3: A Promise of Dreams

The night was calm, with a faint breeze rustling through the tall grass of the open field where the duel would take place. Sado stood at a distance, watching the two young swordsmen about to face off again.

Zoro had lost count of how many times he had faced Kuina and ended up defeated. It had been a humbling experience, and his determination to surpass her grew more robust with each defeat. Today marked a significant milestone—it was his 2000th loss to Kuina.

His frustration and pride pushed him to issue a challenge beyond their usual bamboo sword duels. "Enough of this!" Zoro's voice echoed with anger. "I'm tired of losing to you with these fake swords. Let's fight with real ones, and I'll prove that I'm better!"

Kuina's eyes flared with indignation at the audacious proposal, but she readily accepted. Later that night, she arrived at the field carrying her treasured blade, Wado Ichimonji, one of the world's 21 O Wazamono great swords. Zoro emerged from the foliage with three swords he had scrounged together to buy from a local store.

The moonlight cast long shadows as the two young swordsmen faced each other, the tension between them intense. With a swift and fierce exchange of blows, the battle began.

The clashing of swords filled the night air, their strikes swift and deadly. Zoro fought with everything he had, pouring his frustration and determination into each swing of his sword. However, Kuina's blade mastery was evident as she effortlessly parried and countered Zoro's three sword-style attacks.

As the battle raged on, it became clear that Zoro was outmatched. His strikes needed to have been more precise, and his movements were less refined than Kuina's. With a final, calculated strike, Kuina disarmed Zoro, sending his last sword flying.

Zoro fell to the grass, defeated and gasping for breath. 

Tears filled his eyes as he struggled to comprehend his continuous failures. "Why? Why can't I defeat you?" he cried out in frustration.

Kuina, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, pointed her sword at the downed Zoro. "You will defeat me eventually," she said softly. "I'm a girl, and soon you'll be bigger, stronger, faster, and even better at swordsmanship than me. I'll be left in the dust."

Zoro's anger flared at her self-deprecating words. "No! You can't say crap like that! The person who has defeated me 2,000 times can't lose because of her gender! My dream is to become the best swordsman in the world; what will that mean if I can't beat you?!"

Kuina's frustration boiled over as well. "My dream is to be the best too! Don't belittle me! I know my limits and my position... this is the way of the world."

"Screw the world!" Zoro retorted, his voice fierce. "If your body puts limits on you, then break them! If the world tries to stop you, then destroy the world! My dream is bigger than everything else!"

His passionate outburst ignited a fire in the hearts of the other two children. Kuina replied with equal determination, "Then I will pursue my dream till the end! I will become the world's best swordsman!"

"No! I will become the world's best swordsman!" Zoro declared indignantly.

They stared at each other for a few seconds and then smiled. "One of us must become the world's best. This is a promise, with Sado as our witness," they said in unison, intertwining their pinky fingers.

Sado, who had silently watched their emotional exchange, nodded in approval. The promise had been made, carrying a weight that could shape their destinies.

The two young swordsmen eventually separated, with Sado telling Zoro to leave without him. As Zoro walked away, his determination burning brighter than ever, Sado found himself heading to the Dojo and sitting down with the headmaster, Shimotsuki Koushirou.

---

"What can I do for you, young Sado?" Koushirou asked, his gaze resting on the young man whose strength was impossible to ignore.

"I want to ask you for that favor," Sado replied, his voice steady.

Koushirou chuckled softly. "I thought you forgot about that. Okay, what can I do for you?"

"I want you to watch Kuina all night and check her eyesight first thing tomorrow morning," Sado said, his request cryptic and unusual.

The headmaster raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the strange request. "Why do you want me to do that?" he inquired.

Sado hesitated for a moment. He hadn't prepared a suitable response to explain his actions. He simply wanted to ensure that Kuina's fate would take a different path from the one he knew from the One Piece world.

"Please do it," Sado said earnestly, with genuine concern in his eyes.

Koushirou regarded Sado for a moment before nodding. "Very well, I'll do as you ask."

As Sado left the Dojo that night, he couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility weighing on his shoulders. He had chosen to intervene, to alter the course of fate for his friends. Zoro and Kuina's promise was a bond he didn't want to see broken. It drives him to do whatever it takes to protect their dreams.

And so, under the watchful eye of the headmaster, the night passed quietly for Kuina, unaware of the unexpected guardian of her future.