While William hosted a banquet for his ship's officers in Maple Village, a small ripple of disturbance arose in the Isshin Dojo of Shimotsuki Village.
Two years ago, Oliver, who had once saved Edmond's life during the Red-Beard Pirates' raid, had been studying swordsmanship at the dojo. Ambitious and eager to stand out, Oliver trained diligently. Thanks to his connection with Edmond, who occasionally visited Shimotsuki Village to give him private lessons, and his own decent talent, Oliver's progress had been rapid. While he was still far from matching William's legendary prowess, he was considered outstanding among his peers.
Edmond's personal guidance, combined with William's direct order to place Oliver in the dojo, gave Oliver a somewhat unique status.
Edmond himself had always been an oddity in the dojo. However, after joining William's crew, the term "oddity" had taken on a more positive connotation, becoming "independent thinker." His swordsmanship talent and solid skills made him one of the dojo's prominent figures, despite his often unrealistic ideas.
As for William, he was already a legend in the dojo. In less than two years, he had become unbeatable, save for Koushirou, the dojo master. With Gin, Aramis, Vallon, Edmond, and others in his entourage, and a thriving business in the neighboring Maple Village, William had even become the captain of his own pirate crew.
William's story had become a myth in the Isshin Dojo. Even though he had left nearly a year ago, the students still spoke of him with awe.
Naturally, Oliver, through his connection to William and Edmond, became a focal point among his peers in the dojo.
Did Oliver enjoy this status?
Of course. He had risked his life to escort Edmond back to Maple Village and refused monetary rewards precisely to earn such a position. He wanted to leave behind the life of a poor fisherman's son, constantly looked down upon and eyed suspiciously by shopkeepers as if he were a thief. Now, he was surrounded by admiration and envy.
But all of this was disrupted by the arrival of a child.
Roronoa Zoro, a boy who, in Oliver's eyes, had seaweed-like hair and a seaweed-filled brain to match.
Zoro's entrance into the dojo was comical. He had declared that he was here to challenge the dojo, but anyone with even a basic understanding of swordsmanship could see he had no training whatsoever.
Koushirou, likely wanting to avoid accusations of bullying a child, had Kuina, a girl of Zoro's age, step forward to teach him a lesson.
Afterward, this shameless child stayed at the dojo, becoming a thorn in Oliver's side.
Oliver hadn't trained alongside William, so he had only heard secondhand accounts of William's terrifying progress, relentless dedication, and extraordinary comprehension. But now, he was witnessing firsthand what it meant to be a genius.
Zoro, the boy who had made such a ridiculous first impression, was like a sponge, hungrily absorbing every bit of swordsmanship knowledge. It was as if all other talents had been stripped from him and concentrated solely on swordsmanship. Most astonishing was his resilience. Despite his young age, he displayed a determination far surpassing that of many adults.
Though Oliver didn't want to admit it, he knew deep down that Zoro's stubbornness and single-mindedness, while often making him appear foolish, were traits that would help him endure the grueling path of a swordsman.
With his incredible talent and unyielding determination, Zoro surpassed many of the dojo's older students, some of whom had been training for years, within less than a year of joining. This included Oliver. Almost everyone marveled at Zoro's talent, calling him the second coming of William—though only in terms of swordsmanship, as Zoro lacked the charisma and leadership William had shown among his peers.
But among those who admired Zoro's talent, Oliver was certainly not one of them. His view of Zoro was colored by frustration and jealousy—frustration at the shift in attention and jealousy of Zoro's natural ability.
Oliver secretly ostracized Zoro, trying to conceal his actions. However, his youth betrayed him, and his hostility was evident to many, including Kuina. Though Kuina didn't particularly like the clumsy Zoro, her sense of justice compelled her to report Oliver's behavior to Koushirou.
Koushirou, however, seemed indifferent. With his usual calm demeanor, he reassured Kuina, "Don't worry about Oliver and Zoro."
Kuina hesitated. "But…"
"William will be coming soon," Koushirou said gently, understanding her concern. "He might take Oliver with him this time. I'll also discuss Oliver's situation with him."
"William is coming?" Kuina's concern for Zoro was immediately replaced by excitement. She eagerly asked, "When? How long will he stay? Is Gin coming too? Will they stay at the dojo for a few days?"
"I know you're looking forward to seeing him," Koushirou said with a wry smile, trying to calm his now-animated daughter. "But aside from the fact that he's coming, I don't know anything else. You can ask him yourself when he arrives. It's been a while since you've seen him."
Kuina raised her voice, "Who's looking forward to seeing him? I just want to spar with him again to see how much I've improved—and whether his swordsmanship has declined!"
...
Two days later, William arrived at Shimotsuki Village from Maple Village. Accompanying him were Aramis, Edmond, and several officers of the Morgan Pirates.
With their distinct styles, the officers made quite an impression: Yasopp was laid-back, Hatcheson was fierce, Selkirk was imposing, Kuro was refined, and Diego was robust. Surrounding William like stars orbiting a moon, they approached the courtyard gates of the Isshin Dojo. Their presence left a young boy guarding the gate, who had recently joined the dojo and didn't recognize William, utterly dumbfounded. The boy froze, unsure of how to respond, and only after William and his group drew closer did he panic and dash into the dojo.
Seeing the boy's reaction from afar, William paid it no mind. He casually led his curious officers into the dojo courtyard, moving as if he were the master of the place.
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