In the dojo, the standard protocol would be to prepare, bow, and then begin. Since Luffy and Kuina had already introduced themselves and bowed, Shimotsuki Koushirou skipped this step and directly announced the start of the match.
Luffy was contemplating how to prevent this girl, who was destined to die in such a comical way, from meeting her fate. After all, Kuina's death wasn't due to illness or being attacked; she simply fell down a staircase. It seemed almost absurd.
He imagined how high the staircase could possibly be. The houses in Shimotsuki Village were traditional Japanese-style wooden structures. Luffy felt that even if he fell headfirst from a rooftop, it would only hurt a lot, nothing fatal. The buildings here were nothing compared to the high structures in Elegia or its palace.
Noticing Luffy's distraction, Kuina interpreted it as arrogance. This boy wasn't taking her seriously.
How arrogant of him!
Without hesitation, she seized the opportunity, holding her bamboo sword and advancing with quick steps, her rear foot pushing off while her front foot slid close to the ground. Maintaining a stable posture throughout her slide, she then swiftly followed through with her back foot. Her weight stayed balanced, and she delivered a straightforward, overhead vertical slash—Tangetsu.
She's fast!
Even though he was lost in thought, Luffy had been prepared, yet he was still surprised by Kuina's speed. It was as though she had appeared before him out of nowhere.
Clack!
Luffy hastily raised his bamboo sword to block, and the impact caused his weapon to tilt under the force. The block had been hurried and awkward, relying more on instinct than technique.
This girl... she's got a lot of strength, almost as much as I do, he thought, comparing her power to his own. Kuina was actually stronger than he had been before his intense training, though not as strong as he was now, likely around 1.7 tons of force.
Despite Luffy's clumsy block, Kuina didn't press forward with a follow-up strike. She had already put all her strength into the initial blow, and attacking again while her body was rigid would leave her vulnerable, something a determined swordsman like her would never risk.
Especially against an opponent with such brute strength, she thought, retreating a step. Her first strike was a test, a fast and powerful single blow, meant to gauge her opponent. Often, it was enough to win in a single strike. Zoro, for instance, had once been knocked out by her overhead slash on his first challenge.
Having exchanged a single blow, the two reestablished their stances. Kuina's face grew more cautious, the hint of disdain in her eyes fading. Luffy's sheer strength was something she would have to approach carefully. In her mind, Luffy might have been a clumsy brute, but like a wild boar, his strength could allow him to charge without care. He could make multiple mistakes, but her first slip would mean defeat, skewered on his metaphorical tusks.
Luffy, in turn, acknowledged her as a true swordsman. She was someone worth fighting.
"Oh-ho! Well done, young lady!" cheered the pirates.
Judging from the exchange, Luffy was at a disadvantage, and the pirates enthusiastically rooted for Kuina. Her serious demeanor, however, didn't adjust well to the boisterous praise from these strangers.
Why are they cheering for me? Aren't they supposed to root for their own?
In the dojo, duels were usually silent affairs, where the only sounds were the clash of bamboo swords and the groans of defeat. The arrival of the pirates had brought unprecedented noise and excitement to this normally solemn training ground.
Koushirou sighed quietly, but the younger children, inspired by the pirates' cheers, started rooting for Kuina too. Seeing that these visitors were indeed guests, they joined in with the pirates, shouting, "Go, Kuina! Get him!"
Even the villagers gradually joined in, raising their fists.
"Whose side are you on?" Luffy grumbled.
"Go, Luffy!" rang a clear, bell-like voice.
Uta's distinctive voice easily rose above the others, her words echoing through the dojo. The boys looked toward the sound and saw her standing there in a light yellow dress, exposing her fair arms and legs.
In the soft light of her outfit, their gazes naturally focused on her delicate shoulders and collarbones. Just by observing her youthful, smooth skin, the boys imagined they could smell a fresh scent around her, and they shyly looked away.
She was a different kind of girl compared to Kuina. Kuina was like the cool, untouchable moonlight, while Uta was more like a vibrant, warm flame—a young noblewoman, exuding an aura of elegance that fit the term perfectly.
Realizing all eyes were on her, the songstress let out a soft giggle and made a playful paw gesture.
The energetic audience distracted Kuina for a moment, but she quickly brought herself back to focus, doing an overhead swing to ground herself, her bamboo sword cutting cleanly through the air. Once more, she became the focused warrior, her eyes steady and sharp, her goal single-minded:
Fight and win.
She watched Luffy through the path of her sword, no longer rushing her strikes.
"You're strong! You're the second strongest girl I've ever met," Luffy praised as he rested his bamboo sword on his shoulder.
Second? Kuina filed that fact away, then struck diagonally with a swift, upward slash.
Gyaku-Kesa!
In response to her attack, Luffy moved with determination, each step like thunder in the dojo. Everyone in the room held their breath, watching as the two clashed.
Luffy lifted his bamboo sword from his shoulder. He wasn't well-versed in technique, but he saw her strikes as similar to the playful swordplay Shanks had once demonstrated with chopsticks—left and right cuts without elaborate movements.
As she struck, Kuina adjusted to his "wild boar" approach, her bamboo sword meeting his and redirecting it. Using her own strength, she skillfully knocked his sword aside and countered with a strike aimed at his shoulder.
Her technique allowed her to divert his strength, and she brought her bamboo sword up for another blow. However, Luffy's instincts responded quickly. He let his sword dance along hers, moving in fluid harmony with her attack, then gracefully pulled back, retreating in a light, bouncing motion.
His quick, evasive steps were like a breeze slipping away from Kuina's strike, leaving her feeling momentarily unbalanced as if she had struck empty air.
Without hesitation, he gathered his energy and launched forward, twisting his body mid-air in a fluid motion to deliver a swift, spinning slash toward her.
Kuina's eyes widened in surprise. That was a remarkably fast counter!
The way he adapted, shifting his body's weight and angle, and transitioning seamlessly into a continuous assault, made him leagues above the swordsmen she had fought before, who suddenly seemed painfully amateur by comparison.
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