A few days later...
The Hades slowly approached the shores of Cocoyasi Village.
Yet, instead of fear, the villagers on the coast responded with rage.
"Seriously?! Someone dares to cause trouble in Cocoyasi Village again these days?"
A fisherman shouted in fury, eyes narrowed toward the approaching ship in the distance.
"You damn pirates, get lost! Do you even know who's protecting this place now?!"
The ship steadily drifted toward the dock.
On board, Enel and the crew listened to the curses from the villagers, exchanging awkward glances.
"...Wh-what's happening now?"
Suddenly—
"Whoosh!"
Two silhouettes sped toward them.
Everyone squinted.
It was Portgas D. Ace and Monkey D. Luffy!
"Hey! You pirates! Stay right where you are! I'm gonna kick your butts into next week!"
Ace brandished a steel pipe, looking especially righteous.
"That's right! Don't move! My second brother's gonna hit you with a flying dropkick!"
Luffy adopted a dramatic fighting stance.
Enel's face turned pale. "Wh-what do we do now?"
Was the whole island turning against them?
Before anyone could answer, another large vessel approached the shore…
"A Navy ship?!"
Enel's pupils shrank.
His first instinct was to panic, but he quickly remembered Shen Yuan's words.
"It's the Marines! Lightning boy, go deal with them!"
Joan crossed her arms, her tone dark and steady. "Remember what the captain said—don't panic when facing the Navy."
The warship steadily pulled in.
Down the steps walked Vice Admiral Garp, an unmistakable smile plastered across his face.
"Where's my grandson? I—"
His eyes drifted sideways. He caught sight of the Hades docked nearby.
"...Uh."
Garp blinked.
The nameplate said Hades, and the skull crest was stylized as a Shinigami—the god of death.
Garp's expression twisted. His grandson's epithet was "Death"—and this ship looked like a floating shrine to it.
Could this Death be referring to Shen Yuan?
He waved toward the ship.
"Hey! You over there! Get down here!"
Hearing this, Qiong turned into a flash of white-blue lightning and zipped down toward Garp.
"Are we really doing this right now…?"
The villagers collectively held their breath.
Qiong's lightning form condensed in front of Garp. Calmly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"Greetings, Vice Admiral. The captain told me to deliver this."
Everyone stared.
Garp took the note stiffly and unfolded it.
> I am Shen Yuan. These are my crew members.
Old man, don't you dare cause trouble. I know you're not that senile yet.
Garp's face twitched green.
"Why that damn brat…"
But his lips curled into a grin.
"Hmph! That kid's still as arrogant as ever."
He looked up.
"Well then! You're all part of my grandson's crew, eh? Fine! You're welcome here!"
Off in the distance, Ace and Luffy stared, dumbfounded.
Their battle poses faded instantly.
"Wait... they're Big Brother's crew?!"
Ace was stunned by the massive size of the ship.
Luffy's eyes gleamed like gold coins. "Brother fought two Yonko crews on his own?! That's amazing!"
Enel grinned with pride.
Even though he wasn't part of that battle, he was a member of the legendary crew.
"Of course! Captain took down multiple Yonko with his own hands!"
Luffy practically vibrated with excitement.
He extended both arms and stretched, slingshotting himself aboard the Hades.
"Wooow! Look at this craftsmanship! And—meat?! MEAT?!"
He zoomed toward a corner stacked high with dried meat, practically drooling.
Enel blinked in surprise.
"Wait… he's a rubber man? A Devil Fruit user here in the East Blue?"
He looked out at the peaceful sea.
This weakest of oceans… was now crawling with monsters thanks to Shen Yuan?
"HAHAHAHA! Come on, everyone, let's feast!"
The villagers finally began piecing things together.
"That's Shen Yuan's crew?"
"After what he's done, of course he'd have powerful allies."
An old woman shuffled toward Kalifa, grabbing her hand softly.
"Where's that little Yuan? He hasn't eaten my braised fish in so long…"
Kalifa's heart softened. Her eyes welled up.
"Grandma… the boss is away on important business. He'll be back soon."
The old woman nodded slowly and walked off. Her lonely figure tugged at Kalifa's chest.
Tears dripped down quietly.
One by one, everyone disembarked—except the Marines, who were awkwardly left behind, standing at attention along the coast.
"Are we stepchildren or something?"
One soldier muttered bitterly.
All the Marines stood frozen like statues, unsure of what was going on.
"HAHAHAHA! My grandson really knows how to pick 'em!"
At a nearby tavern…
Garp was laughing heartily as he toasted with Shen Yuan's crew.
"Eat up! Don't be shy! You're part of my grandson's crew!"
Joan's jaw dropped.
How many times had he said that in the last ten minutes?
She exchanged a glance with Enel. They both nodded. This old man is insane... but it checks out.
---
Meanwhile — East Blue
Shimotsuki Village, inside the Isshin Dojo...
Shen Yuan and Shimotsuki Koshiro sat cross-legged across from one another.
"…May I ask why you've come here?" Koshiro said softly.
In response, Shen Yuan silently removed Enma and the Second Generation Kitetsu from his waist and placed them before him.
"Do these look familiar?"
Koshiro's eyes widened in shock.
"T-that's Enma! The sword wielded by Kozuki Oden! And this… the Kitetsu… No.2?"
He fell silent, his thoughts stirring.
His family… generations of master swordsmiths… these two blades were unmistakably crafted by his ancestors.
"Where did you get them?" he finally asked, adjusting his glasses.
"Wano Country."
The name alone struck Koshiro like a bolt of lightning.
His eyes trembled.
"Then… how exactly did you come across these blades?"
Shen Yuan stood and calmly placed the swords on the table.
"I'll tell you—but only if you defeat me in a duel."
Sweat formed on Koshiro's brow.
This man… he had heard the rumors.
He was the one who challenged the Four Emperors and lived.
"I—I'm too old for that…"
"Old?" Shen Yuan arched an eyebrow. "Is Garp old? He still shatters mountains with his fists."
Koshiro flinched. True…
"Are you here… to seek the ultimate form of swordsmanship?" he asked.
Shen Yuan smiled slightly. Ultimate swordsmanship?
To him, such a phrase was obsolete.
All sword styles… were ornamental compared to his.
His sword was meant to kill.
Every swing fatal. Every cut absolute.
Yet he nodded politely. "Of course. I've heard the Shimotsuki sword-forging techniques are refined. I assume your swordsmanship is the same."
Koshiro paused, searching for any hidden threat behind the words.
But instead, he silently stood, removed a katana from the dojo wall, and drew it carefully.
"Very well. On behalf of the Shimotsuki family, I accept."
In the background, Kuina stood still, wide-eyed and unsure what to do.
"Follow me, please."
A few moments later—
The two men stood across from one another on the dojo training field.
Around them, young students gathered in silence, sensing the weight of the moment.
Koshiro stood firm, both hands gripping his blade tightly.
Shen Yuan remained relaxed, arms folded calmly across his chest.
But Koshiro felt it—
A pressure as dense as steel. Not Haki alone… but the overwhelming presence of someone who had awakened a power beyond traditional swordsmanship.
The Tree of Awakening had begun to bloom.
And this was just one of its many deadly branches.
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