Chapter 12: A power in the shadows changes the story to his liking

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The wind blew sightly through the grass field where two kids were staring at each other with tears in their eyes. Both of them crying for different reasons, yet at the same time both of them had the same goal that made them cross their paths. The goal of becoming the best swordsman in the world.

Zoro, that after hearing the history of Kuina, and how her gender was preventing her from becoming the best swordsman in the world, exploded in rage and started reprimanding her for depreciating all the effort he put just for defeating her.

"You've been my goal all this time!" 

"Zoro..."

"Whether you're a man or a woman... Is that what you're going to say when I beat you one day?! As if it wasn't because of my skills... It makes me, who has been training hard, a complete fool!!"

Kuina, who was crying until now, got startled at the sudden outburst of Zoro.

"Don't say things like that!" Zoro finished releasing his anger, and after that he started approaching Kuina, who was still startled after receiving such scolding from the kid she has beaten up 2001 times.

"Promise me, one day either you or me will become the greatest swordsman in the world! We will compete to see who does it!" Zoro raised his hand and offered a handshake to set the new promise in stone.

...

After recovering herself from the shock, Kuina's lips curled up and she started smiling gently at the determination that Zoro showed her, as well at the fact that someone actually believed that she could become the best swordsman in the world.

"Dumbass, saying that even though you're so weak... Alright, it's a promise!" 

After that, both of them exchanged a handshake and smiled happily after seemingly getting a new friendship, and a new goal to aim for, all this while the sad melody of the night danced across the trees of the forest under the beautiful light of the moon.

...

Gugugu... they are going to make me cry...!

Good grief, as expected of the main characters, such a protagonistic aura!

I'd love to join them and show off my Mob-fu techniques, however, this moment was specifically made for both main characters, so I am not allowed to interrupt them.

Sigh... leaving that aside, it was already time to start my plan and I had to be fast while doing this, otherwise Kuina could still die like in the canon.

As I observed how both of them went home while smiling happily, I also started moving rapidly through the forest while looking for the most essential part of the plan.

I jumped from tree to tree while observing the whole forest with my observation Haki, and it wasn't until I saw a small campfire a few kilometers ahead in the middle of the forest that I was sure I found the most essential part of the plan that I needed.

"Bandits..."

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-Kuina POV

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"Hyaaaa!!"

*Bam!*

"Winner, Kuina!"

After my father's friend fell to the ground after receiving a successful hit from me, I stood there while smirking proudly at my feat while looking at my father with a defiant look. 

After yesterday's duel with Zoro I started to feel a lot more energetic than usual and my mind was also a lot clearer than before. Probably because deep in my mind I had the constant problem regarding my gender haunting me day and night, however, after making this promise with Zoro my mind disposed of such thoughts, and my mind started concentrating solely on my goal of becoming the best swordsman in the world.

My father, that had a surprised expression on his face until now, smiled gently after seeing me win against an experienced adult, and then started walking towards me before placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Good job Kuina, you have come far"

Tears started coming out from my eyes involuntarily, however, before I could break into crying I suppressed it and smiled gently at my father.

"From now on you'll have to train while using a real sword, otherwise you might get accustomed to those bamboo sword which are very different from real swords, don't dissapoint me"

"Yes!"

After I cleaned the tears on my eyes, I started leaving the dojo to go retrieve my sword, however, right before leaving the place my ears caught by chance a few of the conversations from other students of the dojo.

"Woah, Kuina is so strong!"

"I can't see a future where I become as strong as her!"

"I couldn't even see her movements at all!"

When I heard their conversation I noticed how clouded was my mind before, I couldn't even notice how high the people around regarded me aside from my father.

Zoro, The students of the dojo, father, and all his friends...

I always thought I was being underestimated by the people I knew, just for the fact of being a woman... However, it was different today, I was seeing the world with different eyes.

I was so concentrated on the fact that I was a woman and my father didn't want me to inherit the dojo, that I didn't notice how high I was regarded by the people I knew, and how the fact that I was a woman didn't affect at all my goal to become the best swordsman.

"I was foolish..."

I turned around to catch a glimpse of the kids that were talking about me, however, the moment I looked in that direction I noticed a certain skinny looking kid with black hair and red eyes.

Although his face was nothing out of the normal, just like any of the other kids of the dojo, for some strange reason I couldn't describe, he still caught my whole attention.

"That's Sid, huh? What could be this strange feeling...?"

It was only after a few seconds I noticed that I was staring at him for too long and decided to leave the dojo to retrieve my sword, and start practicing true swordsmanship.

"Hmm... but after fighting with Zoro yesterday maybe I'll need to sharpen my sword a bit... I guess I will have to bring the whetstone that is inside the warehouse then"

Hmm... I wonder what will father teach me after this... after all, my training will truly begin from now on... Hehehe.... It seems like Zoro is staying behind already.

Who knows... maybe I'll learn to cut stones easily with my sword!

*Click*

As I opened the door of the warehouse, I climbed the stairs and started looking for the whetstone. Fortunately It didn't really take that much time since it was a huge rock and it was easy to spot it between all the things inside the warehouse.

"Yosh! Let's go" I grabbed the whetstone between my arms, and started going down the stairs while still daydreaming about the new training I was going to receive.

However...

*Twitch*

While I was going down through the stairs, due to the weight of the stone I ended up twisting my ankle and lost my balance.

"Ah...!"

My body, that was until now carrying the huge stone, collapsed and I started falling towards my death.

As I started falling down through the stairs, my vision of the world slowed down, and my life started passing through my eyes. My decisions, my failures, my friends, my acquaintances, my successes, my loved ones... everything...

When I finally noticed the floor getting more and more near my face, I finally realized my situation.

I was going to die.

Surprisingly, it wasn't scary. At least not in the way I was seeing the world now.

Everything seemed to have slowed down, my hair waved sightly in slow motion while small tears left my eyes. It was beautiful and peaceful.

'Sorry Zoro, I couldn't keep my promise... I hope you forgive me...'

*Bam!*

My head impacted with the stairs, making me dizzy, but I kept falling, nothing seemed to be able to stop my imminent death.

*Bam!*

I crashed my head against the stairs once again, this time feeling my conscience leaving my body after the impact. I could even feel a little of blood starting to leave my body.

So this is where I die, huh?

As my vision started to turn black, I managed to catch a glimpse of a certain thing right before passing out.

Red eyes.

Two red eyes were looking at me with unexpected calmness and tranquility. Two eyes that seemed to tell me that everything was going to be okay. Like a death god that was soothing my worry and making my death less painful.

After that, my head hit the ground for the last time, and I... finally died.

 

...

 

Or that's what was supposed to happen...

Where the heck am I...?

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