One Piece: The sky is azure, I just time-traveled today.

Page 40

He didn't change course; he even slightly adjusted the rudder, allowing the small boat to head straight towards the pirate ship without veering off course!

This move clearly took the pirates by surprise.

They thought the small, dilapidated boat would panic and flee, but to their surprise, the other party actually came to them.

"Hey! You little boat over there! Hand over your valuables and food!"

A burly man wearing an eyepatch, who seemed to be the leader, stood on the ship's railing, brandishing a scimitar and roaring with a sinister grin, "Or else I'll... uh?!"

He hadn't finished his harsh words—

A lithe figure leaped from the small boat like an arrow, tracing a graceful arc, and landed precisely in the center of the pirate ship's deck!

It was Kuina!

She knelt on one knee to cushion the impact, then suddenly stood up, her bamboo sword pointing diagonally at the ground, her sharp gaze sweeping over the dumbfounded pirates on the deck.

The pirates were stunned when they saw the little girl who suddenly jumped up with a wooden sword. Then they burst into even more rampant laughter.

"Hahaha! Where did this little brat come from!"

"You think you can be a pirate hunter just by holding a toy stick?"

"Skinny and delicate, perfect for taking back...the ship needs someone to mop the floor..."

The foul language stopped abruptly.

Because Guina moved.

She didn't waste any words, and didn't even wait for the other person to finish speaking.

Her body darted out like a cheetah, her target the one-eyed leader who had just shouted!

"So fast!" The leader's pupils contracted, and he instinctively raised his knife to block.

The bamboo knife clashed with the curved knife, but instead of the sound of metal striking metal, it produced a dull, crisp sound!

Immediately afterwards, to the one-eyed leader's incredulous gaze, the curved sword in his hand was actually knocked out of his grasp by the enormous force emanating from the seemingly fragile bamboo sword!

"what?!"

Before he could even cry out in alarm, Kuina's bamboo sword was already pointing at his chest like a ghost!

With a muffled thud, the one-eyed leader felt an irresistible force, a sharp pain in his chest, and was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the mast before sliding down and losing consciousness.

The entire deck fell into a deathly silence.

All the pirates were dumbfounded.

Their leader was killed in one move by a little girl with a wooden sword?!

Kuina didn't care what they thought. Having dealt with the leader, her gaze immediately locked onto her next target.

"Next!"

With a shout, she transformed into a blur once more and plunged into the pirate horde!

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

The sound of bamboo swords slicing through the air rang out repeatedly, accompanied by the pirates' screams and groans.

Kuina's swordsmanship is a deadly technique honed through countless trials at the Isshin Dojo. Although she uses a bamboo sword, it is simple, efficient, and devoid of any unnecessary frills. Every strike is aimed directly at vital points, whether it be the wrist, a joint, or a pressure point that can instantly incapacitate a person.

These pirates, who only relied on brute force and ferocity to bully ordinary merchants, were like chickens and dogs in front of her.

Some people tried to surround and attack her, but she easily dodged them with her nimble footwork and took down a group of them with a single backhand slash.

Someone pulled out a musket, but before he could even aim, a bamboo knife had already struck his wrist, and the musket clattered to the ground.

Just a few minutes.

The once noisy and chaotic pirate ship deck is now filled with pirates lying haphazardly, some groaning and others completely unconscious.

Kuina stood amidst a scene of carnage, slightly out of breath, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead, but her hand holding the bamboo knife remained steady, and her eyes were surprisingly bright.

She looked around and made sure there was no one else who could stand.

Then, she sheathed her knife, stood up, and exhaled a long breath.

It feels...really great!

The small boat slowly approached.

Liu Jiu and Robin jumped onto the pirate ship.

Robin stared at the chaotic scene on the deck, her mouth slightly agape. She adjusted her glasses and looked at Kuina with a hint of astonishment in her eyes. She knew Kuina was strong, but she hadn't expected her to be this strong.

Liu Jiu didn't say anything, but his gaze swept over the unconscious pirates to make sure no one had escaped, and then he said to Kuina:

"Pack your things, take anything useful with you."

It refers to the fresh water and food supplies on a pirate ship.

Kuina nodded vigorously, her face filled with the excitement and satisfaction of victory: "Yes!"

She began to plunder the pirate ship she had "soloed" with great enthusiasm.

Robin watched her retreating figure, then glanced at the groaning pirate at her feet, and gently shook her head.

It seems this journey is destined to be an adventure for Kuina to solo level up!

Chapter 43 Windmill Village

The journey that followed proved Robin's premonition correct.

The closer you get to the bustling shipping lanes of the East China Sea, the more pirate ships you encounter. These ships, flying all sorts of skull and crossbones flags, appear constantly in the small boat's field of vision, like flies drawn to the smell of blood.

And each time, neither Liu Jiu nor Robin needed to take action.

As soon as she spots the trail of a pirate ship, Kuina's eyes light up instantly, like a hawk eyeing its prey.

"Another one is coming from the left!"

"To the right front! That one looks bigger!"

"Uncle! Come closer!"

She stood at the bow of the ship, her short hair flying backward in the sea breeze, the bamboo sword in her hand humming slightly as if yearning for battle. Her eager, combative demeanor, as if she couldn't wait to board and start a fight, often left Robin feeling helpless.

Liu Jiu was always ready to help. Whether the other party was a group of three or five speedboats or a medium-sized pirate ship that looked quite large, he calmly maneuvered his small boat to approach them precisely.

The subsequent process has almost become a fixed pattern—

The pirates had just started shouting.

Kuina leaped up like a cannonball and landed precisely.

Bamboo swords flashed, leaving afterimages in the air.

"Snap! Bang! Thud!"

Accompanied by muffled thuds of flesh being struck and the pirates' sudden screams of agony.

In just a short while, the once menacing pirate ship was now only filled with scattered figures and a deathly silence.

Kuina stood amidst the chaos, sheathing her sword and calming her breathing slightly. Looking at her utterly defeated opponents at her feet, her brow furrowed, her face showing not the joy of victory, but rather a hint of… lingering dissatisfaction and obvious contempt.

She flicked the bamboo knife, as if trying to shake off non-existent bloodstains, then muttered under her breath in a tone tinged with obvious disappointment:

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly drifted back to the small boat.

Every time Robin heard this, she couldn't help but mutter a few words, silently mourning for the unconscious pirates for a second. They probably never dreamed that they would be described in such a way by a little girl holding a wooden sword.

Liu Jiu remained silent. After Kuina finished gathering useful supplies, usually fresh water and food, he steered the small boat away, continuing towards Windmill Village, as if he had merely cleared away a few pieces of trash blocking the way.

We sailed and cleaned along the way.

Under Kuina's bamboo sword, wave after wave of reckless pirates fell. Her combat experience accumulated at an astonishing rate, and her swordsmanship became increasingly ruthless and sharp. The ferocity and suicidal nature of those pirates seemed so laughable and fragile in the face of her absolute strength and the swordsmanship honed through countless trials.

"too slow."

"Is this all you have?"

Similar assessments, accompanying the end of each battle, became the unchanging epilogue along the route.

Robin went from being amazed at first, to getting used to it, and eventually even began to feel a little sorry for the pirates—they came all the way to rob, only to run into such a scoundrel.

Finally, after countless waves of pirates were wiped out, the familiar, peaceful outline of Windmill Village appeared on the horizon.

Kuina reluctantly put away her bamboo sword, looked at the village in the distance, and pouted, "We're here already? I haven't had enough fun yet."

Robin closed the book in his hands and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The small harbor of the windmill village is still filled with the familiar aroma of seawater, fish, and a faint scent of wine.

Liu Jiu tied the small boat to the familiar wooden stakes at the dock with practiced ease, as if he had just left yesterday.

He jumped off the boat first, followed closely by Robin and Kuina.

Kuina looked around the seemingly peaceful little village with curiosity. Compared to the sea she had traversed with ease, this place seemed like another world.

Robin followed quietly behind Liu Jiu, his gaze sweeping over the low houses and the slowly turning windmills in the distance, his eyes filled with an instinctive observation of the unfamiliar environment.

Without delay, Liu Jiu headed straight for the familiar little tavern with its wooden sign in the center of the village.

Pushing open the old wooden door of the tavern, the bell on the door jingled crisply.

In the afternoon, there were few customers in the tavern, only the owner wiping glasses behind the bar.

Hearing the bell ring, the boss looked up. When he saw Liu Jiu walking in, he paused in his wiping motion, and a look of obvious surprise appeared on his face.

"Hey! Isn't this... Liu Jiu?" The shopkeeper put down his glass, his tone a mix of familiarity and surprise. "It's been so many years since I've seen you!"

Liu Jiu walked to the bar, nodded, and that was his way of saying hello.

The shopkeeper's gaze swept past Liu Jiu, curiously surveying the two little girls following behind him. One was quiet and demure, clutching books in both hands; the other, spirited and sharp-eyed, held a bamboo sword. The combination was rather odd.

"Who are these two?" the boss asked.

“My friend’s daughter,” Liu Jiu said succinctly, offering no further explanation. He then asked, “Have you seen Lu Jiu recently…?”

Upon hearing the name "Rouge," the shopkeeper's expression relaxed somewhat. He seemed to recall something and said, "Miss Rouge? I've met her before! She occasionally brings that brat Ace to the village to buy things. That kid's really got wild these days, running all over the mountains. Miss Rouge can barely keep him in line!"

His tone carried a hint of teasing towards acquaintances, clearly indicating that he was familiar with Rouge and Ace.

Liu Jiu listened quietly, his face remaining unchanged, but a slight movement seemed to flicker deep within his eyes.