"The faster the body is developing, the more effective physical training becomes. If you wait until your body has completely stopped developing before you start training, then no matter how much you increase the workload, it will be difficult to achieve much."
Mousse's words drained all color from Kuina's face, yet he showed no regard for the girl's feelings. His sharp words were like blades, stabbing Kuina's heart until it bled.
"So during your growth period, you should have prioritized physical training. Techniques like swordsmanship only needed casual practice; you could focus on them after reaching adulthood. But you, clever young lady, did the exact opposite. You trained your swordsmanship diligently, yet your physical training was clearly lacking, especially your strength. I've never seen you train it specifically."
"Was the difference between your physique and Zoro's really all caused by talent?" At Mousse's rhetorical question, Kuina squeezed her eyes shut, her face full of regret.
Over the past few years, Zoro had trained desperately and chased after her with all his might, placing enormous pressure on Kuina. To avoid losing to Zoro—or, more accurately, to delay the day she lost to him for as long as possible—Kuina had focused her training on swordsmanship, which produced results more quickly. Yet she had never expected that this very choice would allow Zoro's physique to surpass hers even faster and widen the gap between them.
Even worse, she had wasted more than half of those golden years for physical training. Kuina had now begun to develop and entered adolescence. How much time did she have left?
Could she still make up for the enormous losses caused by her improper training methods?
Mousse's answer rekindled hope in Kuina's heart. "Although eleven is a little late, in my experience, if you were previously undertrained, then