Chapter 6

At Isshin Dojo, Koshiro ended his call and promptly rose from his seat. He turned to his disciples and exclaimed, "Fetch the boat!"

Kuina, Koshiro's daughter, inquired, "Prepare the boat? Where are we headed?"

"We're off to pick up your grand master!" Koshiro responded with excitement.

"Grand master too? Is it the same one you often speak of, father?" Kuina asked.

Kuina had heard her father mention the master he had encountered on an island in the past, so this person was etched in her memory. Although Koshiro had talked about him, Kuina had never met him in person.

"Yes, that's the great master I always tell you about!" Koshiro replied with a smile and a nod. He then strode out of the dojo, brimming with excitement at the prospect of finally seeing his master.

After ten minutes, the boat was ready.

Koshiro and his group of disciples boarded the boat, with Kuina and Zoro teaming up for the journey. Although Koshiro had not intended to take Kuina and Zoro, as they were relatively young, he could not resist their insistent requests to meet Master Tai and had to bring them along.

While standing on the boat, Kuina turned to Zoro and asked, "Zoro, what do you think Master Tai looks like?"

"He's the master of your master, so he must be quite old, maybe in his 50s or 60s!" Zoro replied, describing the image of Master Tai he had constructed in his mind.

"Perhaps he's quite young, you never know!" Kuina responded with a smile.

"I think he's an elderly man, regardless!" Zoro insisted.

Kuina looked at Zoro and proposed, "Why don't we make a bet? If he's very old, I win. If he's young, you win. The loser will have to stand for three hours tomorrow!"

"Fine, I'm not afraid of you! I accept your bet," Zoro declared, placing his hands on his waist and refusing to concede defeat.

Observing Kuina and Zoro's bet on the teacher's age, Koshiro shook his head in amusement.

Koshiro couldn't help but wonder when the two students would have to face each other in competition.

As he turned his head, Koshiro gazed into the distance. It had been almost ten years since he had last seen his master. In that time, the master must have aged considerably.

When Koshiro had first met the master, he was already seventy years old. Given that it had been ten years since he had last come down from the mountain, the master must now be eighty years old.

With this thought in mind, Koshiro urged his disciples to increase the speed of the boat's journey.

The boat surged forward with a swoosh.

The boat raced towards Xiyang Village, the very village where Lin Wuya was located.

...

As the sun dipped below the horizon, night descended upon the village, and the villagers began to fall asleep, enveloping the entire village in a profound stillness.

In his room, Lin Wuya sat cross-legged, undergoing his daily practice, which he deemed compulsory. Despite his immense strength, he refused to rest on his laurels.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Lin Wuya practiced for an hour before coming to a halt. He brushed himself off and fell asleep, his sleeves drooping.

Meanwhile, on a secluded island located thirty nautical miles away from Xiyang Village, a group of pirates had taken up residence. Among the pirates were individuals with one eye, and others had numerous scars etched onto their faces. However, they all bore the same distinctive mark on their chests – a wolf head tattoo. These individuals were members of the Evil Wolf Pirate Group.

"It's already night! Why haven't Bazan and the others returned yet?" barked a man, who was roughly thirty years old and had a wolf head tattoo emblazoned on his body. A scar on his face stretched from the corner of his eyes to his chin, wriggling as he spoke, presenting a gruesome sight.

The man in question was the captain of the Evil Wolf Pirate Group and was known as the Lone Wolf.

He furrowed his brow, perplexed. Considering the speed of Basang and the others, two hours would have been enough to plunder the Sunset Village and return. Yet, it was already night, and Basang and his team had not returned, causing the Lone Wolf to grow anxious.

"Could it be that Deputy Captain Basang was distracted by the women of Sunset Village and lost track of time? After all, he returned the next day on the previous few occasions due to this reason!" the Lone Wolf mused, considering various possibilities for their delay.

One of the pirates chimed in, "Losing track of time because of a woman?"

The Lone Wolf frowned slightly. Although it was a plausible explanation, his intuition told him that Basang's absence was not due to such a frivolous reason.

"In any case, we shall head there tomorrow and investigate," the Lone Wolf commanded.

"Understood, boss!" the pirate replied.

...

The following morning, dawn broke.

The Lone Wolf and his crew arose and congregated at the coast. Upon scanning the sea level, the Lone Wolf discerned no sign of Basang and his team. Consequently, he ordered his men, "Fetch the boat! We're heading to Sunset Village!"

"Yes, sir!" the crew responded.

In just five minutes, the boat was ready. The Lone Wolf led his team onto the boat, and they headed towards Sunset Village.

The journey to the village took only two hours. Upon reaching the island, the sight that greeted the Lone Wolf and his men shocked them to the core.

Basang and his crew, whom the Lone Wolf had dispatched to ransack Sunset Village, were lying on the shore, drenched in blood.

The Lone Wolf approached the bodies, examined them, and his face turned grim. They were all dead, and their deaths were the result of a violent beating.