Kuina stared blankly at the small twig pressed against her chest. Her wooden sword slipped from her grasp, landing with a dull thud. Her mind reeled, unable to process what had just happened.
She had lost.
Defeated so effortlessly.
And worst of all—she had lost to someone who looked like a delicate noblewoman, someone who didn't even take the fight seriously.
"No need to feel bad. Losing to me is perfectly normal," Kaguya said as she stepped closer.
Kuina didn't respond. Her vacant gaze remained fixed on the ground as large, glistening tears welled up in her eyes. Droplets fell silently, landing with soft "plip plip" sounds on the wooden floor.
"You have talent," Kaguya continued. "If you keep working hard, one day, you might even surpass me."
"Surpass you?" Kuina suddenly lifted her head, her voice trembling with frustration. "And what good would that do?!"
Kaguya blinked, surprised by her outburst.
"I want to become the world's greatest swordsman… but does it even matter?" Kuina muttered, her voice thick with suppressed emotion. "There's a wall no female swordsman can cross. No matter how hard I try, I'll eventually fall behind. No matter how much I train, my goal is impossible."
"So, you believe women can't become the strongest?" Kaguya, leaning casually against a tree, finally spoke.
"Isn't it obvious?!" Kuina bit her lip. "As girls grow up, we become weaker than men. It won't be long before all the boys in the dojo surpass me. And…" Her fingers hesitantly touched her chest, barely noticeable under her training uniform. "My body is already changing… If only I had been born a boy… maybe…"
"Ah, I see now," Kaguya said as she pushed off the tree, stepping toward Kuina. "You're just looking for an excuse."
"An excuse?!" Kuina's frustration boiled over. She clenched her fists and shouted, "What do you know?! You're just an outsider! How could you possibly understand my pain?! Just because you beat me, you think you're so great?!"
Kaguya smirked at her, almost amused by her outburst. "That's just a weakling's excuse. I thought you were an ambitious girl who was willing to put in the effort. But now I see I was wrong—you're no different from everyone else."
"Don't act like you know everything!" Kuina snapped. "Are you seriously telling me that a girl could become the world's strongest swordsman?!"
"Why not?" Kaguya shrugged nonchalantly.
Kuina's chest heaved with anger. She was fuming, her frustration boiling over. Then, suddenly, she let out a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping. "Forget it. I was an idiot for even talking to you about this. You're just an arrogant fool."
She turned on her heel, ready to leave.
"Wait," Kaguya's voice stopped her in her tracks.
Kuina hesitated but didn't turn around. "If you're going to try and convince me otherwise, don't bother."
Kaguya ignored her words and instead pointed toward the distance. "Do you think it's possible for someone to cut that mountain in half with a single sword strike?"
Kuina followed her gaze. Far in the distance stood a towering mountain, its peak shrouded in mist. At least several hundred meters tall, its lush, green slopes stretched endlessly across the horizon.
She frowned. "Why are you asking me this? If that's all you have to say, I still have training to do. I don't have time for nonsense."
Kaguya chuckled softly. "Relax. I won't take up too much of your time. Just watch for a moment."
Before Kuina could respond, Kaguya extended her hand. In an instant, a beautifully crafted katana appeared in her grip, its elegant blade shimmering with a faint glow.
Kuina's frown deepened. "What are you trying to do?"
Kaguya flicked her fingers, and with a flash of cold light, the elegantly crafted blade slid smoothly from its sheath.
"Watch closely."
As she tightened her grip on the hilt, her gaze sharpened, and an overwhelming aura erupted from her body like a tidal wave. At the same time, the blade shimmered with radiant golden light, threads of energy intertwining before bursting forth into a blinding pillar.
Kuina's eyes widened in astonishment, uncertainty flickering across her face.
Is she really going to—?
No, that's impossible…
At that moment, Kaguya exhaled sharply and swung her sword with a single, fluid motion. The dazzling energy tore through the air, streaking like a comet toward the distant mountain.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
A brilliant arc of light flashed across the mountain's peak, followed by a deafening explosion. The sheer force of the impact sent a massive shockwave surging outward, uprooting trees, shattering rocks, and sending debris flying in every direction.
Kuina struggled to maintain her footing as she braced against the raging winds. Her heart pounded as she took in the scene before her, unable to contain her sheer disbelief.
The towering mountain, once an unyielding monolith, had been cleaved cleanly in two as if it were no more than a fragile block of tofu.
Even the clouds in the sky seemed to split apart, revealing a clear blue expanse where the blade had passed.
Kuina's mouth hung open, her words failing her.
Is this… even humanly possible?
Her mind raced, struggling to comprehend what she had just witnessed. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that swordsmanship could reach such an unfathomable level.
With a soft clang, Kaguya slid her sword back into its sheath. Turning toward Kuina, she smiled. "Now, do you believe me?"
Kuina snapped out of her daze, whipping around to face Kaguya, her voice trembling. "T-That was… that was really you?"
Kaguya tilted her head playfully. "Unless you see anyone else here, I'd say it was."
"But… how?!" Kuina's face still bore traces of shock.
"Why do you think it's impossible? Just because others say you can't, does that mean you shouldn't even try?" Kaguya asked, her tone light yet firm. "If you never attempt the impossible, how will you ever know what is possible?"
Kuina's body tensed as Kaguya's words struck deep. She lowered her head, clenching her lips tightly.
"Take your time and think about it," Kaguya said, turning to leave. Halfway to the house, she paused, glanced over her shoulder, and added, "If a person has no dreams, then how are they any different from a dead fish?"
...
The distant, earth-shaking explosion and the faint tremors beneath their feet immediately sent the small town into a state of panic. One by one, the townspeople emerged from their homes, their faces filled with shock and confusion.
When they saw the distant mountain, now split cleanly in two, their jaws dropped in disbelief.
"What in the world happened?!"
The streets buzzed with anxious chatter as the townspeople gathered in clusters, pointing and whispering among themselves. The number of onlookers quickly grew, until the main roads were entirely blocked by curious spectators.
It seemed that, no matter the world or the country, there would always be bystanders eager to witness a spectacle.
As to the cause of the strange phenomenon, speculation ran rampant.
Some insisted it was due to seismic activity, others suspected a volcanic eruption, while a few whispered theories about glacial shifts. Yet none of these explanations seemed entirely plausible.
And when someone hesitantly suggested that perhaps a person had cut the mountain in half, they were met with scornful laughter and dismissive glances.
"Ridiculous!"
"How could any human possibly achieve such a feat?! That mountain isn't some tiny hill—it's a towering peak nearly a thousand meters high! The rock formations alone are solid granite, incredibly difficult to mine, let alone slice through in a single strike."
Little did they know that this seemingly absurd speculation was the closest to the truth.
...
At the same time, mere minutes before the mountain was split, on a ship anchored near the coastline…
"This is bad, Dragon! We may have been discovered!"
A figure with a massive purple afro, exaggerated facial features, and fishnet-clad attire burst onto the deck in a panic.
It was none other than Emporio Ivankov of the Revolutionary Army. And the person he was addressing—
"Calm down," Dragon turned to face him, his voice steady. "Didn't our scouts confirm that there were no government forces in the area?"
"That was before," Ivankov said, his expression tense. "We scouted ahead, and there were no signs of government operatives. But today, someone arrived."
Dragon's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
"It's her," Ivankov exhaled sharply. "The World Government's Inspector General—Kaguya."
Dragon's heart sank slightly.
Why is she here?
Their operation was meticulously planned, executed in the remote East Blue to avoid drawing attention. By all logic, they should not have been detected.
But if she had discovered them, then things had just become much more complicated.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion echoed across the sky, and the ship rocked violently as though caught in an earthquake.
Dragon's expression darkened. "What was that?!"
Had the World Government already launched an attack?
The crew rushed to the deck, bracing for battle.
But when Dragon and his subordinates caught sight of the scene before them, they froze in stunned silence.
Not far from them, a towering mountain stood, now split cleanly in two. The cut surfaces were smooth and precise, as if a colossal blade had sliced straight through it. Even the dense forest atop the mountain had been divided neatly in half, and beneath the sundered peak lay a deep, newly-formed gorge that stretched far into the distance.
The crew aboard the anchored ship gaped in shock, unable to hide their astonishment.
"Wh-What the hell happened?!"
To possess such raw power—to be able to cut through a mountain—was something even the mightiest warriors would struggle to achieve. And given how smooth the division was, it was almost certainly the work of a blade. But even so, it was unfathomable.
Some speculated that only the legendary Ope Ope no Mi, the Op-Op Fruit, could achieve such a surgical feat. But the split clouds in the sky above? That was well beyond the abilities of that Devil Fruit.
One name suddenly surfaced in Dragon's mind.
It could only be her.
The woman he had encountered years ago—Kaguya. If there was anyone capable of such a feat, it was her. Though their last meeting had been long ago, she had left an unforgettable impression. And as the Revolutionary Army had recently been monitoring her actions, they were well aware of her increasing strength.
She had dueled Whitebeard and Kaido to a standstill—if not outright bested them. That alone spoke volumes.
For the Revolutionary Army, this was troubling news. Especially since Kaguya was a high-ranking officer within the World Government's Inspection Division. Many pirates had met their end at her hands in recent years.
"Send out scouts immediately," Dragon ordered, his voice steady. "Find out exactly what happened. And ensure our water and food supplies are fully stocked. We need to be ready to set sail at a moment's notice."
"Yes, sir!" The crew snapped into action, quickly preparing for departure.
"Dragon, do you think we've been discovered?" Ivankov asked, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Not necessarily," Dragon said, glancing back at the split mountain. "If the World Government had located us, they wouldn't waste time with such a dramatic display. They'd send warships immediately. Something else must have triggered this event—something unexpected."
What he didn't realize was that Kaguya had done this entirely on a whim.
"Dragon, if we leave now, what about the boy?" Ivankov hesitated. "He's still unconscious, and his condition is unstable. Without a proper doctor on board, moving him now could—"
"There's no choice," Dragon said grimly. "If the World Government gets wind of us, the Marine HQ will send forces here in no time. We can't afford to be trapped."
Ivankov hesitated, but before he could respond—
A clear, melodic voice rang through the air.
"Unfortunately for you, I have discovered you. So I'm afraid none of you are going anywhere."
Dragon's expression darkened. Ivankov's body tensed. "Who's there?!"
A young woman emerged gracefully from the dense treeline, a teasing smile playing at her lips. "I never expected to run into the Revolutionary Army here. Seems I've caught a big fish."
"How did you find us?" Dragon stepped forward, his voice heavy.
Kaguya smirked. "A massive ship docked at a hidden cove, covered in tarps, with its crew skulking around like rats?" She crossed her arms. "Did you think I was blind?"
In truth, Kaguya had noticed the ship the moment she arrived. Though it was moored in a well-concealed harbor with three sides shielded by cliffs, her powerful vision had seen right through the attempt to hide it.
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