Chapter 6: Shimotsuki Village, Koushirou's S-Level Talent: Sword Heart!

Dojo

An empty indoor training hall.

Koushirou stood holding the bamboo sword. His loose clothes set off his figure, which was a little thin. Holding the bamboo sword, Leno came to face him.

"Don't be nervous, I just want to see your level and talent," Koushirou reminded kindly.

"Ok!"

Leno nodded.

"Be careful!"

Koushirou suddenly shouted, held the sword in both hands, took a step forward, and stabbed directly. Leno had never practiced kendo, but he had practiced Sanda, giving him some foundation in his steps. Especially after experiencing life and death in actual combat, he discovered that seemingly useless skills are not without merit. With these footwork foundations, he could flexibly dodge Higuma's attack and kill Higuma.

However, these steps appeared immature in Koushirou's eyes. He easily used the bamboo sword to push aside the thrust, and at the same time, the bamboo sword "slapped" on Leno's shoulder. Strangely, although he was struck, Leno felt no pain.

"Body relax, you are too tense."

"Yes!"

Koushirou took a step back, still in the same posture as before, and motioned for Leno to come again. Leno exhaled and held the sword again.

"That move just now, that feeling..."

He savored Koushirou's counterattack. Koushirou's speed and power were unremarkable, but he accurately intercepted Leno's attack, making it too late for him to return to defense. Compared to Koushirou's kendo skills, Higuma and other bandits were just a bunch of rough guys!

Leno was happy in his heart; he made a wise choice and was not lost because of the power of the system. If a worker wants to do a good job, he must first sharpen his tools. Luffy, Zoro, Ace, Sabo, and many other geniuses, after going out to sea, can soar into the sky. It is inseparable from ten years of hard training. The foundation they laid was solid enough to be enlightened in battle and grow rapidly. Every time Zoro grows up, he recalls Koushirou's teachings when he practiced swordsmanship in his childhood. These are nutrients.

Robin, Usopp, Sanji, and others had talent but couldn't reach the heights of Luffy and Zoro. The most obvious contrast was between Sanji and Zoro. When they left East Blue, the gap wasn't that great, but after the Summit War, Sanji's progress was far inferior to Zoro's, so he had to get a whole set of equipment in Cake Island. Undeniably, their foundation was far inferior to Zoro and Luffy, preventing them from accumulating knowledge. Not only them, but those who truly stand at the top of the pirates have all undergone rigorous special training.

Snapped! Snapped! The bamboo swords collided, and Leno's attacks were calmly resolved by Koushirou. The moves he used against bandits were, in Koushirou's eyes, inferior to any random student in the dojo.

Snapped! Koushirou suddenly changed his move; the bamboo sword slanted downwards, and the power surged out. When Leno lost his balance, Koushirou disarmed him, and the bamboo sword was thrown away. Leno staggered two steps, struggling to stand still.

Ding! You were defeated by your opponent, and the talent was scanned: Sword Heart (S-level)

Successfully copied talent

Talent introduction: A heart of swordsmanship, your swordsmanship talent will increase by a hundred times

The system's boost sound was like a thunderbolt. Leno froze for a moment. An S-level talent! Better than Shanks' Conqueror's Haki? He couldn't believe it. Looking at the system panel that only he could see:

Host Name: Leno

Real age: 17 years old

Existing Talents: Clever Tongue, Big Eater, Conqueror's Haki, Fearless Heart, Sword Heart

Strength evaluation: You are just a fledgling, but you have the posture of a king, the heart of the sword, and your potential is overwhelming. Just hang on, boy, the future is yours.

Not only did he gain an extra talent, but the evaluation of the system had also changed. Leno's heart was filled with ecstasy. Finally, he had a talent that could quickly increase his combat power.

"About there!" Koushirou put down the bamboo sword, looked at the dazed Leno, thought he had been hit, and made an evaluation in his heart. Physical strength, speed, and reaction are average. The pace is acceptable but not used well. As for swordsmanship, he has to learn from the most basic. However, his age...

If Leno were only seven or eight years old, there would still be hope. Koushirou shook his head and said euphemistically, "Leno, at your age, it is difficult to achieve too good results in kendo."

He believed that Leno also realized he missed the best stage of laying the foundation, let alone outstanding talent.

Leno came back to his senses, took a deep breath, and said, "I still want to try!"

Koushirou frowned and persuaded, "Talent is more important than hard work. The way to seek strength is not only the way of the sword!"

Leno said firmly, "I believe that sincerity leads to spirituality, and gold and stones form the foundation. This is my tuition fee, please let me stay and practice."

He turned and opened the suitcase he had brought, taking out an envelope containing 5 million Baileys and handing it to Koushirou.

Koushirou stared at Leno. Facing his firm eyes, he suddenly thought of the stubborn Kuina and sighed in his heart.

"Well, if you want to stay, just stay!"

Koushirou took the Bailey. "I will keep the tuition fee for you first. If you regret it within a month, I will refund it in full."

Leno smiled broadly. "I plan to stay for a year!"

Koushirou was not optimistic and said, "You stay for a week before talking. By the way, do you have a place to live?"

"No."

"There is an empty room in the dojo; do you want to live?"

"I will live and eat in the dojo. Money is not a problem; I can't wait to start training!" Leno said.

Koushirou had seen a small pile of thick envelopes in Leno's suitcase, estimated to be tens of millions of Baileys. Leno was not the first person who came here to learn the sword. As long as you have money, everything is negotiable. Of course, Koushirou was not greedy for money, and most of the children in the village who learned the sword with him could not afford the tuition. But the dojo needs money to survive. So he accepted some rich kids.

Koushirou said nothing more. He took Leno to the backyard of the dojo, walked through the corridor, and soon saw Zoro and Kuina practicing swords in the open space.

"Zoro!"

Zoro stopped swinging his sword and said, "Teacher?"

Koushirou said, "From today, Leno will live with you!"

"Oh!"

Zoro looked at Leno curiously.

"Kuina, you are in charge of teaching Leno the basics of kendo."

"Yes, father!" Kuina nodded.

"Zoro and Kuina are the most gifted kids in the dojo," Koushirou squinted and smiled. He felt that Leno should be shown the gap between him and a genius, so he could get rid of the idea as soon as possible.

Leno was quite satisfied with this arrangement and smiled at the two of them, "Leno, please take care of me in the future!"