Pirates: Building High Walls Starting from the East Blue.

Chapter 13 Kuina and Tashigi

"Are you really not Tashigi?"

"I am Kuina Shimotsuki, swordsmanship instructor at Isshin Dojo." Kuina frowned as she looked at Nami, who was standing close to her. She was also a little confused and curious. Who exactly was that Marine sergeant named Tashigi?

Why does everyone recognize her as Tashigi?

"Miss Nami, my name is not Tashigi."

however.

"How could two people look so alike, even though they weren't wearing glasses? And we don't even know them? Is this really not a conspiracy by the Marine Headquarters?"

Despite Kuina's explanation, Nami remained unconvinced. Touching her chin, she frowned and scrutinized Kuina, her tone suspicious, "But why are you back again? Did you see so many pretty girls with Shattrath, and with this beautiful girl here, so you're planning to use your beauty..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

"Thump~"

With a dark expression, Xia Che flicked the forehead and said irritably, "I'm just a demoted naval captain, I have no status, and I haven't done anything wrong. Why would the Navy Headquarters need to use a honey trap on me?"

"Ouch, that hurts! I was just kidding."

"She is indeed not Sergeant Tashigi." Shache shook his head helplessly and turned to look at Kuina standing in front of him.

Unlike Tashigi's checkered shirt and suit trousers, Kuina wore a white women's suit shirt on top and a pair of slim-fitting cropped jeans that just went past her knees, revealing her long, fair legs and showcasing the graceful and voluptuous figure unique to a sea beauty.

Furthermore, unlike Tashigi, Kuina didn't have her hair loose and short. Instead, she tied it up in a single ponytail, just past her shoulders. Coupled with the Wado Ichimonji, one of the 21 Great Swords, that she carried at her waist, she immediately gave off a clean and capable impression.

It has a gentle yet heroic air about it.

Xia Che smiled and said, "I thought you would come a few days later, but I didn't expect you to come so soon."

After receiving a call from the 16th Marine Division, he rushed over from Cocoyasi Town and indeed saw Kuina, who was already there and was mistaken for Tashigi.

He met Kuina not long after he arrived in the East Blue, when he took Robin with him to the Isshin Dojo for further training in swordsmanship.

Although he enrolled later than Kuina and Zoro, he still became the senior student based on his age and strength, so the two got to know each other.

He was preparing to have Kuina teach swordsmanship to the 16th Division Marines.

"Senior Brother Shache." Seeing that her senior brother didn't mistake her for that Tashigi, Kuina was quite happy. She bent down and said with a cheerful expression.

At the time, she was stuck in a rut. If her senior brother hadn't enlightened her and told her some stories of female swordsmen on the high seas, making her realize that female swordsmen could also become great swordsmen, and thus regaining her confidence, she probably would have given up on her dream by now.

At that time, she vowed not only to become a great swordsman as powerful as her senior brother, but also, since her father did not approve of her, she no longer aspired to take over the Isshin Dojo and prepared to open her own Kuina Dojo to steal all the students from the Isshin Dojo.

then.

Defeat his own father, beat him up, and then shut down the Isshin Dojo.

"Please take care of me from now on." Saying this, she turned to look at Robin, who was smiling beside her, and said happily, "It's been a long time, Robin-neechan."

"Welcome~" Robin smiled and responded to Kuina, nodding and glancing at her up and down, saying, "She does look very much like that Marine Petty Officer—Tashigi."

"Right, right?" Nami chimed in, hands on her hips. "I told you they looked so alike! If they wore glasses, they were practically identical!"

"Tashigi?"

Hearing the name again, Kuina was also very curious and wanted to meet the naval sergeant named Tashigi. She turned to look at her senior brother Shattrath and was about to ask him something when...

"Oh, right~" Shache seemed to remember something, looked at Kuina and said, "Where's Zoro? Why didn't he come with you?"

Since they'd already run into each other, well... to boost his sales figures, he probably figured he could get everything bundled together, so he just packed it all up and brought it over.

"Zoro?"

Hearing Senior Brother Xia Che's words, Kuina was also taken aback. After blinking her bright eyes, she frowned and asked, "Hasn't that guy arrived yet?"

"Has he already set sail?"

"He got my father's approval a year earlier than me. Even though that guy couldn't beat me, my father allowed him to go to sea, but he still didn't agree to me."

"..."

however.

After hearing Kuina's words, Shache fell silent for a moment, then his lips twitched, and he asked again, "Did he... go to sea by himself?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing~"

Xia Che immediately covered his face.

I was even planning to get Zoro to work here too, but now... I bet that guy's probably lost somewhere by now.

He looked up at Kuina, who seemed somewhat disappointed because of the fact that her father approved of Zoro but not of her.

Xia Che smiled and reached out to pat Kuina's head like he did when she was little. "Don't worry, when you open your dojo, your senior brother will definitely support you. We'll work together to steal all the students from your dad's dojo, make Isshin Dojo go bankrupt, and make him so angry that he'll look down on Kuina."

The words were spoken.

Hearing her senior brother's words, Kuina, who had been somewhat disappointed, burst into laughter. Looking at Xia Che in front of her, she pouted and said happily, "Senior brother, I've grown up!"

Honestly, he even patted someone's head.

Then her delicate face hardened again, and she said angrily, "I'll beat that old man up again later!"

"That's right, give her a beating!" Xia Che nodded with a smile, looking at Kuina who had just arrived today, and said, "Then let your senior brother show you around and familiarize you with the place first!"

however.

"Later," Kuina refused, looking at Shacher seriously. "I have more important things to do right now."

"???"

Before Xia Che, who was looking puzzled, could ask what was going on...

All I saw was...

Kuina's slender, fair right hand gripped the hilt of the Wado Ichimonji sword. She then raised her head, a serious expression on her face. "Let Kuina check if Senior Brother Shattrath has slacked off these past few years," she said.

As he spoke, he drew Wado Ichimonji, gripped the hilt with both hands, and assumed the starting stance of Isshin-ryu swordsmanship. His originally gentle demeanor instantly changed, becoming as sharp as if filled with the light of a blade.

"Please enlighten me, Senior Brother Xia Che!"

Before Xia Che could react, a sly glint flashed across that determined face. He blinked and launched the first attack on Xia Che.

(End of this chapter)