The Training Method of a Great Swordsman

Back at the tavern.

Junichi and Hawk-Eye enjoyed a lavish Sea King feast.

Hancock joined them as well.

After being kidnapped, she and her two sisters had requested special training.

They had trained all morning and only had time to return at noon.

"Wow!"

"That amazing?"

"He comprehended Cutting Steel just like that?"

As she listened to Hawk-Eye recount how he had taught Junichi that morning, her face filled with repeated astonishment.

The way she looked at Junichi had turned into starry-eyed admiration.

Everyone could see such obvious affection.

Junichi could only bite the bullet, play dumb, and avoid responding to twelve-year-old Hancock's feelings.

He really was not into little girls.

After lunch.

Junichi and Hawk-Eye left to continue training.

Hancock was also reluctantly dragged away by the female warriors for more grueling practice.

Inside the bar.

Only Rayleigh and Shakuyaku remained.

"I told you," Rayleigh said smugly, raising his brows at Shakuyaku. "As long as young Junichi showed his talent, Hawk-Eye's attitude would immediately change."

"Just look at how he acted during lunch."

"That attitude was so warm, it was like he was treating him as his own disciple."

Shakuyaku rolled her eyes and nodded helplessly. "Yes, yes, you're the greatest. No one else noticed it, but you saw it in advance."

"Hahaha." Rayleigh did not mind being mocked. Instead, he laughed even more happily.

They returned to the same training site as that morning.

Junichi and Hawk-Eye arrived.

"First, tell me about your swordsmanship. It'll help digest the meal and pass the time," Hawk-Eye said.

"Much appreciated." Junichi nodded.

He explained every detail of the Uchiha Style Swordsmanship.

Very soon.

With Hawk-Eye's help, an entirely new Uchiha Style Swordsmanship was created.

This new Uchiha Style Swordsmanship retained its fierce and explosive style.

But its main framework had become completely unrecognizable.

It had entirely discarded its original roughness, rigidity, and sloppiness, becoming incomparably complete.

Not only could it be paired with Fire Release, but its techniques could also be adjusted slightly to work with other ninjutsu, such as Lightning Release, genjutsu, Shadow Clones, and more.

As long as Junichi wanted to.

He could replicate the techniques of Hatake Style and Konoha Style at any time.

[You are learning New Uchiha Style Swordsmanship. Proficiency +1]

[Ding!]

[Your New Uchiha Style Swordsmanship has met the proficiency requirement and has automatically advanced.]

[New Uchiha Style Swordsmanship · Proficient (678/1000)]

The skill's proficiency had also surged from its original "14" to "678."

This was not difficult to understand.

The essence of swordsmanship was to allow a swordsman to wield their power more effectively.

And the ultimate expression of a swordsman's power was Cutting Steel!

Having comprehended Cutting Steel, Junichi's power had become condensed as one. Learning swordsmanship in turn naturally became far easier, and he picked it up with ease.

His personal panel had also changed into the following.

[Host: Junichi Uchiha]

[Age: 15]

[Skills: New Uchiha Style Swordsmanship · Proficient (678/100)... Armament Haki · Proficient (45/100), Observation Haki · Proficient (36/100), Basic Swordsmanship · Special (max level upon learning), Cutting Steel · Special (max level upon learning)]

Junichi had the panel temporarily hide those ninjutsu.

He mainly wanted to check the skills he had learned in the pirate world.

Both types of Haki had risen from single digits to double digits.

Very soon.

He would master the technique of "coating" and advance to the next level—mastery.

At this point.

Junichi and Hawk-Eye had also mostly finished digesting their meal.

"Let's continue training," Hawk-Eye said.

"Alright."

Junichi closed the panel and rose from the ground.

"You've already comprehended Cutting Steel. You can imitate most swordsmanship after watching it a few times."

"But having too many sword techniques is meaningless. What matters is whether they suit you."

"That improved swordsmanship suits your style quite well, so there's no need to teach you more sword techniques."

Hawk-Eye paused, his expression turning thoughtful.

"I'll teach you the training method of a great swordsman."

"A great swordsman..." Junichi nodded lightly, unsurprised.

Comprehending Cutting Steel made one a swordsman.

Beyond swordsmen were great swordsmen, those who had comprehended Flying Slashes!

"Great swordsmen are those who have comprehended Flying Slashes. They can swing out slashing waves, extending their power hundreds or even thousands of meters away." As Hawk-Eye spoke, he drew the black blade from his back.

The black blade—Yoru.

One of the twelve Supreme Grade Blades still publicly known to exist.

Its hilt was shaped like a cross, while its blade was long and thick, engraved with ornate floral clove patterns down the center.

The moment the sword was drawn, it radiated an intangible pressure.

Like some kind of blade force.

Even the surrounding air seemed to stagnate.

"I'll demonstrate it once."

Hawk-Eye casually swung the black blade, his movement effortless.

Rip!

Yet the air let out the sound of tearing silk, as though it had been ripped apart.

A sharp slashing wave was pulled forth by Hawk-Eye, shooting toward the sea ahead like a crescent moon.

Junichi's gaze sharpened, and he instinctively activated his Sharingan.

Under the Sharingan's insight.

An indescribable sense of harmony appeared within that airborne slash.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The slashing wave cleaved through the air and struck the sea eight hundred meters away.

Boom!

A gigantic wave dozens of meters high surged upward, exploding into a sky full of spray.

"Your eyes..." Hawk-Eye turned back and glanced at Junichi's scarlet pupils. "A Devil Fruit?"

"No. It's an innate ability." Junichi shook his head. "It lets me improve my perception."

"Is that so?"

Hawk-Eye showed a look of surprise, then nodded in understanding. "It seems you come from some special race. But it would be best not to reveal that ability. It could attract covetous eyes."

"I know." Junichi nodded and deactivated his Sharingan.

There was no problem explaining the Uchiha Clan's bloodline limit as an ability of some special race.

The pirate world indeed had all kinds of special races.

For example, giants, the Longskull Tribe, savages, dwarves, merfolk, the Three-Eye Tribe, and so on.

"Back to Flying Slashes."

Hawk-Eye paid no attention to the change in his eyes and continued, "Flying Slashes are different from Armament Haki, nor are they the external emission of Armament Haki."

"It is an ultimate art comprehended when a swordsman breaks through himself and brings his 'heart, will, body, strength, and energy' into perfect unity."

"It symbolizes a complete realm of swordsmanship."

Junichi listened with a thoughtful look.

At the same time, the panel gave a prompt.

[You are learning Ultimate Art · Flying Slash. Proficiency +1]

"The difficulty of Flying Slashes varies from person to person," Hawk-Eye continued. "Some people may comprehend it in three to five years, while others may never comprehend it in their entire lives."

"This realm requires a swordsman to walk to the end of his own path, then look back."

"To grasp the opposite side of his own swordsmanship!"

"Then, when the positive and negative sides become one, new power will be born. That is Flying Slash."

As he listened to those words.

Three prompts popped up on the panel in rapid succession.

[You are learning Ultimate Art · Flying Slash. Proficiency +1]

[You are learning Ultimate Art · Flying Slash. Proficiency +1]

[You are learning Ultimate Art · Flying Slash. Proficiency +1]

Junichi stroked his chin, gaining some understanding.

He remembered that in the original work, Hawk-Eye's swordsmanship balanced hardness and softness, yin and yang. No matter what style of technique it was, he could display it perfectly in his hands.