The Great Voyage Begins with the Celestial Dragons

"What are you saying, you bastard Franky!"

"You are the one who is! Stupid Mountain!"

"..."

Luther ignored the interaction between the two and looked at Tom instead.

"Your Highness, it's time to state your request."

Tom took a deep breath, knowing it was time for him to do his part.

"Discuss your matter with Otohime. I don't want to use my power to intimidate you. Cooperation with you requires your willingness."

Luther left behind a meaningful remark and then led his men away from the abandoned ship island.

Watching Luther and the others leave, Tom was somewhat confused.

The other party went on and on, arranging the futures of Franky and Iceberg, but notably omitting anything about him.

But no matter how you look at it, the other party's intention was also because of him.

It's impossible that Luther actually valued Franky and wanted to bring him under his wing and train him.

This ridiculous idea was immediately nipped in the bud by Tom.

In his view, Luther was not one of those swine celestial beings, so why would he do something so completely unreasonable?

Thinking about it this way, it must be that Luther's request for him was very difficult, which is why things have unfolded as they are now.

Thinking of this, a determined look appeared in Tom's eyes.

Even if it means risking his life, he will pave the way for Franky and the other man, no matter what.

Luther's words, though seemingly addressed to Frankie, were actually meant for him as well.

Tom knew in his heart that he had all sorts of concerns and no possibility of resisting.

In that case, let's fight for a better future for Franky and the other two.

On the way Luther and the others left, Otohime, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly looked enlightened.

After that, she looked at Luther with adoration.

"What's wrong? You didn't look at me like that before."

Even Luther felt a little uncomfortable being stared at like that.

“Professor Luther, you’ve taught me another lesson,” Otohime exclaimed.

Tell me what you've learned.

Luther raised an eyebrow; this time, he really hadn't given Otohime any special lessons.

His original target was only Frankie; approaching Tom was just a side effect.

Seeing Luther's expression, Otohime assumed she had truly grasped Luther's deeper meaning and proudly straightened her posture.

"What the teacher taught this time was actually the simplest little trick in negotiation."

Luther roughly understood what Otohime was talking about, and not mind playing the role of teacher for once, he nodded slightly in agreement:

"Tell me more!"

"When I first met Tom, I made Spandam apologize in order to resolve the misunderstanding between us and set things off well. Then I made arrangements for Franky and Iceberg in advance, which was to offer them the benefits I could provide."

Princess Otohime continued rapidly, as if reciting a familiar story:

"As for having me talk to Tom, it's to make Tom feel that this is a difficult matter. If I just suggest something that doesn't cross his bottom line, Tom will usually agree."

“That’s well said. Are you confident you can convince Tom?” Luther smiled.

Otohime was willing to take on the follow-up work, and Luther was naturally happy to do so.

Otohime and Olvia, who were by his side, were mostly in clerical positions.

However, unlike the other two, Olvia could guess his thoughts and thus help him refine and complete the follow-up tasks.

Otohime, on the other hand, imagined his thoughts and then helped him complete them in a clever way.

Both were pretty much the same to him, but spending more time with Otohime had its own unique charm.

"That depends on what the teacher needs."

Otohime smiled confidently, feeling that she could basically help with this.

"What do I need? Two very simple things."

Luther didn't hide anything from Tom's arrangements, and smiled:

"I'm very interested in expanding the sea train project, this mode of transportation that connects the seas. Also, I need a shipbuilding team to pass on his shipbuilding skills to more people."

After hearing Luther's demands, Otohime's face became even more confident. She felt that Tom would most likely agree to these two things even without using this method.

So she nodded decisively without any hesitation:

"Teacher, leave everything to me! You've helped me so much, it's my turn this time!"

"Then I'll leave it to you. Once you've almost finished dealing with this, we can go back to Fishman Street together." Luther nodded slightly.

Even though she had made up her mind, Otohime was still a little uneasy when the topic of Fishman Street came up.

But when facing Luther, she didn't want to show her weakness, and instead readily agreed:

"it is good!"

Chapter 231 Koushirou's Awakening

East China Sea.

While Luther was on vacation in Water Seven, Gion also moved into Shimotsuki Village.

The arrival of a nominally world's greatest swordsman greatly shocked the Shimotsuki Dojo.

In particular, Gion's feat of knocking away the wooden sword of Koushin Dojo Master Koshiro with just two strikes caused a huge sensation.

seaside.

Gion knelt in the shade, with the konpira on her lap, gazing at Kuina, who was practicing her swordsmanship not far away.

Under the bright afternoon sun, the scenery on the beach was as beautiful as a postcard. On this natural canvas embraced by the sea, a nine-year-old girl was intently wielding her great sword, Wado Ichimonji.

On the very day Kuina became his apprentice, Koushirou handed over his sword to her.

Ultimately, he was a father who said one thing but meant another.

"Since we're already here, why not take a look together?"

Gion suddenly spoke up. With her Observation Haki, even without deliberately probing, she could tell that someone was in the forest behind her.

A tall, slender figure emerged from the dense forest; it was Kuina's father, Shimotsuki Koshiro.

With his smiling face and round-framed glasses, Koushirou looked less like a swordsman and more like a schoolteacher.

Only when paired with the sword at his waist and the swordsman's uniform does he possess a semblance of a swordsman's aura.

"I apologize for the spectacle, great swordsman of Gion!"

Without any hesitation, Koushirou sat cross-legged not far from Gion, watching Kuina practice her swordsmanship.

Gion glanced at Koushirou, who had a gentle demeanor, and was actually quite surprised to meet such a person in the East China Sea.

Although Koushirou is not as strong as the top experts, he is by no means inferior to even Kozuki Oden's retainers.

It's quite strange to think that such a person would live in seclusion in the East China Sea.

"Do you still not approve of the path Kuina is taking?" Gion asked calmly.

“I acknowledge and even understand that this is my identity as a swordsman. But I am not only a swordsman, but also a father.”

Koushirou sighed, staring blankly at Kuina's diligent figure as she practiced her sword, a hint of heartache flashing in his eyes.

"As a swordsman, shouldn't it be a gratifying feeling to see your children surpass you?"

Gion smiled and said that she did not share the same opinion as Koushirou.

Koushirou, still smiling, gently shook his head and said:

"The dedication of the great swordsman of Gion to the sword is beyond the reach of mortals like myself. But you should also know that to reach your level, effort alone is not enough. Opportunity, effort, and talent are all indispensable."

"Kuina has great talent, and if properly nurtured, she could even surpass Zoro. But as her father, I don't want her to live such a tiring life. Success is certainly a good thing, but as a swordsman, how could I not know the hardships and sweat she has endured?"

"Being the world's greatest swordsman is no easy feat..."

Koushirou sighed as he finished speaking.

Who hasn't dreamed of being number one in the world when they were young? But ultimately, there can only be one person who is number one in the world, and very few people in the same era can obtain this title.

In the end, almost no one was able to maintain this title until the very end.

Since the outcome was already predetermined, he naturally did not want his daughter to follow this path.

Upon hearing Koushirou's words, Gion chuckled softly, glancing intentionally or unintentionally at the forest behind her, and said:

"Your stance as a father is impeccable. Now that you know how difficult it is to become the world's best, what are your thoughts on your disciple Zoro's pursuit of this goal?"

As Gion finished speaking, the jungle behind her seemed to stir.

Given Koushirou and Gion's strength, they had clearly noticed this long ago, but they still chose to ignore it.

"Zoro..."

Koushirou sighed, his gaze unconsciously sweeping over the person behind him.

But he only glanced at it before looking away:

"To be honest, as his teacher, I probably poured my ideals into him."

"It's because I've tried and failed that I feel so resentful. I hope that one day, Zoro can take my place."

Upon hearing Koushirou's words, the commotion in the jungle behind them intensified, as if someone was suppressing their excitement.

However, Gion remained completely unfazed:

"Carrying dreams forward, don't you think that's a bit too cruel for that child?"

"As my daughter's teacher, what are your thoughts on her dreams?"