Chapter 280: Kuina and Tashigi
Even Ian probably never imagined that Zoro's future sword techniques would be inspired by Kuina's Devil Fruit form...
It must be said that ever since Ian became a Warlord of the Sea, the original history has indeed undergone significant changes.
The so-called butterfly effect doesn't mean that doing something will directly cause a certain outcome to change. Every event always has a logical cause-and-effect relationship. If the original cause-and-effect relationship has already formed, then even if other influences are inserted, it will only cause the resulting changes to accumulate gradually, rather than altering things directly.
Ian's influence on Kuina's fate was like this—gradually building up, and then, with various forces working together, the original cause-and-effect relationship deviated, leading to a different result.
As for the places he couldn't influence, the same logic applied. Take Luffy, for example. Since Ian had no interaction with him yet, Luffy would likely still set sail according to the original history. That was the cause planted long ago by Red-Haired Shanks, and Luffy's departure was the final effect.
Ian's guess was correct. After becoming a Warlord, his influence expanded. This was the impact of identity and status. No matter how humanity develops, the influence of power and status has always been immense. Just look at the Five Elders of the World Government—any decision they make can affect millions of people. Their influence is completely different from that of an ordinary civilian.
Ian, this butterfly, as his wings grew fuller and larger, would also affect more and more people. Kuina was not the only one affected, nor would she be the last.
Now, with Kuina setting sail, the disturbances she would cause would gradually manifest. The first to be affected was the Marine base in Loguetown!
Smoker, a Marine Captain, was the highest-ranking officer at the Loguetown base. But to be honest, Smoker's assignment here was a form of disguised punishment. The East Blue, the weakest and most peaceful sea, meant that the Marines here spent most of their time idle. Smoker, a problem child who habitually talked back to his superiors, was sent here instead of returning to Marine Headquarters simply because his superiors wanted him out of sight and out of mind.
However, if Ian hadn't appeared, Smoker might have truly wasted a long time in Loguetown, until Luffy, that oddball, showed up, reigniting his ambition to chase Luffy into the Grand Line.
But now, because of Ian's appearance—not only becoming a great pirate with a bounty of 650 million Berries but also becoming a Warlord—the East Blue had suddenly become turbulent. More and more pirates were emerging, increasing Smoker's workload significantly.
So, recently, Smoker had rarely been slacking off. He began recruiting new Marine soldiers and training them.
But on this particular day, while reviewing new recruit files, Smoker suddenly received a report from his subordinate Marines. They said a girl wanted to join the Marines but had beaten up several other soldiers.
"What's going on?" Smoker asked, puzzled. He noticed that the soldier reporting to him had a red face and a dazed, infatuated look in his eyes.
"That girl looks exactly like Petty Officer Tashigi!" the Marine soldier said. "But... but she's even more charming than Tashigi!"
This piqued Smoker's interest. He picked up his Seastone-tipped jitte and said, "Let's go take a look!"
When he arrived at the Marine training ground, Smoker saw from a distance that a group of soldiers had surrounded someone in the middle of the field. Among them were not only new recruits but also veterans from the base.
None of them were training. They were all gathered around, chattering and asking questions. As Smoker got closer, he heard things like: "Petty Officer Tashigi, is she really not your twin sister?" and "Petty Officer Tashigi, your sister is even prettier than you!"
Smoker was confused. Was this new girl really that similar to Tashigi?
Before he could push through the crowd, he heard an annoyed voice from the center: "I'll say it one more time—stay away from me!"
The surrounding Marines quickly backed off, and that's when Smoker got a clear look at the two people standing in the middle.
Incredible! They really looked alike! Tashigi and the girl standing there were practically identical—both had short black hair (Tashigi also had short hair now), both carried a katana at their waist, and they were even about the same height!
Of course, there were differences. Their clothes and the color of their sword scabbards were different. Also, Tashigi was nearsighted, so she always wore glasses, while the girl in the middle didn't.
But aside from that, Smoker felt the biggest difference was their temperament. Because of her nearsightedness, Tashigi was often a bit clumsy, sometimes appearing nervous and reserved. But this girl gave Smoker the feeling of a drawn blade—sharp-eyed, resolute, and full of presence. This aura, combined with her slightly prettier face than Tashigi's, made her truly captivating. No wonder the Marines mistook her for Tashigi's sister.
"Who are you?" Smoker asked.
The girl rested her hand on her sword hilt and gave a slight bow. "I am Kuina. I heard the Marines are recruiting, so I came to enlist."
That's right—the person here was Kuina!
Smoker glanced at the surrounding Marines. He noticed several with bruised and swollen faces, likely from being beaten when they crowded around earlier. But even after being hit, these guys looked at Kuina with admiration and longing.
Still, it wasn't a lecherous look. Kuina's temperament wasn't like the seductive charm of the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock. She was more like a thorny white lotus—the difference was hard to describe, only to be felt.
Even Tashigi, standing nearby, was blushing as she looked at Kuina. Seeing someone with a face so similar to her own, it was like looking at the most perfect version of herself. Tashigi had always wanted to achieve that kind of image.
So, adjusting her glasses, she nervously said to Kuina, "H-Hello, I'm Tashigi. You... you want to join the Marines? That's great! From now on... we'll be comrades!"
Kuina looked at Tashigi, also curious. She hadn't expected to meet a girl who looked so much like her when she came to Loguetown to enlist. Seeing Tashigi, she couldn't help but feel a bit of fondness for her. The other Marines who had surrounded her were all driven away, leaving only Tashigi.
Smoker glared at Tashigi. This idiot subordinate was jumping the gun. This girl named Kuina hadn't even passed the enlistment screening yet, and she was already treating her like a comrade?
But Smoker wasn't stupid enough to say that out loud. He puffed on his cigar, glanced at the katana at Kuina's waist, and asked, "Do you practice swordsmanship?"
"Yes," Kuina said, lightly raising her sword.
Before Smoker could continue questioning, Tashigi suddenly let out a gasp!
She excitedly reached out to touch Kuina's sword, exclaiming, "Oh... oh my god! This... this is the Wado Ichimonji!?"
Kuina was startled. Watching Tashigi carefully examine her sword through her glasses, she asked curiously, "How do you know that?"
One of Ian's influences was that after Kuina woke up, the Wado Ichimonji, which should have been taken by Zoro, was kept by Kuina instead. But she had never told anyone the name of this sword, so she was puzzled about how Tashigi recognized it.
"I can tell just by looking!" Tashigi said, stroking the scabbard. "I've studied all the sword catalogs. This scabbard might look plain, but the unique pattern on it is easy to identify. And the hilt—the distinctive ray skin and wrap—only a Great Grade sword like the twenty-one works would have these!"
Seeing Tashigi's almost fanatical gaze, Kuina didn't know how to respond.
Fortunately, Smoker spoke up. "Don't mind her. She's a sword fanatic. But she does know a lot about famous blades."
"I see. You're amazing!" Kuina couldn't help but say.
"It's nothing..." Tashigi blushed and waved her hand shyly. "Actually, there are some I can't identify. Like that Warlord, Ian. I couldn't tell from his photo which sword he uses..."