Punk Hazard.
The Ice Peninsula.
Amid the snow and ice that filled the sky, two figures, one large and one small, walked forward.
The tall figure had long black hair draped behind him. The smaller figure wore a black cloak and held a white blade in her arms. The wind and snow around them could not come near.
Ozz tucked his hands into his sleeves and walked forward calmly. Beside him was Kuina.
Kuina's face was flushed red. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the freezing snow or because she was too excited.
Ever since entering the Grand Line, then later reaching the New World, she had heard Ozz's legendary stories more than once.
When she was young, she had only thought Ozz was a very strong swordsman.
Only after growing up did she realize that he was already standing at the very peak of the world.
Before going to the Grand Line, seeing Ozz was like a frog at the bottom of a well looking up at the moon.
After going to the Grand Line, seeing Ozz was like a mayfly gazing upon the endless sky.
When Kuina was young, she had always wanted her father's recognition.
And when someone like Ozz became her teacher, it only ignited the fighting spirit inside her even more, the will to defy fate.
So when Ozz asked, "Do you want to become stronger, Kuina?" she clenched her fists and nodded to him with utmost seriousness.
"Yes!"
"To reach the summit, even if I must face death directly, I will not retreat!"
Those words rang with force.
Even Ozz rarely kept his gaze on someone for so long, yet now he looked at Kuina's determined face.
Ozz rubbed his chin, his expression slightly serious as he stared straight at her.
"Kuina."
"Yes!"
Hearing Ozz call her name, Kuina immediately replied loudly, as if declaring her resolve.
"Your nose is running."
"Yes, Teacher Ozz... huh?!"
Her face instantly turned bright red. Kuina hurriedly wiped her nose, clearly embarrassed that she had made a fool of herself in front of Ozz and had even been called out for it.
"Hahahahaha!"
Ozz found it amusing and laughed. Even at his age, he was still very fond of teasing young girls.
His body had grown old, but his heart had not.
After the joke, Ozz, as one of the finest master teachers, naturally spoke with Kuina seriously from the position of an elder.
"Kuina, where do you think the gap between you and Zoro lies?"
Ozz wore a faint smile, looking like a patient teacher.
"Between me and Zoro..."
Kuina began to think seriously after hearing the question.
Just now, Ozz had told her that with her current strength, it was impossible for her to defeat the current Zoro.
"Is it... because of gender?"
After thinking for a while, Kuina finally spoke with some hesitation.
Her father had always told her that women could not reach the peak of swordsmanship because their bodies would develop after adulthood, and because women were naturally physically weaker than men.
That had once caused her, as a child, to fall into despair and nearly give up on herself.
"Well... that is partly right, but not completely."
Ozz looked at Kuina.
That appearance almost identical to Tashigi two years later, narrow shoulders, magnificent assets, a slender waist, and long legs.
It was the standard figure of a beautiful woman in the world of One Piece.
But while such a figure was beautiful, it did not match the force generation and movements required of a swordsman in battle.
In the world of One Piece, there were two basic conditions to becoming a top-tier powerhouse, and both were indispensable.
One was a body powerful enough to keep getting back up after being knocked down.
The other was a firm and far-reaching dream, or rather, will.
Kuina did not lack spirit.
In her pursuit of swordsmanship, she was not inferior to Zoro or little Hawk.
With such weak strength, she had still dared to come to the New World alone and wander.
The fact that she had not been captured by some powerful New World pirate and suffered an unspeakable series of events was practically a miracle.
Just based on that courage and obsession, her lower limit should have been at least commander-level or above.
Her weakness lay in her body.
"Your body is too weak. To put it bluntly, you are not even as strong as I was when I was ten."
Ozz waved his hand and spoke very directly.
Kuina felt as if something had pierced straight through her heart. She looked deeply shaken.
"Does... does that mean I really..."
She seemed to lose heart, tears gathering in her eyes.
But Ozz's next sentence gave her hope.
"But that can be compensated for. For example, with a Devil Fruit."
"A Devil Fruit?"
"That's right. Among Devil Fruits, Zoan-types have the ability to grant their users powerful physiques. It is just that they might make you look a little..."
Ozz's expression turned somewhat strange.
In his memory, there were not many hybrid-form users who did not look odd.
"That doesn't matter. As long as I can become stronger!"
Kuina clenched her fists. Her face showed a determination far beyond that of an ordinary young girl.
"Zoro once said he would gladly become an Asura for the sake of swordsmanship. If that is the case, why should I be afraid of becoming a mere monster?"
"All right."
Seeing how serious she was, Ozz could not help but smile.
Such pure will always made people acknowledge it, no matter when they saw it.
"Then keep up."
Ozz rubbed Kuina's head, then walked toward the research facility with a smile on his face. Kuina hurriedly followed.
...
Meanwhile.
The Straw Hat crew had also arrived at Punk Hazard.
Even after being beaten up on Fish-Man Island, their will for adventure had not been diminished in the slightest.
"It's kind of a shame. I didn't get to see Jinbe on Fish-Man Island."
Monkey D. Luffy said with some regret.
"I heard Jinbe received some information and went looking for a certain fish-man. He's been in the New World and hasn't gone back."
The Thousand Sunny sailed onward and, by mistake, arrived at Punk Hazard.
Afterward, the crew split into two groups and began investigating the captured children. Along the way, they also encountered Kin'emon, who had been cut into three pieces.
Sanji, Nami, and the others began leading the children captured by Caesar toward the outside, trying to escape.
At the same time, Smoker and the Marines arrived at Punk Hazard and confronted Law, who had recently been nominated as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Trafalgar Law, I never thought you would become a Warlord too!"
"I had dealings with Mr. Ozz in the past. There's nothing surprising about that, is there?"
"If there's nothing else, leave this place, Marines. There's no one here except me."
But the appearance of Sanji and the others seemed to ruin Law's plan. He had just said there was no one here.
Somewhat displeased, Law instantly expanded his ROOM, enveloping Sanji and the others within it.
The tip of his blade stabbed several times, and the power to switch souls surged forward.
And at that exact moment, two figures instantly appeared out of the void, landing between both sides.
"Teleportation really is more convenient..."
The black-haired figure twisted his neck. Then, as if sensing something, he looked toward the incoming power, his eyes showing a brief hint of surprise.
The next instant.
"Kuina" raised her hand and looked at it.
This weak, feeble sensation...
"Swapping bodies? Interesting."
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