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With the bamboo sword slipping from her grasp and hitting the ground, Kuina's gaze was blank, not expecting to lose so decisively.
The scar of defeat on her back was a swordsman's disgrace, yet she couldn't even see the opponent's moves clearly!
"Even Kuina lost like that... Is this the strength of a swordsman from beyond the East Blue...?"
Zoro's shock was no less than Kuina's.
Having lost two thousand bouts against her, he was well aware of Kuina's strength.
The disciples of the dojo, who had their smiles frozen on their faces, had just seen a glimmer of victory through Kuina.
They could never have anticipated that in the next moment, Zyhark's bamboo sword would be positioned at Kuina's neck!
Seeing Kuina's morale plummet, Zyhark silently retracted his bamboo sword.
He knew all too well about Kuina's temperament. Since her childhood, she had been extremely sensitive, even resentful, about being a girl.
Affirming her swordsmanship as the victor now would only make her feel worse.
After all, he had indeed won this bout using pure physical superiority.
So, letting Kuina quietly digest this defeat was the priority.
"Kuina, you..."
Seeing a dejected Kuina returning to her seat, Zoro, holding his bamboo swords, couldn't help but tighten his grip.
Currently, he didn't have the habit of using three swords. His use of two was merely to compensate for the lack of power, aiming to defeat Kuina.
Now, with the mighty Kuina defeated so thoroughly, did he really stand a chance against that man?
Zoro clutched his swords tightly, torn deep inside.
At heart, he was still an immature child.
Yearning for strength, yet fearful of it, he recognized the gap between them, knowing he stood no chance.
Yet, his stubborn nature wouldn't let him just sit idly by, prompting him to scan beyond Zyhark.
Then, his gaze settled on King, whose presence alone seemed formidable. If he could defeat him, perhaps it would prove his own strength?
With that thought, Zoro's eyes hardened, and he slowly stood up.
"Hey, you with the golden hair! Fight me!"
He raised his bamboo sword, pointing it across the room at King.
Compared to Kuina's politeness, Zoro was much more straightforward.
Facing Zoro's challenging posture, the dojo's disciples suddenly found a bit of hope.
However, when they followed the direction of the bamboo sword to King, who remained expressionless, their hope quickly dissipated.
Even though Zoro was stronger than all of them, with Zyhark's swift defeat of Kuina as a precedent, they couldn't imagine King losing.
The oppressive aura naturally emanating from King was just too strong!
This time, Koushirou, sitting at the head of the dojo, didn't interject.
He slightly lowered his head, glancing at the newspaper beside him featuring King with a detached expression staring at a flooded coastline.
What? He wants to challenge me?!
King, although silent, was internally panicking.
Having heard the dojo's disciples praise Zoro's swordsmanship and strength, he feared he wouldn't last a single move.
The tension spread throughout King's body, naturally accelerating his heartbeat.
Thump, thump! Thump, thump!
The sound, like thunderous roars, echoed in the dojo.
Zyhark, too, was startled by Zoro's sudden challenge.
While pondering how to diplomatically decline Zoro's challenge and spare King from this predicament, he was caught off guard by Aqua's loud laughter.
"Pfft, haha, what an utterly foolish kid, daring to challenge King like that!"
Aqua, covering her mouth with one hand, looked down on Zoro with scorn, "Hear that thunderous heartbeat? That's his battle spirit accepting your challenge. You're doomed!"
In her view, King's strength was unfathomable, far surpassing even Zyhark's.
Not even a hundred Zoros could hope to win!
'Why are you dooming me, Aqua-san? I've done nothing to deserve this.'
King turned his gaze towards Aqua, who was blatantly setting him up for failure.
As history often repeats itself, the grief and despair Zyhark once faced at Aqua's hands now fell upon King.
Fate's favor couldn't overcome the misfortune brought by the goddess of misfortune...
Zyhark's lips twitched slightly, and after a long hesitation, he averted his gaze from King's pleading look.
With Aqua having sealed his fate and all eyes upon him, Zyhark found himself powerless to intervene.
"Just because you're serious doesn't mean I'll be scared. In fact, this is exactly what I'm seeking!"
Zoro, intimidated by the resonating heartbeat, was undeterred. Having drawn his sword, he had no intention of backing down.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, King, overwhelmed by pressure, reluctantly stood up and slowly approached Zoro.
King's towering figure cast a shadow over Zoro like a fierce beast, engulfing him completely.
"Come on! I won't lose!!"
Swallowing hard, Zoro charged at King with courage.
His bamboo swords swung left and right, only to meet with a dull thud.
As expected, without any miracle, King was instantly knocked to the ground!
"I'm sorry, I lost."
Sitting on the ground, King, clutching his chest where he was struck, quickly surrendered.
Zoro's strength was indeed overwhelming. Had they not been using bamboo swords, King might have been split in half by now.
The unexpected turn of events left everyone, including Kuina, dumbfounded.
After several seconds of silence, they finally reacted, their eyes wide and jaws dropped.
"Eh? EH?!!!"
A chorus of disbelief filled the dojo.
"I won? I actually won?"
Zoro, unsure of what just happened, alternated his gaze between his bamboo swords and the fallen King.
Ignoring the details, his reaction mirrored Kuina's: utterly confused by the outcome.
At that moment, Koushirou, with a solemn expression, sighed deeply, having seen through the "truth" of the matter.
"King-san, although Zoro is still a child, he's not that weak. There was no need to go to such lengths."
Koushirou, with his keen observation, had seen clearly: King was full of openings, resembling someone completely unfamiliar with combat.
In that state, not just Zoro, but any randomly selected disciple from the dojo could have easily triumphed!
Realizing this, Koushirou's shock deepened.
Pretending to be strong might only require a façade or a reputation, but for a true strongman to appear as weak, filled with flaws, is much harder. The instinct to fight compels the body to act.
Koushirou had encountered many strong individuals from the outer seas, but including himself, no one could maintain such control as King did!
(End of Chapter)