Not long after—
In Ringo, Northern Wano Country.
High above a barren wasteland, the massive island-cloud Homie hovered in the sky.
El had declined Linlin's request to accompany him, instructing her to remain aboard Atlantis to protect the pregnant Gerd. Reducing his body to a compact three meters using Life Return, he spread his wings and soared downward.
Relying on the memories of the captured samurai, El already knew the location of the person he sought: the renowned Wano swordsmith, Shimotsuki Kozaburo.
Before a dilapidated swordsmith's forge stood a young woman dressed in a lavish kimono, her long jet-black hair framing her beautiful face. She bowed deeply before a man in his late twenties, his hair tied in a high ponytail, a smoking pipe held between his lips.
"Kozaburo, I know you're secretly planning to leave Wano, but don't worry—I won't tell my father... Please, take me with you!"
"Whoa, whoa, Furiko-sama," Kozaburo said, looking at the lady with an exasperated smile. "You're the eldest daughter of the main Shimotsuki family, heir to Ringo's daimyo, Shimotsuki Taro-sama. Your status is far too noble for me to accept such a request."
The young swordsmith, already recognized as one of Wano's finest due to his exceptional talent in crafting blades, spoke earnestly:
"Besides, hasn't your father arranged a perfectly suitable marriage for you? I recall it's with the heir of the Kozuki family, isn't it? Why leave such comfort to join us in what is bound to be a perilous adventure?"
He took a drag from his pipe and gestured at her.
"The seas beyond Wano are dangerous. One wrong step, and you could lose your life—or end up feeding the ocean itself."
For days, Kozaburo and a group of like-minded samurai had been secretly constructing a sturdy ship capable of long voyages to escape Wano's stifling borders.
To his dismay, the Shimotsuki family's young lady had discovered their plan and insisted on joining them, much to his frustration.
"You already know my dream is to become a powerful samurai," Furiko said passionately, clutching a katana tightly. "But my father has never allowed me to practice swordsmanship. If not for sneaking lessons with you, Kozaburo, I wouldn't even know the basics!"
Her eyes burned with resolve as she continued:
"Even if I marry the Kozuki heir, what then? This country is too closed, too oppressive... Why must women from noble families be confined to their homes, raising children and never stepping into the world beyond?"
Lowering her head, she bowed deeply again.
"I don't want to live a predictable life, where everything is decided before it even begins. I want to see the outside world. Please, Kozaburo, take me with you!"
Kozaburo froze, her words striking a chord in him.
He, too, yearned for freedom, unable to bear the constraints of Wano's endless rules and customs. It was this very desire that fueled his decision to leave.
Seeing the sincerity in her plea, he softened and was about to agree—
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something unusual approaching in the sky.
His face darkened, and he shot to his feet, pipe clenched tightly.
"What the...?"
"Hmm?"
Furiko, startled by Kozaburo's sudden shift, looked in the same direction.
Her delicate features froze in shock, her mouth gaping open as she stammered, "Someone's flying? Could it be... the legendary tengu?"
"Huh? What is that...?"
As they watched, a tall figure appeared in the sky, approaching at an astonishing speed.
This individual had a pair of black wings—not the decorative kind associated with tengu folklore in Wano, but real, functional wings enabling genuine flight.
"Whoosh!"
With a gust of wind, El landed directly in front of the forge.
Even after using Life Return to reduce his body size to three meters, his towering presence, combined with his black wings and the mysterious flames dancing behind his head, exuded an oppressive aura.
Both Shimotsuki Kozaburo and Shimotsuki Furiko felt an immense pressure radiating from him.
"Who are you?" Kozaburo asked, gripping the white katana Wado Ichimonji as he watched El warily. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as he felt the sheer power emanating from this man—an overwhelming presence akin to a primordial beast that made his instincts scream in fear.
"A man who can fly? Is he a sorcerer?" Furiko asked, visibly shaken.
"A sorcerer? Oh, you mean Devil Fruit users—your Wano term for them, right?" El raised an eyebrow and smiled at Furiko. "Well, I guess you could say that, but my wings are natural."
"Natural?" Furiko's beautiful face filled with astonishment, finding it hard to believe. How could anyone be born with wings?
"No need to be alarmed; I mean no harm," El assured Kozaburo.
He introduced himself: "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kukulkan El, and I've come from the outside world."
"Kukulkan El?" Kozaburo was stunned, unable to suppress his curiosity. "What brings you here?"
"Wait, you're from the outside world?"
Before El could respond, Furiko's eyes lit up. Believing his claim and sensing no ill intent, she hurried to his side, grabbing his coat. Her wide, eager eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked, "What's the outside world like? Tell me!"
"The outside world?" El raised an eyebrow and looked at her with amusement. Crossing his arms and stroking his chin, he began to describe:
"Outside, there's a place 10,000 meters beneath the sea called Fish-Man Island. There are also islands in the sky 10,000 meters high. Then there's the Sabaody Archipelago, formed by the roots of the largest Yarukiman mangrove trees protruding above the water, constantly producing bubbles.
"Some towns have waterways as their primary means of transportation, requiring boats or sea beast mounts for travel.
"The world is full of fascinating races beyond your kind."
He paused, then continued: "There are fish-men with scales, fins, and webbed hands, resembling humans in shape but with aquatic traits, and merfolk with human upper bodies and fish tails. There are Longleg Tribe members with legs twice as long as their torsos, and Longarm Tribe members with three-segmented arms.
"Snakeneck Tribe members have long, flexible necks that can stretch like snakes, and dwarves who are as small as a human's palm. Of course, there are giants, standing over ten or twenty meters tall. Then there are rare species like mine, born with wings."
"Wow! Really?"
"Unbelievable!"
Both Kozaburo and Furiko were stunned, overwhelmed by the fantastical wonders of the outside world—the exotic islands and the diverse races El described.
"As for why I'm here..." El smiled warmly. But in the blink of an eye, his towering figure appeared behind Kozaburo.
"So fast—!"
Kozaburo froze. Despite his skill, he couldn't react in time. His right hand gripped Wado Ichimonji, muscles tense as he prepared to draw. But something about El's aura stopped him cold—it was as if moving even slightly would seal his fate.
A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his back was soaked.
"Kozaburo!" Furiko cried out in alarm. She unsheathed her katana and faced El, her expression a mix of fear and determination. "What are you doing? Let him go!"
"Relax," El said calmly, retracting his hand from Kozaburo's head. "I told you—I mean no harm."
Using his advanced Observation Haki, El had already gleaned everything from Kozaburo's memories. He now understood the swordsmith's exceptional crafting techniques and the swordsmanship passed down through the Shimotsuki clan.
Stepping back, he casually sat on a nearby rock, his demeanor relaxed.
Looking at the wary pair, he chuckled softly. "If I wanted to harm you, do you think you'd stand a chance?
"I'm here for one reason: to learn from Shimotsuki Kozaburo, one of Wano's renowned swordsmiths.
"Because," he added with a smile, "besides being a swordsman myself, I am also a swordsmith."
"Huh?!"
~~~
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