After listening to what Kuma said, Koushirou sighed softly.
Koushirou didn't know much about Oden either, after all, he was only around forty years old now, and Oden was still a child when he was at his peak.
However, Shiro had heard plenty of stories about Oden from his Pops, Kousaburo.
Kousaburo greatly admired Oden; otherwise, he wouldn't have devoted his life to forging the two Great Grade Swords, Enma and Ame no Habakiri, for him.
At the same time, as an old man born and raised in Wano Country, for some reason, Kousaburo had a mysterious appreciation and respect for Oden and deeds.
Koushirou and Kousaburo disagreed on this matter more than once.
After all, thirty years ago, Kousaburo secretly left Wano Country with Shiro. Wano Country didn't have a significant impact on Shiro, whose values were closer to those of a normal person from the East Blue.
In particular, Shiro also possesses the demeanor of a gentle and wise man, and his personality is very similar to that of Kaya's father.
So, do you think someone like Shiro could have a good impression of Oden's behavior?
They burned their friend's remains to cook oden, and ate it heartily to mourn their deceased friend.
Despite being the heir to the shogunate, he aspired to become a pirate and eventually abandoned his country to become a member of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Having joined the Whitebeard Pirates and been appointed as the Second Division Commander, Oden was also the only member of the Whitebeard Pirates whom Whitebeard addressed as a brother, demonstrating Whitebeard Newgate's appreciation and cultivation of him.
But he eventually left Whitebeard and accepted Roger's invitation to join the Roger Pirates.
After the Roger Pirates disbanded, he did not return to serve the Whitebeard Pirates to repay Newgate's kindness.
Instead, after seeing Laugh Tale, he lost interest in being a pirate and finally betrayed Whitebeard, returning to his hometown.
No one knows why he returned to his hometown; perhaps he was truly tired and wanted to return to his roots.
Or perhaps, he truly wanted to shoulder the responsibilities he was meant to bear and become a good shogun for Wano Country in the future...
In short, in Silang's view, his various choices were no different from abandoning his partners halfway through a business venture and going home to inherit his family's vast fortune...
Upon returning home, he discovered his father's death, his former servant's rise to shogun, and the country's control by Kaido.
As the son of the shogun and his rightful heir, Oden not only failed to reclaim the shogun's position but was also threatened, forcing him to feign madness and perform naked dances for seven years in Wano Country...
Seven years later, Oden changed his mind again and decided to reclaim the position of shogun.
This time, for various reasons, he failed to defeat Kaido and reclaim his position.
A person who is persistent and never gives up, and who never gives up despite repeated failures, is always worthy of respect.
But to fail every time because of threats or an inability to make a decision seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?
Admittedly, Oden's two failures were due to two reasons: one was being threatened with the lives of many children, and the other was being distracted by the threat to his own son, Momonosuke's, life.
In the end, he chose failure because of the lives of others.
But such a person, at best, can be considered a kind person; would such a person be a qualified general?
He didn't realize that every time he led his men in a desperate fight, he surrendered, and who would mourn the deaths of his men?
Especially after the second failure, Oden never took any effective action again.
He just stayed in prison waiting to die, until Kaido finally threw him into a cauldron of boiling oil and fried him alive...
Although his death was somewhat legendary, he carried all his men in a frying pan, saving them from being blown up.
But aside from that, logically speaking, given Oden's connections and strength, if he had made any one of the right choices, he shouldn't be facing his current fate...
In short, whenever Shiro heard Grandpa Saburo recount the story of that Admiral, the Oden...
Shiro always felt that there was something he needed to say and had to get it off his chest...
When I heard my dad tell stories, I always felt like they were stories about a fool...
But why did his own Pops favor him so much?
Pops... I'm afraid he really has Alzheimer's.
Especially now, when Rayleigh also expressed some of his dissatisfaction with Oden to Koushirou...
Koushirou's last bit of good impression of Oden vanished.
Everyone knows that Roger Pirates was a very harmonious and loyal team. Just because Gaban was insulted by a nobleman from a certain kingdom, Roger led his pirate crew to massacre that kingdom.
Be loyal and righteous.
Even within such a team, the first mate, Rayleigh, harbored some resentment towards Oden...
In short, Koushirou felt that his Pops, on his deathbed, kept talking about Oden, whom he had admired all his life.
I'm afraid he's really not someone worth following...
Koushirou's musings about Oden, on the other hand...
Gawain simply carried Zoro all the way to the dojo's training grounds.
When they reached the training grounds, Gawain casually put the cursing Zoro down, then drew his Rokumei Kotetsu and lightly flicked the sharp blade.
"Sigh, he's grown so fast. Now, Rokumei Kotetsu seems a bit short to me."
"Well, it's fine this way. Using such a small knife to teach you a lesson is just right."
After a lighthearted laugh, Gawain, carrying the Rokumei Kotetsu, pointed the blade at Zoro.
Across from him, Zoro looked at Gawain, who stood upright with his sword in hand, and began to curse.
"Hey, what are you doing? Why are you suddenly lecturing me!"
Aren't you supposed to be a big shot? How come someone as important as you is more reckless than me, the little brat you call a nobody?
Are you sure you really are the Celestial Dragon whom your master and the village chief were so carefully welcoming?
While making sarcastic remarks, Zoro decisively drew his Wado Ichimonji.
Meanwhile, Gawain, facing Zoro, responded with a smile.
"Little brat, how could you understand? It's not only children who have the right to be willful."
In the real world, it's clear that those with higher status and greater power have the most right to be capricious.
With that, Gawain picked up his sword and walked slowly forward, continuing his story as he went.
"Besides, kid, as swordsmen, shouldn't we be ready to draw our swords at any time?"
So why ask why?
"You're right!"
The instant Gawain finished speaking, Zoro nodded quickly, then excitedly bit into the Wado Ichimonji.
Immediately afterwards, he crossed his arms and reached to his waist, grasping the two swords that the strange old man had given him years ago.
"The knife in your hand is also a Great Grade Swords, isn't it!"
His name is Rokumei Kotetsu, right?
Although I don't know why you came here, nor what kind of person you are!
But at this moment, please feel free to draw your swords against me!
Celestial Dragon!!!
At that moment, Zoro shouted excitedly to Gawain, while holding the two swords in his hands upright in front of the one in his mouth!
Then he roared.
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!!!"
The moment Zoro's voice fell, Gawain's eyes narrowed. In reality, Zoro's Three-Sword Style actually looked rather strange.
However, Zoro's Three-Sword Style is actually a variation of his Two-Sword Style most of the time.
The knife in his mouth was primarily used to block the enemy's escape route; it wasn't used for offense.
However, the guy who could develop this way of using a sword...
One can only say that his swordsmanship talent is quite remarkable.
Besides his swordsmanship talent, Zoro seems to have an even more impressive talent, which is... talking.
How the hell is he talking while biting a sword?!
And this is now; right now, he's just talking.
If it were five years from now, Zoro would still be biting his sword while composing poetry!!!
Gawain still can't forget Zoro's future line... "Nine mountains, eight seas, one world..."
In short, no sooner said than done, Gawain's mind was racing with thoughts, but his hands didn't fall at all.
Facing Zoro 'Three-Sword Style basic sword technique, Oni Giri, which lacked any semblance of future potential.
Gawain stood still, sword in hand, and easily parried Zoro's sword strike.
Clang!!!
A loud clang of metal rang out, and before Zoro could retreat, Gawain spun his blade sharply, causing the blade of the Rokumei Kotetsu to slam horizontally into Zoro's left hand.
Snap!
With a crisp sound, Zoro's sword fell to the ground in the blink of an eye. Gawain frowned as he watched the sword bouncing on the ground.
"Boring. At sixteen, you're not a qualified swordsman yet."
Or rather, how could a qualified swordsman lose his sword?
As Gawain as he finished speaking, Gawain turned his longsword around again, and with a sharp downward thrust, he pushed Zoro back several dozen steps!
As soon as he regained his footing, Zoro immediately uttered the Wado Ichimonji Wado Ichimonji with his left hand, a sword imbued with profound meaning.
Immediately afterwards, he gripped the sword with both hands and spoke with an expression far more excited than before.
"It defeated me as easily as taking a leisurely stroll, or as simply as using chopsticks to pick up food!"
"What a powerful swordsman! Are you perhaps a master swordsman?!"
"Swordsman?"
Upon hearing Zoro's question, Gawain pondered for a moment.
"I probably am not a sword master, after all, I rarely fight with a sword. As for the so-called swordsmanship level of cutting paper and Iron-Cutting, I seem to be a little bit short."
But combat power isn't solely determined by one's cultivation level, is it?
Judging solely from basic factors such as speed, strength, eyesight, and reaction time.
I think most swordsmen wouldn't be a match for me.
"And my enemy must at least be a great swordsman!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain turned the longsword upside down and gently rotated it, immediately restoring the sword to its original position.
Then, with his sword in both hands, he swiftly charged towards the wary Zoro!
Seeing Gawain charging towards him, Zoro gritted his teeth and held his twin swords upright in front of his chest.
The opponent is no ordinary weakling; the impact of the Hawk Wave's airflow alone is not enough to make him retreat. I must use all my strength!
So, gritting his teeth, Zoro positioned his twin swords in a shape resembling rhinoceros horns.
Then, as he sprinted at top speed, he shouted as loudly as he could.
"Two-Sword Style: Rhino Cyclone!!!"
Wow!!!
An invisible current of energy gathered on Zoro's blade, and Zoro charged forward with his sword, resembling a rhinoceros that would never return!
Gawain smiled and shook his head as he watched Zoro suddenly charge at him.
"The unwavering style is quite good, but the fancy names are meaningless."
That... was ultimately a thrust...!
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain suddenly thrust the blade of Rokumei Kotetsu straight at the tips of Zoro's two swords in a rapier motion!
A moment later, Gawain's blade tip was pressed precisely against Zoro's blade tip!
Just as Zoro's body paused slightly due to the violent tremors, Gawain twirled his longsword.
Snap!
With a sharp crack, Rokumei Kotetsu slammed into Zoro's right wrist, knocking the sword from his hand to the ground!
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Gawain kicked Zoro, sending him flying backwards.
Seeing that Zoro had stopped rolling, Gawain said softly.
"The sky over the East Blue is too low; it cannot hone a swordsman's blade, you brat."
Your swordsmanship talent is unparalleled in my life, but your time in the East Blue has truly wasted your sword spirit!
As soon as he finished speaking, Gawain shook his head slightly. Zoro's sword had indeed been delayed for a long time in the East Blue.
In the original Pirate King storyline, Zoro met Luffy when he was nineteen years old, after he had already been at sea for two years.
Although he had the title of Pirate Hunter at that time, in reality, he was very likely no match for Arlong.
But ever since he met Luffy, they've journeyed all the way to the Grand Line and the New World.
Just two years later, at the age of twenty-one, Zoro had already defeated King.
How big is the difference?
It's like heaven and earth!
This shows that the environment in the East Blue is indeed too comfortable, and Zoro, who lacks strong opponents, has truly been held back too much by this sea!
Zoro struggled to his feet, feeling utterly humiliated by Gawain's kick!
He gritted his teeth and spat out a mouthful of blood, then gripped the Wado Ichimonji and looked at Gawain.
Just then, he saw Gawain shaking his head!
Zoro immediately took Gawain's action as Gawain's disdain for him, so Zoro gritted his teeth and roared fiercely at Gawain.
"Aren't you a swordsman? Why did you kick me away!"
Is it because you don't want your sword to be stained with the blood of someone like me?
Come on!
Since this is a contest between swordsmen, let's let the swords in our hands decide the outcome!
You, who don't want to leave scars on me, do you really think I'd cower in the face of life and death?
How could I let you look down on me, you bastard!!!
With that roar, Zoro, carrying the Wado Ichimonji in both hands, charged towards the large tree near the training ground.
He rushed up the tree in two steps, then caught a branch and leaped high into the air.
He leaped up to a height of over twenty meters, Zoro his sword, and roared angrily.
"One Sword Style: Heavenly Dragon!!!"
With his uncontainable rage, the air around him condensed into the shape of Heavenly Dragon, carrying him down from the sky towards Gawain!
Across from him, Gawain narrowed his eyes in admiration as he watched Zoro's current moves.
Because this kind of move that comes out of nowhere is equivalent to abandoning a defensive move for anyone.
Although Zoro is not even seventeen yet, and hasn't even reached the age to set sail.
Although his swordsmanship is now very poor, he has not grasped even a fraction of Koushirou's essence.
But Zoro's indomitable spirit is no less than that of the future!
Thinking of this, Gawain reached out with his left hand and grabbed Zoro's sword that was falling from the sky.
Just as Zoro stared at Gawain's hand gripping the sword, a look of utter shock on his face, he realized what was happening.
With his right hand wielding the Rokumei Kotetsu, Gawain pierced Zoro's waist with a powerful thrust!
Thump!!!
With a muffled thud, Gawain had used a lot of force in this sword strike, so much so that the longsword completely pierced through Zoro, and even the gauntlet of the Rokumei Kotetsu slammed hard into Zoro's waist!
Zoro was about to be sent flying backward by this tremendous force!
But at that moment, Zoro suddenly gripped the Wado Ichimonji tightly!
To better protect the sword in his hand, Zoro gripped it so tightly that he almost hugged it!
He clung tightly to the Wado Ichimonji that Gawain was holding, letting the bones in his waist be smashed and broken in countless places by the guard of Rokumei Kotetsu.
At the same time, he spat blood from his mouth and stared fiercely into Gawain's eyes!
"I've already lost two swords, but I absolutely cannot lose this one!"
I will never let go, never!
Because she's Wado Ichimonji!!!