Morning – Shimotsuki Village
The sun had barely warmed the earth, but the courtyard already rang with sharp clashes of bamboo.
Pak! Pak! Pak!
Jin paused at the entrance to his compound, a smirk tugging at his lips. The sound of those strikes was familiar—but more than that, it was personal.
He leaned against the gate and narrowed his eyes.
There they were.
Kuina, graceful as ever, her expression cold and focused.
And across from her—a green-haired brat, swinging twin bamboo swords like a demon possessed. Fierce. Wild. Tireless.
Roronoa Zoro.
Jin's smirk deepened.
"Still a runt," he muttered, stepping inside.
He crossed the yard slowly, taking a seat on the stone bench near where Kuma lay sprawled out, half-asleep and baking in the morning sun.
"Yo," Jin said casually. "How long've they been at it?"
Kuma cracked one eye open. "Ten minutes. Maybe more. That green-haired cub keeps coming back every damn morning. Can't land a hit, but never quits." He grunted with something that might've been admiration. "Stubborn bastard's got grit."
Jin chuckled. "He's got more than grit, Kuma. That kid's gonna be a monster."
He watched Zoro move—raw but relentless, swinging with the kind of hungry desperation only a true warrior possessed. A rhythm of obsession. Of purpose.
Pak!
Zoro's blade was knocked wide—and in the next instant, Kuina's strike sent him tumbling backward into the dirt.
Again.
Jin whistled. "Oof. Clean takedown."
Zoro groaned, lying there, breathing hard but not broken. He clenched his teeth, fists curling into the dirt.
Jin called out, voice laced with amusement. "Lost again, huh? That make it a thousand and what—forty?"
Zoro shot him a glare. "Tch. Who the hell are you?"
"I'm the guy whose courtyard you keep turning into a battlefield," Jin replied with a lazy grin. "Name's Jin. Owner of this place. Friend of Kuina."
Zoro blinked, still panting, but stood. "Well then, Jin-san… I'm Roronoa Zoro."
He dusted himself off and stared straight ahead.
"I lost. No excuses. But next time, I'll win. Doesn't matter how many times it takes."
Jin raised an eyebrow. "That's one hell of an attitude. I like it."
He turned to Kuina with a knowing smirk.
"And you… what's this? I thought you had morning drills at the dojo. Missed me that much already?"
Kuina froze.
Her cheeks turned faintly pink. She turned her head, pretending to examine a distant tree.
"Don't flatter yourself," she snapped. "Zoro came to challenge me, and I figured your yard would do. That's all."
Zoro blinked. "Huh? No… I challenged you at the dojo and you dragged me—"
Kuina spun around so fast her ponytail whipped like a blade. "Shut up."
"…Right." Zoro rubbed his neck, confused.
Jin chuckled, reclining on the bench. "She missed me."
"I did NOT."
He waved it off and let the moment pass.
Then he turned to Zoro again, gesturing toward the far end of the yard.
Rows of training equipment. Weighted dummies. Sandbag rigs. Handmade resistance tools. Dozens of practice swords lined the walls, some chipped, some finely polished.
"You like this setup?" Jin asked.
Zoro nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's insane. These things must've cost a fortune…"
"They're yours," Jin said.
Zoro blinked. "…What?"
Jin stretched lazily. "Take 'em. Use 'em. Outgrew most of it anyway. You've got the drive. Might as well have the tools."
The boy stared at him like he'd just offered him a treasure chest full of gold.
"…You're serious?"
"Dead serious. Besides…" Jin's gaze flicked to Kuina, "you're her underclassman. I look out for my people."
Zoro's face lit up in pure, unfiltered joy. "Thanks, Jin-san! With all this, I'll definitely surpass Kuina—!"
WHACK!
Kuina smacked him in the head with her bamboo sword. "Keep dreaming."
"OW! Damn it, woman! That hurt!"
Jin leaned back, enjoying the chaos.
These two… they'd grow into legends. He could already feel it.
As Zoro ran off to examine the gear like a kid in a candy store, Jin glanced toward Kuina.
"Let's eat lunch here today," he said softly. "It's been too long since we had a real meal together."
Kuina hesitated, her fingers tightening around her bamboo sword.
She gave the faintest nod… then quickly turned away again.
Jin smirked.
Didn't need words. He saw through her like glass.
"Yo, Kuma!" he called. "Head into the forest. Grab two hill boars—we're making roast!"
"Got it, boss!" Kuma rumbled, standing and stretching. "Haven't hunted breakfast in days anyway."
The giant bear loped off toward the woods, humming tunelessly.
Jin stood and stretched.
"Zoro!" he called. "Stick around. You're eating with us."
Zoro paused in mid-lift of a ten-kilo stone weight. "Huh? For real?"
"Roast boar. Best damn meat in East Blue. You'll need it if you ever plan to catch up to Kuina."
Zoro grinned. "Then hell yeah!"
Jin chuckled and leaned against the courtyard wall, letting the sunlight pour over him.
For now, this was enough.
Soon, the sea would call again.
But today?
Today was home.
This story is inspired from various fanfics i have read from around the world so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you
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T/N :
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