Heiji let out a battle cry as he swung his kendo sword, before he panted in breath. The next big Kendo tournament was nearing, and he needed to be in the best shape in order to beat Okita, since the latter was levels ahead of him.
He let out a heavy sigh before he noticed someone staring at him at the door of the dojo. What made Heiji curious about that man was not just his green hair, but how he was holding three kendo swords on his left side.
Their eyes met each other, and the man smirked before he started leaving, just as Heiji recognized him; Roronoa Zoro, the World's Top Kendo Champion.
"Oi! Wait up!", Heiji cried as he rushed toward Zoro. This was a once in a lifetime chance, for him to learn from the world's best Kendoka.
"Hmm?", Zoro turned toward him.
"Yar Roronoa Zoro, aren' ya?!", Heiji cried eagerly.
"Who's asking?", Zoro grunted.
"Hattori Heiji, I'd like ya ta train me.", Heiji replied.
"So, that's why you looked familiar to me… I met your father before.", Zoro rubbed his chin before he shrugged, "No.".
"Why not?", Heiji asked confused.
"You're too weak for my liking to train. You call that a sword swing? I'm surprised you managed to win tournaments before.", Zoro scoffed.
Heiji frowned at being made fun of, so he said, "Den how about dis? I fight ya, if I win, ya teach me, if I don', I leave.".
"Do you truly know who I am kid?", Zoro snorted at Heiji's proposal.
"I do, but I also believe in my abilities, and yar an old man anyways so I can kick yar ass easily.", Heiji smirked.
Zoro blinked before he smirked, "Tomorrow, meet me at my dojo. Early morning, and we shall see.", He then handed Heiji a card with his address before he walked away.
The next day,
"It's been a while since you had a student.". Zoro glanced behind him at the woman who approached him while standing in his dojo.
"The last tough student I had was a woman who wanted to kick my ass desperately.", Zoro joked with a teasing smile.
"Because you me annoyed back then. Ironic how you made me fall for you later on.", She chuckled.
"If I recall well, I'm the one who fell first Tashigi.", Zoro replied.
Their small conversation was interrupted by the dojo's door opening and Heiji walking in in his Kendo attire, holding his own Kendo sword.
He seemed surprised to see Tashigi and said, "Aren' ya the famous Women Kendo Champion Kurosaki Tashigi?".
"It's Roronoa Tashigi now since I married this marimo here.", Tashigi nodded with a smile, chucking at her husband's frown.
"You just had to use eyebrows' nickname for me…", He grumbled.
Vinesmoke Sanji sneezed away from the kitchen counter before he turned back to continue cutting the potatoes.
"Are you sick today, Sensei?", Ran asked from where she stood at the oven. She was both his cooking and fighting student.
They'd start the day with her helping him and learning from him in his own restaurant, and then they'd go to his own dojo to help her perfect her kicking techniques.
"Nah, I think that marimo mentioned me.", Sanji grumbled.
"Roronoa-san? How did you know?", She asked curiously.
"I don't sneeze unless that guy calls me eyebrows, from how annoying he is.", Sanji continued before he shook his head and smiled at her, "Hurry up! I'd like us to finish early today.".
"You've got a date again, don't you?", Ran deadpanned.
"Oh, Ran, if only you could see how beautiful my wife is!", Sanji exclaimed with hearty eyes before he pulled out of his pocket a picture of him and his wife, and their 7-year-old son that resembled him but had orange hair, "This is my beautiful wife; Nami! And our handsome son Rokuji!".
"You're the biggest simp I've ever seen.", Ran mumbled before she smiled, "But they do look cute.".
"Nothing is wrong about simping for your girl.", Sanji pointed out.
"Alright then, are you two ready?", Tashigi asked as Heiji readied his sword while Zoro pulled out only one of his swords.
"Ready.", Both chorused.
Tashigi glanced at them before she took a step back and cried, "Hajime!".
Heiji charged first with a battle cry and swung his kendo sword sideways, but Zoro raised his own to easily block it, before he front kicked Heiji in the abdomen.
Heiji's eyes widened as he let out a grunt, being pushed back many steps away.
He was surprised by the man's shear strength, and he looked up at him, but his eyes widened once he saw Zoro right in front of him, and the next thing he knew was that Zoro's kendo sword was slamming him into the chest.
Heiji let out a cry of pain as he fell on his back, and he aimed to stand back up, but he felt Zoro's kendo sword on his neck.
"Stay down.", Zoro ordered.
Zoro expected Heiji to remain down but he was surprised by Heiji pushing the sword aside before he got back up, and shot his kendo forward toward Zoro's chest, but the latter evaded it at the last moment.
Heiji then took a jump back before he rushed again, this time his sword clashing with Zoro's.
"Impressive. I expected you to stay down, looks like you might be something after all.", Zoro smirked.
"Ya think I'm gonna stay down from just one attack? I'm not da type of person ta give up!", Heiji cried determinedly.
Zoro chuckled before he broke the clash and said, "Fine, I'll train you.".
"Alright!", Heiji exclaimed happily just as Tashigi walked toward Zoro.
"He reminds you of yourself when you were his age, doesn't he?", Tashigi chuckled.
"We were all hotheaded back in our teenage years, ten years ago.", Zoro shrugged, "How's Kuina?".
"Our little girl is spending the day at Nami's house.", Tashigi chuckled at Zoro's jealous frown.
"You know I don't like how she likes Vinesmoke's son…", Zoro grumbled.
"Rokuji is a polite one, but I find it cute how he finds Kuina better than money, just like how his mother thinks about his father.", Tashigi commented.
"Sanji… Rokuji… Vinesmoke have a weird choice of names…"
Two weeks had passed since then, with Heiji training everyday with Zoro, and now he was facing Okita in the finals of Kendo Tournament.
He looked up at the crowds to see his parents there, with Kazuha too, cheering for him, and that's when he saw Zoro arriving with his family.
"Roronoa-san, I haven't seen you since the last time we met during that case.", Heizo greeted Zoro once he sat with Tashigi and Kuina next to the Hattori family.
"Nice to see you again, Hattori-san.", Zoro nodded with a smile.
"I still can't believe ya trained Heiji!", Kazuha exclaimed.
"He's got talent.", Zoro nodded.
"Be quiet! The fight's about to start and I want to watch!", Kuina cried from where she sat between her parents. She resembled her mother but without glasses.
"We've got a kendoka in making here.", Tashigi joked.
"That's my kid.", Zoro said as he ruffled his daughter's hair before everyone walked ahead to watch the match.
"Hajime!", The referee cried.
Heiji remained in his position while Okita charged forward and swung his kendo sword diagonally, but Heiji raised his own to block it.
Okita tried to strike again sideways, but Heiji blocked it again.
Okita frowned. He was always faster than him but then Heiji became the faster one, as whenever Okita attempted to do an attack, Heiji would easily block it.
Okita took a few steps back before he charged toward Heiji and jumped, aiming to slam his kendo sword down at Heiji, but Heiji moved out of the way and once Okita landed on his feet, he let out a cry of pain once Heiji's kendo sword slammed into the back of his neck.
Okita fell on his face before he stood back up quickly, grabbing his sword, but he ended up receiving a strike into his chest, one that made him fall onto the ground, and before he could get back up, Heiji had placed the sword at his neck.
He had won this fight, and this tournament, effortlessly.
"Congratulations.", Zoro said as he approached Heiji, who was being surrounded his family and Kazuha.
"You were awesome back there!", Kuina exclaimed.
"Thanks, Kuina!", Heiji smiled widely before he turned to Zoro, "I couldn' have done it without ya, Zoro Sensei.".
Zoro smiled for a second before he became serious, "You've got a week to rest only.".
"Wait what?", Heiji said quizzically.
"I didn't help you so you could win just one tournament, you have the potential to be the best Kendo practitioner in Japan…", He then raised an eyebrow, "Unless you don't want?".
Heiji blinked before he smirked, "I'd love that, Zoro Sensei!".