As Dante was helplessly negotiating his survival with Nami and Robin, a new arrival was making her way to the docks of the 16th Branch.
A young girl, a katana resting at her hip, looked anxiously at the Marine standing guard.
"Excuse me," she asked urgently. "Is this the 16th Branch?"
"Yes, ma'am!" The Marine straightened, then blinked at her in confusion. "Wait... Tashigi? Petty Officer Tashigi, why are you back? Is there a mission from headquarters?"
"Tashigi?" The girl frowned. "I'm not Tashigi."
The Marine hesitated. 'But... she looks just like her?'
"I am Kuina, Dante Ashford's Kouhai. I've come here specifically to find Senpai."
The Marine's face twisted in utter confusion.
"Senpai Captain Dante Ashford?"
Kuina?
'...Wait. Petty Officer Tashigi, are you messing with us?'
"Are you really not Tashigi?" Nami squinted suspiciously, arms crossed as she scrutinized the girl in front of her.
The young woman sighed, her expression calm but firm. "I am Kuina Shimotsuki, sword instructor at Isshin Dojo," she corrected. Her brow furrowed slightly as she regarded Nami with curiosity. "This is the third time someone has mistaken me for this Tashigi person. Who exactly is she?"
But Nami remained unconvinced.
"Just take away the glasses, and you two look practically identical, How can two people look this alike and not even know each other? Is this some kind of Marine Headquarters conspiracy?" Nami muttered, rubbing her chin as she circled Kuina, sizing her up from every angle. "Seriously, not even distant cousins? No long-lost twin theory? What are the odds?"
Then, her eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief.
"Wait a second." She snapped her fingers, grinning like she figured something out. "Could it be that you came running back because you saw Dante surrounded by a bunch of women, and now you're here to lay your claim? What's this? A honey trap, perhaps-"
Before she could finish-
*Thump!*
A firm flick landed on her forehead.
"Ow!" Nami yelped, rubbing the sore spot as she glared up at Dante, who stood beside her with an exasperated look.
"Cut it out, Nami!" Dante said, frowning. "I'm just a Marine captain-well, a demoted one at that. What kind of 'honey trap' conspiracy would the Marines or World Government even need against me?" he grumbled. "Use your brain."
"It still hurt, you know!" Nami pouted, but she backed off-though she continued eyeing Kuina with mild skepticism.
"She really isn't Petty Officer Tashigi," Dante said, shaking his head in exasperation. He turned to Kuina.
Unlike Tashigi, who typically wore checkered shirts and suit trousers, Kuina's outfit was more casual yet still practical-she sported a crisp white fitted dress shirt tucked into cropped, slim-fit jeans that ended just past her knees, exposing her toned, fair calves. The outfit accentuated her lean, athletic figure, a perfect balance of grace and strength.
More notably, she had her long, dark hair tied into a single ponytail that reached just beyond her shoulders-quite different from Tashigi's slightly disheveled bob. And at her waist rested 'Wado Ichimonji, one of the 21 Great Grade Blades.' The sight of it alone was enough to make any seasoned swordsman take her seriously.
There was a softness to her features, but her sharp gaze and confident stance carried an undeniable air of strength. A confident swordswoman.
Dante smiled slightly. "I expected you a few days later. You got here sooner than I thought."
After receiving the call from the Marine 16th Branch, he rushed over from Cocoyashi Village and, sure enough, found Kuina already here, dealing with the mistaken identity.
Dante had met Kuina shortly after arriving in East Blue, when he took Robin to the Isshin Dojo for sword practice. Although he'd joined later than Kuina and Zoro, his age and strength had quickly earned him the status of senior apprentice, so the two were well-acquainted.
His plan was to have Kuina instruct the marines of the 16th Branch in swordsmanship.
Kuina's expression brightened at his recognition, and she bowed slightly in greeting. "Senpai Dante," she said, a hint of warmth in her voice.
She had once been trapped in a cycle of self-doubt, believing she could never become a great swordsman simply because of her gender. But back then, it was Dante who had told her stories of the female warriors who roamed the seas, proving that skill-not gender-defined a swordsman's greatness.
That conversation had changed everything.
Since then, she had sworn two things:
First, she would surpass her limits and become a true master of the sword, just like her Senpai.
Second, if her father refused to acknowledge her, then she wouldn't bother inheriting Isshin Dojo. Instead, she would establish her own Kuina Dojo-stealing every last student from her father's school until he had no choice but to admit her worth.
And then-she would defeat her father and make Isshin Dojo go bankrupt.
Dante chuckled knowingly. "Still holding that grudge, huh?"
"Of course," Kuina said, puffing her cheeks slightly.
Then, she turned and spotted a familiar face. "Long time no see, Robin!"
Robin, who had been watching the interaction with mild amusement, smiled and gave her a small nod. "Welcome. It's good to see you again, Kuina." She studied her for a moment before adding, "Though I have to say... you do look remarkably similar to that Marine officer, Tashigi."
"Right? Right!?" Nami chimed in again, hands on her hips. "I'm telling you, you could be twins! I bet if you put on glasses, you'd be a perfect match!"
Hearing the name once again, Kuina's curiosity deepened. She turned back to Dante. "Who exactly is this Tashigi? You've all mentioned her several times now."
Before Dante could answer, another thought crossed his mind. He tilted his head. "By the way, where's Zoro? Why didn't he come with you?"
"Zoro?" Kuina blinked, then frowned slightly. "Wait... hasn't he arrived yet?"
Dante's brow twitched. "You're telling me he already set sail?"
"Yeah, about a year before me." She sighed. "Even though that idiot never beat me, my father still let him leave early. Meanwhile, I had to fight tooth and nail just to get permission."
"..."
Dante was silent for a long moment. Then, with a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"So you're telling me... he set sail alone?"
"Yeah? What's wrong with that?"
"...Nothing." Dante lowered his hand and covered his face in quiet resignation.
He'd been planning to put Zoro to work too, but now... Zoro was probably lost somewhere in the middle of the ocean, as usual.
His gaze flickered back to Kuina, who still seemed slightly bitter about her father's decision.
Without thinking, he reached out and lightly patted her head, just like he used to when she was younger.
"Don't worry," he said, grinning. "When you open your own dojo, I'll be your first supporter. We'll steal all your father's apprentices, run him out of business, and make him regret ever underestimating you."
Kuina blinked.
Then, she giggled, puffing her cheeks again. "I'm not a kid anymore, I'm all grown up Senpai!"
Even so... she didn't stop him from patting her head.
Then, her expression shifted back to determination.
"But when the time comes," she added fiercely, "I'm still going to beat my old man into the ground!"
Dante laughed. "That's the spirit."
He stretched and gestured around. "Come on, I'll show you around the base. It's nothing fancy, but-"
"Later."
Dante paused mid-step.
"Huh?" Kuina said, shaking her head. She looked at Dante seriously. "I have something more important to do right now."
Without hesitation, her right hand moved to the hilt of Wado Ichimonji.
"Before anything else," she said, drawing her sword in a swift motion, "I need to see if my Senpai has slacked off over the years."
With that, Wado Ichimonji was drawn. She held the hilt with both hands, adopting an Isshin-ryu Swordsmanship starting stance. Her gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by a sharp, focused intensity.
"Please don't hold back Senpai."
Before Dante could react, a hint of mischief flashed across her face. She blinked, then launched the first attack.
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