Chapter 010
"Of course, if you want to lose again, I'll gladly oblige!"
Kai replied calmly with a confident smile, showing no real interest in bickering with Zoro. Still, he had a slight curiosity about showing the green-haired boy just how strong he really was!
"Good! Kai, teach him another lesson…" "Yeah…"
The dojo disciples who had just been defeated by Zoro were the most excited. Not only would they get to watch an exciting fight, but they could also vent their frustration from earlier!
Kai ignored the cheers and slowly walked to the center of the ring. He drew his bamboo sword and pointed it at Zoro—his posture relaxed yet brimming with unshakable confidence. The childish awkwardness from before was completely gone.
"Make your move."
Without unnecessary words, Kai looked at Zoro and spoke softly.
Seeing Kai's casual yet overwhelmingly confident stance, Zoro felt an intense pressure radiating from him—stronger than anything he'd faced before. He slowed his breathing, crossed his two bamboo swords again, and fixed his gaze on Kai with firm determination.
"Hah—!"
With a fierce shout, Zoro charged. His dual blades slashed forward in sharp, aggressive arcs—noticeably fiercer than when he had fought Kuina!
Koushirou, seated at the head of the dojo, saw a glint flash in his eyes. He hadn't expected Zoro to become discouraged after losing to Kuina—instead, the boy's desire for strength only grew fiercer. That unbreakable spirit earned Koushirou's silent approval!
Clack! Clack!
Zoro's sharp attacks were casually blocked by Kai. The sounds of bamboo clashing echoed through the hall!
"Hmph!"
Kai let out a soft nasal hum. His bamboo sword instantly countered!
Clack!
Zoro felt a massive force slam into his hands. His blades recoiled violently. The sheer power shocked him to the core!
"You lost."
Kai spoke calmly. Taking advantage of the opening when Zoro's guard was broken by the rebound, he thrust straight forward—his sword tip stopping just inches from Zoro's face!
Silence…
The entire dojo fell deathly quiet. No one had expected Kai to win so effortlessly. Jaws dropped. Eyes widened in stunned disbelief.
Zoro stared blankly at the sword tip hovering before his eyes. He knew Kai had held back—otherwise, he would have been struck already. But the defeat was so thorough that he couldn't believe it.
"I… I lost!"
Though extremely unwilling, Zoro gritted his teeth and admitted defeat in a low voice. Losing wasn't scary—refusing to admit it when you did was the mark of someone unfit to become truly strong!
"Haha…" "Nice!" "Beautiful…"
Only after hearing Zoro concede did the dojo disciples snap out of their daze. Cheers erupted—some for Kai's overwhelming victory, others for Zoro's straightforward honesty!
A flash of joy passed through Kuina's eyes. Seeing Kai win even more easily than she had made her inexplicably happy—no jealousy at all, just pure delight!
"You have the potential to become truly strong."
Kai looked at Zoro with genuine appreciation before turning to leave.
"Hmph! Just wait—you two! One day I'll surpass both of you! I'll beat you!"
Hearing Kai's words—which amounted to acknowledging his potential—Zoro shouted after their retreating backs.
In the end, determined to defeat Kai and Kuina, Zoro decisively asked Koushirou to take him as a disciple. As he put it: "Fall down somewhere, get back up there." Since he lost here, he would reclaim his pride here!
Koushirou, seeing Zoro's resolute spirit, happily accepted him. In less than a month, he had gained two disciples with immense potential—he was probably laughing in his dreams!
And so, Zoro became Kai and Kuina's junior disciple—challenging them relentlessly every single day!
"If you want to fight Kai, beat me first!"
Every time, Kuina would huff and step in to block Zoro's challenges. For some reason, seeing Zoro target Kai made her inexplicably unhappy. Maybe she just wanted to be the only one who sparred with him every day!
...
Time passed quickly. Three years flew by since Kai began learning swordsmanship. He had grown from nine to twelve years old!
Thanks to Kai's presence, the tragic accident that claimed Kuina's life in the original story never happened. Instead, with Kai's influence, Kuina had grown even stronger. Zoro still hadn't surpassed her after three full years—unlike the original timeline where he caught up in just over a year!
The one who improved the fastest was undoubtedly Kai. Time and again, he astonished Koushirou. Whether it was sword techniques or the spirit of the blade, Kai grasped everything quickly and often took it further—extrapolating new insights. Koushirou eventually taught him every foundational technique he knew.
"What you need to learn, you've already mastered. To become a true great swordsman from here on, it's up to you alone—to forge your own path and create a sword style that belongs only to you!"
Those were the words Koushirou had spoken to Kai just one week ago.
Interestingly, Koushirou's teaching method for Kai, Kuina, and Zoro was the same as for the other disciples: he taught only the fundamentals—grip, stance, basic strikes—never the advanced techniques or secret moves!
Kuina and Zoro might not yet understand why, but Kai did. The essence and true depth of swordsmanship come entirely from mastering the basics perfectly. Once the foundation is flawless, one can combine it with their own body, personality, and experiences to create unique moves and ultimate techniques. That was the path to becoming a great swordsman!
"Kai! This time I'm definitely going to win!"
On the enchanting golden beach, bathed in the drunken red glow of sunset, fourteen-year-old Kuina stood with a dazzling, confident smile lighting up her beautiful face!
Her shoulder-length black hair fluttered in the breeze. At 160 cm, she was now half a head taller than Kai. Barefoot on the warm sand, she gripped her real sword—Wado Ichimonji—and pointed it at him.
"Heh heh! Is that so? You say that every day, Kuina—but you still haven't won once!"
Kai smiled faintly, looking at the now youthful and charming Kuina with full confidence.
Over the three years, Kuina had challenged him almost daily. At first, both wore weights with no restrictions. But after half a year, Kai had insisted she fight him at full power—without weights.
Kuina's pride made her reluctant at first, but under the gentle nudge of Kai's Emotion Fruit, she accepted. Without weights, she immediately pressured him—nearly winning that first time!
But now, Kai's weights had increased from the original 80 jin (about 88 lbs) to a staggering 200 jin (220 lbs)—50 jin per limb! And Kuina still hadn't beaten him once!
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