Five Stages

Luo Ya was a pragmatic person. He hadn't pinned all his hopes on Ryujin Jakka, and his experiences in Soul Space had left him with some questions.

So after entering Soul Space for the second time, Luo Ya kept searching for a way to enter it again while continuing to practice his swordsmanship.

The repeated strikes calmed his mind. He was no longer as restless as he'd been in his previous life. The moment he took up a sword, he felt utterly focused.

For an instant, everything in the world seemed insignificant to Luo Ya. Only the wooden sword in his hand and the wooden post before him seemed to give off a steady pulse.

In that instant, an otherwise ordinary strike split the post in two, leaving an impeccably clean cut.

Unfortunately, that was the only time he'd entered that state in five months of practice. He hadn't managed to do it again since.

Looking back on the original story afterward, he regretted that when he'd read One Piece, he'd been too busy admiring Nami, Robin, the Empress, and the others to remember anything about this.

Maynard stared at the post, cleaved in two by a wooden sword, as though Luo Ya were a monster.

"You sensed the post's breath. That's why you could cut it in two, even with a wooden sword. Luo Ya, do you know the different levels of swordsmen?"

Luo Ya shook his head. If Maynard had asked him about Nami and the others' measurements, Luo Ya could have recited them backward, but he knew nothing about swordsmen's ranks.

"Swordsmen can generally be divided into five stages. There are strong and weak swordsmen at each stage. Let me tell you about all six of them.

"The first stage is that of the apprentices recruited by the various sword schools. It's the stage where ordinary people take up a sword and become swordsmen.

"The second stage is cutting through steel. Swordsmen at this stage have touched the threshold of becoming master swordsmen and grasped the breath of all things.

"To put it simply, the breath of all things is an unparalleled state of focus. In this state, a swordsman can sense the rhythm of everything around them. It's like cutting vegetables along the grain: even with a wooden sword, they can cut through steel.

"The third stage is comprehending sword intent and being able to unleash flying slashes. Swordsmen at this stage can also imbue their strikes with elemental attacks. They can be called master swordsmen, and their attacks are far more powerful. Even the sword energy they unleash is razor-sharp.

"The fourth stage is cutting through Seastone or substances like diamond, which are considered among the hardest materials in the world.

"The fifth stage is cutting through intangible things, such as space. I don't know much about that, so I won't go into detail."

Luo Ya listened, enthralled. "What about Hawk-Eye? Isn't he the World's Greatest Swordsman? What stage is he at now?"

"You sure know a lot. When Mihawk first became the World's Greatest Swordsman, he was probably at the peak of the third stage. Now, he should be at the fourth." Maynard lowered his head to look at the wound on his chest.

Still caught up in his excitement, Luo Ya said, "Don't worry, Dezi. I'll definitely take the title of World's Greatest Swordsman one day. Once I reach the fifth stage, I'll come back and teach you."

A vein bulged on Maynard's forehead. "Starting tomorrow, you're doubling your training, brat. Once you've fully mastered the breath of all things, you can go out and fight for real."

"Wouldn't that be easy? I can take a few pirates' heads and trade them for bounties to improve our lives. But I don't know how to sail, Dezi." Luo Ya spread his hands.

"Don't worry, you won't have to sail. I'll get you a job as an assassin in the Underworld. You'll take every job that comes your way. That'll give you a proper taste of this sea. Just don't wet yourself and bring shame to the name of Silvers Maynard." Maynard spoke proudly.

"Don't worry, Dezi. The moment I picked up a sword, I accepted the possibility of being killed. But why does the surname Silvers sound so familiar?" Luo Ya scratched his head.

"Finish today's training and get dinner ready!" Bam! Maynard punched Luo Ya, sending dust billowing around him.

Luo Ya got up, dusted himself off, gripped his wooden sword, and gritted his teeth as he swung at the post. It was as though he were striking someone's neck, and a smile of revenge spread across his face.

Maynard sighed. When he was young, he'd been a righteous hero. He'd only ended up with a bounty on his head because he'd helped his younger brother's pirate ship escape the Marines. How had he grown older and ended up taking in a disciple who looked like a villain through and through? Maybe he'd changed too.

He missed the days he'd spent adventuring at sea. "Hawk-Eye, wait there at the top of the world as the World's Greatest Swordsman. It won't be long before a kid named Luo Ya cuts you down from your throne."

With a sigh, Maynard touched the wound on his chest and took out a bottle labeled Jerez. He began to drink as he ran his hand over the tombstone before him. Engraved on it were the words "Great Grade 21 Swords, Onimaru Kunitsuna." Behind the tombstone, a broken sword was planted at an angle in the ground. As the sun set, the shadows of the man and the sword stretched longer and longer.