Double or Nothing: Prologue [One Piece Kuina SI] (Patreon)

It All Started With a Dream

Shimotsuki Koushirou has always considered himself a just and fair man. As the master of a humble dojo in a peaceful little corner of East Blue, such traits was something that one develops when dealing with children. Too harsh and he’d built resentment. Too soft and he’d make them indolent. Gentle in guidance, but firm in teaching. It was a fine act, one which requires balance of not only one’s action but one’s self as well. Sometime however, he question himself if he was being too gentle when dealing with his daughter.

Taking a sip from his cup, he savored its delicate and subtle flavor while he breathed in its lovely scent. Jasmine is such a lovely flavor, both relaxing and soothing for one’s self. Sitting by the Veranda, watching the willow tree sway with the gentle wind and the soothing noise of water flowing in the pond below it, he found himself at peace.

With thick fluffy clouds rolling above the vast blue sky, the weather was just right. Neither too hot, nor too cold. Everything was just perfect, enough so that he almost forgot that his daughter was stalking him, ready to pounce at a moments notice.

“Kuina…” He whispered, frowning as he heard the floor board behind him creak ever so slightly, “You can’t keep doing this,” He scolded her as he set aside his cup before picking up the shinai he had made a habit of always being by his side.

“I can and I will!” Screamed his daughter as she dashed forward and let out a war cry, “Not until you promise to let me go!”

With a sigh, he turned around a raised his shinai, blocking the overhead strike his daughter made. He felt his lips twitch upwards as he felt his block gave way ever so slightly. Gritting her teeth in frustration, his daughter pulled back before charging in once more, delivering a cut from below. It was almost disappointing how telegraphed her strikes were.

He swung down hard to parry her strike and knock her weapon aside, that was what he thought until he felt nothing beneath the edge of his sword. Eyes widening, he had to lean back as Kuina delivered another withering strike from above; A faint followed by another overhead strike.

Seeing the sparkle in her eyes at her feat made it all the more painful that he had to take it away. Gaining distance, he then used his superior reach to deliver a quick and painful strike to her stomach. She folded over, the breath knocked out of her lungs before she dropped down on the floor, coughing and gasping for air.

“Damn it,” She gasped, clutching her stomach as she curled up onto herself, “I was this close!” She cursed, making his shake his head.

“No, no you were not,” He replied. With instinct borne from a thousand strikes, he sheathed his sword as he stared down at his beautiful, rebellious daughter, “You’ve grown in leaps and stride since then,” He told her, pausing as the bitter memory of almost losing her passed over him, “But you know that you’ll soon hit your limit, you can’t keep this up.”

“Just… watch me” His daughter breathed out, glaring at him with hate in her eyes. Through gritted teeth, she picked herself up, limping away as she promised him, “I’ll get off this island wether you like it or not.”

He watched as she slunk away, probably to her room to recover from it. It stung to see those eyes on her but this was for her own good. Eventually, she’d see reason. She had seen reason once, she’ll see it once more. This was just another bout of rebellion, a phase that she’d grow up with. After all, the accident wasn’t too long ago.

She was shaken by her near death experience, that was all. Gazing down, he found his white knuckled fist gripping on his shinai. He let go in surprise as he stared at his shaking hands. Shaking his head, he breathed in to calm himself. It seemed both of them were still shaken.

Hearing a floorboard squeak, he quickly reached for his shinai only to pause as he saw a familiar mossy mop of hair peaking out from the corner. “Ah, Roronoa-kun, it’s just you,” he sighed in relief as the once delinquent pupil peeked out in with concern all over his face, “It seems that you have something in mind.”

Retrieving another pillow, he set it down beside his seat as he beckoned him forward, “Come, join me,” giving him a reassuring smile, he then told him, “I find that conversations are best when you have something hot to drink.”

“I’m sorry for snooping around!” He apologized, bowing stiffly before he looked up cautiously. As he chuckled at the boys antic, his young student turned bright red as he shuffled forward before joining him in his afternoon tea.

Serving him some tea, the young man thanked him as both of them enjoyed the brew. It was quite funny seeing his companion make faces after taking a sip but it was welcome reprive for what happened earlier. Setting his cup aside, he then asked, “So, what do you have in mind? Today’s lessons have just finished and you’re not one to stick around.”

“Y-yeah,” The young man admitted before he added, “But it’s not like I don’t like your lessons! It’s just I need to get stronger to beat Kuina…” The boy then paused, going quite as he stared down at his cup.

“You’re worried about her,” He whispered, feeling weariness settle upon his shoulder as he recalled, “She’s doing better now, a far cry from how she was when she had that fall.”

Closing his eyes, he found himself reminded of how he found her unresponsive in the steps, clutching on to their families treasure blade, their head cracked open from what he assume was a fall. Feeling her warm blood in his hand and seeing inside her head, It was a wonder that she was still breathing when he held her and even more so that she held out long enough for a doctor to come look at her. It was a miracle by all account.

“You’re lucky that you found your daughter right after her fall,” Doctor Kureha told him, “and luckier still that you raised a fighter. She’s not going anywhere…” He recalled her words as well as how her face twisted to a scowl, “But she’ll need help especially after this. A blow in the head can change a persons, much less a cracked one. Be there for her when she wakes up.”

He let out a shuddering breath as he opened his eyes once more. A freak accident, one beyond anyone’s control, almost took his Kuina. She’s still so young, she has so much to live for. It was almost unfair but that was life.

Turning to Zoro, he found the usually tough kid on the verge of tears. With their fist clenched and resting on their knees, the boy whispered, “It’s all my fault” Sniffing and wiping at the tears threatening to spill down their cheeks, they cried, “If it wasn’t for that stupid challenge, she wouldn’t have been hurt,” Despite their best efforts, it would all be for vein as tears flowed freely, sobbing openly, “Maybe if I wasn’t so stupid then-!” only to pause as Koushirou cut them off.

Reaching out, he ruffled the boys hair, as he smiled at him, “It’s not your fault,” He reassured the boy as they looked back at him with teary eyes. Pulling away, he picked up his cup once more as he reminisced, “Even before the accident, she was always so willful and full of determination.”

His daughter’s relentless drive had always been there, from the first time she tottered towards him in her first step, to the time she took up the sword. “You know she trained relentlessly just to make sure you don’t beat her,” He then told him.

“She… she does?” Young Roronoa asked, wide eye in surprise.

“Indeed, especially since she knows she can’t keep up with you physically,” He replied, making the boy frown. It was one of the cruel realities of life. Despite her dream of becoming the best to ever wield the sword, it may be out of reach for her for she will always be at a disadvantage, one that would only grow as she grow up to become a fine young woman.

“Despite that however… she never lost hope,” He whispered, remembering the fire that lit up in her daughters eyes as she recovered, that need to achieve her dream burning with the intensity of the sun itself.

Smiling sadly, he then said, “She’s sees everything as a challenge,” he chuckled, remembering the times Kuina declared she was going to master the most mundane of things, “And she’s not not to give up so easily,” and often times, actually succeeding in being good at such things, “She’s still the same Kuina but…” He then sighed fondly as he looked up at the masterfully made wind chime blowing by the wind, a project of a grandaughter and their grandfather.

“This is not the life for her, never should have been,” He admitted. Of all the dreams she could have pursued, why did she have to pick the one that made him proud of her. Shaking his head, he finished his drink before setting his cup aside, “No matter, there’s still time to correct things,” he told young Roronoa as he got up, “She can be whatever she want, just not this…”

He onced dream of his children inheriting his dojo but if the price was for him to lose his only child, his only daughter? Then it was a dream that was not worth anything at all. He’ll do everything in his power to push his daughter away from this path… even if it means go against everything he and his wife stood for.

Gazing over to the boy, he found conflicting emotions painted across their face. Anger, confusion, worry and pain mixing together as he looked up to him. “But…” he called out before hesitating ever so briefly, “But that would hurt Kuina…” He told him.

Bitterness filled his chest at the truth in his words. “It will…” he admitted, knowing full well how it would not only make Kuina hate him even more but it might also break her, leaving her with nothing, “But it's for her own good,” He told himself as gazed up to find dark clouds gathering up in the sky. It seems that there will be stormy times ahead.

A/N:

New series commissioned from high tier patron. Going to be making 3 chapters before I go back to writing Seoul Kitchen. Expect more of this every end of the month moving forward.