One Piece: The sky is azure, I just time-traveled today.

Page 75

Nami's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the gunwale, her knuckles turning white. She gazed at the nearby village of Cocoyasi, then at the people on the small boat, and her lips parted slightly:

"Uncle? Aren't you going ashore together?"

"We...have other plans. Go back, Bellemere and Nojiko are waiting for you at home! Don't keep them worried!"

Nami stood by the ship, her fingers gripping the railing tightly. The sea breeze tousled her short orange hair, and her eyes, which always gleamed with a mischievous light, were now misty.

She gazed at the small boat not far away, her lips trembling slightly.

Liu Jiu stood at the bow of the ship, Kuina stood beside him holding her sword, Robin stood quietly to the side, and Sabo curiously observed the scene of their impending parting.

"Does it have to be this way?" Nami's voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the sound of the waves.

Liu Jiu didn't speak, but simply took out a small moisture-proof cloth bag from his pocket. He untied the drawstring and took out a white piece of paper from inside.

The piece of paper looked ordinary, yet it trembled slightly in the sea breeze, as if it were alive.

He tossed it gently, and the piece of paper rose with the wind, landing precisely in Nami's hand.

"This is..." Nami looked down at the piece of paper in her hand and noticed that it was moving slightly in the direction of Liu Jiu.

"A life card." Liu Jiu's voice was calm as ever. "It was made from everyone's hair."

Nami's fingers gently traced the surface of the paper, feeling a faint warmth. She looked up at Liu Jiu, her eyes slightly red.

"Keep it safe," Liu Jiu continued. "Wherever we are, it will guide you to find us."

Nami nodded vigorously, carefully tucking the Vivre Card into her bosom, pressing it close to her chest. She could feel the faint pulse emanating from the paper, like another heartbeat.

"I'll keep it safe." She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "You must come back when you're done with your work."

Liu Jiu nodded slightly.

Guina turned her face away, but tightened her grip on the sword slightly.

Robin also felt a pang of reluctance: "Nami, take care!"

Sabo waved to Nami.

Nami glanced at them one last time, then turned and hoisted the sails. The sea breeze immediately filled the sails, propelling her large ship toward Cocoyasi Village.

She didn't turn around, but one hand remained pressed against her chest, feeling the warmth emanating from the life card.

The large ship gradually sailed away, eventually becoming a small dot on the sea.

Liu Jiu stood at the bow of the ship until the small dot completely disappeared from sight. The sea breeze ruffled the hem of his clothes, his expression remained calm, but something seemed to flicker slightly deep in his eyes.

"Let's go," he said softly.

The small boat changed direction and headed in the opposite direction from Cocoyasi Village.

"Uncle, where are we going?"

"Go back to Shuangyue Village!"

Chapter 86 Zoro Challenges Kuina

Three months later, the coastline of Shimotsuki Village gradually became clear in the morning mist.

The small boat slowly approached the shore, and Robin was the first to step onto the dock. Her steps were quicker than usual, and her gaze was already fixed on the familiar yet unfamiliar little house on the edge of the village.

She paused as she pushed open the slightly heavy wooden door.

The room was clean, but covered with a thin layer of dust. The vase on the table was empty, and a few fallen leaves had accumulated on the windowsill. No one had lived here for some time.

Robin stood in the doorway, his fingers unconsciously tightening. His eyes, which always carried a calm smile, were now somewhat dim.

Liu Jiu walked behind her, his gaze sweeping over the dust in the room.

"It seems Olvia has been gone for a while."

As Kuina watched this scene, she unconsciously touched the sword at her waist. She thought of her 30 million Berries bounty and felt a sinking feeling in her heart.

"Let's go to the dojo first." Liu Jiu turned around. "Koushirou should know the situation."

On the way to the Isshin Dojo, Kuina walked exceptionally slowly. She frequently adjusted her collar, her fingers repeatedly tracing the hilt of her sword. The "Shura Girl" who had faced a thousand armies alone in the town of sin without flinching now resembled a child who had done something wrong.

Sabo followed quietly at the back, curiously observing the unfamiliar village. He could sense the subtle atmosphere in the air and wisely remained silent.

The eaves of the dojo came into view, and the sounds of sword practice could be faintly heard coming from inside.

Guina stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath.

The moment the door was pushed open, dozens of eyes turned to them. The sound of sword practice abruptly stopped.

Koushirou stood in the center of the courtyard, his gaze behind his glasses calmly sweeping over everyone before finally settling on his daughter.

Kuina lowered her head, her fingers gripping the sword turning slightly white.

"Father, I..."

She couldn't finish her sentence.

Koushirou slowly walked forward and gently patted her shoulder.

"It's good that you're back."

The paper door of the dojo was gently closed as Koushirou and Liu Jiu headed to the tea room.

The two had something to discuss.

The courtyard fell silent immediately.

While Kuina was still immersed in the complex emotions brought about by her father's words, "It's good that you're back," a group of young disciples had already eagerly surrounded her.

"Senior Sister Kuina! Did you really defeat an entire town of ten thousand people all by yourself?"

"A 30 million Berry bounty! That's incredible! Teach me how to do that!"

"That title 'Shura Girl' is so cool! Senior Sister Kuina, are you even stronger than before?!"

Amidst the clamor of admiration, a boy with short green hair pushed through the crowd and stepped forward. He had three bamboo swords at his waist, and his eyes were as sharp as a young leopard's.

"My name is Zoro." He looked up at Kuina. "In this dojo, I am now the strongest."

The surrounding disciples immediately quieted down and made way for them.

Zoro drew two bamboo swords, assuming his unique dual-sword stance: "Fight me, Kuina! I'll prove I'm the strongest!"

As Guina looked at the boy who was a head shorter than her, her previously tense lips relaxed slightly.

She remembered that she hadn't seen this person when she left Frostmoon Village, so she guessed he had only come in the last few years.

"Are you sure you want to challenge me?" Her voice remained cold. "I'm a pirate with a bounty of thirty million."

"So what!" Zoro replied without hesitation, "Here, we only discuss the way of the sword!"

Robin stood aside, wanting to know where his mother had gone, but he stayed behind and observed the scene with great interest.

Sabo leaned closer to her and whispered, "Who's this green-haired kid?"

"Looks like he's Kuina's junior brother," Robin replied softly. "Quite bold."

Kuina took the bamboo sword from her junior brother, but instead of immediately assuming a fighting stance as usual, she looked into Zoro's battle-ready eyes and suddenly remembered herself from a few years ago.

"Alright, let's begin." She finally nodded. "Let me see the level of the strongest swordsman in the dojo right now."

A space suddenly opened up in the center of the dojo.

All the disciples held their breath, eagerly anticipating this clash of equals between the senior and junior disciples.

The crisp sound of bamboo swords clashing echoed throughout the dojo.

Zoro's offensive was like a storm, his two bamboo swords attacking from all sorts of tricky angles. His dual-wielding style was already quite refined, his footwork was swift, and each strike carried the sound of air being cut.

Kuina, however, was like a still stone in the eye of a storm. Her bamboo sword always parried and deflected attacks perfectly, defusing them with a few light steps. She didn't even launch an attack herself, but simply observed Zoro's swordplay.

"Why didn't you fight back?" Zoro gasped, taking a step back, sweat dripping from his forehead. "Did you look down on me?"

Kuina didn't answer, but subtly adjusted her sword grip. This subtle movement made Zoro's pupils shrink—he recognized it as the starting position of an advanced sword technique taught to him by his master, Koushirou.

Like seeing a ray of light in the darkness, Zoro launched another fierce attack without hesitation. This time, his swordplay unconsciously incorporated some techniques, making his offensive even more ferocious.

The fellow disciples watching gasped in amazement. This was the first time they had ever seen Zoro display such exquisite swordsmanship.

Only Robin noticed something amiss. She whispered to Sabo, "Kuina is instructing him."

Sabo nodded thoughtfully. He noticed that Kuina's eyes were calm as still water, not at all like she was engaged in a duel, but more like she was practicing correcting her opponent's attacks.

Unable to break through, Zoro suddenly bit another bamboo sword into his mouth and adopted a strange three-sword style stance.

"Three-Sword Style: Demon Slash!"

Three sword lights attacked simultaneously; this was Zoro's self-created signature move, which he had never used in the dojo before.

A hint of surprise finally flashed in Kuina's eyes. She took a half step back, her bamboo sword drawing a perfect arc.

The three bamboo swords were simultaneously deflected. Zoro staggered backward, and the bamboo sword he was biting fell to the ground with a "thud".

He knelt on one knee, panting heavily, his Taoist robe soaked with sweat.

Kuina sheathed her bamboo sword and looked at him.

"The three-sword style is very creative," she said calmly, "but your foundation isn't solid enough."

Zoro raised his head, his eyes not showing the frustration of defeat, but rather burning with even stronger fighting spirit.

"Next time," he wiped the sweat from his brow, "I will definitely beat you."

Looking at the stubborn boy, Guina seemed to see a reflection of her younger self. She nodded gently.

"I'll be waiting."

Whispers filled the dojo. But no one mocked Zoro's defeat; after all, Kuina had defeated the adults long ago.

Now, the "10,000-kill" achievement has been unlocked in the swordsman's lifetime.

A day passed peacefully in Shimotsuki Village.

In the evening, Liu Jiu found Robin in the courtyard behind the dojo. She was sitting on the stone steps, holding an ancient book in her hands, but her gaze was fixed on the setting sun gradually sinking into the sea.

"About Olvia," Liu Jiu sat down beside her, "I've found out."

Robin's fingers tightened slightly, causing fine creases to appear at the edges of the pages. But she didn't urge her; she simply waited quietly for the next chapter to begin.

"Shortly after we left Frostmoon Village," Liu Jiu's voice remained calm, "Dorag, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, came here."