Chapter 5: Shimotsuki Village: Zoro's Request for Guidance

In the tea room, two figures, one large and one small, sat facing each other, sipping tea and enjoying sake in peaceful contentment.

However, just as Takumi downed another cup of sake, the atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted. A powerful and invisible sword aura radiated from him, filling the small space before quickly dissipating.

Koushirou, who had been smiling a moment ago, froze for a second, feeling a slight pressure from the sudden surge of sword energy. His fingers tightened around his teacup, and his gaze toward Takumi changed.

"You... your swordsmanship just improved, didn't it?" Koushirou asked, clearly surprised.

He couldn't explain what had happened, but he could tell that the Takumi sitting before him now was on a completely different level from the one who had sparred with Kuina earlier. In terms of both understanding and mastery of swordsmanship, Takumi had advanced significantly.

This kid really is a swordsmanship prodigy, Koushirou thought.

After a moment, Koushirou couldn't help but ask, "Can you tell me who taught you your sword skills?"

"I taught myself," Takumi replied.

"Self-taught? Then, you don't have a master?" Koushirou asked, surprised.

"No," Takumi confirmed.

"So, without any guidance, how did you practice your swordsmanship?" Koushirou pressed.

"That's not something I'm willing to share," Takumi said flatly.

Koushirou wasn't the type to pry too much, so he smiled and said, "Since you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask further. But I have a suggestion—why don't you stay here at the dojo? There's plenty of sake, and I could teach you more about swordsmanship."

The moment Takumi mentioned he didn't have a master, Koushirou had been tempted. A child with such natural talent was rare, and Koushirou wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away easily.

"No, thanks," Takumi declined. "I'm a traveler. I don't stay in one place for too long."

"A traveler?" Koushirou echoed, surprised. "With your talent, just being a traveler seems like such a waste. If you stay, I can teach you everything I know. I'm sure you could master it all quickly, and then you could continue your travels afterward."

"No, thanks. I appreciate the offer, but I'm not interested in passing down swordsmanship or becoming a revered swordsman. My dream is simply to be a free and unbound traveler, nothing more," Takumi said, using the same reasoning he had given when turning down Shanks.

Koushirou tried once more. "Are you sure you won't stay?"

Takumi nodded firmly. "I'm sure."

Seeing that he couldn't change Takumi's mind, Koushirou sighed in resignation. "Alright, then. I won't press you. How long do you plan to stay in Shimotsuki Village?"

Takumi thought for a moment. His current progress was only at 30%, and judging by his experience in Foosha Village, it would probably take at least ten days to complete his task. "About half a month, give or take."

"Half a month, huh?" Koushirou nodded, taking a sip of tea. "There aren't any inns in the village, so why don't you stay at the dojo until you leave?"

"Alright," Takumi agreed without hesitation.

After chatting a bit more, Koushirou showed Takumi to a guest room and had the promised sake delivered there as well.

Once the fifteen large jars of sake were safely stored in his system space, Takumi noticed it was still early, so he decided to take a walk around the village.

But just as he stepped into the courtyard, he felt a surge of hostility from behind.

He sidestepped just in time to avoid an attack.

Under the moonlight, Takumi saw a figure with unmistakable green hair—Zoro—rushing at him with two bamboo swords in hand. With a swift chop, Takumi easily knocked Zoro to the ground.

"Damn it!" Zoro shouted, scrambling back to his feet. "There's no way Kuina lost to you fairly! You must've cheated! If you're a man, pick up your sword! I challenge you! If I win, you have to give Wado Ichimonji back to Kuina!"

Takumi couldn't help but roll his eyes. What is this even about?

He had no intention of entertaining Zoro, so he turned to leave.

But before he could take more than a few steps, Zoro attacked again, shouting, "Take this!"

Just like before, Takumi dodged Zoro's wild swings with ease. And, just like before, he ended the exchange with a single chop, sending Zoro to the ground.

When Zoro got up and charged at him for the third time, Takumi finally started to get annoyed.

Was Zoro always this much of a pest as a kid?

"If I beat you with a sword, will you stop bothering me?" Takumi asked, drawing Lake Toya and effortlessly blocking Zoro's strikes. He quickly noticed that while Zoro was physically stronger than Kuina, his technique and understanding were sorely lacking.

No wonder this guy could never beat Kuina, Takumi thought.

With that, Takumi decided to end it quickly. Just as Kuina would often do, he struck Zoro right in the face, sending him crashing to the ground.

Zoro lay there, staring up at the starry sky, his fists clenched in frustration. "Damn it! We're about the same age, so why is he so strong? Why?"

The bit of hope he'd been holding onto faded away.

He had thought Takumi had cheated to beat Kuina, but now he knew he was wrong.

Takumi was just really strong.

For the third time, Zoro picked himself up off the ground.

He watched Takumi's silhouette as he walked away, conflicted and desperate, but finally, he couldn't hold back. "Hey, wait!"

"Hmm?" Takumi turned to look at him.

Zoro asked bluntly, "How long have you been practicing swordsmanship?"

"Not even half a day."

"Half... half a day?" Zoro stammered, swallowing nervously. "There's no way you could be this good after just half a day!"

His first instinct was to think that Takumi was messing with him, but something about the way Takumi carried himself made Zoro doubt that.

Takumi didn't care if Zoro believed him or not. "Believe what you want. I'm leaving."

As Takumi turned to go, Zoro quickly moved to block his path. "I didn't say I don't believe you. It's just... surprising, that's all. Could you at least tell me how you trained? I want to be as strong as you!"

Takumi hadn't expected Zoro to ask him for guidance.

But then he remembered how persistent Zoro could be. If he didn't give him something, Zoro would probably keep hounding him.

Might as well give him a few pointers so I can have some peace and quiet, Takumi thought.

"How long have you been training at the dojo?" Takumi asked.

"Almost a year!" Zoro replied.

"And after a year, all you've learned is to charge ahead and try to overpower your opponent?" Takumi said, unimpressed.

"Uh... well..." Zoro faltered.

"Do you know why you've never been able to beat Kuina?" Takumi asked.

"I... I don't know. I've worked really hard, but I just can't beat her... Do you know why?" Zoro asked, looking desperate.

"Your fighting style has no technique," Takumi stated bluntly. "Right now, your strength is on par with Kuina's, using your two-sword style. But even if you become stronger than her in the future, she'll still be able to beat you with superior skill. From the start, you've been going about this the wrong way."

"The wrong way?" Zoro echoed. "So what do I need to do to beat her?"

"In addition to practicing the basics, you need to improve your swordsmanship. Stop relying solely on brute strength and start thinking about your opponent's moves. Learn to counter them. If you're strong enough, you'll be able to spot the flaws in even the most perfect technique."

As soon as Takumi finished speaking, a familiar notification chimed in his mind.

[Ding! Guided Zoro in swordsmanship. Progress increased by 20%. Current total progress: 50%. Reward: Swordsmanship level increased by 1. Current Swordsmanship level: 4.]

Takumi immediately felt a surge of power within him, and an even stronger, more intimidating aura radiated from his body.

So that's how it is... Takumi thought. To complete the sign-in progress, I need to be involved with key characters. Just from guiding Zoro, I gained 20% progress.

"What was that just now?" Zoro's voice broke into his thoughts. "Was it my imagination, or did I just feel something... intense?"

Takumi glanced at Zoro.

No wonder this guy will become one of the Pirate King's right-hand men in the future.

Bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand, Takumi asked, "Did you understand what I just explained?"

Zoro scratched his head, looking a bit confused. "So... you're saying I need to think and analyze my opponent's moves, then find a way to counter them?"

"In a real fight, your opponent won't give you much time to analyze their moves," Takumi pointed out.

"Uh... then what should I do?" Zoro asked, starting to panic.

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself," Takumi said. Then, almost as an afterthought, he asked, "Do you believe there's a sword in this world that can cut through anything?"

Zoro paused, his eyes lighting up. "Is there really such a sword?"

Takumi's lips curled into a small smile as he picked up one of Zoro's bamboo swords. "Watch closely."

Just then, a breeze picked up, and a leaf floated toward them.

Takumi slashed at the leaf with the bamboo sword.

The leaf drifted gently to the ground, completely unharmed.

Zoro couldn't help but scoff. "A bamboo sword cutting a leaf? That's impossible..."

Takumi chuckled but didn't bother explaining.

A moment later, there was a loud crack. Not far from where the leaf had landed, a large stone split apart and crumbled into pieces.

"What the—?" Zoro gasped. "What just happened? How did the stone break?"