Kuina bit her lip, unwilling to accept her loss. She suddenly bowed deeply to Sabo. "Please fight me!"
Sabo blinked, then smiled wryly. "Me?"
How adorable.
Rhett patted his shoulder. "Go on. Don't embarrass us."
Ace had won because of his physical advantage. Even though the match had ended quickly, if Kuina had managed to hold on, Ace would have been the one to lose.
Rhett had watched Kuina's fight closely. The girl wasn't weak by any means. She just hadn't expected Ace to be stronger than most kids his age. If she had fought Ann, it would have been a different story.
Actually, no. Fighting Ann might have made Kuina even more determined.
Sabo took a deep breath, picked up a wooden sword, and walked onto the training ground. He gave Kuina a formal bow. "Please instruct me."
Sabo stood with his sword ready. The wooden sword looked especially light in his hands.
Koushirou's squinty eyes seemed to narrow even further. Don't ask how Rhett could tell. He just knew. Squinty-eyed characters in other manga were always boss-level threats.
"Begin!"
Kuina attacked first. Her wooden sword thrust toward Sabo's chest.
Sabo raised his sword to block. But the moment the blades touched, he frowned. Kuina's strength was greater than he had expected. The impact sent a shock through his wrist.
There was nothing to be done about it. Among the three little ones, Sabo had the weakest physical body. He was a technique-focused fighter. His swordsmanship style also had the least compatibility with Rhett's.
"Your form is wrong," Kuina said coldly. She turned her blade and aimed for Sabo's side.
Sabo retreated hastily, barely avoiding the strike. But his footing was already unsteady. One wrong step led to another. He instinctively tried to grip his sword with both hands.
Kuina's voice came quickly. "Why didn't you swing with one hand just now?" She pressed forward.
"What's wrong? Weren't you confident a moment ago?" Kuina advanced step by step. Her wooden sword traced sharp arcs, forcing Sabo further and further back.
At the edge of the training ground, Ace stomped his foot in frustration. "Sabo! Don't back down!"
Ann silently shook her head. "Sabo's swordsmanship... is being countered."
Rhett stood with his arms crossed, but his gaze was fixed on Koushirou. The dojo master was watching the match intently. His eyes behind his round glasses were narrowed.
There was nothing to be done about it. Even though Rhett was a top-tier swordsman, that didn't mean he understood every style. Ace and Ann were stronger because their physical bodies could support the habits Rhett had developed from using a greatsword. Even though Rhett had tried to avoid passing on those habits.
But avoiding them completely wasn't possible. The three little ones admired their uncle deeply. That meant their swordsmanship naturally carried traces of Rhett's influence.
Ace and Ann could handle it. Sabo couldn't. That was why Rhett had brought the whole family out here. If Sabo had just stayed with Rhett, he might not have grown as well as he did in the original story. The path Sabo was on with Rhett was a tempting detour that looked like success but might not actually lead there.
"Raise your wrist three more centimeters," Koushirou said suddenly. His voice wasn't loud, but it reached Sabo's ears clearly. "A wooden sword is light. Don't be afraid. Don't think of it as a sword. Think of it as a stick. Or a wooden pipe. A wooden pipe cannot block a steel blade."
Sabo hesitated, then instinctively followed the instruction. When Kuina's next strike came, he turned his wrist and met her blade at a different angle.
Clack.
The two swords collided. Sabo angled his body, used the force of the impact to push back, and retreated half a step to create distance.
"What?" Kuina's eyes went wide.
Understanding flashed in Sabo's eyes. His swordsmanship suddenly changed. He stopped trying to block head-on. Instead, he focused on dodging and counterattacking.
"Now that's more like it," Koushirou said with a small smile.
Kuina gritted her teeth and attacked even more fiercely. But Sabo's defense was no longer desperate.
He found opportunities to sidestep and counter. Even though he was still at a disadvantage, he was no longer in danger of collapsing.
"Is Sabo... learning from Koushirou as they fight?" Ace asked, surprised.
Rhett chuckled. "No. He's just finding his own rhythm again. And that was a really sharp observation."
The old saying was right. One good person needs two others to help them along. Rhett knew that Sabo's swordsmanship carried traces of his own greatsword style. He had tried to correct Sabo with more standardized movements.
But Koushirou told Sabo not to imagine his weapon as a sword. He told Sabo that the weapon in his hands was fragile. The moment Sabo stopped believing that his sword was unbreakable, his body would naturally become more cautious. When battle came, his first instinct would be to dodge, not to clash head-on.
The fight gradually became more balanced. Kuina's forehead was beaded with sweat. Sabo's breathing had also grown heavier. Then, in a moment as they crossed paths, Sabo abruptly changed direction. He struck Kuina's wrist with the flat of his blade.
Clatter.
Kuina's wooden sword hit the ground.
The training ground fell silent.
Kuina stood frozen. She clutched her reddened wrist. Her eyes were slightly red. "I... lost again?"
Sabo quickly lowered his sword and bowed deeply. "I only won because of Koushirou's guidance. Otherwise, I wouldn't have."
Koushirou walked over and gently patted Kuina's shoulder. "Winning and losing are normal. What matters is what you learn from it."
Kuina lowered her head and said nothing. Her clenched fists trembled slightly.
Rhett chose this moment to speak. "Your name is Kuina, right? Your swordsmanship is already excellent. These two brats..." He pointed at Ace and Sabo. "They've been through my brutal training since they were young. They're just tough."
Kuina looked up. Her gaze swept over Ace's raw strength and Sabo's adaptability. Then it landed on Ann, who had been standing quietly the whole time. "What about her?"
Ann blinked. She silently raised her heavy sword.
Koushirou pushed up his glasses. "This young lady... would also like to spar?"
Rhett grinned. "Ann, go ahead. Just remember to hold back."
Ann nodded. She dragged her heavy sword, almost as tall as she was, onto the training ground. The wooden sword looked mismatched in her hands. But her grip was steady as stone.
Kuina took a deep breath and picked up her wooden sword. "Please instruct me."
"Begin!"
Kuina struck first. Her wooden sword thrust toward Ann's throat. Ann didn't dodge. She swung her heavy sword upward from below.
Crack.
The wooden sword snapped.
Kuina stared blankly at the broken hilt in her hands. Then she looked at Ann's small figure, which hadn't moved a single step from where she started. Her entire worldview seemed to have been shaken.
"What... what kind of swordsmanship is that?!"
Ann tilted her head. "Uncle taught me."
Rhett was looking up at the sky, trying not to show how pleased he was.
"Ahem. This child is just naturally strong. A little brute force. Nothing worth mentioning..."
Just then, Rouge came over and patted Rhett. "Alright, stop gloating. I already know how amazing my little brother is."
She held a bag of berries in her hand.
"Mr. Koushirou, I am the guardian of these children. This is their tuition and a small compensation for the trouble. Please accept it."
With that, she bowed deeply to Koushirou.
Rhett did not bow. Koushirou stepped aside and did not accept Rouge's bow. In the world of One Piece, strong people deserve respect wherever they go. It was a world where strength ruled.
Koushirou knew that as well. He wasn't worthy of receiving a bow from someone as powerful as Rhett. And that naturally included Rhett's family. He couldn't accept it.
The reason Koushirou agreed to take the three little ones was, first, because their talent was genuinely impressive. Second, because Rhett had been polite and respectful to him the entire time, which had greatly improved his impression. And most importantly — because Rhett was an Emperor of the Sea. Who would dare refuse?
Koushirou smiled and waved his hand, looking completely harmless. "Not at all. It is my honor to teach such talented children. I will accept the payment. Please, make yourselves at home while you stay. I will have rooms prepared for everyone."