Under the thatched rain shelter, Xiano had drawn a series of "E" characters in various directions from top to bottom on the courtyard wall.
"Which way is this one?"
"Up."
"And this one?"
"...Left?"
"Close the other eye, now which way is this one?"
"Uh... I can't see clearly."
Hopeless.
Xiano slapped his forehead. Apart from the largest "E" at the top, he couldn't discern the direction of any of the ones below.
Kuina's eyesight was at best 4.0.
By the standards of his previous life, she would need glasses with a prescription of over 600 degrees, classifying her as severely nearsighted.
"Has your father never paid attention to your eyesight?" he couldn't help but ask.
"...Father is usually very busy. I started having trouble seeing things clearly only last year, and I never mentioned it. It's normal that he didn't notice, right?"
One didn't bring it up, and the other didn't notice at all.
This father and daughter were too careless.
"Anyway, get glasses as soon as possible."
Xiano sighed, "It's fine to play around with bamboo swords in the dojo, but in a real fight, wouldn't that be risking your life? You might not even need to wait for a fight; you could trip and fall to your death just going downstairs."
"Yes, I'll talk to Father about it when he gets back."
Kuina nodded seriously.
If someone else had said it, given her temper, she might have argued, especially about the latter part—how could she be that weak?
But coming from Xiano, it sounded so reasonable.
She sat down along the wooden corridor under the eaves and looked up at Xiano.
"It seems like I've been troubling Lord Xiano with my issues. Why don't we talk about you instead?"
"Me? What's there to talk about?"
Xiano shrugged and sat down as well.
"I haven't officially set sail yet, so there's not much to mention. I only did that one thing on Asakura Island, and you probably know the details better than I do."
"You haven't officially set sail?"
"Yeah, I'm only thirteen. What kind of sailing would I do? It would make more sense to wait until I'm seventeen or eighteen before going out to explore."
"Eh? Thirteen?!! So you're only two years older than me!"
"Doesn't seem like it?"
"Not at all! Just looking at your appearance... well, it's not just your appearance. Lord Xiano, you seem so composed, and at such a young age, you've already gained such a big reputation!"
Kuina made a sword-slashing gesture, "Standing up for justice when you see injustice, that's just too cool! When you officially set sail, if you join the Navy, you could definitely become an amazing Marine!"
"The Navy?"
Xiano thought for a moment and shook his head, "Not interested."
Perhaps if he had transmigrated a few years earlier, he might have considered joining the Navy as a goal. After all, in his view at that time, even the worst order was better than chaos and turmoil.
And the Navy's white justice cloak was, in all fairness, really cool.
But he had transmigrated right after finishing the God Valley arc, and the thought of it made him uncomfortable.
If he were assigned some mission to escort a Celestial Dragon, he was afraid he might vomit his dinner.
Kuina was taken aback, "Huh? Then are you a bounty hunter? Wait, you're not a Pirate, are you?"
"As long as I can maintain my freedom, what I am doesn't really matter, does it?"
Xiano spread his hands. "The world is so vast. I'll definitely set sail and explore everywhere. Otherwise, all the skills I've honed would be wasted, and my life would pass by in vain. But… do I really need to define my identity in advance?"
"If pirates come to rob me, I'll just rob them back. If the Marines try to mess with me, I won't hold back either. Whatever label they slap on me is their business."
"I'll still be me. A label won't change my stance. Those who are on the same path will remain so, and those who aren't will still be strangers… Do you understand what I mean?"
"I think I get it."
Kuina tilted her head. "But I've only heard of the Marines putting bounties on pirates, not the other way around. So if you fight back against both, wouldn't you still end up being labeled as a pirate?"
"That's exactly right!"
Xiano burst into laughter. "If that day comes, I won't hold back either. I'll just draw a Jolly Roger, form a pirate crew, and beat up anyone who dares to mess with me!"
"Until both the Marines and pirates tremble at the sight of my ship from afar, too scared to even approach. Then I won't care about anyone and can continue happily adventuring wherever I please!"
"Hey, Kuina!"
He suddenly lowered his head. "Didn't you make a promise with Zoro? To compete to see who'd become the world's greatest Master Swordsman first? How about both of you join my ship when the time comes?"
"If you want to be the world's greatest Master Swordsman, staying cooped up in a small place like the Isshin Dojo won't cut it. You've got to sail the seas and make the world recognize that title!"
With Lord Xiano?
Leave this small Shimotsuki Village and venture out into the vast ocean?
Kuina stared blankly at the distant horizon, her breathing suddenly becoming rapid.
She clenched her bamboo sword and stood up abruptly. "R-right now?! It's a bit sudden, but I'm ready. But Father hasn't returned yet. Shouldn't I get his permission first…"
"What are you thinking!"
Xiano tapped her head, exasperated. "Are you really in such a hurry to leave? Who said anything about setting sail right now? I don't even have a ship yet!"
"That hurt!"
"Anyway, let's just consider it a promise for now. Keep it in your heart; there's no rush. Spend a few more years training hard with Zoro. Leaving at such a young age would make Master Koshiro sad."
Xiano stretched and stood up, smiling. "Don't worry, when the time comes to set sail, I won't forget to come find you."
There was silence behind him.
He turned around, puzzled, only to find Kuina staring straight at him.
"Pinky promise?"
"Uh… that's not necessary. You're not as childish as Zoro, are you?"
"Pinky promise! Otherwise, you won't be able to shake me off tonight. I'll even follow you to bed!"
"...Fine, you win."
————
Koshiro didn't return until the next morning.
After a good night's rest, Xiano woke up early, feeling refreshed and full of energy. He was doing inverted push-ups in the courtyard when he suddenly saw Koshiro leading two figures inside.
Before he could see who they were, the two figures knelt down with a thud.
"Benefactor!"
Xiano quickly flipped back upright and helped Zeff and Sanji up from the ground.
"What are you doing? You just got out of bed and now you're pulling this stunt? I really can't handle this. Besides, Old Man, didn't you already thank me a few days ago?"
"Haha, the debt of saving a life is greater than the heavens. How could one thank you enough?"
Zeff grinned and pointed to his right leg. "Moreover, my savior, you actually saved me twice. If it weren't for you rowing desperately to speed up and bringing me to Shimotsuki Village, how could I have met Mr. Koshiro and Dr. Zilan, who helped cure this leg of mine?"
Leg?
Xiano followed his gaze and noticed that below Zeff's right knee, which should have been empty, there was now a sturdy wooden leg.
The craftsmanship was remarkably intricate, with joints that could bend freely. If the pant leg were pulled down, one wouldn't even notice the disability.
It was far better than the crude wooden peg he had in the original timeline, which looked more like a toilet plunger.
"When I was young, I followed my father in blacksmithing, but I was too dull to truly master the craft," Koshiro said, pushing up his glasses with a smile. "Instead, I took a greater interest in woodworking and spent a lot of time studying it. I never thought it would come in handy one day."
(End of Chapter)