Knock, knock.
"Excuse me, is this the Shimotsuki Dojo? We have come to ask to become your disciples."
The arrival of a boy and a girl broke the calm of the dojo.
Sitting in front of them was Koushirou, and before him were Ethan and Robin.
"Adam, the writer from the West Blue, correct? You came all the way here to become my disciple? This is just an obscure little dojo in the East Blue. Why insist on learning here?"
Koushirou was puzzled. The boy in front of him, with his younger sister at his side, did have a bit of fame.
He remembered seeing this name in the World Economic News quite often.
What troubled Koushirou was why someone like this would want to learn swordsmanship, and why he had to come here of all places. That was something he wanted to understand.
"Because I happened to see the crest of the Shimotsuki family," Ethan replied. "That alone told me your swordsmanship is among the finest in the Four Seas."
Koushirou's gaze instantly sharpened, locking onto Ethan.
Wano had been closed off from the world for centuries. How could an outsider possibly recognize the Shimotsuki crest?
His right hand settled on the hilt of his sword, his aura gathering without being released.
Ethan could feel a faint stinging on his face, as if invisible blades were grazing his skin. A true master.
"Oh? And how did a young man like you learn of the Shimotsuki family?" Koushirou asked.
"Master Koushirou, my sister and I are from Ohara. My name is Ethan, and this is my younger sister Robin.
"At present, we are survivors of Ohara and wanted criminals of the World Government.
"We came here purely to gain the strength to protect ourselves. On the seas, your own sword is the one thing you can always trust."
Ethan felt it was better to be honest about his identity, because the things he wanted to do in the future could only be accomplished out in the open.
If Koushirou rejected them because of who they were, then Ethan would simply find another path and learn elsewhere. With the Power of Analysis, he believed he could grow stronger no matter where he trained.
Ohara…
Koushirou immediately understood why they knew about Wano. After all, the name of the Tree of Knowledge was famous even in distant lands.
What followed, however, was a headache. He knew just how important the Poneglyphs of Ohara were to the World Government. If they ever discovered that two survivors were studying swordsmanship here, they might very well order another Buster Call on this tiny island.
But it was only a headache. People from Wano did not fear the World Government.
Four hundred years ago, his ancestor Shimotsuki Ryuma had stopped the World Government with nothing but a single sword. The warriors of Wano carried a deep and unshakable pride in their hearts, and that went double for those of the Shimotsuki line.
Even when Zoro stormed Enies Lobby in the future and became a Supernova, Koushirou would sit calmly drinking tea. Naturally, he was not about to be frightened now.
As for whether he would accept them, there was no need to overthink it. The basic sword techniques he taught outsiders were not some sacred secret.
"I run a dojo. As long as you are not truly evil people, I will treat you as ordinary students."
In the end, Koushirou decided to take them in first and think about anything deeper later. Whether they would receive true instruction would depend on their talent.
"Thank you, Master Koushirou. This is our gift of respect and tuition. We will be in your care," Ethan said.
Koushirou calmly accepted the fine Grade Fifty sword and the money. The matter was settled.
Once they left the dojo, Ethan and Robin bought an old house in the village, planning to settle there for a long time.
Villages in the East Blue were still very simple and honest. A two story house in town was cheap and even came with all the furniture included.
The previous owner had been a small merchant. On one of his trips, he ran into a pirate ship, and that was the end of his story.
Because the house had been empty for a while, it was covered in dust and had all sorts of minor issues.
However…
"Flower-Flower Fruit, Twelvefold Bloom."
Robin crossed her arms, and her Devil Fruit power bloomed to life.
They had done special training for this in the West Blue. Since they could not move around outside freely and were often bored at home, they used household chores to train her Flower-Flower Fruit and her ability to multitask.
The Flower-Flower Fruit really was a little household expert. Hands sprouted everywhere in the house. Some swept the floor, some brushed away cobwebs, some wiped down furniture, and others mopped the floor. In no time, the entire place was spotless.
After that, Ethan and Robin went out again to buy daily necessities, replace some of the old furniture and purchase simple ingredients.
They worked until nightfall before they had things more or less in order. It was only thanks to the Fruit's various little tricks that they managed it in one day.
After dinner, the two of them collapsed onto the sofa, too tired to move.
"Are we going to live here for a long time?" Robin asked.
She longed to finally settle down. In the original story, she only drifted from place to place because she had no choice. After she found a home with the Straw Hats, she completely tied herself to that family that sailed upon the sea.
"We should be here for quite a while. The sails of this era have not started to turn just yet."
Muttering words Robin could not understand, Ethan closed his eyes and sank into thought.
It was time to start planning.
It was now 1503. The next major event would be the Mary Geoise incident of 1509, when Fisher Tiger would climb the Red Line and free the slaves.
Ethan had already decided that, if he could, he would take part in that event. It would be a rehearsal for opposing the World Government.
That incident was extremely important. As the first true opening shot in the fight against the World Government, nothing was more suitable than freeing slaves.
He still had six years. He needed enough power to survive if he wanted to be there.
Thanks to the Power of Analysis, he was confident in his ability to learn swordsmanship and Haki, but there were no shortcuts when it came to training the body.
Without a strong enough body, he would not even qualify to start learning Haki. The same was true of swordsmanship. Both would place heavy strain on him. He had to urgently figure out how to raise his physical stats quickly.
As a somewhat famous writer, his manuscript fees were indeed high.
Perhaps when this world was created, Oda had based the income and status of authors on those in Japan.
Ethan still had plenty of blockbuster level bestsellers in his mind. His income would only rise in the future, and with money he could buy herbs and medicines to strengthen his body.
As for Devil Fruits, the great treasures of the sea, he was not too interested. Aside from a few very special Fruits, he did not plan on touching the rest.
Ethan's future path would put him at odds with the entire world.
The Marines would be enemies in the early stages. Pirates would always be enemies. The World Government was definitely an enemy. The rulers of most countries would also be enemies.
In short, nearly all existing powers with vested interests would stand against him. He could not afford any obvious weaknesses.
So for the next six years, he would train, refine his framework for revolution and continue writing novels for money.
If possible, it would be best to contact Monkey D. Dragon. With the strength of the Revolutionary Army, arranging a grand plan would be far easier.
If he could not get in touch, he would revisit the idea after the Mary Geoise incident.
Having worked his way through these thoughts, Ethan was finally ready to rest. Training officially started tomorrow, and he could not afford to be late.
(End of Chapter)
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