Awakening: Chop-Chop (continued)

"Your disciple is here. I'll take my leave now."

Hannyabal spoke cautiously.

"Go ahead!"

Xia Le waved him off.

With a smile on his face, he looked at Kuina before him.

After entering Impel Down, he had lost contact with the outside world and forgotten about the disciple he had sent Ivy to accept on his behalf.

He had never expected her to find her way here.

"You must have been through a lot to find this place, haven't you?"

Xia Le chuckled softly.

"So, what brought you here?"

"If it's only kendo, Kozuki Oden's instruction should have been enough to give you a solid foundation."

Kuina took a deep breath at his words and said solemnly, "Master Kozuki's instruction was indeed very thorough."

"But I've hit a bottleneck. No matter what I do, I can't make any further progress."

"So I came to find you, Master. I hope you'll teach me personally."

Xia Le gazed at her, then suddenly laughed.

He shook both shoulders, drawing her attention to his severed arms, a teasing look on his face.

"Then what do you think I can still teach you now?"

Kuina froze.

Could a swordsman who had lost both arms still be called a swordsman?

Could someone like that really teach swordsmanship properly?

For a moment, Kuina felt lost. Had she been wrong to endure countless hardships to enter the world's greatest prison?

After a long pause, she suddenly took a deep breath and bowed.

"Please teach me kendo!"

Seeing her like this, Xia Le narrowed his eyes slightly and laughed.

"Come with me!"

Kuina raised her head, then saw the chains running through his body from behind. A chill ran through her heart.

She could not imagine what her master had gone through all those years ago to become a