Lying back once more in his rocking chair, Qiu Xia took a sip of tea and looked at Kuina. "While challenging experts can make one's progress in the way of the sword very rapid, if you truly want to reach the summit, you must walk the path yourself. Therefore, Kuina, you will eventually need to venture out and temper yourself upon the Great Sea. You must accept the baptism of the ocean."
Hearing Qiu Xia's words, Kuina replied, "Is that so? Then I'll go back and tell my father that I'm setting out to begin my travels."
"Your father won't let you leave so easily," Qiu Xia noted. "At the very least, not until you've reached adulthood. You've made rapid progress in the martial arts, yet you still haven't grasped Sword Intent. Within a short period, your swordsmanship will hit a bottleneck. Perhaps you should learn some other means from your father."
"Other means? Do you mean the Isshin Style sword techniques?" Kuina asked, looking at Qiu Xia with curiosity.
"Of course not. The other means I'm referring to are Armament Haki and Observation Haki. I recall mentioning them to you before!"
Kuina frowned, looking somewhat puzzled. "But I've already practiced the Breathing Technique and have already advanced to the Xiantian Realm. Is it truly necessary to learn those two as well?"
"As they say, a person can never have too many skills. Furthermore, I don't know if True Qi is effective against Elementalization. If it works, that's well and good, but if it doesn't and you haven't mastered Armament Haki, you'll be in for a rough time. Safety comes first on the sea, so it's best to have more tricks up your sleeve."
"Then I'll just learn Armament Haki," Kuina said. "Why bother with Observation Haki as well?"
"It's simplesince you're learning anyway, you might as well learn all three. As for why I'm not telling you to learn Conqueror's Haki from your father, it's because only one in a million people on this sea possesses it. Those who do are said to have the Qualities of a King."
"Among the three types of Haki, Conqueror's Haki is mostly a deterrent in the beginning, useful for clearing out fodder soldiers. But in the later stages, it becomes the most important of the three. Currently, the four strongest pirates in the New World all possess Conqueror's Haki and can apply it in actual combat, achieving Conqueror's Haki Infusion."
"If Conqueror's Haki represents the Qualities of a King, then Conqueror's Haki Infusion is the passport of the strong. Without Conqueror's Haki, it is extremely difficult to fight someone who can use that infusion."
Qiu Xia paused for a moment before continuing, "However, it's not impossible. Garp the Fist is one such example. I'm not sure if he has Conqueror's Haki or not. If he does, fine; if he doesn't, then when Garp faced the Pirate King Roger in the past,
he relied entirely on Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and his powerful physique. His Observation Haki is hard to judge, but Garp has certainly cultivated his Armament Haki to the absolute limit. Otherwise, he couldn't have dealt with opponents who used Conqueror's Haki Infusion."
"Is Conqueror's Haki truly that important?" Kuina wondered. "I wonder if I have it too?"
Qiu Yu thought for a moment. "Whether you have it or not, I truly couldn't say. Activating Conqueror's Haki requires a powerful spirit and the resolve to reach the summit of a certain path. For example, Roger wanted to sail the entire sea and find the One Piece.
Charlotte Linlin wants to collect all the races. Kaido wants to build an Army of All Beasts. As for Shanks and Whitebeard... by my estimation, Whitebeard probably just wanted to have the most godsons, and Shanks just wants the most face. He'll cut anyone who doesn't give him face."
Whitebeard: "..." What the hell do you mean 'the most godsons'? I wanted family! Do you understand? In this world, only family is the most important!
Shanks: "..." Screw you, Qiu Yu. I like reputation, sure, but I'm not like you say. You're talking pure nonsense.
"The strongest resolve and spirit?" Kuina pondered for a moment. Then, with a face full of determination, she said, "Then my resolve is to become the World's Strongest Swordsman and the Strongest Female Sword Immortal."
Hearing this, Qiu Yu stood up from his rocking chair and walked over to her. He looked at her with a smile. "What did you say you wanted to become?"
"I will become the World's Strongest Swordsman and the Strongest Female Sword Immortal."
Qiu Yu withdrew his smile, his gaze turning icy as he looked down at her. "What did you say you wanted to become?"
Despite being baffled by his sudden shift in attitude, Kuina replied firmly, "I will become the World's Strongest Swordsman and the Strongest Female Sword Immortal."
Qiu Yu took another step forward. "Become what?" As he asked, a powerful aura erupted from his body. Under this overwhelming pressure, Kuina felt as if she were facing a true sovereign. She felt an instinctive urge to kneel before him.
Yet, in that moment, Kuina forced herself to remain standing. She squeezed out each word one by one. "I will become the World's Strongest Swordsman and the Strongest Female Sword Immortal."
"The World's Strongest Swordsman? A girl cannot become a Great Swordsman," Qiu Yu challenged her. "Are you certain you can? Are you sure you can break the constraints the world has imposed for thousands of years and become a female Great Swordsman?"
Kuina's eyes flickered for a second, but her voice remained steadfast. "I will become the World's Strongest Swordsman. I will break those constraints and become the first female Great Swordsman and the strongest Sword Immortal!"
Qiu Xia intensified the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki even further. He looked at her with deadly seriousness. "Answer me for the last time. What do you wish to become?"
Under the weight of Qiu Xia's Haki, Kuina found it difficult even to stand. She tried to speak, but the words were stuck in her throat. Her eyes reddened under the strain, and her fingernails dug into her palms, drawing blood. The droplets fell to the floor, blooming like crimson roses. The sudden pain allowed her to regain a modicum of control.
"I... will... become... the World's... Strongest Swordsman... and the Strongest Female Sword Immortal!"
As she screamed that final sentence, a surge of power erupted from her body. A purple-red Conqueror's Haki flared around Kuina, clashing violently with Qiu Xia's aura.
With the eruption of her Haki, her strength and senses returned. She looked at Qiu Xia and said with absolute certainty, "I will become the strongest female Great Swordsman in the world. I will become the strongest Sword Immortal. No matter how many difficulties lie on the road ahead, I will break through them all with the sword in my hand until I achieve my goal."
As soon as the words left her mouth, her Conqueror's Haki vanished. Kuina turned pale and collapsed into unconsciousness. Qiu Xia reached out to support her, using his Dharma Power to check for any hidden injuries. Once satisfied, he carried her to a guest room.
After settling Kuina, Qiu Xia vanished from the mountaintop in a flash. He reappeared inside a room where a middle-aged man wearing glasses sat in meditation, a sword resting across his knees. The man hadn't even noticed Qiu Xia's presence.
Qiu Xia let out a small cough. "Mister Koushirou!"
The sudden sound made Koushirou jump in surprise. He stood up and saw Qiu Xia standing not far away, his expression turning dark. "You brat, why did you come down from the mountaintop?"
"I've come to say goodbye. I'm preparing to leave Shimotsuki Village!"
"If you're saying goodbye, go tell Kuina! Why are you telling me? It's not like we're close!" Koushirou grumbled.
"I wanted to tell her, but she's unconscious."
Koushirou immediately grew anxious. "Unconscious! What did you do to her?"
"Why do you always think I'm doing something to her?" Qiu Xia shot back. "What is wrong with your mind? Are you really her father?"
Koushirou looked a bit sheepish but still asked, "If that's the case, then why is Kuina unconscious?"
"It's simple," Qiu Xia replied. "Because Kuina just awakened her Conqueror's Haki!"
"What! You're saying Kuina awakened Conqueror's Haki!" Upon hearing Qiu Xia's words, Koushirou's eyes widened until they were nearly as large as a normal person's.
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