19 Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū

'Hmm?! Sasaki Kenshin??' Nate was startled by the name.

"An unusual name.. I am guessing your not from around here?" asked Rin

"You are right, I am not from east blue." said Sasaki "And as for your invite, I would like to politely decline since. I have no plans to become a pirate."

"Alright, No need to be hasty with your decisions. How about we have a chat over a drink?? I myself am a swordsman though not as accomplished as you. It would be good experience to discuss on our sword skills." said Nate as he knew that it wouldn't be that easy to rope him in to his crew.

After thinking about it for sometime Sasaki agreed to join him as he wanted to increase his sword skills as much as possible. Three of them went to a pub and ordered some drinks, while the boys discussed about their experiences on the way of the sword, Rin who was left with nothing to do started to devour through plates and plates of food.

After awakening her bloodline with the help of Nate's Eternal Haki and increasing it's purity, there was a drastic rise in her consumption of the food. She also seemed to have awakened some kind of memories, though they appeared to blurred and she couldn't make heads or tails out of it. It seemed to appear during her dreams but as soon as she wakes up she couldn't recall a single thing.

While Rin was attacking the food in front of her, Nate and Sasaki was having a heated discussion about different sword techniques. Soon Nate understood some of the details about the kind of sword style that Sasaki uses, it's a form that has been practiced by their family for generations and it was also something that Nate knew about from his past life. Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, the sword style that has been depicted many times in the anime Rurouni Kenshin.

Sasaki seemed to less sober from the drinks as he began to open up to Nate, during his ramblings Nate managed to find something interesting, Sasaki mentioned that he was a rarely seen prodigy which was greatly appreciated by his clan. He was able to learn most of the techniques due to his talents, even creating few of his own new ones, only thing that was holding him back was his physique which was a major requirement for practicing Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū.

Nate remembered that even in the anime the only characters known to be able to use this sword style without flaw was Hiko Seijūrō XIII who was Himura Kenshin's master due to its extreme requirements for a super human body. And it was during this time that Sasaki came to know about the adverse affects of this sword style. He heard some of his elders talking about how incomplete this technique is and having someone young learn it would be like having him rush to his death, and although it's is one of the most powerful sword styles in the world if not the most powerful, it causes its users body to deteriorate with each successive use. It was a double edged sword that is as deadly as to the user as it is to its enemies.

After learning about how this incomplete technique had killed of his clansmen generation after generation while on their quest to be the strongest swordsmen in the world left Sasaki shocked and awed by their determination and resolve to die for their dreams. This caused him to leave his clan and find out more about the world and if possible find a way to complete this technique to become the strongest swordsman in the world.

After talking for a long time Sasaki passed out cold from all the drinks he had, Nate had to rent a room in an inn for him and had to carry him there. After his conversation with Sasaki, Nate and Rin too booked rooms for themselves and decided to end the night.

Early next morning Nate found Sasaki in front of the inn waiting, he went over with Rin who was excited to go have her breakfast only to be dragged along by Nate.

"Good Morning Nate, Rin!!" said Sasaki

"Good Morning" said Nate while Rin just nodded still grumbling about not being able to eat her breakfast.

"Sorry for yesterday.. It's been sometime since I last had something to drink, it made me tipsy." said Sasaki awkwardly.

"It's alright mate. Maybe it's because you were drunk you were quite honest." said Nate with a smirk.

"Aha.. Anyway I need to go now. It was a pleasure meeting you and I sincerely hope we meet again in the future." said Sasaki

"Wait.. Not so fast. Yesterday you told me all about your sword style and your dreams which made me want to have you in my crew even more." said Nate while trying to tempt Sasaki "It's not like it's impossible to be the strongest swordsman while also being the pirate, in fact by being a pirate you will have more chances to fight greater opponents, travel and experience much more than by yourself."