Supreme Great Fast Ladder

As expected.

Zoro charged forward with a roar, full of spirit, only to scream and fly out the next second, landing on the ground.

He rolled over and got up again, glaring at Kuina beside him, "Hey! Why aren't you attacking!"

"Didn't you say it was a one-on-one?"

Kuina retorted impatiently, but she adjusted her position, forming a pincer attack with Zoro. With a low growl, she slashed at him simultaneously.

Despite their bickering, the two had unspoken coordination.

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Unfortunately.

In the face of absolute stats, all flashy techniques were meaningless.

Even though Xianuo had held back as much as possible, he easily knocked away three bamboo swords in three swift strikes, then downed both of them with two more blows.

A simple and unadorned 5A combo.

"Damn it!" Zoro couldn't accept reality and frustratedly pulled at his hair, "How could this happen!"

"Losing to Mr. Xianuo, isn't that only natural?" Kuina said.

She subconsciously wanted to mock him, He's lost to me so many times before, he should be used to it by now, right?

But seeing Zoro's expression, the words caught in her throat. She bent down, pulled him up, and smiled, "Alright, get up. At least this way you know there's always someone better, and having a higher goal is a good thing. We'll work hard to catch up together in the future!"

"But I'm still so unwilling to accept it!"

Zoro gritted his teeth.

He knew deep down there was a gap, and he could accept his defeat, but he never expected to lose so miserably.

He couldn't even see the trajectory of the opponent's sword. Is this guy, who looks only a few years older than me, really that skilled with a sword?

Kuina patted his shoulder and didn't try to persuade him further. She lowered her head to find her own bamboo sword. The backyard was dimly lit, and it took her a long time to find it behind a pillar.

Zoro, dejected, followed to pick up his own sword, but before he could bend down, he saw Xianuo pick it up first.

"?" Zoro's eyes widened as he looked at Xianuo.

"I'm taking one of them as punishment for your bad attitude towards me earlier. I'm quite petty, you know."

Xianuo chuckled, "Don't look at me like that. If you feel wronged, then train even harder. You can take it back with your own strength another day."

"Of course, by then you might not even care for a bamboo sword like this. So, if one day you can defeat me, I don't mind giving you the sword on my back."

"Really?!"

Zoro's eyes lit up, and he immediately forgot about his own bamboo sword.

He had been coveting Masamune for a long time, and he never expected the other party to propose such a bet.

What a nice guy!

"It's a deal!"

He became spirited again, standing on his tiptoes and extending his pinky finger.

"Pinky promise! No backing out. Just you wait, sooner or later, my swordsmanship will surpass yours, and you'll willingly hand over that sword!"

"How childish."

Xianuo sighed, but facing the determined green-haired boy, he eventually extended his finger as well.

"Pinky promise, stab, no changes for a hundred years!"

After shouting and making the pinky promise, Zoro excitedly ran off.

His impatient demeanor made it obvious without guessing: he was definitely going to train like crazy again.

So rude. When will he ever grow up? Kuina watched his retreating back and sighed.

She turned back to Xianuo and bowed very seriously, "Thank you, Lord Xianuo. It was an honor to spar with you. Although..."

She gave a wry smile, "Your sword strikes were too fast. My eyes are dull and clumsy, and I couldn't learn anything. I still feel a bit regretful about that."

Xianuo didn't quite know how to respond and chuckled to cover it up, directly changing the subject, "Speaking of which, I haven't sharpened my sword in a while. Do you have a whetstone at your place?"

"A whetstone?"

Kuina nodded, "Yes, but we usually use bamboo swords in the dojo, so we rarely use it. It's been kept in the attic. I'll go get it for you right away."

"No need." Xianuo quickly said, "Just lead the way, I'll get it myself."

Don't joke with your life, girl!

Do you think I brought this up for nothing? Besides earning points, wasn't it also to save your life?

If you went alone and fell to your death beforehand, wouldn't I feel guilty for the rest of my life?

Secluded warehouse.

Xianuo looked up at the wooden ladder before him, pinching his chin. He still found it somewhat unbelievable.

No, the attic isn't that high. At most, it's less than three meters. A swordsman who's trained since childhood and can't be beaten by ordinary adults just... died falling like that?

He glanced at the information on the system panel.

The bamboo sword he'd tricked from Zoro earlier had been successfully sacrificed.

[Offering: Zoro's Bamboo Sword]
[Quality: Fine]
[Value: 500 points]
[Appraisal Comment: One of the bamboo swords that accompanied Zoro for years, witnessing his countless sweat-stained dawns and dusks. He may switch to one famous sword after another in the future, but he will never forget these initial companions.]
[Remaining Points: 8825]

Five hundred points. It was about what he'd expected, so Xianuo was fairly satisfied.

"I just don't know if this one is more or less..."

He gently ran his palm over the ladder in front of him, attempting to activate the sacrifice.

[Offering: Kuina's Supreme Great Fast Ladder]
[Quality: Epic]
[Value: 1500 points]
[Appraisal Comment: Theories about Kuina's death are numerous, but the only certainty is that she fell from this ladder while going to the attic to retrieve a whetstone to sharpen her beloved Wado Ichimonji, thus changing the world line. The future seas would lose a remarkable female swordswoman, but gain a man who vowed to become the World's Greatest Swordsman—"I'll become strong enough to surpass her, until my name echoes in heaven!"]

One thousand five hundred points?

Xianuo was genuinely surprised this time. Logically, Kuina was only a minor character, and her current strength contributed little to the weighting. The sacrificial items he'd "borrowed" should only be worth about one or two hundred points at most.

As expected.

Beyond the three sacrifice rules he'd formulated, there existed a special rule.

--Special items that altered world lines and were associated with famous scenes often possessed higher value.

Xianuo looked at the points column.

[Remaining Points: 10325]

The points he'd spent earlier were almost completely replenished. The Supreme Great Fast Ladder had contributed significantly.

Then, how many points would Luffy's Straw Hat provide?

It would probably be even more than I originally anticipated.

Xianuo's heart filled with anticipation.

He'd already "harvested" almost all the sacrificial items available in the surrounding waters.

Once he obtained this last Straw Hat, he could return to Cocoyasi Village with peace of mind to cultivate in seclusion.

After that.

For a considerable period, he would no longer have to worry about points.

He withdrew his thoughts, his gaze returning to the dojo outside.

A light rain was drizzling, and Kuina was still waiting in the courtyard.

After some thought, he rummaged through his warehouse for a brush and ink, then strode out.

As the saying goes, "He who has received a gift must offer a token of gratitude."

Having just earned so many points for free, it was time to offer a small return—saving Kuina's life, for instance.

Removing the ladder and moving the whetstone downstairs didn't eliminate the hidden danger of Kuina falling to her death.

Xianuo had a good impression of the intelligent, polite, and exceptionally talented young girl. He truly didn't want her to leave this world in such a ridiculous manner.

All absurdities usually had a reason behind them.

Xianuo had noticed earlier that when Kuina was searching for her bamboo sword, she fumbled around for a long time before finding it. The light was dim, yes, but not that dim.

Could it be...

Like Tashigi, who looked exactly the same, Kuina is actually severely nearsighted?