Chapter – 36 The Meaning of Losing a Loved One!

"Hey, Ryuma, do you think you'll ever go to Wano after you become a pirate?"

"Huh Wano? Sensei, why are you asking such a question all of a sudden?"

"Just curious boy, indulge this old man's curiosity for a while. Are you interested in Samurai, and what about the Ninjas?" 

'Yeah, Samurai and Ninjas are cool... although I have never seen one myself, based on what I know, they are really amazing people… Even that guy… Kozuki Oden, who was once a member of the Whitebeard Pirates and then became a member of the Roger Pirates was also a Samurai, right? Not to mention the Sword God… he was also a Samurai, right? Have to say... they really are an amazing bunch!'

'Ehh? You do seem to know a thing or two about the Samurai, boy… well, it doesn't matter… yeah, they are a really amazing bunch. And what do you think about the Geisha and Oiran… hehe? You are a young man; you must have some interest in those high-class ladies, right?'

'We-well… I wouldn't say I am not interested in them… but… why are you asking such questions all of a sudden, Sensei?'

'Oh, I was just reminiscing my younger days.'

'Back when you used to live in the Land of Samurai?'

'Yes… the Flower Capital, Kibi, Udon, Hakumai, Ringo… they all are beautiful places and there are all kinds of people living there… and finally Kuri; although lawless, it had its own charm… it is a beautiful country…'

'...'

'I wonder how those two kids are doing… Yasuie, Ushimaru, and Hyogoro… I still remember they used to create a lot of trouble back then and that brat Oden… he was such a reckless boy I tell you.'

'...'

'Back then I was young and adventurous, and did not care about anything except leaving that country and exploring the world… but now that I am nearing the edge of my life, I suddenly feel a little emotional and sentimental recalling that place…'

'Sensei… have you… ever thought about going back to your homeland?'

'I have… but it's already too late, I am too old for this now. Haah… being old really sucks… but this is life…' 

'I really don't know what to say.'

'Hahaha… You don't have to say anything, boy… think of this just random talk of a senile old man, and just let me speak, one day, you too will be in the same stage as I am… at that time you will understand everything.'

'Alright.'

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Two Weeks Later

In the Isshin Dōjō, a solemn atmosphere enveloped the surroundings. The passing of the good old man cast a shadow over the place, and sorrow marked the faces of all present as they mourned his departure. Shimotsuki Kozaburo, it seemed, held a special place in the hearts of many people of the Shimotsuki Village.

Among those gathered at the funeral hall were not only the dojo's residents, disciples, and instructors but also villagers, all dressed in somber black, paying their respects to the departed old man. The air was filled with condolences offered to his son and granddaughter.

A hush fell over the funeral hall as the priest solemnly recited the eulogies. Koushirou–the son of the departed–played a role in assisting the priest with the funeral procedures, and alongside him, Kuina wore a casted expression as she supported her grieving father.

In attendance were familiar faces like Zoro, Saga, and Tsuna-baa-chan, all dressed in 'mofuku,' paying their respects at the Funeral Ceremony. At the rear, Ryuma and Rio sat quietly. Of course, he was also attending the Funeral ceremony of his Sensei, but different from others he had a complicated expression.

This may seem odd to many people; however, this is the first time Ryuma has experienced the death of a close one. The strange thing is, he was already prepared for such a day; therefore, his mood is quite complicated. He is feeling sad, but he does not know what to do about it.

Someone like a loved one or a close person—Ryuma didn't have many such people in his previous life. Except for his father, there was no one. In fact, even his mother—he wasn't close to her. Based on what he knew about her and remembered, she wasn't the kind of mother any child would want in their life, and he didn't have any good memories of her from the time he was able to perceive and process things around him.

By the time he reached the age of nine, she had already gone to buy milk, never to be seen again. This is not to say that she had died—nah, she was alive, very much alive, and living her life. It's just that Ryuma wasn't part of it.

He had no siblings either; his mother wasn't considerate enough to trouble herself for another nine months and leave him one or two pipsqueaks. Yeah, she wasn't a very good mother; she didn't care about him or his father.

The grandparents were not very good either; they had already abandoned Ryuma's father back when he was quite young, so there was no connection with them either.

It was just Ryuma and his father. Since his father had to go to work in order to earn a living, Ryuma was used to spending his days alone from a very young age. This resulted in him becoming a lonely and introverted child when he grew up.

The good thing was that his father really loved him. Ryuma still remembers that warm feeling. No matter how old he becomes or what stage he reaches in his life, he will never forget the love and care his father gave him. His father worked day and night just to give him the best life he could afford, and for this, Ryuma will always—always—respect him and wanted to do the same for him. But fate had something else planned; he couldn't really do much. He was a failure and died at a very young age—he died when he was only twenty-two years old. 

I don't know why I am suddenly thinking about these things," muttered Ryuma as he wiped the tears that had suddenly started to flow down his eyes.

Rio looked at him with a worried expression, "Bud, you okay?"

"Who knew even someone as heartless as me could cry?" he muttered to himself and tried to wipe the tears, but they did not stop. He used to think that he was an emotionless guy… heck, he couldn't even remember the last time he cried; it must have been over a decade ago… but… today… tears were not stopping.

Ryuma regretted many things in his life, and one of the major regrets was that he couldn't really repay his father for all the things his father did for him. He used to feel that he was worthless and a failure… and he didn't want to live that life anymore. This is why… when he was offered another chance in another world, he readily accepted… that was selfish of him… he did not consider what his father might have gone through when he learned of his death, and he did not for once think about telling him that he was fine and was going to live a second life in a different world.

Back then, he did not understand what it meant to lose a loved one; therefore, he did not grasp the impact of his death on his father. But thinking about it now, "Dad… he must have felt something similar as I am doing right now when he learned of my death… maybe even more because just like he was the only loved one in my life, I too was the only loved one in his life."

Ryuma felt a deep sadness, not just due to the loss of his sensei but also upon realizing the potential anguish his father had experienced. Only after losing his sensei did he truly understand the pain of losing a loved one. 

In this moment, feeling a mix of sadness and frustration, he found himself at a loss, unsure of what to do except to cry.

Observing Ryuma's continuous tears, Rio sensed that there was only one thing he could do to offer support. The parrot spread its wings, wrapping them around Ryuma in a tight hug. "It's going to be alright, bud. I'm still here. If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears."

"I... I know..." Ryuma nodded as he reciprocated the hug, tears continuing to flow down his cheeks.

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A while later, as the funeral ceremony progressed, unbeknownst to most in the funeral hall, two more individuals arrived. One of them was Betty. Unlike other times, she was dressed in black attire, and for the first time, she wasn't wearing scanty clothing. Perhaps she had covered herself with a black hooded cloak, making it challenging to discern what she was wearing underneath.

The other individual accompanying Betty wore a dark green cloak with a hood. He was a middle-aged man with long, black, spiky hair. The distinctive feature about him was a peculiar bright red tattoo on the left side of his face.

Careful not to attract attention, the two discreetly made their way to the back of the hall. Coincidentally, this was the same area where Ryuma, now calmer, and Rio were seated.

Observing the arrival of these two individuals, Ryuma was taken aback, especially by the man donned in the green hooded cloak with a distinctive bright red tattoo on the left side of his face. As soon as his eyes fell on the man, they widened, and he exclaimed, "You are?!"

Betty attempted to introduce the man, saying, "He is–..."

However, there was no need for an introduction. Ryuma had already recognized the man and couldn't help but interject, "You... You are Dragon... The Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army!"

Dragon turned his gaze to Ryuma and, with a subtle nod, remarked, "And you must be Nakiri Ryuma, the person who has been supplying us with weapons for the past few months, am I correct?"

Ryuma nodded hastily, "Huh? Ah... yes!" He then inquired in a hushed voice, "But... what are you doing here? Or rather... are you sure you should be here?"

Even though he had a close connection with the Shimotsuki Family and Koushirou, as the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army, it was unusual for him to appear at a funeral ceremony. The man was too busy and too 'Wanted' for events like this. Therefore, Ryuma was genuinely surprised and taken aback.

"We will have plenty of time to talk after the funeral ceremony... for now, let's not dishonor Kozaburo-san," said Dragon. After that, he fell silent and didn't utter another word.

"Hmm," Ryuma nodded, accepting Dragon's reasoning, and he, too, fell silent.

Betty observed the two individuals sitting in silence, then simply shrugged and took the empty seat between them.

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