Gift of a Sword!

East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.

The clear moon and gentle breeze shone, a yellow... stream flowed into the sea.

Late autumn had reddened the fallen leaves, making the moonlight appear even colder. In the backyard of the Shimotsuki Village Isshin-ryu dojo, Koshiro, dressed in white, knelt by the corridor. Beside him sat a stack of dango served on a white porcelain plate and a small pot of clear sake.

Thump thump thump thump!

A thin man with hair falling over his face ran from one end of the corridor to the other, hands on a rag, working diligently.

There were many students in the dojo during the day, so cleaning had to be squeezed in at night.

Suddenly, Koshiro asked softly.

"Has Zoro not returned yet?"

The man paused at the sound, replying in a hoarse voice, "He said he was going to train in the mountains during the day. He's probably lost again."

"I see."

Koshiro nodded and said no more. He picked up a bamboo skewer with dango on it and silently drank his sake under the moon.

The man remained silent, then spoke after a moment.

"Mr. Koshiro, I plan to leave tomorrow."

Koshiro's movements paused slightly, but a faint smile remained on his face.

"Alright."

"Aren't you going to ask me why?"

The man looked at him curiously.

"If you wish to tell me, you will. If not, why should I ask?"

Koshiro smiled, "I understand how you feel... I've had days like yours before, hiding all day, wandering around, even living under someone else's roof, afraid of being found by enemies."

"No way! You're so strong!"

The man's eyes widened in shock.

He had been saved by Koshiro from the mouth of a sea beast ten meters long. The brilliance of that sword strike was still vivid in his memory.

It was for this reason that he chose to work at the dojo, cleaning, without pay.

In his extreme shock, he didn't even realize he had exposed his true voice.

But Koshiro didn't seem to mind, shaking his head.

"There's always someone stronger, the sea is vast, and strong individuals are endless. What am I compared to them?"

With that, he pulled a money bag from his bosom.

"This is your wages for this period. There's a little extra, consider it my contribution towards your travel expenses."

To leave Shimotsuki Village and set sail, one had to take the merchant ship that sailed once a week, and merchants naturally charged money.

"I..."

Plop!

The man knelt before Koshiro, his head bowed deeply to the floor, trembling as he kowtowed.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

"Lord Koshiro!"

"I will never forget your great kindness!"

Koshiro smiled, as gentle and refined as ever, and raised his wine cup.

"Go, get some rest early."

"I'm back!!"

Just then, a robust shout came from the front yard. The man wiped his tears, picked up the money bag, and quickly walked towards his room, an inconspicuous woodshed.

Koshiro slowly turned his head, about to greet him, when his lips twitched, and his gentle smile froze on his face.

"Zoro!"

His tone was still calm, but Zoro flinched and quickly explained.

"It's not my fault, Master Koshiro! He suddenly jumped out at me for no reason, so I might have hit him a bit hard."

It wasn't just Zoro who had returned; there was also a battered and bruised middle-aged man, whose appearance was so disheveled that he was unrecognizable.

The T-shirt on Zoro's shoulder had a tear, and his wooden sword was broken from a third of the way up, proving the fight hadn't been easy.

Feeling his eyelids twitching rapidly, Koshiro took a deep breath.

"So, who is he?"

"Another Bounty Hunter looking for that guy. Who did he offend?"

Dropping the "trophy" in his hand, Zoro slumped onto the floor and took off his T-shirt. The movement pulled at his wound, making him wince in pain.

Seeing this, Koshiro sighed helplessly, got up, and found a medical kit to tend to Zoro's injuries.

The Bounty Hunter lying on the ground saw this scene through the gap in his eyes and opened his mouth slightly.

"Sir, I think I can still be saved."

But neither of them paid attention. Koshiro heard this and nodded, saying, "The new overlord in the East Blue, a Great Pirate with a bounty of 55 million Belly, the Black Count."

"The Black Count? Sounds like a nobleman... Hiss!"

Zoro's eyes widened, and his chest puffed out.

After a long while, when Koshiro removed his hand, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. "It's quite troublesome to offend a nobleman."

"The real trouble isn't just that... It's said that the Black Count possesses the ability to communicate with the dead. Some people want to find the treasure left by Unan through this method, so they will try every means to capture him to please the other party."

"Including this guy?"

Zoro pointed at the ground.

"No, I just want to see my mother one more time."

The Bounty Hunter cried, and two streams of liquid welled up from his eyes.

"Mom, I miss you so much. These guys are all devils, devils!"

Seeing this, Zoro sneered.

"Well, this question doesn't need an answer anymore."

"Tsk, tsk, spirit communication!"

Hearing this long sigh, Koshiro paused. "What? Are you interested too?"

"I'm a little curious, but I won't do that."

Zoro looked up seriously and earnestly at Koshiro. "I will use my own sword to make my name resound through the heavens!"

"Not by relying on something like spirit communication."

Koshiro was silent.

"Master, you promised me that you would let me go out to sea when I turn seventeen."

Suddenly, Zoro's words pulled him out of his memories.

Looking at the slightly nervous Zoro before him, Koshiro smiled.

"Who brought you back tonight?"

"Uncle Kure from the village... Hiss!!"

As soon as he spoke, Zoro felt something was wrong and looked at Koshiro in disbelief.

Can we still chat like this?!

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

But to Zoro's surprise, after Koshiro laughed, he nodded.

"Then go!"

"Master?!"

Zoro looked pleasantly surprised.

"You wait here..."

With that, Koshiro got up and walked towards the stairs, leaving Zoro with his back. After a while, he came back holding something wrapped in a long white cloth.

Seeing that thing, Zoro's pupils contracted, and he involuntarily knelt down.

Koshiro sat down cross-legged and placed the object between them.

"It's only a few months until you turn seventeen. Before you go out to sea, you need to familiarize yourself with every inch of this sword."

"As a swordsman, you must understand your weapon."

The white cloth was lifted, and it seemed as if a moon halo was circulating in the dojo, making people's eyes sting.

This was a plain, grayish-white katana. Its shape was simple, with no exquisite decorations, no distinctive features, and no aura of a famous sword. It would be indistinguishable even among common swords. However, its sharpness and sturdiness belonged to the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords!

Blade inscription: Wado Ichimonji!

This was the best sword in the village, and also the personal sword of Zoro's childhood friend, Koshiro's daughter, Kuina, who had unfortunately died young.

Zoro silently grabbed the sword's body and said after a long pause.

"Blade: Length 68cm, Width 1.9cm, Thickness 0.9mm."

"Scabbard: Length 89cm, Outer Width 2.1cm, Inner Width 1.9cm."

"Hilt: Length 22cm, Width 2cm."

The long sword was drawn, and Zoro's expression was solemn as he felt the friction feedback from his fingertips. "If it were any other sword, perhaps not, but this one... it's not necessary!"

Its length, width, weight, and even the slightest curve, the optimal swing angle, had all been memorized by Zoro's muscles through 2001 defeats.

Koshiro nodded slightly.

"That's good. Now it belongs to you."

Hearing this, Zoro looked up in shock, but meeting Koshiro's expectant gaze, all his words welled up in his throat, unable to be spoken.

Thump!

Zoro knelt down solemnly, his forehead touching the ground, gritting his teeth.

"Thank you so much, Master!"

Only Zoro understood how important this sword was to Koshiro, and how much he expected from him by entrusting it to him.

I will never let you down!

I swear!

I'm definitely going to be the world's greatest swordsman!

"Bandage your wounds and get some rest. Being knelt to by two young men in one night makes me feel truly old."

Koshiro didn't help Zoro up, instead using his hands on the floor to stand.

"Remember to send him to the doctor tomorrow; you don't hold back when you fight."

With that, he turned and left.

There are still good people in the world!

The hunter's eyes welled up with tears of excitement, but he suddenly blinked and looked at a figure flashing past in the backyard.

Right!

Why was I fighting him?

Didn't I come here to find someone?

"S-stop!"

He choked out the words, his chin on the ground, like a wriggling caterpillar, inching towards the figure climbing over the wall.

"So... tenacious!"

Zoro's lips twitched at the sight, then he smirked coldly.

"But I told you, don't even think about causing trouble in the village."

"You..."

The Bounty Hunter turned back in shock.

Could this be the legendary...

Entrapment?

The answer was a fist the size of a sandbag.