After Dante shattered his worldview, making him understand the vast, ocean-like gap between himself and the true pinnacle of swordsmanship, Zoro felt a brief wave of despair. But he quickly pulled himself together, making a solemn vow that one day, he would surpass Dante.
He issued a formal challenge to the phantom World's Greatest Swordsman, aiming to claim the absolute peak for himself. His will remained as steadfast as ever. He had been beaten down since childhood, yet he refused to yield.
Later that afternoon, Luffy enthusiastically challenged Dante as well. Figuring he might as well be efficient, Dante took down both Luffy and Helmeppo in a single, sweeping strike.
Both boys crashed into the dirt, groaning. "Is the World's Greatest Swordsman really that strong?"
But Luffy didn't give up either. Just like Zoro, he swore he would send the World's Greatest Swordsman flying one day. After all, he was the man who would become the King of the Pirates.
The unwavering determination of his two friends inspired Helmeppo. Seeing them refuse to abandon their dreams helped him shake off his fear and regain his own confidence. The three of them stood up together, shouting that they would venture into the Grand Line and force the World's Greatest Swordsman to draw his real blade.
They were so fired up they were already impatient to get back to the construction site and resume their brutal physical labor.
Dante didn't stop them. Watching the spirited, purely shonen scene, he cheered them on personally. He also formally invited Zoro to join the Marines.
Just as expected, he was flatly rejected.
Before Luffy could shout that Zoro was going to be his pirate crewmate, Zoro stated that if he stayed at the Branch, he would forever remain in the shadows of Dante and Kuina. He would never have the chance to forge his own legend and cross blades for the ultimate title.
Gripping his new swords firmly, Zoro left behind a fierce "I'll be back!" and marched out of the 16th Branch with his two friends, preparing to catch the morning transport ship.
Garp and Kuzan planned to leave the following day as well. Instead of requisitioning a warship, they opted to travel on the civilian transport ferries with Luffy's group.
Garp planned to visit Foosha Village, with his rare vacation time, he couldn't pass up a trip to his hometown, still pondering on whether he should have another party on his grandson's savings.
Kuzan, on the other hand, had come to the East Blue to investigate the "Devil's Child." He couldn't stay lounging at the base forever. Taking the slow civilian ferries allowed him to observe the drastic changes Dante had brought to the East Blue firsthand.
Dante was left standing in the courtyard, waving goodbye with a perfectly practiced smile, while Kuina snickered behind his back and Mihawk stared at him in exasperation.
"Is it really acceptable to manipulate your kouhai with such blatant lies?" Mihawk asked.
"Ah, I didn't expect even you to misunderstand my noble intentions!" Dante sighed dramatically.
'Noble intentions, my ass,' Mihawk thought bitterly. 'Like hell I believe a word you say.'
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The year-end banquet and the impromptu competition had successfully concluded. Although the holiday wasn't over yet, Dante had serious administrative matters to attend to.
With the foremen and managers from the various islands gathered, as the boss behind the scenes, he had to make an appearance, motivate his subordinates, and outline a profitable future. Quite a few influential business partners had also requested private meetings.
For instance, Matt, a vital financial partner of the 16th Branch, came specifically to visit.
Recently, his beloved daughter had caught the attention of a certain "loafer" (Ussop) in their village, giving the wealthy merchant a massive headache. His repeated attempts to interfere had only caused Kaya to resent him. Worried about his daughter's future, Matt hoped Dante could recommend a prestigious medical teacher, allowing her to study somewhere safe, far away from the bad influence. Perhaps once she saw the world, she would understand her father's protective intentions.
As for the "loafer" Matt mentioned, Dante knew exactly who it was.
While everyone else in the crew was carving out bright futures, Usopp had somehow managed to maintain his canon reputation as the village idiot. Honestly, Dante wasn't entirely surprised. After looking into Usopp's recent behavior at the factory, he couldn't blame Matt for panicking.
A kid who only knew how to lie and brag, constantly chatting during shift hours and skipping work to play sniper... A guy like that suddenly getting close to a wealthy heiress? What father wouldn't intervene? After all there are many stories of wealthy heiresses ruining the families because of scummy son-in-laws.
Moved by Matt's earnest pleas, Dante introduced Kureha to the distraught father. Whether the arrangement succeeded was up to Matt's negotiating skills.
But it seemed to have worked flawlessly. Matt left the base in extremely high spirits. Whether he had simply paid an exorbitant tuition fee, or if Kaya's genuine talent had won Kureha's approval, Dante didn't pry. In short, Chopper was getting a kouhai, and Usopp's childhood crush was being sent overseas to study.
Following the meetings, Dante delivered a rousing speech to his island heads, outlining the development plan for the coming year: expanding production lines, breaking into the Four Blues and Grand Line markets, and constructing new forward operating bases. Finally, his schedule cleared.
--**--**
The following morning, Dante stood at the bustling docks to see his guests off.
Almost everyone was currently buying tickets for the ferries to return to their hometowns or deployment zones. To avoid logistical hurdles, the Conomi Islands administration had temporarily added several new commercial routes.
Not only were Luffy, Zoro, and Helmeppo preparing to leave, but Kureha, Chopper, and Sanji were also departing.
The previous night, Zeff had settled the Baratie's catering wages with Dante and immediately placed an order for a custom dessert-themed vessel at the Kuma Shipyard. Baratie had wanted to expand their fleet for some time, and the massive payout from the Marine banquet gave them the exact capital they needed.
The shipyard took the commission incredibly seriously. It was their first major external contract. With massive bonuses on the line, Franky pounded his metallic chest, guaranteeing he would build a revolutionary, super-powered gourmet ship.
Dante knew exactly why the cyborg was so fired up. Franky had planned to win the Premium VIP card to fund daily trips to Romance Dawn. Thanks to the Straw Hat Team's sabotage, he had lost. To fund his nightlife, Franky was determined to earn every single Berry of this new commission.
Sanji, on the other hand, walked up the gangway looking thoroughly depressed and listless. He had finally obtained his dream VIP card, only to be forced to leave the island after enjoying it for a single night.
But that wasn't the most dramatic scene at the harbor.
What made Dante truly exasperated was the sight playing out at the end of the pier.
A long-nosed teenager was sprinting frantically after a passenger ship that had already pulled away from the dock, with look of absolute grief and indignation.
"Kaya! Kayyaaaa!"
The sight of the wailing sniper was truly enough to make onlookers break down in tears of secondhand embarrassment.
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