"Master Koushirou! Something terrible has happened! Someone is attacking!" A boy came running into the training hall of the Isshin Dojo, stumbling and almost falling over himself.
The students and instructors in the dojo stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the panicked boy.
"What's the matter? Why are you so flustered?" Pattinson, who was standing beside Koushirou and instructing students, scolded the boy sternly. "Calm down and explain clearly."
"A group of people is heading toward the dojo!"
"That's it?" Pattinson raised an eyebrow.
"They're carrying swords and guns," the boy said, panting heavily.
At this point, Koushirou spoke gently, "The world is chaotic these days. Carrying weapons is normal. Even if they're coming to the dojo, there's no need to be so scared."
The boy, feeling a bit wronged, muttered, "But they don't look like good people."
If someone as hot-tempered as Hatcheson had been present, he might have strung the boy up for saying such a thing.
Koushirou chuckled softly. Seeing that Pattinson was about to scold the boy again, he said, "Let's go out and take a look first."
Meanwhile, William was leading his group toward the training hall. Yasopp glanced curiously at the courtyard's layout and asked, "So this is where you learned swordsmanship? The environment is pretty nice."
Aramis sighed nostalgically, "Every corner here is soaked with our blood and tears."
"Don't exaggerate," Edmond said, rolling his eyes at Aramis. He turned to Yasopp and added, "He only says that because he was the laziest one back then."
As they joked and laughed, they arrived at the front of the training hall just as Koushirou and Pattinson stepped out, followed by a group of curious students.
When Koushirou and Pattinson saw the familiar faces of William, Aramis, and Edmond, they realized it was all a misunderstanding.
Koushirou greeted them warmly, while Pattinson initially looked displeased at William for casually leading people into the courtyard. Then, he turned around and glared harshly at the boy who had reported the situation inaccurately.
The boy, hiding in the crowd, shrank his neck, looking a bit sheepish. He turned to an older student next to him and asked, "Who are these people?"
"It's William!" The older student's eyes lit up with excitement, his face brimming with admiration like a fan meeting their idol. "He's a swordsmanship genius, a legend of the dojo! You should've seen how amazing he was back in the day. Edmond, Aramis, Vallon, and Gin were always following him around and listening to his every word. Later, he even started a business in the neighboring village..."
The older student went on and on, but the boy wasn't paying much attention. He scratched his ear and interrupted, "A swordsmanship genius? Like Zoro?"
"Zoro? That idiot is nowhere near his level," the older student scoffed. Zoro's terrible sense of direction was as infamous as his swordsmanship talent, and by now, everyone in the dojo knew never to let Zoro go out alone. "William is also a great pirate captain, with a crew of hundreds under his command!"
The boy's mouth formed an "O" shape in astonishment. Then, he asked curiously, "You're at the dojo every day, just like me. How do you know so much?"
"I heard it all from Oliver."
...
Koushirou's smile was more genuine than usual when he saw William. After exchanging pleasantries, William briefly introduced the crew members behind him.
Koushirou maintained his usual gentle demeanor, entirely unassuming. Yet even fearsome individuals like Hatcheson and Diego greeted him respectfully. They might not fear Koushirou directly, but they certainly feared William. Whether Koushirou was hiding his true strength or not, none of them dared show any disrespect.
The group headed toward the back of the courtyard. Koushirou told the students they could take a break, but the curious children and teenagers trailed behind, their eyes glued to the strangers with their distinct and varied auras.
Some of the boys couldn't take their eyes off the two gleaming silver revolvers hanging from Yasopp's belt. The way the sunlight reflected off the guns seemed almost hypnotic to them.
Noticing their stares, Yasopp grinned, flicked open the holster's buckle with his thumb, and smoothly drew one of the revolvers. He spun it around his finger twice before deftly returning it to its holster. The boys' eyes sparkled with awe.
Hearing the commotion, Koushirou glanced back. His gaze lingered on Yasopp's modern weapon, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. William noticed and smiled. "That's just Yasopp's personality, teacher. Don't mind him."
Koushirou shook his head with a smile. His interest was in the gun, not Yasopp's antics.
"William!"
As they passed the training hall, Kuina stood at the entrance. William noticed she had grown taller since their last meeting. With her hands clasped behind her back, she stood with her feet apart, a shy smile on her face as she looked at him.
William strode over to her. He had grown even faster than Kuina, and she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
In the crowd of dojo students, Zoro watched the usually tough and boyish Kuina act like a demure little girl in front of William. He was thunderstruck. He wanted nothing more than to rush up to the man he didn't recognize, grab him by the collar, and shout, "Don't be fooled by her! This girl humiliates me every time she beats me. She's nothing like how she's pretending to be now!"
With a strange expression, Zoro asked his companion who William was. His companion, another new student around his age, didn't know either.
At that moment, the boy who had "cried wolf" earlier approached. Perhaps it was a case of like attracting like, but he and Zoro got along well and were considered friends. Hearing Zoro's question, the boy eagerly repeated the information he had just learned.
"I heard this guy was really famous at the dojo. Before you came, he was the fastest-progressing genius. Now he's the owner of a trading company and a great pirate. People in the dojo say you might become the next William. That 'William' is him." The boy, not wanting to hurt Zoro's pride, tactfully left out some details.
But Zoro wasn't pleased. "I'm not the second William. I'm just Zoro."
The boy pouted and decided to be honest. "Of course you're not the second William. He's not just good at swordsmanship; he's smart too!"
Zoro nodded at first, then realized the boy's words weren't exactly flattering. He glared at his friend in annoyance.
When they reached the back courtyard, where Koushirou's private quarters were located, the students finally dispersed. William instructed Aramis and Edmond to show the pirate officers around while he and Koushirou went inside to talk privately.
Kuina wanted to join them, but Pattinson stopped her. After some persuasion, she reluctantly left.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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