Compared to their previous duels, Kuina was clearly struggling much more after switching to real swords. She rarely used the sideways evasions that better facilitated counterattacks now, and was often forced back by Zoro's blade.
Mousse could not help recalling a long-buried memory. "Sure enough, heavier weapons favor the side with the greater strength! It's just like how the free-kick skills of Japanese and Korean players suddenly leaped to world-class levels during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The ball became lighter, so East Asian players' disadvantage in strength was circumvented."
However, Kuina was experienced after all. Though she had never struggled so much before, she still seized one of Zoro's mistakes and knocked his weapon away, winning their 2,001st duel.
Then came that famous scene Mousse still remembered vividly even after all these years since crossing over. The complaint he had held back ever since reading this part back then finally burst out:
"Because you're a woman, you can't become the world's strongest swordsman? So just become a man? That's hilarious!"
Hearing a slightly hoarse laugh suddenly come from the clearly empty space nearby, Kuina—who was, after all, still just a young girl—felt every hair on her body stand on end. She immediately snapped out of her self-pitying mood, gripped Wado Ichimonji tightly, and shouted, "Who's there?"
Mousse did not reveal himself immediately. Instead, he sneered and asked Kuina, "Little girl, you say women cannot become the world's strongest Grand Swordmaster because women's physiques differ from men's, right?"
Kuina nodded, only to hear that mysterious fellow ask another question. "Good. Then tell me, in this world, is the difference between men and women greater, or is the difference between different races greater?"
"Men and women of the same race generally differ in physique by only twenty or thirty percent. But