"D-dead… they're all dead…"
"All of them… completely wiped out…"
Zack and Kanbal stood frozen, staring blankly at the carpet of corpses before them.
The thick, metallic stench of blood filled their noses—yet at this moment, they didn't even care.
The sight was brutal, overwhelming.
But the moment they remembered:
These were the monsters who burned their homes, killed their people, and stole their daughters—
Their hearts settled.
A long-suppressed sense of satisfaction, justice, and vindication surged up from deep within their chests.
"G-good!"
"Good! They deserved to die—every last one of them!"
The two villagers clenched their fists, eyes trembling, their voices hoarse with emotion.
When they finally calmed their breathing…
Their gazes naturally fell upon the young swordsman standing ahead of them.
Ryukawa.
Whether it was because he avenged their village,
or because of the overwhelming power he displayed…
This young man had already earned their complete admiration.
They had never imagined—
That someone so young could possess such terrifying strength.
He didn't just defeat the bandits.
He annihilated them.
"Sir… on behalf of our entire village, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
"If not for you, we would have continued to suffer under these bandits…"
The two villagers walked up to Ryukawa, gratitude overflowing.
Only now did they fully understand:
These bandits were never weak.
They simply looked weak today—because the person they faced… was far too strong.
Against ordinary villagers, these bandits were wolves.
But in front of Ryukawa—
They weren't even ants.
"Don't thank me. They deserved what came to them."
"Now that the bandits are gone, you don't need to fear another attack."
Ryukawa reminded them calmly:
"Go up the mountain. Check if any of the kidnapped girls are still alive."
"Y-yes! Thank you! Thank you!"
Zack and Kanbal nearly burst into tears as they hurried toward the mountain.
When they were out of sight—
Kuina and Zoro slowly approached Ryukawa.
Their expressions were complicated.
Their emotions were tangled.
They opened their mouths several times, but in the end, nothing came out.
Because—
Ryukawa's strength had completely shattered their understanding of the world.
Those bandits were dangerous men—
people who, to Zoro and Kuina, posed real threats to life.
And yet…
Ryukawa wiped out the entire bandit group in minutes.
Minutes!
If it were them fighting alone…
How long would they need?
No—this wasn't a matter of time.
This was—
Could they even win?
The answer terrified them.
Probably… no.
From the very beginning, both had expected Ryukawa to win.
But not like this.
Not so brutally.
Not so overwhelmingly.
This wasn't a fight.
It was a massacre.
And Ryukawa didn't even look serious.
Kuina and Zoro could tell—
Ryukawa didn't use his full strength at all.
Yet even so…
The bandits didn't stand the slightest chance.
"Master… just what level have you reached…?"
Kuina finally asked softly.
Zoro leaned in subconsciously, hanging onto Ryukawa's words.
"Even if I tell you, you won't fully understand."
Ryukawa glanced at the two curious kids, then gave a meaningful smile.
"Well… if I have to put it into terms you can grasp—"
"My strength right now is roughly at the top of the East Blue. Leaving aside some… special individuals."
Kuina: "…"
Zoro: "…"
Top of the East Blue?!
Their brains froze.
The East Blue—
in their young minds—
was an unimaginably vast and endless sea.
And their senior brother was telling them…
He stood at the peak of that vast ocean?
Their worldview cracked again.
Their understanding of "strong" shattered for the second time today.
Their master was too terrifying.
"Alright, let's return to the dojo."
"The bandits are dealt with. The rest is handled by the villagers."
Ryukawa turned around and led the two still-shocked kids back toward the Isshin Dojo.
🌊 Meanwhile… far out at sea.
Waves rolled against the coastline, frothing into white foam beneath the strong sea breeze.
Then—
Sails appeared on the horizon.
Several large ships slowly approached the shore.
Their black sails and foreign silhouettes made them look like shadows gliding across the water.
A moment later—
The ships anchored near the small port outside Shimotsuki Village.
Footsteps sounded.
From the deck, a group of people wearing long, dark cloaks walked onto the shore.
The one leading them—
A sharp-faced, lean middle-aged man covered in tattoos.
His eyes were calm, penetrating, and unreadable.
"Shimotsuki Village is just ahead," the man said.
"Let's go."
Beside him—
A flamboyant figure with heavy makeup, purple curls, and an enormous face let out a deep breath.
"Dragon, our movements may have been exposed already. Marching in openly like this—won't it bring trouble to the villagers?"
"Trouble is unavoidable," the middle-aged man—Dragon—replied.
"My preparations are sufficient. As long as everything goes according to plan, we won't be discovered."
Behind him—
A timid blond boy flinched when Dragon turned back.
"Sabo. Stay close."
"Y-yes, Dragon…"
Thus—
Under Dragon's lead, the cloaked figures walked toward Shimotsuki Village.
Their presence was heavy.
Their purpose unknown.
But one thing was clear:
This was the Revolutionary Army.
A group the World Government feared more than anything.
And today—
They had arrived at Shimotsuki Village.
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