Thou Shall Not Die

Taiyo then took a look at the remaining Devil Fruits inside the treasure chests. After some thought, he decided to give one of them to Kuina, while the other two would go to Huginn and Muninn. Both of the ravens had proven themselves to be incredibly capable companions, and with the powers granted by these fruits, they could become even more powerful and useful for the future.

The three Devil Fruits in his possession were:

Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Nue — A Mythical Zoan-type fruit that allows the user to transform into a Nue, a chimera-like creature from Japanese mythology. The Nue has the head of a monkey, limbs of a tiger, the body of a tiger, and a snake as its tail. This form also grants the ability to control basic weather elements such as rain, hail, and tornadoes, as well as the elemental forces associated with them.

Mure Mure no Mi (Swarm-Swarm Fruit) — A Paramecia-type fruit that allows the user to establish a hive-mind with swarms of creatures, enabling shared perception and communication, particularly through sight and spatial awareness.

Wapu Wapu no Mi (Warp-Warp Fruit) — A Paramecia-type fruit that grants the user the ability to teleport themselves and others to any location they've previously visited.

"Kuina, you can have this," Taiyo said, handing her the chest containing the Tori Tori no Mi, Model: Nue. He believed it suited her well. She had always wanted to become stronger, and Taiyo was confident that her unwavering desire to be the world's strongest swordsman would allow her to master even a Mythical Zoan fruit—possibly even awaken it.

"Huginn, eat this," Taiyo commanded, giving the Mure Mure no Mi to Huginn. Among the two ravens, Huginn was the more intelligent, already leading a growing flock that had now reached the thousands.

"Huginn, make sure to connect with Muninn and the rest of the flock. This way, we can maintain a scouting network across the region. And if I command it, I want you to link their vision to me. Understood?"

Huginn gave a confirming caw before flying off with Muninn to begin integrating the swarm.

Taiyo then turned toward Kuina, who was still staring at the Devil Fruit in her hands, clearly conflicted.

"Kuina," he said gently, "if you don't want to eat the Devil Fruit, I can imbue its power into your sword. That way, you'll still gain its abilities without losing your ability to swim. The choice is yours."

After a moment of hesitation, Kuina handed the Devil Fruit back to Taiyo. She had made up her mind—not to rely on shortcuts in her path toward becoming a swordsman.

"You don't have to give me the Devil Fruit, brother. I'll rely on my own efforts, so that even if I fail to achieve my goal, I can say I gave it everything I had—without shortcuts. I don't want to sully the hard work I've already put in," Kuina said firmly.

Taiyo accepted the Devil Fruit without protest. He knew Kuina was stubborn, and once she made up her mind, there was no changing it.

----------------------

After a week, Kuina's training had paid off. Though she declined the Devil Fruit, she had grown far stronger through relentless practice alone. As it showed in her strikes, she carried the weight and precision of a warrior twice her age, forcing Taiyo to match her intensity in every spar. But instead of worrying about being surpassed, he welcomed the challenge—confident that, should they ever set sail, both Kuina and Zoro would survive any storm.

That afternoon, Taiyo was sparring with Zoro and Kuina in the dojo yard. Kuina wielded the katana Taiyo had forged for her, each blow sharper and more fluid than the last. Zoro, refusing to yield, drove himself beyond his limits to keep pace with both siblings.

After three hours of unrelenting combat, Kuina and Zoro finally gave out. Kuina dropped to one knee, chest heaving, and Zoro collapsed, unconscious from exhaustion. Taiyo, still barely winded, knelt beside Zoro and used his healing ability to restore him.

At that moment, a familiar presence drifted over from the dojo—Kuma and Bonney had arrived. Taiyo looked up, expression calm, and called out, "Looks like we have visitors."

Kuina and Zoro exchanged puzzled glances—they hadn't seen anyone approach. Taiyo rose and began walking toward the dojo entrance. Kuina and Zoro, still catching their breath, stood and followed him. At the front yard, they found Taiyo smiling as he spoke with a small, pink-haired child.

"I said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa with Daddy, so we only just got back today. Now I'm going to play every day and practice the dance you taught me, big brother!" Bonney said cheerfully to Taiyo, who was carrying her like a child, both of them smiling warmly.

"Really? Did you cry?" Taiyo asked teasingly.

"No! Bonney is a big girl—and big girls don't cry!" she said proudly, puffing out her chest.

"Oh? You know, liars get their tongues eaten by a giant monster," Taiyo warned playfully.

"Uhhhmm... well... Bonney just cried a little," she quickly admitted, suddenly nervous that Taiyo might be telling the truth.

As they were talking, Kuina and Zoro approached them.

"Brother, don't bully Bonney," Kuina said with a small smile as she walked over and gently took Bonney from Taiyo's arms.

"Sister Kuina," Bonney chirped as Kuina carried her in her arms. Kuina smiled warmly at the pink-haired girl.

Zoro, however, frowned in confusion. It was the first time he'd seen Bonney—and he didn't recognize her.

"Who's this brat?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

Bonney stuck out her tongue defiantly.

"YOU'RE the brat, moss-head!" she shot back.

Zoro blinked, taken aback by the insult (and the nickname).

"Brat, what's your name?" he demanded.

Bonney crossed her arms and turned her head stubbornly.

"Bonney's never gonna tell you, moss-head!"

Zoro grinned, oblivious to her trick.

"So your name is Bonney, brat," he said triumphantly.

Bonney's eyes went wide.

"A mind-reader, moss-head? How did you know Bonney's name?" she wailed, stomping a tiny foot.