sighed.
“Even though we aren’t blood siblings, I’ve always treated you as my real younger sister.
You have an inner demon right now, and if you don’t overcome it, your swordsmanship will struggle to grow.
I don’t want to see you sink into despair over this, so I had to find an alternative.
This might be hard for you to accept, so it all depends on your own wishes.
If you want to become a boy, then set sail and find Ivankov.
If you don’t, then keep walking your current path.
I refuse to believe that girls can’t become the strongest.
Even if it takes a hundred times the effort, there’s always hope for success.”
“I…
I need to think about this carefully!” Kuina stood up and walked toward the door.
She seemed a bit flustered.
Ian’s words had delivered far too great of a shock.
“Thank you, Big Brother Ian!”
“You’re welcome.
I am your big brother, after all.”