William and Koushirou entered the room. After Koushirou personally brewed a cup of tea for William, he brought up the matter of Oliver.
William's broad hand gently rubbed the surface of the teacup. When he heard Koushirou mention that Oliver had been ostracizing a younger boy at the dojo out of jealousy, he sighed, "The human heart... such a complicated thing."
Koushirou silently blew on the steam rising from his tea. After a moment, seeing that William had no further reaction, he asked, "You still plan to take him in?"
William nodded. He was a man determined to reach the pinnacle, and such ambition required a heart big enough to accommodate people of all kinds, even those with differing or flawed personalities. Koushirou's words served as a reminder to be mindful of Oliver's narrow-minded tendencies when assigning him roles in the future. However, William wasn't the type to shy away from using someone just because of a single flaw.
"Finding a group of like-minded companions is merely luck. But bringing together a group of people with differing personalities and uniting them—that's true skill," William said calmly.
Koushirou's hand paused for a moment before he naturally resumed sipping his tea.
The two chatted idly for a while longer. Koushirou asked about William's recent activities and showed particular curiosity about the modern revolvers that Yasopp carried, asking many questions about them.
William, however, maintained his composure, only answering selectively and avoiding any crucial details. As dusk fell, he bid Koushirou farewell and left.
After William departed, Pattinson entered the room to find Koushirou sitting in the dimly lit space, not even bothering to light a lamp, lost in thought.
Pattinson lit the lamp, sat across from Koushirou, and asked, "Did you bring up the Revolutionary Army with William?"
"No," Koushirou shook his head. "Acting on impulse... Seeing the current William, I don't even dare to bring up the Revolutionary Army."
Pattinson frowned, reflecting on William's behavior since arriving at the dojo. At best, one could describe him as confident and magnanimous, but at worst, he seemed domineering and self-centered. This could partly be attributed to him relaxing after returning to the dojo, but it was undoubtedly also influenced by over a year of being a pirate captain, commanding lives, and making decisions with absolute authority.
"William has always been someone with his own strong ideas and not easily swayed," Koushirou continued. "Now that he's a pirate captain, controlling a sizable trading company and weapons business, he's even less likely to be persuaded by anyone."
"And from what William said earlier, I can tell he's not someone who would willingly serve under others," Koushirou sighed. "Even if we managed to pull him into the Revolutionary Army, it might not necessarily be a good thing for the Army. The World Government's scrutiny of us is increasing. In these difficult times, it's best not to stir up further trouble."
"What about purchasing those new weapons...?" Pattinson hesitated.
Koushirou slowly but firmly shook his head. "This student of mine… very few people can easily decipher his thoughts. I can't guarantee what his attitude toward the Revolutionary Army would be or what actions he might take after weighing the pros and cons. It's better not to let him notice anything, lest he trace things back to us and uncover our secrets."
"And what about others?"
"Who do you mean?"
"For example, Zoro. His talent is exceptional. Given time, he'll undoubtedly become an extraordinary swordsman."
Hearing Pattinson mention Zoro, a faint smile appeared on Koushirou's face. "Not Zoro. His… personality isn't suited for the Revolutionary Army."
Pattinson sighed. He understood the underlying meaning in Koushirou's words: William was too cunning, while Zoro was too straightforward.
...
The next day at noon, in the courtyard of the Isshin Dojo, William observed the students practicing swordsmanship. His gaze swept across them before settling on a green-haired boy.
"Is that the Zoro you mentioned?" William asked Koushirou, who stood beside him.
Swordsmanship training was an arduous test of willpower. Although this world allowed for individuals to achieve extraordinary physical feats compared to William's previous life, that didn't make the process of building strength any easier.
On the contrary, the increased intensity of repetitive training made it even more grueling and monotonous.
Despite his small frame, Zoro seemed to possess boundless energy. He swung his bamboo sword tirelessly, gritting his teeth to maintain proper form and resisting the natural human inclination to slack off.
In contrast, the children training alongside Zoro, worn out and giving in to laziness, had long since let their forms deteriorate. William and Koushirou both shook their heads at the sight—such sloppy practice not only wasted effort but also risked developing bad habits.
Koushirou instructed Pattinson to go correct the other children's stances before turning back to William. "Yes, that's Zoro. He's been here for less than half a year. When he first arrived, he knew almost nothing, but now he's starting to show some real promise."
"Not bad," William remarked after watching Zoro for a while.
William had been able to train so diligently in the past because he possessed the soul of an adult, with a high level of self-discipline. Zoro, on the other hand, had no such advantage and was much younger than William had been at the time. This natural resilience and determination impressed William greatly.
"Zoro is exceptionally talented, but he's also very single-minded," Koushirou said with a hint of exasperation. "Other than swordsmanship and getting stronger, he's not interested in anything else."
William glanced at Koushirou, unsure if this was a genuine lament or a subtle attempt to dissuade him from any thoughts of recruiting Zoro in the future.
William respected Koushirou's character and was grateful for his guidance. However, he was also aware that the ever-smiling, seemingly kind-hearted Koushirou wasn't as simple as he appeared.
When William first started learning swordsmanship, he had done some investigating and discovered that Koushirou and the Isshin Dojo harbored secrets. Over time, through his experiences at the dojo and occasional reports from Sherlock, who managed the trading company in the neighboring village, William became increasingly certain that his teacher was no ordinary man.
Just as Koushirou couldn't fully understand or predict William's thoughts, William found it equally difficult to see through Koushirou's ever-smiling exterior.
As they conversed, the two strolled among the students and happened to approach Kuina, who was training alongside them.
Noticing their arrival out of the corner of her eye, Kuina momentarily lost focus and made a mistake in her movements. William offered her some pointers and, seeing her drenched in sweat from training, naturally pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, crouched down, and wiped her face. Kuina's face instantly turned bright red.
From a distance, Edmond, Aramis, Yasopp, and several other pirate officers were gathered together, observing the scene and whispering among themselves.
"Something seems off about this," Yasopp said, stroking his chin.
"What do you mean?" Hatcheson asked, confused.
Yasopp pointed at Kuina, who, despite her short hair and boyish attire, appeared shy and demure in front of William. He then turned to Aramis and Edmond. "What's the deal between the captain and her? Childhood sweethearts?"
Nearby, Kuro, who was well aware of William's cunning, adjusted his glasses and quickly concocted a theory. "This dojo is so close to Maple Village, and William is so familiar with it. He could easily turn this place into a talent pool for us, providing a steady supply of recruits. That girl, Kuina, is the dojo master's daughter. If William were to marry her, he'd have the right to inherit the dojo. In that case..."
Before Kuro could finish, Edmond hurriedly interrupted, "Don't say such things! Kuina's situation is quite sad. Many people in the dojo know that Master Koushirou had hoped for a son to inherit the dojo. That's why Kuina trains so hard despite her young age. William knows about this too, and he's just looking out for her because he's older."
Kuro wasn't convinced. "Isn't that perfect, then? Koushirou wants a man to inherit the dojo."
Edmond waved him off, unwilling to continue the conversation. Meanwhile, Yasopp chimed in, "Hearing this, it's no wonder the girl likes William. What's that term again?"
Selkirk, who had been silent and stoic until now, suddenly spoke up:
"Electra complex."
The group fell silent, exchanging awkward glances before directing strange looks at Selkirk, who began to feel uneasy under their gazes.
After a long pause, Yasopp let out a dry laugh and explained, "I was thinking of 'lack of affection.' How did you come up with that term?"
"Exactly."
"Didn't expect you to be so wild inside, despite how quiet you usually are."
"People who've been to the Grand Line really do know more than us country bumpkins!"
The group burst into laughter, teasing and ribbing the embarrassed Selkirk.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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