Woosh!! Splash!!
After several days of sailing, the group finally arrived at their first stop — Shimotsuki Village, home of the Isshin Dojo.
The ship quietly pulled into the harbor. Rhett dispelled the mist and stretched. "We're here, kids."
The three little ones immediately crowded to the side of the ship, curiously taking in the unfamiliar island.
Ace's eyes sparkled. "So this is where the Isshin Dojo is? It looks so ordinary!"
Sabo adjusted his top hat and carefully observed the village layout. "Quiet and peaceful. A good place for training."
Ann silently adjusted the heavy sword on her back and said softly, "Many swordsmen."
Sure enough, even from the harbor, they could faintly hear the clacking of wooden swords and the shouts of children from the dojo in the distance.
Rouge smoothed her dress and smiled at Rhett. "So, is this Koushirou really as skilled as you say?"
Rhett grinned. "You'll see soon enough."
---
At the gate of the Isshin Dojo, Rhett knocked gently.
"Excuse me. Is Mr. Koushirou here?"
The door creaked open. A gentle-faced, fairly young man wearing round glasses stepped out. His gaze swept over Rhett's group, pausing briefly when he saw the three little ones.
Koushirou.
"I am Koushirou. And you are...?"
Rhett smiled and gave a small bow. "I've heard great things about you, Mr. Koushirou. My name is Rhett. These three are my nephews and niece. I've heard your swordsmanship is exceptional, so I've brought them here to learn. We'd like to stay for a month. Please correct any bad habits they have with their swords."
Koushirou pushed up his glasses, his smile unchanged. "You flatter me, Mr. Rhett. Of course, I welcome anyone who wishes to learn. One month should be enough for some basic corrections."
It wasn't arrogance on Rhett's part. There weren't many people on the sea who didn't know who he was. The fact that Koushirou remained so calm showed that his skill was at least respectable. Rhett believed that Koushirou's true strength was hidden, just like in the original story.
A blade that cannot cut is a blade that chooses not to cut. That line from the Wano arc made Rhett appreciate it even more. So Rhett was willing to believe in Koushirou's hidden strength.
Rhett didn't propose sparring with Koushirou. The man had given up his sword years ago. Rhett wasn't going to show up uninvited and say, "Hey, I don't believe you're actually strong. Let's fight!" That would be completely foolish.
As the two of them exchanged pleasantries, Ace couldn't contain himself any longer. He jumped out. "Are we fighting? I'll go first!"
Sabo quickly grabbed him. "Idiot! Be polite!"
Ann silently drew her heavy sword. Boom. She planted it on the ground. Her expression was determined. "Please instruct me."
Sabo grabbed her too. "Ann, not you too!"
Sabo immediately bowed to Koushirou. "If we've been rude in any way, please forgive us."
Sabo knew they were here to learn. And if they wanted to learn, they needed to show proper respect.
Koushirou's gaze lingered on Ann's heavy sword for a moment. His eyes behind his round glasses narrowed slightly. "Interesting."
Rhett added, "These three are still young, but their fundamentals are solid. And all three of them are very talented."
Koushirou thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "In that case, why don't I see for myself how strong they are?"
He stepped aside and made a "please" gesture. "There's a training ground in the back. Follow me."
---
In the dojo's backyard, dozens of students were practicing basic sword forms. When they saw Koushirou walking in with strangers, they all looked up with curiosity.
Koushirou clapped his hands. "Everyone, we have guests today. Stop your training."
The students immediately lined up and curiously studied the three little ones. A black-haired girl tilted her head and asked, "Master, who are they?"
Koushirou answered gently, "Friends who have come to exchange swordsmanship techniques."
He turned to Rhett. "Mr. Rhett, why don't my students spar with yours?"
Rhett shrugged. "Fine by me."
Ace was already too excited to wait. He jumped into the training ground first. "Who's first?"
Kuina snorted, picked up a wooden sword, and walked forward. "I will!"
Rhett added fuel to the fire. "Kuina, they're going to be learning swordsmanship from Koushirou. You know what they say: skill comes first. You might want to think about who becomes the first senior disciple, who becomes the second..."
Sabo muttered from the side, "Why does it have to be first senior disciple and second senior disciple?"
Kuina nodded at Rhett. "I don't have a problem with that. I'm strong too. Don't underestimate me."
Ace stood in the center of the training ground, casually resting his wooden sword on his shoulder. He grinned at Kuina. "Don't cry when I beat you, little girl."
Kuina frowned. She held her wooden sword across her chest. "Hmph. Arrogant."
Koushirou clapped his hands lightly. "Begin."
— Swish!
Kuina struck first. Her wooden sword traced a sharp arc, aiming straight for Ace's wrist. Her movements were clean and precise. She had clearly undergone rigorous training.
Rhett could see right away that Koushirou's teaching methods were very thorough and professional. He really did have something to teach.
Ace blocked hastily. Clack. The wooden swords collided, sending a shock up his arm.
"So fast!" Ace was startled. He quickly jumped back to create some distance.
Kuina didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. Her steps were light. Her wooden sword came at him like a storm. Ace struggled to block, backing up step by step.
"Ace is going to lose," Sabo said quietly.
Ann nodded. "Mm. His swordsmanship is too far behind."
Rhett just smiled. "Wait. Keep watching."
Sure enough, Ace suddenly grinned. He rolled to the side to avoid an attack and swung his wooden sword in a wide arc. There was no technique to it at all.
Kuina raised her sword to block. But the force behind Ace's wooden sword was far greater than she expected. She nearly lost her balance. Ace seized the opportunity and raised his wooden sword in an upward strike.
— Whack!
The tip stopped just a hair's breadth from Kuina's throat.
The training ground fell silent.
Kuina's eyes went wide. Her lips trembled. "That's... that's not fair! I lost!"
But her grip on her wooden sword never loosened. What had just happened wasn't swordsmanship. It was just raw physical strength crushing technique.
Ace smugly pulled his wooden sword back. "A win is a win!"
Koushirou pushed up his glasses. "Kuina. The match is over."
Ace strutted back to his companions, waiting for praise. He waited. And waited. But no praise came.
He looked at Sabo and Ann.
"Hey, I just won. Aren't you going to say something?"
Rhett picked his nose nonchalantly. "Oh, I just saw an idiot wildly swinging a wooden stick in every direction. The swordsmanship looked decent at first, but that test show made him look pretty stupid."
Sabo scratched his head. "Sorry, Ace. I really can't bring myself to praise you. If you had won through swordsmanship, I would have."
The two arrows pierced Ace's heart from left and right.
"Ace's raw strength won the day. Boom!"
Ann's words were the final straw that broke Ace's spirit.
"You're all terrible!"