After both men had calmed down from the fight, Koshiro led Vic back to his small courtyard. As they passed Kuina, Vic made a face at her, making her giggle.
They entered a small room with very simple furnishings. A low tea table stood in the middle, with a tea set on top, and a row of small cubbyhole cabinets lined the wall. There was nothing else. This was where Koshiro usually received guests and meditated.
Koshiro brought Vic to the place where he usually meditated, and the two sat facing each other. Koshiro wore a smile the whole time.
"Vic, I just saw how solid your foundation is. It's almost absurdly solid. I don't know how you trained, but your moves are a little simple. That's because you've only trained in the basics of swordsmanship without any further guidance. That's easy to fix. From now on, you need to free your mind and stop confining yourself to sword techniques. Make the basics instinctive, then use them as the foundation to create something new."
Koshiro continued slowly, "Most swordmasters' signature moves are extensions of basic techniques. They might combine several moves, or add some personal insight, along with body movements, motion, changes in positioning, the number of weapons, and so on to execute them. Once their swordsmanship truly reaches its peak, they return to simplicity, and every move they make has tremendous power."
Listening to him, Vic had to admit there was a huge difference between having a teacher and having none. This was a different world, after all, and the rules of heaven and earth and nature were different from those of his previous life. That was why he had been lost for so long, unable to break through to a completely new realm of swordsmanship. As a result, he rarely practiced his sword, spending most of his time meditating on it and training his body.
Vic listened intently without speaking, waiting for Koshiro to continue.
"There are swordsmen in this world who cannot cut anything, yet those same swordsmen can cut through steel and anything else, using the very same blade. The sword of the strongest swordsman is the power to protect what he wants to protect and cut what he wants to cut. A sword that hurts everything it touches isn't a sword, in my eyes. That is the next realm you must comprehend." Koshiro's words were somewhat obscure.
Vic thought, That's exactly what Koshiro told Zoro when he was little. It's pretty cryptic, so no wonder little Zoro didn't understand. As I see it, it means using a powerful conviction to wield the blade in your hand however you wish. But when Zoro broke through to Cutting Steel, he said he could sense breathing: the breath of the rocks, the trees, his sword, and Mr. 1's steel. Isn't that Observation Haki? And afterward he said, "You won't hit me again. Now it's just a question of whether I have the strength to cut steel." He clearly awakened Observation Haki, but Observation Haki alone couldn't let him cut steel. What else did he comprehend at that life-or-death moment?
Some might ask: if Zoro awakened Observation Haki then, why did he keep getting hurt afterward? This was probably an early version of Observation Haki that Oda had devised; the concept didn't exist in the manga at the time. Newly awakened Observation Haki was unstable, coming and going. Zoro had never heard of Observation Haki and had no concept of it, so he didn't train it specifically and mostly relied on instinct.
In many of Zoro's later fights, there were scenes where he anticipated attacks and dodged them. Besides, having Observation Haki didn't make someone invincible. There were Devil Fruit abilities against which Observation Haki was useless, and even if someone foresaw an attack, if they weren't as fast as their opponent and couldn't dodge, they would still get hurt.
Enel's priests on Sky Island all had Observation Haki, called Mantra on Sky Island, yet they still lost to the Straw Hat Pirates. Strong emotional fluctuations could also affect Observation Haki's perception, so it made sense that people didn't notice Zoro's Observation Haki when Oda didn't deliberately show it. Unless someone was deliberately showing off, standing still and swaying their body to dodge attacks like King Luffy, who would know it was Observation Haki? Besides, Zoro was an offensive fighter. Once he had identified his opponent, he attacked relentlessly.
So Vic knew that to break through his current realm, he had to master both Observation Haki and Cutting Steel. From what the two men had said, Vic knew Cutting Steel had to do with strong conviction: believing in oneself and the sword in one's hand.
Vic certainly didn't lack strong conviction. With his two great talents, photographic memory and proficiency, he believed he could become an unparalleled powerhouse. But that conviction was directed at a broad goal, and there was still something missing from it, which was why he had been unable to comprehend it. So Vic planned to find a way to break through his current realm and then learn more advanced things.
Koshiro continued, "You have to comprehend this realm for yourself. I can't help you with anything else. Your foundation is already in place, so there's no need to keep swinging your sword through gradual practice. Meditate more and seek greater understanding."
After saying that, Koshiro paid Vic no more attention and sat cross-legged to meditate.
Vic knew this was all he could do for now, but he at least knew which direction to take. Without saying anything else, he rose and walked out of the room.
Vic knew what he needed to do now was comprehend Yubashiri at his waist. Only by fully understanding his own sword could he advance further.
Vic found Kuina sitting cross-legged beside the sparring dojo in front, watching people spar with great interest.
Vic walked over, patted Kuina on the head, and said with a smile, "Kuina, come outside for a moment. I need you for something."
Kuina turned and was delighted to see Vic. She took hold of the hem of his clothes and went outside with him. Once they reached the corridor, Vic smiled at her and asked, "Kuina-chan, is there an empty room nobody lives in? I need somewhere to meditate."
Hearing that Vic hadn't come to play with her, Kuina pouted a little. "The other rooms are full of things. Only the attic and my room are fairly empty. You can come to my room."
Vic could see that Kuina was a little disappointed, so he smiled and said, "How about this? I'll go to your room today, and I'll tell you a story before I start training. All right?"
"Okay, okay! Let's go!" A smile appeared on Kuina's face at once, and she pulled on Vic's clothes as she set off.
Vic picked Kuina up and said with a laugh, "You show me the way. I'll carry you there."
There were only so many rooms, and the two soon arrived at Kuina's. It was small, about fifteen square meters, and simply furnished with a little bed, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, and a small table. Apart from the bed, nothing suggested that a child lived there. Koshiro had been strict with Kuina from a young age.
Vic sat cross-legged in front of the little table, and Kuina sat down opposite him. Vic told her an adapted story.
It was the story of Master Ancient One fighting demons from another realm to protect the world. He made a point of emphasizing that Ancient One was a small, frail girl who constantly strived to better herself. She learned wondrous magic from her friends at Kamar-Taj and eventually became the Sorcerer Supreme, defeating Dormammu, an invader from another world, through the strength of her conviction.
By the time Kuina finished listening, her little face was flushed with excitement and full of longing. Vic wanted to change some of Kuina's views so she would stop being the little girl who was at odds with her father.
In the original story, Koshiro probably didn't believe a girl could become a powerhouse in swordsmanship because Kuina was a girl and because of his traditional views. So he occasionally showed concern that no one would inherit the family's swordsmanship. The sensitive Kuina picked up on all of it, and from a young age, she resolved to become a powerful swordmaster. Having set herself that goal so early, she lived a very withdrawn life. If Zoro's arrival hadn't given her some different experiences, she probably would have remained numb.
Changing things little by little would eventually have an effect. If nothing else worked, he could simply take Kuina away when the time came and teach her himself, preventing her from dying in an accident.
After finishing the story, Vic gave Kuina a lollipop and let her go off to play by herself, while he stayed in the room to contemplate Yubashiri.