Paying a Visit

Zoro and his two companions briefly explored Pagila Island before heading to their destination: a small island located to the east of Pagila Island.

Most people know that Genryuusai Shigekuni, the Great Swordmaster of the Yangyan sword, is living in seclusion in the Night Sea Domain, but the exact location is unknown. Since his identity was exposed, it has become difficult for him to hide it.

The Flame Style Swordsmanship, as terrifying as the blazing sun, is revered by the world as Yang Yan (Sun Flame).

However, swordsmen also have their own channels of communication, which very few people know about.

Koshiro was able to find out the location of Genryuusai Shigekuni's seclusion thanks to Kozaburo's guidance.

With Kuina and Zoro by their side, the two children could hardly hide their excitement and nervousness.

The three arrived at a small courtyard located on the edge of the island, facing the sea.

"Dongdong!" Koshiro picked up the silver ring attached to the door and tapped it twice.

"Please come in," came a slightly aged but still strong voice.

The door wasn't locked. For a swordsman, the best introductory guide is his own powerful Sword Intent.

Unbeknownst to Zoro and Kuina, Koshiro had already demonstrated his swordsmanship skills, and at the same time, he also sensed the dormant volcano within the courtyard.

Only by experiencing it firsthand can one truly understand just how terrifying this man, one of the World's Strongest Swordmaster, is.

"Squeak!"

The gate slowly opened with a sharp sound. The courtyard looked quite old; it was unexpected that Genryuusai Shigekuni would live in seclusion in such a small place.

The first thing that catches the eye is a tall, robust old man dressed in a black kimono, sweeping fallen leaves in the yard with a broom.

He had long, gray hair and a beard that reached his chest.

Standing upright, it looked as solid as a rock.

"Junior Koshiro greets Mr. Genryuusai Shigekuni." Koshiro in the highest esteem, and Kuina and Zoro beside him dared not breathe, cautiously observing this legendary and powerful swordsman.

"Koshiro? Who is Kozaburo to you?" Upon hearing this familiar name, Genryuusai Shigekuni's eyes widened as he stared at Koshiro.

"It is indeed my father."

"Oh, how is that guy now? He shouldn't have left yet, right?" Genryuusai Shigekuni's gaze was somewhat reminiscent, with a touch of emotion.

My father is still in good health and enjoys fishing by the river.

Genryuusai Shigekuni and Shimotsuki Kozaburo undoubtedly knew each other and had some interactions in their early years. When he went to Wano Country to forge the Remnant Fire Greatsword, Shimotsuki Kousaburou provided guidance and assistance.

"That's good." Hearing that his old friend was still alive, Genryuusai Shigekuni felt somewhat relieved. "What brings you here this time?"

As he spoke, Genryuusai Shigekuni glanced at Zoro and Kuina beside Koshiro.

He had a pretty good idea that it was related to the two children.

Judging from his insight, both children had received excellent educations, and their talents were undeniable.

The knives he held in his arms were among the finest in the world.

Both Wado Ichimonji and the demon sword Mara were designed by Shimotsuki Kousaburou.

Looking into their eyes, I could see a hint of admiration.

"Sir, this is a letter from my father. He asked me to give it to you." Koshiro took out a letter from his pocket, walked up to Genryuusai Shigekuni, and bowed slightly.

Taking the envelope, Genryuusai Shigekuni slowly opened it and looked at the contents.

"Is that so? Training in the Combat Pyramid? In that case, leave it to me. During this time, I will ensure that their growth is not interfered with by external factors."

Kozaburo asked him to take care of the two children, which was not a problem for Genryuusai Shigekuni. He spent most of his time training at the Combat Pyramid, and all he needed to do was prevent accidents from happening. It was just a matter of a word for him, and the Night Pirates would give him that face.

Koshiro cannot stay in the New World for long. He will leave after Zoro and Kuina settle down at the Combat Pyramid, since there is still a dojo in Shimotsuki Village that needs to be taken care of.

This is also why Kozaburo asked Genryuusai Shigekuni; receiving guidance from Genryuusai Shigekuni during this period was very helpful for their growth.

"Living conditions are not a problem. Teach gave me a card that I've barely used, so it's perfect for them to use. There's no need to worry about running out of Beli."

"Thank you so much." Koshiro was very excited and bowed deeply to Genryuusai Shigekuni. It was very difficult to survive in the Combat Pyramid without a certain level of strength.

Most of those with insufficient strength could only live outside the Combat Pyramid, in the surrounding large residential areas.

Although he is Great Swordmaster, to be honest, he doesn't have much money. His entire collection, excluding his Famous Sword, is worth less than ten million Beli.

It will be difficult for Zoro and Kuina to survive and establish a virtuous cycle in the Combat Pyramid on Pagila Island in the short term.

Koshiro had originally planned to gather enough Beli for Zoro and Kuina to live on his own, but with the support of Genryuusai Shigekuni, things became much easier.

For Genryuusai Shigekuni, this was a simple matter; Teach gave him a card that allowed him to spend 3 billion Beli in the Combat Pyramid.

And you can withdraw cash at any time.

Genryuusai Shigekuni didn't value these things, but it just so happened that he had a child who needed them.

At such a young age, they have come to Combat Pyramid. The two children are very talented, especially in swordsmanship. Since they are the juniors that Kozaburo values, they are naturally his juniors as well. It is not a big deal for him to take care of them.

The letter explained everything in detail. His two disciples were adventuring at sea, and he had no plans to take on any more disciples. He was all alone, and it was nice to have two children to keep him company occasionally.

"Then I'll be in trouble for the next few days," Koshiro said respectfully, glancing at Kuina and Zoro beside him. "You two stay here for now, I'll go buy some daily necessities."

Koshiro will definitely stay for the time being, until Zoro and Kuina settle down.

Koshiro's politeness made people feel at ease, coupled with his status as an old friend's son.

Soon, Koshiro left the courtyard.

Zoro and Kuina were left staring at each other in bewilderment.

The air suddenly became still. The teacher was gone. What would they do next? Especially in this relatively unfamiliar place, in front of Genryuusai Shigekuni.

"Kuina, how about we have a fight?" Zoro, looking rather dazed, nudged Kuina's hand with his arm and whispered.

This was what he thought was a low voice; in reality, both Kuina and Genryuusai Shigekuni could hear it clearly.

"Let's have a friendly spar and see what you've learned over the years," Genryuusai Shigekuni said, breaking the deadlock.

"Alright, in that case, Kuina, let's begin Battle 2522." Zoro was somewhat excited because during this time, they had mostly been training while traveling and hadn't had a chance to spar.

"Okay, with a real knife?" Kuina nodded and asked.

"Of course, real swords." Ever since they sparred with real swords, they have basically fought with real swords whenever there are only two of them, so they are very familiar with this aspect.

They stood facing each other, Zoro wielding two swords, Kuina wielding two swords; one Two-Sword Style, and the other One Sword Style.

Zoro now has the basic form of the Three-Sword Style, but he hasn't truly mastered it yet and needs more time to train.

Zoro always takes the initiative, which is a result of their different fighting styles.

The next moment, Zoro charged straight at Kuina, swinging his sword relentlessly. His fierce attacks were difficult for most people to handle.

Kuina and Zoro are old rivals, and she is very familiar with Zoro's fighting style. She blocked Zoro's attacks with just a sword.

The fight between the two children caught Genryuusai Shigekuni's eye. Although these two children were not very good at swordsmanship, they did not show any obvious signs of rigid teaching.

Even in basic swordsmanship, both of them have mastered it very well and have developed their own fighting styles.

Having your own fighting style is the foundation and the most important point in embarking on your own path of swordsmanship.

Many swordsmen learn swordsmanship from their predecessors and use it as a foundation, but they need to spend a lot of time improving, absorbing, and making it their own.

Characters like Zoro and Kuina face fewer obstacles in their growth process, allowing them to progress rapidly in swordsmanship. Even when they learn other people's swordsmanship, they always use it as a supplement, relying on their own swordsmanship as the foundation.

Having developed his own kendo style at such a young age, it's clear that while Koshiro's teachings conveyed his philosophy, he didn't intentionally instruct him in kendo.

This teaching method is acceptable. Of course, many swordsmen grow up by inheriting the swordsmanship of their predecessors and the dojos, and then transcend the limitations of swordsmanship to form their own unique way of swordsmanship.

Both methods are mainstream practices in the ocean, and there is no right or wrong, superior or inferior distinction.

For swordsmanship prodigies, regardless of their background, they can all forge their own path, while the latter allows those with less talent to grow even better.

Genryuusai Shigekuni placed his hands on his Cane Sword, watching quietly.

The two figures moved swiftly, clearly demonstrating that they possessed strength surpassing the vast majority of their peers.

The blades clashed in the air, producing muffled thuds.

Zoro's fierce attacks were like a storm, Kuina was like a small boat in a giant wave.

The two fighters have very distinct fighting styles: Zoro's fierce attacks and Kuina's strategy of using stillness to control movement.

Zoro's strength and stamina are his advantages, which Kuina cannot match. Even though she is two years older than Zoro, she cannot train as intensely as Zoro.

The gap is not obvious at present because Kuina has now surpassed the limits of the human body.

No matter how fierce Zoro's attacks were, Kuina was able to perfectly block them every time, as if she could see through Zoro 'Zoro attacks.

In terms of swordsmanship, Kuina is clearly superior to Zoro, which is why Zoro cannot match Kuina's talent.

Today, Kuina is gradually forging her own path, making up for her shortcomings, and strengthening her strengths. This is the most important thing. Why compare your weaknesses with the strengths of others?

The combat footage of various swordsmen broadened Kuina's horizons and made her path clearer.

In every battle, Zoro gives it his all, with the will to win, and this time, he even has Genryuusai Shigekuni watching from the sidelines.

Zoro isn't stupid. Mr. Yuanliu only agreed to take care of them because of his teacher and father. If they want to gain Mr. Yuanliu's approval or even receive guidance, they will have to rely on themselves.

A high-speed, relentless attack consumes a great deal of stamina and cannot be sustained for long. Once an opening appears, and Kuina seizes the opportunity, Zoro will be defeated.

Zoro understood this as well, and his goal was to find Kuina's weakness, even though Kuina's defense was completely impenetrable.

This is the difference in swordsmanship. Kuina started practicing swordsmanship at the age of three, and with her talent, she surpassed even many powerful swordsmen in swordsmanship skills.

Zoro didn't even have a chance to create an opening.

Kuina could take the initiative, but she wanted to wait for Zoro to show an opening before launching a counterattack.

Whew...

Under the relentless onslaught, Zoro was already panting, while his opponent, Kuina, was merely on the defensive.

He knew this wouldn't work, so he gritted his teeth and swung his swords with both hands like raindrops, slashing fiercely at Kuina.

Kuina swiftly swung her sword to parry, dodging Zoro's attack with agile speed.

The sudden attack was blocked, and Zoro's spirits relaxed slightly.

"Now!" Kuina's eyes lit up. She stopped defending and took the initiative to slash, blocking the falling double swords. She then swept her hand upwards, knocking the two long swords out of her hand.

With a swift wrist flick, Wado Ichimonji hovered in mid-air, resting on Zoro's neck.

"You lost, Zoro."

"Hmph! I'll win next time."

Zoro's fighting spirit pleased Genryuusai Shigekuni, as did Kuina's composure and superb swordsmanship during the battle.

These two children are undoubtedly promising talents, even surpassing the performance of his two disciples in their youth.

"Let's tidy up the yard; there are a few rooms inside that you can stay in."

Although the courtyard was small, it could still accommodate seven or eight people. The Night Pirates would never actually let Genryuusai Shigekuni live in such a dilapidated place.

It contains a lot of expensive equipment, top-of-the-line Transponder Snail, and some precious materials that can be forged into large swords.

The quality of each knife is determined at the moment it is made, and it is related to the materials and the skill of the blacksmith.

Reforging a sword is no less significant than forging it from scratch, and it can easily be damaged; only the world's top swordsmen can accomplish this.

So there are still quite a few large knives on the sea, it's just that some are not well-known.

Aside from its relatively quiet location by the sea, the surrounding woods also belong to Genryuusai Shigekuni's territory.

In his spare time, Genryuusai Shigekuni would also clean the yard, even if no one lived there, he would still clean it thoroughly.

So with just a little tidying up, you can move in anytime.

Soon, Koshiro returned, carrying large bags and small packages. The island still had many residents and a small town, close to Pagila Island, so it had no shortage of daily necessities.

Upon seeing Kuina and Zoro begin their training, he keenly sensed that the two had fought before. He smiled with narrowed eyes, pleased to see this.

I'll probably spend most of my time on Pagila Island from now on, but I'll also come back to stay there for some days.

Let's see if we've taken any detours during our growth; with a top-tier swordsman like Genryuusai Shigekuni, that can be easily resolved.

Many swordsmen on the high seas have taken the wrong path and ultimately failed to improve.

The most representative example is some Slaughter Swordsman failed to master their swords, becoming blinded by the killing and turning into bloodthirsty slaves to their blades.

Each time it appears, it causes enormous disaster.

------Aside------

One more chapter will be released later.