"I can't believe I talked to those two nerds about blacksmithing for six hours…" Cherry muttered to herself on the way up to the dojo. "Hmm, did I say too much? No, I'm sure it's fine."
At that moment, Martin and Rosalie were preparing for what would turn out to be a sleepless weeklong forging session; the end result of which would be a blade that could only be called a hopeless failure in even the most generous terms.
However, that failure would not discourage them, but rather only add fuel to the fires of their passion. If it had been a mediocre but otherwise perfectly serviceable sword, only then would they despair for they would have learned little from the experience.
Years and countless failures later, a new Supreme Grade Meito would be born from their hands and forge. Many years later still, its name would be carved into the annals of history alongside the likes of "Yoru".
Cherry pushed open the gate of the dojo, not bothering to shut it behind her. It was a bad habit from her youth; one she didn't care to kick.
The dojo had a smattering of children doing basic sword swings in the yard. The evening class that was held after school let out was presided over by Slenk, who was doing his best not to look bored out of his mind. His best wasn't very good, but the children didn't seem to notice.
Slenk's eyes widened when he saw her. Naturally because he hadn't expected to see her today. "Master Angela is in the house."
Cherry understood that he was busy and despite how bored he looked, he did take his teaching seriously, but Cherry wasn't going to let him off for not greeting her properly.
Cherry walked past a child in the front center, the one right in front of Slenk, and she tapped the child's wooden sword as he swung it down.
*Schwing!*
"Eep?!" Slenk dodged desperately, letting out a high pitched squeal.
The children stopped what they were doing to stare in wonder, especially the child whose sword swing was adjusted by Cherry. None of them had ever witnessed a flying sword slash before, and this random lady actually made one of THEM produce one?!
"""Me next! Me next!""" """That was so cool!""" """It went like 'SCHWING'!""" The previously disciplined disciples were now children once more.
Slenk felt nervous sweat drip from his brow. He didn't want any more slashes to dodge, so he quickly said "It's good to see you, Cherry."
"Oh! So it IS you, Slenk! I thought you had been replaced by a ruder look-a-like." Cherry smirked. "It's good to see you too."
"Shouldn't you be halfway around the world right about now?" Slenk asked, carefully managing his tone to avoid sounding like that's where he wanted her to be.
"I'm just popping in to say hello. So, hello!" Cherry waved and walked towards the house where she spent her childhood in this world living.
Slenk heaved a sigh as he watched her go. He turned his attention back to the students, only to find them watching them with sparkling eyes and a newfound enthusiasm for swordsmanship that the monotonous training had dulled over time.
"Can you teach us how to do that, Senior Slenk?!" One of the children gathered the courage to ask.
Slenk panicked for a short moment, but he had always been quick with clever responses to tricky questions. "You won't be sending any of your slashes flying without a rock solid foundation in the basics. Back to it!"
Slenk metaphorically patted himself on the back for that one. He was only just learning to use haki, there was no way he could make a flying sword slash.
Thinking that brought his eyes to the boy whose sword Cherry had adjusted. He wondered how Cherry had done that with someone else's sword, a wooden one no less, with only a single tap of her finger.
The boy in question was the only one of his peers who wasn't bursting with excitement. Rather, he was looking at the wooden blade in his hand thoughtfully and with what was almost reverence. Only he and Cherry knew that the only thing she had done was adjust his swing and nothing more. He did not know the significance of that fact, that he had used an advanced form of swordsmanship bordering on the development of armament haki. He couldn't know of things he had never been told about.
He focused on the memory of the feeling of the sword moving in exactly the way he had meant it to, with only the slightest of changes from someone who couldn't have possibly known how he had wanted it to move. It had been so sudden and fleeting that it was hard to grasp it now, but he was now more certain than ever that this was the path that he wanted to tread.
Many years in the future, he would shake the world with a blade forged on this very island and go on to challenge a certain moss-headed swordsman. Only the future can reveal whether he is destined for greatness or just to be another notch on a better swordsman's belt.
Cherry walked into her childhood home like she had never left, kicking her boots off at the threshold and finding her grandmother having tea with Commander Frowe of all people.
Grandma Angela's face lit up with a smile while Commander Frowe's darkened with a frown.
"Cherry, I wasn't expecting you. I'll go get you a cup." Grandma Angela stood to leave the room to do just that.
Cherry was a bit shocked at the sight of her. Grandma Angela had already reversed her aging process by a fair bit the last time she saw her at Sabaody. Now she could easily pass for someone in her thirties. The reason was clear; she had entered the fourth realm.
Cultivation Realms were exponential when it came to extending one's lifespan. The third realm of body cultivation roughly doubled the lifespan of a person, but the fourth realm would have a normal human living as long or even a bit longer than giants do in this world. This trend continued until the point that the body simply ceased to age; that was the immortal realm.
It was a pleasant surprise, both because it meant that Grandma Angela would live much longer and because Cherry came to warn her of danger. Danger that would be even easier to fend off with the power granted by the fourth realm.
"So what brings you here, Commander?" Cherry asked conversationally as she sat down.
"We were discussing the appearance of one of Big Mom's ships lurking in the waters around the island. I don't think anyone notable is aboard the vessel given how long it's been here since the first sighting, but even then it's a serious threat." Frowe didn't see the need to hide anything. He was only ordered not to tell the 'general public' to avoid causing a panic. Nobody told him not to say anything to pirates.
"No there isn't," Cherry said, as Grandma Angela came in with another cup and sat down.
"There isn't what, dear?" Grandma Angela asked, pouring some tea for Cherry.
"There isn't a ship belonging to Big Mom lurking around the island." Cherry said, accepting the tea.
"Of course there is. I have several sighting reports from marine patrol ships." Commander Frowe furrowed his brow.
"I see. So there aren't any Big Mom ships after all. That's good news." Grandma Angela apparently didn't hear him.
"I'm telling you…" Commander Frowe paused when he saw Angela's eyes flick knowingly at Cherry and back to him.
He looked at Cherry and saw one of her old smiles on her face, the kind she had as a child before working out a more pleasant one to use.
"Oh, I see. No Big Mom ships, huh…?" Commander Frowe swallowed dryly. "If you'll excuse me, I need to send an update to West Blue HQ."
Commander Frowe stood and stiffly marched out of the house, forgetting to even put his boots back on. He had to tell HQ that an emperor's ship was sunk off the coast of HIS marine base. That was even worse than spotting one nearby to begin with.