Chapter 5: Revolutionary Army

A year had passed since Kuina's awakening, and during that time, Taiyo never stopped pursuing his goal of forging a Supreme Grade Blade. His swordsmanship continued to improve naturally, thanks to constant sparring with both Kuina and Zoro.

After witnessing their intense duels, Zoro began challenging not just Kuina but Taiyo as well. Taiyo took Zoro under his wing and started training him more seriously. He taught Zoro the fundamentals of Total Concentration Breathing and even created a custom breathing style tailored specifically to Zoro—Beast Breathing, a form that perfectly complemented Zoro's developing Three Sword Style.

While Zoro worked on mastering Beast Breathing, Kuina had fully mastered Water Breathing, reaching a level comparable to Giyu Tomioka from Demon Slayer. Taiyo, ever the analytical observer, inspected Kuina's body using his Transparent World ability. He was surprised by what he saw—her muscles had evolved.

They had turned into pink muscle fibers, an extremely rare physiological trait. These muscles allowed for enhanced oxygen efficiency, explosive strength, and precise control. This type of muscle was something Taiyo recognized—not from his current world, but from another anime he remembered from his past life.

Curious, Taiyo turned the Transparent World inward and examined his own body—something he hadn't done since unlocking the ability. To his astonishment, his muscles were entirely pink as well. Whether he had been born this way or developed them through years of dedicated swordsmithing and intense training, he couldn't say for sure. But it confirmed one thing—he and Kuina were no ordinary swordsmen.

Motivated by Kuina's growth, Taiyo attempted to teach her Sun Breathing, the origin of all breathing styles and the one he had mastered. However, he quickly realized that Kuina couldn't synchronize with it. It didn't resonate with her, and her techniques lacked the precision and strength she exhibited with Water Breathing.

Instead, Taiyo guided her toward Moon Breathing—a style one step below the Sun Breathing in terms of raw power but known for its finesse and devastating unpredictability. To his satisfaction, Kuina adapted to it seamlessly, her movements becoming more elegant, refined, and lethal.

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On a random day, Taiyo decided to return home earlier than usual, having run out of materials in the forge. Kouzaburou was still out purchasing supplies, using the profits they had earned from Taiyo's craftsmanship. His blades had become highly sought after—some even adopted as the standard weapons of entire kingdoms' military forces due to their exceptional quality.

As Taiyo approached the dojo, he immediately sensed something unfamiliar. A powerful presence lingered inside—one he didn't recognize. Alert, Taiyo instinctively prepared himself. His senses sharpened. For the past nine years, this dojo had been his home, and he was ready to defend it if necessary.

He quickly entered, scanning the area. The dojo was quiet—most of the students were on break. The unfamiliar presence wasn't coming from the training grounds or the dormitories. Trusting his instincts, Taiyo made his way directly to Koushirou's room.

Sliding the door open without hesitation, Taiyo was met with an unexpected sight.

Sitting calmly and engaged in conversation with Koushirou were three individuals Taiyo immediately recognized: Emporio Ivankov, Bartholomew Kuma, and the leader of the Revolutionary Army himself—Monkey D. Dragon.

All four turned to look at Taiyo. The room fell silent, tension thick in the air.

Dragon, sharp-eyed and always observant, focused on Taiyo with curiosity and something bordering on intrigue. He could sense the strength behind Taiyo's composed stance, and the readiness in his aura—he was prepared to strike if needed.

"Taiyo? Why are you back so early?" Koushirou finally asked, breaking the silence with his usual calm tone.

"I came back because Grandfather ran out of supplies," Taiyo replied evenly, his guard slowly lowering. "I didn't know you had guests. I'll leave you to your business, Father."

With that, Taiyo gave a respectful nod and quietly closed the door behind him.

Though he had never confirmed it, Taiyo had long suspected Koushirou's ties to the Revolutionary Army. After all, the day Kuina originally died in the other timeline, he had spotted Ivankov on the island. Still, he knew better than to interfere in matters that didn't concern him—at least not yet.

After Taiyo left, the four resumed their discussion about the Revolutionary Army and the supplies Koushirou had been providing. Their conversation eventually shifted to Taiyo, as Koushirou began recounting his son's incredible feats, particularly the breathing technique he had developed, which had since become the foundation of the Isshin Dojo's training method.

"You have a strong son," Dragon said, his voice tinged with genuine admiration. "Stronger than anyone I've ever seen at that age."

"You have no idea," Koushirou replied with a wry smile, before loosening his kimono. He opened it slightly to reveal a faded but deep scar across his side. "This scar hasn't healed properly. And it was caused by Taiyo—when he was just five years old, using a wooden sword."

"How?" Dragon asked, his eyes narrowing as he examined the wound. Ivankov and Kuma leaned in as well, both of them visibly surprised.

"I don't know," Koushirou said, shaking his head slowly. "He was born with an unparalleled gift for swordsmanship—and a body strong enough to match it. But that's not all. He also has an innate ability for healing. Kuina told me once that Taiyo saved her life by summoning a swarm of butterflies that patched up her wounds. She had been on the brink of death."

Koushirou leaned back, sighing. "When I confronted him about it, Taiyo admitted he could heal people—but only if their injuries pushed them to the edge of death. He said the ability wouldn't work otherwise, so he rarely uses it."

Dragon was silent, absorbing the information.

"You think it's a Devil Fruit?" Ivankov finally asked, glancing between Koushirou and the others.

"That's what I've started to suspect," Koushirou replied. "I haven't seen him swim yet. I warned him to be careful around the ocean just in case... but if it is a Devil Fruit, it's unlike any I've ever heard of."

The three of them fell into deep thought. They had studied the entire Devil Fruit Encyclopedia—the one compiled by Vegapunk himself before he was captured by the World Government. Every known Devil Fruit and its abilities were recorded in that volume, yet none of them could recall anything resembling the healing ability Koushirou described. That made them question whether what Koushirou said was truly the result of a Devil Fruit… or something else entirely.