One Piece: Signing In as a Pirate Begins with Roger's Execution

East Blue.

Karl, accompanied by Mihawk, arrived at the Isshin Dojo in Shimotsuki Village to meet Koushirou.

The Isshin Dojo had only been established a few months prior.

Inside the dojo, only two individuals were practicing basic drills. There weren't many disciples to be seen, nor was there even a sign of the dojo's kendo instructor.

This left Mihawk feeling a bit disappointed.

He had expected the place Karl mentioned to be grand and impressive, perhaps even awe-inspiring.

Yet, upon arriving, he found it to be nothing more than a modest dojo with only two students.

"This is the dojo you claimed belongs to a kendo master stronger than you?

There are only two kids here, and no one else. Are you messing with me?"

Mihawk, naturally a man of few words, disliked speaking unnecessarily and often exuded a cold aloofness.

Even during their journey to this place, he had spoken sparingly to Karl, rarely initiating conversation.

Now, seeing the humble dojo—a small courtyard without even an instructor—he was utterly puzzled by Karl's intentions.

"That's odd. Normally, Koushirou should be here. Why isn't he around today?"

Karl scratched his head, puzzled.

He had already coordinated with Koushirou, planning to arrive in Shimotsuki Village during this time.

But Koushirou's unexpected absence left Karl feeling slightly awkward.

"Let's wait a bit; perhaps he stepped out briefly," Karl suggested, walking into the dojo's entrance with an air of mild embarrassment.

As soon as Karl stepped through the gate, the two children inside the dojo immediately noticed him.

They turned to face Karl and Mihawk, gripping wooden swords with wary gazes.

"Who are you? If you're here to ask my father to be your teacher, please wait outside. He'll be back shortly!" one of the children said.

"That's right! No strangers are allowed inside until Sensei returns!"

The other child, a boy with green hair, wielded two wooden swords and adopted a fierce expression.

Just then, Karl's system chimed in.

"Detected: Roronoa Zoro. Sign-in available!"

The notification confirmed to Karl that the green-haired boy was indeed the young Zoro.

As for the other child, based on her reference to Koushirou as her father, Karl deduced she was Koushirou's daughter, Kuina.

What surprised Karl, however, was that Kuina didn't trigger a sign-in prompt.

Perhaps it was because she was too weak? Or maybe due to her limited presence in the original storyline?

Karl speculated as much.

"Hmph! These two brats sure have some nerve!"

Mihawk scoffed coldly, paying no attention to the two children.

In his younger days, Mihawk was brash, arrogant, and full of pride.

Though he would mellow out as he became the world's greatest swordsman and aged into middle life, for now, his sharpness was unrestrained—even toward children.

Zoro, feeling the chilling intensity of Mihawk's gaze, instinctively stepped back, his legs trembling.

Kuina, however, bit her lip and took a bold step forward, raising her voice.

"This is my father's dojo! If you're here to challenge us, you'll have to get through me first!"

"Y-Yeah! You'll have to beat me first!"

Despite his quivering legs and stammering speech, Zoro gritted his teeth and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Kuina.

"They're promising prospects. Their potential won't be low," Karl remarked, his lips curving into a faint smile as he observed the two.

There was no doubt about their extraordinary talent.

If not for Kuina's untimely death due to an accident, her future achievements might have rivaled Zoro's.

As Koushirou's daughter, she had inherited her father's aptitude for swordsmanship and had consistently bested Zoro in sparring since childhood.

Her talent was undeniable.

Karl began to entertain the idea of sending her to Loguetown for further training. Doing so could prevent any accidents and simultaneously help her grow stronger—a win-win scenario.

"For their age, they're decent. But based on this alone, I doubt that so-called Koushirou is as impressive as you claim," Mihawk said with his characteristic pride.

In Mihawk's eyes, only the current world's greatest swordsman and Karl surpassed him in swordsmanship.

As for Koushirou, the man Karl spoke so highly of, Mihawk remained skeptical.

Karl smiled without responding and walked over to Kuina and Zoro. He gently ruffled their hair, calming their nerves.

"Don't worry. Koushirou and I are friends, and we're not here to cause trouble. In fact, we're here to introduce him to a new student."

Karl crouched down, removing his hand from Zoro's head after completing the sign-in, but kept his hand on Kuina's.

Pointing toward the icy, proud Mihawk, Karl whispered, "See that cold, arrogant, and self-absorbed guy over there? I want to introduce him to your father."

"Who are you? How do you know my father's name?" Kuina asked, tilting her head, her large eyes filled with curiosity.

"I told you, I'm a friend of Koushirou. My name is Karl," he replied.

"You're Uncle Karl?!"

Hearing this, Kuina's face lit up with excitement.

"Father talks about you all the time! I can't believe you're Uncle Karl!"

"Uh... could you call me 'Brother Karl' instead of 'Uncle'? Please?" Karl said with a pained expression.

"Does it really make a difference, Uncle Karl?" Kuina asked, tilting her head innocently, though the mischief in her eyes was unmistakable.

Karl sighed, realizing that Kuina had a streak of cunning behind her innocent façade.

"Fine, call me whatever you want. But where's your father? Why isn't he back yet?"

"Uncle Karl, please wait a bit longer. Father went to forge swords for Zoro and me. He should be back soon."

"You two are so young. Isn't it dangerous to handle swords already?" Karl asked, surprised.

Kuina, however, seemed unfazed.

"Father says that if I want to become the world's greatest swordsman, I have to start early.

As a girl, my strength is naturally weaker than a boy's, so I must train even harder from a young age!

I will claim the title of the world's greatest swordsman!" Kuina declared, clenching her tiny fists with determination.

Zoro, unwilling to be outdone, raised his hands and shouted, "The world's greatest swordsman will be me! No one can take it away!"

"Both of you, shut up! I'm the one who will become the world's greatest swordsman!" Mihawk retorted sharply.

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