The moment Kozaburo returned to the rear courtyard, the very first thing he said to Koushirou was a long, drawn-out sigh mixed with disbelief:
"I admit it—this brat is a genuine, bona fide monster!"
"I've roamed the seas for decades, but this is the first time I've ever seen something like that. A freakish talent who comprehends swordsmanship with virtually no flaws!"
"He nearly shattered my worldview!"
"Do you understand how absurd it is to fully grasp a sword-technique killing move in only three hours? And the kid actually did it!"
Hearing his father's astonishment, Koushirou simply kept smiling gently, as if everything had unfolded exactly as he expected.
"I told you, Father—you'd berryeve it once you saw him."
But then Kozaburo's expression twisted as he remembered another detail.
"Right… I heard the little lass is planning to duel that kid? Tell me you're joking. You're really sending her to fight that monster?"
Kuina versus Ryukawa?
Those two weren't even in the same weight class!
How was that supposed to be a fair match?!
Sometimes…
"Letting her taste a bit of defeat might not be a bad thing."
"Kuina has never experienced true loss among her peers. This time, she can adjust her mentality and prepare for the harsher challenges ahead."
"As a swordsman, defeat is a stepping stone. And if she dreams of becoming the world's greatest swordsman, defeat will be commonplace. She may as well get used to it early."
Koushirou chuckled softly as he explained.
Kozaburo narrowed his eyes.
"With talent like that boy's, you won't have much left to teach him for long, will you?"
"What are you suggesting, Father?"
"I've heard rumors… The Grand Line is planning a grand sword conference soon—swordmasters from all over will gather. It wouldn't be a bad stage for him to hone himself."
"You're saying we should let Ryukawa experience the wider world?"
"He cannot stay in Shimotsuki Village forever. He cannot be caged in the East Blue. With his talent, he deserves a far greater stage."
Koushirou fell silent.
But he did not disagree.
The Next Day
And the next…
And the one after that…
The same movement.
The same practice.
The same rhythm.
Raise the sword.
Swing the sword.
Again.
And again.
Inside the dojo, Ryukawa continued swinging his wooden practice sword over and over, monotonous to anyone else—yet filled with meaning for him.
Occasionally, a curious disciple would approach.
"Senior brother, does this kind of training really help? It's just normal sword swings… Is this really how you became so strong?"
Ever since Zoro's crushing defeat, Ryukawa's status in the dojo had transformed completely.
He was no longer considered "ordinary."
No one dared call him "unremarkable" anymore.
Instead—
Many students looked at him with admiration, awe, even reverence.
Some came sincerely seeking guidance.
But to every question, Ryukawa always gave the same answer:
"My path… isn't suitable for you."
Gods knew how lucky he was that he had the system.
Without it, swinging a sword like this would accomplish absolutely nothing!
Was he supposed to tell them:
"Yes, children, just swing a sword mechanically for hours like me. Maybe the heavens will drop a cheat system on you too."
Absolutely not.
He refused to mislead them.
Still, many insisted on imitating him anyway.
A "celebrity effect," Koushirou would call it.
Ryukawa didn't bother stopping them.
Once they suffered through the mind-numbing monotony, they'd give up on their own.
Because this training method—
Only he could make it work.
For everyone else, it was pointless torture.
But for Ryukawa—
This monotonous practice was the very foundation of his exponential growth.
"Based on yesterday's progress…"
"My swing count has already reached two thousand!"
"And my strength has completely transformed again!"
Ryukawa lowered his sword and called up his internal status panel.
[Host: Ryukawa]
[Strength: 60 (+15)]
[Speed: 58 (+15)]
[Stamina: 65 (+17)]
[Skills: Swordsmanship Lv11 (+2), Iai One-Sword Slash Lv8 (+3)]
[Total Swings: 2013]
"Continue."
He resumed swinging.
[Ding! Total swings: 2200]
[Reward: Swordsmanship Lv+1]
[Ding! Total swings: 2500]
[Reward: Strength +3, Speed +3, Stamina +2]
Every moment—
Ryukawa was growing stronger.
And not just stronger—
So strong that it looked like he was cheating.
Correction:
He was cheating.
His strength was skyrocketing as if he had a bugged stat panel.
While he trained—
The entire dojo buzzed with excitement about the upcoming duel.
Ryukawa vs. Kuina,
scheduled for two days later.
Kuina hadn't been seen in the dojo lately—she was clearly in seclusion, preparing seriously.
Some believed Kuina would win.
Others believed Ryukawa would.
Both sides had passionate supporters.
As for Zoro—
That little brat had also gone into full-on "hell training mode."
His humiliation had ignited a furnace inside him.
He trained alone, out of sight, refusing easy practice with the other disciples. Yet even while grinding himself into exhaustion…
He still paid attention to the coming duel.
Meanwhile—
Ryukawa continued swinging his sword.
Zoro trained like a demon—Ryukawa swung his sword.
Kuina shut herself away—Ryukawa swung his sword.
No matter what anyone else did—
He swung his sword.
Relentlessly.
Endlessly.
This was the cost of his cheat-like growth.
[Ding! Total swings: 3200]
[Reward: Iai One-Sword Slash Lv+1]
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
Two more days vanished.
And finally—
The day of Ryukawa and Kuina's duel arrived.
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