Under the thatched rain shelter, the courtyard wall was covered by Shano with a pile of "E"s facing different directions.
"Which way does this one point?"
"Up."
"How about this one?"
"... Left?"
"Now, close one eye and look at this one."
"Uh... I can't make it out clearly."
There's no hope.
Shano smacked his forehead; apart from the biggest "E" at the top, none of the ones below could be recognized for their directions.
Kuina's vision maxes out at 4.0.
According to the standards of my past life, she would need glasses over 600 degrees and would be categorized as having severe myopia.
"Has your father never paid attention to your vision problems?" he couldn't help asking.
"... My father is usually very busy. The fact that I can't see things clearly probably only started last year, and I never mentioned it, so it's normal that he didn't notice."
One never mentioned it, the other never noticed.
This father and daughter are really a bit too carelessly rough.
"Anyway, get glasses as soon as possible."
Shano sighed, "It's fine to fool around with your Bamboo Blade in the dojo, but in a real fight, aren't you just gambling with your life? You might not even need to wait for a fight; you could fall and die just from not seeing the stairs clearly."
"Mm, I'll wait for my father to come back and discuss it with him."
Kuina nodded earnestly.
From someone else, given her temperament, she might not have been able to resist arguing, especially with the latter part—how could she be that weak?
But coming from Shano, it sounded so agreeable.
She sat along the wooden veranda under the eaves, tilting her head up to look at Shano.
"It seems like I've always been making you worry, talking about my matters. Why don't we talk about you?"
"Me? What's there to talk about?"
Shano shrugged, sitting down as well.
"I haven't formally gone to sea yet, so there isn't much to talk about. I've only done that one thing on Asakura Island, and you know the details better than I."
"Haven't formally gone to sea yet?"
"Yeah, I'm only thirteen. What am I doing going to sea? I might as well wait until I'm seventeen or eighteen to start exploring, right?"
"Eh? Thirteen?!! So, you're only two years older than me!"
"Doesn't seem like it?"
"Nope! It's not just about appearance; primarily, it's because you seem so mature and already have such a big reputation at such a young age!"
Kuina made a slashing motion with her hand, "Standing up for justice whenever you see injustice, it's just too cool! When you formally sail out, if you join the military, you'd surely become a remarkable Marine!"
"Navy?"
Shano thought for a moment and shook his head, "Not interested."
Perhaps had he crossed over a few years earlier, he would have made joining the Navy his goal, thinking that any order, however flawed, was better than chaos and turbulence.
Plus, the Navy's white Cloak of Justice is undeniably stylish.
But he just happened to be reborn after finishing the Divine Valley arc; just thinking about it disgusted him.
If he was assigned a task to protect the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, he'd probably throw up his dinner.
Kuina was taken aback, "Wait, then are you a Bounty Hunter? No, don't tell me you're a Pirate?"
"As long as I maintain my freedom, does the specific title really matter?"
Shano spread his hands, "The world is big; definitely need to sail and wander around, or else all these skills would be wasted, and life would be in vain. But... do I have to pin a label on myself in advance?"
"If Pirates come to rob me, I'll rob them back. If the Navy comes to harass me, I won't hold back. Whatever identity they give me then is their business."
"I am who I am, my stance won't change due to a label. Those on my path remain on my path, those not on it still aren't... You catch my drift?"
"I think I can grasp it."
Kuina tilted her head, "However, I've only heard of the Navy putting bounties on Pirates, never the other way around. So if both sides provoke you and you fight back, wouldn't you ultimately be labeled a Pirate?"
"That's pretty much the case!"
Shano laughed heartily, "Who cares, just stay true to yourself. I don't want to be Navy or Pirate; I just know that if anyone messes with me, I'll hit them back!"
"Until both Navy and Pirates tremble at the sight of my ship from afar, too scared to approach, then I can truly not care and continue happily on adventures everywhere!"
"Hey, Kuina!"
He leaned down, grinning, "Didn't you promise Zoro you'd compete to see who becomes the World's No.1 Sword Master first? How about when the time comes, you both join my ship?"
"To become the World's No.1 Sword Master, sticking to a small place like Isshin Dojo won't work. You need to travel the seas to make the world acknowledge that title!"
With Shano-sama?
Leaving this small Shimotsuki Village, venturing into the vast ocean?
Kuina gazed dazedly towards the distant horizon, her breath suddenly quickened.
She clenched her Bamboo Sword, standing up abruptly: "Now... now?! It's a bit sudden, but no problem. Although father hasn't returned yet, maybe I should ask for his permission—"
"What are you thinking!"
Shano lightly knocked her head, a little annoyed, "Are you really in such a rush to leave here? Who said we're setting sail now? I don't even have a ship yet!"
"That hurts!"
"Anyway, take it as a promise. Just bury it in your heart for now; there's no rush. Spend a few more years training with Zoro. Leaving at such a young age, Mr. Koushirou would be heartbroken."
Shano stretched and stood up, smiling, "Don't worry, when it's really time to set sail, I won't forget to come for you guys."
Silence fell behind him.
He turned back, perplexed, seeing Kuina staring straight at him.
"Pinky promise?"
"Uh... is this necessary? You shouldn't be as childish as Zoro, right?"
"Pinky promise! Otherwise, don't think you'll shake me off tonight; even if I go to sleep, I'm following!"
"... Really can't handle you."
————
Koushirou returned the next morning.
After resting overnight, Shano was refreshed and full of energy. He was doing finger-stand exercises in the courtyard when he suddenly saw Koushirou leading two figures in.
Before he could see clearly who it was, the two figures knelt down together with a thud.
"Benefactor!"
Shano hurriedly flipped upright, helping Zeff and Sanji up from the ground.
"What are you doing; just barely able to get out of bed and you pull this? I really can't handle this kind of treatment. Besides, old man, didn't you thank me just a few days ago?"
"Haha, saving a life is a great grace; how could once be enough?"
Zeff grinned, pointing to his right leg, "Besides, Benefactor, you actually saved me twice. If it weren't for you desperately paddling faster and bringing me here to Shimotsuki Village, how could I have met Mr. Koushirou and Dr. Zilan for them to heal this leg?"
Leg?
Shano looked and found that under Zeff's supposedly empty right knee, there was a sturdy wooden leg.
The craftsmanship was quite exquisite, with a joint that could even bend freely. With pants covering it, no sign of disability was visible.
It's leagues better than that toilet plunger-like stick in the original timeline.
"In my youth, I used to forge iron with my father. Despite lacking talent and failing to receive true teachings,"
Koushirou pushed his glasses, smiling, "I was more privately inclined toward woodworking. I spent many days studying it, never expecting that it would prove useful one day."