Bottle in hand, Ian followed the voice down the moonlit shoreline.
The beach was quiet.
Waves rolled lazily onto the sand, retreating with a soft hiss before returning again.
The village lights glimmered in the distance, their reflections dancing across the dark water.
Amid the steady rhythm of the sea came another sound.
A wooden sword cutting through the air.
Slash.
Slash.
Slash.
Ian soon spotted the source.
A lone figure stood on the beach beneath the moonlight, swinging a practice sword with both hands.
Green hair.
Determined eyes.
A stubborn expression that seemed permanently attached to his face.
Roronoa Zoro.
Future legendary swordsman.
Future monster.
Current exhausted child.
“…One hundred.”
The wooden sword came down.
“…One hundred one.”
Another swing.
“…One hundred two.”
His breathing had long since become ragged.
Sweat soaked his training clothes.
His arms trembled with fatigue.
Every swing looked heavier than the last.
Yet he continued.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The determination in his eyes never faded.
Ian watched quietly.
People often joked about Zoro’s terrible sense of direction.
About his stubbornness.
His reckless nature.
But there was one thing nobody could ever deny.
The man worked harder than almost anyone.
Talent alone didn’t create legends.
Relentless effort did.
Eventually, the inevitable happened.
Around one hundred and fifty swings, Zoro’s body finally surrendered.
The wooden sword slipped from his hands.
His knees buckled.
And he collapsed face-first into the sand.
“Ow…”
The boy groaned.
He tried to push himself up.
Failed.
Tried again.
Failed again.
After a third attempt, he gave up entirely and lay sprawled across the beach, staring up at the night sky while gasping for breath.
Ian couldn’t help smiling.
Even as a kid, this idiot trained as though he were trying to challenge fate itself.
“Long night?”
The voice startled him.
In an instant, Zoro rolled onto his side and reached for his sword.
The reaction was fast.
Very fast.
Ian’s eyebrows rose slightly.
Not bad.
The boy’s instincts were already developing.
Then Zoro recognized him.
“Oh.”
His shoulders relaxed.
A little.
“You’re that traveler from the tavern.”
Ian crouched beside him and set down a bottle.
“The very same.”
Zoro eyed it suspiciously.
Then curiosity won.
He grabbed it.
Took a cautious sip.
And immediately regretted every decision that had brought him to this moment.
His face turned bright red.
“HOT!”
The bottle nearly flew from his hands.
He waved his arms frantically.
“What is wrong with this thing?!”
Ian burst out laughing.
“First drink?”
“No!”
“It absolutely was.”
“No, it wasn’t!”
“It really was.”
Zoro looked deeply offended.
“Stop acting like you know everything!”
That only made Ian laugh harder.
Eventually, after recovering from his traumatic encounter with alcohol, Zoro sat up.
Ian dropped onto the sand beside him.
The two sat facing the ocean.
For a while, neither spoke.
Only the sound of waves filled the silence.
Then Ian finally asked,
“So why are you out here training alone?”
Zoro looked away.
For the first time, he seemed reluctant to answer.
After a moment, he sighed.
“Extra practice.”
“Extra practice?”
“Yeah.”
The frustration in his voice was impossible to miss.
Ian glanced toward the discarded practice sword.
“And is it helping?”
Silence.
Several seconds passed.
Then—
“No.”
The admission sounded painful.
Zoro flopped backward into the sand.
“I’ve been doing this for a month.”
“And?”
“I still can’t beat Kuina.”
Ian nodded.
There it was.
Kuina.
Koushirou’s daughter.
The wall standing in front of young Zoro’s dream.
The rival who defeated him again and again.
Every loss carved itself into his memory.
Every defeat fueled his determination.
Ian understood immediately.
This wasn’t really about swordsmanship.
It was pride.
Conviction.
A dream that refused to die.
“Why can’t you beat her?”
Zoro groaned.
“If I knew that, I’d have beaten her already.”
Ian chuckled.
Fair enough.
The kid had a point.
Just as he was about to reply, a familiar notification appeared before his eyes.
Shimotsuki Village Check-In Progress Reached 20%
Reward Acquired
Swordsmanship Lv.5
Assassin Seven Sword Intent Template
Random Quest Triggered
Become Roronoa Zoro’s Teacher
Guide him in swordsmanship and become one of the influences shaping his future path.
Rewards:
Complete Assassin Seven Sword Intent
+30% Shimotsuki Village Check-In Progress
Ian froze.
Then nearly dropped his bottle.
“Seriously?”
The system answered with its usual silence.
A torrent of information exploded into his mind.
Sword techniques.
Forms.
Principles.
Movement.
Timing.
Combat instincts.
Knowledge unfolded layer after layer.
As though years of training had been compressed into mere seconds.
At the same time, another presence emerged deep within his consciousness.
A young swordsman dressed in black and blue.
Calm.
Deadly.
Sharp enough to cut through anything.
Assassin Seven.
The incomplete Sword Intent settled into Ian’s mind like a blade sliding into its sheath.
For a brief moment—
The atmosphere changed.
The sea breeze no longer felt gentle.
The moonlight seemed colder.
An invisible edge lingered around him.
Even the sound of the waves felt sharper.
A trace of killing intent flickered through his eyes.
Then vanished.
Gone as quickly as it had appeared.
Ian blinked.
“That’s…
impressive.”
Swordsmanship Lv.5.
Just like that.
Meanwhile, Zoro had quietly shuffled several steps backward.
His grip tightened around his practice sword.
The boy’s instincts were screaming warnings.
Something had happened.
Just now.
For a split second, the traveler beside him had felt terrifying.
Not angry.
Not hostile.
Simply dangerous.
Like a sword resting inside its scabbard.
Waiting.
Observation Haki made Zoro’s reaction impossible for Ian to miss.
“Relax.”
Ian smiled.
“I don’t bite.”
Zoro hesitated.
Eventually, he lowered his sword.
A little.
“Right…”
The answer lacked conviction.
Several awkward seconds passed.
Then curiosity won once again.
“You’re a swordsman, aren’t you?”
Ian looked genuinely surprised.
“You figured that out?”
“There was a feeling.”
Zoro frowned.
Trying to find the right words.
“Just for a second.”
“A feeling?”
“Yeah.”
He scratched his head.
“Like…”
The boy struggled to explain it.
“…a sword.”
Ian stared at him.
Then laughed.
Of course.
Even now, years before his future fame, Zoro’s instincts were ridiculous.
The kid had sensed Sword Intent almost immediately.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Ian shook his head.
“You’re ridiculously talented.”
The compliment caught Zoro completely off guard.
“I am?”
“Absolutely.”
“Really?”
“Future legendary swordsman levels of talented.”
Zoro blinked.
“Future what?”
Ian grinned.
There was simply no helping it.
Teasing young Zoro was far too entertaining.
“Future legendary swordsman.”
The boy stared.
“You keep saying things like that.”
“Because they’re true.”
“How would you know?”
Ian pointed at him.
“Good eyes.”
“That doesn’t explain anything.”
“Sure it does.”
“It really doesn’t.”
The conversation immediately hit a wall.
Ian took another drink.
Zoro crossed his arms.
Finally, after a moment of silence, the boy asked the obvious question.
“What are you actually trying to say?”
Ian smiled.
Moonlight reflected in his eyes.
“Simple.”
The waves rolled gently onto the shore.
The wind carried the scent of the sea.
And somewhere in the distance, destiny quietly held its breath.
“Before you met me, becoming the World’s Greatest Swordsman was only a possibility.”
Zoro’s eyes widened.
“But after meeting me?”
Ian’s smile deepened.
“It becomes much more interesting.”
The boy stared.
Completely bewildered.
“…What does that even mean?”
Ian laughed.
At the edge of his vision, the Random Quest continued to glow.
Become Roronoa Zoro’s Teacher.
Well.
This journey had just become far more entertaining than expected.