"So, you're tellihere's someo there who looks exactly like me?" Tashigi asked in surprise.

  At this moment, Zoro, Tashigi, Nami, the shopkeeper, Johnny, and a few others were all gathered together.

  The earlier misuanding had been cleared up, Tashigi had never heard of anyone named Kuina. Meanwhile, Zoro had acquired the Sandai Kitetsu through a test of fate, proving his ce in a gamble against its so-called curse. His fearless dispy won the admiration of the shopkeeper, who not only sold him the cursed bde but also gifted him another sword, the treasured heirloom of the shop, Yubashiri.

  The shopkeeper firmly believed that once Zoro ehe Grand Line, he would undoubtedly bee a great swordsman. And what better fate for a fine bde than to be wielded by a true warrior?

  However, since Zoro was about to set sail for the Grand Line and Luffy had yet to even begin his jourhe two would not be crossing paths anytime soon. This meant that Yubashiri might not meet the same tragic fate it did in aimeline. Perhaps this time, it would have a ce to shine.

  "Yeah," Zoro respoly. "She looks exactly like you except she doesn't wear gsses. And trust me, she's much strohan you."

  Tashigi bristled at the remark, but instead uing, she asked, "So you're heading to the Grand Line?"

  "Yeah. I o find her and finally settle the score. She beat me 1,250 times. Not once did I ever win. There's no way I just let that go," Zoro decred, his tone resolute.

  Tashigi g Johnny before asking, "So it's just the two of you going to the Grand Line?"

  "No, there's one more our other brother is out buying supplies," Johnny replied.

  "Three people?" Tashigi murmured before shaking her head. "You guys seriously uimate the Grand Line. Just the three of you? That's practically a death sentence. By the way… do any of you even know how to sail?"

  Sail? What kind of question was that? Zoro looked fused. As far as he was ed, if you had a boat, you just rowed, right?

  Johnny, however, puffed out his chest fidently. "I know a little bit! I read maps! Once we finish buying the sword, we'll go purchase a Grand Line chart!"

  Tashigi's face twitched in disbelief. "You… don't uand anything, a you're pnning to head to the Grand Line? You do realize normal navigatiohods don't work there, right?"

  "What do you mean, 'normal navigatiohods' don't work?" Johnny looked equally fused. "How do you sail without using a map?"

  At that moment, Nami chuckled and interjected, "It's not that you don't use maps at all, but the maps themselves aren't as important as this."

  As she spoke, Nami pulled out a Log Pose.

  Tashigi wasn't surprised after all, she was from the Grand Line. But Zoro and Johnny stared at it bnkly, utterly clueless.

  "What the hell is that?"

  "This is a Log Pose," Nami expined, ung into an expnation about how the Grand Line's magic fields worked and why traditional maps were useless.

  It didn't take long for Zoro and Johnny to grasp the basics. The realization hit Johnny hard so sailing in the Grand Line was that plicated?

  Now, for the first time, he hesitated. "Uh… Boss, maybe we should wait a bit… and find a proper navigator?"

  Zoro frowned. He wao find Kuina as soon as possible. If they waited around just to find a navigator, who knew how long that would take?

  Sensing his hesitation, Nami smirked and said, "Well, what if I go with you? Not t, but when it es to navigation, there's no one in the East Blue better than me!"

  "You're heading to the Grand Lioo?" Zoro asked, gng at her.

  Before Nami could answer, Zoro o himself. "Well, yeah. Otherwise, why would you even have a Log Pose?"

  "That's right. Like you, I have someone I o find… and I also want to chart the entire world!" Nami decred fidently.

  "Who are you looking for?" Zoro asked.

  Nami grinned. "You'll never believe it, Donquixote Cudius. Ever heard of him? I'm looking for him!"

  Zoro's eyes widened slightly. "What a ce. I'm looking for him too, since Kuina was with him back then."

  "Huh? Seriously?" Nami blinked in surprise. Then, as if remembering something, she asked excitedly, "Wait, did she carry a white saber with a white hilt?"

  When Cudius had stayed in Cocoyasi Vilge, Kuina had been with him. Even after all these years, Nami vaguely recalled a little girl who was always by Cudius's side.

  "That's right! Her sword is Wadō Ichimonji! You've seen her before?" Zoro asked, his voice carrying a hint of excitement.

  "Wadō Ichimonji? One of the twenty-one ō Wazamono grade swords?" Tashigi and the shopkeeper excimed in shock.

  But Nami paid them no mind. Instead, she nodded eagerly. "Yeah! She really was with Cudius back then. Looks like we've got the same destination. So, what do you say? Want to head to the Grand Liogether?"

  Nami had inally run out of money because she spent most of it buying a Log Pose on the bck market, wanting to be at least somerepared before venturing into the Grand Line.

  At first, she had po hitch a ride with a mert ship or something simir. But now, it seemed like she had found a much better option.

  Zoro, naturally, had never heard of Nami before. She wasly famous. But Nami, oher hand, instantly reized Zoro. After all, he was the stro swordsman in the East Blue's bounty hunter circles, known for his uhree-sword style.

  Judging by his reputation, he wasn't the type to be involved in shady dealings, he was a bounty hunter, after all. And from their brief exge, she could tell he wasn't a bad person.

  Their goals were also vely aligned. Both of them o ehe Grand Line, both were looking for someone, and both were chasing a lead that led straight to Cudius.

  Zoro had strength and ons, along with a ship and supplies. Nami had navigation skills and a sharp mind. If they joined forces, wouldn't that make for a perfect partnership?

  Zoro thought the same thing. Sihey had run into each other by ce, why not form a team a sail together?

  Tashigi, however, had o question. "You do realize that Cudius is a Celestial Draght? Finding him won't be easy."

  "Well, it's better than doing nothing. Besides, he oold me that if I ever needed anything, I could e to him and join CP-X," Zoro replied casually.

  And so, after this ued turn of events, Roronoa Zoro and Nami decided to set sail for the Grand Liogether.

  Meanwhile, far away in the New World, Cudius had no idea that two fresh-faced rookies had just set out to find him. But even if he did, he would probably just ugh it off.

  If Zoro and Nami really did mao track him down, well… he wouldn't mind taking them under his wing. After all, why not? If they were useful, they could help him make some money.

  As for what this meant for Luffy?

  That had nothing to do with him. If Luffy had a problem with it, he could go pin to his grandpa.

  Why not bee a Marine? Who knows, maybe he could even make it to Admiral someday.

  ---

  At Marineford, Kuina had just stepped off a warship. tally, it was a dog-headed warship, which could only meahing, the anding officer was Garp.

  "Ahahahaha! Kuina, I heard you're from the East Blue too! I might be heading there soon. Want to e along?" Garp ughed heartily as he disembarked.

  Kuiated for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm transferring to G-1."

  "G-1?" Garp raised an eyebrow befrinning. "Ah, following in Gion's footsteps, huh?"

  "Yeah. She needs reinforts, and I've heard New World offers a greater challenge. I want to test my strength there," Kuina replied with a smile.

  "You've got ambition! Good! Work hard, I wouldn't be surprised if you surpassed even Gion someday," Garp said approvingly.

  At the same time, a thought crossed his mind.

  If only that no-good grandson of mine had half your discipline… Damn you, Shanks!