Chapter 175

Dawn Island , East Blue

It had been a few weeks since Portgas D. Ace was born, and we finally made it to Garp's hometown in Foosha Village. I had fully recovered to my peak, and after being able to move around, I met both Rouge and Ace.

Little Ace was a ball of energy, despite being just a few days old. My Voice of All Things could detect that his bloodline was strong. With the help of little Mansherry and Robin, Rouge had recovered remarkably well. She had thanked me, especially Mansherry, with tears in her eyes after realizing she had been saved. Originally, she had no hope of surviving Ace's birth, knowing her own condition better than anyone else, but my intervention had changed the fates of both little Ace and Rouge.

As our small ship approached the island, I turned my attention to it. Robin was holding Ace and whispering softly, while Rouge looked at the island she would soon call home. Bogard had already left to make arrangements for Garp's return. He would soon be bringing a Marine warship, as Garp had told me he would be rejoining active duty now that Sengoku had taken over as Fleet Admiral.

"Home, sweet home!" Garp exclaimed as the ship finally docked at the small port on Dawn Island.

"You sure you don't want to come along, Brat? Foosha has some of the best delicacies to offer, and I'm sure you could take a few days' break from all the pirating," Garp offered as he stood on the pier. Behind him stood Rouge, holding little Ace.

By my side on the ship, Robin, Mansherry, and even Leo were sulking about separating from little Ace. I had an important matter to take care of, and Foosha Village could wait. After all, I was going to be a frequent visitor to this island in East Blue, which would very well become one of the most important places in all of the One Piece world.

"No, Garp-san. Maybe next time. But let me ask you one last time: Are you sure you don't want me to take care of little Ace?" The three who were sulking glared at Garp as if he were the monster denying them little Ace. Robin, who had now spent more than a month with us, had warmed up and even started calling herself Donquixote Robin, which was actually kind of amusing.

"Brat! Don't make me beat you up again. And remember, as my grandson Ace grows up, if you feed him any nonsense about becoming a pirate and all that, I will personally hunt you down."

Garp huffed. For the past few weeks at sea, we have been having a funny argument about what Ace would become in the future. Garp was dead set on making Ace a Marine, while I was adamant that Ace would become a pirate just like his father. However, Rouge had no strong opinions about the matter and would let Ace choose what he wanted to become for himself once he grew up.

We soon said our farewells, with Leo breaking down in tears despite always boasting that he was the strongest in the crew. "So where to next, Ross-dono?" Miyamoto asked as he steered the ship into open waters.

I looked at my two blades that lay before me. Kitetsu was already broken, so it was time for me to find a new blade and, if possible, see if Kitetsu could be reforged. Although it may not suit me, I could pass it down to someone. "Set course for Shimotsuki Village," I said, pointing at a small dot on the map for Miyamoto, whose brows rose in surprise when I mentioned the name of the village.

His mind started racing with the possibilities of the village's connection to Wano. He turned to me curiously, as if wanting to know if it really had any connection.

I couldn't help but smile. "Remember those people who left Wano Country all those years ago?" Miyamoto nodded. Even the rest of the crew were now concentrating on what I said, while Robin started jotting things down in her personal journal. She now had a goal in life: to record the entire history of this world, not just the Void Century. Her ambition was greater; she wanted to uncover history as far back as she could dig.

I had already given her the books that Oden had shared with me, except for his personal journal, which contained secrets the whole world was looking for. But I did not bother with the book and just kept it safe. Maybe someday in the future, when I truly wanted to know about the adventures of Roger and his crew, I might read the journal.

"The members of the Shimotsuki clan who had left back then settled down in East Blue, and this Shimotsuki Village was created by them," I explained.

Miyamoto's eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't help but ask, "So does that mean Kazaburo-sama is there?" Miyamoto asked with reverence in his tone. Shimotsuki Kazaburo was a figure known throughout Wano as a formidable samurai, but what made him infamous was his skill as a grandmaster-level swordsmith. Enma, a sword currently wielded by Oden, the Shogun of Wano, was personally crafted by Kazaburo.

"Well, we'll just have to get there and see for ourselves whether he is there or not," I encouraged Miyamoto with a smile. With renewed vigor, he took the helm. If we had paddles, I am sure he would have started paddling the ship to make it go faster.

"By the way, where is Lucci?" Robin asked, looking around the ship for her friend.

"Where do you think? Since he heard that Ross trained by swimming through the seas when he was young, he's spent more time in the water than on the ship," Leo commented, a hint of amusement in his voice. Robin peered over the ship's railing, trying to spot Lucci.

Lucci had not cared much about saying farewell to Garp or Rouge. To him, helping Rouge was merely an order that came from me. I was keeping track of Lucci's movements and had to admit that having him join our family was one of the best decisions we had ever made.

He was growing at a monstrous rate, and even his Haki training was going smoothly. I made a mental note to acquire the Devil Fruit I had in mind for him. Once that happened, our family would have someone with the potential to rival even me in the future.

As Robin leaned over the railing, her eyes scanned the waves for any sign of Lucci. The ocean sparkled in the sunlight, its vast expanse stretching endlessly in every direction. Just as she was about to give up, a sleek, dark shape broke the surface. Little Lucci emerged, cutting through the water with powerful, effortless strokes. He swam towards the ship with the grace and speed of a predator, his movements fluid and precise.

Just then, my observation Haki picked up on a lifeform rapidly closing in on Lucci's position. Even Lucci seemed to have detected the approaching Sea King, preparing himself for the confrontation. I could deter the Sea King with my presence alone, but that would deny Lucci the valuable practice he needed. It was a good method to improve combat instincts, especially against Sea Kings, which were notoriously unpredictable.

Soon, the massive Sea King surfaced, and to my surprise, I immediately recognized it. It was none other than the Lord of the Coast, the Sea King in the canon, who had taken the arm of one of the Four Emperors. I couldn't help but chuckle; there was no way this creature could have taken Shanks' arm unless he allowed it voluntarily, even if caught off guard.

The Lord of the Coast's appearance was menacing, with its gaping maw and rows of razor-sharp teeth gleaming in the sunlight. Its scales glistened, and it let out a thunderous roar that echoed across the sea. Lucci, undeterred, remained calm and focused, his eyes locked onto the beast.

"Let's see how you handle this, Lucci," I murmured to myself, curious to observe his performance against such a formidable opponent.

The Sea King lunged, its massive jaws snapping shut with a thunderous clap. But Lucci was ready. With a swift use of Geppo, he propelled himself into the air, narrowly avoiding the beast's deadly bite. He hung in the air for a moment, his eyes locked on the Sea King, analyzing its movements with keen precision.

"Geppo!" Lucci called out, his legs moving so rapidly that he seemed to be running on air. He danced around the Sea King, moving faster than the eye could follow. The beast, confused and enraged, snapped at the air, trying to catch the elusive target.

Knowing that it had missed its mark repeatedly, the Sea King roared in anger, splashing waves of water around furiously and circling back to confront its prey again. However, Lucci used Soru and appeared at the Sea King's flank, demonstrating his exceptional control of the rokushiki techniques. He also had a decent hold on both Armament Haki and Observation Haki.

"Busoshoku Koka...!" Lucci's entire arm blackened as he channeled a layer of Haki and launched himself forward, aiming squarely for the Sea King's face.

"Meteor Fist!"

"Boom...!" The shockwaves reverberated for hundreds of meters as the Sea King staggered, some of its fangs shattering from the powerful attack. The maw of the Sea King had been visibly deformed from a single punch, and the beast roared in pain, blood flowing from its mouth.

If anyone familiar with the Lord of the Coast had witnessed this, they would have been dumbfounded to see a boy not even ten years old beating the crap out of the beast they had feared for decades.

The little ones on the boat watched in awe as Lucci continued pummeling the massive sea king, their eyes wide as Lucci showcased his incredible strength and skill. Robin, made a mental note to go ahead and ask Ross to train her as will in the future, while Leo, still teary-eyed from the recent farewell, couldn't help but cheer for his crewmate.

The Sea King, enraged and desperate, thrashed about, sending waves crashing in all directions. But Lucci was relentless. Using Geppo, he stayed above the fray, darting in and out with precision strikes.

"Tekkai!" Lucci called out, his body becoming as hard as steel as the Sea King swung its massive tail at him. The impact sent a tremor through the air, but Lucci held firm, using the momentum to launch himself higher into the air.

From his vantage point, Lucci observed the Sea King's movements, predicting its next attack. As the beast lunged again, Lucci used Rankyaku, a powerful kick that sent a slicing blade of compressed air towards the Sea King's eye.

"Rankyaku!" The air blade sliced through the Sea King's defenses, striking its eye with surgical precision. The beast howled in pain, its thrashing becoming more frantic as it tried to shake off the relentless assault.

"Shigan!" Lucci's finger, hardened with Armament Haki, pierced through the Sea King's thick hide, driving deep into its flesh. The precision and force of the attack caused another spurt of blood, adding to the beast's mounting injuries.

Despite its massive size and fearsome appearance, the Sea King was being systematically dismantled by the small, determined figure of Lucci. His movements were fluid and precise, a testament to his rigorous training and natural talent.

The Sea King, now blinded in one eye and bleeding profusely, with rage purging through its every pores, made a desperate attempt to crush its opponent. It reared back, opening its massive jaws wide, and lunged at Lucci with all its remaining strength.

But Lucci was ready. Using Kami-e, he became as light as a feather, dodging the beast's attack with effortless grace. He moved with such speed and agility that it seemed as though he was floating through the air.

"Busoshoku Koka...!" Lucci's voice rang out again as he channeled his haki into his legs. "Rankyaku Gaichou!"

He delivered a powerful, Haki-infused kick that sent a massive blade of compressed air slicing through the Sea King's neck. The attack was devastating, cutting through flesh and bone with ease. The attack left a massive gash, which exposed its very spine. If the sea king hadn't moved its head out of instict, then its entire head would have been severed from its body. The Lord of the Coast roared in pain and crashed into the sea with a tremendous splash.

The beast's massive body convulsed and thrashed in tremendous pain for a moment before it turned to face Lucci again. However, it no longer held the idea of challenging him. Now, it only wanted to get away from this formidable opponent.

Just as Lucci was about to deliver the killing blow, a pebble hit his leg, diverting his aim and causing the compressed air blade to miss its mark. With a final roar of both challenge and grievance, the Sea King looked in my direction before plunging back into the sea. Though it was a beast, it seemed to understand that I had just saved its life.

Lucci soon landed on the ship, sulking because I had taken his kill away.

"Haha, Lucci, you have no idea how important that guy is. He's a mini-boss, you see," I said sheepishly, but Lucci didn't understand what I was talking about. He chose to ignore it because almost everyone in the family knew that sometimes I said things that didn't make sense to any of them. They were used to it by now.

Lucci returned to where little Robin and the rest were standing. Robin looked up at him, her eyes wide with admiration.

"That was amazing, Lucci! You were incredible!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with awe.

Lucci shrugged, trying to hide his disappointment. "It would have been better if Master Ross hadn't interfered," he muttered, though there was no real bitterness in his tone.

Leo clapped and jumped onto Lucci's shoulders, his face split in a wide grin. "Don't worry about it, Lucci! You did great. That Sea King didn't stand a chance against you!"

Miyamoto, who had been steering the ship, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, your skills are impressive for someone so young. You would have made a quite fearsome Samurai Lucci dono"

Lucci nodded, appreciating the praise but still feeling the sting of having his victory taken away. He glanced over at me with curiosity in his eyes. "Why did you stop me, Master? That Sea King could have been grilled or barbecued."

I chuckled, ruffling his hair. "There are some battles you don't need to fight to the end, Lucci. Sometimes, letting your opponent live teaches you more than killing them. Besides, that Sea King is special; it has a role to play in the future. You'll understand one day."

Lucci sighed but didn't argue. He knew that I had reasons for everything I did, even if they didn't always make sense to him.

As the ship continued its journey, the crew settled back into their routines, though the excitement of the battle still lingered in the air. Lucci, despite his sulking, couldn't hide the sense of accomplishment he felt. He had faced a formidable opponent and come out on top, proving his strength and skill to himself and his crewmates.

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Currently updated until Chapter 229.

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