"Sir Yami, Sister Hephaestus, please drink tea!"
In the room of Isshin Dojo, Kuina was pushing two cups of steaming tea to the two with a respectful face, and the girl's eyes were shining with golden light.
Especially when looking at Yami, with deep admiration and longing.
As a result, she has completely ignored Koshiro who was wrapped into rice dumplings at the moment.
Seeing his beloved daughter courteous to the man who defeated him, no matter how gentle his temper was, Koshiro still felt a little uncomfortable at this time, but when he raised his hand to say something, it instantly touched the nerves on his body. The wound hurt so much that he throbbed.
Yami, who had a panoramic view of all these, chuckled, but he didn't get too over-confident.
The battle between him and Koshiro didn't last too long, it was almost over in just a few moves, during which the latter even showed his full strength.
However, the level gap cannot be bridged so simply.
As a result, Koshiro was chopped off. Although Yami kept his hand and avoided his internal organs and bones, he still caused a lot of damage to the other party, at least he would have to lie on the bed for a long time.
However, this battle is not without success.
The swordsmanship in Isshin Dojo can only teach the basics, and the rest depends on one word, enlightenment!
Koshiro will not teach specific sword moves to his disciples, but to cultivate their foundation first, and then at the right time, pass on the understanding of the realm to them. As for what kind of gains they can get from it, that only depends on their own talent and understanding.
Such a person is very suitable to be a teacher, but he is not suitable to be a father.
This can be seen from what Koshiro once said that women cannot reach the peak of swordsmanship.
After some discussions, Yami found some merits in Koshiro's swordsmanship, which is exactly what he needs right now.
And the battle between them was completely seen by Kuina who was hiding aside.
It was also for this reason that this girl, who was usually only in love with swordsmanship, would show such earnestness at this time, even looking at Yami with fiery emotions.
"Your name is Kuina, right?"
"Yes, Sir Yami."
Suddenly being mentioned, Kuina, who was a little fascinated by watching, suddenly became very nervous, and hurriedly stood up from the ground, her expression slightly flustered.
In any case, she is still just a ten-year-old girl now.
"Don't be so nervous, you look at me like this, do you have anything to say?"
"Eh?!" Being asked this question, Kuina was obviously taken aback. The girl looked up and saw very gentle and encouraging eyes, her heart was immediately inspired, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, Sir, I have a question for you!"
"Let's hear it~"
He already knew what Kuina wanted to ask, but Yami pretended not to know what to ask.
Hearing this, Kuina suddenly raised her head, with deep longing in her eyes, she said a little nervously: "You are a powerful swordsman, you must have seen many strong people, so do you know a powerful female swordsman in this sea?"
"Or is it true that women can't reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship?"
"I have wanted to be a powerful swordsman since I was a child, and even become the world's number one swordsman, but whether it is strength or endurance, I am far less powerful than men. But is this really the case?"
Three questions in a row blurted out from Kuina's mouth.
The girl's voice seemed a little anxious, and her eyes became more and more anxious at this time.
She seems to be afraid of hearing the unwanted answer from Yami's mouth.
If even such a powerful swordsman is willing to admit her father's theory, there is no doubt that Kuina will be hit hard.
And her life may be spent in depression...
Hearing this, everyone in the room fell silent instantly. Even Koshiro, who was slightly twitching because of his injuries, stopped his movements at this time, and his exposed eyes showed a faint sadness. He can think of the cruelty of the sea, so could only be cruel to his only daughter.
He is naturally very clear about his daughter's talent.
However, it is absolutely not enough to be outstanding in swordsmanship. A swordsman is not only concerned with swordsmanship, but his body is also a very important element, but Kuina's physical talent is not strong.
Even just a little stronger than the average person.
This is also doomed, in the future, in the process of climbing to the peak of swordsmanship, she will encounter countless desperate situations.
Rather than dying in such a tragic way, it would be better to give up early and spend the rest of her life normally and peacefully. This is his idea of caring about his children as a father.
No one can say that his idea is wrong, but it is not necessarily correct.
At least, it is because of this statement that Kuina in the original book fell into a state of paranoia, so sometimes, the concept of parents is really important to children.
After a moment of silence, Yami stretched out his hand very naturally and placed it on top of Kuina's head.
"You're right in saying that, but you're also wrong."
"Eh?!"
The ambiguous answer made Kuina somewhat at a loss as to how to understand it.
At this moment, Yami raised his hands slowly, but his voice sounded again: "This world is very big, and there are countless terrifying strong men on the sea, including men and women, the famous sea emperor Charlotte Linlin, she is a woman."
"Other than that, whether it is Vice Admiral Tsuru of the Navy Headquarters, Charlotte Smoothie of the Big Mom Pirates, or 'Crescent Moon Hunter' Catarina Devon, their strengths should not be underestimated, but if it is about swordsmanship, then the most outstanding one is probably Miss Gion of the Navy Headquarters!"
"However, generally speaking, men have more advantages than women, but it is not absolute. No one is born strong, and even if there is, they can be surpassed through acquired efforts.
"Kuina, don't you want to become the world's number one swordsman? Now that you have firmly established this idea, don't be disturbed by external factors. You just need to be determined to do it. Even if you die for it, if it is what you want, you can die without regret!"
"The romance of a swordsman is as simple as that."
The understatement of the words, but like enlightenment, made Kuina suddenly shocked.
The girl's eyes became dull, as if she was pondering in her mind, and she came back to her senses after a while, the anxiety in her eyes had completely disappeared, replaced by the deep firmness.
"Thank you, Sir Yami, for telling me all this, I think, I know what to do next!"
Kuina bowed at ninety degrees, exuding strong self-confidence.
Seeing this scene, the smile on Yami's face became brighter.
To be honest, he has gone through many time-travel simulations before, and without exception, he accepted Kuina as his disciple, so this real-life time-travel simulation will be no exception.
Such a good seedling, since Koshiro can't teach her, let him do it!
"No, I just told some trivial truths, and a man I respect very much once said, don't pick off the sprouts easily, their era has just begun!"
"The person who can say such words must be a powerful human being."
Hephaestus, who had been silent all the time, couldn't help expressing emotion at this time.
Sometimes, the words spoken by human beings are more philosophical.
"Um... In some respects, yes..." Thinking of Rayleigh's face, the corners of Yami's mouth twitched uncontrollably. He was handsome and powerful at the time, but he sold himself for drink, which always felt very unreliable.
However, for the idle and bored gods, this kind of behaviour may be interesting.
"Since you are interested in him, Hephaestus-sama, let's stop by and meet that guy when the time comes. You might be disappointed."
"It's okay, I'm very tolerant."
The communication between Yami and Hephaestus poured into the ears of Kuina and Koshiro, and the father and daughter were slightly stunned, and then they didn't care about the title.
After all, -sama and the like are very common in this sea, and they didn't think in other directions.
"Sir, I have a request. I want to worship you as my teacher and learn swordsmanship from you. Please accept me as your apprentice!"
During the chat, Kuina suddenly made such a request.
Not only that, the girl knelt on the ground very simply, which surprised Yami a little, but when he thought of the personality of the girl in front of him, he quickly realised.
It really looks like her style!
"Your teacher? Although I already have three apprentices, I don't mind accepting another one, but isn't your goal the world's number one swordsman? Then I should be one of your goals. If you just worship me as your teacher, what will happen to your ambition?"
The questioning on a whim touched Kuina's heart.
At this moment, even Hephaestus showed a curious look.
The words of the girl in front of her had already made her see a bright spot, and she had the idea of receiving her under her command, but the other party was not a blacksmith, which made the red-haired goddess fall into deep hesitation.
However, if the girl has more shining points, it is not impossible to make an exception.
The prerequisite is that Kuina's answer can satisfy her.
The room suddenly became silent.
This question seems to make Kuina very difficult, and this hesitation also makes Yami and Hephaestus a little disappointed. Weakness is not shameful, but indecision is a big taboo.
Just like Ais, she wants to become stronger, and she even does not hesitate to ask adventurers who are weaker than her. They fully support her behaviour.
The strong must have their own thoughts and firm goals.
Just when Yami was about to speak out to help out, Kuina, who had been silent all this time, finally responded.
"Even if Sir Yami is my goal, I still want to worship you as my teacher. Only by following you can I see a wider world and become stronger. I want to surpass you and challenge the man who is the greatest Swordsman to become the world's greatest swordsman!"
Raising her head suddenly, Kuina's eyes were extremely firm.
At this moment, even Yami couldn't help being stunned.
He seems to have heard these words somewhere, and if he remembers correctly, a certain green-haired boy will also say similar words when he chooses to learn from Mihawk in the future.
Should it be said that he is a genius with similarities?
There was relief in Yami's eyes, and Hephaestus's eyes flashed in the same way, showing a satisfied expression.
"This answer is barely qualified. If so, then I will accept you."
"Really?!" Kuina suddenly revealed a look of surprise.
Before she could continue speaking, Yami poured cold water on her mouth, "Don't be too happy, I'm very strict, if you can't meet my standards, then I'm sorry. You will face a very terrible punishment, be prepared!"
"Yes, Sir...No, Master!"
Kuina didn't have the slightest fear, and her eyes were full of self-confidence from the bottom of her heart.
"What a nice child, then little Kuina, are you willing to join my Familia and carry the title of 'Hephaestus' Familia to roam the world?"
"Eh?"
The inappropriate interjection of Hephaestus made Kuina feel a little overwhelmed.
Families or something, what exactly do they mean?
Is this trying to make her a subordinate? But that will definitely affect her ability to become the number one swordsman in the world, but the other party is also a friend of Master. Would it be bad if I refused directly?
For a moment, Kuina fell into hesitation.
Seeing the girl's expression like this, Yami suddenly realised what she was thinking, couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, then turned his head to Hephaestus and said: "Hephaestus-sama, you should tell her the specific situation or you will probably be rejected."
"Is that so? I know."
Hephaestus nodded slightly knowingly, and then unlocked her hidden divinity, and the unique temperament and charm of the gods emerged instantly. This huge change made Kuina and Koshiro freeze in place instantly.
"Let me introduce myself again, my name is Hephaestus, the god of fire and crafts."
"Kuina, are you willing to join my Familia? I will give you the 'God's Grace' to obtain the key to stimulate your potential and possibility.
"God.....A God!!!"
Filled with divinity, Kuina suddenly became incoherent.
Although she has never seen a god before, at this moment, no matter whether it is her or Koshiro, they can clearly know that the person in front of them is definitely a god.
For no reason, both of them were saying the same voice deep in their hearts.
A God!
"Although it is unbelievable, Hephaestus-sama is indeed a real god, but not a god of battle, but a goddess who is proficient in forging. It is not too much to call her a master craftsman. I am also a member of the Hephaestus Familia."
Yami's words almost brought the atmosphere to a climax.
Hearing this, Kuina's delicate body trembled, she came back to her senses instantly, and bowed to Hephaestus.
"I'm really sorry, Hephaestus-sama, I didn't know your real identity before, it's really rude, please forgive me!"
"It doesn't matter, those who don't know can't be blamed, and there is no need to be so serious, and I am not so strict. In fact, us gods are very easy-going, so it is better to be a little casual.
Hephaestus stretched out her hands to hold her back, and with her divine power running, Kuina stood up from the ground uncontrollably.
Looking at the timid girl in front of her, Hephaestus had a picture of seeing the young Ais, and couldn't help but feel more satisfied for a moment.
So, she directly repeated what she just said.
"Then Kuina, are you willing to join my Familia and become my 'child'?"
"Can I?" Kuina looked extremely surprised, and subconsciously glanced at her father and Yami. In the latter's encouraging eyes, she regained her courage. "I am willing to join, Hephaestus-sama, please take care of me!"
"That's really great, you will be my 'child' from now on, and you should get along with other children well, so now, let's formally portray 'God's Grace', Yami."
"Understood, Hephaestus-sama."
Yami nodded slightly, and then dragged Koshiro to the side to leave the room.
In fact, it was just standing in the courtyard and waiting for the ceremony to end.
Koshiro had just recovered from the state of shock at this time, recalling the divine power of Hephaestus just now, this middle-aged man was very fortunate, but also felt delighted.
Thinking of his daughter's future, he suddenly showed a grateful look.
"Sir Yami, thank you for accepting my daughter, Kuina. I'll leave her to you."
"Even if you don't say it, I will do it. I am looking forward to Kuina's future, and it will definitely make your jaw drop~"
"AH. I'm looking forward to that day."