Early the next morning in Shimotsuki Village, a thin veil of mist covered the sea.
Fishermen were already heading out from the port, their boats vanishing into the pale gray distance.
El stood quietly at the edge of the dock, looking out at the hazy horizon.
Beside him, Nami held a small pocket watch, the ticking loud in the quiet morning.
"It's already 6:50," she said, frowning. "She's not coming… right?"
"It's normal if she doesn't," Carina replied, sounding more understanding than disappointed. "She's not like us. Even if she's willing to leave her family and go to sea at her age, do you really think her father would agree?"
She shrugged.
"Parents don't just calmly watch their daughters sail off to risk their lives on the Grand Line someday."
"…Yeah. That's true," Nami murmured, nodding.
"Go pull up the anchor. She's almost here."
El spoke casually, still looking at the mist.
"Eh?!"
Carina blinked, caught completely off guard by how fast reality had contradicted her.
But there was more surprise in her voice than embarrassment.
"She didn't sneak out… did she?"
"She's being sent off by her father," El said, shaking his head.
"Nii-san…"
Carina narrowed her sapphire-colored eyes and studied him carefully.
"She's not even here yet. How do you know that?"
"Yeah," Nami added, staring suspiciously. "Do you have a third eye or something, Nii-san?"
"You're not completely wrong," El said, glancing at Nami.
Then he decided to reveal just the tip of the iceberg.
"I have a special perception ability. In this world, it's called Observation Haki."
"Observation… Haki?"
Nami repeated, startled.
Carina thought back to the way El's battle with Koushirou had suddenly stopped the day before, and how the two had spoken quietly afterward.
"So that's what you were asking the dojo master about yesterday, Nii-san?" she said.
"A perception ability… Observation Haki…"
Before El could answer, Carina kept going, her thoughts falling into place one after another.
"No wonder you almost never need to gather information like normal people—but you can still find enemies and pirate bases so accurately. You've been using your ability to scout and collect information, haven't you?"
"Exactly."
El nodded, clearly pleased.
Before Nami and Carina could ask him more about Observation Haki, a voice rang out across the port.
"…Sorry I'm late!"
All three turned.
A slim figure, about 1.45 meters tall, was running toward them—carrying a large bag over her shoulder and a sword with a white scabbard and hilt at her side.
Kuina.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said between quick breaths.
It looked like she'd run straight from her house to the port. Her cheeks were flushed, and beads of sweat clung to her forehead.
"It's fine," El replied, shaking his head.
He smiled at her.
"Did you say your goodbyes?"
"Mm."
Kuina nodded strongly, then smiled back.
"Father agreed to let me go to sea with you."
"Then please take care of me from now on, Kuina," El said, holding out his hand.
"Please take care of me, El… Carina, Nami."
Kuina shook El's hand, then bowed slightly to the two girls.
"Please take care of us, Sister Kuina," Carina and Nami replied in unison.
And like that—
The trio of little bounty hunters became four.
"Goodbye, Isshin Dojo… Goodbye, Shimotsuki Village…"
Once their small sailing ship left the harbor and the island began to fade into the mist, Kuina stood on deck, watching her home shrink into a pale outline.
Her eyes were tinged with sadness.
But that sorrow was quickly buried beneath a firm resolve.
She had lived there for almost eleven years.
She loved that dojo, that village, those people.
But to chase her dream—and prove herself to her father—she had chosen to leave behind her hometown, her friends, and even the path laid out for her.
This was the choice of Kuina Shimotsuki, descendant of the God of Swords.
"…Honestly, I'm very surprised by your choice."
El's voice came from behind her.
Kuina turned to see him walking over, gaze still fixed on the island disappearing into fog.
"We just met," he continued softly. "And yet you chose to follow us for the sake of your dream."
"Is it really worth it? To leave your family and your home behind, just to go to sea with strangers?"
He glanced sideways at her.
"And aren't you worried we might be bad people?"
His questions pulled Kuina back from her thoughts.
She met his eyes, then let a small smile curl her lips.
"The eyes of a swordsman don't deceive her."
"I trust my intuition. And Father's," she said quietly.
"My dream is to become the world's number one swordsman. And I believe… you'll be my greatest obstacle on that path."
"Following you—and surpassing you—will be the goal of my life."
With that declaration, Kuina issued her challenge.
If not for his heart-reading ability, El might've taken that as a love confession.
Even knowing better, he couldn't deny the faint thrill it stirred.
"To personally raise a rival who'll one day compete with me for the title of the world's strongest swordsman, huh?" he murmured. "That doesn't sound bad at all."
"Y-you… Don't misunderstand! I didn't mean anything weird!"
Only then did Kuina realize just how ambiguous her words had been.
Her face flushed pink, her eyes darted away, and her tone grew flustered.
"By the way, Father asked me to give you something!"
Before El could tease her any further, Kuina quickly shrugged off the bag on her back, as if suddenly remembering.
She opened it, took out a worn-looking notebook, and held it out to him.
"He gave this to me last night and told me to pass it on to you."
"What did he give me…?"
El took the diary with genuine curiosity.
The moment his fingers brushed the cover, his Observation Haki read the surface of Kuina's thoughts.
She hadn't opened it. Not even once.
She had no idea what was written inside.
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