Who Says a Woman Can't Become the World's Greatest?

Late at night, the backyard of Isshin Dojo was very quiet.

Kuina sat alone on the steps, her palm open as she stared blankly at the thin calluses on it.

She had beaten Zoro again that day. He had challenged her more than two thousand times and had never won once.

But she couldn't forget what her father had said that evening.

Kuina clenched her fist until her knuckles turned white.

She had practiced the sword ever since she was old enough to hold a hilt, rising earlier and going to bed later than anyone else.

When the skin on her palms wore raw, she wrapped them in strips of cloth and kept practicing. Even when she fell and bloodied her knees, she never cried out in pain.

She wanted to become the World's Greatest Swordsman.

She had always believed that as long as she trained with everything she had, she would make it someday.

But what if, once she grew up, she was destined to lose to boys just because she was a girl?

What would all the hard work she was putting in now amount to?

She picked up the wooden sword beside her and swung it down in her usual stance.

Swish!

The wind rushed past her ear.

Before she could raise the sword halfway for a second swing, her wrist suddenly went limp, and she stopped.

Kuina bit her lip and gently put the sword down.

It wasn't that she didn't want to practice.

It was precisely because she wanted to achieve her goal so badly that she was afraid—afraid her father was right.

At daybreak the next morning, Zoro was already waiting in the courtyard.

"Kuina! Let's duel!"

He stood straight, a wooden sword clenched between his teeth and one in each hand.

Kuina came out, her face still a little pale.

"Let's do it."

They exchanged fewer than ten blows.

Smack!

Zoro went flying again, landing squarely on his backside.

He scrambled up, grimacing, and was about to make a threat when he suddenly noticed that Kuina wasn't even looking at him.

Her head was lowered as she stared at her sword, her eyes vacant.

"Hey!"

"Hm?"

"If you're going to beat me, beat me! Can't you take this seriously?"

Kuina's shoulders trembled slightly.

"Anyway... you'll beat me someday."

Zoro froze, his eyes widening into circles. "Huh? What the hell are you talking about?"

"When girls grow up, they're just not as strong as boys."

Kuina's voice grew quieter and her head sank lower as she spoke. "What good does it do to beat you two thousand times now, or twenty thousand times? Someday, I won't be able to keep up with you."

Zoro stood there for a few seconds, then his face flushed bright red, even redder than when he had fallen.

"You've got to be kidding me!!"

Furious, Zoro spat out the wooden sword in his mouth and slammed the two in his hands into the ground!

"You're saying that if I beat you someday, it'll be because I'm a man?!"

"Who wants a victory like that?!!"

At those words, Kuina jerked her head up and looked at him.

Zoro was still furious, his chest heaving. "If you want to give up, just say you're scared! Don't go making my future victories sound worthless too!!"

"Who's scared?!"

Kuina straightened up, her eyes reddening. "When did I ever give up?!"

"Then pick up your sword! We'll fight again tonight!"

"Fine, let's fight!"

The two glared at each other, neither willing to back down.

Kuina had wanted to argue back with so many things.

For one, her father knew more about the sword than anyone else in the dojo. How could he be wrong?

But the anger plain in Zoro's eyes left her unable to speak.

This idiot, who had lost more than two thousand times and still showed up on time to challenge her every day, had never made a single excuse.

If she decided now that she was bound to lose someday, wouldn't she be dismissing all the effort he had put in too?

She tightened her grip on her wooden sword again.

She couldn't accept it.

No matter what, she still couldn't accept it!

Not far away, Ron leaned against a pillar under the veranda, arms folded, and couldn't help smiling as he listened.

That's more like it.

Night fell.

Koshiro cleared the area himself, sent the younger students back inside, and had the two put on protective gear.

Zoro insisted on using real swords.

After a moment's silence, Koshiro took three swords from the rack and handed them to Zoro.

"Remember, this is no game. If you recklessly slash at a vital spot, I'll stop the match immediately."

Zoro grunted in protest.

Kuina, meanwhile, tightened her grip on Wado Ichimonji's hilt, her knuckles tensing slightly.

The moment their blades first clashed, both of them got serious.

Zoro attacked with all three swords in rapid succession, the blades whistling as he cut off Kuina's escape to either side.

Kuina didn't meet his attack head-on. She lightly pushed off the ground and turned sideways, dodging the slash coming straight at her.

Zoro immediately pressed forward, grinning. "Don't think you'll hit me on the head so easily this time!"

"Who said I was going for your head?!"

Kuina suddenly changed her sword's course, pinning the blade in Zoro's left hand with the back of hers before flicking it upward.

Clang!

A sword flew from his hand and landed at the edge of the practice area.

Zoro clenched the sword in his teeth, held the one in his right hand across his chest, and lowered his body before charging again.

But Kuina didn't clash with him head-on as she had before.

She remembered what Ron had said yesterday about shifting her center of gravity and pivoted lightly on her feet.

She turned with the momentum of the blade and slipped into the opening before Zoro could turn around.

Her sword tip came to a steady stop against the protective gear on his chest.

There wasn't much force behind it, but the timing was perfect.

"The match is decided," Koshiro said.

Zoro sank to the ground and stared at the sword without speaking for a long time.

Kuina lowered her sword and walked over to him.

"Are you going to keep challenging me?"

"Of course!"

Zoro looked up sharply, his eyes startlingly bright, like two little flames.

"I'm going to beat you, and then I'll become the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

He got to his feet and held out a dusty hand to her.

"It's a promise! One of us has to become the world's greatest someday!"

Kuina stared at his hand, and tears suddenly fell from her eyes.

She didn't wipe them away. She reached out and gripped his hand tightly.

"Okay!"

"But I'll be the one who becomes the world's greatest!"

"Dream on! It'll definitely be me!"

"Beat me once first!"

"Just you wait!"

The two started arguing again, though both had laughter in their voices.

On the veranda, Ron watched with a broad grin.

Koshiro watched his daughter smile, but said nothing for a long time.

A little later, in the dojo's tea room.

"Mr. Koshiro, what do you think of Kuina's talent?"

"Exceptional."

"How does she compare to Zoro?"

"At present, she's considerably better."

"Her judgment, timing, and control are all more mature than that boy's."

Ron set down his teacup, and it made a soft clink against the tea tray.

"Then what gives you the right to tell her in advance that she can't become the world's greatest?"

Koshiro was taken aback, then gave a bitter smile. "As they grow older, the difference between men's and women's physiques becomes more pronounced."

"I'm only worried that she'll fall harder in the future..."

"Is being the World's Greatest Swordsman just a matter of who's stronger?"

"Of course not."

"Then there you have it."

"Kuina didn't beat Zoro today on strength alone."

"Judgment, timing, swordsmanship—which of those is she worse at than that Moss Head?"

Koshiro fell silent.

"But when they grow up..."

"They can worry about what happens when they're grown up once they get there."

Ron cut him off.

"You're her master and her father."

"If you're really afraid she won't be able to beat those monsters someday, then teach her how to win."

"If she really can't win, teach her how to come back alive."

"But she hasn't even set foot outside yet, and you've already given up for her?"

Koshiro's hand stopped as he held his teacup.

"I only..."

"I know. You're afraid she'll get hurt."

Ron stood up.

"But you've seen how hard she trains every day."

"She hasn't even thought about giving up yet."

Koshiro gazed at his teacup without speaking for a long time.

Ron reached the doorway and suddenly stopped.

"Oh, there's one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Last night, when you said it was a shame Kuina was a girl, she was on the veranda."

Koshiro looked up sharply.

"She heard me?!"

"Yeah."

Ron turned his head.

"She stood there holding a tea tray for quite a while."

"..."

Koshiro's hand slowly tightened around his teacup.

"I'm just afraid she'll get hurt someday..."

"I know."

Ron waved a hand.

"But you should tell her all that yourself."

Koshiro was silent for a long time before finally nodding.

"I understand."

Ron said no more and turned to leave.

The next morning.

Kuina had just finished practicing a set of basic sword forms and put away her sword, beads of sweat on her brow.

"Kuina." Koshiro came over and called out to her.

"Father?"

Koshiro crouched down to meet her eyes.

"Some of the things I said before were wrong."

Kuina's eyes widened, and she froze.

"I can't promise you'll become the best in the world."

Koshiro reached out and gently stroked his daughter's head. "But if that's your dream, I'll teach you until you don't need me anymore."

Kuina's eyes instantly reddened.

"Then I... can really keep chasing it?"

"Of course."

"Even though I'm a girl?"

Koshiro looked at her, his gaze serious.

"First and foremost, you're Kuina, my daughter, and a swordsman."

Kuina finally threw herself into her father's arms. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her voice was muffled but full of laughter. "I'll become the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

"Mm."

Koshiro held her and patted her back. "Then let's start by practicing today's sword stroke properly."

In the courtyard, Ron was sitting on the doorstep, basking in the sun, so comfortable he was getting sleepy.

"Ron!"

Zoro came pounding over with a wooden sword in hand, his hair tousled from running.

"I thought of a new move! Let's fight again!"

Kuina followed close behind, her eyes bright. "I thought of a move too!"

Ron opened one eye.

"Didn't we just finish fighting?"

"That didn't count!"

"We're starting over today!"

"..."

Ron looked at the two little swordsmen blocking the doorway, one on either side.

Should I leave Shimotsuki Village?

If he stayed any longer, those two brats might pester him until next year.