After Zoro finally left the beach, Ian remained seated at the bow of his ship, gazing out across the moonlit sea.
The harbor had grown quiet.
Gentle waves lapped against the hull.
The village lights shimmered in the distance like scattered stars.
A familiar notification appeared at the edge of his vision.
Shimotsuki Village Check-In Progress: 25%
Ian smiled.
“Five percent.”
Not bad.
More importantly, it confirmed what he’d already suspected.
The quest was progressing.
Zoro had accepted his guidance.
Maybe not openly.
Maybe not yet.
But the decision had already been made.
Tomorrow night, the boy would return.
Ian had no doubt about it.
Roronoa Zoro was many things.
Stubborn.
Proud.
Hotheaded.
But he wasn’t stupid.
Once he found a path toward becoming stronger, he would chase it with everything he had.
Ian took another sip from his bottle.
“That little moss-head.”
The image of the future swordsman and the exhausted child he’d met on the beach still refused to line up in his mind.
Then again…
Maybe greatness always looked ridiculous before it arrived.
The waves rocked gently beneath the ship.
A comfortable silence settled over the harbor.
Eventually, Ian retired to his cabin.
Tomorrow would bring new stories.
Across the village, however, someone else was still awake.
The doors of Isshin Dojo creaked open.
A small figure slipped quietly inside.
Or at least attempted to.
“Zoro.”
The voice immediately froze him in place.
The boy stiffened.
Slowly, he turned around.
A girl stood beneath a hanging lantern, a practice sword resting over one shoulder.
Kuina.
His rival.
His friend.
The one person he had never defeated.
Not once.
“…You’re back late.”
Zoro scratched the back of his head.
“Yeah.”
“You were training again.”
It wasn’t a question.
The boy nodded.
“I was.”
Kuina sighed.
“You trained all day already.”
“Mm.”
“You’ve been sneaking out every night.”
“Mm.”
“You know that’s unhealthy, right?”
“Mm.”
The conversation was becoming impressively one-sided.
Kuina folded her arms.
“Are you even listening?”
“Of course.”
“Then answer properly.”
That finally earned her a real response.
Zoro looked directly at her.
“I need to get stronger.”
The answer came without hesitation.
Kuina’s expression softened.
That was the problem.
She knew he meant it.
She had seen the bruises.
The exhaustion.
The endless practice.
Recently, he’d even started dozing off during lessons.
Yet every night he still disappeared to train until he could barely stand.
“You don’t have to do all this alone.”
Zoro shook his head.
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
His answer came instantly.
“Because I have to beat you.”
Silence.
The two children stared at one another.
Then Zoro pointed toward her bandaged hand.
“Our next match is number two thousand and one.”
The familiar fire appeared in his eyes.
“And I’m not losing.”
With that declaration, he turned and headed toward his room.
Leaving Kuina alone in the hallway.
The lantern light flickered softly.
For a long moment, she simply stood there.
Then she sighed.
A quiet, lonely sound.
“Zoro…”
Her gaze drifted toward her hand.
“You really don’t understand.”
The words barely rose above a whisper.
“You’re always angry about losing.”
A faint smile appeared on her face.
“Meanwhile, I’m terrified you’ll catch up too soon.”
The hallway returned to silence.
The next morning arrived bright and clear.
Sunlight streamed through the cabin window as Ian stretched lazily.
The system-created ship really was excellent.
Comfortable beds.
Sturdy construction.
Enough storage to support long voyages.
And despite everything it had already endured, it still looked brand new.
That said, sleeping aboard a ship every night did have its drawbacks.
“Maybe I should find a room in the village.”
He yawned.
“Or at least somewhere with fewer seagulls.”
After washing up using the fresh water stored aboard, Ian stepped onto the dock.
Shimotsuki Village was already alive.
Merchants opened their stalls.
Children raced through the streets.
Fishermen unloaded the morning’s catch.
The entire village hummed with energy.
“First priority.”
Ian adjusted his coat.
“Good alcohol.”
The universal solution.
He headed toward the tavern.
Halfway there, however, he paused.
A ship had arrived.
That wasn’t unusual.
What caught his attention was the man stepping onto the shore.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Powerful.
Even from a distance, there was something unusual about him.
Ian’s Observation Haki reacted immediately.
A presence.
Strong.
Exceptionally strong.
Not on Garp’s level.
But powerful enough to command attention.
The stranger stood near the harbor entrance, silently observing the village.
Then his gaze shifted.
Directly toward Ian.
Their eyes met across the distance.
The man smiled.
A small smile.
Calm.
Knowing.
Then he continued walking.
Ian frowned.
“That feels familiar.”
Very familiar.
The face tugged at the edge of his memory.
Someone important.
Someone he absolutely knew.
Yet the answer remained frustratingly out of reach.
“Interesting.”
After a moment, he shrugged and continued into town.
Whatever business the stranger had, it probably wasn’t his concern.
Shimotsuki Village was lively in the morning.
Vendors called out from market stalls.
Animals wandered lazily through side streets.
The scent of breakfast drifted from open windows.
Compared to the dangers waiting beyond the horizon, places like this felt almost impossibly peaceful.
Ian enjoyed that.
The world wasn’t just storms and battles.
Sometimes it was laughter.
Sometimes it was breakfast.
Sometimes it was a quiet village waking beneath the morning sun.
“That’s why traveling is worth it.”
Every island had something unique.
Different people.
Different stories.
Different experiences.
Different food.
Speaking of food…
His stomach reminded him that breakfast remained an unresolved issue.
Fortunately, the tavern soon came into view.
Perfect.
“Back again?”
Carlo greeted him with a grin the moment he walked inside.
“Your reputation is becoming dangerous.”
Ian raised an eyebrow.
“My reputation?”
“Every time you visit, our alcohol stock mysteriously decreases.”
“A complete mystery.”
“Truly baffling.”
The bartender laughed.
“So what’ll it be?”
“Something local.”
“Excellent choice.”
A bottle appeared on the counter moments later.
Ian poured himself a glass.
The aroma alone was impressive.
Rich.
Earthy.
Distinctly different from the drinks of Windmill Village.
“You weren’t kidding.”
“I never joke about alcohol.”
“A respectable philosophy.”
The two shared a laugh.
Then the tavern door opened.
The atmosphere shifted almost immediately.
Not silence.
Not fear.
Just awareness.
People noticed.
The newcomer wore a dark green cloak.
Distinctive red markings framed his face.
And the moment Ian got a proper look at him, the answer finally clicked.
Ah.
So it really is him.
Monkey D.
Dragon.
Leader of the Revolutionary Army.
One of the most influential men in the world.
And perhaps most amusingly—
Luffy’s father.
Dragon approached the counter calmly.
“One drink.”
His voice was deep and steady.
The kind of voice people instinctively listened to.
Carlo poured without asking questions.
A wise decision.
As Dragon accepted the glass, his gaze drifted toward Ian.
A faint smile appeared.
“We’ve already crossed paths once today.”
Ian raised his own glass.
“At the harbor.”
“Indeed.”
Dragon took a nearby seat.
For a few moments, neither spoke.
Then the Revolutionary leader asked,
“Pirate?”
“Traveler.”
The answer seemed to genuinely surprise him.
“Traveler?”
“That’s right.”
Dragon considered that.
Then chuckled softly.
“Interesting.”
Ian took a sip of his drink.
“What about you?”
The question earned another small smile.
“Just passing through.”
Technically true.
The best kind of answer.
Neither man pressed further.
There was no need.
Both recognized that the other carried secrets.
And neither cared enough to pry.
Dragon returned his attention to his drink.
Ian did the same.
Gradually, the tavern relaxed.
Conversations resumed.
Laughter returned.
The scent of food once again filled the room.
For several peaceful minutes, they simply enjoyed the morning.
Still, Ian couldn’t help appreciating the absurdity of the situation.
First Garp.
Now Dragon.
At this rate, he was going to meet every legendary figure in East Blue before he ever reached the Grand Line.
“Not that I’m complaining.”
He lifted his glass.
The local brew really was excellent.
Across the room, Dragon noticed the expression and allowed himself a faint smile.
Whatever business had brought him to Shimotsuki Village could wait a little longer.
For now, there was good alcohol.
A quiet town.
And the rare opportunity to sit in peace.
For Ian, that was more than enough reason to call it a good morning.
For Dragon, surprisingly, it wasn’t a bad one either.