Chapter 16

"Alright, let's begin the training. Your task for this week is to touch the ground five times in an instant!" exclaimed Lin Wuya.

"Yes, Master!" Zoro and Kuina replied with enthusiasm, and started practicing their moves for the week. Lin Wuya watched on from the sidelines.

This was a particularly challenging task for Zoro, who was only nine years old, and Kuina, who was eleven years old. The pressure to accomplish it, however, served as motivation. Zoro had experienced similar pressure before on the mountain and it was that same pressure that led to an incredible transformation.

...

The sun had kept rising, and before they knew it, it was already noon. Zoro, and Kuina continued their training. Despite their strong perseverance, the two children had been practicing on the ground all morning and were already sweating profusely.

"Alright, let's end the morning training here," said Lin Wuya as he looked at the sweaty Zoro and Kuina.

As soon as Lin Wuya spoke, Zoro and Kuina collapsed on the ground, panting heavily and with sore feet.

"Feeling tired?" Lin Wuya asked with a smile.

"Yes, we're exhausted!" the two nodded breathlessly.

"If you feel like you can't go on, you're free to give up. I won't force you," Lin Wuya said, still smiling.

"Hmph! I won't give up. I'll not only touch the ground five times, but I'll do it in less than a week!" Zoro replied with determination.

Kuina also expressed her determination, saying, "I'll definitely do it too!"

"Let's do it then!" encouraged Lin Wuya. His fist-pumping gesture was a bit incongruous for an 80-year-old man!

After the morning training, Lin Wuya accompanied Zoro and Kuina back to the Isshin Dojo.

Koshiro was surprised to see Zoro and Kuina so tired and asked Lin Wuya, "What happened to them, Sensei?"

"They were practicing martial arts," Lin Wuya replied with a smile.

Koshiro wondered to himself why they were so exhausted after practicing.

...

At lunchtime, Koshiro had ordered a hearty meal to be prepared, which Lin Wuya, Zoro, and Kuina all enjoyed at the same table. Perhaps due to their morning training, Zoro and Kuina were extremely hungry and devoured their food quickly. They ate so much that they almost finished the entire table of food!

"You two should save some for Master Tai!" scolded Koshiro.

"It's fine, let them eat. They need to be full in order to have strength," Lin Wuya replied with a smile.

After lunch, Zoro and Kuina rested for half an hour before Lin Wuya took them back to the mountain to continue their training in the afternoon.

And so, Zoro and Kuina began the grueling practice of learning to shave.

...

One day passed.

Two days passed.

Three days passed.

Without realizing it, five days had already passed since Zoro and Kuina began their shaving practice. In these five days, they had trained with all their strength, surpassing even some adults in terms of strength and endurance.

Their hard work paid off, and after five days of practice, Zoro was able to touch the ground four times in an instant, while Kuina had also reached the same level of four steps in an instant.

Although there were only two days left until the deadline, Lin Wuya believed that with Zoro and Kuina's perseverance, it wouldn't be difficult for them to achieve the final goal.

For the next two days, Zoro and Kuina continued their hard training, until finally, after a full day of practice, they were able to touch the ground five times in an instant!

"Master, we did it!" Zoro exclaimed, running over to Lin Wuya, followed closely by Kuina.

Zoro and Kuina reported their accomplishment to Lin Wuya with excitement.

"Not bad! You completed it a day earlier than I expected," Lin Wuya said, nodding in satisfaction.

He had initially thought that touching the ground five times in a week would be a huge challenge for Zoro and Kuina. Now it seemed that he had underestimated the potential of these two little ones.

"However, you cannot become complacent. Although it's good to be able to touch the ground five times in six days, it's still a long way from being able to shave dozens of times in an instant. You both need to continue training as hard as you have been for the past six days," Lin Wuya advised.

"We won't become complacent, Sensei," Zoro and Kuina replied seriously.

Lin Wuya looked at the sun, which was only half of its head left, and decided to end the training for the day.

"It's getting late, so let's end the training for today. Go back, rest well, and keep your strength up for tomorrow," Lin Wuya said.

"Yes, Sensei!" the two replied and followed Lin Wuya down the mountain.

Koshiro prepared dinner as usual, and Zoro and Kuina were eager to eat. Their appetite was even bigger than the previous few days, but Koshiro was accustomed to this sight and did not blame them.

"Master, we've finished," Zoro and Kuina reported to Lin Wuya after dinner. However, Lin Wuya just smiled and said, "Alright, let's rest."

The two nodded and left the dining table to return to their respective rooms, where they quickly fell asleep.

"Sensei, what have you been teaching Zoro and Kuina these past few days? Why are they always so tired when they come back?" Koshiro finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been on his mind.

In his opinion, ordinary swordsmanship training should not be so exhausting!

"Nothing much, just teaching them one of the Marine Six Styles, the technique of shaving," replied Lin Wuya calmly.

"What?" Koshiro's expression changed. He couldn't believe that Lin Wuya had taught Zoro and Kuina the Marine Six Styles, a technique reserved only for elite fighters.