The location of Sixis was relatively remote.
To be precise, the sea around it had a strange, unstable climate compared to other parts of the East Blue, so most sailors stayed as far away as possible.
If you thought about it carefully, it made sense.
If the climate were normal, there wouldn't be an island like this in the East Blue—an island that looked beautiful from a distance, yet had nothing to eat or drink. Clearly, something was off.
There were countless bizarre islands like that on the Grand Line.
But in the "weakest sea," the East Blue, such places were extremely rare.
Fortunately…
Because of its "desert" nature, Sixis was very easy to find on East Blue charts.
And to make sure nobody blundered into it by accident, the chart companies had even marked the island with a bright red danger symbol.
After a week of sailing, their ship finally entered Sixis' waters.
"Nii-san, we can already see Sixis Island," Carina's voice floated in from outside the training room.
"…Got it. I'll take a shower and come out."
In the training room, El answered casually, then sheathed the ordinary practice sword in his hand. He glanced at Kuina, standing across from him, and the corners of his lips twitched.
Her white training clothes were shredded with sword marks—yet her skin hadn't been scratched even once.
"This is it for today's training," El said. "Go shower and change your clothes."
"…Okay."
Kuina was soaked in sweat, breathing hard. When she noticed how ragged her clothes had become—and how much skin was showing—her face turned red. She hurriedly sheathed her sword and ran out of the training room.
Scenes like this had been happening once or twice a day for the past week.
Just as El had promised that night, he had put Kuina through hellish training every single day. He used a real sword in their battles, forcing her to grow quickly through actual combat.
But with his swordsmanship, when he didn't want to cut, he couldn't cut so much as a sheet of paper.
So every strike that came at her felt like a brush with death, yet every time the blade stopped, there wasn't a single wound on her.
This kind of overwhelming, otherworldly pressure—executed with the highest-level control—made Kuina acutely aware of the gap between them.
Not just in "skill," but in every basic foundation a swordsman should have.
At the same time, El suppressed his own strength so he wouldn't get tired from their repeated sparring.
She was the one who had to push herself to exhaustion, fighting again and again just to barely keep up.
She would have to work hard—harder than anyone—to become strong enough to stand at his side and share his burdens.
And when defeat stopped hurting her pride, Kuina, the descendant of the God of Swords, finally began to bloom.
Her swordsmanship talent, once held back by the limits of her environment, was now being fully stimulated.
El believed that, with her talent and the pressure he put on her, it was only a matter of time before she broke through her bottleneck, grasped the Breath of All Things, and stepped fully into the realm of a Master Swordsman.
After cooling down in his room, El pulled on a custom black robe and headed out to the deck, towel in hand, drying his still-damp silver hair.
By then, the ship had already dropped anchor. Sixis Island—the place that terrified so many in the East Blue—loomed before them.
"Nii-san, I'll help," Nami said.
"Me too," Carina chimed in.
As soon as El came out, the two girls moved by instinct, snatching the towel from his hands and starting to dry his hair from either side, just as they always did.
While they fussed over him, Carina glanced toward the shore, a faint crease on her forehead.
"Nii-san, we're about to start searching this island for a Devil Fruit that might be the size of a fist," she said. "Unless we get really lucky, it'll take at least several months—maybe even half a year."
She sighed.
"The supplies we brought aren't nearly enough to support us for that long."
"…Don't worry. I'm here," El replied.
He leaned back in his chair and let the sea breeze wash over him as the two girls worked on his hair.
"This ship has a water purifier. As long as we have enough seawater, I'll handle the food."
"Mm…"
Thinking of El's strength, Carina and Nami's worries faded almost instantly.
Carina, in particular, knew exactly what he meant.
Sixis might not have water, fruit, animals, or anything edible on land—but the sea around it was a different story.
With El's power, he could dive into the ocean, catch a massive sea beast whenever he wanted, and feed everyone.
He'd done it more than once already during their travels.
And thanks to Life Return, no matter how much he ate, he could instantly digest and convert it into strength—just like Luffy.
His daily food intake had long since started at hundreds of kilos of meat.
"…Sorry for keeping you waiting."
It didn't take long before Kuina's voice came from the cabin.
"So pretty!"
"This shrine maiden outfit looks amazing on you, Sister Kuina!"
When Kuina stepped onto the deck, both Carina and Nami couldn't help but let their eyes shine.
Kuina was wearing the battle outfit that El had custom-made for her—with a hint of wicked taste:
A traditional shrine maiden's uniform.Underneath: a white kimono-style top.Over it: a white outer robe.Below: a deep red hakama-style skirt.
Altogether, it formed a classic miko (priestess) outfit.
Kuina already had a sharp, gallant aura about her.
Now, with the shrine maiden robes on and a white-hilted, white-sheathed sword hanging at her waist, that aura was elevated even higher. Her presence was striking—sacred and dangerous at once.
Carina and Nami, who hadn't physically developed yet, looked at her with outright admiration.
They couldn't help thinking:
We want to be that beautiful too…
(For the record, shrine maidens existed in this world as well. On an island in the Grand Line, one shrine maiden had once sacrificed her life to purify the hatred of a cursed blade.)
"…Thanks," Kuina said shyly, cheeks lightly flushed under the praise.
But when her gaze shifted to El's outfit, her eyes lit up in turn.
El's black robe was similar in style to the green coat Zoro would someday wear after the time skip—long, slightly open at the chest, with a white sash tied around his waist and dark boots on his feet.
His long, straight silver hair, freshly dried, flowed down his back. His eyes, as clear and red as rubies, glimmered softly under the sun.
His whole presence was like that of a refined young prince.
A few more years of growth, and the "Pirate Prince" Cavendish might find his title stolen.
"This outfit suits you perfectly, Kuina," El said, giving her a thumbs-up.
At the same time, he couldn't help feeling a surge of pride in his own taste.
Author's Note :
Sixis Island
A remote, infamous island in the East Blue.
Nicknamed a "desert island" not because it's a sand desert, but because:
It has no animals, no water, no trees, and no fruit—nothing edible or drinkable.
Anyone shipwrecked there will likely starve or die of thirst unless rescued.
Miko (Shrine Maiden) Outfit – Kuina's Battle Suit
Custom battle outfit designed (with a bit of mischief) by El for Kuina:
White inner kimono.
White outer kimono.
Red hakama-style skirt.
Den Den Mushi
Carina uses a camera-type phone bug to take pictures of their new ship.
Serves as both a communication and recording tool, common in One Piece world
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