The Great Voyage: The Props Master on the Straw Hat Ship

Many young people aspiring to kendo come here to become disciples of the dojo's owner, Shimotsuki Koshiro.

"Please, Master, accept us as your disciples!!"

Before the gate of the dojo, several young men and many teenagers knelt and shouted loudly at Koushirou in front of the gate.

The crispness of his voice and the firmness of his conviction were deeply moving.

However~~~

"This is indeed my dojo..."

Koushirou slightly adjusted his glasses. "But I'm only responsible for teaching kendo. I know absolutely nothing about pirates or anything like that!"

"We came here to learn Kendo!!"

The young people responded with a strong and resounding voice.

"As for pirates and such, we know absolutely nothing about them!!"

"That's right, we had no idea that the former Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro had trained with you!!"

"Yes, yes, we didn't know he graduated from your tutelage and acquired such amazing skills!!!"

"That's right, we came here solely for the sake of swordsmanship! We didn't come here to learn Mr. Zoro's swordsmanship and then go out to sea to become pirates!!"

"Yes!! We're not going to become those cool and powerful-looking marines, we'll definitely join the idiot navy and uphold justice for the world!!!"

A group of bright-looking teenagers, seemingly very intelligent, spoke up one after another, their tone even more determined than before.

Koushiro: "..."

Could you explain this any more clearly?!

Haven't they already made their true intentions and thoughts crystal clear?

With your rather dim-witted appearance, it's really unlikely you'll achieve anything in kendo...

Koushirou couldn't help but rub his forehead.

"If you have a heart that yearns for the way of the sword and wants to achieve something in the way of the sword, I will naturally gladly teach you."

"but……"

Koushirou paused here, and then, amidst the wide, surprised expressions of the group of kids...

"If you want to learn from me and go out to sea to become pirates, then please forgive me for being unable to comply."

He directly rejected their idea, thus crushing the dreams of this group of brilliant minds.

"Eh eh eh?!!"

The group of hopeful teenagers froze in place.

"Why?!!"

"We already said we wouldn't go to sea to become pirates!!"

"That's right, we didn't come here to learn swordsmanship because we admire Zoro-senpai!!" (Money)

"Teach us, Master Koushirou, so that we may one day have swordsmanship as good as Zoro's."

A group of kids immediately started making a fuss again.

Koushiro: "~~~"

You keep calling him "Zoro-senpai," yet you claim you came here to learn swordsmanship not because of him?!

especially……

"Most of the bounty posters in your pocket are sticking out, they're almost falling out..."

Koushirou pointed to the bounty poster with Zoro's picture clipped to the waist of the little boy at the front, and said somewhat listlessly.

"Oh oh oh!!"

The little guy hurriedly and clumsily put it away.

Then~~~

"Please accept us, Master Koushirou!!"

He acted as if nothing had happened, and continued shouting along with Oki Kōshirō.

Koushirou pressed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"Ugh, what a troublesome senior!"

Ever since Zoro's bounty was announced, people have been coming to his dojo almost every minute.

He boasted that he wanted to become my apprentice and learn kendo properly.

At first, Koushirou was quite happy, thinking that he could carry forward their Shimotsuki-ryu swordsmanship.

As a result, after asking those people about their willingness to learn kendo, he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Nine out of ten people who come to learn swordsmanship from him are influenced by Zoro; they think it's cool and they can go out and become pirates.

412 Is that really Usopp? Give Sanji's photographer a bonus!!!

The remaining 0.1% is to establish a weak connection with Zoro so that he will have something to brag about when they leave.

For example, "I am a fellow disciple of the great pirate Zoro."

This left Koushirou speechless and utterly annoyed.

After rejecting all those people one by one, he also made it clear to the public that he really would not teach anyone how to become a pirate.

Zoro is just an exception; it's simply his own personal development.

However, it was completely useless.

The outside world simply did not believe Koushirou's explanation.

After all, a powerful pirate with a bounty of over 700 million has finally emerged in the East Blue, how could it not be related to you?!

Especially after inquiring with certain individuals who possessed some connections, they learned that Koushirou's family had come to this small island in the East Blue from the Grand Line.

This further solidified their own belief.

So~~

Even more people are coming here to study, and...

They all knew about Koushirou's statement, but they assumed it was just an excuse for him not wanting to take on any apprentices.

So...

They all insisted that they simply wanted to learn kendo and had no other intentions.

Therefore, when the group of children who came to study also gave the same explanation, Koushirou was almost numb.

Most importantly, this is not only how the children who come to learn kendo behave in front of outsiders.

Even within his own dojo, his uncontrollable influence has already taken hold.

Each apprentice carried three knives: two in their hands and one in their mouth.

There, they stood menacingly, brandishing wooden swords and wearing green headscarves.

They look very confident and full of momentum!

But it was precisely this that brought great trouble to Kōjiro Kōjiro.

"However, to be able to intervene in this battle between the Naval Headquarters and the Whitebeard Pirates, and to demonstrate such extraordinary swordsmanship..."

Thinking of this, Koushirou's lips curled up slightly:

"Your progress has truly exceeded my expectations, Zoro-kun."

"To have achieved this much in such a short time... it seems you truly are a man born for the sea."

"It seems you're one step closer to your dream now!"

"It seems that you have fully grasped everything I taught you before."

"There's nothing more I can do to help you. From now on, you'll have to walk your own path, Zoro."

"I truly hope that I can see you reach the summit and realize your dream in my lifetime."

"I believe that day is not too far away..."

Koushirou's smile was very warm, especially when he recalled the times Zoro had asked him for advice, it was like a ray of sunshine in winter.

He displayed the elegance of a master swordsman to the fullest, leaving the group of little kids in front of him somewhat stunned.

And just then...

"Three-sword style! Three-sword style!"

The shouts and chants coming from the dojo in the backyard instantly brought Koushirou back to reality.

This made him furious, and he slapped his forehead.

They've set a very bad example for the younger generation...

Meanwhile, Koushirou was troubled by teaching his disciples and inspecting the new students who came to him for instruction.

Every day is basically a mix of pain and joy, and I live an exceptionally fulfilling life.

As for the other islands~

In the remote village of Xiluobu in the East China Sea.

It's a brand new day, and the sun is rising high over the other side of the sea.

The warm sunshine fell on the earth, which should have been a good day for hard work.

However, all the houses were closed, and no one opened the door.

The subtle atmosphere and uniform behavior that permeate the entire village of Xirob are mainly due to...

“Woooooa ...

At the other end of the street, the excited shouts and wailing of the group rang out.

"Captain Usopp!!"

The shrill, soul-calling screams came from the mouths of Carrot Head and his two companions.

Those who knew them would have thought they were shouting excitedly, but those who didn't might have thought they were wailing at a funeral.

"A bounty of 470 million!!!"

"The dual pistols will provide the answer—that line is so cool!!!"

"You are the true sniper of the village, an undeniable force on the high seas!!"

"You weren't bragging, you truly are a brave sea warrior!! You did everything, you proved everything!!"

"It's a pity that some people are just jealous of your talent and gifts, so they deliberately mock you, berate you, and say that you are a liar and not doing your job properly!!"

"If even receiving a bounty like this is considered neglecting one's duties, then what other important things are there to do?!"

"Surely even this bounty poster personally issued by the Navy Headquarters isn't fake?! Or rather, do they think the Navy Headquarters is fake?!"

"So that's why geniuses are often misunderstood. Captain Usopp, you left this island being despised and ridiculed like that. You really should take a good look at those people's faces..."

"Captain Usopp!!!"

Onion Head, Green Pepper Head, and Carrot Head walked from one end of the village to the other, howling all the way.

Until the three figures and voices gradually disappeared~

The gates inside the village slowly opened.

"Those three little bastards..."

The adults who came out all stared speechlessly in the direction the three guys had gone.

After Usopp left, they felt a little unaccustomed and nostalgic that the daily chasing and scolding routine was gone.

But ever since those three brats started making their moves, it's almost as if they've returned to their original lives.

The way he howled in the village every day, holding Usopp's bounty poster, was incredibly annoying.

They had considered going out and scolding the three brats before.

However, on the one hand, it's a case of adults bullying children, and if word gets out, it's really too offensive.