Kira: "… How did he manage to do that…?"
Capone Bege: "I'm not an expert in swordsmanship, but based on what Zoro said, it sounds like that Straw Hat kid over there has done some truly amazing things, huh?"
Scratchmen Apoo: "To reach that level in just one day… isn't that nearly impossible?"
Cavendish: "It's not just hard—it's extremely hard! No… it's super, super hard!!"
X Drake: "I've been training in swordsmanship since I was a kid, and honestly, this is something no ordinary human could ever achieve!"
Trafalgar Law: "Didn't Hawkeye already mention it? While swordsmanship usually requires years of practice, there are exceptions for people with natural talent. Clearly, the Straw Hat captain falls into that category."
Dracule Mihawk: "… That's what I was trying to say. But for him to finish basic training in just one day… even I find that almost impossible to believe."
Shanks: "It looks like Luffy doesn't just fall into the category of 'natural talent'..."
Jewelry Bonney: "What?! This isn't natural talent??!"
Shanks: "This is at least three levels beyond natural talent!"
Jewelry Bonney: "…"
Monkey D. Luffy: "Am I really that strong?"
Monkey D. Garp: "You idiot!! I'm talking about the other red-haired Luffy over there! You brat, you've completely wasted your potential!!"
Tsuru: "You can't put all the blame on Luffy. Garp, you also bear some responsibility for how Luffy turned out."
Sengoku: "To be fair, Garp's hands were tied. As a Marine Vice Admiral, he couldn't spend every day raising a child."
Meanwhile, even though the Straw Hat Pirates are scattered across different locations, they all watch the screen and collectively facepalm at Zoro's utterly stunned expression.
Encountering a monster like Luffy, they can't help but feel sorry for poor Zoro~~~
["Ah…"]
[Zoro is completely dumbfounded!!]
[Could it be that you're the kind of person my master once spoke about—someone born with a natural talent for swordsmanship…?]
[Zoro pauses, deep in thought~~]
[It seems… there's no other explanation for what we've just witnessed!]
"Hey, what kind of training should I do next?"
Luffy's voice snapped Zoro out of his wandering thoughts.
[…]
Zoro thought for a moment before answering: "Next is strength training… wait, no, you probably don't need that."
"Striking and strength training are the two basics of swordsmanship. You've already passed those, so the next step is to understand the way of the sword!"
"How do I do that?"
"First, you need to pick a sword that suits you."
"This one seems fine. I'll use it," Luffy said, holding up a sword.
"Then you need to decide which swordsmanship style to follow. For example, I use the Three-Sword Style."
"Multiple swords?"
Luffy thought for a moment, then lifted the sword in his hand. "I'll start with one sword for now."
Seeing Luffy choose the One-Sword Style, Zoro continued, "To understand the way of the sword, you have to fight with it. Only by battling and adapting to the sword in your hand can you find your own path in swordsmanship."
"Also, after every fight, you need to meditate. Reflect on your mistakes and fix them so you can keep improving."
After hearing Zoro's advice, Luffy nodded. "Got it! No time to waste—let's train separately!"
Without hesitation, Luffy dashed into the forest.
Since he had already mastered striking and strength training, his next goal was to understand the way of the sword through combat.
Usually, swordsmen like Zoro, who trained in dojos, would first spar with their fellow students to build their skills. Only after they became good enough at defending themselves would they improve through real battles.
But Luffy didn't need those early stages—he was already strong enough to handle himself.
As always, Luffy stirred up trouble by provoking hundreds of wild beasts in the forest. Then, with a wooden sword, he began his journey to subdue them…
One week later…
The two stood in front of a restaurant. Luffy looked at Zoro and asked, "Didn't you say you had enough money to eat for a month?"
Zoro, annoyed, replied, "You didn't say you could eat this much when we started!"
All the money Zoro had saved as a bounty hunter had been completely eaten up by Luffy…
Thankfully, money wasn't everything, and with their skills, they weren't in danger of starving.
The only ones who suffered were the wild beasts in the forest…
The two kept training in the mountains, randomly choosing a "training partner" to roast and eat when they were hungry and gathering wild fruits when they were thirsty.
On this particular day, it was Luffy's turn to gather fruits.
By the seaside, he spotted some coconut trees. Grabbing the edge of the mountain wall with both hands, he launched himself down.
Landing on the beach, Luffy picked a few coconuts.
Just as he was about to head back, a wave suddenly crashed onto the shore.
Huh?
Luffy's gaze froze for a moment.
He turned to look at the beach…
Ding!
It was time for the prize question segment!
At that moment, a question appeared on a big screen:
Question: When Luffy glanced back, what did he see?
A. A warship
B. A pirate ship
C. A Devil Fruit
D. A shark
E. A stranded princess