On careful thought, it became clear. Yes, Mu Yu had indeed been afraid.
Because he was afraid, he had chosen to avoid it!
When he met Tanjiro and Nezuko, he had not chosen to step forward, even though he clearly liked Nezuko.
When he met Shinobu Kocho, he had merely fought a minor monster alongside her, even though he had desperately wanted to change her tragic future.
When he met Inosuke, Mu Yu had actually been hesitating all along.
Although he had never directly faced this question, at heart, he had simply been afraid.
Mu Yu knew very well that this was entirely the stress response caused by the excessively high Twist Degree in the One Piece World!
For Mu Yu, knowing the plot was one of his greatest advantages. Choosing not to recklessly alter it was also a very natural reaction.
But was that reaction really right?
Mu Yu could not help recalling something Master Koshiro had once taught him—when a swordsman wanted to cut something, he could cut through anything. When he did not want to cut, he could not even cut through paper.
Was his sword still sharp?
Was his current choice truly correct?
After all, he was a swordsman!
The excessively high Twist Degree had caused Mu Yu to encounter a boss like Terukawa in the beginner's village, but there was no denying that after encountering Terukawa, his strength had soared.
Not only had he awakened Observation Haki, he had also comprehended the ultimate art of One-Sword Style, Myōō!
This was clearly a breakthrough born of adversity!
But was choosing to play it safe wrong?
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles; success comes to those who prepare, while those who do not prepare fail; never fight