Isshin Dojo.
A modest dojo located in Shimotsuki Village, in the East Blue.
There were countless dojos like this scattered across the East Blue.Some in powerful allied kingdoms were far more luxurious and well-known than this little village dojo.
Compared to those grand dojos in big cities, Isshin Dojo seemed small and ordinary.
But what very few people knew…
Was that the owner of this dojo was actually a very low-key Master Swordsman.
In his possession were not only techniques of the highest level of swordsmanship, but also several famed blades: Great Grade Swords (Ō Wazamono) and Skillful Grade Swords (Ryō Wazamono) that countless swordsmen dreamed of wielding.
And he had more than one.
Because the owner of this dojo belonged to the Shimotsuki family of Wano Country.
His father had been a swordsman of Wano as well—a legendary smith who forged blades like Enma and Shusui, both counted among the 21 Great Grade Swords.
In other words, this low-key Master Swordsman was the son of a legend, most likely inheriting sword-forging techniques that had been passed down for centuries.
On this day, a small cabin sailboat arrived at the island where Shimotsuki Village was located.
After landing, El led Carina and Nami straight toward Isshin Dojo.
It wasn't long before a traditional wooden building came into view, with a plaque above the entrance that read:
Isshin
"…Really extraordinary."
Before they even reached the gate, El muttered under his breath.
Within his range of Observation Haki, he could sense it clearly:
A powerful life force pulsing from within the dojo.
It was the strongest aura he had ever seen.
Even the enormous sea beasts he'd met in the ocean couldn't compare.
Those so-called big pirates of the East Blue were like fireflies in front of the sun next to this presence.
Even with all of El's absurd talents, at his current stage, his own life force still fell far short of this person.
"…Such a young, powerful aura."
Inside the dojo, Koushirou quietly opened his usually closed eyes—as if peering straight through the wooden walls at El.
So he noticed me from here… he has Observation Haki.
Although Koushirou overwhelmingly surpassed El in overall strength, his Haki specialization was inferior.
Every movement and flicker of thought in Koushirou's mind was visible to El's heart-reading Observation Haki.
After confirming this, El became even more determined to ask this man about Armament Haki.
At the dojo gate, El pushed the sliding door open.
The world outside and the world inside felt instantly different.
The moment the heavy door slid aside, a thunderous chorus of shouts and the crisp clack of bamboo swords colliding filled the trio's ears.
"Young man, are you here to learn swordsmanship?"
Before they even had time to take in the whole scene, a middle-aged man in a white yukata approached with a kind smile.
"No, uncle. I'm here to challenge the dojo."
El grinned, completely straightforward.
"Where's your dojo master? Have him come out and accept my challenge."
"…"
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet the second his words fell, the entire dojo went silent.
The children and teens swinging bamboo swords all stopped, turning to stare at the three newcomers with complicated expressions.
Their looks were curious, maybe a bit surprised—but there wasn't a hint of ridicule.
That alone made Carina and Nami a little puzzled.
"Kuina! Someone's here to challenge the dojo again!"
A child suddenly ran toward a corridor and shouted.
Hearing this, Carina and Nami froze for a moment.
Again?So they weren't the first people to come here and cause a scene.
"Young man, please wait a moment. Someone will come to accept your challenge shortly."
The middle-aged man kept smiling gently at El.
There was even a faint trace of nostalgia in his eyes—
As if he were seeing another person's shadow overlapping with El's.
Clearly, he didn't take El's words as a real threat.
In other words, his confidence in Isshin Dojo's strength was absolute.
And to be fair, if El were a disciple here, he'd feel confident too.
With a Master Swordsman in residence, there were very few dojos in the world that could match Isshin Dojo.
"Where's the guy who challenged the dojo? I'll be his opponent!"
A short figure dashed out from the corridor, skidding to a stop in the center of the floor and instantly drawing every gaze.
It was a small boy with short green hair, drenched in sweat.He clearly only bathed once in the morning—now he was radiating a pure stench of hard training.
From his ragged breathing, it wasn't hard to guess he'd just been doing physical conditioning.
This boy was the future right-hand man of the Pirate King's successor, one of the Worst Generation, the "Pirate Hunter"—
Roronoa Zoro.
Zoro, a few months older than El, was already ranked No. 2 among all Isshin Dojo students, second only to Kuina.
Although he had yet to turn nine, he could already fight evenly with some of the middle-aged instructors.
Everyone believed that it wouldn't be long before he became the second prodigy—after Kuina—to defeat adults as a child.
"Was it you who challenged the dojo? I'll be your opponent!"
Zoro scanned the trio, his eyes quickly locking onto El and the sword at his waist.
He spoke with open battle intent.
"Hey, Zoro. Challengers are supposed to face the top student."
Behind him, an older trainee complained,"If you just jump in, aren't you afraid Big Sister Kuina will whack you on the head again?"
"That's right, Zoro—step aside."
A clear voice echoed from the corridor.
A figure about as tall as El emerged, followed by a taller silhouette.
The one in front was a girl with short blue hair and a heroic bearing.
She was the descendant of the Dragon Slayer, the daughter of Koushirou, and the "big sister" of Isshin Dojo—
Kuina Shimotsuki.
"Kuina! I got here first—he's my opponent!"
Zoro protested immediately, scowling.
"When you defeat me and take the top spot, you can say that again."
Kuina shot Zoro a calm sideways glance.
Then she turned her attention fully to El—the boy whose aura and bearing were anything but ordinary.
"I've already heard your purpose," she said seriously.
"If you want to challenge the master of Isshin Dojo, you'll have to defeat me first."
Interesting… three people at once, and none of them feel disgusting, El thought, sensing their hearts and auras.
Sword Grades – In-World Overview (Cleaned Up)
For readers who don't know the sword rankings in One Piece terms, here's a tidy breakdown consistent with the story:
Supreme Grade Swords (Saijō Ō Wazamono)
The highest grade of swords in the world.
Only 12 exist.
Unmatched in sharpness, durability, and overall quality.
Great Grade Swords (Ō Wazamono)
Second-highest sword grade.
Famous and highly prized blades.
Includes swords like Enma and Shusui (in this fanfic's lore).
Skillful Grade Swords (Ryō Wazamono)
High-quality, named blades, but slightly below the first two categories.
There are 50 in total in canon (49 currently known).
Even one of these is worth around a million Belly—no small sum.
Grade Swords (Wazamono)
The lowest official class of named swords.
Still much better than nameless mass-produced blades.
Exact number unknown.
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