Bamboo swords scattered across the ground as Zoro hurried to pick them up.
Of course, Orin knew this was the first time in Zoro's life he had ever held a sword. Expecting him to win would be absurd.
At best, he was just an ordinary kid with a bit of brute strength.
Facing Kuina, who had been systematically trained in swordsmanship and was also older, this was basically a one-strike match.
However...
Orin looked at Kuina with interest.
Female swordsmen were rare across the seas. Strong women in general were uncommon.
Among powerful swordsmen, Big Mom didn't count—besides her, only Smoothie and Nancock came to mind, both with clear limits on their potential.
But since Kuina was Zoro's destined lifelong rival, blessed with "fate's buff," Orin couldn't help but feel that perhaps one day, she might grow truly strong.
After all, in the pirate world, strength often came down to luck.
With that thought, Orin curled his finger slightly, briefly taking over Zoro's body.
It wasn't full control, but rather…
Micro-control.
For instance, Zoro's swings naturally landed at theoretically perfect angles—whether to defend or attack.
Grabbing two swords, one in each hand, Zoro suddenly felt an odd sense of familiarity—as if this was how he was meant to hold them all along. His stance was textbook perfect.
Kuina, having practiced swordsmanship since childhood, had a sharp eye for form. Seeing Zoro's posture, her brows knit together.
"You… have you trained in Two-Sword Style before?"
But Zoro only gritted his teeth and shouted back,
"No way! This is my first time holding bamboo swords!!!"
First time?
To have such perfect form and presence on the very first try—no wonder he was Orin-sensei's student!
Koshiro thought this to himself, silently impressed.
Orin said nothing, merely watched the clumsy spar with quiet amusement, his fingers twitching slightly.
He wasn't skilled in Two-Sword Style, but he had copied the swordsmanship of Golden Lion before.
Clack—
Clack, clack—
Sharp and fierce attacks flowed from Zoro's hands—precise yet domineering. Even though only a small portion of that strength showed, Kuina's face grew serious.
After a flurry of strikes, both were panting hard.
Zoro began to feel a spark of confidence.
So my swordsmanship is this good? Even those fast and fierce strikes—I can block them!
Then… I'll take that Great Grade Blade!!!
Zoro shot Orin a challenging glance. Seeing the man still sipping tea leisurely, his lips curled.
We'll see if you're still that calm after I win!
But just as he lifted his swords to end the match, an inexplicable stiffness flooded his body—
As if...
His hands were no longer his, and the swords no longer obeyed him.
"What the—"
Smack!
Unaware of anything wrong, Kuina thought she'd found an opening. She struck down sharply, her bamboo sword hitting Zoro square on the forehead—knocking him out cold.
As his consciousness faded, Zoro thought he saw Orin's...
Smile?
...
"You'll never beat Kuina."
Orin had stayed on this small island for several days. During that time, whenever Zoro was conscious, he was either training, challenging Kuina, or running between the two.
As Zoro's nominal mentor, Orin spent his days in leisurely peace, occasionally giving advice.
Under the guidance of the "World's Greatest Swordsman," Zoro's fundamentals didn't skyrocket overnight, but they became rock-solid.
"Orin truly is an excellent teacher of swordsmanship," Koshiro remarked, clearly admiring his methods.
But Orin only smiled.
If that was all it took, he'd have been mocked as a mediocre teacher long ago. He simply didn't want to rush the boy's growth—after all, he was still just a kid.
Once again,
After losing to Kuina, Zoro lay on the ground, looking up to see the faint smirk at the corner of Orin's lips.
"Enough!! Stop laughing at me!!!"
"I may have lost to Kuina, but that doesn't mean I'll lose to you!!!"
Fuming, Zoro gripped his bamboo swords and pointed one straight at his "teacher."
Now he'd come to his senses. He could owe Orin a favor—he had indeed lost to Kuina.
But the title of "sensei"? That could be revoked.
"Oh~?"
"You want to defeat me?"
Orin looked down at the tiny Zoro, barely half his leg's height, wondering where this kid got his courage.
Kuina, meanwhile, swallowed nervously, staring straight at Orin.
So this is...
What Father meant by a true swordsman.
She remembered Koshiro's words clearly—he'd told her privately that Zoro's master was an unimaginably powerful swordsman.
"Even stronger than you, Father?" she had once asked.
His reply had been calm but heavy:
"…Yes. Perhaps someone I could never surpass in my lifetime."
Since then, she had always been curious about the man who taught that idiot Zoro.
Now, seeing Zoro charge forward noisily, she stepped up beside him, holding her bamboo sword properly and bowing deeply.
"Please, allow me to learn from you as well!"
One brash, one polite.
Orin looked at the two of them—this little duo—and couldn't resist.
Casually, he snapped a small branch off a nearby tree.
"Come on then."
...
"You… what are you doing?" Zoro gritted his teeth, swords in hand.
"To deal with you two…"
"One small stick is more than enough."
"Damn you!!!!"
The young Zoro screamed and charged, while Kuina was more cautious, watching intently for an opening.
Thud—
Thud thud thud thud—
The sound of bamboo and wood clashing echoed endlessly across the seaside training ground Orin had cleared.
Two little brats trying to take down the world's strongest.
"Ha~ I wonder what we should eat tonight?"
Orin yawned, covering his mouth with one hand while blocking all of Zoro's wild swings effortlessly with the small stick.
Zoro's eyes burned with frustration, his strength surging—but that small wooden stick felt like an abyss, eternally out of reach.
Then, as Orin yawned, Kuina seized her moment. With precision and focus, she slashed straight for his side—
"You're trying to catch my opening too?"
Orin merely twisted slightly. The strike missed him entirely—
And landed cleanly on Zoro's head!
Zoro collapsed again.
Kuina took his place, launching a focused barrage of attacks, but Orin remained calm and unhurried.
"This… this can't be real…"
Lying on the ground, Zoro gritted his teeth, watching Kuina—who had always been unbeatable to him—being toyed with effortlessly in Orin's hands.
A deep shock filled his heart.
Between me and that man...
"There shouldn't be such a vast distance in this world!!!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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