Chapter 13: An Interlude of Departure
The Revolutionary Army's ship had set sail, cruising across the vast ocean. Dragon stood at the bow, gazing into the distance. He had already removed his cloak, revealing his wild, flowing hair and the strange diamond-shaped patterns on his face.
Hearing footsteps behind him, Dragon spoke without turning around: "Kuma?..."
"..." Kuma stood behind him, saying nothing.
Dragon turned to see Kuma had put on a new bear-ear hat. He grinned and said, "So you had a spare... That's rare—you actually gave your beloved hat to a complete stranger."
"...The Revolutionary Army needs more comrades!" Kuma replied in a low voice. "That boy has great potential. Perhaps we'll meet again someday..."
"You're right!" Dragon looked up at the star-filled night sky. "By continuously gathering strength, when the Revolutionary Army becomes as numerous as the stars in the sky, we can ignite a blazing fire! This process will be long, taking ten or even decades. By then, we may have grown old or passed away, leaving the next generation to carry on..."
"Kuma! I want you to handle a task!" Dragon finished his reflection and suddenly spoke seriously to Kuma. "This mission may be difficult, but someone has to do it."
"..." Kuma remained silent, simply looking at Dragon.
"Eleven years ago, the Pirate King Gol D. Roger was executed right here in Loguetown of the East Blue!" Dragon said. "The World Government intended to deter the increasingly rampant pirates. But little did they expect that Roger's final words would backfire. In recent years, more and more pirates have appeared on the Grand Line. The Marines alone are struggling to keep up. According to my intelligence, they're now discussing the formation of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, planning to use pirates to counter pirates. This is a good opportunity. I want you to become one of the Seven Warlords!"
"You want me to use my position as a Warlord to gather intelligence on the World Government?" Kuma asked.
"Exactly. And if possible, you need to find a way to contact someone!" Dragon said with a grave expression. "Vegapunk! The World Government's genius scientist... I'm very interested in him."
With that, Dragon turned back to face the sea and said, "From now on, minimize your contact with the Revolutionary Army. All your actions will be your own decisions!"
"...When do I set out?" Kuma asked after a moment of silence.
"Soon. You'll disembark midway. The Revolutionary Army can't help you. You'll have to rely on your own strength to secure the position of Warlord..." Dragon said. "Do you need to say goodbye to Ivankov?"
"No need..." Kuma replied, then hugged his book and turned back into the cabin, leaving Dragon alone to quietly gaze at the sea before him...
...
After seeing off Ivankov and Kuma, Ian returned to the dojo under the moonlight.
Zoro was also in the dojo at that moment, balancing a large rock on his head while doing squats just like Ian, counting aloud: "580, 581, 582..."
Not far from him, Kuina was holding a bamboo sword, repeatedly striking a vertical target. She had clearly been training for a long time, drenched in sweat.
When she noticed Ian's return, Kuina waved and called out, "Ian, where did you go today? I didn't see you at all!"
Zoro put down the rock and walked over to stand with Kuina, saying, "Ian, I ate your dinner too..."
Before he could finish, Ian approached them, and both of them immediately spotted the bear-ear hat on Ian's head.
"Pfft... Pfft ha ha!!" Zoro couldn't hold it in, pointing at Ian's head and bursting into laughter. "Wahahaha! What a weird hat!"
Even Kuina had a strange expression on her face, as if she wanted to laugh but was holding it in.
Ian was furious. Kuina was one thing, but that green-haired idiot Zoro dared to laugh so arrogantly?
"What's so funny?!" Without thinking, Ian raised his hand and gave Zoro a clean headbutt.
"Ow!" Zoro's laughter turned into a yelp of pain, a lump swelling on his head.
"Why did you hit me!?" Zoro growled at Ian, pointing at Kuina. "She was laughing too!"
Ian glared at him. "I felt like it, so I hit you!"
Kuina couldn't hold it in anymore. She turned away, covering her mouth and giggling.
"Damn it!" Zoro knew he wouldn't get justice—this was clearly favoritism.
Once the laughter died down, Ian asked, "Where's the master?"
Kuina wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and said, "I don't know. He hasn't been around for a while."
Ian went inside the dojo, searching around for Koushirou. After seeing off the Revolutionary Army, he needed to report back to Koushirou. But he searched the entire dojo and couldn't find him.
Somehow, Ian ended up in the forest behind the dojo. There, he finally found Koushirou.
But the moment he saw him, Ian knew he couldn't disturb him.
Koushirou was kneeling before a tombstone, completely still.
Ian knew that tombstone—it was the grave of Kuina's mother!
Kuina's mother had passed away shortly after giving birth to Kuina. Ian had been very young then and couldn't remember what his master's wife looked like, let alone Kuina. In their conversations, Koushirou rarely mentioned her, only occasionally sighing and saying that Kuina looked just like her...
Ian found it strange that Koushirou would come to pay respects at the grave at night. It was an unusual action.
Just as he was thinking about it, Ian suddenly recalled Ivankov and the others who had left that day. His mind stirred. Could Koushirou's unusual behavior be related to their appearance?
Why would their arrival make Koushirou visit the grave at midnight? Could it be that Kuina's mother—his master's wife—had some connection to the Revolutionary Army?
Ian was startled by the thought that popped into his head. But when he connected it to Koushirou's various behaviors during the day, he realized the possibility wasn't far-fetched.
Koushirou was mysterious. No one knew his origins or his true strength. But Ian understood his personality well—he didn't have the rebellious, defiant spirit of the Revolutionary Army. His temperament was completely at odds with theirs.
Yet Ivankov and the others recognized Koushirou. Koushirou had welcomed them with a smile, but his words had been polite and distant.
The only bridge Ian could think of connecting them was Kuina's mother.
Perhaps Kuina's mother had been a Revolutionary Army soldier, or even an officer, and one of the earliest members. Ivankov and the others had known her, and through her, they had come to know Koushirou.
That would explain their attitude toward each other.
Ian pondered this and decided it was likely true. So he quietly slipped away.
Since Koushirou didn't bring it up, Ian wouldn't ask. There might be some hidden story behind it, and probably not a pleasant one. Ian didn't want to reopen old wounds for Koushirou. He would just pretend he hadn't seen anything.
Back at the dojo, Ian went to his room and looked at the small pink Den Den Mushi Kuma had given him. The little creature had already fallen asleep with its eyes closed. Ian tried to poke it a couple of times but got no response, so he washed up and went to bed.
The night grew deep. The peaceful Shimotsuki Village lay serene under the moonlight. What had happened during the day was just a small interlude for this village. When the sun rose again and a new day began, everything would return to its usual rhythm...