Chapter 28: Future Plans to Go to Sea
On the wall of the courtyard under the thatched rain shelter, Shane had drawn a bunch of "E"s facing different directions from top to bottom.
"Which way is this one pointing?"
"Up."
"And this one?"
"...Left?"
"Close one eye and try again. This one?"
"Uh... I can't see it clearly."
It's hopeless.
Shane slapped his forehead. Besides the largest 'E' at the top, she couldn't identify the direction of any of the others. Kuina's vision was, at best, 20/100. By his past life's standards, she'd need glasses with a prescription of over -6.00, classifying her as severely nearsighted.
"Has your father never paid attention to your vision problems?" he couldn't help but ask.
"...Father is usually very busy. My vision problems probably only started last year, and I've never mentioned it. It's normal for him not to notice, right?"
One never mentioned it, the other never noticed. This father-daughter pair was a bit too careless.
"Anyway, get a pair of glasses as soon as possible," Shane sighed. "It's one thing to mess around with bamboo swords in the dojo, but in a real fight, aren't you just joking with your own life? You don't even have to wait for a fight; you could miss a step going downstairs and fall to your death."
"Yes, I'll talk to my father about it when he gets back," Kuina nodded seriously.
If anyone else had said it, with her temper, she might have started to argue, especially at the last part. How could she possibly be that weak? But coming from Shane's mouth, it sounded so reasonable.
She sat down on the edge of the wooden veranda under the eaves and looked up at Shane.
"It seems like Mr. Shane has been worrying about my affairs this whole time. How about we talk about you for a change?"
"Me? What's there to talk about?" Shane shrugged and sat down next to her. "I haven't officially set out to sea yet. I don't have any experiences worth mentioning, except for that one thing on Cherry Blossom Island, and you know the details of that better than I do."
"You haven't officially set out to sea yet?"
"Yeah, I'm only thirteen. What's a thirteen-year-old doing setting out to sea? I should at least wait until I'm seventeen or eighteen before I go exploring, right?"
"Eh? Thirteen?!! That means you're only two years older than me?!"
"I don't look it?"
"Not at all! Your appearance... well, it's not just about your appearance. It's mainly that you seem so mature, Mr. Shane, and you've already gained so much fame at such a young age!" Kuina made a sword-swinging gesture. "Seeing injustice and stepping in to uphold justice, it's just so cool! When you officially set out to sea, if you join the military, you'll definitely become an amazing Marine!"
"The Marines?"
Shane thought for a moment and shook his head. "Not interested."
Perhaps if he had transmigrated a few years earlier, he might have made joining the Marines his goal. After all, back then, he believed that even a flawed order was better than chaos and turmoil. And honestly, the white "Justice" coats of the Marines were really cool.
But he had been reborn right after finishing the God Valley arc. Whenever he thought about it, it just made him sick to his stomach. If he were ever assigned a mission to escort the Celestial Dragons, he was afraid he'd throw up last night's dinner.
Kuina was stunned. "Huh? Then are you going to be a bounty hunter? Wait, don't tell me you're going to be a pirate?"
"As long as I can remain free, what my title is doesn't seem to matter, right?" Shane threw his hands up. "The world is so big. I definitely have to go out and explore it. Otherwise, all this training would be for nothing, a life wasted. But... do I really have to limit myself to one identity beforehand?"
"If pirates come to rob me, I'll rob them right back. If the Marines come to harass me, I won't be polite either. What identity they give me then is their business."
"I am still me. I won't change my stance just because of a label they stick on me. Those who are on my side are still on my side, and those who aren't, still aren't... Do you know what I mean?"
"I think I get it," Kuina tilted her head. "But I've only ever heard of the Marines putting bounties on pirates, not the other way around. So if you fight back against both sides, won't you eventually be labeled a pirate anyway?"
"That's actually true!"
Shane laughed loudly. "If that day comes, I won't be polite about it either! I'll draw a skull and crossbones, form a pirate crew, and beat up whoever provokes me!"
"Until both the Marines and the pirates tremble at the sight of my ship and don't even dare to come close! Then I won't have to care about anyone and can continue to adventure happily!"
"Hey, Kuina!" he suddenly looked down. "Didn't you make a promise with Zoro to see who would become the world's greatest swordmaster first? How about you both get on my ship when the time comes?"
"If you want to be the world's greatest swordmaster, you can't do it by holing up in a small place like the Isshin Dojo! If you don't travel the seas, how can the world recognize your title?!"
Go with Mr. Shane? Leave the small village of Shimotsuki and venture out into the great sea?
Kuina stared blankly at the distant horizon, her breathing suddenly quickening. She clenched her bamboo sword and shot to her feet. "N... Now?! It's a bit sudden, but it's fine! But my father isn't back yet, should I ask for his permission first..."
"What are you thinking!" Shane tapped her on the head, annoyed. "Are you really in such a hurry to leave this place? Who said we're setting out now? I don't even have a ship yet!"
"Ouch!"
"Anyway, let's just consider it a promise. Keep it in your heart for now. There's no rush. Train hard with Zoro for a few more years. Mr. Koshiro would be sad if you left at such a young age."
Shane stretched and stood up, smiling. "Don't worry. When it's really time to set sail, I definitely won't forget to come find you."
Silence from behind him.
He turned around, puzzled, and saw Kuina staring straight at him.
"Pinky swear?"
"Uh... that's not necessary, is it? You're not as childish as Zoro, right?"
"Pinky swear! Otherwise, don't even think about shaking me off tonight! I'll even follow you when you go to sleep!"
"...I really don't know what to do with you."
Koshiro returned the next morning.
Shane, refreshed after a night's rest, was doing a two-finger handstand in the courtyard for his bodyweight training when he saw Koshiro lead two figures in.
Before he could see who they were, the two of them knelt down with a thud.
"Benefactor!"
Shane quickly flipped back to his feet and helped Zeff and Sanji up from the ground.
"What are you doing? You just got well enough to walk, and now this? I really can't accept this. Besides, old man, didn't you already thank me a few days ago?"
"Haha, the kindness of saving a life is greater than heaven. How is thanking you once enough?" Zeff grinned and pointed to his right leg. "Besides, benefactor, you actually saved me twice. If you hadn't rowed so hard to speed us up and brought me here to Shimotsuki Village, how could I have met Mr. Koshiro and Dr. Shiran, who helped me heal this leg?"
Leg?
Shane followed his gaze and saw that where Zeff's right knee should have been empty, there was now a sturdy wooden leg. The workmanship was quite exquisite, and the joint could even bend freely. If he pulled his pant leg down, you wouldn't even be able to tell he was disabled. It was infinitely better than the toilet-plunger-like wooden stick from the original story.
"In my youth, I learned blacksmithing from my father, but my aptitude was dull, and I failed to learn the true craft," Koshiro said, pushing up his glasses with a smile. "I was more interested in carpentry as a private hobby and spent a lot of time studying it. I never thought it would come in handy one day."