Chapter 16: Inner Demon
♂』Tonight was the night of the full moon. The bright moonlight spread across the earth, making everything appear so distinct. On the large grassy field outside Shimotsuki Village, Zoro and Kuina stood facing each other, each holding their swords.
In a small grove not far away, Ian watched this scene from a distance.
The duel had finally begun. From Ian's perspective, the round moon perfectly formed the backdrop for their fight. In the moonlight, their figures intertwined, slashing and defending against each other, moving back and forth with an oddly beautiful rhythm.
However, only the two duelists understood how dangerous this battle truly was. The bamboo swords had been replaced with sharp, real blades. One careless mistake could result in serious injury.
Perhaps that was why their fight carried an extra layer of caution, making them even more serious than usual.
After dozens of exchanges, Zoro was already panting heavily. His greatest achievement had been slicing off a single strand of Kuina's hair. Kuina, on the other hand, didn't seem very tired at all.
"Holding two real swords is heavy, isn't it, Zoro?" Kuina continued to provoke him. "You really are still weak!"
Hearing this, Zoro let out an indignant shout and charged at Kuina. But he didn't realize that Kuina had deliberately provoked him. This time, his opening was exposed. Kuina stepped forward, executed an upward slash, and sent both of Zoro's swords flying!
Thrown off balance by the force, Zoro stumbled backward and fell. Kuina spun her sword in her hand and drove it down, planting it right beside Zoro's ear!
"You lost again! 2001 losses, 0 wins!" Kuina said with a smile.
Lying on the ground, Zoro covered his face and growled, "Damn it! Damn it!"
He had lost again, still so unwillingly that he was on the verge of tears.
But Kuina silently watched him and suddenly spoke, "I'm the one who's so unwilling I want to cry..."
Zoro moved his hands away in surprise and looked at her. He saw tears glistening in the corners of Kuina's eyes as she said desolately, "When girls grow up, they become weaker than boys. You understand from Brother Ian. It's been a long time since he sparred with me. It's not that he doesn't want to, but I don't want to spar with him because I know he's probably stronger than me now."
"You too, Zoro! I'll soon be caught up by you..."
Kuina looked up at the sky, trying hard not to let her tears fall. "Father told me that a girl can't become the world's greatest swordsman. I understand... I've understood this for a long time!"
"But you're lucky, Zoro, because you're a boy... I also want to become the world's greatest swordsman, but..." Kuina placed her hand on her chest. "My chest is starting to develop!"
Seeing this, Zoro couldn't help but blush.
"If... if I could become a boy too..." Kuina lowered her head, and her unwilling tears finally fell.
Zoro couldn't stand this anymore and shouted, "You've already beaten me, so stop complaining! That's too cheap, isn't it? You're my goal! What's this about men and women? When I beat you someday, will you use that as an excuse too?! You're making it sound like I didn't win with my own strength. Doesn't that make all my hard training look stupid?"
"Zoro..." Kuina looked at him in surprise.
"Don't say things like that anymore!" Zoro walked up to Kuina and said, "Promise me, someday, either you or me, one of us will become the world's greatest swordsman! Let's compete to see who can do it!"
Kuina stared blankly at Zoro, seeing an unprecedented seriousness in his eyes.
Zoro reached out his hand to her, signaling her.
Kuina smiled, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and muttered, "Idiot, you're so weak..."
But she still reached out her hand and tightly clasped Zoro's.
Under the moonlit night, this scene seemed to freeze, becoming a perfect picture.
Meanwhile, Ian, who was far away in the grove, couldn't help but hold his head and sigh, "Ah, this is youth!"
How did that saying go? I remember running under the sunset that day—that was my lost youth! This is exactly that situation, except here the sunset has to be replaced by the moon...
But damn it, when you two made that promise, did you forget someone?!
As an observer, Ian's mood was very complicated. Zoro and Kuina already had their goals. What about him?
You've come to this world, and you can't go back. Are you going to keep living like this as a mere observer?
Just as Ian was lost in thought, he noticed a figure walking toward him. When he looked, he saw it was Kuina!
Zoro had left at some point, but Kuina had spotted Ian. She walked over and said to him, "Did you see everything, Brother Ian?"
Ian nodded. Kuina smiled slightly, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and said, "Father sent you to find me, didn't he? Don't worry, I'm fine."
Ian stared at Kuina for a long time and suddenly said, "Even though you made that promise with that idiot, you're still a bit unwilling, aren't you?"
Kuina didn't respond. She turned her head away and remained silent.
Ian wasn't a fool like Zoro, who naively thought a promise could untie the knot in Kuina's heart.
The physical limitation preventing her from becoming stronger—this was probably the inner demon in Kuina's heart. She had been bound by this thought, and her heart was no longer free. How could she talk about progress in swordsmanship?
She understood very well that, like this, one day she would only be able to look up at Zoro, watching him defeat her and making her taste the bitterness of failure. For Kuina's strong-willed personality, imagining such a scene was as painful as a needle prick.
If there was anyone in Shimotsuki Village who understood Kuina best, it was probably Ian. Even Master Koushirou couldn't compare to him!
That was why he asked her this question.
Seeing Kuina's reaction, Ian sighed softly and said, "Come with me!"
Ian led Kuina back to the dojo and into his room. Under Kuina's curious gaze, he carefully picked up the Den Den Mushi that was sleeping on the table.
After a year, this little Den Den Mushi had grown up.
If it weren't asleep, you could see its two bean-sized eyes, which had taken on a bit of Ian's charm. The funniest thing was that it now wore a small bear ear hat on its head, making it a perfect replica of Ian!
And on its shell, a number had appeared: 9209. That was Ian's number.
"Brother Ian, what are you doing with the Den Den Mushi?" Kuina asked.
Ian didn't answer her. Instead, he stroked the Den Den Mushi's little head and said, "Kuina, do you remember that time when you didn't see me for a long time, and when you finally did, I had this hat on my head?"
Kuina nodded. Of course, she remembered that.
"That's because a group of outsiders came to the village that day!" Ian said. "These people were the Revolutionary Army! They gave me the hat, and among them, there was a very strange person!"
Kuina listened quietly as Ian spoke, but then he suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Have you heard of Demon Fruits?"
"Father once told me about them, but I didn't really believe it. Do Demon Fruits really exist?" Kuina asked.
Ian nodded. "They really do. Shimotsuki Village is very small, but the outside world is huge. Demon Fruits are real, and the strange person I'm talking about is a Demon Fruit user!"
"His name is Ivankov, and he's a Hormone-Hormone Fruit user!" Ian said seriously. "He has a strange ability. He can control human hormones and freely change between being a man or a woman!"
Seeing Kuina's mouth drop open in shock, Ian smiled and said, "And most importantly, this ability of his can be used on other people!"
Hearing this, Kuina immediately looked at Ian. She finally understood what Ian was getting at.
"Yes, I was the one who escorted them out of the village back then!" Ian nodded. "Before they left, I asked for Ivankov's Den Den Mushi number. Now my Den Den Mushi has grown up, and I can call him. If... I mean, if you really want to become a boy, maybe you can ask him for help!"
That was the real reason Ian had asked Ivankov for his number back then.
Seeing Kuina fall silent, Ian sighed and said, "We may not be blood-related siblings, but I've always treated you like a real little sister. Right now, you have an inner demon in your heart. If you don't resolve it, your swordsmanship will struggle to grow. I don't want to see you sink because of this, so I have to find another way. This might be hard for you to accept, so it all depends on your personal will. If you want to become a boy, then go out to sea and find Ivankov. If you don't, then keep walking this path. I don't believe that a girl can't become the strongest. Even if it takes a hundred times the effort, there's always hope for success."
"I... I need to think about it carefully!" Kuina stood up and walked toward the door.
She seemed flustered. Ian's words had hit her too hard.
Just as she was about to close the door, Ian took off his bear ear hat with his right hand, gave Kuina a warm smile, and said, "Remember, follow your true heart! Whatever decision you make, I'll support you!"
"Thank you, Brother Ian!"
"You're welcome. After all, I'm your big brother, aren't I?"