Cultural Output

In the reception room of the Shimotsuki Dojo, a disciple naturally served tea.

Normally, becoming a disciple wasn't this complicated, but Zhou Qi and Kuina were adults, unlike the children. The way they were treated was naturally different.

Koshiro sat cross-legged on the floor and said gently, "At my Shimotsuki Dojo, anyone who isn't a great villain or utterly evil can come and learn. However, I still want to ask, why do you two wish to learn swordsmanship?"

He first looked at Zhou Qi, as he could tell who was the primary person between the two.

Moreover, every time he saw Tashigi, it reminded him of Kuina.

If she hadn't met with that accident, she would probably be this tall by now...

"Why learn swordsmanship?" Zhou Qi heard the question and the answer was on the tip of his tongue without even needing to think.

What else could it be for? To show off!

But the words caught in his throat, and he swallowed them back down.

Was he really learning swordsmanship just to show off?

Probably not.

To cover up the sharpness of the Space Threads?

No, even without the cutting ability, this Space Gate is still very strong. While not invincible, it's not far from it. I don't rely that much on this cutting ability.

Even so, I would still seek out Koshiro to become my master, and I would still come to learn swordsmanship.

For no other reason than this.

"I love it from the bottom of my heart!" Zhou Qi said earnestly. "Respect and passion for the sword are etched into the very bones of our country and our people!"

"Oh?" Koshiro sat up straighter, eager to hear more.

"In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor used copper from Shou Mountain to forge the Xuanyuan Sword. This sword had the sun, moon, and stars carved on one side, mountains and rivers on another, techniques for farming and animal husbandry on a third, and strategies for unifying the four seas on the fourth. This was the sword of kingship, and also the sword of sages. Beginning with this sword, it forged the unyielding, heaven-defying national spirit of Huaxia civilization for thousands of years!"

"!!" Tashigi quickly took out her little notebook to write. Isn't this Xuanyuan Sword one of the Ten Great Famous Swords that Qi-kun mentioned? So this is the origin of the Xuanyuan Sword? And the name of that country is Huaxia?

Koshiro was also deeply shaken. The One Piece World had Supreme Grade Swords and Great Grade Swords, but they were merely tools for killing. Even the national treasure of Wano Country, Shusui, held no special historical significance compared to other blades.

He had never heard of a sword carrying the weight of an entire civilization.

"During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there were countless feudal states, constantly warring with each other, and the world was never at peace. At that time, there was a great sage named Mozi who proposed the ideas of 'universal love' and 'non-aggression.' Universal love meant that all people are equal and should embrace each other with compassion, while non-aggression meant opposing unjust wars. He spent his life traveling tirelessly for world peace. Wearing straw sandals and carrying a long sword, he would sometimes travel a thousand li in three days to stop a war, wearing out several pairs of shoes. His talent was unparalleled in his time, and he was admired by countless rulers. But for the sake of peace, he gave up fame and fortune. He never rode a horse, wore fine clothes, or even owned a pair of cloth shoes."

"His sword had no name, but his spirit has been passed down for thousands of years, guiding our path to this day!"

"Mozi..." Koshiro had never heard of him, but with these few words, he could feel the greatness of this sage, both in his thoughts and his actions.

Involuntarily, he thought of Dragon. Born of noble lineage, equally talented, and equally admired by the rulers, yet they both chose a thorny path for the sake of the common people.

A nameless sword indeed carries profound meaning. I feel it!

He put down his teacup. To have been so casual was truly disrespectful to the ancient sage.

"In the late Qin Dynasty, Emperor Qin Huhai was incompetent, eunuchs held power in the court, and the people suffered greatly from heavy corvée labor. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang cried out: 'Are kings and nobles born to their positions?' and rose in rebellion. Instantly, countless people responded across the land."

"Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, was merely a police officer and was dismissed from his post for letting slaves escape. At this time, he wielded the Chixiao Sword, slew a white snake, and started his uprising. After several years of war, he finally overthrew the Qin Dynasty and unified Huaxia, ushering in a new era!"

"The Chixiao Sword also injected the spirit of 'Are kings and nobles born to their positions?' into Huaxia. From then on, whenever the emperor was tyrannical or the court was corrupt, countless patriots would rise up to fight for a new world!"

"'Are kings and nobles born to their positions?'" Koshiro felt as if his ears had been struck by thunder.

In the world of One Piece, where class was rigid and even Celestial Dragons existed, who would dare to shout, "Are kings and nobles born to their positions?"

Even if you shouted it, someone would come to arrest you!

But Koshiro couldn't help but feel his blood boil, because he was a revolutionary himself!

He wanted to revolutionize the World Government, to revolutionize the Celestial Dragons!

He refused to believe that anyone was born to be superior. His Revolutionary Army was determined to try and overthrow this dark, corrupt World Government that sat in Mary Geoise!

This sentence had struck a chord deep within him. He even felt an urge to contact Dragon right then and there. This sentence could absolutely be added to their Revolutionary Army's slogans!

At this point, what the Qin Dynasty was, or what the Han Dynasty was, no longer mattered. Koshiro looked at Zhou Qi with intense fervor. There was no need to doubt or be wary of anything; this was one of their own!

No, not just one of their own. He, and the world behind him, could completely be their teacher!

"For thousands of years, countless people have shed blood and sacrificed their lives for this country and its people. As Mr. Lu Xun said, 'Since ancient times, we have had those who bury their heads and work hard, those who risk their lives to work hard, those who plead for the people, and those who sacrifice themselves to seek the Way...' Even the so-called 'official histories,' which are merely genealogies for emperors and generals, often cannot hide their radiance. These are the backbone of China."

"In my opinion, a sword is not just a tool for killing; it is this kind of will, this kind of spirit!" Zhou Qi said earnestly. "Therefore, the love for the sword has long been carved into our bones, into our souls!"

"So, I want to learn swordsmanship from you!"

Koshiro's eyes were already filled with tears. Zhou Qi hadn't deliberately tried to make him cry, but the words had resonated with Koshiro.

In a daze, he felt as if he was no longer just a simple swordsman, but that a great mission had fallen upon him!

Like those countless predecessors, he would change this world and become its backbone!

However...

"One more question!" Koshiro composed himself and asked, "Since swordsmanship is so important to the spirit of your country, your country's swordsmanship should be extremely prosperous, right? Then why do you come here to learn swordsmanship from me?"

"Ah, this..." Zhou Qi was speechless. Prosperous, my ass. Nowadays, everyone prefers using keyboards...

There are no more Sword Immortals, only Keyboard Immortals...

"Confucians confuse the law with their writings, and chivalrous warriors defy prohibitions. Our country has enjoyed a long period of peace, and its national strength has grown daily. The common people naturally no longer need swords to protect themselves, and the inheritance of swordsmanship has gradually declined!" Zhou Qi thought for a moment and replied, "Moreover, the pinnacle of swordsmanship cultivation in my country is only equivalent to that of a Sword Master. It truly cannot compare to the swordsmanship here, which can shatter mountains and cleave through clouds."

"The Master said, 'When three people walk together, one of them is bound to be my teacher.' Your swordsmanship is powerful, so naturally, you are worthy of our study!"

"I see!" Even though he came from a country where swordsmanship was in decline, Koshiro felt a pang of envy.

Indeed, if one could grow up in a peaceful land, who would willingly pick up a weapon and commit acts of slaughter!

"You don't need to be so modest. While your country's swordsmanship may be in decline, your civilization far surpasses ours. I will teach you everything I know, and all I ask is that you tell me more about your stories, like that great sage Mozi..."

"We refer to sages with the title 'Zi', for example, Mozi, whom we respectfully call Mozi!"

"Oh!" Koshiro nodded. " 'When three people walk together, one of them is bound to be my teacher' does sound like something Mozi would say!"

"Not quite!" Zhou Qi shook his head. "That 'Zi' refers to Confucius; he was Mozi's teacher!"

"Mozi had a teacher too?" Koshiro was a little surprised.

Zhou Qi nodded. "Is there anyone who knows everything from birth? Mozi naturally had a teacher. His name was Kong Qiu, and later generations respectfully called him Confucius."

"Another great sage!" Koshiro nodded. Although he hadn't heard his stories, 'When three people walk together, one of them is bound to be my teacher' gave him a glimpse into his wisdom.

"Confucius also had a teacher!" Zhou Qi felt an unexpected urge to share, having never imagined he could export culture to another world. After all, sharing is the greatest romance in the universe. "His surname was Li, and his given name was Er. Because he lived in seclusion, his fame only spread widely in his old age, so everyone respectfully called him Laozi..."

Of course, some said he was born an old man, but that was a bit too fantastical.

He spoke in Huaxia Language, but Koshiro's learning ability was excellent, and he repeated the words perfectly, "Laozi!"

"Laozi said: The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The unnamable is the eternally real. Naming is the origin of all particular things. Free from desire, one sees the mystery. By having desire, one sees the manifestations. These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness within darkness. The darkness within darkness, the gate to all mystery."

"This..." Koshiro blinked, utterly lost.

"This is the Huaxia Language version. As for your language, I don't know how to pronounce it..." Zhou Qi said.

In reality, he could, but why bother? Didn't Koshiro's eyes already light up?

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Zhou Qi's arm. "Can I learn Huaxia Language from you?"

Zhou Qi chuckled softly. "Of course!"

He had already envisioned it: Koshiro was a revolutionary. If he could influence the Revolutionary Army, and the common people in the One Piece World had nowhere to learn culture, even Zoro and Luffy were illiterate.

So, after your Revolutionary Army conquered a country, wouldn't they need a literacy campaign?

Koshiro was a veteran of the Revolutionary Army; it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to be in charge of a literacy campaign.

Could he promote Huaxia Language?

Since the people were illiterate anyway, was there a difference between learning Huaxia Language and learning Japanese?

No, it would just require adjusting some speaking habits, but that wasn't a major issue.

After all, the difference between many dialects and Mandarin wasn't any smaller than the difference between Japanese and Huaxia Language, yet people adapted, didn't they!

With Huaxia's overwhelming cultural heritage, combined with technological products, within three years, he could cultivate a bunch of spiritual Huaxia people. Within five years, he could make the vast majority of intangible cultural heritage shine here.

Thirty years later, if a transmigrator arrived, they might not even recognize this as the One Piece World!

Just thinking about such a future made Zhou Qi excited. If this could be accomplished, he would feel an immense sense of achievement!

When it came to cultural output, miHoYo was nothing compared to him, Zhou Qi!

"I want to learn too!" Tashigi said from the side.

"No problem, you're in too!" It's the same effort to drive one sheep or two. The more, the merrier.

Anyway, for the people of the One Piece World, Huaxia Language wasn't difficult to learn, as Japanese already contained a large number of Chinese characters.

Your Chinese language skills are bound to improve!