Chapter 9 – Johnny and Yosaku
Volta didn't feel that Dirt deserved its name. The old frontier town wasn't really that filthy, at least compared to Rivertown, and it had a lot going for it. The river itself ran right beside it, and dozens of trees and bushes dotted the landscape around the buildings, far more then there had been in the desert-like valley they had just crossed.
"I wonder if this is a mining town," he said to Zoro. "This land won't grow anything."
"I believe there's a few shafts in the mountain over there." Zoro pointed it out, looming large in the distance, surrounded by what looked like hills of stone. No, Volta realized, more like waves of stone, in an ocean of land. One of those waves rose above the town proper, its flattened top encircled by a ring of fence. Within sat two large brick buildings, their roofs a bright green, an old shack right beside them.
"What's in those?"
Zoro squinted. "Storehouses, I believe. For the wintertime. I hear this place gets bad winters. Kajiya's house lies beyond it, on another outcropping."
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Several kids were playing within the trees on the edge of town, as another dust storm swept in. It was a small one, and the children knew what to do, tucking their mouths and noses into their shirts and covering their eyes with their hands.
It only lasted a minute, and when it ended, the kids opened their eyes. Where there had been an empty road, two men walked forward. One had green hair and three swords at his side, the other had pale skin and black tattoos, and a funny hat on his head.
But they both had the same ragged clothing, and the same dangerous look in their eyes. The kids hid behind a tree, terrified…except for one.
"So cool," young Harry whispered, his own eyes filled with stars.
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Further away from the town, but well within sight of it, the Infamous Mountain Whale observed his target, his sixteen loyal minions flanking him.
"Gargargargargar! They led us straight to Dirt!" Dick grinned maliciously. "I can just make out their storehouses! Come on men, let's circle around the town and take to the cliffs! By the time they realize what's going on, nothing will be able to stop us! Get the cart ready!"
"Hey Dick, I think yer brother Billy said he'd be in town around this time," one of his men reminded. "We should meet up with him."
Dick frowned. "Ya know I love me little bro, but the punk skipped out on us during our last rob! I gotta stick it to him, or he ain't gonna learn."
"So we leave him alone?"
"Gargargar! Billy's a strong punk, and his guys have bounties too! Who has the guts ta mess with three bounties? He ain't got nothing ta worry about in this town!"
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If Rivertown borrowed from the Wild West tradition, Dirt embodied it. Horse-drawn carts, spurred boots, aproned storekeepers dusting their front steps. A big old clocktower in the town center, but no fountain. Not enough access to water, most likely.
They attracted little attention as they made their way through the town, though Volta got more than a few double-takes as he strode down the dusty road. A duo of bloodied cowboys sailed out a saloon door, laughter erupting from inside. The hunters helped them to their feet, only for them to go rushing back in, fists clenched and teeth barred. Volta turned around just in time to see them get thrown out again.
"Pride's a big thing out here," he commented.
"Pride's a big thing no matter where you go," Zoro replied. "Without pride in oneself, one has no honor."
"Depends on the pride," Volta countered. "Pride in one's abilities is fine, but pride in yourself can lead to arrogance. Which leads to defeat."
Zoro nodded. "True. I suppose you wouldn't consider pride a value in your former line of work."
Volta shrugged. "It depends. I didn't take pride in my kills; no assassin that does lives long, for precisely the reason I just explained. But I took pride in my stealth."
"But since your stealth was in service to killing," Zoro said. "Wouldn't you have no pride in that either?"
"Connected things, but different things. Technically, this job is connected to killing too."
Zoro nodded, a frown twisting his features. "Yeah…"
"You alright?"
The swordsman paused, then nodded. Then paused again. "Well…yes and no. I'd never taken a life before the Bowi Family debacle, and it felt…odd."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…" Zoro rubbed his temple, trying to find the right words. "I cut off a guy's hand, and then I slashed up a few more, and then I realized that I'd killed them after the fact. That never really happened before. Sometimes I've had trouble controlling my strength…that's why we're going to Kajiya in the first place…but not with people."
He sat down on a rock and put his head in his hands. "Have I grown so strong that I can't control my swords anymore? Have I lost the ability to keep myself in check? I feel like there's something wrong with these hands, these arms. Like I can't steer them the way they're meant to be steered."
Volta frowned. "I think you're overthinking it. Strength can be controlled; in fact, aren't you controlling it right now, by not crushing your head with your hands?"
He sat down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Zoro, when you kill someone, it rattles you. Some get so rattled they go to pieces, and others only get rattled enough to know what they've done. And of those, some kill again, and grow less rattled, while others never do so because they know they'll be rattled more. Violence is like everything else in this world; different for different people."
Zoro nodded. "I guess I'm more rattled then I thought I've be. I always knew I'd have to kill someday, but when that day came…it was only then that I realized how much I didn't want it to happen."
Volta nodded. "You don't strike me as the kind of man that really tries to kill every time he fights, because that's not your goal, right? You only mean to win."
The swordsman shrugged. "I only use what I need to overcome my opponents. If they die from my strikes, they die…except now a few really are dead. I guess, it's that reality I'm trying to come to grips with."
"I understand." And he truly did; he remembered, distinctly, his own first kill. Perhaps, someday, if he worked up enough courage, he'd tell Zoro about it. "But daylight's wasting, and I'd like to see if this Kajiya guy can tell me a thing or two about my sword."
Zoro sighed, getting up from the rock and stretching his back. "Always on to the next thing…not one to stand still, are you?"
"Not at all," Volta smirked. "I'm a man of movement. Why do you think we've had so many adventures since you met me!"
Zoro grinned. "Things were certainly more boring when you weren't around. Come on, let's go."
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They found Kajiya far to the west of Dirt, his house upon another wave of rock. A large staircase had been hewn out of the side, miniscule compared to the Tamago Kingdom's but still a chore to climb.
His house, save for its slanted roof and big chimney, gave Volta an eerie sense of nostalgia. It reminded him of the blacksmith's house from Minecraft, a game so lost in the past he could only scarcely remember its blocky, endless world. But the wooden beams, great stone furnace, and scattered chests and tables recalled the classic design to him.
The front porch took up a good portion of what lay under the roof, a workshop without walls to let the great heat of the furnace out. Barrels full of swords lined the edges of the space, cutlasses and katanas and rapiers, even a few spears and axes. A warhammer rested against the side of the house proper, one side badly dented and crusted with something brown.
Kajiya himself was hammering a broadsword into shape as they arrived. He heard their approach and turned with a smile. "Zoro! I know the sound of that stride like the back of my hand now!"
"I suppose carrying three swords would make for a distinctive stride," the swordsman grinned. "I come bearing bad news."
Kajiya groaned, setting his hammer aside and standing. A short man with large lips and bigger eyes, his face drenched in sweat and teeth clenched in a grimace. He wore a blue yukata with gray pants, head covered by a kanji-laden bandana. "Don't tell me you've gone through another two."
"Oi, what's with the lack of confidence?! I'll have you know that they're still intact!" Zoro unsheathed his black-handled blades, handing them off to the blacksmith. He held them carefully, eyes running over their lengths like a renowned jewel inspector. He scoffed and tossed them into a tray of sand near his barrels. The swords shattered upon impact, stunning the hunters.
"No amount of skill would have fixed those!" Kajiya admonished. "I'm surprised they didn't snap when you pulled them out of their scabbards!"
Zoro stared at his ruined weapons solemnly, his face twisted with frustration. For a moment, Volta feared he would cry. He didn't, instead pulling out his three scabbards, discarding the black ones and handing over the white. Kajiya unsheathed Wado and examined it, eyes staring harder than before. He nodded. "Not bad. But not good either. It doesn't get as much use because it's the one in your mouth, not to mention it's of Great Grade, but you're too reckless! If it had been a normal blade, it would have been in poor condition for sure!"
Volta had never seen anyone dress down the swordsman so brazenly, and to his shock Zoro didn't fight back.
His shock only grew as he bowed before the irate blacksmith. "I'm sorry for my recklessness. I promise it won't happen again."
"That's what you said last time," Kajiya grumbled. "But I guess I can't complain, what with all the money you've brought in. Geez, who would have thought settling so far from town would be a bad idea for business…"
He hung Wado on the wall. "Come back in three hours, and she'll be right as rain again. And for the love of…uh…oh, I didn't see you there."
"HOW COULD YOU MISS THE HAT?!"
"Name's Damian Volta," Zoro introduced for him. "He's my apprentice."
"Apprentice?!" Kajiya squawked. "Are ya shitting me?! What are ya teaching him, how to break swords faster?"
Zoro turned red. "Er…we're doing strength training right now."
"Language," Volta mumbled.
"Shingshingshingshingshing! You youngsters are nuts!" the blacksmith laughed. "Zoro, ya better learn ta not break your blades if you wanna take on this guy! Speaking of which, does he have a blade in need of repair as well?"
Zoro nodded. "Volta?"
He pulled the pin out and vanished, and Kajiya's jaw cracked the floor. He returned with his rapier, and his jaw proceeded to smash right through it. "BLITZEINSCHLAG!?"
Now it was Volta's jaw's turn to break the floor. "GERMAN?!"
Zoro sipped a cup of tea. "More mysteries."
Kajiya threw his hammer at him. "STOP DRINKING MY TEA!"
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They were all drinking tea a minute later, sitting cross-legged upon mats on the porch.
"The Meito System," Kajiya began. "One of many world-changing things to emerge from the land of Wano. It was there that swordsmanship reached its zenith, becoming not just a form of battle, but a form of art. One that birthed many of the greatest blades known to man."
He pointed at Zoro's white scabbard; blade tucked neatly within. "Wado Ichimonji, Ō Wazamono. Translated from Wano's language, it means Straight Road of the Harmony, of the Great Grade. A magnificent blade."
Zoro nodded. "My master never told me how he obtained it. But he taught me several sword techniques he claimed originated from Wano."
The blacksmith stroked his scruff. "I see. Koshiro was his name, yes?"
He nodded again.
"Interesting…regardless, how much do you know about the Meito System?"
"I know the grades and their numbers," Zoro answered. "But the names slip away from me…all but one. The blade of the man I've sworn to defeat."
"Yoru, Saijō Ō Wazamono," Kajiya intoned. "Night, of the Supreme Grade. Which brings me to my second point regarding the Meito System."
Volta listened intently, notebook out and pen at the ready.
"The people of Wano created the first set of Meito blades," Kajiya explained. "Several for each of the four grades, Supreme, Great, Skillful, and Fine. Seventy in all! But over time, other countries began to follow Wano's lead and create stunning blades of their own, which were added to the Meito System. Now there are twelve Supreme, twenty-one Great, fifty Skillful, and a hundred and eight Fine."
"Making a hundred and ninety-one," Volta concluded. "I already knew that my blade was of the Great Grade, but I didn't know its name. Could you say it again?"
"Blitzeinschlag," Kajiya intoned. "Of the Great Grade."
"Der großen Klasse," Volta muttered. "And Blitzeinschlag is…" He paled, the translation turning his veins to ice.
"What's wrong?" Zoro asked, looking concerned.
"Lightning strike…" Volta whispered. "Bloody hell, it's all connected. Every last bloody thing adds up…"
Kajiya scratched his head. "Zoro, is he alright?"
Zoro smirked. "Nope."
"I'm still here," Volta mumbled, but he barely heard himself speak. The sheer insanity of what had happened to him came crashing down all over again, his very understanding of the universe dying and rebirthing as he tried to comprehend the connections between everything he had gained.
He had entered this world through a lightning strike.
Now he had a sword called lightning strike.
Ravens on his back and on his belt. What did they mean?
"Oi, Volta! You're starting to freak me out."
The pale hunter blinked, returning to reality. "Sorry, I was lost in thought."
"That's only to be expected," Kajiya continued. "For this blade to fall into your hands is a miraculous occurrence, one that requires much contemplation."
"What country was it made in?" Volta asked.
The blacksmith pursed his lips, scrunching up his face in thought. "I…cannot remember. Certainly, somewhere in the West Blue; they favor rapier there."
Volta considered this information carefully. He tried not to get his hopes up, but in his mind, there was only one possibility. Austria lived on, buried under the fantasy that enveloped this world. If he found this country, somewhere in the West, would he even recognize it? How deep did the inspirations run, or were they mere bones for Ogo to construct his setting around? Wait, was the author's name Ogo? Damn, he had forgotten again.
"Stranger and stranger and stranger," Volta murmured. "Always stranger. Sometimes I wonder if it's too strange. If I've hit my head and am in a dream, imagining all of this."
Zoro cleared his throat. "Volta, we'll probably be staying here while Kajiya works. Think you can find a bar? I want to talk with Kajiya some more."
Volta nodded, the task easing his troubled mind. Something to do would help him think. "Sure. We should probably pay him first."
"Shingshingshing, no need for that," he chuckled. "This job would usually cost yer arms and legs, but a chance to work on two Great Grade swords at once? I should be paying you."
The swordsman gaped, disbelieving. "Seriously?!"
"But only this once!" Kajiya immediately added. "I make enough to do a few pro bonos here and there, but you better be prepared to bleed the next time you come in with busted swords, Zoro! You're a remarkable fighter, but you must learn to control your strength!"
The swordsman blushed, thoroughly chastised. "I understand. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
Kajiya turned to Volta, looking him over from head to toe. "Your posture and muscles are all wrong for a swordsman; you look like a martial artist, so you should be fine without your blade for a while. But as for you, Zoro…"
He reached over and pulled a katana from a nearby barrel, a simple weapon with a simple wooden sheath. It didn't even have a guard. "Use this. You'll probably wreck the damn thing, but it's an old blade, not good for much anymore."
Zoro bowed in gratitude, taking the sword and setting it at his side. "I'm grateful. We both are."
"Enough with the thanks!" Kajiya cried. "You'll drown me in them!"
Volta stood up, bowed once more, and left with the hat, and the money within. A cheap bar; shouldn't be hard, in a place like this.
Zoro watched him disappear down the stone steps, toward the town beyond. He sighed wearily.
"He troubles you, doesn't he?" Kajiya's good cheer dissipated, leaving only somberness. "The way you look at him…you fear for him, don't you?"
Zoro nodded. "Yeah. More than I care to admit."
The old blacksmith took a long sip of tea. "I've never seen markings like those before. Nor such a dismal sense of fashion. But the look in his eyes…I am all too familiar with it."
"He came from a country called Austria," Zoro explained. "There was a war there, that lasted ten years; he was a part of it."
Kajiya gasped. "At such a young age? Heaven above…"
"I doubt he was in it from the beginning, or he would have been eight," Zoro reasoned. "But his adolescence…I can't even imagine what he must have seen. What he must have done. He escaped when he realized it would never end, but his past haunts him. It…might have even broken him."
Zoro blinked rapidly, the sudden up-welling of grief taking him by surprise. Kajiya took notice. "How long have you known him?"
"I met him on the fifth," he replied. "We've been together since then."
"Not even two weeks," Kajiya said. "And yet, you feel so strongly for him. Good on you; there's a kind heart in that warrior's body of yours. Don't lose that, no matter how much you fight and bleed."
Zoro winced. "Kajiya…since last we met, I've taken a life, for the first time. Three, actually, maybe more."
If these words shook the blacksmith any, he did not show it. He took another sip of tea. "How did they die?"
"They tried to rob Volta and I, as well as others. They were drugging people, but we faked taking the drink, and caught them by surprise. I…" Zoro paused, the memories flashing so brightly that he could see them with his eyes open. "I sliced off one of their hands and cut down two others. And I continued to cut down these bandits, until Volta killed their leader and the Marines swept them away."
Kajiya sighed. "I figured that this had happened. I could tell from the look in your eyes. They don't shine as brightly anymore."
Zoro gulped. "What…what do you mean?"
The blacksmith leaned in; his own eyes sharper than the blade on his wall. "Listen closely, Zoro. The path you have chosen to walk will dull every eye that looks upon it. Can the dulling be reversed? No. Can it be renewed? Perhaps. How can it be renewed? That is up to you to find out. But do not think yourself a monster, for that is far from what you are. You will only become one when you purposefully seek out the death of others. So, ask yourself this, Zoro; did you seek out the deaths of those men?"
The swordsman did not hesitate. "No."
"Did they deserve death?"
"…they butchered innocents."
Kajiya leaned even closer. "Do you think that they deserved death?"
Zoro bristled. "What the hell are you trying to say? That I was right to kill them?"
Kajiya finished his tea, and with startling speed thumped Zoro on the head with his cup. "You moss-headed fool! This isn't about what I feel, or what I think! I'm asking you because you and you alone must decide if you were wrong or not! This isn't about justification; it's about acceptance. You killed murderers, and you feel remorse. Now you must decide if you will continue on your path, even though it may mean you will have to kill again."
Zoro nodded, trying to digest the man's words. "I cannot abandon my path. And I do not seek out the deaths of anyone on that path, not even that of Mihawk. I merely wish to defeat him."
Kajiya nodded. "Some consider death and defeat to be the same. And some do not. I'm glad you are not the former. The world would be a better place without those that intend murder."
Zoro finished his tea. "Yeah…it probably would be."
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A good saloon wasn't hard to find, and the one Volta chanced upon looked promising. W Brothers was a small but well-kept joint, a smattering of tables before a wooden bar. A large barrel dominated the wall behind the counter, and a strange decoration flanked its right side. It looked like a glass bottle with horns growing out of it.
The place only had five customers at the moment, three men at a table and two more at the bar itself. One of the former was freakishly tall, his hunched, gray body wrapped in bandages and a large jacket. He had bicycle pads on his knees and shoulders, though Volta could only imagine how he'd get a bike through the valley, and a poorly stitched scar ran across his forehead. His gaunt face was bright red, and the dozen or so bottle before him explained why.
"We're gonna drink every bit of liquor in this joint!" he laughed, tongue flailing wildly outside his mouth.
"Oi, Billy," one of his equally shady companions said. "How many places you gonna ruin before you've had yer fill?"
"How should I know?" Billy crowed, spit spraying from his chapped lips. "We're loaded boys! Gyahahahaha!"
Volta was almost positive they were bandits, but he needed a wanted poster for confirmation. He spied the two men at the bar reading one, and walked around the table to get a better look.
WANTED
DEAD OR ALIVE
BILLY "THE HACKER"
฿ 5,000,000
If you encounter this individual, do not attempt to engage unless you are a marine, a World Government employee, or a registered bounty hunter or privateer. If capture is successful, turn into your nearest local Marine or WG facility. Rewards for dead bounties will be reduced; the specific amount varies per area.
MARINE
"Ffffphahahaha!" Volta's laughter cut through Billy's own. He turned to stare at the pale, strangely dressed man.
"Hey, what's so funny?" he said. "Well, other than your hat! What you trying ta be, a pretty-pretty princess? Gyahahahaha!"
Volta boggled at him, then started laughing even harder. Which only made Billy laugh harder. Soon his two companions were laughing as well.
"I'm sorry," Volta giggled, wiping a tear from my eye. "I do look silly, don't I?"
"You bet!" Billy roared. "But I can dig it! I like you man! Want a drink on me?"
Volta shook his head, still chuckling. "No, I've got my own money. And I'm gonna have more when I turn you in."
"Gyahahahahaha, damn man, that's…wait what?"
With frightening speed, Volta grabbed the heads of the two companions and smashed them together. Stupefied, Billy instinctively reached for his sword, grasping its handle at the same time Volta's foot connected with his face. Half his teeth flew out in a spray of blood, and he sailed right through the window behind him, taking out some of the wall around it with his bulk.
"Ah!" the bartender cried. "My wall!"
Volta smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I'll give you the bounty money so you can-"
The crunching of wood was his only warning. Volta reached up and took out the pin, disappearing into his hat just before Billy's sword bisected him. The hat fell to the ground, rolling onto its side. Billy leaned down, even more confused then before. "The fuck?"
"Language."
Volta's fist shot out of the hat like a rocket, right into Billy's wrapped stomach. He doubled over with a groan, making him the perfect target for a jaw-shattering uppercut. The bloodied bandit's head smashed right through the ceiling, his limp body swinging like a pendulum. It looked like something out the Looney Tunes, Volta noted with amusement.
"Aaaah, my ceiling!"
Volta pulled down the unconscious bandit. "Sorry about all that sir. I promise I'll repay you."
"Not so fast!"
"Don't even think about going through those doors!"
The two new voices belonged to the men at the bar, who had jumped off their stools to glare at the pale hunter.
Now that Volta really looked at them, he saw their outfits were quite stylized. One wore a sleeveless longcoat similar to his own, but it was light blue instead of black, and had no spikes on its shoulders. Underneath he wore a dark pair of jeans and a red tanktop with kanji on it. He sported a buzz cut topped with a bloodred mohawk and a pair of thin sunglasses. Volta noted the flat-tipped sword within his right hand.
The other man looked almost military in his dress; from his boots to his jacket, his colors were perfect for camouflage, save for the red armbands he sported. But his long blonde hair, shaggy and unkempt, was anything but. His sword, identical to the other man's, lay within the grip of his left hand. Volta tensed ever so slightly; their nearly synchronized stance spoke of a long partnership.
"You a bounty hunter?" the mohawk man asked.
Volta nodded. "That's right. I saw the poster you were looking at, and…oh, I stole your target, didn't I?" He felt even more sheepish then before.
"That's right," the mohawk man confirmed. "We had first dibs on this guy. He was our prey!"
"But bro," the blonde man spoke up. "Didn't you say that if we fought him, even we'd lose by a hair?"
"It's the principle of the thing, Yosaku!" Mohawk man exclaimed. "And furthermore, look at all the damage you did to Willick's bar!"
"That's an excellent point," Yosaku agreed. "We didn't want to make any trouble for the pub, so we were waiting for him to leave. And now look at the place!"
Volta looked at the hole in the wall. Then at the one in the ceiling. Then, remembering Zoro's example, he bowed before the bartender. "I humbly beg for you forgiveness in damaging your property. I promise to pay it back with the money from this bounty."
The bartender opened his mouth. "Apologies won't fix up this place!" Mohawk man interrupted. "Even with the money, it'll be weeks before this guy's place is running like it used to! Have you no respect for the rules of bounty hunting?"
Volta frowned. "I wasn't under the impression that there were rules."
"They're our rules," Mohawk man stated. "If you're gonna be a bounty hunter in these parts, you have to abide by them."
Volta narrowed his eyes, barely suppressing a sigh of annoyance. "Alright, Mr…."
"Johnny," Mohawk man said. "Just call me Johnny."
"Alright, Johnny. What are your rules for engaging with bounties? I'd like to hear them."
Johnny held up three fingers. "First off, first come first serve! Second off, no damaging property, third…hm, well…the third one is more complex…"
"It sounds to me," Volta smirked. "That you have no rules at all and are just complaining about being too slow."
"Slow?!" the two hunters cried in unison.
"You're right about the bar," Volta admitted. "I was careless, and that got me in debt…again. But calling dibs on a criminal is about as sensible as writing your name on one. What if I had respected your silly rule, and this fellow here had gone outside and immediately killed the first person he saw?"
The hunters paled; the idea clearly hadn't even crossed their minds.
"Now, would that have actually happened? Unlikely. But it could happen. If you force other hunters to back off and then do nothing yourselves because you're afraid to lose, then that's the same as telling the criminal to do what he wishes until you've worked up some courage. If you work up some courage."
"He's got a point," Willick spoke up.
Yosaku's eyes bulged, lips working but making no sound. On the other hand, Johnny frowned in thought, considering the merit of Volta's words. "You're right," he finally said. "Calling dibs is a lousy way to protect the people. I feel ashamed."
"There's no reason to," Volta said with a smile. "No harm was done. Just don't use that BS on other hunters. Instead, try being more proactive." And with that said, the otherworldly man left the bar, grimacing under the weight of the massive bandit.
"…proactive." Johnny repeated, scratching the side of his buzzcut.
"Johnny, look!" Yosaku cried. "He left us Billy's two minions!" He searched through the posters, until he found theirs in the very back. "They're only worth a hundred thousand each, but berries are berries. Let's turn them in!"
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A passing sheriff was more than glad to take the two unconscious criminals off their hands. The first hunter had already deposited Billy and was nowhere to be found. "Turn in these tickets at the World Government facility in North Cozia," he drawled. "It's a walk, but you'll get yer money with no delay." He walked off toward the town jail, the defeated upon his shoulders.
"We did it!" Yosaku cried. "We finally got two bounties at once! And we didn't even need to put ourselves on the line, not even a hair! Isn't that lucky of us?"
"…sure." Johnny still looked thoughtful, something Yosaku wasn't used to.
"Hey, what's on your mind bro? Did that guy bum you out?"
Johnny didn't respond for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose with a grimace. "Yosaku…why did you become a bounty hunter?"
His partner blinked. "Why, to eat of course. It's a living."
Johnny nodded. "A fair reason. But for me…well, I'm sure I've said this already, but my village where I was born was really poor. Even so, the bandits in the area still attacked it often, as well as the other poor towns around it. And when they did, the only people that stood in their way were the bounty hunters that came for their heads."
He took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes, letting himself be carried away on the winds of memory.
Fires everywhere. The robbery was complete, and now, with time to spare, the bandits began to burn. Smoke and screams filled the air, but louder still rang the bandits' laughter, cutting through the anguish like a sword through the innocent.
And then, a real sword pierced the laughter, and turned it into cries. Flashing through the night, cutting just short of deadly, a figure blitzed the burners, shattering their swords and snuffing their torches.
Little Johnny's fear turned to awe, as he blurred across the grass, a shadow without sound. And in minutes they all lay on the ground, defeated, bloodied, broken.
An explosion rocked the town then. Little Johnny would later learn that the firework shop had gone up, and that none were hurt. But in that moment, all he saw was the light, as it shone around the hunter, illuminating him in all his glory.
A man dressed in the primaries, blue tunic over red shirt, golden cap engraved with a strange symbol. His leather gloves and belt were worn but regal, his buckle gleaming in the light of the flames. In his right hand he carried a broadsword, longer then Johnny was tall, hilt gold, blade silver, marked with words he couldn't read.
But it was the man's face he remembered clearest. Rugged and handsome, the face of a warrior, one from the ancient stories from the first century. His eyes were like steel, the eyes of a bird of a predator, but when they landed on little Johnny, a kindness took form within them. He smiled softly, turned away and walked into the dimming light, never to be glimpsed again.
"Deep down in my heart, I wanted to be just like those dashing men," Johnny whispered. "The ones that challenged the bandits and fought for justice." He wiped a tear from his eye and returned his sunglasses to their rightful place. "I thought to myself that, someday, I would take down bandits myself, and be like those men that saved me when I was little, fighting for justice and the protection of the weak."
He sighed heavily, slumping back onto his stool. "It wasn't until much later that I learned they collected bounties as their profession. And that some hunters are too scared to confront the monsters that roam this sea."
Yosaku blew his nose. "That…what was beautiful. It's not like you to get so sentimental."
"That guy put a mirror before me," Johnny said. "And when I looked into it, I didn't like what I saw. Dammit all, when the hell did I lose sight of myself? When did I abandon my passion in favor of lethargy?"
He jumped up, eyes blazing. "Damn the rules I made, and damn my own cowardly hide! Next time we see a baddie, to hell with the bounty, let's go for it! Besides, I'm sure we can win against most of these guys anyway!"
"Even if it's by just a hair?" Yosaku asked tentatively.
"You bet!" Johnny cried. "But damn, I'm all fired up now! I feel ready for anything!"
BOOM!
The sound of a cannon resounded throughout the town. The two hunters whirled at the noise, just in time to witness a stream of people running past them. "Run, run!"
"Oi!" Yosaku cried out. "What's going on here?"
"The Dick Bandits are attacking!" one of the fleeing citizens explained. "They're here for our storehouses!"
"What!" the two hunters cried. Yosaku flipped through the posters, until he found a matching name.
WANTED
DEAD OR ALIVE
DICK
฿ 10,000,000
If you encounter this individual, do not attempt to engage unless you are a marine, a World Government employee, or a registered bounty hunter or privateer. If capture is successful, turn into your nearest local Marine or WG facility. Rewards for dead bounties will be reduced; the specific amount varies per area.
MARINE
"He's a big-leaguer!" Yosaku cried. "He's worthy ten million berries!"
"Ten million!" Johnny gulped nervously, remembering one of the old sayings his grandmother had always said to him.
Be careful what you wish for.
He gritted his teeth. "Come on Yosaku! A promise is a promise, let's take this guy down! Even if it's only by a hair!"
Yosaku unsheathed his sword. "That's right!" They ran toward the column of smoke, determined to bring down the Mountain Whale.
The citizen had spoken true. On the wave of rock where the storehouses stood, Dick had made his move. His first shot had blown away the two old guards of the storehouses, and how he aimed for them directly.
BOOM!
The door exploded into a shower of splinters, the entire structure trembling from the blast.
"Gargargar, snap it up men!" Dick laughed. His men rushed forth through the smoke, toward the slightly singed boxes and barrels within. They grabbed everything they could, backward toward their fearsome leader, piling it before his feet.
"What a good shot boss!" one of his lackeys crowed.
"Gargargar, as always," Dick agreed. "Look at this haul! They were hiding quite a bit, weren't they? Is the cart through the mountain pass yet?"
"Almost boss!"
BOOM!
Another shot tore open the entrance of the second doorway, and before the dust had settled the bandits rushed in, laughing as they partook in the spoils.
Dick sneered at the helpless onlookers behind the fence, watching with wide eyes. "What's with the people of this town?" he sneered. "They're such cowards; don't they have the guts to put up a decent fight?"
The Mountain Whale was no philosopher, but on occasion he liked to voice his crude ideology, if only to bolster his own ego. "I guess they're smart, in a certain sense," he rambled. "There are those who take and those who get taken from, and you're either one or the other in this day and age. Gar, I suppose being weak is a crime all by itself, defiance the tool of a fool in the face of strength! Gargargargarga-OW!"
A sudden pain flared up in his knee. Eyes bulging with rage, he looked down to see who had dared strike him. It was a little boy, a mallet in one hand and a saw in the other. He wore a painted breastplate over his normal clothing, and a flat-topped hat with a blue bow.
"So, there is a fool here…" Dick glowered.
"Gi-give back our food," the kid stammered. "We all worked hard to store that stuff up! You've got to right to-"
SLAM!
"Harry!" one of the onlookers cried, as the kid flew across the sparsely grassed rock.
"I guess," Dick laughed. "There will always be those that fly in the face of my entirely logical reasoning! You've got guts kid, but you ain't got the strength to beat me!"
"Damn you!" Harry bellowed, before charging after him again.
"Stop!" cried the onlooker, but to no avail; the young lad would not be deterred.
This time he went for the leg with the saw, but Dick kicked him in the gut, sending him sprawling backwards. Before he could stand, a large boot slammed into his armor, winding him.
"I'm not so monstrous as to kill a child," Dick chuckled. "But teaching one a lesson? I'll be sleeping like a baby tonight!" He stomped on the kid's chest, over and over, denting in the H on the armor's center. "One more ought to wrap this up!" he laughed. He raised his foot again.
With a cry of rage, Johnny barreled into him, knocking him back. Stunned, Dick nearly lost his balance, twisting around to get both his feet on the ground again. "The hell you think you're doing?" he sneered. "Who are you two?"
Johnny grinned, unsheathing his dadao. "Just a couple of bounty hunters, looking for our next meal. And this case, that's you!"
"Bounty hunters!" Dick growled. "You scum are always after my head! I've got no patience to fight a couple of scrawny mountain-cats like you today." He laughed disdainfully. "Though, if you want money, I'll gladly give you a thousand berries worth of charity."
"We don't want it!" Yosaku exclaimed.
"That's right!" Johnny grinned. "We just feel a little bit like being champions of justice today." He turned toward the kid, who was just getting to his feet. "Sorry we came so late bud. Get out of here, we'll handle this."
Harry nodded, and ran off toward the shed.
"Champions of justice!? GARGARGARGARGAR! Are ya stuck in the past!? There's no such thing as justice or evil in this day and age!" Dick smiled at his own insightful words. He was on a roll today! "The mighty prevail! That's the way of the world!"
Yosaku turned red. "How dare you question our resolve! Why…just today, we turned in a five million berry bounty!"
Dick's laughter died instantly, his face going white. "Five…million?" he breathed
Johnny was just as surprised by the lie as the bandits were, but his shock quickly turned to confidence. If the bandits were intimidated enough, they might surrender on the spot, or at least back off from their raid.
"That's right," he reaffirmed, giving Yosaku an grateful look. "We kicked his ass so hard that his two men fainted from the horror! He's on his way to the Navy right now! Do you want to end up the same way?"
Dick stared at them, incomprehension written all over his face. "You took down Billy?"
"That's right!" the hunters said in unison.
And with this final, false confirmation, the Mountain Whale snapped. "YOU BASTARDS TOOK DOWN MY SWORN BROTHER?!" he roared. "HOW DARE YOU! I'LL BLOW YOU INTO FUCKING BITS!"
Two jaws hit the ground. "WHAAAT?!"
BOOM!
.~===)==============={%}
Volta stopped in his tracks, looking behind him. What was happening back there? It sounded like cannon fire.
"Hm, probably testing out some new gun," he concluded, before resuming his ascent up the stone stairs. Soon he was back on Kajiya's plateau, the sound of a hammer ringing in the air. Zoro stood on the plateau's edge, holding his borrowed sword in both hands. With no hesitation, he swept the blade through a pile of rocks he had assembled, cleanly cutting five of them without a trace of dust in the air.
"Ah, Volta!" Kajiya came running out, Blitzeinschlag in his hands. "I've finished your sword! There was little wear; whoever had it last took good care of it."
Volta pulled in halfway from its scabbard, admiring the sharp gleam of its edge, and the fresh polish of its handle. Even the little pearl on the end had been cleaned. "It's beautiful work," he complimented. "At least, I think so. I don't know much about swords."
Kajiya smile. "You'll learn all you need to know in good time." He moved his hands down the scabbard, toward the thick block of gears and metal at its end. "In truth, while the sword itself was a joy to work on, the scabbard fascinated me the most. The previous owner modified it into a slug-firing shotgun without compromising the integrity of the shaft, by melded the chape to this large chamber."
He flipped it over, showing Volta the underside of the block. Kajiya pressed down on it, and part of the side popped up, revealing the magazine loading port within. "I'm not sure what kind of bullet it uses," he confessed. "Guns aren't my specialty."
"The work you did on the sword is why we came here," Volta replied. "Thank you so much for your service."
Another boom sounded in the distance, another puff of large smoke snaking into the sky. "What's going on over there?" Volta asked.
Kajiya spat onto the rock. "The Mountain Whale is back," he growled. "A bandit worth ten mil, leader of the largest pack in this part of Cozia."
Volta frowned. "Zoro, are you familiar with Dick?!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized his horrible error, but Zoro's face betrayed nothing. He took the corresponding poster from his haramaki and handed it over. Volta had seen the picture in passing, but he studied it carefully now.
Dick had a leering, blocky face, a nose long and hooked, and the most bizarre hairline the young hunter had ever seen, jagged lines running down his forehead and up his chin from his beard. His close-cropped hair swept into three squiggly points, something Volta reminded himself to poke fun at when he fought him later.
Part of a large cannon lay upon his shoulders, and not for the first time he wondered how such accurate pictures were taken of these fearsome fellows.
"Zoro, I still need more time with Wado," Kajiya warned. "You'll have to make do with that longsword."
The green-haired swordsman grinned. "That's not a problem at all. I'm trying to take your advice to heart this time; how does this look?"
Kajiya inspected the blade, and his eyebrows rocketed into his bandana. "For a sword that's been slicing rocks for an hour, it's not that bad. But you've got a ways to go."
Zoro nodded, and the two ran to the steps, swords in hand.
"Try to return that one whole!" Kajiya called after them.
Zoro smiled, tying the black bandana around his head. "Will do."
.~===)==============={%}
To the bemusement of everyone they've met, Johnny and Yosaku had a habit of declaring their future victories and defeats 'by a hair.' While a silly phrase, it served a valuable purpose; giving the duo the illusion of strength. Whether they lost or won, it would always be a battle hard fought, one where each side had to struggle to win.
This illusion took a bit of a beating that afternoon, along with the two men who sustained it. Time and time again, Dick mercilessly pummeled them, throwing kicks, slaps and punches like they were fastball specials. They had managed to dodge the cannon's deadly shots, but this time quite literally by a hair; Yosaku's blonde locks had been singed, Johnny's Mohawk halved in height.
The citizenry watched in dismay. "Dammit," one cried. "It's no use! He's too much of a match for them!"
Harry watched in silence, teeth gritted in anger.
"What the hell is this?" Dick scoffed. "Are you really the ones who took out my bro?"
"Well…not really," Yosaku admitted, blood dripping down his chin. "But we would have if we had fought! I'm sure of it!"
"Then why the hell were you bragging about it?!' Dick snarled. "You just made your situation worse for yourselves! My relation to Billy is common knowledge around these parts." He smiled maliciously. "I should have known when I landed my first punch; you two are weak. Too weak to beat down my bro."
"Shut up!" the hunters cried, reclaiming their dadao from the ground and charging once more.
But Dick had had enough. He threw his hardest punch yet; Volta would have decreed it a megaton. Blood flew from the hunter's mouths and they were sent flying backwards across the dust and dirt.
"Really," Dick said ruefully. "You're relentless you two. But I've got you in my sights now." He hoisted his cannon, aimed at the badly weakened bounty chasers.
"STOP!" Harry raced across the field, standing in the path of Dick's aim.
"Hey!" Johnny cried. "Don't try and stop him!"
"You should listen to the weaklings," Dick rumbled. "Do you really want to die this badly, ya snot-nosed brat?"
Harry paled at the darkness of the cannon's barrel, now pointed directly at him. He fell to the ground, knees trembling so fast they practically vibrated.
"Gargargar! That's what I thought!"
"Dick," one of the bandits began, running up to his leader. "We've finished loading the cart with all the loot."
"Then let's pull out of here," Dick commanded. "No point in picking on weaklings."
"Wait just one minute!"
The Mountain Whale rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, you know how this will go! Just give it a rest! You've worn me out, and I've gotta break my bro out of wherever they've got him. He's got claustrophobia, a real bad case."
"I DON'T CARE!" Johnny cried. He looked toward the frightened Harry, his battered armor a testament to the harsh reality of battle. But it was his eyes that pained him the most, and made him remember. Remember how he had felt when he was a child, hoping for a hero to save the people he loved, and the meager fruits of their labor. That hero had come, but he wasn't here for poor Harry. Who would take his place?
"You stop right there, criminal!" Slowly, Johnny got to his feet, Yosaku helping him up. "We may have lied about Billy, but I'm not lying now, when I say we've turned in dozens…no, hundreds of bounties by a hair, and even some by a clump of hairs!"
"That's right!" Yosaku cried. "If we let you escape, it will shame us for generations to come! And right when we've found new resolve to fight with!"
"It's not worth it," Dick hissed. "You'll never win."
Johnny bowed his head, blood dripping onto the ground beneath it. "Maybe we won't earn anything…but nevertheless, there are times when a man has to stick to his beliefs, and fight no matter the cost! I won't let a generation of kids see the villains of this world rampage unopposed!"
"You're insane," Dick growled, teeth clenched and eyes twitching. "Neither of you will be long for this world if you keep believing shit like that!"
"We knew that when we started!" Johnny retorted.
"Men!" Dick roared. "Beat these fools until they can no longer stand!"
"Yeah!" the bandits cried, swarming the two hunters without hesitation. "Come and get it!" They grabbed them by the arms and laid into them, punching and kicking with the fevered energy of a violent mob.
Poor Harry got knocked aside, sent sprawling in the dirt near the fence. He sat up with tears in his eyes, watching in horror has his would-be protectors were pummeled by the looters. He jumped to his feet and tried to run back, only to get jerked by a hand on his arm. He looked behind him and gasped.
The two strange men were right behind him, the one with green hair holding him in his grip. Harry's shock quickly turned to anger, and he tried to rip his arm away. "What the hell do you two want?! Let me go! They're in there fighting for me!"
"If you feel like fighting," Zoro intoned. "Think about your situation first. What can you do with the power you've got?"
The question gave Harry pause, as he pulled his hand away. He looked back to the hunters, watching helplessly as they received a face full of fist. They flew across the ground, collapse like puppets with severed strings.
"Please," Harry cried. "Help them. I know you guys can do it!"
"Don't worry," Volta said. "We will."
Dick sighed. "You poor fellows. There isn't a spot on your faces that hasn't been messed up. Well, it's about time we finished this. It won't gain me a cent to kill you two, but I might as well. Consider it your fate, for being born the weaklings you are. The bitter fate that comes of trying to take the head of the great Mountain Whale." He smiled morosely. "Boys, send these fools into the next world together."
One of the bandits picked up Johnny's dadao, while another did the same with Yosaku's. "Sayonara suckers!" one cried, and they swung in unison.
"NOO!" Harry cried.
CLANG!
Two clashes reverberated throughout the land. Where Zoro and Volta had been, a dust cloud now rose, causing the young boy to cough even as he smiled with joy.
"That's enough, don't you think? Zoro questioned, his sword blocking Yosaku's. "This fight was over a long time ago."
"Yeah," Volta concurred, Blitzeinschlag deflecting Johnny's blade with ease. "This is just overkill."
Johnny raised his head, staring at Volta through swollen eyes. "Hey…you're that guy from before."
"You took my words to heart," Volta smiled. "Good for you. Sorry it turned out so poorly." A novice in the sword he may have been, but he didn't need training to know how to knock a sword away. The bandit fell back, Johnny's dadao clattering to the ground.
"It looks like I'm going to be stealing your prey once again though. Zoro, you handle the mooks…I'll cut down the Dick."
"Got it." With far more grace then Volta, he too knocked Yosaku's sword out of the hand of its user, right into his own. He leaned over and picked up Johnny's. "Hope you don't mind if I use these for a minute."
"Johnny nodded. "Sure. But how are you gonna fight with three-"
Zoro put the longsword in his mouth, and the bloodied hunter paled. "I-I know you!" he cried.
"Yeah, I do too!" Yoasku exclaimed. "You're that guy we've heard so much about! The inventor of the Three-Sword Style, the scourge of crime everywhere in the East!"
The shouted in unison, loud enough for all to hear. "The Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro!"
The reaction was immediate. The gathered bandits, eighteen strong, whipped out their swords, forming ranks against the young man. Volta could see the fear in their eyes. "Damn, I didn't know you were this famous."
"Neither did I," Zoro said. He grinned maliciously. "It feels good to be feared."
"Ho, so this is the fabled pirate hunter?" Dick questioned, a smirk on his lips. "Well, even if you are, you can't defeat all my men at once, not even with three swords! You'll never reach me."
"Using three swords," Zoro intoned. "Is not the same as using Three-Sword Style." He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He felt the muscles in his arms, bulging with power, and ever so slightly he loosened his grips on his blades. "Use all of their power," he whispered. "Use all of your power. But do not break the blades."
"Three-Sword Style you say?" Dick mocked. "Why, how bout a demonstration! Get him!"
The bandits charged, a dozen and a half katanas bearing down on the green-haired teenager.
None came even close to hitting him. Like a coiled spring, Zoro shot through their ranks, twisting and turning with expert precision. He sliced through muscle and flesh, but not too deep, and not too long. With a flash he blasted through them, sending their unconscious bodies flying into the air. A dozen swords snapped in two; the other six shattered completely.
"Incredible!" Johnny cried. "He took them all down at once!"
"Outstanding!" Yosaku cried.
Zoro looked at the dadao in his hands. They vibrated ever so slightly, but neither broke, or even looked chipped. "Alright," he muttered. "Progress."
"Watch out!" Harry cried.
Zoro's eyes widened; he had grown distracted. He looked up to see Dick's barrel pointed right in his face.
Volta flew across the battlefield, slamming his foot into Dick's cannon just as he pulled the trigger. The explosion was deafening, the force of the blast knocking Zoro backwards. He gasped in pain, his left cheek burned and his shirt aflame.
"BIG BRO!" The hunters cried.
"Damn, you made me miss!"
"That was the point," Volta growled. "Hey kid!" He tossed his scabbard to Harry, who caught it clumsily.
"You think you can defeat me?!" Dick roared. "Eat this!"
But Volta was already charging. He held his sword awkwardly to the side, hoping to slice into Dick's arm. But the large bandit was prepared for such an attack and leaned away from the strike, knocking his cannon into the blade. Blitzeinschlag cut through the barrel, both fighters jumping back to keep their distance.
"Gargargar, now you have missed!" Dick laughed. "Prepare to die!" He turned the gun around and pulled the trigger.
BOOM!
The explosion was loud, bright, and right in Dick's face. The cut had compromised the gunpower chamber, just like with Walkway's revolver. But this was a hundred times worse; shrapnel flew everywhere, slicing into the bandit's face, arm, and neck. One piece in particular flew downward, almost too fast to see, right into…
SHUNK!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! MY DICK, MY DIIICK!"
"NOO!" Harry cried again, but now for a very different reason.
"Damn…" Zoro breathed. "That's bad."
The hunters shivered where they lay, slowly curling into balls, while the gathered citizens watched in shock. "Boo!" one of them cried. "Low blow! Booo!"
The crowd soon followed his example, booing and thumbs-downing the pale hunter, while Dick continued to howl.
Volta walked over to him, face filled with regret. "That was not intentional. I'm so, so-"
"GOTCHA BITCH!" Dick slammed his massive fist into Volta's stomach. He flew into the side of the storehouse, coughing up blood along the way.
The Mountain Whale pulled the piece of shrapnel from his leg. "That was close," he squeaked, sweat pouring down his face. "Far, far too close…but it missed by a hair."
"Hey, that's our line!"
"BOOOOO!"
"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" Dick roared. He grabbed his ruined bazooka, tearing the barrel off. The jagged edges of the metal gleamed in the sunlight. "Time to put an end to this, once and for all!" He reeled back his arm, ready to throw it at the stunned bounty hunter.
"ONI GIRI!"
Three large cuts opened up on the Mountain Whale's body, and just like his men, he flew into the air. The barrel fell from his hand, and he collapsed to the ground, defeated at last.
Zoro smiled. "Still not broken. Progress indeed."
"Roronoa!"
He turned, the two hunters right behind him. Battered, bloodied, and shaking though there were, the look in their eyes was one Zoro could respect. It was the look of the determined.
"Roronoa Zoro, please allow us to join you," Johnny asked, left fist under his chin.
"We are a special bounty hunting unit," Yosaku continued, right hand stroking his stubble. "We were a bit cowardly before, but we've decided to go all out from now on. We're already fearsome enough to take down anything below your level, by a hair of course."
"Names?"
"I'm Johnny," the one with the mohawk said.
"I'm Yosaku," the one with the blonde hair said.
Zoro smiled. "You two have guts, I'll give you that. But you could use some training." He pointed at Volta, slowly climbing to his feet. "That idiot doesn't know the first thing about swords," he stated bluntly. "And quite frankly I think I can handle only one student right now. But if we run into you again in the future, you'll have my sword."
"You'll have mine as well," Volta gasped, lurching over to them. "Damn, I think that bastard cracked one of my ribs."
Johnny bowed to Volta, Yosaku quickly following suit. "Thank you for your advice," he said. "It helped remind me of why I'm doing this in the first place."
"Me as well," Yosaku chimed in. "From now on, we'll devote ourselves to victories by a hair, not defeats!"
"And thank you all for defending my town!" Harry cried happily. "If it weren't for you guys, we'd be starving within a week!"
"That's right!" a random citizen added. "We found the cart full of our food! We need that for the winter!"
Volta sighed. "To think that this bastard would have condemned so many…" He kicked Dick's burned, slashed-up face. "How many more bandit groups are out there, amidst the mountains and valleys of Cozia?"
"Many," one of the townsfolk answered. "But none quite as strong as Dick."
Zoro laughed. "Then cleaning up the rest shouldn't be a problem at all!" He spotted the cart, overladen with the fruit of the people's labor. "Say, mind if we barrow that?"
The citizen looked confused. "It's Dick's, so you can have it, but what for?"
An evil smile crossed Zoro's features. "I have a few…training ideas I'd like to use it for."
.~===)==============={%}
"Faster, faster!"
"This…huff…is not…huff huff…how I wanted…huff…to spend…"
"Less talk, more pull!" Zoro commanded. "Faster!"
The cart was perfect for travel over the rocky ground, carved ridges covering the wooden wheels. Volta cursed those wheels with his every free breath, as he pulled it toward Kajiya's house upon the plateau. At a sprint. With Zoro standing in it.
"FASTER!" Zoro shouted. "Up the stairs, up the stairs!"
And up the stairs they went, Zoro laughing the whole time. "I thought…huff…you wanted…huff…to train me…huff…not work me…to death!" Volta tried to say more, but his legs failed him, and he collapsed into the cart.
"I see you've begun training him," Kajiya snickered.
"The best swordsmen can handle anything," Zoro intoned. "Under any circumstance." He took a sip of tea, and placed Volta's cup on his chest.
The blacksmith took Wado off the wall, handing it over the swordsman. "I suggest you get two new blades quickly," he advised. "If you wish to battle Volta with all your strength."
"I won't need all my strength. Just enough to get the guy to a basic level of swordsmanship." Zoro frowned. "We turned in Dick, so we have money to spare when it comes to buying new blades."
Kajiya smiled. "Then I wish you luck. Farewell, Roronoa Zoro. The next time we meet, I hope you do not bring any more broken blades to my shop."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that anymore," Zoro said with a smile. He looked toward the town, and then toward the valley beyond. "Alright Volta, your rest is over!"
"Zoro!"
He turned.
Kajiya waved. "I have faith in your dream. If anyone can become the greatest swordsman, it's you."
Zoro smiled. "Thank you."
He pulled the cart down the stairs this time, Volta resting in the back. They traveled around Dirt this time, toward the solitude of the great valley.
