Dangerous targets.
Dunn, who had been using his Observation Haki to assist in guiding his Armament Haki, suddenly snapped his eyes open. Having just mastered Observation, his current range wasn't vast—it barely covered the entirety of the Isshin Dojo.
But the group that had just arrived gave Dunn an extremely dangerous sensation.
"Powerhouses... so many of them. There's even someone stronger than Koshiro."
Within the vision provided by his Haki, the figures in this group were all marked with "Extremely Dangerous" icons. One individual, in particular, had three blood-red question marks hovering over their head.
"The Revolutionary Army, then?"
Dunn sat back, already guessing their identity. Shimotsuki Koshiro did indeed have private contact with the Revolutionaries.
Monkey D. Dragon. Or simply, Dragon.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army, a thorn in the side of the World Government, the son of Marine Hero Monkey D. Garp, and Luffy's father. A Logia user—suspected to have powers related to the wind.
Even if he hasn't made many moves yet, this man is likely one of the top-tier combatants on the sea, a Yonko-level powerhouse.
Dunn felt a momentary urge to go see them, but he sat back down before fully standing up. These people represented trouble. One could argue that Dragon's Revolutionaries possessed noble ideals, seeking to overthrow the World Government and change the world, but that had nothing to do with him.
He wasn't even from this world. Respect was just respect; as for contact, it was better to pass.
With that thought, Dunn suppressed his curiosity and centered himself, returning to his meditation to guide his Armament Haki.
Meanwhile, Kuina and Zoro, who had just finished another match, also noticed the uninvited guests. They saw Koshiro leading the group into the dojo, but didn't go to investigate.
"You lost again. That's 1,997!" Kuina said, looking at Zoro with a calm expression.
"Dammit! Don't get cocky! I'll definitely beat you!" Zoro flared up instantly at her emphasis.
"You'll never beat me." Kuina stood with her hands on her hips, looking down her nose at him.
Zoro gritted his teeth, pointing his bamboo sword at her. "I'm not just going to beat you, I'm going to beat Dunn, too! And then, I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman!"
Zoro panted, glaring at her.
"Beat Dunn?" Kuina paused, her expression turning complicated.
Dunn had only been at the dojo for a month, but his strength had progressed at a terrifying rate.
His swordsmanship alone was already beyond her imagination, let alone that "super physique" that had left her father in awe. According to her father, Dunn's physical build was no weaker than the monsters on the Great Line.
By now, Kuina felt a growing sense of dread—a feeling that no matter how hard she worked, she could never win.
"You can't even see the gap between him and us," Kuina said, her voice low.
"Are you... giving up?"
Zoro might be a lost cause with directions, but he wasn't stupid; he had occasional flashes of intuition. Right now, he could feel Kuina's spiraling emotions.
"You've beaten me 1,997 times! Don't you dare look down on yourself! If you do, what does that make me—the guy who lost to you?" Zoro glared at her, fuming.
Kuina kept her head down, silent. Zoro stared at her with wide eyes before suddenly raising his bamboo sword.
"I've decided! Kuina, I'm going to beat you first, and then I'll be the one to defeat Dunn!"
Zoro huffed and turned to leave, only to find a figure standing behind him.
"D-Dunn..." Zoro stammered, startled.
"I'll give you that chance. Come then, Zoro. Challenge me, defeat me, and charge toward that title of World's Greatest Swordsman!"
Dunn held a wooden sword, looking at Zoro with a mock-solemn expression.
Zoro: "..." Kuina: "..."
"What? Scared now?" Dunn grinned at the frozen duo.
"Don't get cocky, you jerk!" Zoro flared up again—he was always easy to bait. He charged at Dunn, sword raised.
He was met with a swift clonk to the head.
A red mark appeared on Zoro's face as his nose began to bleed. He stumbled back several steps, clutching his nose as tears involuntarily sprang to his eyes. The stinging pain made his eyes and nose run simultaneously.
Seeing this, Kuina stepped forward, her hands tightening on her hilt. "My turn."
She launched an attack.
Thud! A "good" sound usually means a "good" head. Kuina clutched the top of her skull and crouched down, her eyes moistening as well.
Dunn sat down on the ground, looking at the two of them—one holding his nose, the other holding her head.
"Last time... was there something you didn't finish saying?" Kuina asked suddenly from her crouched position.
"About what?"
"About how there are women on this sea who become top-tier powerhouses."
Clearly, this was still weighing heavily on her mind. Dunn sighed. He understood Koshiro's intent, but it seemed the father's "realism" had only deepened Kuina's self-doubt.
"Sit down properly," Dunn said, pointing to the ground in front of him.
Kuina and Zoro sat, their teary eyes fixed on him. They both knew Dunn possessed a vast knowledge of the world beyond the village.
"People are different. There are many races on the sea—Fishmen, Minks, and Giants. They are born with massive physical advantages over humans.
For example, any adult Giant has strength comparable to a Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters. In the grand scheme of the sea, that's already a high-level powerhouse."
Kuina and Zoro clearly had no concept of how strong a Vice Admiral was.
"Then there's Charlotte Linlin, who established Totto Land in the New World. She's one of the strongest pirates alive. When she was five years old, she destroyed an entire village of Giants."
"A woman?" Kuina asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Yes, a woman. However, her innate talent is something very few people in this world can ever match," Dunn noted. He truly believed that.
"If I keep surpassing myself, can I reach that level one day?" Kuina looked at him, searching for affirmation.
"There is no end to swordsmanship. You can keep training and keep growing stronger forever," Dunn told her.
He had intended to burst her bubble of idealized imagination so she could see the reality.
In terms of talent, Kuina was high, but not "world-shaking." At ten, she could beat adults in the dojo, which was great, but she could already feel Zoro catching up.
"Right! That's it! I'll just keep getting stronger and become the world's greatest!"
While Kuina was still processing Dunn's "toxic chicken soup" (half-truth/half-cynicism), Zoro had already gulped the whole bowl down. He spoke with excitement, though the red welts and the bloody nose made him look utterly ridiculous.
*If you want to read more, join my Patreon MasterStudios (Luffy PFP)
*Bonus Chapter for every 40 Powerstones
*Bonus chapter for every 10 Reviews/Comments